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Deep Purple

A lightbringer story

By John UPublished 2 years ago 13 min read
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Deep Purple
Photo by Zachary Kyra-Derksen on Unsplash

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night a candle burned in the window. Lanie’s lungs burn from running, she tries hard not to make a sound as she breathes in and out. She found the candle sitting on the dusty sill, a thick layer coated the wood. She always has a lighter in her pack of Marlboro Reds, she struggled against the desire to light one. The view outside of the window is unimpressive, dark trees, dark lane that leads to this cabin. The cabin itself is also unimpressive, broken furniture litters the moldy floor, chairs that once stood strong, are naught but rot-wood at this point. A fridge stands next to a surprisingly empty sink, as she walks by it the light of the candle illuminates her reflection, she sees small spots of blood splatter on her sweatshirt. She barely escaped, the figure that came out from the blackness was quick. Its teeth at first gleamed white, quickly turned red after finding her best friend’s carotid artery. Its eyes, burned blue, like a summer sky on fire. There were six of them that went camping that night, she saw four of them die.

The night was beautiful, the stars shone bright behind the trees, the moon was creeping in from the side. The crackling of the fire pit calmed her after the long work week. She lost four patients, an insane number considering she would lose that many in a bad month. Small towns don’t hold a large enough population to have people dying of unnatural causes, especially four. The deaths were gruesome, like a dog attack, a big dog. The tears in the skin were large, the bite marks in the shoulders, were shallower than a dog’s mouth would produce. “Lanie, can you pass the marshmallows?” Lauren, beautiful, kind, now deceased. Lanie looked in the bag beside her chair, the bag was sitting there already open, she had opened it a minute ago. “Are you ok?” She looks back to Lauren, her face is covered in red. Lanie jumps out of her chair.

This isn’t how it happened, is she dreaming, Lanie’s mind races along with her heart, Lauren stands and her head falls to one side. “Lanie, what’s wrong?” Her voice starts to change, becomes more hoarse. Lanie turns and almost runs, but a sharp pain in her hand stops her.

She looks down, and sees a candle sitting in her hand, the wax melted on her hand burning it slightly, but also bringing her back to reality. “The fuck was that?” She shakes her head and wipes her hand on her sleeve. She doesn’t work as a nurse, her friend Lauren does, she didn’t sit next to the marshmallows, Lauren did. She continues to walk around the cabin, it’s small, she tries to find a bathroom, the feeling that the cabin has an outhouse snakes in her mind. It slithers around and she check behind the few doors, one bedroom, two bedroom, she can almost visualize the snake, longs fangs protruding from it mouth, eyes gleam. She stops before she opens the last door, the image in her brain sends her nervous system into shock, blue eyes.

She shuts the car door, the naked body of a woman, Grace, lays in the back, the back row laid down and blankets cover the floor. They’re alone in the large SUV, two bodies, two hearts beating loud enough for them both to hear. “Is this your first time?” Grace’s curves are inviting, hypnotizing, her body covered by a blanket, she slips it off. Grace slowly moves toward her, “Lanie, I need you right now.” She feels herself leaning in, she starts slowly caressing the other woman, she puts her lips on Grace’s, pulls back and sees Grace’s eyes closed and mouth open asking for more. Lanie grabs her hair and pulls her head to the side, but before she goes to kiss her neck, she pushes Grace away. Blood almost runs down her whole body, her neck doesn’t move back. “Lanie…. Lanie…. I’ve almost found you.” The voice isn’t Grace’s, and the SUV suddenly feels like a prison cell as the dead body starts to move toward her. Lanie reaches behind her and feels for the handle but can’t get to it in time as Grace pulls her in.

Lanie, screams, only in her throat, she doesn’t open her mouth, except when her brain commands her mouth the bite down on her hand as hard as she can.

That worked, “I can’t go back to that,” tears roll down her cheek. Everyone knew Grace and Ollie went to her Highlander to have intercourse, everyone also knew Ollie was a virgin and basically in love with her, even though she was a notorious. Lanie shakes her head, she doesn’t want to think about her friends in negative ways, but why was she in the SUV, she had only ever been in Grace’s Highlander once before and she sat in the front seat.

