Just Checking Up! Part Thirty-Six: Returning to the Shadows

Rip:

Drumming my fingers on a plush olive green comforter, the cheap motel held me captive while my mother was off doing some sort of business deal. Staring numbly at my thirteen year old hands, her designer bag taunted me. Fussing with my simple black t-shirt and jeans, the small town had always been tucked away in the mountains. Then again, she had a habit of taking me along on her murder journeys. Approaching the bag cautiously, a click released a sickening smell. Small fingers sent me stumbling across the dark red rug, every breath shortening. How could I forget this memory?

Running out the door, a foggy small town greeted me. Dark mountains trapped me into a world of decaying wooden colonials and brick houses, a dark storm thundered to life. Wishing I was my demon self, a magical block prevented me from getting there. What fresh Hell was this? Scratching at the back of my neck, a ticking clock threw me off. Spinning on my heels to run back to the hotel room, burnt remains dashed any chance of hiding out to create a damn plan.

A tear befuddled me, my brows furrowing. Silks tripped into a clumsy heap. Donning one of my borrowed black band t-shirts, her bare feet hit the ash the second she popped to her feet. Running her hand through her wild waves, Linz barked in protest at the memory sealing shut behind her. Slamming her bloody palm onto the closest building, fire lilies blossomed to life. Snapping her fingers, the edges began to fray. Clutching me close to her, her lips moved. Unfortunately, no words registered in slightest.

A warm gust threw us into some sort of vine covered landscape of the town, an inky blackness returning to my fingernails and lips. Alas, my age didn’t change. Cursing under my breath, her hand landed on hip. Ticking annoyed her visibly, her lips twitching into a sadistic smirk.

“At least you are a demon.” She pointed out sweetly, her concerned eyes flicking between the rising clock tower and me. “Who the hell did you piss off? Well, we slice and dice them. Boom, you are back to normal. Do we need to talk about this woken up memory?” Summoning her wooden spikes, a rapid blink spoke of increasing distress. Shrinking down to the thirteen year old version of herself, the hem of her shirt floated around her ankles.

“Much better. Now I don’t feel so freaking weird.” She joked lightly, her flames crackling into dual scythes. “Something tells me those brothers had another sibling. A broken pocket watch is sure to accompany him or her. Bonus, we end up in a place with many files that help on the case end of things.” Stunned by how cute she was, scarlet flushed my cheeks. Crunching over to her, her cocky grin made her that much more adorable. Pecking her forehead, she gave up her adult form for me. Swaying with me for a moment, wicked cackling broke the moment. How did I land such a beautiful queen?

Another dong destroyed the moment, jet black vines twisting into a feminine demon form. Glowing milky eyes darted over to our direction, a cracked jet black pocket watch hanging off the robe consisting of writhing vines. Bowing into the attack position, the ticking watch taunted me. Opening up her mouth, an unnatural screech pierced our ears. No one could enter without a damn show, I thought impatiently to myself.

“I’ll kill the pocket watch and you become a distraction.” I suggested anxiously, her lips pressing against mine tenderly in an attempt to calm my fraying nerves. “Do you think that there are more siblings or am I going insane?” Shrugging her shoulders, ash blew up the second she charged at the new target. Popping off the ground, a kick to the stomach knocked off the pocket watch. Another kick sent it flying in my direction, my trembling hands catching it. Crashing to my knees, thousands of spells flickered through my mental catalog. Ash danced with burnt wood, vines whistling past my head. Focus, for fuck's sake!

“Jesus Christ!” I uttered in pure annoyance, a familiar voice giving me pause. Stiffening into a statue, clammy sweat drenched my skin, the sickly sweet sound of my mother’s voice calling out my name threatened to break me. A loud thud announced her purse tumbling over, fingers rolling past me. A severely injured Silks bounced to my quaking hands, the demon towering over me. Creaking down to my level, a knotty finger lifted up my chin.

“Dear boy, you know not what you bastards took from me. Your mind is a mental gift basket for us time demons.” She bragged maniacally, wicked laughter exploding from her lips. “Where is my pocket watch? It has no business in your hands. Besides, you have nothing to go back to.” Just like that, images of Avery, the twins and our parents flashed in my mind. Every element swirled around me, the dark gray energy causing her to shrink back. Rising to my feet between clenching her pocket watch several times, extending claws cracked the glass.

“Big words from a minor demon.” I shot back hotly, despising her very words. “Yes, she took me on many of her murder escapades. Sure, my mind decided to erase them from my memory. That doesn’t make me the monster that you are trying to make me feel like. She committed those atrocities, not this kid. Besides, I plan on burning that cult to the ground. You know what, something is waiting for me. Friends and family! Something you will never experience. Time is up!” Stabbing my palm with a broken piece of glass, symbols glowed to life around me. Every ounce of power shot into the pocket watch, the damn thing heating up. Tossing it to the ground, a strange glow illuminated her vines. Covering Silks’ body, a boom thundered over my head. Shriveling vines squealed into submission before crumbling into some sort of gray dust, the world beginning to melt away to a quiet small town.

