Chapter 24. The Night of Reckoning


"I have heard the Time Traveler struck once again." An old male spoke among the tired crowd of other Morlocks that were just leaving their shift. "That old colony that stayed hidden closest to him. He had wiped them out completely."

Shadow cursed beneath his breath. He still hasn't told any of them that he had once lived with this brutal beast. They would all surely kill him.

"We should put an end to his deadly deeds then." He snorted at the male. "Then we will have no more worries."

"He has more men I believe and many Eloi to protect him. He has taught them how to protect themselves."

"Well come on there are so many colonies out there! This is one stupid man!" Shadow roared. "I am no longer watching my kind hide away like a flock of sheep! It is time we bring him down. If a thousand Morlocks are not willing to then I will stand alone."

"We will have to talk with the others then." The two Morlocks returned to the depths of the underworld.

At the Time Traveler's house…

Katie rolled up in the sheets on her bed, wanting to stay this way forever. Shandow sat on the edge, his eyes scanned the room at all the strange objects.

"My whole life is screwed." She whispered in English. Being back in this room brought back distant memories she wanted to forget for all eternity. She pushed the covers off and rolled over the pillows. Shandow smiled down at her. He grasped her hand and squeezed it. There was a flicker in his eyes that she had not often seen before.

"I remember the last time I had an Eloi in here." She went on, her eyes narrowed.

She had lack of trust in many of the Eloi males for a good reason. The aggression her father trained in them had warped their minds. His original followers were who she avoided altogether. They were once gentle and suppressed people. Now they had an ugly streak which they were not used to containing. Her father had taught them how to protect themselves. Unlike the Morlocks who were naturally aggressive and knew how to control themselves the Eloi did not.

One of the males, Tago, who had helped save her father from underground when he was fighting off the Morlocks. He threw the first punch that saved her father from being choked to death. He was one of the first that was trained and now he carried an malicious temperament. He always had eyes on Katie when she grew old enough to be desirable. She always refused him as she did to all the other ones. This angered him inside, he didn't show it but she could see it in his eyes.

One night he decided to sneak through the top window by climbing the overhanging rooftop. She had forgotten to lock the window. To Katie's greatest nightmare he wasn't here to just snoop around and beg for her love. He had forced himself on her and held her down with well-built arms and his teeth around her neck. Katie didn't bother to fight after that and only let him have his own way.

George had found his daughter sneaking downstairs sobbing. He was horrified to learn that any Eloi would perform such a low stunt. This was very abnormal at any rate. He picked up his daughter and held her like a baby while Jones checked her over and confirmed it was true.

It was months before she would even sleep in that bed again. Even then she always made sure the window was locked and the door too. She stole a knife from the kitchen drawer and hid it underneath her mattress. Just incase that Tago came back.

George himself gave Tago a good talking to and a few well-aimed blows about the head. He swore if he even went near any of his kids again he would take him to the woods with a gun. Tago didn't bother her anymore. Shadow gave him his own personal warning as well that he would eat him alive with gruesome details.

Katie wiped away tears, trying hard not to relive those moments. Would Shandow ever do that? She would hope not as he is just too gentle.

She stared back at him as he climbed over her to the other available side of the bed and pulled the covers over him. He tried to imitate her sleeping style. She wrapped her arms around his back and rested her cheek on his chest. Shandow cooed to her softly, giving her butterfly kisses on her ears and forehead.

She felt her eyelids give way as she felt sleep shroud her. His heartbeat had slowed down to a steady rhythm. Shandow watched over her till he too fell asleep.

Early the next morning Katie went to shower and change clothing. She decided to wear her tunic instead of her normal clothing. They just felt more comfortable to wear around. Her father opened the door to see who was up there. Katie had almost forgotten about her runaway and Shandow. He was snuggled underneath all the sheets that he had gone unnoticed.

"You silly Eloi get out of this room." He grabbed them both by the collar and herded them out back downstairs. He didn't even recognize Katie. Shandow raced out onto the grass and strutted for his lover. He grabbed her by the waist and twirled her around.

"You surely brightened up to me haven't you?" She laughed. "Well I'm glad that you did."

"Katie lovely." He smiled.

"You remember my name." She wrapped her arms around him and twirled around into the flowers. A small cry from in the house disrupted her flirtation. She snuck quietly into the house again. There she saw her father pick up a baby.

"My Billie." She choked, remembering her son. "How could I forget you?"

