All good things chapter 3: Decisions

“Where am I?” Fallon asked. No matter how weird this place seemed Fallon didn’t feel threatened. It was as if the very stones emanated an aura of safety.

“Good question there lad, I’m not sure of the answer myself.” The other people began to wake to the man’s deep baritone rumble. “Plenty of time for questions. I guess we can start with names. I’m Ian, this one here is Rose.” Ian said helping up the sleepy looking redhead. “And this here is Sara, not the morning person this one.” He said patting awake the still sleeping blond woman. “Now, what should I call you?”

“Fallon … You can call me Fallon.” Way to project confidence. Jeeze. “So … umm I take it this isn’t San Francisco?” Wherever this is its cold. Fallon looked out past the stones. Maybe up in Washington? It sure is green enough for there but too flat. A flat green field shimmered with a light coat of frost with wisps of steam rising and blending with a thin morning mist. Beyond the field boiled a frothing black curtain of fog. Fallon shivered remembering the things that lived in it.

“And your friends, what do they go by?” Ian asked motioning towards the young woman and the little girl that were just getting up and moving closer to the fire. The woman froze when she noticed that they were looking at her. She looked to where she was holding the little girl’s hand for a moment before standing up strait and squaring her shoulders.

She took a deep breath before saying. “My names Fae Danvers. I don’t know this one’s name. I found you both in that fog. You were bleeding and she was hurt as well. I didn’t know what to do so I went for help and we ended up here.” She said in a rush. “Anyway … you’re welcome. Now if you don’t mind we’ll be going. I need to get home before my mum kills me.” She looked out toward the fog and the determined glare gave way to to an expression of such loss that Fallon felt his hart clench in shared pain. “I don’t want to back into that fog …” She whispered before sitting back down next to the fire. The pale sun wasn’t strong enough for the stones to cast shadows. Everything was soft edged and faded with the mist draining the color from the very air.

“Well that’s the rub now isn’t it. We can’t stay here can we? We have no food, no shelter, and that was the last of the wood so it gonna get right cold soon. I think we need to agree that we’ve all fallen down the rabbit hole so I vote we go find Alice and give her a piece of our minds.” Ian said. The last of the fires flames flittered out leaving only woodsmoke and embers to keep the cold at bay.

“Are we dead? What if we’re lost in the spirit world.” Rose interrupted. “You did magic last night Ian when you healed them and those … things in the mist … maybe they’re demons. Oh! We were in a car crash and didn’t survive that. Things went all wonkie while you were driving. You killed me! Bastard!” She cried swatting Ian on the head.

“Rose! Your not helping” Ian said grabbing Rose’s hands and pulling her into his lap. “We don’t know what’s happened. Alive, dead, insane doesn’t really matter. Either we stay here and give up or we move forward and figure out what’s going on.” Ian said taking charge of the conversation again. Rose snuggled closer to Ian’s warmth clearly used to this seating arrangement.

Fallon didn’t know what to think. He’d been shot in the chest and had the blood stains to prove it. This temple, and thats what this place appeared to be, felt magical. The very air seemed to be charged. Ian was right denying what was right in front of him wouldn’t help. They were going to have to roll with it and try and survive.

“I’m hungry … I want my mom.” The little girl’s cries interrupted Fallon’s thoughts.

“Oh! You poor little thing.” Sara said sitting down next to Fae and the little girl. “We are just getting ready to go find some breakfast. What’s your name?”

“Molly. Will you take me home?”

“Shh, its Ok. We’ll find your mom I promise.” Fae said pulling Molly into her lap and burying her nose in Molly’s hair as she hugged her close.

“Right.” Ian said. “So we need a plan.”

“Food and a shower wouldn’t hurt.” Fallon interrupted. “Lets work on the basics like better shelter until we get rescued.”

“Yes basics first.” Ian agree. “Let’s assume this really is Stonehenge. There should be a village close by”

“Winterborne Stoke” Rose said wiggling free of Ian’s hold and standing up. Brushing out the wrinkles in her dress she said “Good pub. Just down the A303.” She pointed off over Fallon’s shoulder towards the west. Rose moved over towards where their bedding laid and started folding their blanket.

