Authors: Kelly Hogan
"C'mon now, perhaps we had finish this like gentlemen, no?" Hunter leans over me and grabs my shirt, pulling me up and slugging me right in the jaw.
"Since when were you a gentlemen? I hardly think conning your way into the sack with helpless young ladies constitutes admirable behaviour." Hunters expression turns so dark he looks like a wild beast which essentially I guess we all are, deep inside. I kick my legs forward and knock him on his back, crushing the coffee table in one fell swoop. Jumping back on my toes, he quickly retaliates with a large sofa levitating right at me with enough speed to knock me back again hard into the wall, pinning me underneath.
"What the crap is going on in here?!" I hear Stella screech from the front door. Busted.
Hunter and I sit side by side on the large plaid couch, the one that pummelled me into a wall. The room is back to normal save for a bunch of broken dishes and knick knacks which were ugly to begin with. I'm massaging my arm that was dislocated during the couch assault as Hunter remains unscathed but sporting a bruised ego from being found on his back by a couple of chicks, half defeated. I must add that the couch had a pull out bed in it which made it super freakin' heavy.
"It would be real nice to have some confidence that we are all on the same page in this mess now wouldn't it?" Stella stands before us, hands on her hips, Gabs flanking her left with a big smirk on her face, clearly enjoying a good berating session. I glance over at Hunter who is staring at the ground in humiliation and annoyance. I wonder why he is still here anyways considering the way he feels about the whole deal. Maybe he's right. Maybe I
have
changed that much. Was I really that big of an asshole? He returns my look and gives me a shrug with a lop-sided grin. It's so easy to fight with Hunter, chuck some crap around, yell insults and share a case of beer to make up. Simple.
"I was just teaching your boyfriend here how a real man would take down a freak demon like the Ubiquatar. Wasn't that right Asher." He perks his eyebrows up to me.
I grin back at him, thankful for the fight as it has left me less angry and more relaxed then I've felt in days. Sometimes a little scuffle is all you need to release some tension.
"Ubiqua-what demon? What is that exactly? Sounds bad assed." Gabs pipes up, interest piqued.
STELLA
Our base camp has developed quite nicely, we had a fancy supper together (hot dogs) and caught a beautiful sunset past the 'Bluebell Bunkie', yes the cottage has one of 'those' names. I might've even been pumped about spending a few days with Gabs and Ash and sometimes Hunter, if the circumstances didn't suck royal Ass.
Gabs has taken on her research role with a vengeance which I knew she would. Underneath all that euro-sexy is a super smart, mega nerd, with an eye for facts and a great pen chance for getting the job done. While she researched, Hunter is doing whatever Hunter does best I guess, drinking, complaining, popping his feet up on the couch, and poking Gabs now and then with random objects. As a telekinetic, he technically doesn't have to lift a finger, his mind can do that for him, and take advantage he does. Little does he know about the wrath of Gabs, and I can tell her patience is waning. Once she flips out on him, demon or not, he'll cower in defeat. I hope I'm around to see that. A smile starts to form on my lips but it's quickly wiped away as I remember why we are here; some super horrific demon wants to eat me, or sell me, or do God knows what to me.
"Ok focus Stella, you look a million miles away. This is important, try again."
Ash and I have been working out on the side deck for a number of hours now, trying to get me up to par on harnessing my abilities. A crash course in demon fighting skills if you will. It's been frustrating, annoying, maddening, but I 'think' I'm getting at least a little better. I thought I had mastered Ash's power but in fact there is a lot to be said for learning restraint and control. This could have come in real handy a few nights ago with the fire demon. I'm concentrating on building up that one in particular so that it doesn't fry me like bacon.
"Ok, think about the fire, envision it in the pit of your stomach, control it, make it work for you. Don't let it consume you, no matter what. Focus Stella."
I can totally feel it, burning me from the inside, like I've eaten about 200 Redhots. But it isn't actually painful this time. It feels like pure delicious power surging through me. My eyes are closed and I'm focusing on keeping it in my belly and not letting it out until I can control where it goes. Last thing I want to do is burn a hole in the side of the cottage.
