Third tale for the Halloween Trilogy

This, as I promised last week, will be a continuation of my trilogy. I posted the first two stories of a Halloween trilogy on the last Saturday of Oct. Or the post below this one. Now for the third tale.

The first two were inspired by pictures but this one wasn't. And again I say this is darker than usual for me, some may even be surprised by it. I am planning to do two more stories set earlier then this one, and place them all in an Indie story set-after another revision. One of those new tales will have ghosts in it-this is a Halloween themed project after all. I don't think I will be using vampires but something else to do with Halloween Maybe eery clowns. :)

I made one mistake when I wrote it. The first two are in First Person but this is in Third. And I include the hero's name this time. I couldn't find anyplace in the first two where I actually named him.
Anyway this story is kinda of long at 7,180 words. Urban Fantasy since it takes place in our time.


Enjoy:

Still Beautiful But She Went Too Far

Jason jumped up from his cheap, plastic seat, ran to the door of the fast food restaurant, looked out. He chewed fast to finished the bite he had just taken. He didn’t taste it, only swallowed as quick as possible. He had been eating by himself, thinking of a halloween three years ago, when something had caught his attention. Other customers; some dressed in monster outfits, a Captain America, two obviously fake zombies, just sat there. They wouldn’t have felt anything. He had though so knew that something big had just happened.
As a mage, one of the few who could manipulate an energy created by nature, he knew when someone used that energy in a big way. Someone just did and not far from him.
This time it didn’t take long to see what this Trick was. Figures came out of the dark gloom that happened on foggy nights even in early evening. They came around the various cars parked in the mall’s lot. They wore ragged clothes and shuffled along. He thought he could hear moans on the wind that blew through the door when it opened. It had more than a bit of cold for this time of year. Jason also caught a whiff of something that could be decay. So slight that the scent of mass produced not so authentic Mexican food, almost covered it. Of course that odor might come from the full trash bins to the side of the eating establishment he stood in.
A transparent faded white figure drifted by in the wind. A movement made him glance back at the human like figures. One of them had to stop at the tail end of a newer sedan. It reached out and shoved it to one side, out of its way.The car collided with a bronze SUV. The crunch sound of metal against metal sounded-the SUV’s alarm went off.
The few people outside around turned to look. One young woman screamed when one of the figures reached for her. She wasn’t that close to it but she evidently felt like it didn’t matter. Others ran. Jason concentrated and sent a mage blast at one. It didn’t harm the zombie-like creature. He frowned sent out a larger blast, it too did no harm. Jason tilted his head to one side, his eyes narrowed. He tried to think of why it wouldn’t. Sweat popped on his forehead .
He sent out a tentacle of his power to see who these guys were. They seemed unaware of his attempts to stop them. A moment later his power came back to him. Something didn’t look right so he sent a more powerful sensor spell. It came back fast. His eyes widened, his mouth narrowed and his eyes became hard. They were illusions, very strong ones with scents and sounds-more importantly though, he recognized the imprint of the mage who had created them.
What did she want? This was Halloween so almost anything. A picture came to mind of a report he had seen early afternoon, of a group of people scared badly this morning by something unknown. Two had died of heart attacks. Another one killed by a stampede of people running in blind panic for some reason and another two died by unknown reasons, perhaps drug overdoses. That could be what she wanted here.
He looked out at the illusion, fear grew in him. No, around him. More people screamed while others turned and ran. One man tried to climb the wall just outside of where Jason stood. So a spell to multiple fear, to induce panic. People would probably be killed. He shook his head and frowned.
Jason waved his hand in front of his face, recited a poem he had made many years ago. Before he had met Durasa. He concentrated his will and pulled up his arms so that his palms were facing the window, energy burst forth from each hand. It spread out and enveloped the zombies and ghosts. A second later the fear vanished. The illusion still existed, but the desire to extreme panic left.
Durasa had to be near to make sure the illusion went as planned and that events, like the car being shoved into the SUV could be done. The man who had tried to go up the side of the store, settled down, looked around, straightened his clothes then hurried away. One man helped another up. The zombies began to fade. Another ghost slid by but it had become even more transparent. Soon it would be gone. Since the illusion would no longer serve its purpose she would do away with it and save the energy. She probably knew he had undone it even though there were others here in the city that could have undone it.
