| Supernatural Science Fiction posted July 12, 2021 | Chapters: |
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The Curse/A Novel of the Breedline series
A chapter in the book THE CURSE
The Dream/Part Two
by scongrove
| Background Thanks for taking the time to read my chapter. If you catch typos or mistakes, please let me know. I hope you enjoy. |
Previously. . .
Exhausted beyond reason and with a weary sigh, Carrie burrowed deep into the purple goose down comforter her aunt and uncle had given her. It was her favorite color and had been a Christmas gift. The second she laid her head down, she closed her eyes. As she slipped into a deep sleep, her eyes moved underneath her lids. She was dreaming now.
Continued. . .
Carrie was herself at the tender age of five, sitting in the backseat of her parents’ Honda Accord, cuddling her new doll. It was Christmas and she’d gotten exactly what she’d asked Santa for. A Baby Alive Doll. She talked, sucked a pacifier, and sang a discordant version of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”
After spending the holiday at her Uncle Frank and her Aunt Missy’s house, they were on their way home. It had been raining most of the day. Although her uncle thought it safer for them to spend the night and leave in the morning, her father decided against it, saying the roads were fine. If only it had been so.
By the time they’d left, it was already sundown, but the rain had subsided.
Through the dark tinted window, she stared up at the star filled sky. They reminded her of the tiny twinkling lights on her aunt and uncle’s Christmas tree. This year, they’d put up a real one, decorated with handmade ornaments, string popcorn, and traditional candy canes. For the tree topper, nestled snuggly in place, was a plastic, blond-headed, boy cherub. She could still smell the sharp, woody, and refreshing fragrance that wafted from the pine needles.
Then, her mother turned toward the back seat and faced her with a smile. “How are you doing back there, sweetheart?”
“I’m okay, Mama.”
“Do you still like the gift Santa brought you?”
She snuggled the doll closer and nodded.
“Have you named her yet?”
She bobbed her head up and down. “Dot.”
Her mother tilted her head a little. “Why Dot?”
She pointed at the polka dots on the doll’s dress.
Her mother smiled, raising a brow. “Oh… I see. I like it.”
She cracked a smile, and it quickly turned into a yawn.
“Close your eyes, sweetheart,” her mother said. “Get some rest. We’ll be home soon.”
A few minutes later, she closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the car seat. The hum of the motor mixed with the sound of the windshield wipers made her drift off. She was in a pleasant state where everything seemed warm and safe.
Suddenly, her eyes sprung open at the sound of her mother’s scream. Her father didn’t see the deer standing in the middle of the road. When he hit the brakes, metal crunched, and glass exploded. The collision jolted her body against the seatbelt, whipping her head forward in a surprised startle. The force of the impact jarred the doll loose. It shot out of her arms like a bullet and crashed into the back of the front seat. The second it made contact, it started to sing the recorded little melody.
She extended her hand, grabbing for the doll. It slipped through her little fingers and toppled to the floor.
The tires screeched and the car skidded across the wet asphalt and began to spin. Whirling around in circles, she could see the snow off in the distance, spinning and swirling until she felt dizzy. Her surroundings were nothing but a white blur.
Everything seemed as though it moved in slow motion. She watched as her mother tried desperately to reach toward the backseat, her eyes wide and panic stricken.
“Carrie—” Her mother’s words were cut off as her head slammed into the window.
“Mommy!”
The Honda careened off the road and smacked into the side of a bridge. The moment it flipped over the railing and hit the water, the world around her darkened as if it had swallowed her whole.
Like in a dream where you could fly, she felt weightless and floaty. Then, a gentle voice whispered, “You’re okay.” The voice sounded like a woman’s, but she wasn’t sure if it was her mother’s. It drifted in a soft echo. “I’ve got you now.”
“Mama?” her little voice called out. “Is that you, Mama?”
When there was no answer, she struggled and strained to lift her lids, but they wouldn’t open. They felt so heavy. It was as though they’d been glued shut. “Mama…” Her voice was urgent, panicked. “Mama, where are you?”
A pair of arms enveloped her like a warm embrace, cradling her with tenderness, and a calmness instantly took hold.
“It’s okay,” said the woman. “Open your eyes, sweet child.”
