Lily harper complete s.., p.79
lily harper - complete series, page 79
When he realized I wasn’t at the necessary angle for penetration, he gripped a handful of my hair at the nape of my neck, pushing down on my shoulder with the other hand until I was forced onto my knees. His breathing grew heavier as he settled behind me before gripping my hip with his free hand. He started to mount me again, but was apparently unaware that I was still wearing yoga pants.
His erection strained against the delicate, thin cotton of my pants, so I immediately thrust my hips forward to get away from him. All that did, however, was precede a stabbing pain in the back of my head where the son of a bitch viciously yanked my hair.
I cried out as soon as the pain registered, but all the creature did was growl that low warning sound. Then he wrapped both paws around my waist again and forced me back in place. He started to mount me again, and this time, much faster. The thing grunted a few times, not from pleasure, but what sounded like frustration because his turgid, engorged staff kept getting interrupted by the seam of my yoga pants.
He continued to make strange, guttural, moaning sounds, which eventually stopped once he realized the barrier was still preventing his efforts from attaining their full effect. He growled loudly again, this time suggesting his frustration was growing. Thrusting one mitt of a hand between my legs, he blindly groped the cotton of my pants, as if he were trying to comprehend what the nature of the problem was. He snarled loudly as he pulled his hand from between my legs, following the cotton stretch fabric all the way past my butt and over my hips. Once he reached the hemline of the pants, he searched for an opening along the waistline, using both hands to guide him. I figured his vision must have been bad because he kept fumbling when he tried to yank my pants off, almost like he couldn’t see them.
I knew he meant to fully bury himself inside me as soon as my pants were off, so I frantically searched for a way to defend myself. When it came to brawn, there was no way I could go up against the sheer massive strength of the creature. And my sword was probably still back up on the train tracks, basically useless to me.
There’s nothing I can do! I wailed with despair.
Then you’re just going to let this thing have his way with you? that other part of me argued back. You’re not even going to attempt to resist him?
Fight back with what? My fists? Maybe a few choice words?! Maybe hit him in the head with my useless whistle??!!
I was spared the need for further mental debate when the creature suddenly got wise to my pants. He began to pull on them, trying to yank them down my hips. My clever response was to spread my legs out wider, making it more difficult, if not impossible, for him to take them off me. The yak-man growled again, this time much louder before lifting me up by my hips and slamming my legs together with his thighs. I refused to pay full attention to my dilemma, though, because I was fully focused on a pile of human bones that were less than two feet away from me.
If I can grab that femur, I can hit him with it, I thought to myself as I eyed the bone in question. Jutting out of the top of the bone pile, it looked definitely broad and long enough to do some major damage. My only problem now was that I was still two feet away from it, and the creature was growing ferocious in his eager attempts to undress my lower half.
Snatching the hemline of my pants again, he pulled down on them, but his fingers were so large, he couldn’t get a grip on them. He also failed to understand that he had to slip his fingers underneath the fabric in order to pull them down. He roared in what sounded like exasperated anger before he began panting. Moments later, he released my pants and beat his fists against his chest. Meanwhile, his monumental erection continued to sway this way and that, no less engorged, not even in the face of such adversity.
As soon as the beast released me, I darted forward, but I didn’t get especially far since I was still on my knees. I was maybe a foot closer to the pile of bones, though. From there, I scampered the short distance before I was abruptly impeded. The creature howled at me, gripping my legs as he yanked me backwards. My stomach burned when it scraped across the floor of the cave, but I ignored the pain. I was too busy fighting against the creature’s tenacious grasp, digging my fingers into the ground as I tried to make my way back to the bone pile. I was close enough to reach out as far as I could and wrap my index finger around one end of the femur. At that moment, the thing yanked me back again. But it didn’t matter anymore; I’d already gotten what I was after. Wrapping my fingers around the middle of the femur, I immediately rolled over so that I was lying on my back. The creature was directly above me, within perfect striking range.