His lips narrowed, he breathed in slowly, let it out in a rush. She would do this again tonight. Which meant that she had killed innocents now, and would again.
“Damn”
Jason felt his eyes harden, his mouth twist, his heart stalled, even his breath stopped for a long moment when he thought about what he needed to do. He had put off even thinking about it. He would sacrifice almost anything, even his own life, to keep from having to do this. The tacos he had eaten made his stomach hurt, but he knew it wasn’t them. Bile came up. Tonight of all nights would be it—but she would keep working at scaring people to death.
Without a backward glance at the food still on his table he rushed out the door, barely felt when he brushed against the man who had tried to climb the wall who must have come back for something, hurried to his car and drove home. He went faster than the police would like, but none noticed him. Once at his place he got out, hurried to the front door-the front yard smelled of pine with a bit of pollution and pollen, from the three pine trees. In other words everything appeared normal. He liked the brown with pastel red trim, now though he ignored it. The three bedroom, two bath house had been built only ten years old, with a modern design, that included a smaller pouch. When he ran up the steps he tripped on a planter that stood near the edge of the steps that led up to the pouch, recovered-mostly. Took a moment to stop, took a deep breath than even though he knew the house he took his time to make sure no one had set up a trap for him. She might do that depending on what she wanted. Nothing he could see yet. Once inside he rushed to the room in the back. Once he found the special closet-hidden along a wall, he pulled out a chest and undid three locks, the wards connected with the locks and the lid knew him, so stayed quiet. He carefully took special objects out. When he had them secured in various pockets in his outfit he made sure the chest was locked again and shoved it back into the hidden closet. He set off the special wards that would activate if he didn’t come back, to make sure nothing in here could be discovered by the police, someone else normal, or a grave hunter who knew what he was. He double checked his wards, added one with the help of an enchanted lock. Once in his car he headed for a spot he thought she would be at. Most probably she would go back there with the energy she had gathered from those who had died or just terrified. Again Jason drove faster than the speed limit.
On the way he thought she may or may know he knew where she worked, but she would have set up protections. They would be deadly and mean.
Two miles away from that spot in a secluded woods not far out of town, he felt her presence. Any mage would register on his “sensors” but he knew her “call letters” as it were. That place had a bad rep already so it would make sense, in more than one way, for her to choose it. He hoped he wasn’t as predictable as she seemed to have become.
Fog appeared with a suddenness that didn’t surprise him. He parked off the road, near a couple of very large trees; as far away as he dared from her and the road, made sure everything still lay in his pockets, got out. He set subtle wards around the car for other dark mages could feel the usual wards but not these unless they tried hard to find them. Jason hurried through the trees. The dark and fog made it hard to see some of them, but he quickly stepped around those that appeared right in front of him. Even though he tried to be silent, he didn’t believe she would be thinking about listening for invaders. She probably knew he was there anyway. He tried to hide the extent of his power but that may or may not work. If it did she may think he was a lesser mage and underestimate him, until she saw him. As arrogant as she was he might be fool her even when she knew it was him.
Tree limps brushed against his face and pulled on his clothes. At one point he realized that for the tenth time he found that his hand went to his pockets to check on their contents. Ozone filled the air along with the usual scents of pine and the ground mulch. Blood too he thought. It’s possible that she killed some forest visitor: hunter, park ranger or a family out for a picnic. He wouldn’t worry if it was a drug dealer growing pot or selling heavier stuff out here. He hoped it hadn’t been a family or a husband and father out looking for firewood.
The cold grew as if he had crossed a line, which he might have. He saw what looked like an area of fog on the other side of some trees. Jason’s skin started to crawl, almost as if it knew instinctively to go in the other direction. The forest scents died down but didn’t quite disappeared. The blood, ozone and something he wasn’t sure of, grew. The blood still wasn’t too strong. Eery sounds: wind blowing over a graveyard, very faint growls, thumps in the distance but getting closer, bats flying too close and other noises grew in the night. The darkness became darker with gloom, and a feeling of doom.
Good, maybe this would chase away anyone up here. Not everyone, unless that blood smell was part of eery feeling spell. He continued on. Maybe five minutes later a light appeared. He made a beeline for it. It moved, he curved over to it.
It moved, so he made a slight adjustment. Jumped when something next to him chirped. For a second it had sounded like a moan from a person. After his head swung that way, faster than he could think, he saw nothing. He licked his upper lip, tasted salt. So he was sweating, no surprise there. He hadn’t noticed, probably because of the cold, but under these circumstances anyone would.