As if waking from a night terror, her eyes shot open and her mouth parted with a gasp. The darkness around her slowly dissipated, and she glimpsed into the face of a stranger. It was a woman. And she was very pretty. Although her vision was a little blurry, she could sense a kindness in the woman’s features. Her hair was the color of fire, and fell over her shoulders in long, thick waves. She stared into the stranger’s eyes—eyes that sparkled like emeralds—and wondered who she was.
“W-Who are you?” she asked the woman with brimstone hair and odd symbols tattooed on her arms.
“My name is Laliah.”
And then, her eyes rounded as an immense black wingspan shot from Laliah’s back. Bright flames blazed at the feathery tips.
Was Laliah an angel? “Are you an angel?” she said out loud, her eyes wide on her small face.
Laliah smiled with a graceful nod. “I am the angel of holy fire. God sent me here to save you.”
Her brows bunched. “Huh?” she said, looking at the angel confused.
“Don’t you remember?” asked Laliah, releasing her down on the side of the road. “Your car…” The giant angel hesitated for a moment as she got down on her knees and faced her. “It went into the lake, and—”
“Mommy!” she cried out. Tears spilled from her eyes. “W-Where’s my Mommy and Daddy?”
“Shhh,” Laliah whispered. Her voice was soothing, easing all her worries in a way she could not explain. “It’s going to be okay, Carrie.”
“B-But…” She blinked the remaining tears away. “How do you know my name?”
Laliah smiled again. “God told me.”
“You can talk to God?”
“Yes.”
“What does God look like?”
“I do not know.” Laliah shrugged. “I have not seen him, only heard his voice.”
“Why not? Don’t you live in heaven with him?”
“Well…” Laliah tilted her head. “Kind of. I, along with all the other battle angels, live real close to heaven.”
“What’s a battle angel?”
“A battle angel is like God’s special warriors. We watch over heaven’s gate, keeping everyone safe.”
“Who else lives in heaven?”
Laliah giggled. “Good people.”
“Is my Mommy and Daddy in heaven now?”
“Yes, sweetheart. They are with God.”
“What about Jesus? Isn’t he there?”
“Yes.”
“I want to go too. Will you please take me there?”
“You cannot go there just yet,” Laliah told her.
“But…” Her bottom lip pouted. “Why can’t I?”
“You are very special, Carrie. God needs your help.”
“What does he need my help for?”
“I do not know.” Laliah shook her head. “But I’m sure it’s something very important.”
“After that, then can I go? I want to be with my Mommy and Daddy.”
Lailah silently nodded, and then averted her eyes at something on the ground. She went to reach for it. Seconds later, she brought her hand back.
“Dot…” Her eyes brightened. “You found my doll!”
“There you go, sweetheart.” Laliah placed the flimsy doll in her arms. “She’s good as new.”
She wrapped her arms around the doll. “Oh, Dot…” She squeezed it tight. “I thought I lost you.”
“Take good care of her.” Laliah rose, towering above her. “And stay here.” The angel’s eyes grew serious. “Promise me, Carrie.”
“I promise.”
“There’s a big truck coming,” Laliah began to explain. “The nice man driving it will stop and help you. Tell him about the car accident.”
“K.’” Her shoulders sagged. “Are you going back to guard heaven?”
“Yes, Carrie.”
“Will you come back to visit me?”
“I do not know.” Laliah extended her fiery wings. “Maybe.”
With the doll tucked snugly under her arm, she watched as the angel took flight. Before she completely disappeared into the star-filled sky, she waved. “Good-bye, Laliah.”
The sound of a woman screaming brought Carrie’s eyes open. She sat up in bed, her sleepy eyes searching the room. But to her relief, it was just the television. There was a woman being chased by a large man wearing a hockey mask and an axe in his hand. She sighed, realizing she’d fallen asleep with the TV on. When she reached for the remote and clicked the off button, there was nothing but silence now. Her mind drifted back to the dream. And it had been more than just a dream. It was a childhood memory. But Laliah… had she been real?
