Sooner Nation - FICTION

Part XV

Cerise's Dorm Room
Cerise was dreaming again. She had come to think of the red-haired Irish girl in the pretty wool dress as a friend, despite the girl's disturbing tendency to talk about Cerise dying. She came to Cerise often in dreams and showed her how to use her shimmering magic blades, always finishing with the warning, "You must trust your enemy, though he will kill you."

The girl stopped suddenly in her graceful display. The blades vanished and her face went pale. "He's here..." she whispered. The dream changed, and Cerise saw nothing but red. She began fighting to wake up, since she knew where this was going. The wash of red resolved itself into red skin as the face of a demon loomed over her. Fire burned from its eyes as she stood helpless before it. Abruptly the demon moved and fiery shooting pain lanced across her belly.

She woke, clutching her belly and gasping for breath. She sat up after glancing to make sure she hadn’t disturbed Samantha and rubbed her face in her hands. She was certain that dream was trying to tell her something, but it only frightened her.

Cerise stood, slid her feet into her pink fuzzy slippers and padded across the tiny dorm room to the mini fridge. Samantha slept soundly, but Cerise was still careful and slow as she opened the fridge door and got herself a cold bottle of water. She sipped the water with her breath shaking in her chest and tried to slow her racing heart. She leaned back against the closet door and smiled at the beautiful dress she'd bought for initiation. She loved the colorful strands of beads and the glistening ribbons. The dress made her smile just to see it. She shifted to study herself in the mirror and imagine how she would look in the pretty dress. She ran her fingers through her mussed hair to smooth it out, finished her water, and turned to toss the bottle in with their recycling.

She caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and abruptly her tension spiraled back up. Some primal sense down deep inside her, perhaps it was where the magic lived, knew there was something deeply wrong. She turned back to the mirror and peered into it. The room was dark, and the shadows were deep in the mirror. Still, something was there that shouldn’t be. She leaned in close and abruptly a pair red glowing eyes opened wide. She gasped and stumbled back, spinning to face the threat behind her, but there was nothing there. She whipped back to the mirror, but it was too late by then. The demon lurking inside the mirror shot out one enormous clawed hand. Before she could draw more than half a breath it had clamped her airway closed and lifted her from the ground. Cerise panicked, but she couldn’t make a sound. She stared wide-eyed into the malevolent burning eyes of the demon. Was this The Beast come to take her? She struggled and fought, but her efforts were no more successful than a rabbit already caught in the talons of an eagle. She kicked frantically, her hands clawing at the iron-hard fingers clamped around her throat as the demon drew her into the surface of the mirror. His skin was hot and even though it was as smooth as her own, she couldn’t damage it no matter how hard she tried to scratch. Her lungs burned, frantic for air, but she refused to give up. She reached her hands out to the edges of the frame and held on for her life as the demon pulled her in. Her hands tangled in the strands of beads from the pretty dress, but she refused to let go. She saw the demon’s face twist with irritation, baring needle-sharp fangs, then those fingers tightened just a little more and it was not just her air being cut off. Black roses bloomed and expanded in her eyes, the ocean roared in her ears. She fought the enveloping blackness, but in the end it swallowed her and she slumped, helpless in the grip of the demon. Conall Cian pulled her into the mirror as if pulling her under the still surface of a moonlit pond, leaving behind broken strands of thread and brightly colored beads bouncing across the floor.

The room was silent for a moment, then Samantha sat up. She glanced around the room bleary-eyed before spying an empty water bottle and a fuzzy pink slipper on the floor by the mirror. “Dammit, Cerise...” she muttered, “can’t you hit the trash even once?” She rolled over and drifted back down into sleep.

Chi Omicron Sigma house
Ashley slept soundly in her luxurious bed. The comforting warm bulk of her current favorite lay still in the bed beside her. When the first warnings started, she frowned and rolled away, but the magical wards that been placed on each of the Chi Omicron Pledges were persistent. She roused as Stephanie flung open her bedroom door. “Ashley! Something’s happening to Cerise!”

Ashley shook her head to clear the cobwebs. “Yes. Get Jessica, get a couple of the boys, we’ll find her.” Ashley rolled out of bed, peeled off her silk chemise, and quickly dressed in jeans and a light sweater. “Hunter! Wake up! I need your help.”

The handsome young man sat up like a robot and stood, waiting for more instructions. Just as Ashley liked them.

Akando's Studio
Conall held the helpless form of the slender human girl in his arms and reflected that in any other situation, he would have snapped that fragile neck and eliminated a future enemy. And there was no mistake, if she, her sisters, and he survived, they would be mortal enemies. But for now, they shared a common goal. And for them to reach that goal he needed her trust.

He carried her into the curtain shrouded studio where Akando waited.

“Is she dead?” the human asked.

Conall didn’t acknowledge the foolish question. “Bind her wrists. You do not want her able to fight when she wakes,” he commanded. Conall sneered at the way the human’s eyes traveled over the exposed skin of the girl. Her t-shirt had bunched up around her waist, and she wore only pink underwear and a single slipper from the waist down.

The human crossed the girl's slender wrists at her waist and looped a cord loosely around them. “Idiot,” Conall snapped. “This human will be a hero. She is not one of the helpless sheep of this world. Now bind her wrists.”

