Post by phantomstar57 on Oct 7, 2019 14:40:23 GMT -5
From the book,THE WHITE DRAGONS OF SUVWILUR & OTHER STORIES
© 2012 by Marie J.S. Phillips, aka Phantomstar57
KAKEODEMON
The dingy room faded before Kakeodemon’s eyes, as a glittering blade ripped into her body. Agony seared through her while the humans’ chants pummeled her ears, drowning out the dying screeches of her kittens. Hatred and despair engulfed her as her senses failed. Her pain extinguished abruptly. She floated in total blackness, until the intonations of the humans drifted back into her hearing. She blinked in confusion, and, as she sat up, the dim room materialized before her vision.
She still sat on the stone table, circled by black-robed humans who chanted unceasingly. Their pungent scent filled her nostrils, mingling with the odor of blood. Candles lit up the room. Bowls and sharp knives surrounded her on the stone table. The place reeked of death. Memory flooded Kakeodemon with grief-stricken rage, and she leaped to her feet, hissing her fury as she surveyed the room. Tiny torn kitten bodies lay in a neat row beside her, blood running from their eviscerated little bellies into small bowls. Kakeodemon keened in shock as she came face-to-face with her own golden eyes staring from a disemboweled blood-soaked carcass belonging to a silky, long-haired graceful black and white cat.
She shivered, and, in an instant, as she glanced over the massacre, her cognitive abilities intensified. The stabbing comprehension swelled inside her head, and she suddenly understood every word droning from those humans’ mouths. Her new consciousness fueled her hate and despair, drawing energy from the very words pummeling her ears. Intoxicating power filled Kakeodemon. She hissed, uttering a guttural challenge, and faced her unsuspecting prey, her once gentle heart and soul filled with but one thought, utter savage revenge.
Engrossed in their grisly activity of cutting into the bodies, the five unsuspecting humans chanted, except for one participant, a mere kitten of a human. The boy gazed back at her, fear and shame in his eyes, but the other older humans ignored her and the child. She hissed again, wailing her pain and rage. The dirge continued, and Kakeodemon snarled, pouring her tortured soul into the cry.
“What was that?” the boy asked, his voice trembling, his eyes locked on her. She knew he alone saw her. The chanting stopped abruptly.
“Probably one of those stupid cats downstairs. This old house is full of ‘em.” The obvious human leader glanced backward, anger in his face. “That’s why we chose this place for the ritual. If you screw this up, we will have plenty more of the beasts to use, but we should do it right the first time. There are no more kittens, so shut up and do as you are told.”
Kakeodemon howled in outrage, understanding every single word. Hate flooded her entire being as memory crashed through her mind. Earlier that evening, the high-pitched terrorized screaming of her kittens, the strange chanting, and the smell of smoke aborted a hunting foray. She rushed back to her nest, in time to see the human leader dragging her babies from the cozy den she painstakingly built inside the fireplace months earlier. The screen lay to one side, crumpled and torn. Candles decorated the room, and all sorts of bowls and paraphernalia lay on the stone table the humans dragged piece by piece into this room many days ago.
Without regard for her own life, Kakeodemon launched herself at the human, desperately trying to rescue her babies. In moments, the leader snatched her up, slammed her to the table, and he ended her life with a single agonizing knife thrust. Where had they come from, and why? She previously ignored the table and the humans, thinking her lair secure, though the urge to move her nest increased each day. She railed at herself for not listening to her instincts.
Kakeodemon brought herself out of the memory, rearedmand leaped for the lead human. Her hate blossomed and power poured into her. Her claws ripped into his cloak, and she sank her fangs into his face. The man staggered back, screaming. Kakeodemon hung on, clawing and biting, taking satisfaction as blood sprayed the table with the man’s struggles.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” another human shouted.
“What the hell is this? Get it off of me!” the man shrieked, shielding dark brown eyes from her claws. “Man, its ruining the ritual! Stop it now! The blood will coagulate and get cold. Get it off now!”
“Get what off of you?” A third member of the cult shouted. “There is nothing there!”
Kakeodemon raked her claws across his face. She hissed, intoxicated with the idea that the man could not see her at all.
“What the hell is wrong with you, Brian?” The three humans grabbed their friend. Only the young child backed away into the shadows. Kakeodemon growled and hissed, dropping back to the tabletop.
“Holy crap!” one tall, thin human exclaimed. “What the hell is going on? You’re bleeding!”
Brian regained his composure, wiping his wounded face. “I told you, Billy, something jumped me.”