She walked slowly into the room to watch her Billie drink from his bottle. She had almost blurted out in English to them but held herself back. Why she didn't want to reveal herself was a mystery. George noticed her and a smile lifted on his face.

"Oh just a baby boy." He set Billie on the ground. The baby hybrid toddled around on the wood floor. He tilted his head back and grinned at Katie.

"Mommy!" He piped.

"No dear boy that's just another Eloi." George couldn't help but feel that this Eloi was different. Something about her he couldn't lay his finger on.

Katie couldn't fight the temptation. She bent over and picked up her heavy Billie. He closed his arms around her and purred.

"Mer fain." She spoke in Eloi to her son.

George bent over at eye-level with the female. "Katie? Is that you?"

Katie nodded. Shandow was peering through the window at her.

"Why didn't you say anything? Why are you clothed like this?" He questioned.

"You almost killed me down there. So many Eloi and Morlocks slaughtered. For once I know what a Morlock feels like." She answered coldly.

"Katie I'm so sorry. I rushed and I just wasn't thinking." He felt his heart skip a few beats.

"You are a monster." She said in the same flat, cold tone. "I'm surprised you haven't thrown my son in the fire as well."

"Katie don't talk like that. He's my grandson I would never hurt him." George growled.

"Yet you didn't mind killing so many children down below. Not to mention running over mothers." Katie snapped. "I'm an Eloi but I know what ruthless murder is."

"What about you? You know what they do to Eloi."

"I was kept for something else." She lowered her eyes and went outside with her son. "They treated me with much kindness."

Shandow followed behind her like a faithful dog.

"I think it's okay if you want to save some Eloi but you don't even stop to think what you are doing. Have you ever thought perhaps why they eat Eloi?" Katie challenged him.

"Well no I haven't at first but I know why now. They don't have any other sort of food."

"Then you just want to starve them all? Shame." Katie kept walking, Billie bopped up and down with every step.

"I know I have many flaws." George couldn't really find much to defend himself against her words. She was right all the way around. He was creating an even bigger mess and his tactics were even more cruel then that of the Morlocks.

A few days had passed since Katie had reunited with her son. Her little Billie reminded her so much of Shadow. They both did the same funny grunting noises and loud snores. She rubbed noses with her cheeky boy and watched him dog-crawl on the floor. Shandow was occupying himself with the picture books. He was so childish, pointing at the pictures with thick exuberance. Billie grabbed the bed sheets to have a better look at this Eloi male. They both had a staring contest with Billie copying his expressions.

"You two are a handful." Katie laughed. "I'm sure you will get along fine."

Jones came flying inside half out of breath.

"Morlocks coming this way. A whole wave of them!"

"I guess they are uprising against us." George grabbed his gun, only a few more cartridges damn!

"No point with that gun. There are hundreds of them, probably thousands." Jones's face was pale and cold.

The trained Eloi outside automated a protective wall in front of the family house. All of them with their own sort of weapon. Slingshots, rocks, some with small whips. The Morlocks eyes glowed like city lights as they appears through the trees and tall grass.

"We are done for." Jones gave up and lit himself a smoke. "I might as well enjoy this last moment."

George's mouth went dry. His children and his wife would die tonight. Maybe they would stick his head on a pole for Morlocks to lavish over like a hunter's buck trophy. Maybe they would savor his flesh and share every sliver of it around to everybody. What revengeful Morlock wouldn't want this treasure?

Weena huddled close to him, crying silent tears into his shirt. The children hid in their rooms under the covers. Katie stood on the porch with her frightened son.

A tall figure plodded to the front of the other Morlocks. It was a horse of all things. A big lumbering draft horse with mud-coated legs. It was Ugly the old heavy roan that George had once owned with one of their kind guiding it. A rusting collar around the Morlock's short neck shown his true identity.

"Shadow?" Jones dropped his cigarette.

The mounted Morlock only gave them a silent glare of contempt as he rounded himself in front of his followers.

"You will no longer play God in these lands." He snarled with rage. "You killed my own family so long ago and proceeded to finish me off. When I heard you have ravaged the hidden colony so close to you that was the finishing blow. You will no longer place fear into our hearts you beast."

The other Eloi threw the first stones, hitting a Morlock upside the face. The cave dwellers charged forward at the small people and slashed with their claws and fangs. George scooped up Weena and charged off behind the house with Katie and Shandow on his tail. The mud slowed them down, causing them to slip and slide across the sticky grass. The rain that started to drizzle, making it worse.

