Exousia - The Patron Saints of the Damned -Book II
Chapter 13 - Dry Bones in a Pasture

David clutched tightly to the phone he was using to record the drive. He was in the middle seat in the front of the pickup–moving in the direction of a hay-bale, going about twenty miles per hour. He heard his friends shout over the roaring engine. The tires lost traction on a patch of dried soil. The pickup span at a dizzying speed. The pasture, hay bales, and trees around them became a blur of colors. Then, he felt a heavy thud as the truck stopped. His bony shoulder slammed against the passenger door hard enough to leave a bruise. Dust swirled around them so thickly that they couldn’t even see the pasture. Dirt and pieces of dry hay fell from the air and settled over them. It took David a moment to realize that the side of the spinning truck had collided with a hay-bale, which was now poking him in the head with loose straws.

“Aw, buddy!” Jodie cheered from the driver’s seat and then pointed at the cell phone. “Did you get that?”

David gave a thumb up while brushing hay off his sports tee.

“Good work! I may keep you around,” Jodie said, and excitedly punched him in the shoulder as he started driving again. The friendly blow left another bruise on his opposite shoulder.

Oddly enough, David found himself amused by the symmetry. He laughed and pointed the camera out the side window once the hale bale was no longer blocking his view. To his surprise, the first thing on the screen of his phone were the bones of a calf, bleached white by the sun. Grass had grown up around the bones, and a few ants crawled on them as well, maybe searching for some extra scraps or having built tunnels through the remains.

“Dang … coyotes probably got him.” Jodie said, with a quick shake of his head. “One less steak, I guess.”

Nobody else in the truck even bothered to look.

David sighed. The wasteful death of animals was probably just something one got used to out here. If a farmer got upset every time a baby animal died for no reason, they probably wouldn’t have many good days. That wasn’t to say that animals were treated poorly. To the contrary, all the cattle here were free-ranged with all the sunny fields they could want. But they were much more calloused to death than he was. David couldn’t help but wonder how long the calf had been out in this field before it had died. Had it been lying wounded and helpless while coyotes, birds, and ants picked pieces of its flesh? He couldn’t help but feel sympathy for it.

Jodie interrupted his thoughts. “Maybe I should be filming the action. I mean, I appreciate your artistic eye with the bones and all. But we’re trying to get quality action shots, here!” He put the truck in reverse.

David forced a smile and pulled the camera up in silence. He reminded himself that it was just a pair of animal bones, same as what came on a ribeye. No sense in letting his mood be dragged down any more by that. He rested his elbow out the window and continued recording like nothing had happened.

“Oh, so you want to film drive at the same time, Jodie?” Marshal asked from the back of the truck. “Why don’t we blindfold you while we’re at it?”

“That seems like a good idea,” Brennan replied. “I always favored the idea of ending up in a mass grave with all my buds because our bodies were unrecognizably mangled together.”

Everyone chuckled.

David looked up at the red sky; it was dark so they would need to head back soon. He thought about the fact that he was getting hungry … and that there was probably some delicious food waiting for them. But when he turned to say something, the truck lurched forward dangerously.

Jodie had suddenly floored the pedal. This made the engine rev loudly and quickly pick up speed.

“Jodie!” Brennan shouted over the engine, his tone a little alarmed. “Seriously, I really don’t want to die, alright?”

David could hear no reply over a sudden high-pitch ringing in his ears. He thought it might just be him, but the screen of his phone went blurry with static. Whatever was happening, the joke wasn’t funny anymore!

However, Jodie wasn’t laughing. His face was pale, his eyes large, and a small amount of blood trickled from his ears. He collapsed, and his torso fell towards the gear shift. His foot must have collapsed on the gas pedal because the engine roared louder, accelerating to about fifty. If they hit even a small hill, the truck would be sent rolling!

David uncovered his ears and tried to grab the wheel, while he punched Jodie in the shoulder in a desperate attempt to wake him up. When it didn’t work, he reached down with his hands and managed to remove his friend’s foot from the gas.

By the time David pulled himself back up to see where they were driving, their speed had decreased to about thirty and slowing. He looked ahead to make sure they weren’t about to crash into a tree. But instead of a tree or ditch, he thought he saw a shadow looming over them. His breath quickened, his heart-rate spiked so fast that it hurt a little. But the shadow had been his imagination, there was nothing there. Still, he had to look backward at his friends to make sure he wasn’t going insane.