When the binding was to Conall’s liking - the cords snug, her wrists behind her back - he called Excruciatrix. “Human, you are close to the reward you have earned,” he said to Akando. “Be ready, and she will give her trust to her rescuer when this is done.” Akando nodded, and Conall turned his gaze on his imp. “Wake her, and then get out of sight,” he commanded.

The dainty imp raised her hand and red energy enveloped the slender human girl. As the girl began to stir, Trix darted into the shadows, and Conall began to play his part. His deep voice filled the space, “I have brought her to you as you wished,” he announced. Akando’s dark eyes snapped up to Conall’s with confusion. “She will wake soon,” he continued. “I suggest you carry out your wishes quickly. I may have been followed here.” Conall unceremoniously dumped Cerise at Akando’s feet. He hid his smile as Cerise’s green eyes opened wide and began tracking back and forth between them.

“I... what?” Akando stammered.

“I must go now. I have fulfilled your request. She is yours.” Conall said, and took three long strides from the room even as Cerise began to kick and push herself back from Akando.

“What do you want?!” the frightened girl demanded.

“No....” Akando protest, “no... I... it wasn’t me!”

“Leave me alone!” Cerise yelled again, but by then Conall had completed his transformation into human shape - a human man, old and worn, but not yet worn out. He had graying red hair, a scruffy growth of reddish beard, a worn jacket over a white t-shirt and baggy khaki pants and scuffed boots.

He burst back into the studio as Akando, still confused and flustered, was reaching for Cerise. Conall cried out, “Hey you! Get away from that girl!” and charged forward to stand between Cerise and Akando.

“No! No!” Akando protested.

“You *******! What are you trying to do to her?” Conall yelled, and swung at Akando. He might appear human, but he still possessed all the power of his demon form. That blow knocked Akando from his feet and Conall charged, fists flying. Another powerhouse blow sent the human traitor smashing into a wall, but he was finally getting into the fight. Akando covered himself in shadow and began to try to fight back. Conall wondered if Akando understood who he was truly fighting, or did he think this was some human come to save the girl?

It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Cerise thought that she’d been saved by a courageous human male. And for that purpose he allowed Akando to fight back. The human was good, but not nearly good enough to save his own life. When Conall judged that the fight had gone on long enough to persuade and impress Cerise, he drove Akando back, back to where Excruciatrix hid, most likely forgotten. Conall attacked again and again, not hard enough to truly injure, just enough to keep pushing Akando closer to his death. And when they were near enough, Conall rushed to close the distance and shove Akando down. When he was sure they were out of sight, he let his fiery eyes show. “I told you you would die by demon hands, human,” he breathed.

“You wouldn’t dare kill me. Our mistress would have your life...” Akando answered.

“What I will dare is beyond your little mind, human. As for my safety, have no fear. I will be able to tell her I did not kill you.” And at that cue, Trix scampered out of the shadows, giggling quietly, and slipped a wire-thin garrotte over Akando’s neck. The tiny imp had more strength than a human would ever expect, and she quickly dragged the dying human from sight as Conall turned and raced back to Cerise.

The girl had managed to get to her feet, but the doors were locked and with her hands tied she was trapped in the studio. Conall hurried to untie her wrists as he asked, “Miss... Are you alright? What was that thing that brought you here? What did he want? Are you ok?”

Cerise blinked at the flood of questions as she rubbed her wrists. “I don’t know....” she finally answered. “I think - it was a demon. But not my demon. Another one. And I don’t have any idea what that man wanted. Wait! What happened to him?”

“He may have ran off.” Conall answered breathlessly. “We better go.”

“The cops? We should call the cops!”

Conall shook his head, “They’d never believe a story about a demon, Miss. they’d most likely think you were either drunk or crazy, if you’ll pardon my saying so. Let’s just get you home; I don’t think he’ll bother you again.”

Conall shrugged out of his jacket and offered it to her. She tied the sleeves in a bulky knot around her waist and the jacket draped down like a baggy skirt to below her knees. She was mostly silent on the walk back across campus, though he was pleased by how close she stayed to him. He let her walk in silence until they were nearly to her dorm entrance, then he carefully took her arm and turned her to face him. “Are you sure you’re ok?”

She nodded. “I have a headache, but I’m ok. Just shook up, I think.” She looked up at him. “You saw... it... right? The monster?”

He nodded. “It was carrying you. It brought you to that man.”

“I’m kind of afraid to go back to my room. What if it comes back?”

He took her by the shoulders. “I know you’ll be safe. It won’t be back for you. I know it.”

She nodded and swiped her key card to enter the building. Conall waited until she was safely out of sight on the stairway and turned back to cross the campus. There would be some cleaning up at the human’s place of business before they were done there. It was very late and the campus was dark and deserted...

Deserted except for the three women escorted by three large and bulky young men moving purposefully along the sidewalk. He ignored them, ducking his head and shuffling along in his persona as a burnt out husk of an old man until they were so close that he became aware of the magical energy suffusing them. He straightened and glanced up just as the stunningly beautiful blonde walked right into him. His bulk was enough to force her to turn from the impact and spin around him, her hands up and her face twisted as if she smelled something foul.

“Eeew! Get the **** off me, old man!” she snarled.

Humility was not a virtue that Conall could truly claim, but he strove to maintain at least the facade. “Excuse me, miss,” he said quietly.

“Just watch where you going, why don’t you!” the slim brunette said. “C’mon Ashley, let’s go.”

