I was now the last gargoyle left. There were still several in the sacs above, but they would surely be put under the custody of the authorities. I could only hope that they could somehow find a way to reverse the perverse transformation that they underwent. And as for myself, I was left to a very uncertain future. I was a gargoyle among men. They had no idea that I meant them no harm, and now they would forever fear me. I also wondered if I would ever see Sally again. Would we ever find a way to be together? Even she was unsure. As I flew away, my powerful ears heard her murmur something.
“Jack, where are you?” she asked.
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BONUS
Cursed City, Cursed Bloodline
Book 2: Zombies
Chapter 1: Ben
I had heard reports from all over about the city. The city that was invaded by gargoyles. Reports were sketchy at best, a hodgepodge of stories from the mainstream media and from other sources but they all pointed to the same story. They all said that the city had somehow been infested with gargoyles, at least temporarily. It seems that something happened that drove all the gargoyles away. It seems that something went down in the old cathedral that drove them all away, more or less. With everything that was happening, and with all the shit being uploaded online, you could never really be too sure. Still, it was all worth checking out. I didn't really have much to lose, so why not?
Times had been a little rough for me, and a good break to investigate some haunted town was just the kind of break that a shmuck writer like me needed, right? I mean, the assignments weren't coming in, as I had expected them to, and I was already a little late on my monthly child support for Bethany. My ex Maude Tillman, was already getting on my case about how 'writing was not a real job,' and how 'my job barely covered the expenses for Bethany,' and how I should make more money, blah, blah, blah. Pardon me, but I had heard it all. So when the mysterious source suddenly popped out of nowhere onto my laptop screen, I wasn't all that surprised, I even welcomed him.
I don't know how that chat box suddenly popped out of the screen but it did. I was just staring at a blank screen, late at night. I was trying to write my next story for a client but I was drawing blanks in my mind. Any writer will tell you just how merciless that blank, screen can be. Beside my laptop was a glass of water, a half-consumed glass of iced tea, and a picture of me and Beth when we watched Galaxy Wars, Part 7. Terrible series that made so much money, but I digress.
The chat box appeared from out of nowhere, and popped onto the screen.
“Hello, Benjamin Walker.”
I was immediately spooked out. How did a chat box appear from out of nowhere? I wasn't even online, and how did whoever this was, know my name? My initial reaction was a little unease, and I ignored it.
It continued to type messages.
“Do not be afraid. I know who you are.”
“I know that you are a struggling writer. I need your help. Your whole world needs your help.”
I raised my eyebrow. I hadn't taken any alcohol. So why was I hallucinating?
“I tried to contact another writer before you, but he ignored my message, much to my regret. I do believe that he is still alive, but he has been changed since, so I need someone else to help me. This is a very important request, one that you must not ignore.”
I read the message silently again. I didn't know what to make of it. My better judgment told me to ignore the message, let it go. But then, I looked at the pile of papers stacked on my drawer beside the desk. They were mostly overdue bills. I looked at my picture with Bethany. I still looked a little younger despite my 35 years of age, but my belly was beginning to show. It's not a good sign if you've lived on this earth for 35 years and the only thing you can show for it is a slightly protruding belly. Believe me, it's something I would not wish for anyone, even my worst enemy.
“Go on.” I typed.
“You must journey to the city that was invaded by gargoyles recently. Your media has made light of these reports, but believe me, they are all true, and the fate of your world hangs in the balance.” I had already read up on the reports and seen the uploaded videos on I-Tubes. I wondered about their authenticity but they did seem impressive. Still, in this day and age, anything looked impressive especially with photo-realism programs all over the place. However, they were very intriguing and anyone's curiosity would be immediately sparked by such stuff.
“Crazy stuff was supposed to have gone down there. If you know so much about me, you'll know that I'm nothing but a shmuck writer. What am I supposed to do in a place like that?” I asked.
His reply was almost instantaneous.
“You need to chronicle all the events that will follow. And if possible, you may be able to help stem the tide of darkness that will inevitably come.”
It was a crazy suggestion, coming from a crazy and unknown source. Whoever the first writer was that he contacted, was probably smart to ignore the message. I looked at the bills and the picture of Beth and myself. Beth was everything to me. I longed to give her a better future, if I could. She was only 8 years old, and I wished that my relationship with Maude had not ended. Not for Maude, but for Beth. Still what happens, happens and it was done. All that was left was what I had, whatever this was.
“Okay. I'm in.” I typed.
