(Dear Readers,
If you're a new reader, I suggest you stop and start at the beginning. If you aren't new, awesome! Thanks for coming back for more story about this Emerald-eyed Druid and his harem of Animal-girls and horny priestesses. I hope you enjoy the read. -Pinkender)
Chapter 23- Remembrance
Turning to look off toward the north again, a black cloud of pure darkness shadowed the land. It moved through the forest at a slow walk. Trees, brush, and grass touched by the darkness yellowed or browned with sickness and death.
"I guess I should cover your fine little derrière," Quebracho whispered as a coat of burnished red Alfari-styled clothing grew from the bracer. Woven of vines and bark, covered with green leaves, and finished off with golden sequoia wood trimming accenting the shoulders and chest. While in my new hare-form, and standing on hybrid-hare paws for feet, Quebracho wouldn't make boots.
Gazing at the monstrous thing in front of us, and then down at my arms and hands, I really wished I had my 'Claws of the King'. Taking a deep breath I looked from Coella to Shahad and asked, "Are you ready?"
"At my King's word," Shahad transmitted in a purr.
Coella smirked at Shahad before nodding and saying, her tone droll, "Yes, at my King's command."
Shahad took flight as I leapt down and ran toward the dark figure. Coella was hot on my heels. Where we saw the darkness must have been nearly a mile away. It took us barely five minutes to cover the distance.
We drew closer and I could see a small dark figure walking just ahead of a massive shadow with three black tendrils connecting them both. As we got closer I could see it was a tall woman with skin as dark brown as rich black fertile earth. Curly black hair that would have nearly reached her ankles whipped above her head like it was caught up in a windstorm. She had a beautiful face though gaunt with a broad nose and a wide, overly plump mouth. She had a long elegant neck that met slim shoulders. She was long waisted with a slim chest sporting proud breasts that were not even handfuls. Her ribs gently curved down to an almost impossibly slim waist before swooping out to hips that were several inches broader than her shoulders and a buttocks that was thick and round enough to safely guess that every ounce of fat on her body had gone there. Her legs looked like an elegantly curved mixture of thick and slim hinting at strength, agility, and speed as she walked with a slow sure purpose.
This had to be Gaia's Oracle...
Stalking to each side of the woman were four great hulking Animals, all of them abnormally large monstrously ugly wolves...
----(!)----
December 24, 1989 - Midgard Time
Helena Reas walked into her son's room. It still stank of burned flesh and hair. She would never be able to get that image out of her head.
Coming home. Calling for Daniel to help with the groceries, oh, and why hadn't he taken out the trash yet? The house stunk!
He never appeared. She had to unload all the groceries herself. She grumbled as she set about putting them away, and all the while growing angrier and angrier. If he wouldn't help out then he could find his own damn place to live!
She shook her head adamantly. No! Not that! Never that!
Her husband had skated on her shortly after Daniel was born. Now, he was all that she had. She had no sisters or brothers, her father died of a heart attack and her mother had early onset Alzheimer's. Her husband's parents were dead and she had no relationship with any of his siblings. Daniel was all that she had. He... was her everything!
Her everything or not, she was going to give him a piece of her mind! It was about time he started being a man! The man of the house... this house!
Please god!
Please don't let him leave me!
Reaching the door of his room it registered faintly in the back of her mind that the horrid smell was stronger now. If he had left food in his room again to rot! Turning the doorknob she pushed the door open as smoke bellowed out into her face. The stench was an overpowering, sickly sweet putrid smell mixed with that of burned meat and hair.
Her eyes burned. Her nose burned. When the room cleared she saw him. No hair. His skin blackened and crispy. The computer in front of him eerily silent.
The scream that ripped through the house was heard halfway down the block was a high pitched shriek that should have shattered glass. It was the scream of absolute horror and turmoil. The scream of a mother finding her son, her only child, dead. Horribly burned while still sitting in his computer chair. The sound went higher and higher and then ended, strangled off to be followed by a thump on the floor. When she awoke again she was in an ambulance and EMTs were giving her oxygen as they asked if she was alright?
If she was on any medications?
That they would be at the hospital soon.
The police visited her in the hospital and asked questions. She answered them robotically, but she couldn't remember them, the questions, or what the answers had been.
A few days later she was allowed to go home. Her son's body had been removed. Someone cleaned the room, but she could still smell the stink. The door to Daniel's room was closed. She kept expecting him to come out and ask what was for dinner. She kept thinking of things that she wanted to say. She found herself, her hand on the door knob, about to open the door, and then she would remember. Each time it sent her staggering to her room wailing in grief to curl up on her bed until sleep overcame her.
Hours drug out like days. Days felt like weeks. The house was silent. The silence was deafening. The loneliness... unbearable!
All she could think about was how horrible a mother she was. Why had she gotten so upset at such a little thing? Not coming out to help her unload groceries was nothing. Why had she gone to the store at all? If she hadn't, then Daniel would still be alive. Why had she taken so long at the store? If only she had gotten back sooner! If only she had stayed home! Oh god! She was a horrid mother! Why was she even alive? It should have been her! Whatever had happened, however it had happened, oh god it should have been her!
She stayed out of her own kitchen as much as possible. Every time she saw the knives. How sweet it would be to cut an artery in her neck or in her left thigh. She had seen that once in a movie. Or, maybe a quick plunge into her heart. It would be so simple... so easy... she would simply go to sleep.
She shook herself and growled. It wasn't what Daniel would want, but... oh god... there was nothing worth living for anymore!
The phone rang.
She ignored it.