“I think you guys are imagining things. Ooooo sooo scary on Halloween.” one of the humans said. “But Brian, you never said we’d actually kill things.”
“So? What are you so scared about? You bunch of wimps. I had to finish them off for you chickens. All except Matt’s. Now its time to finish. He’s gotta toughen up.”
“But what was it that cut you?”
“I don’t know. Well, whatever it was, it wasn’t any of them,” the leader chuckled, gesturing at the dead feline family. “Come on, let’s get on with it.”
“Do we have to?” another human asked.
“Yes, Ryan. We do. You promised me. Maybe we angered a real demon! That means it’s working!” The leader retook his place at the table, his eyes lighting with the delight of success. His disciples turned back to the table, but all of them shook with fear.
Kakeodemon watched the man resume the chant. The man turned to the kid. “Matt, get over here and finish your job.”
“Brian, I can’t,” the boy protested.
“You wanted to join us. Do you part,” the leader snapped. “Get over here.”
The human kitten ambled to the table, and looked down at the black and white kitten at the end of the table. He shielded the kitten from his fellows, chanting loudly. The kitten mewled and struggled weakly as it came to consciousness. Kakeodemon’s heart jumped. One was alive! The cut on its belly already ceased to bleed. The boy took up a knife, and held it over the prone baby. His hands trembled as he slowly lowered the blade. It flashed in the candlelight. Kakeodemon growled, bunching her muscles for a spring.
A sudden hiss turned her attention from her prey. The male who sired her brood stood silhouetted in the window. The huge red tom clutched a mouse in his jaws, and Kakeodemon’s heart constricted. His pungent musky scent wafted to her, and she purred approval. Ruling the cat colony with iron paws, this young tom possessed a soft spot for his own young, surprising his queens with special gifts often. She, being the matriarch of the colony, benefited from Firewalker’s doting. His astonishment at the scene reached her from across the room, and she wailed in anguish, pulling in power as the humans chanted unceasingly.
Lightning flashed, illuminating the tomcat’s silhouette. Kakeodemon cried out to him, and he gazed at her. Thunder rumbled ominously. She keened her agony, channeling it to her living mate, taking strength from his reassuring scent, and a thin luminescent beam stretched to him, engulfing him in shimmering light. The candles blew out. The boy dropped the knife, stumbling back in terror and remorse. He huddled on the ragged sofa.
“No! I thought this would be cool! But it’s not,” he wailed. “I can’t do it! I can’t! You never said nothin’ about killin’ real cats and kittens! Kittens!” The boy sobbed. “Brian! How could you kill kittens?”
“Holy crap, holy crap,” Brian mumbled, fear in his voice. “What the hell is this? "
”A real demon is here, stupid!” Billy screamed in fear, backing up, his scraggly blond hair dropping over pale blue eyes. “I knew this was a bad idea! I wish we never listened to you!”
“It can’t be,” Brian backed away from the table. “Billy, you jerk! We didn’t finish the ritual properly. It’s gone all wrong!”
“You pissed it off, Brian,” said Ryan, his rotund body quivering like jelly as he backed for the door.
“We had better get out of here,” Brian turned for the door.
“Noooooooo! Nooo esssscape!” Kakeodemon howled with every fiber of her being. The tomcat screamed, and answering cries of anger echoed throughout the abandoned house. The door to the room slammed shut in a gust of wind. Thunder cracked. Kakeodemon whirled and leaped on Brain’s broad back, sinking her claws deep. The young man shrieked, and Kakeodemon raked him without mercy. Bloody furrows dripped down the human’s back and his cloak shredded in moments. The scent of his blood filled her sinuses, fueling her rage. She tore the coat from him, working on the shirt underneath. The thin cloth tore easily. The human struggled.
“Help me, you stupid idiots!” he screamed. “Get it off!”
“We can’t see anything!” Billy shouted.
“The door! It’s stuck!” Ryan screeched, glancing back at the fourth boy, who stood rooted to the floor. “Ralphie, you idiot! Get over here and help me!”
Brian staggered for the door, bumping Ralphie, who trembled uncontrollably, his long curly black hair disheveled, as sweat soaked his cloths. He joined Ryan in trying to pull the old door open. Kakeodemon snarled, a tendril of power swirling from her to caress the doorknob. The portal remained shut. She pounced on Brian’s leg, and to her surprise the huge tomcat joined her, his green eyes glowing as scarlet as flames. His musky scent stimulated her, stoking her fury. Brian spun around and tripped, landing heavily across the table. He rolled over her bloody carcass. She wailed, pulling power into her, as the scent of her dead kittens filled her heightened senses.