They were all covering their ears, several of their eyes lined with tears. Then, for a second, the screaming stopped.

David turned in time to feel something akin to a sonic reverberate off his chest. He looked backward and watched helplessly as the impact sent Sam and Marshal flying off the back of the pickup, rolling like ragdolls in the grass behind the vehicle.

David had no time to feel as horrified as he was, realizing they were quickly approaching a patch of trees. Frantically, he wrestled Jodie’s unconscious torso to get to the emergency brake. But he couldn’t reach!

To his relief, Brennan reached over Jodie, through the shattered back window of the truck. He grabbed hold of the wheel and jerked it left so that they began to spin in circles along the grass, far faster than the doughnuts they’d done earlier.

Billy, Ted, and Derrick were all tossed out the back of the truck.

Giving up on the brake, David reached for his seatbelt and fastened it. He wrapped his arm around Jodie and held with all his strength. There was a bump, a change, and then gravity felt like it was not what it was supposed to be. The truck ceiling imploded as the truck rolled and compressed around him.

David just barely managed to hold onto his friend until they were upside-down and the pickup was no longer moving. By that time, the terrible sound and his exhaustion were so intense that he was only able to stay awake for a couple of seconds before consciousness left him.

-O-

Megan woke at the sound of knocking at her bedroom door. She reached to her nightstand and fumbled around on it until she found her cell phone. The glare of the screen momentarily blinded her, and it took a moment to figure out that it was past midnight. She stood to her feet and had to place a hand on her nightstand to keep from swaying.

There was another knock, and her dad’s voice called her name.

“One second,” Megan said, taking a few barefoot steps on the rough old carpet that lined their home. She took a white bathrobe that was hanging on the dresser and used it to cover the oversized tee-shirt she slept in. She opened her door and winced yet again at the hallway light that irritated her eyes.

Standing there was her father, a thin man with the same tan skin she and her brother shared. He had sharp and bony features, which she had inherited. He wore a suit and had a bushier mustache than last she’d seen him, sometime the week before. His schedule made it so that they didn’t see one another often, so these sorts of details stuck out to her. His expression was stern, and his eyes were uncharacteristically alert. “Your brother hasn’t come home and isn’t answering his phone. Do you have any idea where he is?”

“He was with his friends,” Megan said, feeling immediately awake as adrenaline began to pump. “But he doesn’t stay out without at least a text. Did you call Jodie’s mom? Most of the time, that’s where they stay … maybe Marshal’s. Did you call any of his friends?”

“I-uh, do you have any of their numbers?” her father asked, scratching the back of his neck.

Without thinking, Megan huffed and began to call each of her brother’s friends. One after the next, she reached all their voicemails and left an angry message to be directed at her brother. She ignored the fact that she wasn’t really angry, she just wanted to be. Instead, she was becoming more frantic with each message that she left. But she had to keep her calm if she was going to replace her brother. And the only way she knew not to freak out was to tell herself that he was not in any danger. He was just being a jerk, and she didn’t need to worry.

Meanwhile, her father ran his hands through his hair and paced in the hallway. He looked a bit concerned but mostly annoyed as he occasionally looked at his watch and rubbed his eyes.

Megan dialed Jodie’s house-phone, and someone finally picked up.

Jodie’s mother answered. “Hello?” Her voice was raw and groggy, not like someone who had been sleeping but like someone who had been crying.

“Hello, this is Megan … Brennan’s sis-”

“Oh Megan, have you heard anything? Are the boys over there?” There was desperation in her voice.

“No ma’am, I’m sorry,” Megan replied. “I tried calling all of them, and their phones are all off. I was hoping that they’d be there with you.”

“No, hon. Their cars are here, but the pickup in the barn is gone. I don’t have any idea where they are. I walked for hours in the pasture calling, but there was no sign of them. They haven’t been gone for twenty-four hours, and the police won’t believe that they wouldn’t do something like this!” She began to cry, and her words became unintelligible for a few moments. Then she said, “I’m getting another call.”

Megan bit her lip, feeling her own emotional defenses breaking down. She knew that Jodie’s mother was right. The boys could get into mischief and even be inconsiderate. But they knew better than to make people worry like this. Something was wrong. Before she could try to figure out what, the phone beeped to signal that she was no longer on hold.

Jodie’s mother sounded a little calmer this time. She said, “Sam’s grandmother just called me. She’s had a GPS tracker on Sam’s phone ever since his father got out of prison. But she doesn’t know how to use it. I’m going to head right over there, just as soon as I can replace my glasses.”

