The Fallen Ch. 02

He stumbles backward under my unexpected assault, but I can see that he still holds his gun.

I'm angry, I'm all jacked up, and as Benny staggers back I lunge forward with the intent of pushing him to the ground as hard as I can to try to get the gun from him. If I can do that then I might just live through the night.

I take a page from Trina's book, stepping close and hooking my leg behind one of his. I put my hands against Benny's chest and lean in.

"FUCK YOU!!!" I scream as I thrust with all my might, and...

...he rockets across the street and punches clean through a brick wall!

O...M...F...G.

My skull is throbbing like someone just smacked me upside the head with a hammer, but I can only stare down at my hands like they belong to someone else. What the hell just happened?

"Oh my god Erykah no!" I hear Danni scream in anguish.

I turn and see two things at once.

First, Danni has gotten out of the car and is staring at me with despair, horror, and grief all wrapped into one look that makes my heart lurch. Tears are streaming from her eyes like something horrible has happened.

Second, the other prick name Bear is staring at me with utter fear etching his face as he begins backpedaling away from me.

"What the fuck are you?!?" Bear screams in high-pitched terror before he drops his knife, turns tail, and sprints the other direction.

"You better run, asshole!" I scream at him as his form fades into the darkness.

Something wet is trickling down the side of my face. I touch it, my hand coming away blood red. Am I bleeding? I guess I headbutted Benny a little harder than I thought. I feel around on my skull, my fingers finding a small hole.

Wait, why is there a hole in my head?!?

"What the hell?" I mumble as Danni runs around the car toward me.

I feel all around my head with both hands and find another, larger hole at the back.

Holy shit.

Benny's gun...the shot...it hit me...that's why my head hurts.

I expect to crumple to the ground dead at any second, but it doesn't happen. Danni is near me now, her look a strange mingling of fear tinged with hope.

"How am I not dead? I got shot," I mumble. "How am I not dead?"

I look over at the Outback's roof and see the metal is streaked with bits of bloody brain matter. My brain matter.

"We have to get you to a hospital!" Danni says with barely suppressed panic.

"I should be dead," I mumble, the mental shock of what's happening hitting me. "How am I not dead?"

Heal yourself.

I look around, trying to see where that whispering voice just came from. It wasn't Danni's voice.

Heal yourself.

The voice repeats itself, but I can't see who's speaking.

Here, I'll show you.

It's weird, but it feels like someone is sticking their fingers into my head. Something starts to move within me, a sort of energy swirling in my chest and moving up to the bullet hole in my head. The throbbing there lessens, then disappears.

Danni's jaw drops open, an expression of wonder written on her face as she whispers, "Erykah! How?"

I reach up to feel where I'd been shot, but there's nothing. No hole front or back...just nothing. Like it never happened. I would think I imagined it all if not for all the blood on my face and the wetness matting my hair in the back.

"How?" Danni breathes in awe, her tear-laden eyes wide.

"I don't know."

When it's obvious I'm not going to expire right in front of her, Danni gets a little hysterical. She starts flailing her arms at me, hitting me in the chest. There's no real force behind it, though.

"You shit!" she wails weakly through her tears. "I though you were dead...I saw you get shot..."

"I'm alright," I try to reassure her. "Look, I'm fine!"

"Stupid stupid stupid stupid," Danni repeats, each word punctuated by a weak swat from her.

I can't really fault her for freaking out like this. She's probably reacting better than I would if our positions were reversed. Still, I wish she'd stop with the hitting, even though it's harmless. I wrap my arms around her and pull her close.

"Shhhh Danni," I sooth. "I'm okay. We're going to be okay."

I whisper small words of comfort, and Danni slides her arms around me, hugging me tight as her emotions run their course. I'm not sure how long we stand together like that before we hear her.

"Well aren't you two just precious," Trina's voice cuts through the night, dripping with a bitter sarcasm that echos from nearby buildings.

I look around but don't see her. The angry buzz of her crotch-rocket roars loudly, Danni and I suddenly illuminated in it's headlight. I spin and wonder how the hell she and her bike just appeared from nowhere. The bike is speeding toward us, and I quickly drag Danni out of it's path as Trina zooms by with a deafening noise, her auburn twin-tails streaming behind her.