The room grew smaller as she swelled with her powers. She slashed in fury, ripping chunks from the human’s legs. He screeched. His fellow conspirators filled the room with screams of their own, all rushing around looking for a way out. They raced for the window the tomcat entered. It slammed shut, and a wall of wind blew them on their rear ends. They scrambled to their feet, screaming, running in confused circles, smashing into each other, fighting each other in terror.
“There is nothing there! Nothing!! Help me, you guys! Help me!” Brian shouted at his confused comrades. “Oh my god! The demon has the cats under its control!”
Kakeodemon almost purred when the human saw the tomcat. Her mate’s eyes pulsed, and his scream of rage filled the room. His claws joined Kakeodemon’s, and bits of human leg flew through the air. The human screamed.
“Matt! Help me! Guys! Billy! Ryan! Ralphie! HELP! It’s got me!” Brian screamed in primeval terror.
Feline growls, and human screaming joined her prey’s pleas. She uttered a loud twittery meow of pleasure, as the entire cat colony converged on the room, flowing into cracked windows, the hole in the door and cracks in the walls, eyes gleaming deadly red. She hissed, lashing the old window with power and it opened with a groan. More cats poured into the room. Their individual scents intermingled, offering Kakeodemon more comfort and support. The humans screeched in terror, and the child curled on the sofa, sobbing in grief and horror.
Kakeodemon felt sudden pity for the child. His innocence radiated clearly to her, an innocent kitten after all, scared and appalled. With a flick of her tail she sent a beam of fluorescent light that surrounded the oblivious boy. The angry colony ignored him. Kakeodemon returned her attention to the leader and willed herself to his sight, wanting this horrible human to see her before he joined her and her babies.
Brian screamed, and in his eyes, she saw herself, fangs gleaming deadly in the lightning, her eyes scintillating scarlet fire, her claws glittering silver as they rent his thighs to bloody rags.
“Holy crap, holy crap,” the human sobbed. “You! It can’t be! Oh my god, cats can’t be ghosts!! I’m sorry! I’m sorry, please! Don’t kill me.”
“You killed my babiesss!” she hissed, walking up to crouch on his chest.
“Oh my god, this isn’t real.” the young man shook his head. Kakeodemon snarled, and sank her fangs into his shoulder, ripping away a chuck of flesh. She spat it in his face. He sputtered, and howled in pain.
“Rrreal enough?” she growled, luxuriating in an understanding and command of human speech. Feline purring echoed in the room, and Kakeodemon sat up. “Yourrr frriendsss.”
The human gaped, and Kakeodemon joined the triumphant purring, as a horde of living cats parted, revealing cowering bloody humans.
“You ssufffferr sssame.” Kakeodemon hissed. “Sssufferrr like my prreciousss babiess. Sssufferr.”
Kakeodemon stood up on the human’s chest and cried to the ceiling. Hissing and snarling filled the room. The human lashed out, kicking and punching at anything that moved. Kakeodemon howled, and power flowed from her in a web, touching every cat in the room. They converged on the hapless humans. Brian’s feet and hands caught in feline jaws and claws, which tore toes and fingers from the man in bloody scraps. His friends’ screams joined his. Kakeodemon cried out as the horde worked their way up the limbs. The human screamed inarticulately in terror.
Kakeodemon felt no mercy as the glowing-eyed felines, under her control, shredded the flesh from the human’s body. He twitched and screamed until his voice rasped in pleas for his life.
Kakeodemon glared down at him. His dark eyes gazed back, wide with terror, and the body under her shook and twitched. She hissed, and the feline horde pulled back, forming a circle on the table around their victim. The man’s eyes rolled, viewing the ring of flaming eyes and lashing tails. Thunder rumbled. Kakeodemon restrained the desire to sink her fangs into the helpless man’s throat and end her and his torture. Blood soaked the table under the human, mingling with the stains from her family, obliterating the strange star pattern the human carved into the stone days ago. Shredded flesh hung from the shaking man’s bones.
“Why?” Brian whispered, coughing, and sputtering. “Why did you do this?”
“You not underrsstand?? Foolissh human.” Kakeodemon sank claws into his slashed chest. She lashed out, catching his hair in her claws, forcing his head to turn until his nose touched the disemboweled body that once scampered in kitten glee. The tiny blue eyes stared, unblinking, and the little face grimaced, its features fixed forever in anguish and terror. The needle teeth glittered in the lightning that flickered through the window. The human groaned, trying to move his head. She held firm.