“Right. So we go there and find out what they know while we get warm and fed.” Ian said. Standing as well. Holding the shoulder straps of his overhauls, Ian stretched out his large girth and yawned.

“But, what if it’s not there? I mean I’m from Dublin and Fallon is from even further.” Fae said looking at Fallon. “I mean, how did we all get here together? There’s no way we all just walked here. Why should we believe if we go back into that stuff we won’t end up in China or even get split up?” Fae demanded glaring at Ian. Fallon thought she looked cute with her thin red eyebrows bunched together into a scowl. She definitely looked hard to handle not that Fallon didn’t want to try, handling her that is.

“Doesn’t matter. What we do know is we can’t stay here. I agree with Ian we have to take our chances. We head to that village and if it isn’t there we stick together and keep going. Pick a direction and just keep going strait so we don’t end up going in circles.” Fallon responded meeting Fae’s glare with a grin. Fae was an interesting contradiction; a hard charging tom boy to the world but soft and gentle with Molly. I bet she’s the older sibling, Fallon thought.

“So we in agreement then? You lot stick with us and we go find someplace better?” Ian said grabbing his leather bag and swinging it over his shoulder.

“Next stop, the Mad Hatter’s” Fallon quipped grinning. There was no way Fallon was going to show his nerves to this audience. There was no way he was going to be out machoed by a tom boy no matter hot hot she was.

***

Fae didn’t know what to think. She didn’t want to go back into the fog but she also didn’t want to be left behind. If Danny was here he’d say that we were all fucked so we might as well lay back and enjoy it. Molly was a warm bundle in her arms. The rest of them could bugger off for all she cared. She was going to get Molly back home. She’d stick with the others until she could snag some transportation then split. Ian seemed to be one of those I know what’s best for you so do as I say prigs so sooner she was gone the better.

“Ok. Lets do this then.” She said standing up and propping Molly on her hip. Molly’s weight immediately started to cause her chain mail shirt to dig into her skin. Of all days to get stuck wearing her clubbing kit. “We’re wasting daylight and I don’t want to be stuck in that stuff after dark.” She said stifling a shiver. If some brainiac like Fallon could buck up and be professional then so could she. She tossed them all her best kicking-ass-and-taking-names face.

Without further comment Fae found herself following behind - and what a behind it was - Fallon as they entered the fog. Following along almost on auto pilot Fae thought about everything that happened yesterday. Was it real or just a dream. If it was a dream then how could they all seem to share the same one? The weight of Molly shifting uncomfortably on her hip was a raw ache that drew her away from her thoughts. Molly was shivering from the cold and Fae wished she could wrap Molly in her Jacket except that would only show everyone just how see-through her shirt was. Fae didn’t know how long they had been walking but they were now deep in the fog. They were surrounded by a trackless forrest that disappeared into the fog in all directions. Fae stopped to shift Molly onto her other hip bringing their group to a halt.

“Give me the child dear. Let’s bundle her up in this blanket.” Sara said taking Molly from Fae’s arms and wrapping her in the thin felt blanket. “How’s that dear? Warmer now?” Molly nodded and shifted deeper into the blanket. “I’ll hold her for a bit if you don’t mind. Give your arms a rest.”

Molly looked content where she was so Fae decided not to press the issue. “Sure. Let me know when you get tired and I’ll hold her again.” They began to move on and Fae focused on their surroundings. The trees were warped and bare of leaves. Devoid of life like a skeletal graveyard. The sound of their passage was muted as if the oppressive silence was draining the very sounds of life from the air. Time seemed to be a flexible thing and Fae wasn’t sure if it was a minute or an hour that had passed when they stopped again.

“Well bugger me.” Ian said looking around. “This should of been where we left the van. I swear that this was the spot but where is the road?” Ian began to circle and pace looking into the mist.

“If I was to make the list of strange things that happened since this shit started, trees wouldn’t even make the top 10.” Fallon said watching Ian pace back and forth. “I believe the quote ‘Fasten your seatbelt Dorothy, because Kansas has gone bye-bye’ applies best to our situation.”