“Be careful, Steph, you might get old man stink on you,” the blonde said. She cast a dismissive look up and down his body, rolled her eyes, and ordered, "Just get out of our way."

Conall straightened, but kept his voice low. “I said, ‘excuse me,’ even though you bumped into me. Now move on about your business, ‘ladies,’”

The blonde cocked her head at him and locked eyes. He felt something tickling the back of his mind as the blonde spoke again, “Shut up and get lost, you stupid old ****,” she said, and an image of Ciara Banenighe with rage in her face bloomed in his mind. He felt a smile crook his lips. The silly little ***** was trying to invoke fear in him. He glanced left and right. There were no witnesses.

“You have no idea what real fear is, child,” he spoke slowly and softly, and as he did, he cast one last glance up at Cerise’s dorm room. The last thing he needed was her to witness this. But all was silent and still. He lowered his head and horns sprouted from his forehead. His body grew and expanded, his skin darkened and reddened. His clothes flowed and changed, becoming a cowled cloak that hid his wings. As the three young women stared in open-mouthed amazement, he laughed triumphantly. He bared his teeth in a snarling smile. “But I will show you....”

“This must be what attacked Cerise,” the brunette gasped.

“He can’t have her,” the one called Ashley snarled. “She's ours.”

Conall smiled more broadly. “You want Cerise Nation? You go through me.”

Read my stories!

<looks in empty bowl>

<pops more popcorn>

Looks like we're rooting for the bad guy again.

Personally, I was glad to see Akando... get what he deserved.

::tries to pick up jaw off ground and fails oh so very epically::

Wow

Just....wow !

Part XVI

OU Campus
Conall moved, circling, keeping them from his back. He took his time - even if they were young and foolish humans, it was still six on one. Best to take his time, know his opponents rather than risk an unpleasant surprise. He had seen all three young women before. There was the beautiful blonde named Ashley, the elegant young black woman called Stephanie, and the stylish brunette. All three watched him intently, and he could feel all three trying to find a way into his mind. The young men all moved with a robotic clumsiness at odds with their athletic builds. The largest of the men was bulky with muscle and wore his dark hair long. The second was tall, but with a lean, rangy build and short pale blonde hair. The third had short dark curling hair and while not as tall as the other two was clearly the most fit. If left to move on his own, Conall suspected that one would be his most challenging opponent.

The women all kept their distance as the mind controlled young men closed on him. The largest of the three ducked his head and charged at Conall, a rough, mindless charge Conall avoided easily. He kept his eye on the remaining two while the big one stumbled and recovered. He turned back and closed on Conall throwing a wild left jab and then a powerful right hook. Conall dodged backwards with a nimbleness at odds with his size and brought his fist up under the big human's jaw. The sound of flawless white teeth clacking shut and shattering echoed off the brick walls and the youth collapsed in a boneless, motionless heap. A fist hammered in Conall's back and he turned to face the remaining two men.

They were clumsy in their attacks, slow and obvious. "Your pets would do better if you loosed their leashes just a bit," Conall mocked. It was true, however, they were backed up by the three women who had joined the fight in earnest. Their psychic attacks ripped straight to the core of his mind with a blinding pain. It was a particular pain he'd felt before and suddenly he understand a bit more about what was going on here. “You porcelain faced *******!" he growled, dodging a hammer fist, "You are Carnies!”

He rolled away from an attempted grapple by the tall fair haired youth and raked his claws across that man's face, but the young man barely flinched. With a frustrated growl, Conall slashed the chest of the darker haired man and then reached out with his fist to yank the life energy from the other. As the taller man collapsed, Conall turned back to the third and finished him with a bone crunching series of blows to belly, chest, and jaw.

He turned to the women.“What does the Carnival of Shadows want with Cerise Nation?”

“The same thing you want, I imagine,” Ashley answered. “To get our hands on all that beautiful power.”

“Power,” he scoffed. “I will teach you the real use of power. I will show you fear and pain and suffering.” He advanced on the blonde, but then pain ripped through his skull. He whirled to his left and saw that the brunette had edged too close to him. He lunged, dragging his claws across her body. She shrieked as her blood began to flow from wounds that extended from her right shoulder to her left hip. The injured woman collapsed, screaming. Moments later, lights began to turn on in the dormitory behind them. Conall smiled, “Which of you is next?”

The levity crumbled away from the blonde’s face, but Conall noted how little concern she directed toward her fallen companions. “You’re next, monster,” she sneered, and the two of them attacked him together. The pain tore through his skull, but he advanced on the two women who took to dancing about him. He shook his head and reached out with a swipe, snagging the blonde. The third redoubled her attacks and his vision began to blur, but he took the blonde by the hair and bent her head back. “What do you intend for the girl?” he growled. “Answer me.”

Before any of them could move or speak, lights splashed across them. Conall recognized the sound of a powerful engine as a vehicle sped toward them and flashing lights burst into life atop the car. He placed his claws on the blonde’s throat and flexed his fingers just enough to let her feel the pressure. He leaned in, teeth bared and eyes blazing. “Leave Cerise Nation alone,” he growled. He stared into the wide blue eyes - eyes that had just begun to understand fear - then dropped her. He faded away into the shadows. Let the pair still standing explain how the brunette and the men had gotten injured - the campus security men would not believe them, and in the time wasted trying to get an answer from the girls, Conall would escape unseen.

