Rising Shadows (2 page)

A
voice
shatters my
thoughts
. I
look
back
at
the
voyeurs.
The
speaker is an
elderly
man
,
with grayish hair cropped fashionably close to his head. A charming smile plays
across his
lips
, his voice is smooth but it makes my skin crawl .

“Rachel
meet
Alonzo.” He points to the man trembling in the corner.  “Dr. Morris
informs
me
you
misplaced
your
memory
again
. My
name
is Stuart Richland. You haven’t been in this part of the facility before. We call this the testing tank. Here is where we analyze
the
truth
of
the
phrase ‘survival
of
the
fittest’
.
Does
brawn beat brains? Is the lion truly mightier than the lamb?
We
want
to
test survival
abilities
.
It
is
unfortunate
that
only
one of you will live, but many have died in the pursuit of scientific
discovery
.
You
should
consider
it
an
honor
.”

I
struggle to my feet and cast myself at the viewing window.
“Are
you
nuts
?! Get me out of
here
!
You
can’t
do
this
to me,
it’s
illegal
.
It
has to be!”

No
one
is
disturbed
by my
pleas
. The men talk amongst themselves ignoring me. Mr. Richland
crosses
his
arms
over his
chest
.  “The
test
will
begin
in five
minutes
. I
advise
you
to
collect
yourself.”

What’s
going
on? I’m
about
to be
executed
and
this
man
wants me to gain my composure!
What the hell have I gotten myself into?
I
glance
over at Alonzo. He’s praying.
What
were
we
supposed
to
do
?
Beat
one
another
to
death
?
There is
no
way
I can beat a grown
man
to
death
all
by
myself
. I’m 5’7’’ and could
stand
to
lose
a
little
weight
,
but
there is no way I’m going to
win
a
fist
fight
against a
man
. Banging on the glass I
beg
for
my
life
.

“Let me out!
What
am I supposed to do? He’s
going
to
kill
me! Please
do
n’t
let
me
die!
”

Tapping the side of his head with his index finger Richard replies
,  “Everything
you
need
is in
here
.''

Smug son of a bitch.
Shit. Can I
kill
someone,
even
to
save
my
life
?
My gaze drifts back to my
rival
. Alonzo is
bent
over on his
hands
and
knees weeping. He sobs over
and
over
in a
strange
language
.

I
rub
my
eyes
. Alonzo is blurry. My
eyes
must be playing
tricks
on me. A large form is suspended over him.
No
,
the
form
is
part
of him. Like an
aura
wavering
out of sync. I blink
several
times
to
clear
the
phantom
from my
vision
.
Does
n't
help
. Alonzo gapes at me with fearful
eyes,
but
the
shape
that rises out of him is
eager
. My mind tries to reconcile the insanity going on around me.

A
computerized
voice
announces
“Testing commences
now
.”

Alonzo wails.
He
contorts
his
body
backwards in an
unnatural
position
that has him arching off
the
floor
. His
hands
grab
the
shirt
covering
his
chest
as he forcibly rips
it
from his body. Fingernails rake down his ribs to his stomach taking bands of skin with them. They tear off like
wet
paper
towels
.
Bones
move
under
muscle
. His
nose
and
mouth
elongate and reshape into a muzzle.
Rolling over to his belly, Alonzo’s eyes reach mine. The pupils have changed to a burning yellow.
Sharp teeth split his lips. Black
fur
sprouts
out from between
the
mauled
tissue
.

I think I’m
gonna puke.

In a blur Alonzo springs into
motion
. His
fist
catches
the
right
side
of my jaw.
The
force
takes me off my feet and drives me backwards into
the
wall
. Tiles come free from the impact. A copper
tang
fills
my
mouth
.
Blood
. I spit and watch the crimson stain spread across the floor. I
know
what
discolored
the
tile
. Old
blood
,
lots
of
it
,
soaked
into
the
ceramic
and
grout.

Slumped
over against the wall I observe Alonzo in awe as he melts away and the phantom emanation
takes
over. I want to look away, but I can’t. I’m
looking
at a
werewolf
. I
scream
, I can’t
stop
the
sound
. Alonzo was medium in both size and stature, but the
werewolf
is
tremendous
.
Somehow
I manage to scramble out of the way before he can descend upon me
again
. I
stand
and
stare
at him.
The
wolf
is
enjoying
himself.
He
has
been
let
out of his cage and now he intends to have a little fun. Alonzo has assumed his place as the aura. He’s quiet.
The
wolf
will shield him.

What
am I
supposed
to
do
?
How
am I
expected
to
win
?
I must control my fear and find some
advantage
over
the
creature
before me. I attempt to separate the man
and
beast
.
If I can see him as vulnerable I’ll fear him less.
After all, furry or not, it is still Alonzo.

Remember the man so scared of you he cried, Rachel.

Shuddering
he
drops
to one
knee
. Alonzo and the wolf are stretching apart. The beast is
breaking
off in one
direction
, Alonzo the opposite. It looks painful for them, but at the moment I
do
n't
much
care
.

Hurts huh? Good. Payback is a bitch named Rachel.

I
put
my
hands
out in
front
of me
and
imagine I’m
rending
seams
. Howls and screeches fill the air. Flesh, muscle, and bone crack and tear.
The
two
beings
fall
away
from
each
other
. I pulled Alonzo’s wolf half into corporeal being. I can’t explain how, it shouldn’t be possible.

Blood
is
spattered
along
the
walls
and
coats
the
floor
. My hair is matted to my face with tears and  blood.

I can’t help but find some satisfaction in watching my aggressor come undone. The wolf dies immediately.
It
needed
Alonzo
more
than Alonzo needed it. A parasite. The weakening man lay at my feet. I’m surprised at
the
gratitude
in his
eyes
.
How
many
times
did
he
kill
his challenger? 
How
many
lives
has
he
been
required
to
take
to
assure
his
own
survival
? By my
hand
, his wretched
existence
is
done
,
and
he’s
grateful
.

Icy
water
cascades
over me. Numb, I
observe
the
blood
fade to pink and escape down
the
drain
. Violent shivers shake my body. I think I may be in shock.

The
vault
door
reopens
,
and
two
men
in hazmat
suits
come
in with a body bag.
They
put
Alonzo’s
body
inside. His two
bodies
, as
he’s
now
two separate forms. Together
they
drag
the
heavy
burden
from
the
room
.
Another
person
in hazmat gear advances towards me. Janice. I
back
away
. In her
hands
,
she
holds
a
scrub
brush
and
soap
. After harshly
removing
my
hospital
gown
Janice scrubs me with
soap
and
the
brush
. She looks
disgusted
. I’m
disgusted
,
too
. Considering where she’s employed, I want to ask her who the real monster is.
You
can’t
scour
blood
off of
people
while
bodies
are carted away and maintain your humanity. I
glower
at her until
she
averts her
eyes
.
Heartless bitch.