Fae thought Fallon had made a good point. “Right, standing round here bitching about what should be here isn’t helping. Lets move on and find some food and drink. I really don’t want to be stuck in here after dark.” Now that they weren't moving the air’s chill was seeping into Fae’s skin making it tingle as if thousands of ants were crawling under her skin. “Come on already. Lets keep going.”

“What was that?” Rose interrupted pointing behind them. “Did you hear that?”

Fae turned where Rose pointed and listened. Molly was whimpering quietly in Sara’s arms and there was a faint chorus of beating drums around them. As Fae listened the beating became louder as the pace quickened. Thump thump, thump thump. Fae swung around looking for the source. Everyone was pointing now and yelling; their voices lost to the thundering beat. Thump thump thump, thump thump thump. Pounding louder and louder keeping time with her heart. She wanted taste the blood coursing in time with the beat. Oh. My. God. It was their heartbeats. Fae could hear their heartbeats calling to her hunger. She wanted to feel their flesh under her claws and fangs as she ripped and tore. To feel the warm meat in her mouth as the blood gushed in time to the beat. To feel their life blood wash over her jaws.

A bright flash of light broke Fae out of the bloodlust. Fallon had raised his hand and a burst of light had flown from his hand and struck - something. Some nightmare of course brown fur, massive clawed paws on limbs the width of tree trunks, lost within wriggling tentacles covered in toothy suckers dripping with blood and gore. A nightmare cross between a bear and octopus that was a big an elephant.

Another burst of light flew from Fallon’s hand and hit the beast burning and melting across its massive chest before the beast was upon him. Fae didn’t think so much as react. She leaped into the mass of tentacles. Her black fur covered paws ripping and tearing. The warm feel of the beast’s flesh filled her jaws as her weight slammed into the beast. Down they went into a ball of snarling jaws and claws ripping into each other.

All good things chapter 2

Fae rushed over to the little girl. She laid sprawled unmoving on a small mound where Fae dropped her. Fay pulled her into her lap. She was cold to the touch. Still breathing. The back of her shirt, burnt and torn. Searching, Fae couldn't find any burns or wounds on her back. It was whole and unharmed as if the lightning had been a dream. A gurgling sound reminded Fae of the man. He was covered in blood with gurgling bubbles escaping from the holes in his chest. He lived.

"Help! Somebody help me!" she cried. All the suspended panic of the day washed over her. Regardless of what had happened - this was real. He was dying. She heard voices answering her from the lighted center of the megaliths.

"Who's there?" they were yelling.

"Help! Please help me! Their hurt!" Fae could feel herself loosing it.

Three people, silhouetted by the light ran towards her. A huge bear of a man and two smaller women. The man skidded to a stop and swept his gaze over them before kneeling down by the hurt man.

"What are you kids doing out here alone? Where are your parents?" he said.

"Here now, let me help you with her." The blond woman said as she gently took the little girl out of Fae's lap.

"Come on its safe dear. No one's going to hurt you. Lean against me dear. Shh, its safe." The other woman, a redhead, said as she pulled Fae up into her arms. Fae's sobs shook her whole body making it difficult to see and walk. Fae let the woman guide her into the center of the stone rings. A bright camp fire cast light and warmth through the small circular space. The other woman was cradling the little girl by the fire.

"You sit down here by the fire dear. Don't worry we'll take good care of your brother and sister. I'm Rose. Her name is Sara." Rose said waving towards the blond.

"Don't worry Ian will take good care of your brother."

"He's not my brother. I don't know either of them..." Fae said before returning to staring at the fire. She felt numb and the flames were comforting. Rose kept talking for awhile before letting Fae be alone with her thoughts. Something was wrong. She was sober but things just kept getting stranger. How did she get to the south of England from Dublin in one night? Who are these people? Where was Danny? It wasn't like him to let her go running off high.

Lost in her thoughts, Fae drifted off to sleep by the fire.

***

Fallon woke to the morning sun shining on his face. The sun was framed between two giant stone pillars with a third set across the top. Mist covered the land to the horizon. Fallon sat up and looked around. A leather jacket slipped off his shoulders. Shivering, Fallon quickly put the jacket on. Steam from his breath came out in little gasps as he blew on his fingers to warm them up.

