Revelations, Chapter 8, Verse 13
The Arkham Heights:
It was so quiet here in the hills of this town in the dead of night. The chirping of the insects was made to silence; the rustling of wildlife was absent, even the wind dared not blow to break the stillness of this time.
The Stranger sat on his motorcycle and just stared at the vast and well-furnished house from the small path he had found in the woods leading to the home. His eyes never turned, his lids never blinked; there was focus there, an intent of origins that I know not of. He could smell it, though, the stench that came from within the “home,” that bitter and sickening scent. The smell of the The Taint.
So could they.
They were swarming through the foliage and dangling from the branches of the trees. They cursed and screamed and defecated on the bushes and ground, leaving a sour and horrid stench in the air.
One of the smaller ones grew bold and slithered its way to the Stranger on its belly. It pissed on his boot and gnawed on the heel.
Without even glancing down, the Strangerraised his boot and crushed the little abomination into the ground. It shrieked once before its body shriveled and disappeared into an oily, tar-like smoke
The others around him screamed their profanities and obscenities at him all the louder.
The Stranger only sat there and ignored their tirade.
He had business on his mind.
It was always business.
A slight warm tickle at the back of his mind finally brought him out of his trance. A scent of something different came to him, something like pastures and smoke of incense.
All around him, they scattered, fleeing in all directions, still cursing and screaming until they had all but disappeared. The Stranger only sat still as he heard the footsteps approach him from behind.
He didn’t even turn to face the one who came to stand beside him. He was tall, with eyes of such brilliance, and hair like golden curls of wheat. He had skin the color of alabaster, and the profile of a handcarved statue of old. He was dressed in a white T-shirt, faded blue jeans, and a long, gray-colored duster.
For a moment the two stood in their silence, neither speaking nor glancing over at the other. There was such a stark contrast between the two, as if they did not belong in the same space as the other.
The Stranger brought a cigar from his pocket, lit the tip, and took a long drag; as he exhaled the smoke out he breathed his greeting. “Warren.”
The taller man turned his eyes to the Stranger. “Still like those things, huh?”
He said nothing, only took a deeper drag and slowly let it out.
“Of all the bad habits there are, I really can’t imagine one worse,” the one called Warren said as he leaned against a nearby tree.
“I’m sure you could,” was the Stranger’s reply; his eyes had gone back to the house before him.
Warren followed his gaze to the house and after a moment turned his eyes away. “Strong there, very strong like an oil fire billowing to the sky.”
The Stranger gave the barest of nods.
“How soon are you going to act?’ Warren asked.
“Whenever I fucking feel like it,” came the gruff reply.
“Time is a factor, you know,” Warren reminded him.
“Only for them,” the Stranger said, pointing at the house with his chin.
“You have another one to see to, as well; I trust that you will be taking care of that in due time.”
“Why don’t you?’
Warren shrugged, “Not my job. You know I am pretty much just an errand boy and I would not have it any other way. Your job is too messy.”
Warren eased in a bit closer. “Orders from the higher ups, though, want to see this deal of work done and done quickly, and the other one is to be seen to as much as these.” He gestured to the house.
“I’ve done this a very long time. I don’t need you and your kind telling me how it’s done.” The Stranger fixed him with a dangerous gaze. “Tell them I’ll see it done, but I do this my fucking way.”
Warren held his gaze firmly, a feat that few could be able to accomplish. “Fair enough. Just know that time is running out, for both sides.”
“You sticking around?’ he asked Warren.
“I’ll be nearby to keep an eye on things, but be on your guard; the Other side is sending in a couple of their own agents to sway events in their favor. Keep your guard up.”
“As if I need to.”
Warren broke a smile and pulled his coat around him tighter. “Well, it’s always fun to catch up with you, one day we will have to do this again.”
The Stranger scoffed. “Get the fuck out of here.”
Warren smiled a bit more and walked into the darkness of the forest. His footsteps echoed for a moment, and then they were gone.
The Stranger shook his head and went back to watching the house, and all around him the screaming and foul stench crept back upon him.
Back in town:
It had been a busy day for Ororo; Nate had been good on his word with bringing in the mining crew. Jubilee had stayed with her long as she could before she had to get off to school, but even after they were still coming in. She decided that an ad in the paper for some extra help was on her list of got-to-do’s.
Nate and Scott had volunteered to lend a hand, but she told them to just sit down, shut up and eat up. After the mad rush was through, Ororo was sure she had gone through at least a dozen boxes of pancake mix, and almost double that in eggs and bacon.
Scott and Nate would not take no for an answer, though, when it came to helping her clean up.
“Won’t you guys be late for work?’ she asked.
Scott shook his head as he gathered up the dishes. “Nope. Worked the night shifts last night. We’re heading home after this.”
“Thank God for that,” Nate said. “Hell of a long night just working the light duty shift the doc has me on.”
“Well, I’m surprised they’re letting you work at all,” Ororo replied.
Nate shrugged. “Its not that bad only a mild concussion, Doc says I just need to take it easy for a while.”
“Always do what the doctor orders.”
Nate chuckled. “Yeah, whatever. It’s still damn boring.”
Ororo smiled and carried a stack of dishes to the back
As she went through the doors, Scott looked at Nate and made a strong gesturing motion with his head. Nate held up his hands and nodded his head.
