Void

It is just a story no one will read. It is not a poem.

            The skeletons floated for a moment. They were about to be taken downstream and then they sunk into the waters. They were like pumice rock that floated before enough water filled it to pull it into sands of the bottom of a lake.

            The banshees looked at him and then at the skeletons. They smiled to each other meeting eyes and looked up at the full moon.

            The Moon stared down at her lover and his followers and she smiled reflected light in the dark sky of the turning Earth.

            His face smiled and he turned from the view of the pretty empty river surface to see the Hound. Eyes flashing silver, he walked toward the tall humanoid shaped male Hound that had burnt hair showing flesh and ripped ears that would never stand again.

            The banshees also turned and looked at the Hound. Their eyes changed to silver reflected moonlight. They stared between the one the Moon loved and the Hound that had betrayed the Vampires.

            The one-eyed Hound looked at him, nodded and then turned his eye away; submission.

            Sarah stood upon the small sand dune and watched the happenings of the Banshees and the Hound and the Man the Moon loved. She was afraid of what she had witnessed and her cognizant mind could not meet the impossible truth she had heard, seen and wore the blood of as witnessed. Her soft pink sun dress was splattered in Vampire and Ghoul blood. She had wiped her face clean of it. But it dried in her hair and she felt dirty.

            Arachne reached over with two of her eight arms and touched Sarah soft upon her shoulders. “It will be ok. I promise you.”

            Sarah did not shudder as the human-spider woman touched her shoulders. Arachne was the first of the non-humans she had met at her thirteenth birthday party. The others had followed after. She said soft, “I know sister.” Sarah blinked. “I am afraid of him. The Man the Moon loves.”
            Arachne nodded and her eyes blinked. “He is not evil.”

            Sarah nodded and she watched as the Hound went to knee before the Man with changing eyes.

            The Man reached forward and put his hand on the Hound’s head and said, “Bring yours forth. I will show you how to make the bridge.” He added, “I will also show you how to make other bridges. You may travel to where you wish with yours.”

            The one-eyed Hound looked up at the Man. A smiled touched his flues. His one eye opened wide. “Truth?”
            “Always. I never lie, my friend.”

            The Hound nodded and rose to his feet to disappear in the moonlight.

            “How do they?” Sarah asked.

            “They Hounds are not a part of this world. There were never human. They are not like the vampires and ghouls and other things that eat of man in their anger at their change. The hounds are different.”

            “Oh,” Sarah replied. She watched the Banshees surround the Man. She watched as he smiled to them all and then kissed each on the lips.

            The Banshees blushed as they were kissed. There were seven and two Banshees that followed the Moon’s lover.

            “He loves them,” she said watching. Her head titled watching the eyes of the Banshees as they blushed.

            “Yes. He does.” Arachne smiled. “He loves them very much.

            Sarah nodded and slowly brought her left hand up to her heart.

            “You are not like them, Sarah.”

            The human girl nodded. She whispered, “I sometimes wish I was.”
            Arachne cuddled the human girl with her legs and tried to be warm for her.

            “Thank you,” Sarah said and her eyes closed.

            Arachne felt the movement in the earth long before the Wolves arrived.

            Sarah watched as the Banshee’s flared out behind the man as if they were his wings.

            Arachne soft-pulled Sarah away from the small sand dune. She spun silk to keep Sarah safe. Tonight, under the full moon a great many things were to be settled about with the off-Earth.

            “Why are you here?” the Man asked.

            “You warred with the Vampires.”
            They met eyes, Wolf Alpha Gold to simple Human blue.

            “I killed all the Vampires here. They warred with me. So?”

            “We did not wish it.” The leader kept control and did not show his teeth. “You have broken a two-hundred-year truce in killing them.”

            “I have not. You did not. They attacked me and mine. I gave ample warning. I do not see the issue.”

            The Alpha looked at the pretend man. “They will blame us. It will be war.”

