***
"Listen, if we see anything in there we're leaving right away," Yaella told him.
"Sure, just don't scream when you see a spider or something," Zandra teased.
They climbed up the face of the mountain. This was easy for them because they had been climbing the mountain since they were children. They reached the entrance of the cave and stood there looking into it, both of them apprehensively. It was dark. Yaella could feel that she shouldn't let Zandra go into the cave, but she couldn't stop him. As they stood there a gush of frosty wind rushed out of the cave almost knocking them back towards the edge of the plato.
"Okay, was that not weird?" Yaella asked out loud. "Listen to me Zandra, I am not scared, but I really think that this is a bad idea and I have a bad feeling around this place.”
"Yaella, come on we’re already here and don't tell me you believe that old story about some demon's spirit being trapped here?" He asked her. "It's nothing but a story so come on," he told her as he placed his hand on the mouth of the cave and went in.
"Zandra! Wait for me," she called after him as she ran into the cave. Yaella felt a cold chill travel down her spine upon her contact with the dark. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she knew that something was wrong, really, really wrong. Her grandmother had taught her all the signs that had been passed down her family line, all the omens and she had known to never ignore them.
"Zandra! Zandra! Where are you?" she yelled. She fished though her pocket for her phone and turned on the flash light. “Zandra, where are you?"
"Boo."
"Yaaaaahhh!"
"Ha! Ha! Yaella, you should have seen your face." Zandra’s face held a mocking grin.
"That wasn't funny Zandra. I'm leaving."
"Yaella. Yaella. Wait, I'm sorry. I just wanted to show you that there was nothing scary about this cave. It's just that: a cave."
"Listen Zandra, I am leaving. We've disrespected our ancestors and the elders enough."
"Fine, but I want to take something back with us."
"No, Zandra, leave what is here, here. This placed has been enchanted to keep the souls here at bay. Removing anything might upset that."
"God, Yaella, stop with all the superstitious talk already," he told her. "Look, I am going to take this," he said as he bent down and picked up a smooth rock. "This is kind of cool. It almost looks like a dagger. Look, Yaella."
But Yaella could glare in shock. An ominous shadow had sprung behind Zandra, appeared right out of the nothingness about them. Its eyes were blood red and Yaella could sense the evil emanating from it.
"What's wrong, Yaella?"
"Zandra, I told you we shouldn’t have come here… It's the demon's spirit. It's behind you."
"Sure it is, Yaella, I'll turn around and you'll try to scare me as payback for earlier. Won’t work."
But turning around, Zandra found himself face to face with the demon's shadow.
"Yaella, wh--what is that?" he stammered.
"Zandra, come, we have to leave. Run, Zandra."
Zandra turned around to find flaming eyes staring back at him. In shock, he dropped No-La's dagger. He couldn't run, neither could he make a sound.
"Feed me your souls," the demon's spirit whispered. It wrapped its darkness around Zandra and soon disappeared, like candlelight blown out, leaving Zandra on the floor in a ball.
"Zandra, Zandra, are you okay? Wake up we have to leave. Please, Zandra," Yaella begged, tugging at his stained shirt, her heart racing beyond her control.
"Zandra is not here, descendant of No-La." A grim voice answered with a darker resonance. Zandra looked up. The entity that had resided within him looked at the bewildered, terrified girl with a malicious expression.
"Wh--who are you?" Yaella stammered.
"I am Malizfist, the devourer of souls," as it said its name the cave trembled. "My physical body was destroyed by your ancestor No-La, but now I have a new body and No-La is no more. I will destroy the village and feast on those puny souls he tried to protect."
"No, I won't let that happened," Yaella yelled at the demon. Somehow, the confidence, the fire that was the legacy of her kin sparked within her. Maybe it was due to seeing her friend become a vessel for a thing her people had been trained to despise and destroy or maybe it was a will native in her from birth but hidden until such a time that it was needed to burst forth. A thrill of heat coursed the whole of her.
"What can you do, girl? You cannot harm this body, and with this body I will leave this cave."
"I will stop you," she said and grabbed the dagger near her feet. "I know what this is and if you don't leave Zandra, I will stop you."
"Ha! Ha! Hah! Stupid girl, do you know how your ancestor No-La stopped me? He plugged that stone dagger into my heart. Can you do the same to your friend here?"
Yaella knew she couldn't harm Zandra, even though all of this was his fault. She thought of what she could do and remembered the necklace.
"Listen, demon, get out of Zandra."
"What will you do? Kill your friend. Think. Decide. I have this vessel and with it, you all will be witness to my rise once more."
"No, Zandra. If you can hear me, fight him. Fight him with the rest that is still in you and is still you."
"Your cries are pitiful and useless."
"Fight, Zandra, please."
Yaella's cries got through to Zandra. He looked at her with pleading eyes knowing that at any moment he could disappear.