Half a minute later he came to a clearing. He saw a tree with deeper shadows and slipped over to it.
Not dressed for sneaking around in a dark forest, but he suspected that she knew he was there anyway.
As silent as possible Jason hurried to a large tree near a clearing. He pressed up against the large round pine tree-something seemed off about its scent. The bark wasn’t right either a part of his mind warned him, but it was a tree. The air was course with ozone and magic-it filled his sinuses and coated his tongue. The first meant she had been doing magic for a while. She must have come straight here from that parking lot. But by the looks of things here she had spent the day here preparing this area. Why here?
She stood to the right of Jason, on the other side of the clearing. She had her arms raised and was nude. He rolled his eyes, that was so stereotypical of this type of magic, surprised she did it. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, her body was distracting too.
A motion to one side, within the edge of the clearing, made him turn his eyes that way, while he still faced her. A man stood there. A longer look showed he wore dirty clothes and just seemed out of it, but as if he was on drugs. Or as if he was asleep-or dead? With a sudden thought he looked over the clearing better. There were five more of these. They could be fresh zombies but didn’t have to be dead. Whatever the case he knew they were under her control.
His eyes widened as he stared at one to the left of her about six feet. His head jerked slightly when he recognized the man. Mr. Stumblefield, an older man and a lesser mage. A very nice guy who didn’t deserve to be forced into servitude whether he was dead or not. Jason wondered if he had come here to investigate why he had felt power here or to look for someone. Whatever the case Jason could do something to help him out now. He concentrated, pictured what he wanted, sent his will out very quickly and found the key to her control over his body. Since he and her had been very close he knew the key to her spells and the matrix of her energy signature. So he used that to trace over the energy lines within her matrix. Once there he sent a charge through that newest line and it exploded like a charge of plastic.
He heard her cry out when her spell was broken. Mr. Stumblefield crumbled to the ground. Jason didn’t know if he was dead or alive, but she no longer had control over him. She screeched, glared all over the clearing, probably knew it was him by now, if she hadn’t felt him come up.
A moment later something of hers found him. He should have realized what was beside him that looked like a tree. As soon a tentacle touched him, he knew what had smelled funny. The tree had been an illusion to cover up this thing. Durasa had to tried to get the scent right, but hadn’t succeed.
Before he could take a breath to react the tentacle was around him and squeezing. His breath rushed out, and pain took over his ribs. He tried to suck in air but it held him too tight. He thrashed, kicked against the ground to push himself away but it held tight. He tried to suck in air but not much made it to his lungs. It lifted him off the ground. He wasn’t sure if it would take him to her or throw him across the clearing, crush him until is insides dripped on the ground, to fertilize its roots or even eat him, but either option was bad.
He told himself to stop panicking and to use his power. He concentrated, sent a spike of energy at it then created a coating of fire around his body. The creature jerked, before it let out a noise that sounded like a scream and let go of him as the tentacle whipped backwards away from him. The whole thing shifted away from him even as he landed with a thump. What air he had just sucked in on the way down, rushed out. Ohhh-he would have a bruise after that landing. To go along with all of the other bruises that thing had given him.
The mulch under him started to smolder and a knee high seedling caught fire. Of course, the fire had been one way so he wouldn’t get burnt so he had forgotten it. He drew the energy back into himself and tried to stand, fell back down. A small fire and smoke drifted into his face and he coughed as he breathed in ashes and heat. A wave of his hand sent all of the burning grass, mulch and leaves toward the creature. It made more sounds and backup even more.
A noise and a presence made him look up. She stood five feet away. He looked down at the dirt. If she thought about the fact that she was nude at all she may think it would be a distraction. He had to admit that it might be. He had seen her in shorts and bikinis so knew she had a good figure, this confirmed it. Her beasts had a good shape and looked healthy, the same with her legs. It was too dark to see much else but he didn’t have to. His arousal built in his mind and desire grew.
This wasn’t like him. He still had a desire for her but this was so far beyond that, even if you added in the love he had for her. She had changed so much and now all he wanted to do was slam her on the ground and jump her. He gritted his teeth and willed his body back a foot.
Why did he desire her this strongly?
Damn, of course. Should have thought of that.