“Forrrr them,” she snarled.
“I, I didn’t mean it,” the man choked, and tears leaked from bloodied eyes. “The lure of the demon got me! Please, I’m sorry.”
“Lie! You meant it” Kakeodemon’s voice rose to a wail. “Think I ssstupid?? You hate, and think we only good forrr yourrr killing. You pay. My babiesss’ livessss worrth lessss than yourssss? Noooooooo!”
Kakeodemon released his hair and slapped his face, furrowing his cheek. The human’s head thwacked hard on the table, his nose striking Kakeodemon’s mangled body. He screamed.
“Yourr life worrth morre than mine? Noooo!” She slapped him again, ripping her claws across his eyes.
“Stop! Please!” A spark of anger hardened the human’s dark brown eyes. “You will fry in hell for this. Is that worth killing me?”
“Yesssssssssss!” Kakeodemon hissed, pummeling his face with both sets of claws. “Yessssssss! My poorrr babiessss!!! I sssee you therrre, forrreverr you be my prrrrey!”
The man screamed, choked, and twitched, as Kakeodemon drove her claws into his throat. She pulled back, slow and methodical. Kakeodemon howled, her eyes not on him, but the remains of her precious babies. The human ceased struggling, and slid to the floor. He clutched his bleeding throat. He stared at her, and she hissed, looking down at him.
“Die ssslow, evil one. Yourrr frriendss sufferr same.”
She surveyed the scene and keened for the loss of her precious kittens. The leader choked and rasped, weeping as his life slowly trickled from his throat. Across the room, the other humans lay in various stages of agony, all crying, gasping, as cats ripped and clawed. The stench of death and blood filled the old room. Kakeodemon suddenly noticed the huddling form on the sofa, and as she stepped to the edge of the table, the kitten she stood over mewed again. She looked down, and saw the kitten struggle to sit up. The wound had dried. One of her precious ones! Still alive! Kakeodemon gazed at the scared child.
“Human kitten!” she cried out in command.
“Please! Please don’t kill me!” The child wept. Kakeodemon jumped to the floor and trotted through the ongoing massacre and reared, placing her paws on the worn cushion.
“Look,” she commanded. “I not kill you.”
The boy peeked one green eye at her. Kakeodemon purred in spite of herself, approving the cat green eyes that brimmed with human tears.
“Promise?” he sobbed, sniffling.
“Yesssss.” Kakeodemon gently prodded him and purred. “Risssse, come to table.”
“No!” the boy recoiled.
“Come,” Kakeodemon snarled, commanding him firmly. She touched him with a paw that flared briefly in kaleidoscopic brilliance. His fear radiated from him, and her nose twitched. He rose obediently and followed her. She leaped back up to the table, and gently gripping her remaining living kitten by the scruff, she held it out.
“Take my little one,” she purred. “Take herrr, carre for herrr. Love herrr, as I onccce could.”
“I, I could not hurt her,” the boy sobbed. “I cut her only to look good to them. Brian banged her head in the struggle and she was only unconscious! When I saw she was breathing I couldn’t do it!”
“I sssaw. It isss yourr desstiny. Take little one. Make up for what wasss done. I, Kakeodemon, her mother, saysss it musst be ssso.”
The boy glanced around the room, and tears ran down his cheeks.
“What about them?”
“They will die.”
“Please, don’t kill them,” the boy pleaded. “They were just stupid idiots, thinking this would be cool for Halloween. They didn’t even do the killing! Brian did!”
Kakeodemon stopped purring. The leader?? Kakeodemon’s hate erupted.
“He desrrrvesss hiss fate.” Kakeodemon purred softly. “It is too late for them, now.”
“But, killing them,” the boy stammered. “I know they were jerks, but isn’t it wrong to kill?’
“By Law of Nature they suffer consequences,” Kakeodemon growled. “It is the Law. Eye for Eye, Tooth for Tooth, Claw for Claw! They die for their crime.”
“But, they didn’t . . . ” Matt stuttered, but Kakeodemon picked up the mewling kitten in her jaws. She held it out to him.
“You ssshowed merccy and compasssion. Take herrrr, and love herrr. The Law says it be ssso. Do not mourrrn evil.”
The boy obediently took the tiny frightened kitten and cuddled it to his chest. Kakeodemon reached out and placed a bloody paw on her daughter’s head.
“Rememberrrrrr . . . ” Her paw flared, and the kitten mewled.
