Halloween Horror (Pt. 6): A Light Glows And A Darkness Sets In

--- Jon ---

He shook his head as he made his way towards the exit, the guards backing away from him as he passed. (Alright, now that the kids are safe I need to get back to the security room and grab my bag. I can do a lot with a knife but this would all be a lot easier with my axe and medical stuff.)

He idly ran his fingers over where the werewolf chimera had bitten him. (If not for Ma’s jacket I’d be in a lot worse shape right now than the few bruises that’ll have left on my arm. I can’t remember how bad their venom is supposed to be, but I know it won’t be fun even with Pix’s healing.)

(Thinking of.) He checked his amulet before grimacing. (Not much magic left in this thing, maybe enough to summon Pix or Wolf for a few minutes but summoning them now might just waste what little I’ve got.)

Deciding to save his magic for an emergency he instead focused on making his way to the security room, hoping that everything in his pack would be enough to get him through the night.

He felt something crawling in the back of his head and spun around to face an empty hall. “Okay… that can’t be good…”

The beast growled its agreement from within the shadows of his mind.

“Need… need to stay on task.” He told himself, continuing through the halls that seemed just a little too long, a little too small, a little too dark, and just wrong enough that you’d think it a trick of your mind.

Knowing what was happening, he stopped and leaned with his hand against the wall, before closing his eyes and inhaling slowly, (One… Two… Three… Four…) Holding it for just a moment, (One… Two… Three… Four…) And finally releasing it just as slowly as he’d captured it, (One… Two… Three… Four…)

When he opened his eyes, the world around him seemed to have straightened itself out, resuming its proper proportions and lighting, if for just a moment. A moment he knew wouldn’t last forever as he felt the Madness still lingering in the air.

Still with his mind cleared, he was able to note the scratches and blood on the wall as well as the occasional body of an officer or a Creep laying in the halls. Bodies he ignored, both wary and hopeful of finding the later and the former still living and breathing somewhere in these halls.

Hopes and fears that proved worthless as he finally came across the entrance to the security room, stepping inside he found the room empty and dark save for the emergency lighting and its reflection on the darkened security screens.

(Was hoping those would be on the emergency grid…) He frowned, before making his way to the corner where his pack lay discarded.

Opening it he reached inside to pull out his axe before pausing as he caught sight of something inside of the pocket that didn’t have a spacial enchantment on it.

“Should’ve known you’d’ve snuck your way in.” He chuckled with a soft grin as he poked the slipping fairy that laid within. “Also should’ve known you would’ve slept through this mess.”

After a moment Pix yawned before looking up at him with a sleepy gaze.

“Come on, things have gone sideways and we need to get moving.” He told his little light.

Pix rubbed at her eyes before leaping out of his pack and into the air, where she glanced around with an increasingly concerned gaze at the foreboding room.

“Yeah, like I said, things have gone a little sideways.” He agreed with her unspoken comment. “But now that I’ve got you by my side we can start straightening this mess out can’t we?”

Pix gave him a determined nod and several chirps of agreement before doing a loop through the air and landing on his shoulder like she had so many times before.

“Right.” He nodded, slinging his pack over his shoulder before pulling out his axe. “Let’s get to work then.”

Stepping out into the halls of the police station he started making his way towards the roof, feeling that if the station was under siege then his best bet was to get to higher ground so he could pick off any external Creeps with his bow. Whatsmore given how roof invasions weren’t all that common, he had a hunch that the lack of security on the roof was how some of the chimeras got inside of the station in the first place.

A hunch that was growing increasingly weighty as he found more Creep corpses the closer to the roof he got, with enough of them filling the stairwell that it half-way looked like the aftermath of one of his fights with the Corrupted back in Blackwell. (Guess I know where Ma got to.)

Idly he stroked Pix’s antenna as he passed all of the carnage, knowing that his Ma had to be alright.

Nearing the end of the stairs he discovered the door to the rooftop had been torn off by something with claws before being thrown down the stairs. (Probably one of the werewolf chimeras…) There were more than enough of them dead in the stairwell.

“Jon!”