“Uh…. hey Ororo?” he said, just a bit shaky.
“Yeah?” she called from the back.
“Uh… Scott and his wife and I were going to Hank’s bar and grill tonight…and uh…I…uh, we were wondering if you would like to come with us.”
Ororo smiled at his stammering; it was definitely cute to see a man like Nate fuddle his words. She poked her head out of the doors and smiled. “What time?”
Evening:
Ororo went through the entire span of her wardrobe and hated everything she found.
Oh, God, was it really so difficult to find something to wear for an evening out with friends?
“DATE! DATE! DATE!” came the cry from a bounding Jubilee crashing into her room and throwing herself down onto her stepsister’s bed. “The world must be coming to an end! You’ve finally got yourself a date.”
“Jeez, Jube, you make it sound like it’s been years.”
“Ummm, it has been. You haven’t been out on a date since the Cowboys won a Super Bowl.”
“Thanks for reminding me,” she muttered as she brought out a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved black sweater. “Think this would do.”
Jubilee shrugged, “I would wear something that would show of those great assets of yours.” She pointed to her chest.
Ororo rolled her eyes. “God, Jubes, it’s a double date and I don’t think flashing them with my assets would be a good move for a first outing.”
Jubilee shook her head with force. “Oh, yes it is. You need to get laid, girl, and I’m talking five dollar romance novel laid, shake the pillars of heaven.”
“Enough,” Ororo warned. “I am just going out with friends.”
Jubilee stood up and walked over to her sister. “Look, ‘Ro, I want you to enjoy a little bit of “you” time. It’s been hectic the past few weeks, and you definitely need to unwind.”
Ororo turned to her sister and looked into her almond-shaped brown eyes. It had been hard for the both of them. Jubilee was a strong girl; she didn’t let it show, but she had been shaken by the events that took place at the diner a few weeks ago. Ororo had caught her crying a couple of times, but she would blow it off when asked about it.
It wasn’t the events that transpired that had rattled her, though; it was the feeling of powerlessness she had felt of the whole thing. The dread sense that she could do nothing to help her beloved sister.
“I’m fine, Jubes, don’t worry about me; it’s you that I’m most concerned about,” Ororo said, embracing Jubilee in a warm hug.
Jubilee buried her head in her sister’s shoulder and held her tight for a moment. “You know me, ‘Ro, like Mom said, nothing can hold down a firecracker like me.”
Ororo smiled at the mention of their mother’s nickname for her younger sister. “She would be proud of the young woman you’re turning into, you’re strong just like her.”
Jubilee looked up at her and smiled, “Honestly, I would rather have had the curves.”
Ororo playfully slapped her on the back of the head. “Brat.”
A knock on the door brought them out of the embrace.
“That’s Nate; I have to go. you’re going to be ok, right?” Ororo asked.
Jubilee rolled her eyes. “GOOOOOOO! I have TV, music, and all the chili dogs I can eat! Go have FUUUUUN.”
Ororo smiled, grabbed her purse and went for the door. “You’re going to be a little angel, right?”
Jubilee winked. “Only if you promise to dance with the devil a little tonight.”
Ororo smiled and went out the door.
Hank’s Bar and Grill:
They were halfway through dinner, and Ororo could not remember having a more relaxing and enjoyable time.
Nate was a real doll, so nice and sweet, and he and Scott were a riot when the two got on a roll. Scott’s wife Emma was nice enough, even if she was a bit of the uptown type.
Hank’s food was a thing of legend in these parts. Ororo had a light marinated chicken breast in a lemon sauce, as did Emma. The boys gorged themselves on rack after rack of Hank’s special barbeque ribs.
There was a band playing, a slow country tune, good for dancing. She had the urge to ask Nate for a dance, but she was a little disappointed to find out he refused to do so because of his severe case of Two Left Feet syndrome.
All in all, though, she was content with sitting and talking with them, about everything from work to the hunting trips Nate and Scott took, about Emma’s job as principal of the high school Jubilee attended and everything in between.
She did not notice the figure that walked into the bar and sat down at a far table in the back of the room. A Stetson hat pulled low over his brow, he sat as still as a statue. The waitress, a young girl by the name of Allison, walked over to him and asked for his order.
He sat there silent and unmoving for a moment before finally raising his eyes to hers. She was taken aback a bit by the sternness of his gaze but quickly composed herself.
“Beer.”
“Uhm, what kind?” she asked.
“Wet.”
Taking the hint, Allison walked away.
It was a good twenty minutes before Ororo noticed the strange, ice-colored eyes fixed upon her from across the room, and her breath stopped hard in her chest.
For just a moment she felt frozen in place, not a molecule of her body responded to any mental command.
“Ororo, what’s wrong?” asked Scott.
She did not quite hear him; the world just wasn’t coherent for a moment.
“Ororo?” Nate asked.
She turned to look at him and saw the look of concern on their faces.
When she turned her head, the man who had saved her life was standing in front of her. The shadows seemed to blend around him, even under the lights. The cowboy hat on his head shaded his face, but somehow she could still see his eyes underneath.
Nate saw him, too, and was very confused. Before he could say anything, though, the Stranger stepped forward and offered a hand to Ororo.
“Wanna dance?”