As she grew up, she cast the thought aside, believing the angel had been a figment of her imagination. That she’d created Laliah in her mind as a coping mechanism. After the car accident, she went to live with her Uncle Frank and Aunt Missy. The child therapist they’d taken her to see, said it was her way of dealing with the death of her parents. But now, she wasn’t so sure. Besides, after all the strange things she’d witnessed—the wolfish creature who had saved her life and the recent revelation that Joseph was possessed by something demonic, or whatever the hell it was—she couldn’t refute the fact that the angel might very well have been real. And then she remembered what Laliah had told her so long ago. That God needed her help.
“But…” she said in a hushed voice. “Help with what?”
To be continued . . .
Exhausted beyond reason and with a weary sigh, Carrie burrowed deep into the purple goose down comforter her aunt and uncle had given her. It was her favorite color and had been a Christmas gift. The second she laid her head down, she closed her eyes. As she slipped into a deep sleep, her eyes moved underneath her lids. She was dreaming now.
Continued. . .
Carrie was herself at the tender age of five, sitting in the backseat of her parents’ Honda Accord, cuddling her new doll. It was Christmas and she’d gotten exactly what she’d asked Santa for. A Baby Alive Doll. She talked, sucked a pacifier, and sang a discordant version of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”
After spending the holiday at her Uncle Frank and her Aunt Missy’s house, they were on their way home. It had been raining most of the day. Although her uncle thought it safer for them to spend the night and leave in the morning, her father decided against it, saying the roads were fine. If only it had been so.
By the time they’d left, it was already sundown, but the rain had subsided.
Through the dark tinted window, she stared up at the star filled sky. They reminded her of the tiny twinkling lights on her aunt and uncle’s Christmas tree. This year, they’d put up a real one, decorated with handmade ornaments, string popcorn, and traditional candy canes. For the tree topper, nestled snuggly in place, was a plastic, blond-headed, boy cherub. She could still smell the sharp, woody, and refreshing fragrance that wafted from the pine needles.
Then, her mother turned toward the back seat and faced her with a smile. “How are you doing back there, sweetheart?”
“I’m okay, Mama.”
“Do you still like the gift Santa brought you?”
She snuggled the doll closer and nodded.
“Have you named her yet?”
She bobbed her head up and down. “Dot.”
Her mother tilted her head a little. “Why Dot?”
She pointed at the polka dots on the doll’s dress.
Her mother smiled, raising a brow. “Oh… I see. I like it.”
She cracked a smile, and it quickly turned into a yawn.
“Close your eyes, sweetheart,” her mother said. “Get some rest. We’ll be home soon.”
A few minutes later, she closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the car seat. The hum of the motor mixed with the sound of the windshield wipers made her drift off. She was in a pleasant state where everything seemed warm and safe.
Suddenly, her eyes sprung open at the sound of her mother’s scream. Her father didn’t see the deer standing in the middle of the road. When he hit the brakes, metal crunched, and glass exploded. The collision jolted her body against the seatbelt, whipping her head forward in a surprised startle. The force of the impact jarred the doll loose. It shot out of her arms like a bullet and crashed into the back of the front seat. The second it made contact, it started to sing the recorded little melody.
She extended her hand, grabbing for the doll. It slipped through her little fingers and toppled to the floor.
The tires screeched and the car skidded across the wet asphalt and began to spin. Whirling around in circles, she could see the snow off in the distance, spinning and swirling until she felt dizzy. Her surroundings were nothing but a white blur.
Everything seemed as though it moved in slow motion. She watched as her mother tried desperately to reach toward the backseat, her eyes wide and panic stricken.
“Carrie—” Her mother’s words were cut off as her head slammed into the window.
“Mommy!”
The Honda careened off the road and smacked into the side of a bridge. The moment it flipped over the railing and hit the water, the world around her darkened as if it had swallowed her whole.
Like in a dream where you could fly, she felt weightless and floaty. Then, a gentle voice whispered, “You’re okay.” The voice sounded like a woman’s, but she wasn’t sure if it was her mother’s. It drifted in a soft echo. “I’ve got you now.”
“Mama?” her little voice called out. “Is that you, Mama?”
When there was no answer, she struggled and strained to lift her lids, but they wouldn’t open. They felt so heavy. It was as though they’d been glued shut. “Mama…” Her voice was urgent, panicked. “Mama, where are you?”