As soon as he was alone again, he resumed his form of a harmless old man and made his way quickly back to Akando’s studio. His head ached and throbbed from the Carnie ******* attacks, but Trix could soothe that with her magic.

He realized that Trix had not obeyed him as soon as he entered the shop and a moist, gurgling whimper met his ears. He stalked back to the office area to find Excruciatrix still playing, crouched over her victim, blood covering her hands and arms like opera gloves.

“I told you to kill him, imp,” he snarled.

“I am,” she promised earnestly. “I’m nearly done." She showed him her bloody palm like a child proudly displaying a crude crayon drawing.

He scowled. “Finish him.” Trix pouted, while what was left of the man on the floor tried to crawl away. “Wait.. One more moment....” Conall crouched and took the remains of the man by his blood-soaked hair, twisting his head back painfully. “This is what happens when humans attempt to bargain with demons.” He chuckled, and released his grip. “Now, little imp, clean up your mess. We have much more work to do here.” With a mournful expression on her face, Excruciatrix opened Akando’s throat and trailed her claws through the blood that ran across the floor.

Cerise's Dorm Room
Cerise was sleepless the rest of that night, laying with the covers pulled up tight to her chin and staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. She couldn’t stop thinking about how helpless she’d been in the grip of the demon. Her heroic sisters would have been able to fight free, she was sure. But Cerise had never wanted the same thing Cyd and Caryn wanted. She didn’t want to be a hero, she wanted to be a cheerleader. Still, it would have been nice if she’d been able to fight back instead of just hanging there helpless in his grip.

“Oh my God... Cerise!” Samantha called out.

Cerise sat up instantly “What’s wrong?” she asked. She rolled out of bed and darted across the room.

"Your dress! What happened to it?" Samantha asked.

Cerise let out a shuddering sigh at the sight of the pretty party dress with the beaded strands broken and the spill of bright sparkles scattered over floor, but a chill shot up her spine when she saw the mirror was cracked in a long meandering path from the top left corner to the center of the bottom frame. She stared at it and then backed away. “The mirror..." she pointed out, taking a large step back from it. "I’ll call maintenance and have them replace it,” she said finally.

“Ok....” Samantha agreed. “Are you going to go to your 9:30?”

“Ya. I just need to grab some breakfast first.”

Sam waved as she left and Cerise called maintenance, made the claim that she had just found the mirror broken and then determinedly got ready for class. She took a hot shower, dressed herself in jeans and a nice shirt, fixed her hair and make up, and approved her look in the bathroom mirror.... giving the big full length mirror a wide berth.

She had plenty of time for breakfast and a review of notes before her first class, but when picking up her cell phone, she noticed that she had a slew of missed calls, and voice mail. Apparently, she’d missed some calls while being kidnaped by a demon. Mom, mom, mom, Cyd, Caryn, mom, mom, Cyd, mom, Caryn, mom.... Cerise could easily imagine the tone of the voice mails, so she skipped them entirely and just called home.

The phone barely finished a full ring before mom pounced on it, “Cerise! Is that you?”

“Hi mom. Ya, it’s me.”

“What happened to you last night?” Cerise paused. She’d completely forgotten about mom’s uncanny ability to know when something had happened to her daughters. Cerise had seem mom react to Cydney and Caryn when they got into magical trouble so it was no surprise that she’d known about Cerise. “Cerise? Are you there? I know you’re ok, I felt that last night... but what happened?”

“I.. Ah... I had a really bad dream,” Cerise answered. Which was the truth. Just not all of it. But her mom would just worry if she knew. “It was really scary.”

Cerise could hear the skepticism in her mom’s voice. “A dream? It didn’t feel like just a dream here, Cerise.”

“It felt pretty scary here too.”

“But.... you’re ok now?”

“Ya, mom, I’m fine.” Cerise paused. “Mom? ‘The Beast’ was supposed to be female, right?”

“Yes, the stories are clear on that. ‘The Beast’ is a she.”

Cerise nodded to herself. “Ok. Just making sure.... I’m fine, I promise, but I’ve got to get going if I’m going to get breakfast before class.”

“Ok. I love you.”

“Love you, too, mom.”

Cerise trotted down the steps, determinedly putting the terrifying adventures behind her. She stepped out into the bright sun and smiled to see the older man from the night before sitting on a bench by the dorm’s front door. “I’m so glad you’re here!” she exclaimed. “I forgot to ask your name last night.”

The man rose stiffly, clutching a paper coffee cup in one hand. “It’s Rory,” he answered “Rory Flynn. And I forgot to ask yours as well, miss. I came by because... well... because I wanted to be sure you were ok. And... I needed to speak with you.”

She held out her hand, “Cerise Nation.” She smiled as his rough hand engulfed hers. “You... needed to speak with me?”

“Let an old man buy a pretty young thing a cup of coffee, would you, miss?”

She hesitated, but he’d saved her life the night before. “Of course. I was just headed to breakfast. Campus corner ok?”

A quick walk and they were seated on a patio overlooking the brick archways that led back to campus. The morning was warming up quickly, and cars, bicycles, and pedestrians bustled by. Cerise sipped her coffee and broke off bites of her bagel while Rory enjoyed a breakfast sandwich with his coffee. They sat in silence for a few moments before Cerise glanced at her watch and asked, “You said you needed to speak to me?”

Rory nodded. “I don’t quite know how to say this without sounding daft...”