Jason concentrated and formed a wider range blocker around him, she would know how his normal defenses worked and his signature, but this was new and he twisted it slightly. A heartbeat later he sighed, for his body and mind relaxed make to a normal state.
She looked down at him, probably not surprised by his response to her lust spell.
“So you did show up after all. I have been thinking of you and wondered if you would come to save the day. You have stopped me too often and cost me, I will enjoy sucking away your power and your life.”
He stood, glad he had a moment to rest, in one easy motion and stared at her-at her eyes.
Out loud and for her benefit he shook his head said, “No!”
A word with more than one meaning. Her threat, her trying to force him into desire for her, and whatever else she may offer him. He knew her power after all and how it changed, she didn’t know that. He took a step forward and lowered his eyes. She gave a small smile, in the middle of another step he raised a hand with a sudden movement and sent a blast her way. She ducked, probably instinctively he thought, but the energy flipped back and smacked him in the face. He found himself in the air, blood came out of his nose and splattered. He landed with a crunch and a groan. Another bruise, or two. That defense was much stronger than he had expected, that she should have been able to do after their last battle.
Before he could level himself up she was there with a foot on his chest. Did she teleport herself or did he pass out for a few seconds? No way to tell right now-not that it matter because there she was. He could easily see her bare leg. He knew that scar on her knee and how the muscles and skin were shaped. He didn’t look up at her though. A moment later he wasn’t able to for his concentration was full of pain. He had to get that foot off. Somehow it had gotten heavier, he didn’t think she was pressing down harder though. His side hurt already and his energy level was down. If she continued to make her foot weight more, his chest wall would be crushed—but he wasn’t out of it yet.
“I will pull your power and you in so you can be with me, helping me as you wanted to but it will be in a better way. A part of you will always be inside me to sustain me and so I can show you what I am capable of.”
He frowned but not because of the pain.The physical pain anyway. She had twisted herself so far. He groaned as her foot became heavier but he continued that thought for a moment, she still had something like love for him but she saw it through her deep inner desires, which warped it.
Better do something and think later, he wouldn’t be able to carry out his plan like this. He would dead or worse still aware while inside her being used for her plans.
Urg, I need to do something now, IIIwwwggg.
With a pull at his will, he ignored the pain to send an attack. It failed! He managed to follow up with three quick attacks but each one dissipated without harm to her. Where did she get that strength? His failure bite at him as bad as the physical pain, she would be free to do as she willed, because he blew it.
She smiled because she knew him and how he attacked, but…
Or so she thought.
He sent another smaller attacker, and almost smiled back, but too much pain and too big a danger of losing kept his lips pressed together. In a heartbeat her expression changed to a quizzical one, then to shock, she almost giggled but controlled it and jumped back. As her foot left his sternum he pushed himself backward on his back until his head wracked to tree, he managed to grip the tree and used its rough bark to pull himself up. That hurt! In so many places. Much easier to just lay there and let whatever happens, he had fought her well, but she knew his secrets and probably remembered parts of his journal. She may think what she got form him if she drew his strength into her, was enough and leave anymore innocent people alive tonight. There were other wizards more powerful than him that could take her down. He held his side once he was all the way up.
He couldn’t let her win, but where was she getting that strength? He recalled that star she had stood next to. Was there something in it?
He called on his reservoirs, used that and a magicked can, that he had storied healing energy in, and created healing energy. Meanwhile she had dealt with the feet tickle attack. He had remembered the bottoms of her feet were sensitive and figured that more than likely unguarded for a simple attack. He stood and moved her way to a spot under a tree with wide branches.
He looked at her as she came his way, the fact that she had to walk that far to get to him increased her anger.
Now that he was up and still had some power, this could still work with his original plan that he now stood in position to carry it out. He had been worried he wouldn’t be able to work it because of his failure to recognize that creature disguised as a tree. He hadn’t seen one like it before but he should have planned for her to have a surprise or two. He activated another weapon. This one needed time though to build.
He took in two deep breaths, he could smell the clean air and the pine scents and something else. Puzzled he took another look at her with his special senses, found a strand of magical energy, followed it. His eyebrows went up, so that was it.
She was still beautiful and evidently still felt something for him. Maybe a good talking to, or what? Banishing those thoughts and ignoring the feelings that came with them he thought, now to keep her talking. She may not notice in this shadow of the tree before it was too late.