Now, Lily! I yelled silently before coiling my arm back and bringing it down with full force and momentum on the creature’s head. All I managed to hit was the creature’s left horn, which immediately split down the center before the last two inches of it flew off. The creature wailed with agony and stumbled backwards, holding his head in his hands. He fell against the side of the cave wall and drooped down to the ground, cradling his enormous head. Wasting no time, I jumped up onto my feet and ran at him. A strange, black goo dripped from the end of his horn, spilling all over his hands.
But I couldn’t say I cared. I swiftly took a clean shot, nailing the creature right between the horns with the business end of the femur. His response was a final grunt before he collapsed into a lifeless heap.
You’ve gotta get out of here, Lily! I wasn’t sure if the creature was dead, or passed out, or just momentarily stunned. But I sure didn’t want to find out. All I wanted to do was get as far away from him as possible.
Luckily, the cave was fairly narrow and short, so it wasn’t a difficult task to find the entrance. I hurried to escape, still carrying the femur in my right hand. I figured it was a good idea to remain armed, in case I encountered any other unsavory strangers.
Once I reached the mouth of the cave, I began jog-walking down the narrow slope that led up to it. I hurried down the incline and glanced back up to make sure the creature hadn’t woken up or decided to pursue me. As far as I could tell, though, he wasn’t stirring.
Now where will I go? I asked myself before worry overtook me. Neither Bill nor Tallis knows where I am! And who knows where they are!?
Just try to find your way back up to the train tracks, I decided. Maybe they’re both still waiting for you there?
Doubtful.
Well, what other choice do you have? I asked redundantly. In truth, I had no idea where to find Bill and Tallis; that meant I was basically lost and alone in the Underground City. My only means for defending myself now was an old, white thighbone from some unfortunate soul.
Things could be worse! I told myself as it started to rain.
“Neither his neck he moved, nor bent his side...”
—Dante’s Inferno
SIXTEEN
“Never, never, never give up,” I whispered the words of Winston Churchill to myself as I trudged through the bleak landscape. It looked like the surface of the moon. Well, a moonscape that was now very muddy in the onslaught of the downpour.
The rain was freezing and the drops so large, each one felt like a tiny punch whenever it made contact with my skin. I wiped the drops from my eyes and hurried my steps, desperately hoping I was headed in the right direction. The land surrounding me was completely flat; but, in the intermittent light of the moon, I thought I could see the incline of a hill in the distance.
Figuring I had no other alternative, I decided to make for the hill, hoping to find train tracks once I reached the top. As to which direction I should go once I got there, I still had no clue. All I knew was I needed to get the hell out of here lest that horny yak-man wake up and renew his pursuit of me … especially now, since I imagined the creature probably wouldn’t be quite so horny as he would be angry.
I hurried my steps, feeling somewhat assured, now that I had a solid destination in mind. I also tightened my grip around the femur in my hand as I continued to check my left and then my right sides, just to make sure I wouldn’t be waylaid by some new, hideous creature. On every tenth step or so, I glanced over my shoulder to see if anything was following me; but as far as I could tell, I was indeed alone.
You’re almost there, I reassured myself as I focused on the horizon again, keeping the view of the hill directly in my line of sight. I estimated about twenty more feet before I reached the base of the incline.
Keep going, Lily! I cheered myself on, even though it was so dark, it wasn’t easy to recognize much of anything. Next time I see Alaire, I’m going to insist that he invest in some streetlamps, I thought to myself with a frown. On second thought, I hoped there would be no next time as far as seeing Alaire was concerned. You still owe him that favor, I reminded myself, gulping down the acidic taste of remorse as I tried to refocus my thoughts on the task at hand.