Cerise gave him a crooked smile. “Rory, you rescued me from a ...” she glanced about and leaned in, “monster,” she whispered. “Nothing you say is going to sound ‘daft,’ to me this morning.”

He smiled, and his lined face lit up. “There’s power in you,” he finally blurted out. “Quite a lot. And that’s going to make you a target for.... ah... things that would use you for that power.”

“Like that demon last night?”

“Exactly.” Rory cocked his head at her. “You... don’t seem surprised.”

“I’m not.” She shook her head. “There’s... a family history, I guess.”

He nodded again. “I... have... ah.... a touch of the sight, and I see danger for you.” She sighed and shook her head side to side. “You’re not surprised about that either?”

“There’s this whole prophecy thing...” she muttered, and pushed her half eaten bagel away.

“Does your prophecy involve a mask?” Rory asked.

“A mask?” Cerise frowned. “No, no masks. Just... a demon.”

“I see a painted mask, and darkness, and danger. And it’s soon.” He leaned forward, urgency clear, “Girl, whatever you do, do not wear a porcelain mask. I see.... no future for you at all past that mask.”

A knot of fear settled into Cerise’s belly. She nodded. “Thank you,” she said finally. “I’ll stay far away from masks of any kind.” She slid off the high stool and gathered up her backpack. “Thanks for breakfast, Rory. I really need to get to class, though.”

As she turned to go, he called after her, “I hope you won’t mind it I keep an eye out for you. Just to make certain...”

She smiled, a bright pretty smile that would have fluttered his heart if he’d actually been human. “You’re my guardian angel,” she answered, and waved as she turned and trotted away.

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You just keep getting better Wow, indeed

Well, it does bring up a pertinent question about Conall. Is he one of the fallen angel types of demon, or one born true to a dimension of evil?

Part XVII

Campus Corner
Guardian Angel? Conall shook his head. He watched Cerise skip away and pushed his coffee cup away with the back of his hand. That slender girl, that silly human child could buy his freedom. His face twisted with frustration that his fate depended on such a fragile vessel. And now the Carnival of Shadows wanted her? Undoubtedly they were attracted to all the magic contained within the girl. But if they got her, if they managed to make her one of theirs, what happened to Ciara Banenighe and the prophecy? Conall could not take the risk that he might spend eternity chained to that wretched demonic harridan. He would not stand by while the power that could free him was stolen by those foolish masked *******, those pretenders to magical power. But at the same time, it was imperative that the girl start USING her power. And for that to happen, Conall would play a delicate game with the youngest “daughter ó Floinn.” It was a winner take all gamble. One he refused to lose.

Chi Omicron Sigma House
Stephanie sat quietly as Ashley raged. There was no point in attempting reasonable conversation when the local chapter’s Ring Mistress was in a fury. It was just one of many reasons Stephanie thought she should be Ring Mistress rather than Ashley.

“Why didn’t it kill that stupid ***** Jessica too?! Bad enough it killed Hunter and Chris! They were at least nice to look at! But... it had Jessica in it’s claws and just let her live? Could have gotten her worthless whiny *** out of our way! I am so tired of dealing with her!” Ashley waved her hands as she paced and Stephanie just waited for her to settle down.

When the word storm had finally died down a bit, Stephanie spoke again, “We need to do something about Cerise. Whatever that thing was, it obviously wants her.”

Ashley leaned onto the back of her heavy mahogany chair. “We initiate the ***** tonight.” She nodded. “Yes... once she’s under the mask, she belongs to us. She’ll be able to use that store of power to save herself from the monster, and we’ll finally have that power for ourselves.”

“But... it’s too early? What about the other pledges?”

“All of them together don’t equal a fraction of Cerise’s power. **** the other pledges. They don’t have to know anything changed. Cerise will disappear for a few days, and when she comes back - with a story about a romantic weekend or something - no one will need to know anything has happened. Except, of course, for Cerise.”

OU Campus
Cerise emerged into the bright afternoon sun. Her struggle to maintain her composure had lasted until she picked up copy of the campus newspaper. That was when she learned that her sisters-to-be in Chi-O-S and their escorts had been viciously attacked right outside her dorm. Could it be connected to what had happened to her? The article said that freshman student athletes Hunter Goff andChris McGee had been killed and junior Jessica Kerr and freshman Bradley Barnes had been seriously injured. The article speculated that it had been a pack of pit bulls. Cerise remembered meeting Hunter at that first party. She’d really liked him. Was he dead because of her?

Pale and shaking, Cerise had drifted through her classes. She honestly couldn’t remember a word that had been said by a single professor all day. Then her chemistry lab this afternoon... it was a wonder she hadn’t caught herself on fire. Now her classes for the day were over, and Cerise couldn’t imagine going back to her dorm room and walking past that mirror. She stood there in the warm afternoon light and put her face in her hands. “Get it together, Cerise,” she whispered to herself.

She heard her name and turned. Ashley and Stephanie were hurrying towards her. Their perfection was toned down a fraction on that day, as if they were just a bit distracted themselves. “Cerise! Are you doing ok? You heard about Jessica?”

“I did! And Hunter... and Chris and Bradley.” She shook her head, “Oh my god.. What was going on here last night?”

Ashley made a tiny throw away gesture with her hand, as if she cared not a bit for the injured and killed boys. “Come on back to the house with us, Cerise. I think we all need to spend some time together.”