His eyes snapped to the top of the stairs where he found Garcia looking down with a flashlight and a couple of others laying in what appeared to be a makeshift medical area next to the doorless exit to the roof. (Guess this is as safe as they can get the injured without risking the stairs.)

“Garcia, my Ma out there?” He asked, not seeing her as Pix quickly climbed into his jacket.

“Uh…” Garcia froze as he stepped closer to her light and she got a decent look at him.

(And I just remembered I’m covered in blood…)

“It’s uh, it’s been a night…” He chuckled warily as he ran a hand through his hair. “But uh, my Ma?”

“R-right.” Garcia blinked, before shaking her head. “She’s um, she’s out there… It, uh, it looks like most of the Creeps have backed off for now. So, uh, yeah…”

“Then, um, I’m just going to…” Awkwardly, he walked around the half a dozen officers on the small platform. All of the conscious ones easily noticed just how much blood he was covered in, and in turn gave him looks that he couldn’t tell whether they were good or bad.

(Right, and this is why I avoided everyone but the serial killer after my messier hunts…) He didn’t want to give the kids nightmares, and he hated the way Miss Edna and Ying looked at him afterwards. (Just ignore it for now…)

Moving past the various officers he stepped onto the roof where he found over a dozen Creep Corpses, a couple of downed officers, and his Ma sitting on one of the dead Creeps covered in her own fair share of blood with her head in her hands.

“M-Ma!” He called out as he made his way closer, his axe slipping from his fingers.

“J-Jon!” His Ma answered in surprise before pulling him into a hug as she stood. “I’m so glad you’re okay kiddo. I tried finding you when the power went out but then the Creeps started coming and I got… sidetracked…” His Ma had pulled back enough to finally get a look at him in the moonlight, and noticed how much blood he was covered in.

“I um, I got… sidetracked too…” He admitted a little unsurely, having hoped to keep this part of him away from his Ma. “There were these, these kids and these Creeps and I… I couldn’t just leave them… and…”

His Ma closed her eyes and swallowed before nodding.

Once more he found himself wrapped in a hug, this one significantly stronger than the last. “I’m so sorry you had to do that kiddo…”

“D-don’t be.” He told her, returning the hug just as strongly. “The-the kids needed me and… and I saved them… they’re safe now and… I got them back to their families.” (And I’m back with mine.)

His Ma pulled back and gave him a tired smile. “I’m proud of you kid.” Her eyes drifted to the side and her smile faltered at the sight of a dead cop he’d been ignoring. “The, uh, the Creeps seem to be gone for now… Let’s, uh, let’s get you back inside.”

“R-right.” He nodded as his Ma turned him around her hand still on his shoulder as she gently pushed him forward. “There’s, um, I’ve got some stuff in my pack… From Miss Edna it should be able to help with the, uh, injured.”

“Good thinking kiddo.” His Ma told him with a pat on his shoulder and a smile to her voice. “Always helping others, you really do make me prou-”

His Ma’s fingers slipped from his shoulder.

He was turned just in time to see his Ma hit the ground with a werewolf chimera on top of her.

Not even thinking he ran forward flexing his wrist at the sound of his Ma biting back a scream and summoning his axe back into hand.

Gripping the weapon with both hands he stepped into his swing and drove the axe into the Creep’s neck, its blade shining bright with a flash of light that burned the flesh of the Creep as it dug ever deeper and cracked something that felt like bone.

The Creep’s body spasmed before going limp and he shoved it off of his Ma, the blade forgotten as it remained steadfast in the corpse.

“Shit, the fucker bit me!” He Ma hissed curling her bleeding arm close to her chest.

His heart stopped.

“Fuck! Jon help me get to the- Jon?” His Ma frowned at him with no small amount of concern.

“No, no, no… Pix!” He called, causing the little fairy to cautiously stick her head out of the jacket. The jacket his Ma should’ve been wearing, not him.

“Jon?” His Ma blinked, upon spotting the fairy.

“The Creep, the werewolf ones, they have venom in their bites!” He tried to explain, Pix immediately understanding as she spotted the bite and leapt out. “We need to do something now or else… It’ll, it’ll be bad!”