Three stone arches much larger than the rest formed a semi- circle behind him. A blue green stone obelisk was centered in the semi-circle, unknown runes were engraved into it covering every surface. The semi-circle reminded Fallon of the church his parent's attended. It was surrounded in smaller, maybe man-sized, blue pillars forming a circle like many fingers thrust into the air. A huge ring of stone arches enclosed the space in yet a larger circle. The place reminded Fallon of the pictures of Stonehenge. Stonehenge was a ruin and these looked new.

In the center of it all - looking completely out of place - was the ashen remains of a campfire. Smoke still rose forlornly into the sky. Sleeping forms were huddled around. Glittering frost covered the ground and stones heightening the surrealism.

He hurt all over.

"Not a dream." Fallon said putting his fingers through the bullet holes in his shirt. Ugly red circular scars lined up with the bullet holes. It was as if the wounds had spent months healing. Wincing, Fallon stopped probing for the source of the blood. Warmth first, questions second, he thought. Spotting the small pile of branches and logs next to the ashes. Fallon quietly climbed to his feet.

Fallon quickly built the campfire back up. The chill slowly left his body as he looked around at his companions. A huge Hell's Angles looking old man seemed the most menacing. Long salt and pepper hair, full beard, huge bulging arms, and a barrel chest the source of the snoring. Even his snores sounds like a Harley, he thought. The man was dressed in a dirty pair of leather overhauls. Snuggled to each side slept a woman - a blond and a redhead. The blond woman wore a green wool dress. It was a full length homemade tree-hugger looking thing. The redhead was dressed in similar clothing. The only difference seemed to be the hand stitched embroidery.

On the far side of the fire slept a gorgeous young woman about Fallon's age. She had jet black hair; her red roots just starting to show. A worn black leather jacket, zippers galore, covered her like a blanket. She was wearing knee high, stiletto healed patent leather boots, black and read paisley printed - skin tight - latex pants... Drop dead gorgeous. A tantalizing hint of see through chain mail shirt covered her exposed shoulder. The young woman was cradling a girl in front of her.

"What the..." he said. It was the toddler from his dream. It couldn't be.

"I see your up and about. You gave us a bit of a scare last night." The old man said. His stead gaze meeting Fallon's. Carefully extracting himself from the woman's arms, the old man slowly sat up facing Fallon.

All good things chapter 1

Blood.

Fallon woke to the taste of blood.

His blood.

He laid sprawled on the floor among the broken glass and furniture. Through the ringing in his ears he could hear the distant sounds of screams, weapons fire, and explosions. Except for the moaning around him, the diner was quiet. The glass front of the diner was completely missing as if a giant foot had stomped, smashing everything flat underfoot.

"Quick. Check in there for survivors." A voice from out in the street was saying.

Fallon stood unsteadily as several armed men in military camouflage mixed in with policemen's black climbed through the rubble and swept the devastation with their flashlights. Fallon put his hand up to guard his eyes as a beam came to rest on him.

"Don't shoot!" Fallon said as the men advanced into the rubble towards the moaning sounds.

"Are you hurt? Can you walk?" The policeman was saying, shining the beam up and down Fallon's body. Fallon looked. He was covered in glass and dust streaked with blood; however, all his arms and legs seemed to work and the ringing in his ears had faded to a faint buzzing.

"Yes. I'm good. What happened?" Fallon said.

"Just head out to the street and join the others. We don't have much time. Move!" the policeman said. Only the fear in the policeman's eyes betrayed his calm demeanor. Propelled by the man's fear, Fallon made his way through the rubble to the street. The city was on fire. The glow of the burning buildings stretched along the entire waterfront. From Fallon's hilltop vantage point he could see the entire Pacific was cloaked in a thick writhing carpet of black smoke shot through with bolts of lightning. It was as if a blue veined black ooze was consuming everything in its path. Where the blackness touched, buildings burst aflame. Out of the blackness came - things. Things that crawled. Things that slithered. Things that flew. Things that only used to exist in Fallon's nightmares. Made real, and heading this way.