"Oh, hold on Zandra, do you hear me?"
"Yaella run, please. It’s not only a body he needs. He wants to eat your soul and once he does, he can leave the cave," Zandra told her. "I should have listened to you. Take the dagger. Do what you have to."
"NO, Zandra, I have another plan. Hold him down."
"I… I can't. Argh!"
"Zandra! Zandra!"
But her cry came to nothing. The entity manifested itself once more.
"Sorry, no Zandra here anymore! I have wasted time. I have failed to see how badly age has stripped me of most of my powers. How hungry I am, how very hungry. It's time for you to die, descendant of No-La."
Malizfist moved towards Yaella who still had the dagger in her hand. She didn't want to use it, but if it came down to it she knew she had to find the strength to sacrifice her friend.
"Dammit," She thought "I have to find a way to get this necklace around Zandra, Malizfist neck."
The necklace that her grandmother gave her had been handed down through her generation of demon hunters and was said to be able to expel the strongest of the demons from anyone. It had belonged to No-La.
"Zandra, Zandra, hear me please. I know of a way to save you. You just have to fight him and take control."
"He can no longer. No longer," Malizfist could feel Zandra's consciousness and soul fighting for control of his body. "You will not succeed child, stop fighting me."
"Never, Yaella, whatever you’re planning do it now," Zandra yelled at her.
Yaella raced towards Zandra and placed No-La’s necklace around his neck.
"Yaella, get away," Zandra told her but he was a split second too late.
Malizfist had regained control of Zandra's body again. He struck Yaella in the stomach and sent her flying.
"That was good, what was it now, Yaella, but you have no hope."
"You're wrong," Yaella replied as she started chanting.
"What are you doing? Praying? It will not help you." Malizfist started to say, but felt himself being pulled part. "Stop! What have you done?"
Yaella did not answer. She instead kept chanting. The necklace she placed around Zandra's neck started to glow and black smoke seemed to be escaping from Zandra's body, through his nose and mouth.
"Stop it, stop it now." Malizfist yelled. “I will destroy you and consume your friend, and I will eradicate the village."
"Zandra, Zandra, help me push him from your body," she yelled.
"I will keep your souls here, one way or an
other," He told her. A demonic cry ripped through the cold atmosphere.
Malizfist had been expelled from Zandra's body and the demon’s shadowy form hung over them. Yaella ran to Zandra and helped him up.
"You will not escape me, descendent of No-La. I must have my revenge!" Malizfist yelled. The cave started to shake and the roof started to fall in.
"Zandra, come on, let’s go. The necklace will keep him trapped but I don't know for how long."
"Okay let’s go, but Yaella grab the dagger."
They both raced towards the entrance of the cave, but the magic in Yaella's necklace was not enough to keep Malizfist trapped.
"I will destroy you, Yaella," he cried.
"Look, the opening is just up ahead, just a little more," Yaella told Zandra.
They made it to the mouth of the cave but something caught Yaella's foot.
"You will not escape me!" The cave shook vigorously.
"I think I will, demon," Yaella said as she threw the knife into the shadow.
A fresh raspy bellow boomed. "I will not go back to the darkness, alone," the demon yelled.
A hole opened up inside the cave. A portal of wind and black smoke appeared, distinct in the dark, as a swallowing maw, pulling everything it faced into. It started pulling Malizfist back down into the depths. Yaella held on with all of her.
"Zandra help me."
"Hold on, Yaella," he cried as he braced himself against the mouth of the cave and held onto Yaella.
The hole that had opened up pulled harder at Malizfist. "No, No, Noooo." Zandra gave it one more pull and freed Yaella from Malizfist's.
"We have to get out of here now," She told him.
They climbed down the face of Black mountain and watched as the mouth of the cave crumbled in on itself.
"Yaella, thank you for saving me." Zandra said as they both navigated the hilly slope of the mountain they aimed at leaving behind for the rest of their lives. The noon looked new and fresh. Everything they turned to look at, they looked at with interest and suspicion.
“Same to you, I thought he had me for sure. Maybe next time you will listen to me and my grandmother's superstitious stories."
Zandra and Yaella went back to their village hand in hand victorious, with a tale to tell to those who would believe.
Visit Shamara S. Davis Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/ShamaraDavisBooks
Author of The Adventures of Marco and Carla series and What Happened to Kerbie Walobee?, Shamara likes to write stories that send a chill down your spine.
Originally from Jamaica, Shamara takes all her inspiration from stories she made up herself as a child, living in Port Royal. She thinks of all the adventures she and her brother have been on and makes them a little more frightening just for your reading pleasure.
She is currently working on a new novella, which takes her into a genre that she has never written for Sci-fi. The book is currently in the works and has no title at the moment, but she is making great progress.
Shamara currently lives in New York with her family, where she is attending graduate school. Happy reading.
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