Jason breathed in deep again, said, “You still trying to be number one?”
He tried to make it sound like a curse.
She said, “Of course, why would I stop? Even though you got lucky twice, by trickery, I am still better and stronger.”
“Stronger? Really?”
She smiled nodded once, “You’re too weak, I wonder what I liked about you once. Surprisingly I still feel something toward you, but I can use it against you, because I am strong. I can kill. We should have had sex, but you probably wouldn’t last long nor know how to be good lover.”
Ouch, he thought, hitting below the belt. Probably to get back at him or distract him. He thought it was good they hadn’t had sex. What she could do with his semen now, would be bad for him. Maybe even have gotten through his wards at his place, or turned his reproductive organs against him somehow, a number of things none good.
“You never did understand me. You assumed things because of the way you thought and Because of lazy thinking. Lazy everything.”
Just keep her talking a little bit more, it’s building quite nicely.
He said more, “You should have realized how tough I am and persistent I am. You considered something that you didn’t understand to be a weakness. That is never a good assumption. You find it too easy to take shortcuts or forcing yourself to get what you want by any means instead of the best way. That twists and harms your personality and who you are.”
She snarled and said, “I was always like this, you didn’t understand me, because you wanted me to be something I wasn’t.”
He nodded once, “Yes, there was some of that. But you acted like it was the true you.”
Jason paused as her expression changed to one of puzzlement, her eyes went above his shoulders. So she saw it. In this gloom it might look just like wings-black perhaps Raven wings but she would soon see that it wasn’t.
Her expression changed to anger, then half gloating, “You twisted yourself, to fight me.”
Jason shook his head twice, “If you had paid attention or read far enough along in my journal you would know that I have experimented with the Dark. I wanted to know how it worked and what it took from someone using it. So I knew how to do this before you came along.”
Her expression changed to-disappointment?
“I didn’t read your journal because you destroyed it.”
He nodded once in acknowledgement of that. It had been hard to relearn and to remember it all but he had and learned more besides.
“You never realized that by learning things and working Tricks out that you learn them from the inside out. That isn’t weakness, its strength.”
 She opened her mouth to say something more but it was time.
Jason waved his hand toward her and the blackness behind him rolled over his head and shoulders like a wave. She took a step back in surprise, lifted her arms for a defense but it reached her first. His would be stringer than hers. It a heartbeat the blackness had covered her. The force of the impact knocked her backwards onto the ground. She landed with a muffled thud. A sound that came from the shroud that could have been a scream, or a yell of rage.
He moved over out of her range and into the clear. A footfall behind him warned him, but he turned too late. A figure ran into him. As they went down together he got a glimpse of others. He hit the ground and rolled. Bark and torn grass rolled down the back of his shirt. He smelled the grass and mulch but no decay. That surprised a corner of his mind while the rest of it readied himself for a different fight. He spat out crashed leaves and decayed matter that had gotten into his mouth when his face smashed into the ground.
She must have set her zombies to attack anyone who got the better of her, he should have thought of that when he saw them. Jason shook his head, he should have thought of that after their last encounter. This time he didn’t know if they were true zombies-there were different types-or she just used her will to control them, but it didn’t matter at the moment.
Something heavy landed with a force, followed by another one. He gasped in pain as his injured side became pain again. It hadn’t been healed all the way.
They tried to grab him to tear him apart but the number, another one joined them, hindered that. He managed to use his magic to lift them enough to crawl out. It took them a moment to understand that. How to stop them without killing them-if they were still alive. He had stopped one already. He could use that. He concentrated and sent out a blocker. One of the zombies fell back to the ground before it got up all the way. Another blocker and another fell, but he had to run. They others closed in too quick. He could only do one at a time and that took some seconds to complete the action.
He expanded a force around him, which blew them backwards. One hit a tree with a hard thud, but soon got back up. All of the others stood too even though some took longer to untangle themselves.
What to do?
She was almost out of her cocoon as he had expected. Durasa had all of that energy inside the star to use after all.
Hey, yeah I can use that.
He gathered more energy from inside the star on the ground, formed another mass of blackness. He ran to a certain tree, then to a rock a few feet away and back into the center of the small space he had been in. By then the zombies were in one group. He commanded the mass to envelope them. It did.
He stood and panted. Narrowed his eyes. New injuries abounded. One wrist ached, a huge bruise in the middle of his back where a knee had landed. He hoped that was all it was.