            “You own this America place. There is only New York, LA and San Frisco for the Vampires here.” The Man the Moon loved was confused. “You can end all those easy.” He looked at the Wolf, now man and met his eyes with the other. He said, “The witches will not involve themselves.”

            “It will be a world war,” the Alpha said. “Asia, Europe and Africa will be blood baths.”

            “South America has more Wolves than Ghosts and no Vampires,” the Man replied. “They can help. Send them to those places.”

            “I cannot.” The tall grey haired large human looked down at the not-man. “I am not Alpha of them.”

“Ask the Spiders and Ghosts for help.”

“We cannot talk with the Ghosts like you,” Alpha replied. “The Spiders ignore us. We have tried.”

The Moon-loved-Man looked at the North American Lord of Wolves and blinked his blue eyes. “What would you have of me?” He paused and asked, “If you are not Alpha of the others, then why care about the others?”
            The Wolf looked at the Man the Moon loved. He said as he stared, “We are all kin. I feel it when they die. We are one bloodline.”

The Man smiled and said, “I understand kin. But I have only those that I care for and about.”

They met eyes and the Wolf shook his head realizing he would never convince this not-man and he also realized, it was done. The Vampires were dead.

“Why did you kill the Vampires?” The Alpha asked. He wanted clarity.

The Moon-loved man pointed at the human girl being hugged by the spider sitting on the girl’s shoulder. The spider was a little over a quarter inch.

The Wolves turned as one, stared and looked at the small human girl and the huge silk spinner standing over her. She spider was the size of an apartment building with the little human standing beneath her.

Arachne stood on her back four feet and she towered over the Wolves. Her eight eyes blinked out of unison for them to see as she clicked her fangs longer than their bodies together.

The pack looked at their Alpha for guidance.

The Moon-Loved Man stepped forward and said, “The Vampires tried to take something my friend loves. They did not understand that I will not let them take my friends friend.”
            He met the eyes of the Alpha and the gold Wolf eyes looked into void black eyes of the Moons lover. The Wolf blinked as he stared into the night sky eyes of a man that was not a man. The eyes of the Moon lover were darkened sky.

“I protect those that I care about. I care for those that I like care about.” The man without eyes looked into the gold eyes of the Wolf. “I gave them warning. I told them leave the girl alone. I said, do not do this that you wish to do.”
            The Wolf nodded.

Sarah looked at the Moon Loved Man and she smiled as Arachne kissed her cheek. She said, “You are correct. He is a nice man.”

Arachne nodded and held the young girl in a loving hug.

Sarah asked soft voiced, “He asked the Hound for you? To find the Vampires that wanted me?”
            “Yes.”

Sarah nodded. “Then he killed all the Vampires because they wanted to hurt me and you are my friend?”

“Yes,” she replied. “You and I are friends. I did not want the Vampires to take you. I do not know how they found you.”

“Am I the cause of all this?”

“All what?” Arachne asked.

“Strife?”
“Not you my friend. This was going to happen. You are not the cause of it.”

Sarah turned and put herself into the arms of the spider that was her size and wrapped herself about the hard body.  Arachne held and loved Sarah and cared for her as he eyes looked at the Wolves.

They stared at the Spider that was three stories high and now the size of a thirteen-year-old girl holding and loving a young human girl.  

“I am sorry if your truce was broken,” the Lover of the Moon said. “But I do not really care as you were not the ones that broke it. Tell the Vampires of the world to come and speak with me. They can travel to meet me.”

The Alpha Wolf looked at the Banshees, the human child in the impossible spider’s arms and then the Moons Lover. He nodded. He was about to speak in reply when all the Banshees turned and pointed. They had huge smiles on their faces and their silver reflected eyes opened wide.

The Lover of the Moon turned and also smiled.

The Alpha smelled the death but, he could not see it. The other Wolves looked about also smelling the grave smell.

The Alpha’s mate rushed to his side, she whispered, “It is the Ghosts. I smell them.” She blinked and said, “They are now also here.”
            He nodded and said in reply. “Sit. Be calm. They come for a reason. They are not our enemy.”