Looking at the rubble behind him, Fallon could see one of the flying creatures sprawled on top of the old brick and glass row of buildings lining the street. Its huge body, nearly a city block long, had reduced the street front to rubble. Its tail laid where the diner's front had been. Fallon realized that the rubble mound he had climbed over had been the creature's tail. Thick leathery body, bat-like wings, and a tentacled face like a catfish. Some LSD inspired nightmare. Real. Here. Now.

"Hey! Look at me! Snap out of it!" The soldier's slap stung but the creature's body was still there. It must be real. Fallon broke his gaze away from the dragonfish.

"We're pulling back before that gets here." The soldier said, pointing downhill. A tide of humanity was fleeing the engulfing blackness. Out of the blackness came even more madness. Twisted chimera nightmares were preying on the stragglers.

"Either you keep up or we leave you behind. Your choice." He said. The injured were in the back of a pickup, surrounded by a mix of soldiers, and police. Fallon quickly climbed in with the others they moved off up the street.

The madness of the moment gave way to a dull numbness as the minutes wore on. The slow pace of the pickup as it made its way through the rubble blocking the street was soon surpassed by the tide of fleeing humanity. Fallon kept his head down as the soldiers began to open fire on the chimeric forms around them. Fallon couldn't help but watch the dragonfish overhead as they flew across the sky. Their tentacles were surrounded in a crackling blue nimbus. From the nimbus flew bolts of lightning. Buildings burst open and caught flame where the bolts hit.

A scream close by tore Fallon's gaze away from the nightmare above to the madness behind. A girl, a toddler really, was lying on the ground, a still smoking hole in her back. The child's melted shirt stuck to her back. With a gasp the child struggled to move.

Without thinking, Fallon jumped out of the pickup and ran back for the child. Gunfire flew past as everything went into slow motion. An orange and black fur-covered spider's leg broke from the blackness near the child. The creature was strobe lit by the gunfire behind as he charged full out towards the nightmare reaching out for the child. Fallon looked into the nightmare's face. Feline head with spider fangs, insectoid jaw and orange and black tiger's fur. Fallon's eyes met with the nightmare. The nightmare's human eyes. A woman's eyes. Eyes that shown with intelligence and compassion. As the bullets impacted the woman, Fallon knew the she wasn't attempting to harm the child. She was attempting to protect the child. Protect the child from them. As the blackness engulfed the pair, Fallon saw the chimera woman reach out and tenderly scoop up the child into her arms.

Pain.

The last thing Fallon felt was pain as the bullets ripped through his chest. The impact lifting him off his feet and throwing him chest first into blackness.

***

Fae woke to darkness.

Thick fog shrouded the forest below. The feeble rays of the sun barely lit the world in gloomy shades of gray.

The last thing she remembered was the club last night. She and her mates had been doing their gig at the Spirits nightclub. The club was filled with party goers all moving to the beat. The air hung thick with the steam from their rhythmically moving bodies freeze framed to the strobe lights. They were halfway through the first set when the burning in her limbs started. Leave it to Danny to slip her something to loosen her up. The last she remembered was all the color draining out of the world and the pain in her limbs. That and the screaming. Yes, there was definitely screaming.

How did she wake up in a forrest?

Fae had already started to float towards the ground before she realized what was happening. Looking over her shoulder she saw that she was suspended head downwards from a thin rope attached to a tree limb above. The rope was a single translucent white strand no thicker than a shoe string. The rope ended in a horrific orange and black striped body. Gigantic spinnerets were weaving the rope - her spinnerets. Her body. What the hell did Danny slip her? Falling the rest of the way to the ground Fae landed softly on her many feet and took off into the mist. Maybe if she ran fast enough she could outrun the madness.

Its just a bad trip, she thought. I've had worse before. There was the time Danny and I were going to spend the night together on Ecstasy. That didn't go all that well either. OK. I've just got to hold it together until this trip ends. So I'm a big harry spider. At least my face isn't melting like last time. Slowing to a stop, Fae looked around. The fog shrouded forest of muted grays stretched on for as far as the eye could see. It was empty. No animal sounds. Dead quiet. Still. As if the world was holding its breath.

