The Bull runs Lucy down

Over and over again, my death replayed itself in my mind. Leaping up and grabbing the edge of the Crishat hovercraft. Throwing the grenade in. That sense of peace enveloping me as I let go. A fleeting sense of regret as I heard Susan’s scream. The fireball engulfing me. And then, and then, nothing. Again and again. The Leap. The toss. The fall. The scream. The fire. The nothingness. Why won’t it stop? Why won’t it stop?

Through this nightmare loop I began to feel pain. A dull ache all over. All over what, I couldn’t be sure. I didn’t have a body. Wait, did I? A scarlet lance of pain raced into my head. Instinctively, I tried to grab my head with my hands, but something restrained me. Yes, I definitely had a body. I slowly opened my eyes, there were bright lights above me. I closed my eyes, then opened them in a squint but could see nothing.

I heard an electric shriek off to my side, and another electric shriek responded on my opposite side. I could almost understand them, I think they knew I was awake. There was another electric shriek but my head was pounding so hard I couldn't make anything of it. The pain was increasing, it was like I had been hit by a truck.

There seemed to be a hissing sound near my ear, and I felt something cold enter my arm. Suddenly, the pain went away and I was floating. I tried to see what they were doing but my head couldn’t move. There was another hiss and the floating feeling intensified. I was completely relaxed, I felt like if they did it again I would melt into whatever I was lying on. I felt nothing, like I was disembodied, but my mind also felt trapped, mired in honey.

I was looking at the lights over my head again. They didn’t bother my eyes anymore. Nothing bothered me. From somewhere far away I heard another electric shriek, I recognized the word programming, but didn’t understand what it meant. A large monitor screen moved into my field of vision, and the screen turned on. This felt familiar, and my mind actually stirred from it’s comfortable rest as lights appeared on the screen.

Oh! I remembered this! The pretty lights!! I have to find the pattern!

No! A small voice dissented inside me. Do not do this! Remember Susan!

“Susan?” I mumbled through thick lips.

Another shriek, then the lights flashed brighter on the screen, pulling my eyes away and quieting the voice. The lights moved faster now, this was different than before, I was sure of it. Then the lights formed a circle, the circle moving fast, but the colors faded, turning black. Soon there was a black hole in the screen, and like an actual black hole my thoughts couldn’t escape, and I was pulled into the darkness.

I opened my eyes. I was standing in the middle of the street somewhere. I looked around, these were familiar surroundings, I could see my house down the road. How did I get here? Oh, who cares! I was free of those Shat bastards and I could find Susan!

Then I heard a sound behind me, it was a deep, snorting sound. Then an odd cough and another snort. I turned around and gasped. Farther down the street stood a gigantic bull. It was over 20 feet at the shoulder, broad and massive. It roared at me, then snorted and roared again. My knees shook, ever since I was a child I had held bulls in awe. And this bull was bigger than anything I could have imagined.

I was so small. I felt like that little girl again. I whimpered, and ran. I ran as fast as I could towards my house. I ran to my parents, they could keep me safe. The bull roared again, I could feel the earth shake as it chased me down the street. But I was almost there! Yes!! I ran up the walkway, opened the door and in. I closed the door behind me with a slam.

“Lucy? Is that you?” I heard my father’s voice call from the kitchen. Daddy! I wanted to cry! I was safe. He came out of the kitchen and I flew into his arms, burying my head into his chest. It felt strange, I could swear I was taller than him. The earth was shaking again, closer now. The walls were shaking.

“What’s happening?” my mother asked as she appeared by Daddy’s side.

“Get behind me sweetheart” Daddy said as he gently pushed me aside and stepped in front of me. Mommy stepped up next to him and grabbed his arm. They both screamed as the front door, hell, the entire wall exploded inwards. The bull ran them down, not even pausing as it destroyed everything in its path to reach me.

I screamed and ran out the back door. Mommy! Daddy! I kept sobbing as I ran. I screamed again as the back door went flying over my head, it landed a few feet in front of me and I stumbled as I tried to avoid it. I tripped over something and went flying head over heels.

I finally came to a stop and got back to my feet. I wasn’t in my old neighborhood anymore. I looked around. It looked to be some sort of farm, and not far away was a barn. The barn seemed familiar somehow. It didn’t matter, maybe there I could hide from the bull. I knew it was coming for me.

I ran into the barn, looking for a hiding place. What I found were corpses. Bodies covered in black clothing littered the ground. They had all been killed, brutally. I pressed the heel of my hand against my forehead, closing my eyes and gasping. I could almost remember this, could…..almost….

“Lucy?” I heard from the other side of the barn.

I looked up, it was Susan! She ran towards me then stopped suddenly. “Oh my God, what have they done to you?”

That’s when I realized I was different. Changed. I could feel it. Things had been done to me. what? My eyes…..

There were tears in Susan’s eyes, “It doesn’t matter.” She stepped up to me and hugged me. “It doesn’t matter!! We’ll get through this! I’ll help you!”

“Help…..me?” I managed to ask.

“Yes, help you.” Susan said and stepped back, extending her arm towards me. “Here, take my hand.”