A pair of arms enveloped her like a warm embrace, cradling her with tenderness, and a calmness instantly took hold.
“It’s okay,” said the woman. “Open your eyes, sweet child.”
As if waking from a night terror, her eyes shot open and her mouth parted with a gasp. The darkness around her slowly dissipated, and she glimpsed into the face of a stranger. It was a woman. And she was very pretty. Although her vision was a little blurry, she could sense a kindness in the woman’s features. Her hair was the color of fire, and fell over her shoulders in long, thick waves. She stared into the stranger’s eyes—eyes that sparkled like emeralds—and wondered who she was.
“W-Who are you?” she asked the woman with brimstone hair and odd symbols tattooed on her arms.
“My name is Laliah.”
And then, her eyes rounded as an immense black wingspan shot from Laliah’s back. Bright flames blazed at the feathery tips.
Was Laliah an angel? “Are you an angel?” she said out loud, her eyes wide on her small face.
Laliah smiled with a graceful nod. “I am the angel of holy fire. God sent me here to save you.”
Her brows bunched. “Huh?” she said, looking at the angel confused.
“Don’t you remember?” asked Laliah, releasing her down on the side of the road. “Your car…” The giant angel hesitated for a moment as she got down on her knees and faced her. “It went into the lake, and—”
“Mommy!” she cried out. Tears spilled from her eyes. “W-Where’s my Mommy and Daddy?”
“Shhh,” Laliah whispered. Her voice was soothing, easing all her worries in a way she could not explain. “It’s going to be okay, Carrie.”
“B-But…” She blinked the remaining tears away. “How do you know my name?”
Laliah smiled again. “God told me.”
“You can talk to God?”
“Yes.”
“What does God look like?”
“I do not know.” Laliah shrugged. “I have not seen him, only heard his voice.”
“Why not? Don’t you live in heaven with him?”
“Well…” Laliah tilted her head. “Kind of. I, along with all the other battle angels, live real close to heaven.”
“What’s a battle angel?”
“A battle angel is like God’s special warriors. We watch over heaven’s gate, keeping everyone safe.”
“Who else lives in heaven?”
Laliah giggled. “Good people.”
“Is my Mommy and Daddy in heaven now?”
“Yes, sweetheart. They are with God.”
“What about Jesus? Isn’t he there?”
“Yes.”
“I want to go too. Will you please take me there?”
“You cannot go there just yet,” Laliah told her.
“But…” Her bottom lip pouted. “Why can’t I?”
“You are very special, Carrie. God needs your help.”
“What does he need my help for?”
“I do not know.” Laliah shook her head. “But I’m sure it’s something very important.”
“After that, then can I go? I want to be with my Mommy and Daddy.”
Lailah silently nodded, and then averted her eyes at something on the ground. She went to reach for it. Seconds later, she brought her hand back.
“Dot…” Her eyes brightened. “You found my doll!”
“There you go, sweetheart.” Laliah placed the flimsy doll in her arms. “She’s good as new.”
She wrapped her arms around the doll. “Oh, Dot…” She squeezed it tight. “I thought I lost you.”
“Take good care of her.” Laliah rose, towering above her. “And stay here.” The angel’s eyes grew serious. “Promise me, Carrie.”
“I promise.”
“There’s a big truck coming,” Laliah began to explain. “The nice man driving it will stop and help you. Tell him about the car accident.”
“K.’” Her shoulders sagged. “Are you going back to guard heaven?”
“Yes, Carrie.”
“Will you come back to visit me?”
“I do not know.” Laliah extended her fiery wings. “Maybe.”
With the doll tucked snugly under her arm, she watched as the angel took flight. Before she completely disappeared into the star-filled sky, she waved. “Good-bye, Laliah.”
The sound of a woman screaming brought Carrie’s eyes open. She sat up in bed, her sleepy eyes searching the room. But to her relief, it was just the television. There was a woman being chased by a large man wearing a hockey mask and an axe in his hand. She sighed, realizing she’d fallen asleep with the TV on. When she reached for the remote and clicked the off button, there was nothing but silence now. Her mind drifted back to the dream. And it had been more than just a dream. It was a childhood memory. But Laliah… had she been real?