His mate stood next to him silent and held his arm. She hid her fears. Wolves did not show fear.

The Moon loved Man looked at the Ghost. His face was a smile and his void eyes changed to deep dark green grass color.

Sarah looked at the silk water pretty woman and she looked up at Arachne. She whispered, “Who is the pretty woman?”

“She is the leader of those that could not leave. I cannot see her, Sarah. I can only sense her presence. I am not dead. She is a Ghost of your race or others.”

Sarah nodded. She said, “She is very pretty, Arachne.” Sarah asked, “If I let you, can you see though me?”

“I have been told that, Sarah.” Arachne thought about the question. She smiled and said, “I could Sarah, but it would cause you pain. Why not just tell me what you see instead?

Sarah nodded to Arachne and stared at the Moon’s Lover as he walked to touch the beautiful woman and they smiled to each other.

“He is holding her hand,” Sarah said soft. “She is smiling.” Sarah paused as she watched the Banshees leave formation to ring the Moon loved Man. They were all wide moon eyes silver reflect.

Sarah said in a whisper, “She is hugging him, Arachne. He is kissing her cheek. They are both smiling.” Sarah blinked and said, “Her face is a skull and he is kissing her and she is kissing him. She has no eyes but her eyes are closed and his eyes are also closed.”

“Please tell me later, Sarah. Best if you witness and be silent.” Arachne held Sarah close. “Best if you not watch to be honest. Most humans cannot see the Ghosts.”

Sarah nodded as she saw all the eyes of the other ghosts turn to look at her. She leaned against Arachne.

The Wolves stood still listening and watching nothing. They could hear the human girl speak. The Alpha looked at the human girl and the impossible spider and walked toward them with his mate following close.

Sarah smiled at the Wolf.

“Hello, Human Girl.”

“Hello, Wolf man.” Sarah smiled. “You have pretty eyes,” she said.

The Wolf looked down at her and he smiled. “Thank you. You are a very cute human girl.”

Sarah looked up at the human shaped male with grey hair. “Thank you.” She blinked, “You are a wolf?”

He nodded. “You can see all of us for what we are?”
            Arachne looked at the Wolf evaluating.

Sarah nodded to him and smiled. “I can. This is one of the reasons the Vampires wanted me. They thought to use me. My friends saved me from them.”

The Wolf nodded. He looked at the spider and then back at the girl. “They would have used you poorly I think.”
            “That is what the Lover said to me. Arachne agrees with him,” she said and looked up at the Wolf man.

The Hound returned with the others and the children of the Cuckoos looked across the river beach at the Wolves and Ghosts. The Hound raised a hand.

The Wolves turned as one and stared at the Hound and the offspring children that walked behind him. The elders followed the children and their old eyes took in the scene.

Sarah turned and looked at the children of the Hounds that were switched in the cribs of human babies to be raised. “They are the lost regained loved. The Cuckoos,” she said. “My best friend in elementary school was a lost loved. We were very close until her real mother came to take her home.”

The Wolf stared down at Sarah. “You know all this?”
            “I know,” Sarah replied. “Before the Vampires the Hounds raised the human children as soldiers. Not as the returned loved, but equal in their society. After the Vampires, the Hounds had to give the human children to them. The Vampires ate the human boys and girls or handed them to the ghouls as special gifts. Human babies are a treat for the undead.” Sarah blinked as she looked up at the human that was really a Wolf.

The Wolf stared at her and Arachne wrapped multiple arms about Sarah. She kissed her friend on the cheek and whispered, “You don’t have to answer him.”

Sarah smiled to Arachne. “It is ok. They are not my enemy, Arachne.”

The spider nodded and eyed the Wolves.

“And he saved you from them?” The Alpha asked.
            Sarah nodded. “As you stated, they wished to use me poorly. I cannot be turned and I cannot be eaten.”

The Alpha’s mate asked from slightly behind his left shoulder, “Who are you?”
            Sarah smiled and replied, “I am the Clockmakers daughter.”

