Blue Flame II: Extinguish pt:3

 Scene III: The Pit

Strange footprints lead into a small crack in the rock face. This is the doorway Shuffle told him about. The smell of rot tears at Jack’s eyes. He pulls his collar up over his nose to filter out the stink. This is insane. Pulling out a gun and turning sideways, Jack slides into the crevasse.

Adjusting to the darkness, Jack uses his lighter to guide his footsteps. Bodies cover the floor less than a hundred feet from the entrance. Jawbones missing from decomposing corpses. Chest cavities torn open. Maggots wiggling inside black folds of flesh. The noise of bone fragments and beetles crunching under Jack’s boots echoes through the cavern. A massive web coats the cavern in a gossamer blanket. Jack lifts his lighter to touch it. A flame ignites furiously down the tunnel. It extinguishes quickly, leaving the cave to fall back into darkness.

“I hate spiders,” Jack whispers. “This place could use a little spring cleaning.”

Down many levels Jack encounters a massive cavity. He approaches the edge. Carvings on the walls create sharp angles. Crystal formations spiral from the ceiling. Intricate patterns and ornate textures decorate the floor below.

Creeping on his belly, Jack overlooks multi-symmetric patterns of a strange symbolic language. The script spirals around the center of an indigo glow radiating from deep below. A blue flame flickers over the empty darkness of a pit.

Jack hears scuffling from behind, and rolls over with gun in hand. A sharp claw comes slicing down, penetrating the ground. Jack fires at his attacker. Through the explosions of each bullet, Jack makes out the details of his horrific assailant. Black eyes glisten above a mouth of fangs. The bullets sink into the creature’s chest, knocking it to the ground.

Jack leaps to his feet, flipping open the chambers of his two revolvers and emptying the spent cartridges. The brass shells clink to the ground. He reloads the guns and approaches the strange creature. Black liquid spews from its fresh wounds.
Getting closer, Jack begins to recognize the face.

“Frank?” It couldn’t be. It’s not possible. Could Frank’s ugly face have gotten uglier?

Pink maggots crawl out of the creature’s open wounds. The thing twitches. Scales and thorns protrude from its back.
It gurgles something, “Jackkkkkk.” Dark eyes fling open.

Jack shoots a bullet into one of them, and a hiss of air escapes.

If that was Frank, Jack thought, returning to the brink of the pit to pick up his hat, then it’s possible Ernest is lurking here too. Presuming he is still alive, or worse.

“That won’t kill him,” snarls a voice.

Jack turns to see the remnants of Ernest stepping out from a shadow. A deformed creature with jagged hooks for hands drags itself closer. Its ribs puff out with each breath.

“The worms heal him,” it says. “He will rise again. We are immortal. Immortal and damned.”

Jack thumbs back the hammers of his guns.

“Ah, Ern, old buddy. That you?” Jack asks. “Looks like you’ve seen better days, friend. Might be time for a new look.” Jack takes a few steps from the edge, circling around the creature. “Going to be hard getting the ladies with a horn sticking out your head.” Jack wipes the sweat off his face. “I know a good plastic surgeon. Think I have a business card.”

The thing begins to convulse, hacking something out its throat. “Ernest is dead,” it chokes. “I am something else.”

“I can see that,” Jack says risking a quick glance at the Frank creature lying motionless next to the wall. “How long until that thing comes back?”

“Not long,” it says. Scabs and calluses cover its face. Dark veins throb across its gray body. His arms, too long for his body, drag at his side.

“You must kill me.” It reaches out, “Kill me.”

Jack lifts a revolver higher. “If I shoot you, will you die? Won’t you come back like dear ol’ Frank?”
Jack gestures towards the pulsing figure on the ground.

“The thing in me, the thing eating me. Inside me.”

“Guess there is only one way to find out,” Jack says pulling the trigger. A bullet sinks into the approaching monster’s skull. Chunks of flesh explode out the back of its head. The creature stumbles nearer to the cliff with a look of surprise. Jack shoots another bullet and another. The impact is enough to knock the creature over the edge. Jack casually opens his guns and exchanges the spent casings with live ammo.

Stepping up to the edge Jack catches a final glimpse of Ernest being consumed in the flame below. Its flesh begins boiling off the bones, peeling, and finally turning black before crumbing to dust.

“Very interesting,” Jack says rubbing his chin. “That’s one hot spark.”

From behind him he hears a hacking sound as the thing that once was Frank starts to reanimate and vomit.

“That hurt,” it gurgles.

Jack walks up to the pile of flesh trying to rebuild itself. The barrel of his gun pressed against its decrepit face, maggots festering around the open hole where it once had an eye. Jack tenderizes its face with three bullets and empties the rest into its chest. With the heel of his boot, he stomps the creature’s face in repetitively. Smashing it in until it is a lumpy puddle of black slop.

“Son of a. . . Now my boots are dirty. This better not stain.” Jack hops on one foot. “Look, Frank, you ugly bastard. LOOK! You made me get my good boots filthy with your face.” He kicks the corpse one more time, and tries to wipe the fragments of flesh on the ground.