Something on his nose was blood but not too much. A moment later with a yell from her, the cocoon burst, it flew everywhere. She hurriedly stood with a flash of well made legs and other parts.
That lust spell must still be working.
She glared at him, cursed snarled. “You are too stupid and worthless. I am used to the dark energies, I can control it better than you.”
She seemed upset at his supposed ineptness as his attack. He gave her another nod, not letting his pain show, or that he was physically weak. He still had his storage rod, which he now tapped. No time for healing instead he placed his arms out form his sides started a process.
“You still do not understand. Still assuming things. You know I have killed. I don’t like to, would do anything to keep from killing. You misinterpreted why;it is not a weakness.”
A hot glow formed around his hands. He raised them, the glow brighten. It hadn’t built up as much as he wanted but she was forming some type of dark shield. He didn’t think it would stop this but with what had happened already he didn’t want to take a chance. He sent a command to the power around his hands. Two streaks of sun energy shot out A moment later both cut through the shield she had half formed and impacted her. She shot backwards, fell and tumbled. She managed to get back up and looked at the very bad burn on abdomen near her right hip. The skin there already looked bright red and perhaps a large blister had started to form already, it was hard to tell. A look of pain crossed her face, then concentration. A red disk shot his way. More sun power shot from one hand. It hit and exploded the disk. She drew more power from within the star and shot out a purpled black object that spun like a memorizer. But a beam shot from his other hand. The object dropped to the ground on fire. He decided to use his soul power to make sure the next shot was final. That was something she didn’t know about, something that hadn’t been in his journal. But she may not be able to use anyway.
She screamed in rage and leapt back in time to avoid another shot. It hit the ground in a burst of flame. A fire started in the grass and low bushes. She ducked dirt and grass that shot everywhere. The fire crackled and sputtered, it heated up the air quickly. His sinuses wanted to sneeze the odor back out.
Fear crossed her face, turned to panic. She shot over half a dozen spells his away. Some missed, three hit new fireballs. The last and most powerful one slammed through it all and impacted his shoulder before he could step aside.
Awww, that hurt. It may have broken his shoulder, but his shield had held most of it away from him. She panted probably hoping that it had hurt him more than it did. He knew through she had drawn strength and energy from whatever was in the star. He had to deal with that or Durasa might still win. He sent a fresh fireball her way. It wobbled on its course and missed. She gave a half smile and prepared something even stronger. He could feel it would be her strongest attack yet. He was tired and in pain both of which played havoc with his concentration.
With a deep breath that sent pain through one side, he tasted salt-hoped it was just the sweat that covered his face and not blood from inside. That last might be why she again thought she could beat him.
Jason shook his head, raised his good hand and fired one more shot of plasma formed from the energy he could use. It sped her way faster than the previous shots-fueled by his own soul energy. It impacted a shield she must have thrown up. A powerful one for some its energy was used up when it still ripped through the shield and hit her just under one breast. It had enough power left to burn a hole the size of two fists through her body. It burst out of her back hard enough he could see parts of a shower of blood and flesh. Her scream of pain reverberated through the clearing. She staggered backwards,almost fell bit somehow managed to keep standing. A brunt skin odor made him gag-the effect on him was doubled because of where it came from and that he was the cause of it. A blood stink filled his nose.
Damn, that was suppose to have gone through her heart.
He wondered if that would have killed her.
He lifted his eyes to behind her. The fireball that missed had landed on its real target: the far side of the star she had made on the ground. The fire bubbled for a long moment then burst into a flame that soared up shoulder high. Quicker than snake attacking a lizard it spread along the lines that made up the star. It would have been pretty and something to behold if it didn’t mean death.
He had half watched her face. She looked down at the hole, looked back at him as if she couldn’t believe what he had done. Fear grew again, she now knew she could lose. As the flame spread over the occultic lines she realized she had lost already. Her expression showed that. She began a panicked healing spell, but before it could do much the shoulder high flames reached where she stood in the middle of one line. She glanced at the fire, knew what it meant and screamed. This time the sound expressed her lose and frustration as well as pain. The flames burned higher and she collapsed. The stench grew a heartbeat after one last shorter scream. To make it worse it became so strong that he thought he could taste the stink. He spat three times, and willed himself not to vomit.