Arachne smiled up at the Wolves holding Sarah.

Sarah leaned back against Arachne accepting the love and protection of her friend.

The Moon’s Beloved turned and his void eyes smiled as he heard her confession. He looked at the Wolves and then to the Hounds who also listened to the Human girl.

The Ghosts looked at the young human girl and nodded. They turned back to the Beloved and spoke in tones none of the living could hear or understand.

The Wolves looked at the human girl and slowly they all nodded. Her birth explained everything in a way. She was the rumored child and the Vampires would travel the world if they understood.

The Hounds waited. Unlike the others they could see the Ghosts and knew that the Moon’s Lover would speak with them after he spoke with the Ghosts.

The Ghosts and the Beloved nodded to each other and the Ghosts looked one last time at the Human girl. They faded to their green forest.

The Hounds walked forward and the Wolves watched the Hounds.

“They are old and powerful,” Sarah said. “They would find a way from the chains when they could. The Vampires did a very bad thing to them.” She smiled and said, “He was their way through me.” She pointed at the Beloved of the Moon who strode forward to meet with the Hounds. “He is the most powerful of all.” Sarah blinked as she stared at the Loved.
            The Wolf looked at the human who kept her eyes staring at the thousands of children and five old ones that stood taller than seven feet on hind legs.

“They are not like you,” Sarah said to the Wolf.

He nodded. “No. They are not. We are not relation.”

Sarah nodded and both watched those that were older than the Earth itself speak together.

Arachne began to braid Sarah’s hair and she made soft noises in the girl’s ear that caused Sarah to giggle. “I love you, Arachne,” Sarah said.

“I love you as well,” the spider replied.

“So much is unknown to us,” The Alpha’s mate said.

He nodded. “But we have learned a bit this eve?” he asked.

She nodded and the others of the Pack followed.

“We have learned a great deal,” he said.

“He opens the gate for them,” Sarah said.

A dark black hole of non-light appeared and the Elders of the Hound bowed to the Beloved. The one eyed, torn eared Hound also bowed. They all rushed through the gate to a new place.

“They go home,” Sarah said watching the hounds rush across the time space of the universe. She turned and looked up at the Wolf person. She said, “They will return.”

The Wolf turned and looked down at the little human girl being loved in the spider’s hands. There were thousands of smaller spiders and they filled the sand dunes.

“I love your bothers and sisters,” Sarah said as Arachne held her soft and too her chest.

            The Moon’s Lover began to walk toward them. He was graceful and full; like a sun rising, slow and showing you light as he approached. Except he was not light, he was the opposite of light, he was the complete and total half-dark of totality; a moon covered sun.

            “There will be no Wolf Vampire war, Alpha of America,” Sarah said and met his eyes with her eyes.

            He stared down at her. “Why?” he asked. He had a bit of an understanding.

            She turned and looked up at the not-man Beloved who smiled down to her. Sarah smiled up meeting his black eyeless eyes.

            The Beloved, turned and looked at the Alpha Wolf. He said simple toned, “Because the Hounds will return.” He blinked his non-eyes and said, “They are almost as old as I and they have long memory.”

            The banshees laughed and played about in the sand and water. The spiders raced all about Sarah and cleaned the blood out of her hair.

Arachne looked up at the Alpha Wolf and she said, “You should go home. You are too human for what will happen next.”

He looked at the pack. Turned back to those that were different and nodded. “We will go home.”

“That is the best idea,” Arachne said and she nodded to him. She said, “We will help you once, Prince of Wolves. Only once.”

He nodded to her. “Thank you.”

Sarah was giggling as the spiders raced in and out of her mouth cleaning her teeth.

Wolf looked at the Beloved and the man was staring at the night sky and smiling a smile that no human could. More than half his jaw was opened to touch his throat and Wolf saw long dragon teeth in a human mouth that could never fit there. The not-man with not-eyes was growing wings and Wolf nodded.

He turned to the pack and strode away and said to the other Wolves, “We should go home.”

No one argued with their Alpha.