“No, that’s alright.” Megan knew that the woman was in no condition to drive. “I’ll go to her house and try to figure out where they are.”

“You have school tomorrow-”

“I won’t be able to sleep, anyway,” Megan said, not lying. “I’ll call you when I figure out where they are. Can you get in touch with Marshal, Ted, Derrick, and David’s parents and let them know what’s going on?”

“Of course, thank you so much.”

“I’ll call you soon,” Megan replied and then ended the call.

“She sounded upset,” her father said. “Will you leave me a text when you replace Brennan? Your mother’s asleep and I don’t want her to worry … we both have to be up early tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Megan said, trying hard not to look at him and betray her feelings of disappointment. She went back to her room, threw on a pair of black gym shorts, a green tank-top, white socks, and green sneakers. She then grabbed the spare keys to her parents’ car, her wallet, and her cell phone, and rushed down the stairs.

All the while, a new thought played at the edge of her imagination. She tried hard not to think about the news reports about the serial killer that had caused the town curfew … and not to wonder if Jodie’s mother was so upset because she had the same idea. Besides, there were other horrendous possibilities that were far more realistic and worth dwelling on. What if Sam’s father had found them, or they’d had an accident?

“Megan.” Her father startled her, right as she reached the front door. He walked down the stairs and handed her a grocery store bag with something red and soft inside. There was a strangely warm and paternal look on his face. “This was on clearance, and I thought maybe you could use it. Not for this …. just in general.”

Megan took the bag, opened it, and saw that it was a bright red hoodie. It was a tiny and meaningless gesture when compared to how little he cared that his son was missing. Still, some part of her felt … loved, and she found herself saying, “Thanks, dad.” Immediately, she felt disgust herself and her feelings. She took the bag and rushed out the door. She tossed the red hoodie in the passenger’s seat, started the engine, and then hit the wheel repeatedly with both fists.

After that, Megan didn’t cry or make a scene. Instead, she put the car into reverse, pulled into the empty street, and drove.

-O-

Exousia walked through the night, hearing crickets chirp, raccoons screech, and coyotes bark. None of these bothered her. They were familiar and part of the natural order of life … unlike the place that she was going. Her destination was home, where her cave, her magnolia tree, and her new life had all started. Of course, they weren’t the same anymore, though; the woods had been cursed and left devoid of life. It was doubtless for this reason that Ammon had chosen it as the location for the Challenge.

This decision was of simultaneous benefit and disadvantage to them both. In these woods, Exousia would be able to hear and feel, unburdened by the distractions of life forms that could mask the presence of her enemies. Additionally, she knew them by heart. They were filled with walking trails, deer trails, and various shortcuts that she could use to make traversing the terrain quicker. She would use these to get the humans out of there as quickly as possible, as well as to manipulate them enough to put their minds into a defensive state.

The disadvantage was a psychological one. Because the woods were devoid of life, movement, and sound, Exousia would be drained. Ammon would also likely play on her memories and sentiments, making her easy to distract. She would have to keep the mission at the forefront of her mind at every moment. A difficulty when she would also have to pay close attention to the actions and behaviors that the humans exhibited.

It was bothersome that Ammon had involved humans in the challenge. But it was a valid tactic on his part. He knew that his opponent’s understanding of humans was limited and that her ability to deal with them was impaired. But Exousia understood what was at stake and would endure whatever misery to prevent a war, including having to deal with their kind.

Exousia thought about it all until she reached the edge of the living woods. Even in the dark, she could detect a change in energy directly ahead. It was a complete contrast to the lush grass, plant-life, trees, animals, and insects up until that point. Ahead, the trees all curled like they had been exposed to a plague. The leaves were all scraggly and half dead, as if at the very end of fall. But none were stripped away or even rattled by the wind. There was no wind … just like there were no sounds. The forest was stale and lifeless.

“Welcome home,” Exousia said and stepped over the threshold of the cursed woods for the first time in many years. All around her were cult symbols, animal skeletons, and spray paint that was scattered for a good fifteen feet inside the forest. This was a popular place for dark pilgrimages … but it took considerable mental fortitude to make it past those first fifteen feet without being overcome by terror. It didn’t help that the types of humans who took dark pilgrimages typically did not have the highest mental fortitude.