Thoughts of the strange thing, wanted to surface, take control of her mind. She fought against it, the urge to urinate helped close that thing off. She opened the door in front of her, the only thing on her mind now is a prayer that this cabin has a toilet, working or not.

It did actually have a toilet, and the relief almost had her going there in the doorway, she sets the candle on the tank and relieves herself, cleans herself and exits the small room. The candle in front of her provides small comforts, she feels safer in the burning glow. How long had she ran? She thinks about it, but the answer isn’t coming, all she knows is that thing went after Tony instead of her. Small miracles.

Tony had been talking to Brendan when the events transpired. They were standing by the tent that the boys were supposed to share, staring at the girls by the fire.

“How long have we known each other?” Tony looks deep in Brendan’s eyes, grabbing his shoulder tight.

Brendan pulls Tony’s hand away, “I’ve known you my whole life, shit man…” He looks away, Tony’s eyes drilling into his. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Tony pats Brendan on the back, “I don’t think it’s a good idea brother, I think it’s a great idea.” A grin spreads across his face. Tony has always been the class clown, but sneaking into the Highlander to mess with Grace and Ollie, is kind of messed up. “It’s just some lighthearted teasing.” Brendan meets his eyes, in his mind he sees Grace quickly covering up, embarrassed, and Ollie, either in the middle of the act or almost beginning, also extremely embarrassed. He shakes his head.

“I can’t do that to Ollie, it’s his first time, you know how it goes on the first time.” He motions with his hand, the gesture represents Ollie being quick in the sack.

Before anything else happens a scream echoes from the Highlander, Tony catches a glimpse of a body falling out of the SUV, suddenly blue eyes appear in front of him where Brendan stands, Tony makes to protect his best friend, but realizes the frailty of the suggestion. He spins and books it for the woods directly behind him.

He doesn’t look back, legs burn as he jumps over fallen trees and large roots. His eyes dart in front of him making sure each step is leading to solid ground, they all do. When it seems like he might be fine to take a break he pulls himself tight against a large tree. Leaning over breathing deep, almost puking. His chest hurts from exertion, lungs begging for more air than they are getting. He pulls himself together after a moment, oxygen coming in and filling his lungs. He listens close, the sound of silence is deafening, not a rustle of leaves from the wind, or sound of any animal scurrying from spot to spot.

Snap… His head spins and is met by two red dots. The other thing had blue eyes, but this is red. His heart stops, the figure in the darkness makes itself known. Elegant clothes cover the large frame, a hat sits on his head and a mask covers his face. The image of an arrow shot through the moon plasters the side. His arms are stretched to his sides, long sharp nails, and the feeling of death are overwhelming his senses. “What did we do to deserve this?” Tony’s voice is shaky, tears fall down his cheeks, the image of his best friend dying burns in his mind.

A voice echoes through the silence, “Oh my dear boy,” almost laughing, actually a laugh is heard lightly after the statement. “You are but a chicken, and I’m a wolf, you are an appetizer for my friend and myself.” There wasn’t even a sound of footsteps approaching, it appears right next to that other thing. “Allow me to introduce myself, I’m Dante.”

“My name is Azure,” the voice whispers in Tony’s ear and he falls to the ground. When he looks back up he’s next to Dante again.

“Wha…Wha…” His heartbeat is in his throat, choking him. The two walk slowly toward him.

The scream rang through the forest, Lanie drops the candle and it snaps in half. She claps her hand to her mouth and curses. The light from the moon helps guide her toward the window where she found the candle, she rushes to the ground and looks out the window, she only sees the lane, and the moon floating slightly above the line of trees. She sits at the window for a few minutes while she thinks of what to do next. She decides to stay there for the night, maybe whatever that thing was will be gone by the time the sun comes up. With her back against the wall she pulls out her cigarettes and lights one, better to die having one than to wish you had one as you were dying. She lights the end and takes a long, well deserved drag. The nicotine hits just the right spot, and she instantly feels relief flood her body. She keeps her eyes closed, each drag makes the evening seem like a fever nightmare. The images turning to smoke, never focusing on the blue eyes. That trick might’ve worked earlier but she caught on quickly. Whatever killed them all has some kind of mind grab ability, most likely from staring in its eyes. She doesn’t perk up to the realization, only numb to the fact.