The bike's rear tire squeals and smokes as the crazy bitch guns the throttle. The back end swings around so the motorcycle is aimed at Danni and I once more. The air stinks of burnt rubber as Trina revs the engine and turns off the headlamp. Her face is painted with a dire, resentful expression as her eyes bore into me.

"Trina?" Danni questions in surprise. "You almost hit us! What are you doing?"

"Ask Erykah," Trina growls in a low, menacing whisper.

From her tone I finally become absolutely certain she knows I was there in the woods. She knows I was watching. She knows I heard it all. Also, I'm also starting to think Trina somehow hacked my brother's car and altered the GPS. She led us here then killed the Outback's engine. Somehow she's responsible for all this. I just know it. Don't ask me how I know, but my gut instinct is certain all this is Trina's doing.

Was she trying to get us both snuffed out, here in this dark, lonely warehouse district? But why? Is hiding her kinky little secret really worth killing me and Danni over? Is Trina really that psycho?

"Calm down," I say, trying to keep my voice calm and even. "I haven't told anyone anything yet."

In hindsight I probably should have kept my mouth shut.

Trina's eyes narrow, and her brow furrows, as if I'd just confirmed what she only suspected at first. She revs the crotch-rocket before dropping it into gear and accelerating right at us. She performs her rear-end swing maneuver right on top of us, but I half expect it. I yank Danni back just in time, and the bike's heavy backside barely misses us.

Crazy biker Trina pops the bike's kickstand, kills it's engine, and hops off. She hooks her hand around the mouth piece of her helmet and yanks it from the back of the bike. She comes stalking toward me with a murderous look in her eyes.

Oh shit.

"You'll keep that mouth of yours shut if you know what's good for you," Trina snarls at me.

How in the hell is this the same bitchy, snooty, girly-girl from school?

She swings her helmet with sudden, blinding speed, it's hard surface impacting my skull with a loud 'crack'. I crumple to one knee, clutching the spot she struck, and my eyes tear up at the pain.

Fuck that hurt.

Okay, so the "bitchy" is still there.

"Erykah!" Danni shouts, kneeling beside me.

"I'm fine," I let her know, though it feels like my head is busted.

I focus on a repeat performance and send the flow of energy back into my head for the second time tonight. I can actually feel broken pieces of my skull pop back into place and seal themselves. Dammit, I'm getting really tired of shit hitting me in the head.

Danni stands and prods Trina in the chest with a finger as she barks, "Don't you dare tou...uuurk!"

Trina has a hand around Danni's throat.

"Stay out of this, Baby-Killing Barbie," Trina growls and shoves Danni backward against the car.

That scary anger rises in my throat again.

"Don't," I begin with a whisper, looking up at Trina.

"You ever," I growl back, my hand forming a fist.

"Touch her!!!" I scream and launch upward.

I surprise Trina and manage to catch her with an uppercut. My rage scrambles my ability to understand the possible consequences of my actions, and it isn't until after my fist impacts Trina's jaw and launches her into the air I realize I could have killed her. Trina lands on her back a good fifteen feet away but quickly rolls to the side and scrambles to her feet. The auburn-haired girl looks at me with an appraising gaze as she rubs her jaw.

Oh shit.

"That kind of hurt," she says with a maniacal smile, a single trickle of blood trailing from the corner of her mouth. "Fine. If that's how you want to play this..."

Just like that Trina's body changes, transforming in a mere second. She becomes taller and bulkier, and a thick, reddish fur sprouts all over her body. The silken-looking tufts somehow overtake her clothing, the black and red-trimmed biker outfit seeming to fade into her body. The girl's limbs become longer. Her fingers are tipped with wicked-looking claws now, and her knees shift backward, her legs looking like a thicker version of canine legs. A long, fluffy tail sprouts from her back end, and her snout elongates. Her jaw becomes filled with long, sharp teeth. Her head looks like that of a wolf, her pointed ears laid back against her head.

"Holy frick," I hear Danni mutter.

Oh Jesus shit.

Trina is a werewolf.

The shape-changing woman towers over us now, easily seven and a half feet tall. Trina's lips curl upward in a snarl as she growls, the rumbling, intimidating sound reverberating in my ears.

I think I just peed myself a little. Just a tiny bit. Like only a couple dribbles, I swear!

