Chapter Twelve: Eclipse
(Here it is everybody! Chapter Twelve! Enjoy!)
Charlie was completely frozen… his heart felt as if it had been shattered into several pieces as he stared blankly at the heart monitor's monotonous, endless bleeping.
"This can't be…how…" Charlie thought, his head turning to see Sasha's lifeless body, what was once breathing softly, was now silenced…after a violent scene that Charlie himself would never want to see in his life or after life…the one he loved seemed to have been savagely tortured before she gave her final gasp for air. The images from those seconds ago were stabbing the many pieces of his already damaged heart.
" I can't lose her now…"
San Francisco Docks
Red's billowing cloak trailed him as he paced the wooden floors of warehouse 13, Dante staring at him with instinctual hatred, his posse surrounded Red, but he paid them no mind as he concocted another diabolical plot in his feline head. A sparkling emerald gem hung around his neck, his paw fiddled with it as he paced.
"I don't trust you…" glared Dante from the corner, his fur standing up a bit.
Red's green cat eyes shifted to Dante and chuckled loudly, "I don't expect you to trust me, But I do expect you to listen like the good dog you are." Dante snarled loudly in response.
Red's lips formed a frown, but quickly became a evil smirk.
"Very well then…If you wont be a good dog…" Suddenly his razor sharp claws unsheathed themselves, Dante snarled more in response and lunged at the demon cat. Red, with lightning quick reflexes, managed to catch Dante by his throat. The Rottweiler began to flail in the air, howling in pain as the cat's claws sunk into his flesh, he was soon choking on his own blood. Dante's posse cowered in the shadows, watching their leader as he was being strangled before their very eyes.
"Now you fools…" Red turns to Dante's cowering minions, "Witness my powers first hand!" Suddenly darkness dribbled from Dante's neck wounds, the claws still puncturing the delicate canine flesh. Dante's breathing became wheezes as the gaseous darkness dribbled from his maw.
Red whispered a dark incantation rapidly, his claws seemed to have suddenly started to phase through Dante's flesh as if he had suddenly became intangible. Dante gasped and wheezed for breath, until suddenly he gave a final gasp of dieing breath and collapsed onto the hardwood floor as his soul was literally pulled from his body.
The coward Doberman behind Red whimpered and whined as their boss' soul was almost instantly absorbed into the emerald jewel.
"Now…" he spoke in a sinister tone as his eyes glanced toward the cowering gang, " to deal with you scum…" his claw raised over Dante's soulless corpse and shadows surrounded the body, enveloping it completely in nothing but darkness. The henchmen coward into a corner, in a close nipped group, their eyes wide in horror as the shadows clear and what was left of their boss was contorted into a demonic apparition of his former self.
"Gather the souls of these fools…" his claw stroked the demon's billowing dark fur, it snarled and dug its paws into the wooden floor, its humongous fangs bared, and its evil, emerald eyes glinting murderously. It lunged. Red looked on in satisfaction and a sadistic hunger, as the Dante apparition attacked his once loyal gang. Their screams and yells were silenced before anyone close by could even hear them…
San Francisco Emergency Room
"Time of death…11:35 am…Cause…Unknown…" spoke a doctor who had rushed in when Sasha's heart monitor flat lined, Balto and Mr. La Fleur were fanning Mrs. La Fleur and the female nurse who had fainted before.
Charlie's trance was broken at the word "Death".
"No…" he said softly, the doctor looked at him with a confused look
"Pardon?" the Dalmatian asked.
"She not dead…" Charlie's paws were shaking with fury and sadness, and they clenched.
"I'm sorry sir, but she isn't responding, this must be diffi-GAK!" Charlie interrupted the doctor by seizing his throat and pinned him up against the wall with inhuman strength, his once black irises completely change to a white with a light blue aura flaring around the edges of his eyes.
"SHE NOT DEAD!" Charlie bellowed loud enough for the whole emergency ward to hear, the doctor was gasping for air as his feet were dangling off the ground, about nine or eight doctors and nurses rushed into the room and immediately went to the doctor's aid to pull the much larger German shepherd off of him. Balto and Mr. La Fleur rose from their seats and helped by grabbing Charlie's paw, trying to wrench his grip from the poor Dalmatian's throat, but to no avail, Charlie didn't budge as his grip tightened. The doctor's breathing was a like Charlie was squeezing a squeaky toy over and over and over again.
"CHARLIE! STOP IT! LET HIM GO!" pleaded Balto, he tried pulling Charlie again but like the other attempts they were not working either, it was as if he were a stone statue. Balto became frustrated and said the only thing that came to mind:
"THIS ISN'T GOING TO BRING SASHA BACK!"
Suddenly Charlie's grip loosened and the Dalmatian fell onto the ground, gasping for air. Charlie's eyes returned to their regular color, his arm and body relaxed. The doctors, Balto, and Mr. La Fleur released their grip on Charlie.