Growing up to our current ages, a rare moment of peace washed over me. Boy, did it feel good to stand up to my literal demons. Silks stirred awake, her wounds healing in seconds. Hundreds of eyes stared at us, Cal rushing in with a couple of black garment bags in a nice dark gray suit. Waving at me, his kind eyes matched his friendly smirk. If Silks wasn’t here, Cal would be one person I would want here.

“Howdy, my dear brother. So, I got some mental alarm bells. Let's go to the library and get changed.” He urged brightly, his smirk never leaving his face. “Maddy made sure to pick the perfect outfit for you, Silks! She took great pride in it, so please wear the outfit.” Shooting him an odd look, Silks uttered an uncertain okay. What choice lay beneath that black material? Scooping her up, her palm massaged my cheek.

“How are you holding up, my king?” She whispered affectionately, Cal leading us through the dispersing crowd. “Congratulations on standing up to those blasted demons. If those nasty memories come back, count on me to the lantern in your shadows.” Hiking into the brick library, Silks hopped down with ease. Swiping her bag, her hair floated up as she spun into the woman’s bathroom. Shoving the garment bag into my chest, his smirk curled into a creepy grin. That was a new one, the grin coming with the demon package.

“What did you see?” He asked in a hushed tone, the Q-tip of a elderly library shushing him. “Never mind. I booked us the research room in the back. All the articles around when your mother and you were here are pulled out. Hurry up, King Rip.” Grumbling into the bathroom, a quick change had me in my dark gray spiderweb embroidered suit. Kicking on a pair of polished dress boots, a quick wet of my hair allowed it to hang over my eye flawlessly.

Crossing into the library, a freshened up Silks spun around in a dark gray sweater and crocheted burgundy skirt. The deep v-neck of her sweater showed off her cleavage, something threatening to wake up. Tracing the ribbing of the wool, the tightness of the skirt graced her lower curves. Fingers snapped in my face, Cal’s whistle whipping me further into reality. Watching her twist her long waves into a simple side bun, a shadow of her smile met my loving gaze. Motioning for Cal to lead us to the research room, his dress boots clicked alongside ours.

Entering a stately room, dark wooden shelves lined the walls. Old leather bound books decorated each one, Silks running right up to the equally dark table. Scanning the articles, she summoned a map out of nowhere. Slamming it on the table, her slender fingers curled around a sharpie. Dotting five spots, Cal held me back from interrupting her. Cal was correct in letting her cook, her skills knowing no bounds. Drawing a pentagram with her genuine smile, a huge circle pointed to the abandoned mental hospital on the outside of town. Gone was her smile, that crestfallen expression matching mine.

“Of course, they picked that stage. Liberace never performed without his sparkle and all that jazz, did he?” She growled sarcastically, her fingers rolling up the map. “Time to find those files. Lord knows they are there haunting the halls along with those poor souls. I take it you drove here.” Tossing me my hearse keys, the sheer presence of a hearse was going to look great. Giggling to ourselves, a throat clearing had us skulking out like scolded school children. Hopping into the hearse, Cal took the window seat. Squishing in between Cal and me, Silks mumbled her way through several potential plans. Dread bubbled in my gut, a crumbling Art Deco building rising into view.

“Looks like we are here. Yuck, what a dark presence.” Silks hissed vehemently, her eyes darting to a shattered top floor window. “Works out on our end. Perhaps I can free them if they help us find them darn files. Let’s hit the slush!” Climbing out over my lap, her boots sloshed into a puddle. Sprinting through the open swinging doors, we had no choice but to follow the trail her nose was sniffing out. Locking the doors behind us, one cross across that threshold landed us in a fully functional mental hospital.

“Keep to the shadows.” Silks whispered harshly, her palms slamming us against the fine marble walls. “Their memories are playing out like a movie in some sort of protection.” Patients sulked past us, bitter nurses in crisp white uniforms and fifties’ curls ordering them about. Creeping along the walls, no one paid any heed to our presence. Climbing the stairs, a vibrant mint office oozed the darkest of evils. Hovering in pure hesitation, her slender fingers hovered over the carved golden knob. Quivering in her spot, Cal and I shifted uncomfortably, not one of us desiring to face this bastard. Grasping the knob, the illusion rotted to graffiti covered marble. Ripping the door open, a shadow figure shot past her. Spinning on her heels, curse words exploded from her lips. Bounding away, a cut on her palm woke up the wooden spikes.

“Your medical license is about to be revoked, my dear doctor!” She bellowed gleefully, Cal sighing in worried disbelief. “The board doesn’t like what bullshit you fucking pulled off. Hell, I have some trauma that can be treated!” Unsure where to go, cracking cut any actions short. Worn floorboards gave way, Cal and I crashing onto a couple of metal tables. Groaning gruffly at the same time, broken tile and rusty tools spoke of the morgue.