Cerise smiled with relief. ANYTHING was better than going back to that empty dorm room. “Yes... I’d like that.”

---
Conall smiled with utter satisfaction from his vantage on the clock tower. Everything was going according to plan. The Carnies were undoubtedly about to make their move on the girl rather than risk losing her. He could obey his *****-mistress’s command, continue building trust with the girl, and get back home again. And continue finding a way to help his enemies get him free.

He winced as a cacophony of chimes erupted overhead and then sneered with disgust. Electronic chimes. He shook his head sadly.


Chi Omicron Sigma House
As always, the Chi-O-S house was festive as if a huge party would be held that night. To Cerise, at that moment, however, it felt safe; finally someplace she could just relax and not worry.

But just as Cerise started to sit, Ashley called to her, “Hang on, Cerise... we want to show you something. I think you’ll get a kick out of it.”

Cerise followed, curious as they passed through a door into a part of the house she’d never seen before. It was a narrow, dark hallway that led to a plain wooden door. Cerise would have assumed that it led to a basement if not for the obvious excitement of Ashley and Stephanie. The beautiful African-American girl was crowding up behind Cerise as if she couldn’t wait to go through that door, and Ashley smiled her bright, perfect smile in anticipation.

“Where are we going?” Cerise asked, suddenly nervous.

“To a special, private party, Cerise,” Ashley said. She flung open the door like a game show hostess revealing a deluxe prize package, but all Cerise saw was a flight of wooden steps leading down. The narrow staircase ended in a black curtain. “Go on,” Ashley continued. “It’ll be a big surprise!”

Cerise made her way down the wooden stairs while a knot of dread began to form in her belly. Something wasn’t right. One of their sisters was in the hospital, along with one of their friends, and another two friends were dead... and they were having a party. It didn’t make sense, and that made her very nervous.

She stopped, filled with a sudden desire to be back at the top of this stair case. "Why don't we just watch some TV or listen to music upstairs?"

“Go on, Cerise....” Ashley encouraged, “it’ll be so much fun!”

Cerise swallowed past a thick lump in her throat. She really wanted to go back up, but... creaky step by creaky step she made her way down. Ashley and Stephanie crowded behind her, making her even more nervous. She reached the bottom and hesitated, glancing over her shoulder, looking with longing at the door at the top of the steps.

Finally she pushed her hands through the heavy curtains and pulled them open. Ashley and Stephanie crowded behind her and pushed her down off that last step. As soon as her foot landed, lights and noise exploded around her. It was like stepping into a three ring circus. The brightly colored lights played along the canopied walls, creating a dizzy splash of light and dark. The jangly music evoked memories of a merry-go-round, but one on which the carved animals were evil and twisted and scary. The air was redolent with popcorn and cotton candy and funnel cakes. A bitter scent overlaid it all, though, a scent like burning herbs or some sort of incense intended for a foul purpose.

Cerise blinked at the light and noise, “What is this-” she started, then her eyes found the enormous painted masks hanging from the walls. Beautiful, fragile works of art, but the sight of them heightened her dread and she could hear Rory’s voice echo in her head, I see.... no future for you at all past that mask.

Ashley took her by one elbow and Stephanie by the other, leading her forward, “We’ve decided that this is a special day for you, Cerise. We’re going to initiate you to full sister, today. Right now.” More and more men and women stepped forward into the room, all dressed like demented circus performers. The women all wore replicas of the giant masks, the men wore outfits that revealed their muscles but their faces could not have been more blank if they were wearing masks as well.

Cerise pulled free and stepped back. “Hold on! Just wait!” She held her hands out in front of her. “What IS this?"

“Initiation, sister Cerise,” Stephanie said. “Initiation is simple.. You just wear this.”

In one fast move, Stephanie stepped into Cerise. She drew a porcelain mask from the designer handbag at her hip and before Cerise could react, she pressed that mask onto Cerise’s face. Cerise yelped and stepped back, knocking the mask away. “Hey! Stop it!” she protested. “What the hell?” She shook her head. That mask had made her dizzy. She wondered if it were coated with something.

Ashley stamped her foot. “What is it with you Nation girls that you have to make everything so ******* ******* difficult!?” At a gesture, two of the blank faced men, men that Cerise would have called friends before this moment, stepped forward and took her by her arms, holding her in place.

Cerise began to struggle in earnest, suddenly terrified. “Stop it! Leave me alone!” she cried out. "Let go of me!!!" The men held her fast, she couldn’t get away.

Ashley retrieved the mask and stood before Cerise. “Shut up, you self-righteous *****. Just shut up. You belong to us, now.”

Before Cerise could speak again, Ashley shoved the mask into place. Cerise screamed as she felt the energy of the mask start to reach into her mind - like fingers slowly working their way into her thoughts. She screamed again as it started trying to take away her control over her own body. Dimly, she could hear Ashley voice, “We’ve got the little ***** now, dammit.”

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Fish in a barrel

It doesn't look good...

for the Chi-O's

Lots of stars.

Valid.

Keep the story coming please and Thank you!

/em readsfortune

I predict... mass mayhem.

You have a real talent for writing Sooner. I enjoy reading your stuff - can't wait for more !

*eats popcorn*

Pax

I'd feel sorry for what's about to happen to the Carnies, except, I hate the *******.

Nothing like cheering for a Demon.