Another scream, more violent, followed by another. Each one brings tears to her eyes, it sounds like Tony is being tortured. She grows numb to the sound, how much pain he must be in.

It wasn’t just the pain Tony was feeling, though having every bone in his legs broken, his arm eaten by Dante. He screamed hoping if there was anyone else alive they’d hear him and run… far from this Godforsaken forest. The pain throbs through his brain, up his spine, almost lost consciousness several times but somehow dragged back. His mind isn’t completely his any longer, it’s slowly being drained, same with the blood in his body as the thing named Azure drains his carotid artery slowly. Unlike his friends from the camping trip, the trip that seems like a hundred years ago, they all were torn at the neck ending their lives quickly. Lucky bastards. His vocal cords no longer produce sound, probably torn out at this point, he no longer has any feeling. He stares up at the night sky, stars spin, the moon bobs up and down like a boat at sea. Soon the stars all burn blue and red, as life finally ends.

“There’s one more out there,” Dante scolds Azure. Dante moves his mask back over his face, a Demon can only have his face exposed to feed. He never questioned why, only he knows it’s a biological law. He’s seen many Children of the Moon turn to ash when their masks are off for too long after feeding.

“I know where she is Dante,” Azure said the Demons name in a sharp hiss. Azure is one of a few Vampires who are forced to live at night, making him a perfect Demon Accomplice, instead of mortal enemies like the natural order suggests. Vampires and Demons have been teaming up more and more lately, since the arrival of Him. The one who everyone calls Lightbringer. That name makes Demons and Vampires dreadful at the mention, rumors of him being an agent of the Overlord have surfaced, other rumors suggest he’s an agent for Timolt. The sun and moon themselves.

“Do we think this will draw him in?” Dante almost laughs at the thought. “The Overlord wants to see him tonight. I always thought he was on our side in some way, I heard he killed over 20 Vampires.”

The duo start walking in the direction of the cabin. They’re closer than Lanie realizes, if the thought that she could be found even crossed her mind.

Lanie opens her eyes after she finishes her cigarette, the screaming died off moments prior. The room wasn’t empty, she was no longer alone. A figure entered the cabin while she was smoking. Her heart stops, a bead of sweat replaces the tears. “There’s no need to be afraid.” The sound pierced the silence. “I’m here to save you, unfortunately I can’t save your friends.” A hand appears in front of her, causing her to move backwards into the wall. “Sorry about that, I sometimes forget the affect has.” She looks into the strange figure’s eyes, they were the oddest things she’s ever seen, red and blue cascade in a circle, making a magnificent purple hue. She grabs his hand and he pulls her to her feet, “You’ll be safe here, you can even watch from this window.”

She stares into his eyes, he almost looks like a human teenager, no older than sixteen, but his teeth are all sharp, fingernails equally sharp. “What would I be watching?” She turns her attention to the window, the sweat on her face freezes as she sees four orbs approaching, two blue and two red. When she turns back to the man, he’s gone, not a sound of his leaving.

“Any last words you two?”

The duo stop, frozen like Lanie just was. Dante only sees blue eyes, Azure sees nothing but red. Neither of them have a chance to react. “How….” The word echoes in the night, hanging low like the branches on the trees. They only spoke that word before they were no longer there.

Lanie, saw very little, a flash of purple then two heads flying. Her nightmare had ended as it was nearing the worst part. She falls to the ground, but is caught, the arms around her feel strong and welcome at the same time.

She never sees that cabin again except in nightmares, sometimes those nightmares end with a different ending than what had actually happened. After she was caught she awoke in a small room, a cabin as well but a more bright and happy cabin. The smell of cinnamon fills her nostrils. She gets to her elbows and looks around, on the other side of the room is another bed, a person is laying in it, also just waking. She gives the guy a wave. “Hi, I’m Lanie, are you the one that saved me?”

The teenaged boy waves back, a smile on his face. “Hi Lanie, my name is Max, and I was actually going to ask you that same question.”

Horror
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About the Creator

John U

amateur writer, professional screw up

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