One thing was sure, she wasn't in Dublin anymore.

Time slipped by as Fae searched for a way out of the forrest. Slowly so as not to freak out she took in her appearance. She was still some nightmare's version of a spider mixed with cat like features. Her six legs ended in huge cat paws. Her body was that of a large cat with orange and black striped fur. The fur was short haired and soft. He arms were fur covered as well but human. Thankfully. Her friendship bracelet was still there and her hands were normal. All together different from her normal night of the living dead bad trip.

The faint sound of an explosion in the distance broke the stillness. Letting the nightmare unfold, Fae made her way towards the sound. From the corner of her eye she could detect movement heading in the same direction. Yet, when she turned her head to see, nothing was there. Giant shadows slipped over her as unseen things flew past.

She could hear screaming now mixed with the sound of gunfire. The forrest began to thin with the overgrown ruins of buildings lost among the trees. Slowly now she crept forward towards the sounds. Bad trip or not she had no intention of getting shot. The earth underfoot gave way to brick strewn blacktop. Ahead chaos reined. Weird creatures from her deepest nightmares were out in full force dancing amidst the ruins of some city. San Francisco. The iconic bridge rising out of the fog in the distance could only be from San Francisco. From her vantage point hidden behind the collapsed rubble of some 50's diner Fae took in the view.

Up the hill ahead she could make out some big American truck surrounded with people carrying guns. They were shooting downhill into the nightmarish mob. In the middle of the mob stood a little girl with her hand up to her face. She appeared to be about the same age as Fae's little sister. She was flinching this way and that trying not to get trampled on. Those idiots were shooting in her direction. What were they thinking? Didn't they see her? A brilliant flash momently blinded Fae as the loud crash of thunder filled the air. When she could see again the little girl lay crumpled on the ground, a still smoking burn on her back. With a cry the little girl struggled to rise before collapsing again unconscious - or worse. Oblivious to the danger, Fae shot forward.

Whistling sounds of bullets flew past as Fae emerged from the mist. Color returned to the world as Fae reached down to pick up the girl. Her arms were changing. Fur turning into leather; her leather jacket from the night before.

Movement made Fae look up. A young man was running at her. He was looking at the girl with grim determination. He looked up at her and their eyes met. The fear in his eyes was for the girls safety. Fae felt the sting of a swarm of bees as bullets sprayed the area. Kneeling now on her two legs - faded jeans and all - Fae pulled the girl into her arms and curled around her as a shield.

The man's expression turn to shock as bullets and blood erupted from his chest. He pitched forward to her feet with a sickening thud. Thats it. Fae had enough. She felt something in the back of her mind click into place. Fae stood up tall as the world seemed to shrink. Fae reached out with a feathered leg that ended in a giant talion and carefully grasped the man around the waist. Turning and with one powerful beat of her wings Fae launched into the air. Two and she was higher than the buildings, her cargo still and lifeless in her grasp. The truck slid past below and bullets filled the air. Ahead she saw more soldiers near military looking vehicles. Arching her back, Fae rolled over and flew back west away from the bullets and noise. Finding her stride she glided over the golden gate bridge - empty and devoid of life. A lone remnant rising out of the mist.

Onward she went waiting for the drugs to wear off. How much was a dream and how much was reality? Would she wake up safe and secure in the room she shared with her little sister? As twilight gave way to full dark Fae lost all sense of time and space. No stars to guide her. Darkness above, darkness below. Fae flew until she could fly no more.

Her precious burden heavy now, she spied a light in the distance. The flickering flames sending light and dark dancing among the megalithic circle of stone. Circling lower now she recognized some imagining of Stonehenge from when it was new and whole. No modern fences, roads, or buildings broke the plain. Suddenly overburdened, Fae attempted to land at the edge of the mist. Fae bellyflopped before rolling out of control. Fae stood up. On human legs, her legs, her hands. She was dressed in the clothing she had was wearing the night before. She looked over to the man and little girl she had rescued.

Why? They both must be dead by now.