Damn...I think I royally pissed her off with that punch of mine. I am so not sure what I'm going to do if she comes at me, but I never have to find out. Something strange and horrific happens next.

Trina's growl is cut short and turns into a yelp of pain. I realize the blade of a glinting, silvery sword is poking out of her stomach, where it came from a complete mystery. There's a barely audible hissing sound coming from where she's been stabbed, little tendrils of smoke wafting from the wound. Her clawed hands go down to clutch the sword as she rapidly shrinks back down to her normal self. The hissing and smoke stop. Now I'm seeing the teen girl again, clothed once more in her riding garb and speared like a fish. Her mouth forms a small "o" of surprise.

Then I realize there's a tall, shadowy man standing behind Trina, his features hard to make out in the dark. He wears a long trench coat that is cinched closed.

"I thought I smelled a doggy," he chuckles as he slowly begins pulling backward on the katana-like sword he has buried in Trina's gut. "Stay, doggy."

With inhuman speed he yanks out the sword, his blade twirling in a rapid flourish. He flashes around Trina with unnatural speed to stand in front of her, but he's facing Danni and I. Before Trina can react, the man(?!?) stabs her high in the chest near her shoulder with a reverse strike and overbears her to the ground. I can hear the blade punch through muscle and bone with a sickening crunch. It then slices into the asphalt as his sword pins her to the ground like a bug in a display case.

He looks up at us, a sea of shadows swirling strangely over his features. His lips produce a dark smile as his dead, soulless eyes give Danni and I a piercing gaze.

"Good doggy," he laughs. "The Magister pays so much more if they're still alive you know. I must thank you for flushing her out for me. I wasn't absolutely sure which of you was the bitch."

A snarky comment is forming on my lips, but he flashes again. I realize he's standing behind me. Before I can spin around he has a hand on one of my arms and a fistful of my hair. I try to struggle against him, but his strength is incredible as he yanks back on my head.

How can he be so fast?!?

The creature, whatever he is, inhales deeply along the length of my neck.

With arousal in his voice he utters, "Oh my, you smell sweet. I think I'll have a taste."

Really, universe? We go from crack-heads to werewolves to whateverthefuck this guy is who wants to take a bite out of me? What's next? Is a UFO gonna land on my head, little green men piling out to shove things up my butt?

"GET AWAY FROM HER!!!" I hear Danni scream, and then night becomes day.

Danni's entire form explodes with a bright, white light. The luminescence ripples and pulses around her like the sun's corona, and her eyes glow with a blue brilliance. There's an animalistic roar of pain and fear from beside me. The hands disappear from my body, and there is a swoosh of wind as the man flees. He's gone in a split-second, disappearing around a warehouse with that unearthly screech still pouring from his lips.

"Danni," I whisper, holding up a hand to shield my eyes from her blinding, scintillating glory. "How are you doing that?"

"I...I don't know!" she says in shock, as if just realizing what's going on.

The light fades as quickly as it came, Danni looking as stunned as I felt when I'd thrown that man across the street and through a wall. There's a low moan of agony, and I realize that Trina is still alive. Danni sees it, too. The sword that had pinned down missus wolf-face is gone, but Trina still lies there unable to rise. She looks only half-conscious with a soft moan of agony escaping her lips. The ground is becoming red with her blood.

"Oh god...Trina," Danni says, a hand to her mouth as she runs over to the prone girl.

I'm already halfway in inside the Outback's driver seat, my shaky hand reaching for the start button.

Come on you hunk of not-working crap!

I utter a little "yes!" when the engine fires up. I slide fully into the seat and look over. What is Danni doing? She's crouched down near Trina, trying to get her arms under the girl's shoulders.

"Danni, the car started let's go!" I call out.

"We can't just leave Trina here," Danni says, turning her head. "We have to get her some help!"

Lolwut?

That anger rises in my throat again, and in a voice much harsher than I meant to use I bark out, "After everything Trina has done, after all the abuse she's heaped on you, and you want to help her? Fuck Trina! Let her die!"

"No, Erykah," Danni says with a sad little shake of her head. "I get that you're angry and freaked out and a little scared. I am too, but we can't leave her here."

I get this weird sense of deja vu, as if Danni and I had a conversation much like this in the far distant past.

It almost feels like I'm following some sort of pre-written script when I growl, "But she's the enemy!"

