Restless We Wait
Chapter 9
(RECAP from Chapter 8)
All looked up and into a darkness that had not been there before. It pitched and boiled. Tendrils of darkness kept flaring from the deep center, sending a chill up each man's spine and into his heart.
Marco and Chet swallowed convulsively. "What is that thing?" Marco whispered.
"Where's the guys on top?" Roy asked into the stillness. "I can't see them."
It was then that the others noticed the absence of light...
"What is it?" Marco whispered again, looking at the other men. "Why's it just...floating there?"
"Maybe it's waiting for something, a sign, maybe?" Chet whispered back.
The darkness did not move from ITS position before the men. It waited, quietly, coldly. "Why didn't the Master not call to IT? IT had come in answer to the call." IT swirled in confusion. Something was not right. This one before IT was the Master, but not the Master.
The darkness swirled more rapidly. Tendrils drifted from IT and towards the waiting men. IT touched the one called Master, then drew back. This one had called, but so had another. The darkness swelled and shrank, not moving, yet not still.
Suddenly light pierced IT and with a sharp anguished cry IT fell away from the Master. Before IT was the cat. Growls and hisses drove IT back, back into the bushes and surrounding darkness.
IT hissed and wailed its anger and confusion. With a rush IT darted toward the men and then around them to vanish into the heavy shrubbery. The cat followed, not looking back.
All four men let out the breaths they had held. No one spoke, but they continued up the hill. The cold remained, but warmth was slowly returning.
Captain Hank Stanley joined the men at the waiting ambulance. He waited until Dixie was loaded and the vehicle rolled before corning the remain men.
"What happened down there? We saw something that looked like a shadow, but denser come between you and us."
"We don't rightly know, Cap," Johnny said giving Chet a long sideways look. "Whatever it is, is gone. That cougar chased it away."
"That was no cougar!" Marco said. "Didn't you see the stripes along its back and sides?"
Chet nodded his head in agreement, "Yeah, and it had a collar on that looked like the one Marco put on that cat at the station!"
"We'll discuss it back at the station. Johnny, get on to Rampart. You and Roy don't hang around any longer than it takes to be sure Dixie will be okay."
Johnny nodded and turned to climb into the squad. He motioned to Chet to draw nearer to the vehicle.
"You have that book handy when we get back. I'll see if I can get Patsy to come to the station. She's into this type of stuff. Are you sure you don't know where that missing counter spell is?"
Chet sighed and reached into the pocket of his turnout coat and withdrew a small piece of yellow paper. "I found it this morning while cleaning the latrine. It must have gotten torn out when the book fell out of my pocket.
"Do you really think this has something to do with what we just saw?"
"I don't know, but I have a strong suspicion it does. See you back at the station." Johnny cranked the squad and pulled away, leaving his friends and co-workers behind.
Unseen by him was the rising darkness that was slowly creeping up on the unsuspecting men.
E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!
Captain Stanley turned from the retreating squad to the Captain of Station 210.
"Good job, Roger. Thanks for the help."
Captain Ashton smiled and reached out to shake the hand of his good friend and co-worker. His expression slowly changed from the smile to one of surprise and fear. He stared behind 51's Captain, mouth slightly open. Hank looked at his friend the turned to see what he was staring at.
"Turn that light this way, now!" Hank cried to the men who were taking the lights apart.
The men, well trained to act immediately to any order, quickly turned the light toward Engine 51. Caught in its glow was a large black cat, tail switching and eyes glaring at the men. It had crept close to Mike Stoker, who had not noticed the creature, and crouched, waiting.
Mike saw the creature and froze in place. He saw the darkness that was swirling and boiling. It had the vague shape of a cat, but he could hear the low pitched hiss and growls that sounded like voices just barely being whispered. He felt his skin crawl and the hair on the back of his neck raise. A low, almost voice, called to him. Mike stepped back once, twice, then turned and fled to the lighted area where his crewmates were standing.
The blackness followed him to the edge of the light where it stopped and howled in a sonic tone. LIGHTS! The master was in the lights! IT swirled in agony, but kept trying to get to the one IT perceived as the Master.
"Any of the other lights still set up and warm?" Hank asked the assembled men. Seconds later a second light shed its brightness toward the darkness waiting by the engine.
IT had to get to the Master! IT was running out of time! Three more nights, and if IT did not succeed in getting to the Master IT would return back to the darkness from where IT had come. IT sent tendrils of dark mist toward the master, but each time withdrew due to the pain of the lights.
"Hank, what is that thing?" Captain Ashton asked.
"I don't know, Roger, but it's been dogging us for several weeks now." Hank glanced at Chet who was slightly apart from the others. His eyes were slightly glazed and Hank was worried about the Irishman.
Chet stood transfixed. He could hear the darkness calling to him. Only the lights and his best friend kept him from approaching the thing in the shadows.
"Master!" Chet heard the cry and wondered that none of the others could hear it as well. "Maaaster, I have come!"
Chet shook his head. The THING was talking to him? He reached up and tugged on his ears, trying to clear them of the rushing sound that filled them. A quick glance at the others confirmed that at least one other person was hearing the call, too.
"Marco, can you hear it?" Chet whispered.
"Hear what?" Marco asked, turning to his friend. He saw the glazed expression on Chet's face and reached out to shake his friend's arm. "Chet, man! Snap out of it!"
"I can hear it! It's calling to me! Oh, man, did I do this?" Chet had begun to shake and beads of sweat covered his forehead and neck. "What did I do?"
"Maaaaaster!" the voice called. The darkness swayed and swelled, feeling triumph within its reach. If IT could not go to the master, then the master would come to IT.
Hank rubbed his head behind his ears. Pressure was building up and causing grave discomfort. His ears felt full and a rushing sound was drowning out all other sound. Small specks of light danced before him. Sweat beaded his brow and a coldness caused him to shiver.
"Maaaaaster!" he heard the call. With a will stronger than he thought possible he broke eye contact with the darkness. Glancing around he saw the others standing and staring as if in a trance.
"Everyone, get in the engines! Keep those lights on! We can return for them later! Move it, now!" He darted for the passenger side of Engine 51. His voice jarred everyone from the trance and all climbed in to their respective vehicle.
"Move it, Mike! Keep the brights on and don't stop until we get back to the city and street lights."
"Gotya, Cap!" Mike said and gunned the engine. Big red did not disappoint him as the rig fairly jumped forward and raced down the dirt road, slipping and sliding in the mud.
As both rigs disappeared from sight a large cougar climbed onto a boulder and sat to watch the people go. Down below the darkness boiled and raged as ITS master left IT behind. The cougar roared at IT and smirked in a feline way. The cougar then did a very un-cougar-ish thing. With one paw the big cat reached up and touched the collar around its neck then taking one claw, rung the bell that was attached.
IT heard the bell and saw the cougar. One final time was all IT had left to get to the master. Two days before the master would return to the place of calling.
The cougar stretched and yawned. She turned away from the darkness, which had begun to move toward a cave due to the sunrise. A small scrubby pine stood in her path. With a feeling of satisfaction she reached out and clawed the tree's trunk. Once the bark was in shreds, she headed up the hill until her tawny coat blended in to the terrain, then she vanished into the hill and headed back to the station to meet her charges. A good night's work had been done.