Chapter 2: Sally
I drove right into the once-haunted city. The memories of the source, and my own messed-up life were still very fresh in my head, as I entered the city. As I drove around the city streets, I wondered if I was driving into a city with a very overblown sense of dread and mystery, or if I was just running away from a life that had spun completely out of my control. Either way, I welcomed what was to come.
It looked like any average bustling city. Maybe it was just a little smaller, a tad-less developed, but not even that much. It was by no means, a backwater town. There were some fairly high rise buildings in the area. Some late-night establishments of all kinds, great for writers like me. The streets were also filled with people walking around, doing whatever they did at night. They all had lives, some in better order than mine, others just as messed up. That was none of my concern, gathering evidence about the alleged gargoyle invasion was.
I decided to stop over at an all-night coffee shop. This was probably the best place to gather my thoughts and think things through. I parked my car, and entered. A barista at the counter took my order. She had glasses, and had long brunette hair tied in a ponytail. I looked at her nameplate. Her name was Sally.
“Hi. What's your order?” she asked.
“A cafe latte please.” I said.
Sally politely nodded, took my money, and asked me to wait for my coffee. I sat on the table and opened my laptop. There were no new messages from my mysterious source. Maybe this was all some kind of wild goose chase. So what? A guy like me needed wild goose chases to spice up my life.
“Here's your cafe latte, sir.”
I looked up and Sally handed me the coffee. It was hot and in a small cup. Small serving. Oh well.
As she set the cup of coffee down on the table, I noticed the man seated in front of me. He seemed to be slumped on his chair and totally out of it. He wasn't moving at all and his arm was spread across the table. I glanced at him and Sally met my gaze. She smiled at me, and moved towards the man. I didn't say anything and glanced at my cell-phone. There was a text message.
I looked at the screen and noticed it was from Emma. The message was a single line.
“Where are you?”
That was Emma for you. Terse and bland, all the way. I had already tossed ideas about my relationship with her in my head for a long time. I often wondered, just as my close friends did, why I still stayed with her in our relationship. Emma was everything I was not. She was conservative, closed-minded, religious, and had no idea how to handle a relationship. At 30, she often acted like a 12-year old choir girl. This was due to her strict Catholi
c upbringing and sheltered life. It was really no surprise that I hardly got along with Emma's parents who thought that I was the devil incarnate. I often wondered how we actually managed to stay together for 2 years after Maude and I broke up. Life could really be crazy, I guess.
I was about to reply but I decided not to. What was the point anyway? I noticed Sally moving towards the man, and touching his shoulder. She was trying to stir him. It wasn't even that late for a guy to doze off. Maybe he worked the night shift somewhere.
“Excuse me, sir. Are you all right?”
I could hear Sally speaking to the guy. She was calm and knew what to say, even in a slightly awkward situation.
But little did any of us suspect that she would need those skills and then some before the night was over.
The man did not stir with Sally's request.
“Sir? Are you all right sir?”
I glanced at Sally. She noticed me, and she smiled politely. I nodded her way. Then in front of my horrified eyes, it happened.
The man suddenly stood up with renewed energy. He almost leapt out of his chair. He grabbed Sally by the waist and I saw his face. To my horror, his face was pale and ashen, with flakes of skin barely hanging on to it. There were bloody patches all over his cheeks, and his eyes were sunken. He looked more like a corpse than a man. Gurgling sounds came out of his mouth that sounded like anything but a human voice. He opened his mouth. Drool and saliva came out and he was about to bite Sally in the neck.
Before he could do anything, a shot rang out. The security guard fired at the man's head and it burst like a melon. The man's headless corpse collapsed onto the chair, overturning it, and his table.
I ran towards Sally who was visibly shaken. As I approached her, I noticed the man had an awful smell. He literally smelled like a rotting corpse.
“Are you all right?” I asked.
Sally nodded, still too shaken to speak.
Everyone was shocked or screaming after what happened. But before pandemonium could erupt in the cafe, hell came for us. I looked at the security guard. One moment, he was pointing the gun at the man and firing it. The next moment, something came smashing through the glass door. It was another human, a female. But she was as pale and as ashen-faced as the man who was shot. Flaps of skin clung to her bony arms, and I thought I actually saw worms coming out of her eye sockets. But she did not falter, as the other man did. She went straight for the guard's neck and bit off a sizable chunk of bloody flesh. The guard screamed in terror, as she bit off half his neck and spat it out.
For a moment, Sally and I were frozen with shock and terror at the sight. The other patrons were already screaming and panicking at the horrifying tableau that had played out before them. The guard collapsed, shaking and writhing with pain and agony, as his life slowly drained from him. The corpse of a woman approached me and Sally, as the other patrons began to scream and shout and run from the cafe. It had already begun.
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