He knew the venom was bad being a fast acting paralytic, that was lethal without proper and immediate care, but (hopefully between Pix’s magic and my salves we can do something.)

“Oh, that explains… Shit…” His Ma followed Pix with her eyes, before looking at her hands as Pix’s magic began mending the various little cuts on them. “That’s, uh, huh…” His Ma ran a hand over her side, a glossiness starting to fill her eyes that he really did not like. “My ribs aren’t cracked anymore.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He nodded, shifting through his pack. “Uh, Pix’s magic will make you good as new.” He promised, pulling out his salve from his pack as he noticed the bite on her arm not closing!

With hands far shakier than he was used to he unscrewed the cap on the salve jar and pulled his Ma’s arm towards him as he began applying it directly, hoping that it would do (anything) to help his Ma.

“Ma, how’re you feeling?” He asked as he pulled out a roll of bandages and began wrapping them around her arm.

“Um, better… No.” His Ma frowned. “The pains from before are gone, but I’m… I’m feeling feverish? And my head… I’m feeling buzzed but… not in a good way…”

He bit his lip. (That doesn’t sound good…)

Apparently reading his thoughts, his Ma grabbed him by the shoulder. “Jon. Whatever happens I need you to know-”

“No, no. You’re going to be okay!” He told her. “L-look your wounds, your wounds are closed… the, the bite is just closing slower because, because Pix is having to fight the venom. You, you’ll be-”

“Jon.” His Ma told him with a little more force, cutting him off before her features softened. “I love you kiddo, and I am so so proud of you. Whatever happens you remember that, okay?”

He bit his lip and shook his head, the tears finally breaking through. “No, mama, I… You’re going to be okay.” He lied. “You have to be…”

“Jon. I lub you.” His Ma frowned. “I lub yoo.” She repeated, seeming to struggle as she raised her hand and flexed it slowly. Too slowly.

“Lub yoo…” She told him once more as her body began to seize.

“No, no, no, no. Pix!” He cried, as she slowly came to a stop no longer working her magic.

The little fairy looked down at his Ma before shaking her head.

“No, no, no!” He sobbed before screaming towards the medics. “Someone get over here!”

Garcia ran out gun at the ready before spotting him and his Ma and cursing as she stuck her head back inside.

A moment later one of the makeshift medics came out and began looking his Ma over while asking him what had happened and what he’d done.

“One of the Creeps bit her… I-I used this magic thing I got and, and she… it fixed everything but her bite and then she started seizing and… and…” (I wasn’t good enough…)

“Shit, that means there might be more nearby.” The medic told them looking around. “Garcia, we need to move her inside with the others. To try and stabilize her until this nightmare is over.”

“Right.” Garcia nodded, moving behind his Ma to pick her up while the medic grabbed her legs and they maneuvered around the sea of the dead.

It was too much but he had to stay in control as he watched the medic take away his Ma to try and help her, knowing that the man’s efforts were likely far too little if Pix’s magic couldn’t do anything to help her… (Pix’s magic…)

Forcing himself onto his feet he pulled out his cell phone as he stumbled around the corner to where he wouldn’t have to see his Ma so still be seen. Once alone he leaned back against the wall, and found the number he was looking for before pressing call as he started tapping his foot on the ground. “Come on, come on…” (Don’t leave me alone…)

The phone went to voicemail and he immediately hung up before calling again as he slowly slid down the wall. “Come on… I know you don’t sleep before midnight!”

“Hello?” A comforting voice asked curiously.

“Miss Edna.” He greeted, relieved that he finally got ahold of her.

“Jon? What’s up? It’s not like you to call me this late.” His second parent answered, concern evident in her voice, assuring him he wasn’t by himself.

“There’s, there’s been an, an incident.” He told her trying to get his thoughts in order. “It’s, it’s my Ma… she’s, she’s bitten by this… this Creep and it, it has venom and Pix’s magic isn’t enough to fix this and… and I just… I need help…”

“Okay… Okay, Jon I’m here, but I need you to explain what happened to me.” Miss Edna told him. “You said a Creep bit her, like, the monsters from Bleeds or something else?”