“It’ll be a while before you can put that putrid mug back together,” he says. “Even Humpty Dumpty would have better luck.”

Jack reloads his gun and finds the steps spiraling down the perimeters of the cavern. Jack descends cautiously.

At the bottom looms the Blue Flame, creating an aura over the pit. Jack stares into the blue light contemplating his next move. At the base of the flame floats a hollow circular object decorated with inscriptions.

Jack reaches out with his left hand to touch the flame. The light of the fire sends a wave of electric pain through his body. His cussing echoes in the cave.

Then he remembers the words Shuffle instructed him to say before breaking free the seal. Taking the piece of paper that Shuffle gave him from his pocket, Jack manages to sound out the strange syllables. “Loomus, Gurda, Dunbour, Credere, Fingere, Keres, Nyx, Moros, Thanatos, Oneiroi.”

The flame flickers and dims. The chant had hindered the flame’s intensity momentarily. Forcing his entire hand into the flame, Jack repeats the words, followed by the one to unlock the seal.

“Exordium.”

The circular amulet burns into Jack’s grip, singeing his finger. He twists and yells, pulling on the seal until it breaks free. Jack yanks his arm out of the diminishing flame, his sleeve on fire. A pain vibrates through his arm. He shouts, falling back and trying to pat the flames out.

“That son of a bitch Shuffle will owe me a new jacket.”

The glow within the cavern extinguishes over the pit. The entire room turns black, except for the few glowing embers of Jack’s sleeve.

“Shit, think that’s my cue to go,” said Jack.

The unique inscriptions on the flame’s seal vanish. The disc is hollow and perfectly circular like a large ring. It turns cold and Jack puts his hand through the center opening. He pulls out his lighter and flicks a dancing orange flame into being. The ground begins to quake. The lettering and designs around the pit’s opening begin to be illuminated by a thin, green hue.

“Definitely my cue to exit,” Jack mutters, walking briskly towards the stairs. “Something tells me I don’t want to be around when this party gets started.”

As Jack ascends the exterior stairs, he chances a glance back at the pit. From within the dark interior of the hole he sees faint movement. Bubbles begin to erupt from a thick oily sludge. Sharp fingers reach through a thin membrane.

“Shit, this place is going down like Pandora. Doubt this town is ready for what’s coming.”

Jack hurries his pace, skipping up the steps. As he reaches the top ledge, the entire room glows with a strange webbing of green lines that spider out in geometric patterns across the ceiling.

Jack sees Frank’s body lying where he crushed in his face. The body twitches, struggling to move.

“Jack!” gurgles a voice. “Oh Jackie boy, don’t tell me you’re leaving so soon.”

Frank’s deformed face lifts off the floor with broken bone fragments half mended together dripping with squirming maggots.

“Thought you’d stay and play for a while.” The creature taunts, attempting to slither in front of the exit tunnel.

From below, Jack hears screeching, like the squeal of pigs being slaughtered.

Jack tries to swallow, his mouth too dry to salivate. For the first time in longer than he can remember, Jack begins to worry.

“Your fear smells delicious,” Frank hunches over and spews worms. Frank’s body heaves and convulses. His body jerks until finally vomiting a river of black, bathing him in bile.

Jack tries to sneak past the creature’s growing new form. The creature’s one glossy eye follows Jack as he tries to make a dash for the tunnel. Out of the monster’s mouth shoots a long tentacle. It wraps around Jack’s left leg and squeezes, violently pulling him in. Drawing both revolvers, Jack rapidly fires into the stretched tentacle. It squeezes tighter, sinking barbs into his skin. The pain doesn’t register. Jack keeps shooting while pulling back with all his strength. The seal around his wrist glows warmly. The tattered flesh of the tentacle begins to rip where the bullets went through. The force pulling him in lets go as the tentacle rips in half. Jack peels off the remaining extremity from his leg.

Something stirs in the pit below. He hears the sound of claws clattering up stone walls. Jack fires the remaining bullets into the rotting face of the Frank.

Retracting the remaining length of his tongue, Frank begins screaming, and growing a mouthful of fangs. Running as fast as he can, Jack leaps over the creature’s swelling body. Frank claws out in a final effort to catch his prey.

Without looking back, Jack races to find the way out. Bones crunch beneath his feet. Something massive follows behind him, panting, scratching, and crawling its way along the ground.

Jack opens the cylinders of his guns emptying the spent cartridges. While in motion, he fumbles around his belt retrieving one bullet at a time and reloading. Twelve rounds will not be enough to take care of whatever is following him. Still, he reloads and runs with both guns ready.

Through the long dark passage, Jack hears the taunting cries and the many scurrying feet of whatever evils he has unleashed. Removing the seal has allowed some ancient darkness to erupt from another world.

A narrow crack appears up ahead. The things behind Jack are nearly upon him. He turns to slide sideways through the passageway. Sharp claws catch the loose shreds of his jacket. The amulet, glowing on his wrist, begins to burn into his skin. Jack slips out of his jacket. He runs—without looking back.

Jack presses on toward Kausia hoping to lose his assailants in the city streets by leading them to easier prey. Maybe they were hungry.