Balto shook Charlie's shoulder, "Come on man…snap out of it…Sasha's gone…" He sighed, "We have to- CHARLIE!" suddenly out of nowhere Charlie fell onto the ground, Balto and Mr. La Fleur had caught him in time.
Mr. La Fleur checked his pulse, "Still alive…", he breathed a sigh of relief, the gesture made Balto look up at him.
"Sir?"
Mr. La Fleur looked at him, "hm?"
"I thought, I thought you disliked Charlie."
Mr. La Fleur grunted in response, "I can have a change of heart can I? I've never seen a male look so devastated as I, her father, am…He must really lover her doesn't he?" he looked at Charlie's unconscious face with the deepest remorse.
Balto only smiled, and nodded.
"More then you'll ever know…sir…"
Balto looked from Mr. La Fleur, back to his suddenly unconscious best friend, "This is becoming a very eventful day…"
"Um…Excuse me…" spoke a petite nurse who poked her head into the room, Balto and Mr. La Fleur's heads rose to see the nurse.
"Are you Balto?" she asked.
"Yes? What is it? " Balto rose to his feet.
"Can I speak to you outside, please." she looked rather uneasy.
Balto was starting to feel uneasy himself, "A-alright, I'm coming."
Balto looked back at Mr. La Fleur and he nodded, "I'll keep him company, go.", Mr. La Fleur beckoned one of the nurses who was checking the Dalmatian, "Excuse me, could you get a pillow for him?"
The nurse nodded, "Right away sir." She walked pass the other nurse waiting for Balto at the threshold.
Balto nervously walked up to the nurse and followed her to the same room where Jenna's parents were sitting. Jenna's mother looked like she had a heart attack, she was gripping her husband as if she would be blown away by some unforeseen wind. Mr. Parker, Jenna's Father, looked dead, as if all the happiness in the world had left him in one fell swoop.
The Nurse walked pass the Parkers and guided Balto to the end of the room, she pointed to her left, her voice was suddenly sympathetic and nervous, "P-Please…sit down Balto." Balto looked at the nurse and then sat into the seat slowly.
"Balto…", the nurse sat on the empty bed across from him.
"What is it miss?" Balto asked politely with a hint of fear in his voice.
The nurse twiddled her thumbs, trying to find the right response.
"Balto?" she finally said, Balto's ears were listening in intently.
"It's about…your guardian…"
Heaven, Annabelle's study (Charlie's Perspective)
I saw a bright light, it wasn't…warm exactly, nor was it welcoming…it felt, like my soul was being absorbed…or beckoned…however you want to call it..
My ears were filled with "whooshing" noises as if someone had just turned on a fan right next to my ears.
"Charlie!"
A voice? Who could that be…it sounds…rather pompous…oh no…
"CHARLIE! WAKE UP!"
My eyes shot open and I found the familiar face of Reggie, Annabelle's Corgi errand boy, staring down at me. I felt his tiny foot paws on my chest, what did he want…why does his face look like he just saw a ghost? Irony.
"Thank goodness, Charlie, Heaven has been attacked!"
I shot up with a start, Reginald bounced off of me and landed onto what seem to be burnt floor.
"What do you mean, "Attacked", no one can attack Heaven." I stared once more into the smaller dog's face.
Reginald looked like he was about to burst, scratch that, he did burst, "LOOK AROUND YOU BARKIN? I DO BELIEVE I KNOW WHEN WE'VE BEEN ATTACKED!"
I cringed at how loud he yelled, but, as I looked around, I saw nothing but the burnt and destroyed remains of a mahogany desk, books and pages were everywhere, nothing in the room even looked noticeable, the hardly noticeable bookshelves where broken as if someone was thrown into them. Large craters were all over the room, and almost in the very center of the room…was…
"Annabelle's…pendant?" I said bluntly, my paw snatched it, and I could see, that it was indeed Annabelle's light pink, heart shaped pendant.
"Reggie…wha-what happened here?"
Reggie slapped me in the face, " I ALREADY TOLD YOU! WE WERE ATTACKED! BY YOUR NO GOOD, DEMON OF A BROTHER!" he poked at my chest hard. I stared at him an intense hatred and suddenly, I pounced him, I pinned him against the floor, growling in his face.
"IF YOU EVER, EVER TOUCH ME LIKE THAT AGAIN, I SWEAR, I WILL PERSONALLY MAKE SURE THOSE WINGS ARE CLIPPED INDEFINATLY! YOU POMPOUS, EGOTISTICAL, WINDBAG!"
"CHARLIE!", hearing my name broke the red I saw in my eyes, I turned to the direction of the voice, who has been apparently trying to push me off of Reginald for some time now.
"CHARLIE! THIS ISN'T HELPING!" I looked down at the small frame of Itchy, my long time best friend.