Shadow roared and charged after them, twisting the bit around in Ugly's mouth he swung in front of George and brought the draft to a complete halt. He leapt off of the saddle and onto his prey. George threw Weena out of the way and swung a kick into the Morlock's stomach.

"Now I will kill you and end this feud forever." Shadow opened his mouth with ready, chiseled fangs. The hatred in his red eyes was true.

"Stop it Shadow! You are becoming no better then father!" Katie threw her body against his. His huge hand rose up with claws spread out and slashed her across the back. She yelped and somersaulted across the chewed up grass.

"Perhaps I should finish you off first Eloi." Drool oozed down his mouth as he faced this new threat.

A small cry busted out from behind him. A dirty baby sat there crying from shock of being thrown. Shadow blew hot breath and made for the tiny hybrid. This would be an easy blow. One snap of the neck and the little pest is dead.

"Kill him and you kill your son!" A voice rang out behind him.

"Still talking?" He looked around. George was helping his daughter, trying to drag her to safety. Blood soaked her ivory shirt. She yanked herself away and drug her languishing body towards Billie.

"He is your son! Don't you remember me?" She cried out, knowing she would not be able to save him with Shadow's killing blow so close.

Shadow tilted his muddy head, his glowing eyes seemed to dance in the gentle rain. Billie, still sobbing, crawled as fast as his plump legs would carry him to his mother.

"Katie?" He gaped, not understanding. "Son?"

"Yes our son." Her body lowered to the ground as her limbs grew cold. Only the warmth of the blood coursing down her back still made her aware of what life she had left. "Our son Billie. I found out after you ran away."

Shadow's face emptied as the rain washed away the filth. Despair settled in his dark eyes. He yanked his hand away from his son. Shandow touched the deep wounds on Katie's back, his hand smothered in blood.

George picked up his daughter in his arms and rushed her back inside. He hadn't noticed the Morlocks had all stopped their fighting. They only stared at him upon hearing this new fact. It was simply beyond believing.

Shadow picked up his son and cradled him in his huge arms. Billie shivered, his pleading eyes piercing deeply into his. They were that icy blue like his mother's. He sat on the porch, having enough of fighting.

The others around him didn't fight anymore. What was left of the Eloi stood stiff legged and frozen. They still waited for blows to be rained down on them but none had come.

A pair of Eloi and Morlock arrived on the scene with a strange animal over his shoulder. The Morlocks looked back, their eyes widened at the strange creature. Three more Morlocks followed behind them. Fere with Favul and Fown himself.

"We brought something that would save us all and cease this fighting!" Fere stepped over the body of a dead Eloi. "We found creatures that we could eat on. No longer will we have to feast on Eloi. We both win."

The Morlocks gathered around the creature and petted it's soft, fawn-colored pelt. It only blinked at them, waving it's donkey-like ears around. Jones came out onto the porch just as the creature was placed on the ground.

Shadow turned around, facing Jones. "How is Katie?"

"We are helping her all we can." Jones frowned.

"I wish to see her." He walked upstairs, memories of playing inside the house as a kid flashed before him. His bright and innocent days like a long gone memory of stone fossils. Tears dropped down from his chin, onto Billie's wooly head.

"The only thing now is to wait. Please be strong Katie." He patted her arm. Her face was sickly pale from so much blood being drained. Shadow just wanted to wither away and die right there.

Shadow stood at the doorway with his son snuggled to his breast. All was silent except for the Morlock's talking amongst each other outside.

Jones came upstairs and placed his hand over his shoulder.

"We no longer have to fight."

"What do you mean?" George stroked his daughter's head.

"A pair of Eloi and Morlock found a new creature in their land to eat. No longer will they have to eat Eloi. They are pulling back."

"What?" George looked out the window. For a short moment he burst outside the door to glimpse at this animal. Jones was right. He felt his heart suddenly lift up.

Something else caught his eye that startled him most of all. The pair of Eloi and Morlock with a child just like Billie between them. The Morlock had his arms around her very much like any couple would with the Eloi female cradling her baby.

"Billie?" Katie's voice called out weakly. Shadow sat close by. A light smile appeared on his face.

"He is here."

The blurry image of Shadow and her son seemed like a dream. She blinked, still feeling very weak and cold.

"Shadow? Is that you?"

"Yes I am here. There will be no more wars Katie. Rest easy my love."