Part XVII

The Chi Omicron Sigma basement
Cerise began to concentrate all her energy on fighting the mental invasion. She stopped struggling against the iron grip of the two men restraining her, letting them hold her up while she fought the battle for her mind. She stopped moving at all, and just concentrated on stopping the mask from taking her over. It wanted her, it wanted her so badly, but Cerise Nation was not about to give in.

“Alright, boys,” Ashley said. “We’ve got her now. Let go.”

Cerise stumbled and nearly fell when they released her. She stood swaying, hearing a hissing noise like distant whispering. She fought against its control, struggled to regain control of her body. With a burst of pure determination, she brought both her hands to her face and flung the mask away. She wasted no time with witty banter, she whirled away from the men still standing behind her and sprinted for the staircase.

“STOP HER!” Ashley screamed.

Cerise plunged through the curtain and took the steps three at a time. She hit the door at the top at a full run and bounced back, stumbling and waving her arms to stay on her feet. It hadn’t opened. She pushed, pulled, tugged and shoved, but the door wouldn’t budge. “Oh... ****....” she murmured, and turned to face her pursuers. She resolved to wait until they were nearly on her to reveal her magical weapons, but no way was she going to let them get anywhere near her with that mask again.

Ashley came about halfway up the stairs before stopping. She was followed by Stephanie, a dozen women with their face hidden by masks, and more gorgeous, perfect men... with their own faces perfect blank expressionless masks.

“Leave me alone!,” Cerise said. “Just leave me alone... let me get out of here. I don’t want this.”

“Too late for that, Nation.” Ashley said. “You’re going to be ours. You’re trapped. You’re not getting out of here until we let you out.”

Cerise could clearly see two paths ahead of her: Panic or determination. Panic beckoned... but she chose determination.

“Come on and get me, then, you snotty *******!” Cerise crouched, and her magical blades appeared in the air in front of her, blazing with red tinged light that filled the narrow staircase.

“Oh, for the love of...” Ashley muttered. “Why can’t you just shut up and let us do this?!”

“No way.” Cerise answered.

Ashley smiled, that beautiful, perfect smile. “What fun I'm going to have with you,” she laughed. She thrust out the palm of her hand, and something hit Cerise. It was like being hit in the head with a two by four... only there was nothing there. She blinked, staggered, and her magical blades vanished. Before she could even try to bring them back, whatever it was hit her again, and she was lost.

---
Conall prowled unseen around the Chi Omicron Sigma house while Trix hid on the rooftop. He felt the flare of magic from within, and some of it had a very familiar flavor. He’d fought against Cerise Nation’s older sisters often enough to recognize the feel of that special magic. Yes indeed, something certainly had the youngest “daughter ó Floinn” agitated. He sincerely hoped he’d correctly estimated her will and ability to fight against the Carnies. If not... all was lost for him.

---
Cerise woke slowly, replaying the last memories in her head as if they were a movie she dimly remembered seeing. She shook her head, trying to clear it, but it felt like her brain was wrapped in a thick layer of cotton batting. She opened her eyes and realized her field of view was severely restricted. And that was when she realized she was wearing the mask again. She screamed but the sound was muffled by the mask. When she tried to raise her hands to remove the mask she jerked tight against the bonds holding her wrists. She was seated with her hands pulled behind some sort of pole or pillar and tied at the wrist. Her feet were wrapped with cord at the ankle, and the mask was tied firmly in place.

She wanted to freak out, she wanted to panic and struggle and wail and cry.... but instead, she put her concentration into fighting the insidious voices in her head, the ones trying to control her thoughts, her feelings.

Voices from outside her head drifted in, but they weren’t as important. She considered what they had to say and discarded them as pointless.

“How is she still fighting this?” said the one she thought was Ashley.

“The Carnival wants her because she’s strong,” another voice said, probably Stephanie. “That she’s as strong as we thought is not a bad thing.”

“She should have been ours before she woke.”

“That just means she’ll be even more valuable to us when she succumbs.” There was a long pause. “You’re worried she’ll take your place,” Stephanie’s rich alto voice chuckled softly. “The longer it takes her to give in, the more you worry.”

“Shut up, Steph. Just shut up. We’ve finally got her. That’s what matters.”

From inside her head the voices made their own assault. Join us, play with us. You’ll be powerful, you’ll be beautiful and popular and can have whatever you desire. Be with me. You’ll never be alone, you’ll never be lonely. You’ll never want for the most handsome, most wealthy men, and they won’t dare treat you as anything but a princess. You’ll have the most beautiful expensive clothes, you’ll have the best cars, the most shimmering jewelry. The world will love you, if you just let me in. It never stopped talking, and Cerise knew it had made some serious inroads while she’d been unconscious, because it was starting to sound more reasonable. But she could not let it win. She would not.

She closed her eyes to concentrate more fully on the fight at hand. And she saw the magic. Cyd and Car had described the swirling colors, the beauty of it as it rose around her. Caryn in particular hadn’t seemed to want to talk too terribly much about how it happened, but both her sisters explained how the magic had come when they needed it most, and how she just needed to let it in and it would save her. But she didn’t know how to let it in without opening the doors for the voices as well. So her salvation hovered around her, wanting to help her, and she couldn’t let it. She could only continue a fight she wasn’t sure she could ever win. And hope that something would change.

