Lycan Fallout: Rise Of The Werewolf (36 page)

“Not a diversion…impatience.” Azile said finally taking notice of me as if she just realized I was there, which was funny considering she had sent for me.

“Xavier’s pants getting a little antsy?” I asked. “Big bad wolf wants the world and he wants it now,” I said in my best baby pouty voice.

“I wish this were a laughing matter.”

“As do I.” I replied. “I make fun because I’m scared and pissed all at the same time. We still on high alert?” I asked.

“I have not heard anything from the Landians or my own scouts to indicate that the Lycan are moving further east. No, Xavier will strike here and Ft. Lufkin in three days, believing that both of these will fall as easily as Harbor
’s Town. With each coming moon, he will move further east until he has destroyed everything.”

“Why not the West
? I was never a fan of California.”

“Maybe you should ask him,” she said, smiling.

I realized I had missed that smile. “I’m sure we can have a spot of tea before we try to kill each other. It’s the civilized thing to do. Do you think he’ll do the raised pinkhe I realie?” I asked, mimicking someone of more culture than myself. Didn’t really have to look that hard, even in this severe day and age I found myself in.

She was looking at me with curiosity. I really didn’t like being under that much scrutiny, especially from a woman, the longer one looked at me, the more likely she would be to find something wrong. I knew a way around this. I’m not going to pretend to say I know women; even as long as I’ve been alive, they are still a complete and utter mystery, but that isn’t to say I haven’t discovered some weapons of my own against their beguiling nature. So listen up if you’re a man and you have discovered this journal – if you’re a woman, God help us all.

Okay, the best way to deflect attention off yourself is to get a woman talking. Sounds stupid, right? Watch this…

“Azile, what happened to you after?” I was referring to one of our last battles against the zombies. She had slipped out into the night. I had never known why. She never told anyone. I had chalked her up as another loss in a sea of them. That was of course until Tommy let me in on
his little secret. “I spent close to a week looking for you. Never did so much as find a sign. I was half convinced you had learned how to fly.”

“Wouldn’t that be something,” she said wistfully.

“So you can’t?” I asked. She shook her head. “Because, really, that would be pretty cool. There have been so many flying male superheroes that always take their girlfriends for a spin up in the clouds…I just think for once it would be nice to have it the other way around. You know, like maybe I could strap a saddle to your back and we could go check out the sites.”

“A saddle?” she asked with an arched eyebrow.

“If I’m going to fly, I’d like to do it in style. You know…maybe even have a cup holder or two so I could put my beer in it. You really wouldn’t want to hold me in your arms would you? That seems like it would be a little awkward.”

“I’d probably just drop you…and not because I wasn’t strong enough.”

“Point taken.”

“I had to leave.”

“I saw the change in you after, you could have come to any of us for help,” I told her.

“How many of you were versed in the effects of witchcraft on the spirit?” she asked sadly.

“I read the Cliff Notes.”

She had to grab at her stomach as she involuntarily laughed. When she recomposed herself, she spoke. “I’d always had a proclivity for witchcraft. I guess I hadn’t known what it was when I was a kid. I’d make matches light without striking them on anything.”

“That’s called a lighter,” I told her, she smiled.

“You do remember you asked me, right?”

“Sorry, it’s a bit more difficult to shut off than one might imagine.”

“How about now?”

“I’m good,” I told her.

“I used to do small stuff – the match for one. I had an ability with animals. Nothing miraculous, I didn’t bring tdnld hem back from the dead. But injuries they suffered tended to heal quicker if I touched them. Back when I was a girl, I wasn’t truly sure…maybe I just wanted to be special…to be different, distinct, you know?”

“What teenager doesn’t want to?” I asked, I always thought the song the Beatles sang about ‘Ain’t nothing you can do that hasn’t been done’ (I’m paraphrasing because I haven’t actually heard music in a century and a half – that one still stung) was actually pretty sad. What kind of world would we be living in if there was never going to be anything unique.

She nodded. “Little things, like I said. Sometimes it was just knowing when we were going out to eat, or maybe when the phone was going to ring. When I was old enough and I knew what it meant, I tried to figure out the winning lottery numbers.”

“Any luck?” I asked curiously.

“When you found me in that truck was I wearing a tiara?”

Now it was my turn to laugh. “No…no tiara.”

“There’s some sort of protective realm in regards to personal gain and witchcraft at least on this side of the dividing line.”

“Dividing line?”

“Good, bad, white, black, whatever term makes sense to you.”

“Gotcha.”

“It was taking its toll on me, though. The usage, I mean, like I was dipping into a well with a very finite supply. Everything I did seemed to strip a little more of me away.”

“T
hat sounds terrifying,” I told her honestly.