“I… I don’t know, I think they came from a Bleed but I haven’t seen them come out of any so I don’t know for sure…” He admitted, his face scrunching up. “Um, I remember a… a Sanctuary thing saying something about how they’re coming here because of, of a seal of some kind and they’re, they’re trying to tear it open because of a, a demon or something?”

Why couldn’t he remember? He should be able to remember this. His Ma taught him how to remember!

“Wait… Fuck, you moved to that city didn’t you? I should’ve warned you about, fuck.” He heard Miss Edna take a deep breath on the other end of the line. “Alright, Jon. I’m on my way, but it’ll probably be a few hours before I get there.”

He… He’d been expecting that. But he’d been hoping she could just magic her way over.

“Now I need you to tell me, is the Creep that bit her still alive?”

His eyes drifted to the chimera with his axe still in its half-severed neck. “No.”

“Okay, okay, that helps.” Miss Edna assured him. “These Creeps they’re magic -at least in part- so killing them means the magic in their venom will weaken, but it’s, it’s at least partially connected to the pack which is why even if she isn’t getting worse she isn’t getting better either.”

“W-what?” He blinked in a daze, knowing that there was something important there but not able to wrap his mind around it for some reason he couldn’t explain. (Stupid! I should be able to get this!)

“It’s… Certain pack animals can share their magic through a sort of… magical connection to each other.” Miss Edna tried to explain, as Pix gave him a concerned look

“Like with… With Contracting?” He figured, finally getting something to click at the sight of his first Contract.

“Yes! Exactly… sort of.” Miss Edna groaned, as he frustrated her with his (stupid, stupid, stupid!). “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that the power of the venom is connected to the number of Creeps in their coven, network, er, you get the idea.”

“The more Creeps there are the more dangerous the venom…” He pieced together.

“Right.” Miss Edna confirmed. “Now usually this means the easiest solution is to stabilize whoever has been infected, and keep them stable until the Creeps go back to wherever they came from. At which point the magic will loosen enough to heal properly even without an Arcane pushing things along.”

“That’s… that’s not…” He bit his lip, because while it wasn’t good enough, it did mean there was a hope and he couldn’t fault Miss Edna for trying to help him or assuring him that his Ma would be okay. (Eventually… Don’t be ungrateful!)

“I know, kid…” Miss Edna sighed, sounding tired of him. “But what I’m trying to tell you is… I normally wouldn’t suggest this but… You, you’ve dealt with the corrupted… and… the Creeps… they’re…”

“They’re like the Corrupted.” He finished for her, finally getting what she was trying to say.

“Yeah…” Miss Edna told him, sounding pained that it took him this long to get it.

“If I… If I get rid of the Creeps… Ma… Ma will get better… be safe…” He smiled, climbing to his feet.

“Mm-hmm…” Miss Edna agreed, still pained by how slow he was being. “Jon, just… just remember to… to stay safe if, if you’re going to do this.”

“I will Miss Edna.” He assured her with a smile now that he knew what to do.

“I… I’ll be there as soon as I can, Jon…” Miss Edna promised.

“Okay.” He nodded as he stroked his little light between her antenna. “But don’t worry, by the time you get here Ma will be all better.”

“Just… just make sure you’re with her when she gets up.” Miss Edna told him.

“Of course.” He agreed easily as he made his way forward. “I just need to deal with the Creeps first and she’ll be all better!”

Miss Edna was quiet for a moment before saying, “You’re a good boy Jon… Whatever the world throws at you… Don’t… Don’t let it take that from you…”

“I won’t.” He promised, as he ripped his axe from the Creep’s corpse. “But I’ve got to get moving if I want to help my Ma.”

“I know… I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Miss Edna told him once more as she hung up.

His smile twitched ever so briefly…

Tucking his phone in his pocket with a smile on his face, he took a deep breath as he gazed up at the full moon shining down on him, while faintly recalling that this particular full moon was known as the ‘Hunter’s Moon’ due to being in October.

His entire face twitched and spasmed…

(Fitting.) He thought with some amusement as he continued to stare at it.

His hand struck his head repeatedly…

He nodded to himself.

A scream ripping from his snarling maw…

And he gave into his insanity completely and utterly.