All at once, I heard a sound. A sound that my admittedly fallible ears could have mistaken for a voice. My heart quickened and leapt as I clung to the hope that maybe I’d be found. But by whom? That thought put me on high alert, and I stopped short and stood there for a few seconds, impatiently waiting to hear the sound repeat itself. I ignored the rain that freely fell on my face and clouded my eyes as I tried to attune my ears more keenly. I hoped it wasn’t a simple trick of my mind.
It’s nothing, I said to myself after another few seconds. Just your mind playing tricks on you … or maybe it was the sound of the wind.
It’s not windy, I retorted, cocking my head to the side and doing my best to isolate all but the alien sound again; however, it was to no avail. All I could hear was the pitter-patter of raindrops falling over my body and pooling on the dirt ground below me.
Taking a few steps forward, I stopped walking, turning my head to the other side in the chance that my hearing might have been better in that direction. I had to hold myself still for a few moments, if only to calm my heart since its incessant beating seemed to be drowning out everything else. I breathed in and out for a count of three before listening hard again, as hard as I could, my heartbeat finally slowing down and starting to regulate.
Then I heard something that sounded like voices whispering. I couldn’t detect which direction the whispering came from. I turned to my right, but when that failed to reveal anyone, I continued turning right until I made a full circle and faced the hill again.
The whispering continued, sounding almost like the static you hear from a blown speaker. It faded from my left ear to my right, and back again. Turning my head from side-to-side again, I failed to make out any person or anything.
There’s no one out there, Lily, I concluded in the end. You’re completely alone.
Then what were those whispers I heard?
Probably just the rain, I replied as the only plausible explanation. You’re really tired, too, and your mind is, no doubt, wandering. There’s no one out there and you only have yourself to rely on.
My shoulders dropped with despair. Any hope I harbored fled like a banshee in the night. My disappointment stretched all the way to the tips of my toes; but I adamantly refused to succumb to the unhelpful feelings.
Starting forward again, I wiped the rain from my eyes and, once again, scolded myself for standing around and hosting a pity party. That wasn’t going to help me … and could actually even have been hazardous to my health. I could only imagine it was simply a matter of time before the yak-man located me. When I glanced up at the hillside again, I resisted the urge to become disheartened since I didn’t seem to be any closer than before.
“Nerdlet!”
“Bill!” I yelled out with relief as soon as I recognized his voice. Then I went as still as a statue when I wondered if this might be another instance of my mind playing tricks on me. Had I actually heard Bill’s voice calling out my name … er, nickname?
I waited a few seconds longer before my rising anger started to overtake me. Once again, all I could hear was the droning of the rain. You’ve got to stop thinking every weird sound you hear is Bill or Tallis! I reprimanded myself. You’re just going to drive yourself crazy! After another few seconds of waiting, and realizing it was for nothing, I shook my head. I wondered what the hell was wrong with me. This is proof that you’re getting overwhelmed! You’re so exhausted, you’re getting confused.
Confused? I fired back, refusing to accept the excuses I was already feeding myself.
Yes, confused! You’re imagining Bill’s voice!
Now fully convinced of that fact, I centered all of my attention onto the hillside in front of me with renewed fervor and determination. I took a few steps, recovering my inner strength, and decided I would not be victimized by the errant wanderings of my mind.
Holding my head up higher, I quietly assured myself that I could succeed by myself, and ignore or overcome whatever tricks my mind was playing on me. Whatever was necessary, I would do it. Alone, and fearlessly. Yep, just me and my thighbone. Just me and someone else’s lost leg … I started to smile almost deliriously as I thought how completely ridiculous I sounded.
“Nips!” Bill’s voice called out again, but this time, it was much clearer. I immediately looked to my left and my right, but still couldn’t see any sign of him … or even detect where the voice had come from.
I know I heard him this time! I confirmed, fully determined to support my mind. That wasn’t just my imagination!
“I’m over here!” I called out, lifting my chin into the air so that my voice might travel far enough to reach him. “Bill! I’m here! Over here!”