She did pause for a second to see if I was being sincere. “Leaving all of you was among one of the hardest things I’d ever done. By the time I got up the nerve to do so, I was already beginning to feel like a ghost…no substance whatsoever.”

I wanted to give her comfort, yet I had no words of solace. I’d had no idea she had been going through that. To be fair, I was wrestling my own demons and we were still in the midst of a war, tough to stop and ask people how they’re doing. Besides, we were all suffering in multiple ways – outwards and inwards if that makes any sense.

“I can’t imagine how you thought leaving would be a good idea. You left a lot of people wondering and worried.”

“I’m so sorry I never got to say my good-byes.” She bowed her head.

“Me too.” But I was sorry because I
had
to my say good-byes.

Nearing the end of the zombie invasion

It was raining the night Azile walked away from the Talbot clan and the safety they afforded.

“What are you doing?” BT asked. He had drawn the short straw that night and pulled the first shift for guard duty. Winter was dnldhe Talcoming, he could see his breath as he spoke and the rain had a hardness to it that alluded to a near freezing condition.

“My shift is next so I thought I’d start early,” Azile replied.

BT looked at her. “Do I look like I just figured out how to put big boy pants on? It’s freezing out here. And I swear Talbot cheated when we pulled cards out of the deck.”

“If I remember correctly, he pulled a five. You were the one who pulled the two.” She realized she had just given herself away.

“That’s right…you had a jack. What are you doing out here, Azile?”

“Would you believe me if I told you I traded?”

“No,” he told her flatly.

“Then you’re going to hate this more.”

“What?”

Azile muttered a few words. BT saw a small flash, and for long moments, he found himself unable to move. Azile had walked past him and down the ladder. She took one long look back at the house before she ran off into the night.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Mike asked, coming outside a few moments later to a stock still BT.

It seemed to be the spoken word that broke the spell.

“Shit,” BT said. “Azile.”

“What about her?” Mike asked.

“Put a spell on me and left.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Mike asked.

“Yeah, Mike, I let ice crystals grow on my eyebrows and eyelids as some funtastical joke for when you came out.”

“Well I appreciate the effort, but it’s not really that funny,” Mike told him.

“The girl split, Mike.”

“Why? Makes no sense. We’re relatively safe here and we’ve seen less and less zombies.”

“No clue. Should we go after her?” BT asked.

“How big a head start does she have on us?” Mike asked.

“Not entirely sure, but I think I lost about fifteen minutes.”

“What would have happened if I hadn’t come out?” Mike asked.

BT shrugged his shoulders. “It was like I was sleeping.”

“I could have had the world’s largest Fudgsicle if you froze,” Mike said with a distant look.

“Politically correct to the end, aren’t you?”

“Well, I doubt you’d taste as good as that sounds. It’s really just an ‘in theory’ thing,” Mike added with air-quotes.

“I’ll shove them fucking air quotes...”

“Hey, man, try to remember I just saved your ass. How about a little show of appreciation? I think that puts me up by two.”

“Are you kidding me? You don’t get a point just for coming on duty.”

“Mull it over,” Mike told him. “I’m getting a flashlight.” Henry walked outside as soon as Mike opened the patio door. “I wish you were a bloodhound.” Mike grabbed the dog’s massive head, gently shaking it from side to side as he pet him.

BT, with no small amount of effort and pain, got down to be on level with the dog. “Good to see you, Henry.” Henry’s stub of a tail wagged as he gave the big man a slobbering kiss. “Want me to come with you?” BT asked, grabbing the handrail to pull himself back up.

Mike looked him over. “Naw, man, I can tell the cold is getting to your leg, get whoever has the shift after mine up. I think it’s Mad Jack. Tell him what’s going on and make sure the crazy bastard doesn’t shoot us when we come back. In fact, give him his Airsoft gun I’d feel much better for it.”

“Why’d she leave, Mike?” BT asked before he walked back into the house.

“I don’t know, man, but I hope to be able to ask her.” Mike secured his gloves. “See you in a bit.”

“Don’t get into any messes without me. Good luck.” BT said. And with those words, Mike left, getting swallowed up in the darkness.

Mike kept the flashlight off. Azile had left on her own accord, which meant she didn’t want to be found, and if he had the light on she would move away from it.

“What are you doing, Azile?” Mike had asked so softly and intimately, she thought he had been talking to her.

It was almost over before it had begun. She had been a heartbeat away from responding, thinking he had spotted her. When he moved to her left, she realized he had been talking to himself. She waited until he was far enough away before she moved. This time she would remember just how fast he was. She had barely been able to duck and cover before he was upon her.

“This is for the best,” she told his retreating back softly.