Entering Main Street with the hoard of darkness following him, Jack turns and swerves down an alleyway, then down another road, trying to escape. He doesn’t hesitate, even after the screaming begins.

His car. He has to get to his car before this town gets eaten alive. He remembers his keys. In his jacket pocket. Back at the cave.

On the other side of the town, at Shuffle’s crypt, waits his ticket home. Without keys it’ll take him a little bit, but hot wiring his car is not impossible. Time though, seems something he doesn’t have.

He looks back, and sees three shadowy creatures with glowing eyes following him. They run on their hands and feet, with long tongues flapping between sharp fangs. His car sits on top of a hill. Once he reaches the highest point, he’ll have the advantage.

Turning to take out his assailants, Jack fires at the approaching creatures. The impact of the bullets sends them flying down the hill. Jack sees, from this viewpoint, the entire city enveloped in a darkness bleeding from the direction where the blue flame once dwelt. Fire and smoke erupts from below. The village streets flood with screams.

At the gates of Shuffle’s mansion, Jack’s Mustang waits. Before he is able to open the driver’s door, claws sink into his shoulder. He feels the amulet igniting around his wrist. He holds it up to the creature on his back, and the thing leaps off screeching in agony.

“Interesting,” Jack exclaims as he turns to see two more creatures creeping up the hill. With his arm out, and the seal illuminated, the things cower, covering their faces. The amulet grows hot, burning into Jack’s arm.

“Damn it! That hurts!” He shouts. “The seal must be reacting to whatever those things are.”

“Those things,” says a familiar voice. “Are my new pets.” Shuffle steps out from the shadows of a stone wall.

“We thank you for reuniting the family.” Shuffle grins, rubbing the head of a monstrous beast dog. It growls at his side.

“Easy, Gash,” he says. “Jack is our guest.” The hybrid horror hound eases up and sits down at Shuffle’s side.

“Strange way to thank somebody,” Jack says. “By taking a bite out of me? If this is how you treat your guests, I’d hate to see what you do to your enemies.”

“That you wouldn’t,” Shuffle replies directing an open palm. “You may go now, Jack. You did your part. We thank you for your contribution.”

“Contribution?” Jack says. “To what? The death of this town?”

“Something like that.”

Jack opens his car door as Shuffles steps closer.

“You may keep the amulet, as per our arrangement. You might have noticed, it has powers of sorts, with some minor conditions.” A smirk remains on Shuffle’s face. “Be careful with your new toy, Jack,” he laughs. “Don’t burn yourself too badly.”

Chauncey steps forth from the doorway of the mansion. “Excuse me, sir,” Chauncey strolls stiffly to the end of the driveway. “I believe these to be yours.” He holds up a ring of keys on his index finger.

“Thanks,” Jack says snatching them. “Wonder how you got a hold of these. Insurance purposes I imagine.”

“On the contrary, sir, you left them at breakfast.”

“Sure I did,” says Jack rubbing the wound on his shoulder. “How convenient.” He points a finger at Shuffle. “And you owe me a new Jacket.”

“I owe you nothing,” grumbles Shuffle. “Be glad you get to leave in one piece.”

“Screw you, buddy,” Jack says, opening the car door. “Our business is over.” He steps into the car and opens the window.

“Oh?” remarks Shuffle. “Now, is it?” His smile grows wider. “On the contrary, Jack, this might only be the beginning.”

Jack turns the keys in the ignition, comforted by the sound of the engine. He shifts the car into gear and extends an arm out the window with his middle finger raised.

“See you in hell, old friend,” Jack yells as he drives away.

“See you in hell, indeed,” chuckles Shuffle. “Ha ha ha. If we aren’t already there.”

Jack drives down the street, white-knuckling the steering wheel, his headlights shimmering off glowing eyes along the road. The creatures of the pit snarl at Jack as he drives past. Their eyes tear through him. The amulet glows hot around his wrist.

“Damn this thing!” he shouts. He slides the amulet off and tosses it on the passenger seat. “How do you turn this thing off?”

With the town behind him, engulfed in hell, Jack shifts the car into fifth gear easing the gas pedal to the floor. The gauge climbs: 90, 120, 140 miles per hour. He races into the lingering desert ahead—into the endless night.

Opening the glove box, Jack pulls out a tin of hand-rolled cigarettes. He puts one to his lips. The paper is dry. Flicking his lighter the fire dances at the end of the smoke. One flame goes out, he contemplates, and another one is lit. He inhales, peering over at the cold and inanimate amulet. One flame is extinguished, and another one is lit. The idea begins filling his head. A faint smile creeps across his face.

High beams race into the night. Yellow lines disappear under the car. A coyote and a wolf sit alongside the desert road. Their image repeats. Appearing ahead as soon as he passes by. Is it a hallucination? He pushes the gas pedal harder. Cool wind whips through the open window.

The scavengers laugh.

So does Jack Gemini.

Written by Charles Denton
Story by Charles Denton and Joe Lipscomb
Illustrated by Blaine Garrett
Copright 2014 Dim Media