Carefully opening my eyes I focus on Ash, ever so slowly bringing up the heat into my arms and down into my fingers. I look down and my hands are red and fiery like before, but the heat isn't overtaking me, I'm controlling the surge. Like a human flame thrower.
"Awesome Stell, now try and visualize pulling the heat into your hands, forming a ball in your palms. When you're ready I want you to chuck it into the hot tub but please don't do it until you're ready. Don't rush it or you could burn your sweater right off. On second thought... "
"Har Har. So not the time for second base Ash," I say focusing my sights on the hot tub 10 feet below at the foot of the deck stairs. I've got a wee little fire ball in my hands, sweat beading at my temples and pure dread licking at my neck at the thought of losing my Shit.
I stare at it for a few seconds before willing the courage to flick my palm towards it. A small, but seemingly well orchestrated ball of flames shoots into the water, heaving a big billow of steam into the air with the splash.
I'm so excited I instantly lose focus and the heat starts to burn my fingers and arms. My happiness turns to panic as the intense burn trickles down my back and my hair is lifted from my neck. Ash grabs my hands and winces from the pain but doesn't let go.
"Come back to me Stella, look at me, focus on me, cool down, calm down, control the urge."
After a few minutes of steady breathing and thinking about ice burgs, I'm back to normal but clearly in need of a cold shower. My clothes are sticking to me and my mouth feels like a sand trap. The chilly spring night air blowing through my hair feels amazing as the sweat turns to little goose bumps. It flows over me like a cool blanket; a welcome sensation following the intense temperature.
Ash has become a bit of a demon whisperer to me. He's the only one who can ground me before my powers take over. Hunter tried to talk me down earlier and I took out one of Murrie's tires in the process (we had a wee funeral for the poor fella). Gabs tried as well, but really just yelled at me to stop, too afraid to come too close. Only the touch of Ash's hands around mine sends instant calm vibes up my arms and into my body; like the antidote to my virus.
So much has changed in the last 24 hours, I can't even articulate the bizarreness. Gabs doing demon research, my Dad actually knowing what I am, sitting in a cabin by the woods throwing hot balls of lava into a hot tub. A little bit overwhelming and a lot to take in. These last few weeks I've felt infected by this demon disease. Desperate to hurl myself into the deep end, unseeing and uncaring for anyone or anything. Willing myself to succumb to the realm and turn my back on humanity.
I feel almost relieved now with the knowledge of controlling the chaos deep inside me. Of the normalcy which I ran from before. Right now, normal is looking pretty sweet indeed. I know there are still perks about this life, but romanticizing my situation wasn't helping so I gave that up in favour of living until I was 19. A solid goal I think.
GABS
"So apparently the Ubiquatar has a nickname. The Stepford demon. Hmm, wonder why that is?" I like to 'work' out loud, it helps me focus. I wasn't actually thinking that Hunter would reply.
Hoping up from his lax position on the couch and over to the table surprised me. "Now
that
I do know." Pulling up a chair he plunks down across from me. "I've heard mostly tall tales about these guys, but the reason being is that aside from being a mean S.O.B, they have the power to control your mind - like you're a Stepford-bot, or whatever that 70's movie was about."
"Gee that sounds great. What else might that small cranium be able to remember?"
"I'll have you know, Princess, that I have a few extra years of experience over your naive little existence so show a little respect." Touché. He returns back to his spiel.
"So. If memory serves, I heard of a guy that had a run-in with one about 2 decades ago. They don't come to earth very often as they have to enter illegally and it's a bit of a pain in the arse. Our border laws are pretty strict, which I can tell surprises you by the look on that pretty
young
face." He shoots me a big grin; man I hate condescension from chauvinistic Assholes. I grit my teeth to control the lashing I so want to bestow. Arguing isn't going to help Stella right now though.
"Ok, ok, I'm young, point taken. Now get on with it," I fire back.