“Deadly rest found us.” Cal joked anxiously, his half smirk twitching away. “Perhaps we should find our w-” Square metal doors banged open and shut, lights flickering wildly. Clammy sweat drenched my skin, color draining from both of our features. Locks clicked shut, a shadowy darkness devouring the space whole. Rubber gloves snapped, footfalls echoed up to us. Attempts to move failed, straps creaking into place. Fabulous, the source of evil discovered us.

“Fresh blood.” A low male voice growled ominously, heels clacking behind him. “Nurse, my tools. We have new demonic specimens.” A cart squealed into place, a single light flickering back on. Flaming orange hair caught my eyes, familiar eyes shut down the fear in my widening eyes. Tracing the tools playfully, her flaming dual scythes bounced off of her hips.

“Good doctor, are you admitting to sacrificing your patience to demons?” She inquired a little too serenely, a sick grin exposing rotting teeth. “That is all I need. Hell doesn’t even want you.” Plucking the scythes off of her hips, a stab to his soul paralyzed him. Cooking him into a pile of ash, the light fizzled out. Translucent forms gathered behind her, one of them passing her a crudely drawn map. Burning up her weapons, a kind smile relaxed the patients further.

“The door will be open soon. Go if you wish or stay if you desire.” She spoke softly so as to not frighten them. “The mean doctor is as good as dead, my lovely souls. Thank you for this treasure map. God and I are tight, so have fun up there.” Waving at the whole, a bright light had us looking in the opposite direction. Waiting with baited breath, the light died down to slight silver sparkles. No energies remained, a slam of her palm blooming an intense amount of her fire lilies. Cleansing the space blocked any more negative energy, a broken smile haunting her lips. Kicking up the petals, her fingers clutched her necklace. Shaking off her sorrow, her shaking hands worked hard to unstrap us.

“Sorry you got strapped down. The bastard got away from me.” She apologized shakily, her inky tears splashing onto our faces. “Forgive me. Places like this remind about the rough fucking therapy years. They weren’t worth putting in the scrapbooks.” Sitting up gingerly, Cal nudged for me to yank her into a necessary embrace. Collapsing into my arms, memories of endless tests bombarded the two of us. Tears stained our cheeks, neither of us unable to unsee the endless waves of pain. Stopping at a scene, a younger version of her danced on the roof of a hospital roof. Singing to herself, the sadness in voice bit our souls. Fussing with her ivory nightgown, staff burst from the door.

Snapping back from the embrace, embarrassment flushed her cheeks. An eerie silence hung in the air, her hands dangling limply by her side. Mumbling a weak apology, any light left her eyes. Walking away dejectedly, the corner of her lips quivered. Melting the lock, hot metal dripped inched from her feet as we hopped off of our tables. Broken quiet continued to haunt us as we followed the directions back to the doctor’s office. Extending her claws with a numb expression, a few wiggles in each lock sent them squealing open. Plucking out normal patient files, drawer after drawer failed to produce what she was seeking. That was until she got to the last one, a false bottom revealing a beat up black locked box. Lifting it out carefully, Cal hit it with the heel of his boots. Metal clanged to the floor, the top springing open. Decades of human skin notebooks sickened the three of us visibly, her steadying hand lifting off the top one. Cracking open the cover, my mother’s writing had me stumbling back. Cupping my mouth, enough life returned to her eyes for her to register my reaction. Apparently demons took a few strikes to slay them. Cal offered to bag the evidence, his footfalls echoing away.

“Years spent in a white room tortured me to no end. That is a side that I wished for you to never see.” She choked out between sniffles, her slender hand laying the book back in its previous spot. “Hopefully Cal doesn’t run away from me. Most people seem to not find my company enjoyable. Will my past haunt my every footfall?” Cupping her chin, blood dribbled down to my elbow. Kissing away her tears, our hidden chapters broke us in different ways. Forgetting mine saved me, remembering hers rescued her. Perhaps the mirror wasn’t so blatant after all. Facing my demons will always be a challenge, her demons nipping at her heels.

“I still would have dated that girl dancing on the roof. Hell, I would have broken you out.” I admitted between smooches, her loving gaze meeting mine. “Nothing would have stopped me from rescuing the princess from the ivory tower. At least you can live through life with those nasty demons chewing on you. Burying mine is what I did.” Laughing under her breath, Cal coming in with three pairs of gloves and a shit ton of bags shortened the moment. Stepping back from each other, the work carried us through the newest layer on our trauma dessert.

“I don’t think any less of you, Silks. In fact, you are a damn saint.” Cal pointed out simply, his honest smirk proving his statement. “Stupid people run from what they don’t understand. I get you more than you know. Thank you for telling me more about your past. I greatly appreciate that. Now let’s bury our heads into this chaos.” Nodding with a shadow of her smile, a bit of hope ignited in my soul. This team alone could pull off the intense battle ahead of us, every cell in me feeling lucky.