Exousia walked toward the heart of the woods, still many miles ahead. As she did, she glanced up at the stars that were somehow dimmed overhead. Had she not already known this place by heart, orienting herself by their dim light might have been difficult. Yet … the woods themselves were fairly easy to see in. As if the sky above were a pane of glass that blurred the light from the full moon and the stars. The light was dispersed and perhaps even amplified, even if its sources were more difficult to see.

After Exousia had gone another mile, she decided that it was time to look for any trap that might have been lying in wait for her. She knelt with one knee on a patch of grass that crumbled dryly beneath her and placed both palms on the earth. She closed her eyes and let herself fall into a trance-like state. It took several minutes at such a great distance. But, with the absence of all other life, she soon felt a human presence to the far southwest of the dead woods’ heart.

Exousia opened her eyes and began to slowly make her way toward the humans.

-O-

Sam woke to the darkness of night and saw only a brief glimpse of woods before he pinched his eyes shut again. His waking wasn’t gradual, that coming out of deep sleep and then slowly struggling to convince himself that he really needed to wake up. It was instant, like waking from a nightmare with a fear that chased one out of the realm of dreams.

Normally, he would have tried to get up and pace around his room until the monster from his dreams went away. But he couldn’t make his body move, so he remained still and did not open his eyes.

Then, he heard something. It was heavy guttural breathing, which couldn’t have come from a person.

Sam remained quiet and unmoving, his eyes squeezed shut. His face became moist as hot, putrid breath blew upon him. Then there were some heavy steps, and it was gone. After several minutes, he forced himself to look out one eye. It only was then that he realized he was upside-down. He wasn’t alone, however, as he had expected to replace himself.

Ted was there too with his eyes closed, his face red, and his long curly hair standing straight up. He was upside-down, dangling from a tree branch by a rope, with his wrists tied over his head and a bit of rope gagging him.

All his friends were there, also hanging by their feet from trees. They looked like insects caught in a spider’s web, trapped in a drugged state until the monster returned to eat them at its leisure. But the monster itself was nowhere to be seen.

Sam could only hear the rapid beating in his chest, slight ringing in his ears, and his own swaying from the rope. This relative silence lasted until there was a rustling in the dark. He closed his eyes again and trembled, causing his body to sway from side to side and the creaking from the rope to become louder.

“Sam?” asked a voice familiar enough that he again opened his eyes. Mrs. Darsan, the government teacher who had been absent, was standing in front of him. The old woman hobbled closer and then rested her large body on the tree that held him. Her leg was mangled, and dry blood was caked to her torn, floral-print, purple dress. Her makeup was smeared and mixed with blood and dirt—making her look like she could have been the monster who was going to eat them.

Sam’s eyes watered when he saw her, out of something like relief mixed with horror.

“Sam,” Mrs. Darsan said as she began to work on something behind him, making a sawing sound like she was cutting the rope. “There’s a man out here. Oh god, I barely got away from him. We have to get out!”

Sam felt the restraints give slack before he fell abruptly to the ground. He writhed in silent pain, for a moment, feeling pain shoot through his shoulder from the fall.

“Get up, Sam. We need to get your friends before he comes back!” Mrs. Darsan helped him stand, in doing so revealing that the top part of her mouth was now sunken in. In her hand, she held the upper half of a pair of dentures. Several of the teeth had popped loose, and those that remained had bits of rope lodged between them.

Sam barely kept himself from retching from all the fear within and forced himself to stay steady on his feet. He had to grab hold of the tree he’d been hanging from for balance. “How did you escape him?” He asked, his voice barely about a whisper. He couldn’t imagine the elderly woman escaping anyone with her leg so mangled.

“I don’t know,” Mrs. Darsan whispered, untying the ropes that bound his wrists and those that gagged him. She then fell to her knees, her body trembling. “He untied me, turned around, and began to talk about teaching. That’s when he told me that my students were here … so I ran. We have to hurry!”

Sam made a movement to help her to her feet but froze when he heard the same heavy footsteps and breathing as before.

They weren’t alone.

“Run!” Mrs. Darsan whispered, a far-off look burning in her eyes. Then they became like those of an animal that didn’t know which way it should run. She stood, fell, stood again, and began to hobble into the darkness until she wasn’t in sight.

Then, there was a half-shriek that was cut off by complete silence.

Sam was about to go after her when he heard a thump and saw a shadow fall in front of him. He looked down to see his teacher’s limp body, having been tossed from deeper in the woods. His breath quickened, his lungs burned, and a shadow of terror overcame his mind. He fell to his knees and began to shake.