I squinted again and blinked the raindrops out of my eyes before wiping them with my hand as I stared at the far left side of the hilltop. I couldn’t identify the shadows I was now convinced I could see, and didn’t know if they were really Bill and Tallis. With the clouds completely obscuring the moon every few seconds like they were on fast forward, it was impossible to make out anything. As soon as I had enough light, it was snatched away by the roving clouds.
“Lily!” Bill called out again.
Now fully convinced of his existence, I started running toward the hill. I kept my eyes trained on the top of it the entire time and strained to recognize the silhouettes of Bill and Tallis. But the stubborn clouds made that impossible because they insisted on blocking the moonlight.
“Bill! Tallis!” I yelled out loudly, and a smile of relief broke out across my face. I suddenly felt like crying with happiness.
I’m going to be okay! I told myself as I ran even faster. Now I was hell-bent on finding my way back to them. That was when I tripped over something and started falling down, face-first. I gasped and dropped the femur, but managed to brace myself for the impact. Stretching my hands out, my palms facing down, I hit the ground so hard, it knocked the wind completely out of me. But, at least I managed to avoid a full face-plant.
It took me a good few seconds to learn how to inhale again, and the pain in my stomach from where it met the ground was still roiling like an angry cat. I just lay there for a few seconds, trying to shake the dizziness from my head. Each shallow breath I took felt like a match burning me from the inside out.
“Besom?” Hearing Tallis’s voice, I glanced up to find him standing right in front of me, offering me his hand. Even though I felt like hell warmed over, a smile overtook my face all the same. I accepted his outstretched hand as he pulled me up onto my feet.
“You found me,” I whispered, still clutching his hand, lest I fall down again. Despite several waves of nausea and unrelieved fatigue, sensations of warmth and joy flooded my entire being.
“Aye,” he answered. I wasn’t sure if it were just a trick of the light, but it seemed like his face suddenly became blurry. It looked like he was shaking his head, but on extreme fast forward. I had to widen my eyes to make sure I saw what I thought I had. When I looked at him again, he appeared normal, just standing there and looking down at me.
“Where is Bill?” I asked, the pain in my lungs finally beginning to subside.
Tallis didn’t respond right away. He just stood there, staring down at me. He appeared as stone-faced as a statue, or a wax figure of himself. I studied him for another few seconds, trying to figure out exactly what seemed so out of place about him. Then he did that weird flickering thing again, and I had to catch my breath as I took a step away from him.
All at once, he disappeared, just like that! He hadn’t even turned around, or walked away. He was just gone, as if the air swallowed him in a nanosecond. M heart dropped with despair as my worst fear started to wend its way up my spine.
“Tallis?” I whispered as I shook my head to clear it, while trying to make sense of what had just happened.
I couldn’t ponder his disappearance for long, however, because moments later, I suffered an indescribably piercing pain right behind my eyes. Dropping my head into my hands, I clenched my eyes shut tightly and tried to ignore the ache. A moment later, all the pain vanished as if it were never there to begin with.
Shocked and confused, I opened my eyes. No longer in the dark with the rain streaming down my face, now I was …? Now I didn’t know where I was.
The sun shone so brightly that I had to shield my eyes. When my pupils finally adjusted to the merciless light, I found myself standing in front of a tree. I stayed there for a few seconds, trying to understand what happened and how I arrived at the place where I now was. As to where that was exactly … I had no idea. I turned around, trying to get a better idea of my surroundings … but, soon found myself facing the very same tree again. It seemed as if I hadn’t moved at all! Completely floored by the revelation, I spun around another two times. Eventually, I had to face the fact that no matter which direction I faced, the tree remained directly in front of me.
That’s impossible, I told myself while shaking my head. You must not have really moved. Try to turn around one more time!
Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the shuffling of my feet to ensure that I had, indeed, turned a full one hundred eighty degrees. I steadied myself before I opened my eyes … only to discover I was still facing the same tree.