"I guess this guy was pretty unique, I think he had the ability to raise the dead, which in theory would seem like a good ability and it's pretty rare too, but it's just too dark and creepy for me. I don't have a lot of morals but I do know it goes against nature; not something to Fuck with." A pen begins to float between us over the table. I'd have to say that Hunter was a guy who can't sit still for a second; attention deficit in the extreme.
"Anyways, he summoned a Stepford demon, which instantly gave the Ubi access to the earth wick, illegal or not. Sort of like an open border, but an offence which is punishable by death. No free tickets in this dimension. Something to note in case you thought about summoning a hot demon yourself someday." He gives me a wink. Gag.
"Apparently he wanted to form a partnership with this
thing
and had the notion that if he granted it access to earth, there would be rewards beyond belief. Idiot. He was too cocky in his ability and too stupid to understand the lack of humanity of this demons home wick. Dude didn't stand a chance. The Stepford overtook his mind and forced him to cut out his own tongue and eat it."
Bile has risen into my mouth thinking of this monster doing that to Stella.
"Oh and then he made him chop up the rest of his own body parts. Stepford's don't like to do the work themselves I guess; I suppose it
would
get pretty messy. Thankfully for that guy, he bled out pretty quick and the demon had to suck it up and finish the job. He got caught by The Register a few days later, holed up in a swanky resort in New York state eating another poor bastard with a side of caviar and a pricey merlot." The pen falls to the table between us as Hunter looks back at me with a smile. So cavalier, no fear. How are we going to get through this mess? My hands have started to shake and I feel like I could really throw up. I get up and launch myself into the bathroom before I get the chance to embarrass my
young
myself.
Hunter yells from the other room. "Weak stomach Princess? Too bad!" I can hear him laughing as splash cold water on my face. Bastard.
STELLA
The smell of smoke is making me cough up a lung. I'm sidestepping the rubble as best I can, but still tripping continually as I try to run down the hall. I can tell the hall used to be very pristine, like a research facility, and pure white everywhere. Right now it looks like a war zone.
I'm checking each and every small window, looking in on empty room after empty room, constantly searching. For what, I'm not so sure, but I'm frantic. At the end of this hallway is a big room, like a cafeteria. Actually I think it is a real cafeteria, I can see table trays and spilled food, and upturned chairs and tables. Over in the distance I see a row of booths with people actually still just sitting in them, playing cards?
I run over in warning to them, but they are completely ignoring me like I'm invisible. Words tumble out of my mouth but I sound like a grown up in a Charlie Brown cartoon, all wonky and distorted. No wonder they can't understand me. I turn around and try to distinguish anything else that might seem familiar to me, the smoke is so thick I've pulled up my shirt to cover my mouth in order to breathe in something less toxic.
Debris is still falling from the ceiling, but at a slower pace. It's as if there was a bomb and this is the after math. Could the whole building be ready to collapse? What am I still doing here, how do I get out?! I turn back to the poker players and try to ask this question, but again, nothing is making any sense, I can't spit out anything coherent.
Pounding my fists on their table to get their attention seems to have worked and they look up at me like I'm a rude waitress, interrupting their good times. Out of the four guys, three look very normal, mid-thirties, nerdy types, one even has on reading glasses which he takes off to clean every few minutes. The fourth is something a little different, he has horns in the side of his head, and his hands which appear to be the only bare skin showing, are covered with scales and claws, not human at all. I'm staring at him but not afraid of him, just curious. He motions behind me with his right claw, indicating something I should be interested in, then flashes a big smile, revealing row after row of stained pointed teeth. Still, this doesn't frighten me, I can sense he is of no threat.
Spinning around I see an area in the far corner of the room which I didn't before. The smoke has cleared up a bit revealing a giant crater in the floor. Racing over to it, I trip on a few chairs and slip over some spilled milk - that seems kinda ironic doesn't it? I feel magnetically pulled to the hole though, so I immediately get up and keep running.