The Lynnie Russell Trilogy (7 page)

I was startled for a second when the flash of the woman slicing me open came through my head. I backed up and away from old woman in the room with me with a start. She looked terrified. Her brown eyes, set wide, just stared at me. I could hear her heart beating in her chest; it was too fast and loud.

“What happened to you?” She asked me with heavy breaths.

“What do ya mean?” I tried to pretend like I had no idea was she was talking about.

“Sit down.” She said; her eyes were still big as dinner plates.

I sat on a small stool next to the burning leaves and sticks in the bowl. The room felt like magic, I think. I’d no idea what magic felt like really, except what I’d seen and felt the night I became that thing. The night that woman cut me open like a slaughtered hog. The magic at Mama Lee’s house didn’t feel nothin’ like the magic in the woods that night it felt softer, lighter, more divine. If that’s possible.

“You know who I am?” The woman said in a low voice looking right at my face.

“You’re Mama Lee. Folks talk about you. Say you can help people, stuff a doctor couldn’t fix. Some say…”

“Say I’m a witch.” She said without batting an eye.

“Well…yeah.” I didn’t know what else to say so I just said the truth. Truth will set you free they say. In my case though, truth might very well get me killed.

“Yes, I do the best I can. But, darlin’ the kinda help you need ain’t gonna be easy. And it ain’t gonna be free.”

“I have money, but I didn’t bring anything with me. I left…”

“You left runnin’.” She put her hands on my head and ran her fingers through my hair. Something my nana used to do to calm a crying child. “Hold real still for me darlin’.”

Mama Lee’s eyes were closed while she pushed her hands through my matted hair and over my scalp. I could hear her heart beating, loud. She turned her head from side to side like she was listening for something far away that I could hear.

I was sitting very quiet and still for the old woman. I only let my eyes move, watching her. She wasn’t so tall I couldn’t see her face standing over me without moving my head. In fact, she was a tiny little lady. Not much taller than a kid. And so thin, couldn’t hit her with a hand full of corn. Her tan arms floated over my face while her hands disappeared into my blonde hair. The difference in color made her skin look even darker. She had thin lines of wrinkles on her face like a crumpled old map; you could read where she’d been by the lines on her face. I couldn’t tell how old she was, but from what I hear she’s old. She looked pretty good for the age I thought she was.

Mama Lee concentrated on my head for a long while, just rubbing along my scalp. I damn near fell asleep it felt so good. It was the most relaxed I’d been in a few days. I let my eyes close, thinking I’d be alright if I only closed them for a minute.

The old woman quickly shrieked and fell to her knees on the floor. Her hands were still in my hair so she pulled my head with her. My eyes were open and I was staring into the dark brown eyes of an old woman who knew too much.

The look on her face was terrible. She looked like I would eat her up right there. Maybe she was right.

“It can’t be.” She said so quiet most folks wouldn’t have heard her. Even as close as I was to her, I couldn’t believe I heard what she said.

“What? What’d you see?” I was starting to get scared. Not because of what she might of seen, or what I might be, but what she might know. And mostly, what she’d do with that information.

She stared at me for a long while, down on the ground looking up at me, hands still wrapped into my hair.

“What’d you do?” She ask me.

“I didn’t do nothin’.” I tried to stand up, but her hands in my hair kept my butt firmly planted on the hard wooden stool.

“Claws, and teeth, and blood. So much blood. A woman, with fire hair, a witch woman. A coven in the woods? Dark magic, blood magic. Death.” She breathed a heavy breath. “Oh, death.” The woman was rambling on, but I knew everything she was saying. It was all true. Blood, magic, death, all of it.

“What am I?” I was starting to cry at the thought that someone else knew my secret, but I had to know what I was. Even if that meant admitting to the old woman, to myself, what I’d become.

The woman’s eyebrows turned in, her eyes looked at me with total sadness and pity. And maybe a little bit of fear in there too. “Death.” She said finally with a tremblin’ voice.

I stood up, pulling my hair out of her old thin hands. I was prepared for damn near anything to come outta her mouth, a werewolf, a monster, a demon even. But death, just death meant nothing more than I was a killer. I wasn’t ready to accept the fate of a killer.

“Crazy old woman! Don’t you tell anybody I was here or I’ll come back tonight and you’ll see death.” I knew I was sinnin’ just saying that to out loud, I didn’t care too much.

She watched me storm out of her old covered porch with so much heat and anger I might have impressed the devil himself.

I was halfway to the truck when I heard the hanging beads and charms clang against each other.

“You’ll kill him Lynnie Russell. If you ain’t careful, you’ll kill that strong brother of yours!” She hollered from the steps of her porch.

I heard what she’d said, but I didn’t dare turn around. I knew the fire would build in me and take me over the edge to a place I didn’t want to be. So, I kept walking to my truck. Before I pulled away I snuck one last look on the only living human being who knew what I was. She stood on her porch holding a long string of beads and charms in her hands. Her eyes were closed and her lips were moving like she was praying. Or chanting maybe. I let myself be pissed off and slammed my foot down on the gas pedal. The balding tires on my old truck slid across the asphalt and left a nice trail of smoke when I took off.

I drove till I couldn’t see anymore. My eyes were burning from rage. I was angry that that woman knew what I was. It wasn’t natural for someone to be able to rub your head and know your life. Your name, your family, your sins. It just wasn’t natural. But then again, neither was turning into some kinda green hairy beast and killing folks out in the woods.

I’d damn near forgotten about waking up with blood on my face. I felt like my mind was melting and all my memories were dripping off like hot wax from a burning candle. I felt consumed. Consumed with rage, with that beast, with my sins.