"Itchy?" I asked, " What are you doing here?" I finally got off of Reggie, who's face looked even more like a ghost. Will the Irony never end?
Itchy was panting as he looked at me, "Charlie…Annabelle…She…She…She's been taken hostage!"
I looked down at Itchy bewildered, "What? By who?"
"I told you already…" Reggie had gotten up, his face returned to their normal color. "Your brother Jacob paid her a visit!"
A more bewildered look appeared on my face, " J-Jacob, but…how-how can that be? "
"Your brother sold his soul when he died, just so he could live for a few more decades. That's why Annabelle doesn't have him in her archives of showing up to the Pearly Gates."
I shook my head, "Wait, Wait, Wait, are we talking about the same person? My brother was about as timid as they come, why would he sell his soul?" I looked at Reggie with disbelief, his face was as hard as stone.
"Charlie…as acting archangel, I implore you, and Itchy…to return to earth, its of the greatest importance!"
I could tell he was avoiding my question, so I answered with a question of my own, "It isn't just Annabelle I have to save do I?"
Reggie was tight lipped, his eyes shifted as he looked away from me. In that instant, it hit me.
"You…want me to save my brother's soul?"
Reggie looked at me and gave me a silent nod, he didn't look me in the face, "Not only that…but there is another…someone who was here just moments ago…"
I looked at the smaller canine, trying to decode his thoughts, who else did I possibly have to s- No…
"Reggie…was…Sasha…here?" I asked, Reggie cringed in response, I was swept over by my epiphany. So that's why Sasha was merely in a coma, her spirit was residing in Annabelle's office before the time of the attack. She knew the dangers for Sasha if she was in the world of the living, but what dangers could be after Sasha? An innocent girl?
I looked at Reggie, he seemed to have read my mind, "You remember Belladonna?"
I nodded, "What about her? She…couldn't possibly be out for revenge?"
"Not Belladonna…"
I gave him a confused look, "If not Belladonna…then… who?"
Reggie looked me in the eyes finally, "Her husband, he has a score to settle with your Charlie…"
Reginald's Flashback
Reginald awoken from his daze at the hands of Jacob, but his eyes met a horrible sight. He sees Annabelle being impaled on the shadow blade, she screamed, he saw Jacob's muzzle at her ear, his lips moved, as if giving her a final farewell. Soon enough, he let her dropped, where she vanished into little specks of light, leaving only her pendant behind, out of the corner of Reginald's eye he sees the faint glow of something emerald in Jacob's pocket.
Reginald tried to raise himself to his feet, but as soon as he blinked, Jacob's features had melted into that of a tall, crimson furred Cat, his eyes a sinister green.
He let out a gasp and spoke in a soft, pained whisper, "N-No…R-Red…", the next thing he sees shocks him. Red holds out his claw, and several bursts of dark electricity shock and scorch every fiber of Sasha, her very soul seemed to feel immense and hellish pain, Red took out a emerald jewel from inside his robe and Sasha's very existence in heaven was somehow sapped as she instantly vanished into the jewel.
Red gave Reginald a sinister look, and with a wave of his claw, he was lifted telekinetically off the ground and was brought to eye level, Reginald was close enough to smell the rancid breath on the Hell cat's tongue.
"Tell Barkin…I have some…unfinished business…" He smiled evilly and suddenly sent Reginald hurtling into the wall across from them, creating a large crater in the wall.
A burst of flame then appeared in Red's paw, and fired it onto Annabelle's desk, sending books and pages cascading all over the office as the entire room caught on fire.
Reginald looked on with deep horror, as Red gave the most cold, evil laugh, that sent his entire body frigid with supernatural cold.
He felt his eyes suddenly grow heavy, and only sees black as he passes out…
The Remains of Annabelle's office, (Charlie's perspective)
I looked at Reggie with pure disbelief and horror, "H-He has her soul?" I stuttered. Suddenly out of nowhere, my anger began to rise like a fire being fed with gasoline.
"Where is he…", My mind had been made up, this "Red" was going to pay…he doesn't know what wrath he had wrought upon himself…
Reggie looked at me, "He is in the docks…Warehouse 13..." I nodded, and without a single word I burst out of the room, dropping Annabelle's Pendant in the process.
I heard Reggie calling me…but I didn't care…All I wanted…was to get Sasha back…
I ran as fast as I could to the ruined pearly gates and dived into the swirling chasm of clouds where the new arrivals always came from, as the celestial winds carried me swiftly down, I glimpsed San Francisco from them, I spotted the docks, where Red resides…
The real question here is…How could Love pierce a heart so black….
To Be Continued…
(This Chapter was dedicated to a loyal fan of mine who never missed a moment to tell me my stories are great, I deeply appreciate his kindness and loyalty, and I wish him the happiest of birthdays!)