At the same time Jason fought the desire-the need-to look away, he had to make sure. He fired another fireball. It landed on the bulge that showed where her body lay. In less than a minute even the new flames died down. Nothing was left, he had made sure even her bones had been consumed. He called up a wind and had it blow over the spot. He used his power to grab a mass of ashes and shoved them down very deep into the ground. Most of what was left were blown for miles over a wide area. Some were lifted up and traveled for tens of miles before the wind let them fall over an area miles long and wide.
He dropped his hand and finally turned around. Whatever was in the star was gone. He didn’t know if it had been just a mass of power and energy she had collected for some scheme therefore it had dissipated or if it was a creature that had been freed to go back home to whatever dimension she had grabbed it from, or it could something that was now free in our world and he would have to deal with it at a later time.
Tears wanted to swell up, but none would fall. A coldness enveloped him, memories flashed through his brain. He stared at nothing for a period he didn’t know. After a certain period his injuries let it be known that they still existed and needed to be taken care of. He shook his head-he was too tired for that and besides he had to heal at least some of the ground here. Deep holes pocked the ground, blacken trees and burnt out bushes lay around. The area where the thing had rested looked dark and lifeless.
He pulled much of the loose energy, added that to what he had left over from what he had grabbed from the circle. She had never expected that he could so that-he shook head twice, let his fell downward. A moment later he called on what was in his storage devices. He concentrated on good thoughts and changed the structure of the bad energy then he sent it to accomplish something good. A fog formed around trees and the sections of the ground.
A groan made him spin around
Could it be?
No, the sound had been male. And it came from a different direction, where he had last seen his friend. He ran, limped over to where a figure sat up. It shook its head and bent over like it might be sick but nothing came up. Closer Jason could make out Mr. Stumblefield's face. He looked sick but also relieved.
“What happened to her and how did you?…”
He stopped after he looked at Jason. Something in the expression on his face must have caught Bill’s attention.
“You fight her?”
Jason just nodded.
“Boy she put you through the winger. You have blood all of your face, you look dead on your feet. By your expression it was a hairy battle and close. You okay?”
Jason started to say yes, but groaned and wobbled instead.
Mr. Stumblefield stood up as quick as he could given that he was still weak himself. He stepped to Jason and put an arm around him, “We can support each other until we get back to our cars.”
Jason nodded again. They started to move off but another groan sounded. Jason looked at Mr. Stumblefield who shrugged, “That wasn’t me.”
Jason pulled him toward the noise. Jason plopped down by another body, checked the person out.
“This one is still alive but I think he needs medical help.”
Mr. Stumblefield said, “That spell she used was rough. I came here to check out some magical energy I felt, I thought it might be kids or even young adults that were playing with something they didn’t understand since this was halloween but I found something else. I wasn’t as careful as I thought I was for this tentacle creature caught me. I fought but she approached me with this smile I knew meant something bad was about to happen. It was painful and having to obey her like some robot took a great deal out of me. I think my mind fought her the whole time but it couldn’t win. I just want to go home and sleep for days, after I eat something.”
Jason nodded, it didn’t surprise him that she would use that spell. “We can call from my car. My phone is in it. But I want to check on everyone else here. Someone else might be alive.”
With difficulty he stood and they went to every body they could find. Along the way Bill made a comment about the battle Jason had fought, for even the tentacle thing was dead. Bill didn’t know what it was. Jason had to admit he didn’t know it either. They found only one other person alive. They couldn’t do much to help those two so he had Bill help down the mountain. On the way Mr. Stumblefield said. “You checked me out.”
Jason said, “I had be sure.”
“I understand. She was powerful and could have sent her mind and spirit into another body. Mine was the healthiest here.”
After they reached his car, Mr. Stumblefield said that his was down the road a bit. He could find it okay.
Jason still didn’t say much but nodded and got in. He called 911 and told them they had been a fire with people being injuried-some type of explosion he thought. They said they would send a team.
As he drove away he thought that he needed to sleep too but the nightmares would come-he knew. That scream haunted him already. But at least he was able to save three people through this. That counted for something. His heart screamed that it wasn’t a good trade-part of him felt that she had been beautiful up to the end-but his mind said it wasn’t a bad trade. She had gone too far. Her death meant three people along with those that would have been killed if she had carried out her plan, could now live. His life was changed forever, but at the same time it wasn’t was bad as it could have been. Maybe he could sleep now after all.

The end