I’d talked to God, I’d seen a magic woman, I didn’t know where else to go. Dusk was coming on fast. Seemed to me that the day had slipped away with such boring things like church and driving and now I was closer to becoming that thing. Becoming the beast that sits inside me waiting to burst out with so much force I’d like to have died twice.

I made myself drive far out into the woods. Through Havana, past Russellville, deep into the Ozarks. Once the woods started to thicken I pulled my rusty old truck into a small clearing off the road. Likely a place hikers and hunters parked making a spot clear of brush and forest.

The sky was an amazing show of colors: red, orange, and purple. The most royal purple I’d ever seen in the sky. In the thick of the trees it was like night had already taken over. I walked a bit into the trees and brush. Listening to the earth, waiting to hear voices or other signs I wasn’t alone. Only the sounds of night animals coming out to play and my own footsteps could be heard.

I decided to pull my clothes off and leave them piled neatly in the bed of my truck. I didn’t right feel like running naked through the woods again. As I stripped my clothes off I realized I was standing in the middle of the Ozarks, damn near naked, waiting for the night to pull a beast from my body. It felt normal. My head told me I should be scared, terrified of what was to happen. My heart told me I didn’t much have a choice and I was doing right by Garret to stay away, even if it was only for the night.

I knew the old witch woman was right, I would kill him. Not me, the monster I was about to become. I knew I’d change again, and again, and again, until I either died or figured out how to stop it. The only one I knew could help me had just told me I would kill my only brother. I hated her for that. I hated her for telling me the truth.

The sun was disappearing and the night was taking over. I could taste it on my tongue like a sweet caramel, so sinful but so delicious.

“Please Lord, I’m no killer. I’m no monster. God, please, help me.”

The night took over. A pain in my stomach wrenched and I fell to the dirt. I knew what was happening this time and I was ready for it. I pulled all the strength I could and fought hard not to cry out.

The pain was that of death. Pulling and jerking my limbs and bones and muscles. Muscles ripped and tore and reformed around bones that moved and cracked into my beasts shape. With every tear and crack I begged God to save me from this. I begged him to take me from this earth, to keep me from this torment. He never answered.

The fur grew from the pores in my skin and my fingers curled and twisted into huge paws. Razor claws pushed out of the ends of what used to be my fingers and my jaw thrust its way out into a muzzle with teeth that would likely kill something if they got the chance.

My eyes, that I knew looked like burning flames, could see the world in only green. The change was slowing down, it was almost over. I did everything I could to not lose myself to the beast. My mind, my soul, refused to give itself over.

I was alone in the woods. Just me and my beast. It was a fight to the death and the beast was winning. With every breath, I was becoming.

Predecessor

Not like any other night, I stayed with the beast. I fought hard for my soul and I won.

My heavy paws hit the leaf covered dirt with a lazy flop. The new muscles in my hind legs and backside flexed and moved not like any human legs could do. I knew I was big, huge even. I could feel my body take up more space than a dog or big cat would. I didn’t know what I was, but I was damn sure I wasn’t anything the world had seen before.

I stalked the woods under the clear, dark, sky. The moon was only a portion of what it could be. Not much light was peeking through the tops of all the trees, but I could see everything with my perfect animal eyes. I felt invincible. Like some kind of superhero. Or villain. But, the villain rarely lives past the last scene and I knew that, somehow, I would.

As I moved through the darkness I knew there was somewhere I needed to be. I walked with a purpose. While I was in there, the beast still had all the control. I could see, feel, and hear everything around me but I couldn’t do a damn thing about it. It was like watching a movie, no choices, no plan B, just a bystander.

My breaths came out with a huff every now and then. I could hear the earth speak to me. Down to the humming song of the Cicada, I heard every note.

I walked, never tiring. Wandering the night, searching for something I couldn’t see. Something I didn’t understand. I had a feeling the beast knew exactly where it was headed. I tried to take control. I tried to make the legs move in the direction I wanted them to. Nothing worked. Whatever my body had turned into, my brain didn’t follow it. I was trapped. It was a sickening feeling. I regretted sticking around; staying in the body I knew would surely kill while I watched.

The night passed as I stalked through the woods. The songs of the earth continued in a never-ending serenade. I didn’t know where I was or how I’d get back when morning came around. As time passed me by I started not to care.

Seeing the world in shades of green I saw things I would’ve never seen in my human body. The markings on the back of a camel cricket, the glowing eyes of an animal hunting in the cover of night, it all interested me. The beast didn’t seem to pay it no mind.

I felt old, ancient even. Like the body I was in had been around since Kane and Able. Decades, centuries on this earth with a purpose since the dawn of man. These were all feelings, not thoughts or facts from the beast. I felt them in the soul that stayed attached to the creature.

My ears picked up the sound of a person moving through the brush and trees. The sound is different than an animal. More clumsy and pointless. The beast lifted its head and sniffed at the air. I picked up the scent. Musky, sweat, a man was in the woods with me.

The beast stalked low to the ground. I was stuck in the body of this thing scared to death there was a hunter in the woods set to kill me. Scared more that there was a hunter in those woods who was about to get eaten by me and my green beasty.

When I got a little closer I could see the man, in bright shades of purple. His body was darker where shading would be and brighter where any small amount of light might be hitting it. A perfect manly body done up in purple and in his birthday suit.

I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why a man would be naked in the woods, but it seemed like the beast knew why and was going to take care of him good. I felt the muscles in my back tense, my ears pulled back to my head, and I sat crouched against the dirt waiting for the man to come a little closer.

The man stumbled about in the woods. He didn’t look like he knew where he was going or what he was doing. He stepped a bit closer to me and stopped in his tracks.

He stood for a second staring at me, the beast, and then he said, “I’ve been waiting for you. What took you so long?”