"Maybe...maybe not. Either way I'm not leaving her here," Danni tells me calmly, folding her arms across her chest with a look of stubbornness.

I exhale with a heavy sigh. Danni wins. She and I both know it. We don't have the time for this. That sword-wielding thing could be back at any moment, and Danni knows damn well I'm not going to leave her here.

"Fine," I grumble, realizing we just had our first fight.

I get out of the car and open the back door before heading over to Danni and Trina. I'm still all jacked up and feeling strong as hell, so I grab Trina's shoulders and direct Danni to take her feet.

"Thank you, Erykah," Danni says.

I'm a little miffed at basically being strong-armed into helping supercunt, so I don't look up to meet Danni's eyes. My only response is a grunt. I realize I'm kind of being a bitch, but right or wrong I feel entitled.

We get Trina inside the car, the seriously injured girl crying out in pain as we move her. Danni climbs into the back seat to place Trina's head on her lap.

I get behind the wheel and see all the blood on my hands, both literal and figurative. I reach out to close my door and see the hole in the brick wall across the street. The hole created by Benny when he impacted. There's no way that man survived. It really hits me for the first time that I killed him.

I'm a killer.

I slam the door shut with a huff. I'll have to sort out how I feel about that later. For now I put the car in gear and accelerate away from the scene of the second worst night I've ever had.

"GPS," I begin, looking down briefly at the device, "nearest..."

There's a heavy thud on the hood, and Danni squeaks in surprise. My head snaps up, and I realize the maniac with the sword landing on the car is what made the noise. His sword is cocked back and aimed right at me. I slam on the brakes. He tumbles from the car, and I drop the hammer, the Outback launching forward. I can literally feel it through the floorboards as the car slams over top of him.

"Oh my god," Danni says with a grimace as she feels it too.

I look through the rear-view mirror to see his broken body do a rag doll before rolling to a stop. Dammit, I just killed another person...or thing...or whatever. I try to tell myself I only did what I had to, but it doesn't stop the dryness in my mouth and the rotten feeling in the pit of my stomach. I feel like I might hurl, but I quell the reaction.

I can't tear my eyes from the reflection of the twisted heap I left in my wake. I think what disturbs me the most is how easy it came to me to do what I just did, like it was something I've done a million times before. It didn't even take a conscious thought process...I just reacted on instinct.

And then he stands up.

As weird as tonight has been I'm surprised by the fact that I'm still surprised at this. I watch in the rear-view as his limbs and neck snap back into place. His receding form picks up his sword, and then he flashes forward with that insane speed of his.

Oh shit...

Danni sees my expression in the mirror and asks, "What is it?"

"Get your seat belt on," is my only warning.

The street in front of me is long and empty, so I floor it. He's catching up until my speed hits about 60 mph. I keep accelerating, hoping no one and nothing appears on the road before me. Soon I'm doing 80, then 90, then 100 mph. The car can go faster, but I'm scared shitless doing 100 down this city street. He's falling behind, though, so I keep it up.

"GPS," I bark, "nearest hospital."

It shows my destination as being several blocks away in this same neighborhood. Somehow I doubt there's a hospital in this area. The road ahead ends at a "T". The GPS is telling me to turn right.

Fuck you GPS.

I prepare to turn left. No way I'm trusting that thing anymore. I have to slow way down to make the turn. Maybe a professional race car driver could've done better, but the last thing I want is to roll the damn car.

"Hang on!" I tell Danni as I take the corner.

There's a red light a block ahead, so I don't accelerate too hard. I haven't seen our pursuer reappear, and I'm beginning to wonder if he gave up.

I'm so focused on the rear-view that I don't register what's in front of me until Danni yells, "Look out!"

My eyes snap forward, and I see the man standing in the street in front of me with his sword held out to the side. I swerve into the other lane. He shuffles sideways to stay in front of the car.

Fine. Have it your way.

I accelerate with the pedal to the floor. I'm doing 50 or 60 by the time I reach him, but at the last second he leaps into the air with a spinning flip, his sword lashing downward. I barely have time to utter a squeak and shift my body up against the car door when his sword slices through the metal roof like it were paper.

The blade barely misses me. Luckily, Danni is seated on the passenger side, so it doesn't even come near her.

Oh god this is so fucked up this is so fucked up!!!