“I will love her,” the boy promised, “and Matt Thomas never breaks his word.”
“Good, Matt, human kitten,” Kakeodemon meowed stridently. “Go, now, swiftly. You not wisssh to see.”
“Please, don’t kill them. They were just ignorant, following Brian’s lead! They are my friends! Please!”
“You ask I show merrrcy?”
“Yes.”
“Go.” Kakeodemon lashed her bushy tail, and wind rushed through the room. The door blew back, slamming against the wall, revealing the dark hall. Matt held tightly to the kitten and raced from the room. He turned back at the threshold.
“Thank you,” Matt sobbed. “I am so sorry for what they did.”
“Go, little kitten, and love my little one. A warning. If you not, I be back.” Kakeodemon curled her lip back and flexed her claws.
Matt cuddled the kitten, who snuggled against him. He smiled through his tears.
“You have my word,” the boy said, and whirled, running down the hall and out of the old house. Kakeodemon howled and the horde of felines responded. The screams of the humans filled the room, until Kakeodemon keened a command. The feline horde backed away, hissing and snarling. Kakeodemon leveled her gaze on the other humans and realized they were not much older than Matt. All three wept, like babies. She met the gaze of the tallest, and held his blue-eyed gaze.
“Please! Don’t kill us. We are all so sorry!” the older boy wept.
“Too late forrr my kittensss,” Kakeodemon hissed. “Why? Why did you listen to the evil one?”
“I don’t know!” the human cried. “We just thought it would be cool for Halloween. We didn’t know Brian wanted to kill real cats. He said he’d kick our asses if we didn’t go through with our promise to help.”
Kakeodemon glanced at the other two adolescent humans. They avoided her gaze and just wept. She thought for a moment, and realized these humans killed nothing. The evil leader killed her babies, and these fools only followed. She wailed, and the feline horde parted.
“Sincce you neverrrr killed, you go. Learrrn and neverrr hurt kittens again!” Kakeodemon snarled. “If you do, I be back to give punisshment! Go! Leave this place and neverrr returrn!”
“We promise!” the blue-eyed boy said, as the three bloody human kittens scrambled to their feet, and in various stages of running limping gaits, left the old house.
In the silence, Kakeodemon stood alone with the rest of her brood. She keened her grief, and, dropping to the floor, walked to the window. As the power of her rage drained from her, the storm ceased. A shaft of silver moonlight slanted into the room, and Kakeodemon looked up. Through jagged wind-torn clouds, the moon shone in blazing glory. High-pitched mewling spun her away from the entrancing sight, and she froze. Joy and love rose to vanquish her anguish and grief. Kitten wraiths rose from three spots on the bloody table, little blue eyes glowing. With a cry, Kakeodemon bounded to them as they converged on her, mewing and purring. She licked and groomed them, emotion throttling her with ecstasy.
The ringing of wind chimes tore her attention from her kittens, and she gazed at the moonbeams, which shimmered and danced. She purred to her brood, and trotted swiftly to the window. The beam washed her and her kittens in silver-gold light, beckoning to her. She wailed softly, and glanced back the room. The cat colony ringed the room in silence, leaving the dead prey in a huddled, mangled lump. Her mate watched, eyes glowing. She wailed to him, and he returned the haunting cry. She glanced at the table, where an empty spot squeezed her heart with a mix of joy and grief. Her daughter lived, and one day, might watch over her beloved colony. As Kakeodemon lost her anger and power, the colony broke ranks to slink away back to their own lives. Red tabby Firewalker purred approval as he returned to his hunt.
Kakeodemon turned back to the window, and tentatively raised a paw, stepping onto the moonbeam that lead to eternity. She placed her paw on the silvery road to the heavens which firmed under her touch. She twittered joyously to her brood, then climbed the moonbeam, bushy tail raised high. Her kittens mewed, their tiny nails scrabbling on the celestial walkway as they followed, blue eyes shining, tails straight up. Kakeodemon lead her babies upward into the light. Ahead, in the heart of the shining moon, a portal opened, scattering moonbeams in all directions.
Kakeodemon slowed, filled with apprehension and guilt, gazing as the door began to close. Her window of opportunity shrank with every moment. She wailed, and danced in place, asking the blazing moon her question in a long keen of grief. The ringing of windchimes and a soft purr issued from the closing portal, answering her plea. Kakeodemon’s heart drained of anguish, hate, and guilt, then her soul gentled. She trotted forward and leaped, purring to the moon as she and her kittens passed to the Other Side.
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