---
The magic was rising within. Conall could feel it. It was swirling and coalescing and NOT being used. What was wrong with the girl? Why didn’t she take the power being offered? Did she WANT to give up her own life to the Carnival of Shadows? He prowled along until he found what he was looking for; a low window that would lead into the basement. He summoned his imp with a thought.

“Listen to me,” he said firmly and grasped her dainty jaw in his palm. “The girl must not know you are helping her.” When the imp nodded her head in understanding, he released his grip. “They will hurt you. They will hurt me. You will stay hidden and use your powers to make sure the girl is safe, and you will aid me however you can. We must succeed in this, imp.” She nodded solemnly at him. “Do not take the time to play with any of them.” He pointed a claw when she pouted. “Do not. Get to the girl, but give your energy to me. Free the girl, give your energy to me. Then stay hidden, but with me. Do you understand me?”

She pouted. “I will not let them hurt you.”

He grabbed the back of her neck in one swift move, his claws wrapping completely around her neck. He pulled her close, his burning eyes meeting hers. "You WILL let them hurt me. You will keep me alive, you will keep me moving, but you will not interfer if they hurt me. Remember, even if I appear to fall, you must still stay hidden.” He waited for her reluctant nod. “And the girl?” he asked.

“I will make sure she goes free.”

“Then we are ready,” he said.

Conall made the change to his Rory Flynn form before slipping through the window, taking a heavy walking stick with him, and waiting while Trix slithered through behind. She found the shadows and scampered ahead of him.

Life was so much simpler before Ciara entered it again. Now he was gambling his eternity on the willpower of a human girl - a human girl that in a more rational world he would have already killed brutally instead of working diligently for her survival. “Guardian Angel” she’d called him just that morning. An angel he most certainly was not, but until Ciara was dead, he supposed all three Nation girls had a Guardian Demon. It was too ludicrous for words.

The plan was simple. Help the girl free herself. If all went well, there would be a minimum of bloodshed. Not that Conall cared at all for the lives of these ******* and their mind controlled drones... but it drew less attention to do it with without death and destruction. This way "Rory" would gain even more of her trust and gratitude. And, frankly, if things went wrong and he had to slaughter them wholesale, he could always just approach her later in the guise of a police officer. All that mattered was that the girl lived, her and her sisters, long enough to take care of Ciara Banenighe for him. And if a few dozen college kids had to die on his claws for that to happen... that was quite all right with him.

He slowly parted the curtains enclosing the space and saw a room full of Carnies. There were surrounded by handsome young men, all apparently mind controlled to a level just slightly superior to zombies. He wondered how many of them were doomed to make the transition to wearing a Strongman's helmet. The room was decorated like a big top, with curtains forming the walls of the tent, but the “tent poles” were steel posts set into concrete. And there, across the room, sat Cerise Nation, bound to one of the posts. She was dressed as he’d seen her last but her face was hidden by a Carnie mask. She was still except for occasionally rolling her head or shaking it back and forth in a negative. That was enough to tell him she was still fighting it.

He waited impatiently for Trix to get into position, hoping she hadn’t found a cricket or a mouse to torment on the way. The moment stretched on, long enough for him to fully flesh out how he would punish his little imp if she had failed him, but then he saw movement in the shadows behind the girl. Conall could see her concentrating on the bonds on Cerise’s wrists first. Then she reached up with her slender clawed fingers and began oh-so-gently and carefully loosening the ribbon ties holding the mask in place... just enough that it would feel as if it were slipping... just enough so that the girl could shake it loose. When Trix was done, she lifted her burning eyes and found Conall unerringly. She nodded her head, dipping her chin to her chest and then back up, just once.

---
Cerise was so tired. It seemed she’d been fighting the voices for days and days. They sounded more and more reasonable by the moment. Giving in to them would be so easy. It would let her get her sore *** off that cold hard floor, let her eat and have something to drink and go to the bathroom. It would be easier... but Cerise had never backed down from anything. Becoming a cheerleader in a house full of athletes was not the first fight she’d won.

Her head dropped back, and she began to dream. The lovely Irish girl in the pretty wool dress appeared, concern plain on her face. “Let in the magic, Cerise, let it in.” she said in her lovely lilting voice. “It’s time you moved on from here. Claim your magic. You have a destiny, Cerise, and you must claim it.”

“I can’t” Cerise answered aloud.

Don't listen to her, the voice said in her head, you don’t need her. Let me in... let me in, let me in... and you’ll BE magic. You will live a live of luxurious indulgence, forever. You will be one of our highest, you will have power and money and pleasure like you cannot even imagine. If you just.... let.... me.... in!

She shook her head again, in denial of the voices, in denial of the probing and seeking fingers in her mind, and froze. The mask had moved. She opened her eyes and her view was skewed. She smiled under the mask. It was her first hope since she’d woken up. The Chi-O-S sisters had gotten bored with her and were wandering about chatting and laughing, but they still came by and checked on her. Which meant she couldn’t just shake it off. And then she’d have to get free of this post or they’d just put the damn mask right back on. But... it was a start.

Just then, a loud crash demanded the attention of everyone in the room. Cerise’s eyes popped open and she moaned out a desperate denial to see Rory Flynn, brandishing a heavy walking stick furiously. “You leave that girl alone!” he demanded.

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Now those ******* are in for a real carnival.

Man, I'm gonna have to wait another whole day or so for more? I hate Carnies. I can't wait to see them get their wigs split.