Slowly, my hand rose, reaching for hers. Then the earth shook.

“Oh no.” I said, I could see the hurt flashing in Susan’s eyes. We looked out the open barn door. There was the bull. It was different now, it’s hair a reddish hue and flames coming out his eyes. It opened its mouth and roared, there were flames in its mouth, and little jets erupted from it’s nostrils when it snorted. It charged at us, a raging, unstoppable creature.

“Run!” I screamed but it was too late. The bull rushed into the barn, flames covering it. I was thrown aside and I heard Susan scream. I rolled over and got up on my elbow. The bull rushed through the rest of the barn, moving too quickly to stop. Susan was lying on the ground, a screaming ball of fire.

“No!” I screamed as she stopped thrashing about. I knew it was too late. I staggered to my feet and ran. I ran and ran and kept running. The tears in my eyes blurring my sight, I was in a panic, I didn’t care.

I stopped, gasping for breath. I could still hear it but I couldn’t breath. It roared in frustration and the earth shook with it’s stomping rage. I staggered into the rock wall, wincing at the pain in my shoulder. I looked around, blinking the tears out of my eyes. Where the hell was I? I was some sort of ravine, I had no idea where, and it was narrow, too narrow for the bull.

I should have kept running, but I needed to see. The ravine curved away when I looked in the direction I came from. I stepped to the corner and looked around it. Farther down near the ravine widened was the bull. It was stomping and shaking its head. Then it saw me and stopped. Those fiery eyes burned through me into my soul. It knew I was terrified, and it laughed.

The bull laughed again and seemed to shimmer. It shrunk and began to stand upright, it’s upper legs changing into arms, and it’s torso into a man’s chest. The legs were still thick and muscular, covered with fur and ending in hooves. Oh crap! It just changed into a minotaur. Still laughing, it charged into the ravine.

I let out a terrified squeek and bolted. I ran deeper into the ravine, the shadows getting longer until the ravine was almost dark. Then I grunted as I ran into a rock wall. No no no no no. I had reached the end. I heard a malevolent chuckle behind me.

I closed my eyes for a second, then opened them and turned around. There was the bull, minotaur, whatever. I wasn’t going to wait for this. “Go ahead! Do it!” I screamed.

The minotaur threw back it’s head and laughed. “Oh, still defiant. I like that. You were hers, now I shall make you mine. Soon you will dream of the death you’re calling out for.”

Make me his? A cold feeling of dread filled me as I watched the minotaur’s entire demeanor change. That trembling rage slowly changed, and it….no…..he….looking down I could see the minotaur was fully human where it mattered. I started to step back, but the wall behind me pressed against my back.

Those clenched fists loosened, and those massive fingers hooked like claws. Even though I couldn’t see a difference in his face, he was leering at me now. A whimper escaped from my shaking body. I knew how to fight, but this monstrosity may have well been a brick wall of muscle. There was nothing I could do to stop him.

“Where is your defiance now? It fled so quickly” the minotaur’s voice rumbled from a flaming mouth. His arms began to reach for her.

I tried to defy gravity and scramble up the wall. “No, Please.” I wailed. I was too terrified to feel ashamed, this monster was beyond my human courage. Far beyond. He laughed at me “Oh no, it’s too late for you.” He reached for me with those massive hands.

A bright light appeared and the minotaur staggered backwards, covering his eyes. Floating above us were two angels, shing beings of white light, with wings fluttering to hold them aloft. I gasped, I couldn’t see their faces through the light, but I knew them now. They were no angels. They were Gods.

The minotaur roared and ran at them, but one of the Gods raised His hand, stopping the minotaur in place. He was still roaring, and reaching for her, for her! But it wasn’t moving.

The other God looked at her. “You were lost, but now you are found.”

Not knowing where else to turn, I sobbed “please help me.”

The other God deigned to look at me, I felt insignificant under Its gaze. “You left us. Betrayed your faith. For a human!! A lesser being! You deserve no less than to suffer at this creature’s hands!”

My eyes went to the minotaur, he was still leering at me. I let out a small moan as my legs gave way and I fell to my knees. “Please forgive me. I was wrong” Tears leaked from my eyes onto the ground as I was racked by more sobs.

“Do you repent?” The first God asked.

“Yes! I repent! Please! I repent! I am yours!” I brought my hands together, beseeching them from my knees.

I heard the minotaur roar with hunger and lust and I shook in terror. “Please! Take me back! I repent! I beg you!”

The God holding the minotaur spoke. “Then swear your loyalty forever more, and let The Crishat’s love flow into you. Be Ours Again!”

“Yes! Yes! I give myself to the Crishat! I embrace your love! I am yours forever!” I screamed as I was enveloped in what could only be called a holy rapture.

The minotaur and the ravine faded away. Soon there were only the two Gods and the shining light. Their wings pumped and they flew towards the light.

“Follow” they commanded.

Smiling with joy, I leapt into the sky and followed my Gods into Their light.

The screens turned off, and the dark monitors moved away from the human form lying on the table.

“Program complete” the human said in a monotone.