As she grew up, she cast the thought aside, believing the angel had been a figment of her imagination. That she’d created Laliah in her mind as a coping mechanism. After the car accident, she went to live with her Uncle Frank and Aunt Missy. The child therapist they’d taken her to see, said it was her way of dealing with the death of her parents. But now, she wasn’t so sure. Besides, after all the strange things she’d witnessed—the wolfish creature who had saved her life and the recent revelation that Joseph was possessed by something demonic, or whatever the hell it was—she couldn’t refute the fact that the angel might very well have been real. And then she remembered what Laliah had told her so long ago. That God needed her help.
“But…” she said in a hushed voice. “Help with what?”
To be continued . . .
NOTE: This is not part of the chapter. A reference for terms and characters in this chapter, especially for new readers:
BREEDLINE - A species of humans that have the ability to change from human form into wolf form if they are born an identical twin. They are not like the old legend of the Lycanthropy myth. The Breedline species can shift into their wolf at will. The moon has no power over them. They do not pass their ability to other humans. Although they live among humans, their species is secret. In wolf form, they have super-strength, speed, and heightened senses. Compared to humans, Breedlines have tremendous advantages when it comes to health. Their bodies heal fast and are not subject to illness or diseases. The only thing that slows their healing process is silver. It is their kryptonite. Besides old age, a silver bullet to the brain is the only way to kill a Breedline.
All male Breedlines change into their first wolf at the age of eighteen. Female Breedlines do not go through the change until they make love to their Breedline bonded mate.
Carrie Randall - She is Detective Frank Perkin's niece. She works as a substance abuse counselor in Berkeley, California. She has a love interest in Joseph Parker.
Joseph Parker (a.k.a. Joseph Harris) - He works at the San Francisco Chronicle as a freelance journalist. At age five, an evil entity invaded his body after his father murdered his mother. While his father was sent to prison for his crime, Joseph was placed into several foster families until finally forced into a mental institute after diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychopathic behavior. As time passed and with the evil entity's guidance, Joseph was later released into society.
The Shadow - An evil entity who has possessed Joseph Parker. Its main purpose is to gain access to souls by using its host to kill, consuming human flesh.
Lailah - She is a battle angel gifted with holy fire used to trap or immobilize demons and other evil supernatural beings, rather than killing them outright. Forty-one years ago, in her human life at age seventeen, she was savagely murdered. Although her killer got away with the crime, her younger brother, Detective Manuel Sanchez, promises to dedicate his life trying to solve the murder.
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. BREEDLINE - A species of humans that have the ability to change from human form into wolf form if they are born an identical twin. They are not like the old legend of the Lycanthropy myth. The Breedline species can shift into their wolf at will. The moon has no power over them. They do not pass their ability to other humans. Although they live among humans, their species is secret. In wolf form, they have super-strength, speed, and heightened senses. Compared to humans, Breedlines have tremendous advantages when it comes to health. Their bodies heal fast and are not subject to illness or diseases. The only thing that slows their healing process is silver. It is their kryptonite. Besides old age, a silver bullet to the brain is the only way to kill a Breedline.
All male Breedlines change into their first wolf at the age of eighteen. Female Breedlines do not go through the change until they make love to their Breedline bonded mate.
Carrie Randall - She is Detective Frank Perkin's niece. She works as a substance abuse counselor in Berkeley, California. She has a love interest in Joseph Parker.
Joseph Parker (a.k.a. Joseph Harris) - He works at the San Francisco Chronicle as a freelance journalist. At age five, an evil entity invaded his body after his father murdered his mother. While his father was sent to prison for his crime, Joseph was placed into several foster families until finally forced into a mental institute after diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychopathic behavior. As time passed and with the evil entity's guidance, Joseph was later released into society.
The Shadow - An evil entity who has possessed Joseph Parker. Its main purpose is to gain access to souls by using its host to kill, consuming human flesh.
Lailah - She is a battle angel gifted with holy fire used to trap or immobilize demons and other evil supernatural beings, rather than killing them outright. Forty-one years ago, in her human life at age seventeen, she was savagely murdered. Although her killer got away with the crime, her younger brother, Detective Manuel Sanchez, promises to dedicate his life trying to solve the murder.
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