Legacy of the Defender (The Defender Series Book 1) (38 page)

Alone in my thoughts again. 

My senses were on overload after kissing and holding her close.  My reaction to the way she treated me must mean I was falling for her.  Nothing like this happened to me as a teenager.  Feelings spinning out of control must have been hard for an adolescent.  I at least had the benefit of the mature body, but my brain felt under-developed in some ways.  There was confusion over my feelings.  My anger over the treatment I had received was rather unchecked and not resolved.  This was only part of the solution.  Dealing with it would be the hardest part.  I did not understand what was going on.  Fear of the unknown was becoming my greatest challenge.  Something told me that there was more at stake than my sanity. 

My forearm itched.  Scratching it subconsciously, I did not even look down at first.  The raised portion of the skin where the mouth outline was still bothered me.  It felt like a latent burn.  My skin felt calloused with a leathery texture to it.  The sensitivity of the area was incredible but did not register the sensation.  The feeling was none other than a bug that had crawled across the area; my scratches smashed it. 

By the time, my eyes looked down the image from earlier had returned.  I could see the maw, full of rotting, razor sharp teeth...mouthing the word “remember.”  It did this repeatedly and if it was stuck on repeat.  Blinking, I looked again.  Was the wound talking to me?  Did they find a way to drug me after all?  Still, the damaged area spoke.  I watched it for several minutes, trying to learn something...
anything...
that could give me more clues to my current situation.  It began to fade after a while and was gone, leaving a slight discoloration of the skin and a faint scar.  I heard a whisper in my mind say, “Remember.”  This time the voice sounded like the chorus of two voices blended.  They did not sound like a monster...but something dulcet.  This created some complexities that pitted the dreams against something serene and calming. 

While trying to focus on this event, visions of monsters flashed in my mind.  I could only guess they were representations of the daemons in my dreams.  The overpowering desire to do something physical hit me.  At first I tried walking around the room, but due to my large stride it took me only a few paces to make it around the room and doing so several hundred times seemed ridiculous.  After about fifteen revolutions, I dropped into a push up stance and cranked out several hundred of them realizing I was not even getting tired.  My mind raced faster than I could move.  I decided to try another route. 

I sat down and slowed my breathing.  Images still flashed through my mind like a slide show on speed.  It was very difficult.  The images were flowing by so fast and I found myself actually watching them and capturing them as they went.  Only a fraction of it made sense, but it seemed to be images of some pre- Stone Age society, or tribe.  They sat around a campfire talking to a large creature that remained out of focus.  The fire was huge and lit the area in a rather large clearing quite well.  People wore leather armor of some type and carried strange looking weapons.  Just as I began to focus on the weapons, the scene changed to a battle that involved familiar creatures.  

Daemons.

Now this was interesting...very interesting.
  Believing came easily for me since my perception of reality changed each and every day.  These new events added to that belief. 

The daemons attacked these town folk by the hundreds.  People fell left and right to the jaws and claws of the small denizens.  In the end, the people were triumphant over their foe.  Bodies of the creatures littered the ground.  The scene changed and there was a large shadow overhanging the people fighting.  A huge claw swung out and fell multiple people at a time.  It was horrific at first because it came so suddenly.  I did not expect to see people falling by the dozens to this unseen threat.

Those left scattered.  This attacker, a looming shadow, remained unseen.  The only part of it, a huge curved talon, rained death, and terror down on the people standing to defend their town.  All hope seemed to be lost.  None could stand against this new evil.

Sadness washed over me.  Tears began to well in my eyes.  This was not fair.  How could evil like this exist even in my dreams or daydreams?  Evil of this nature created imbalance.  Vengeance swelled inside me.  It was very strange to go from one extreme to the other in a short period, but I almost did not know the difference these days.  As the images swam by, the townsfolk continued to scatter into the smoke from the burning town.  They ran from the monster; some only got a few steps before it cut them down.

A large figure emerged from nowhere.  Covered with brownish fur from head to toe, it carried no weapon of any kind.  My view from behind it detailed its broad shouldered with long arms moving with powerful grace as it ran right into the darkness and engaged the daemon.  This newcomer’s speed was amazing.  It moved so fast as if watching a blur to a movie that had been sped up, only I knew this was not the case.  The monster moved just as fast as he had been while attacking the town folk.  Combat lasted for many moments.  The fury of blows exchanged was unbelievable as this new furious humanoid, using its giant claws or fists, beat the daemon into submission and literally tore its heart out while it stood.

The daemon crumbled to the ground with a roar, expending the last of its foul breath as it collapsed with a tremendous thud.  Dirt and dust shot out in all directions as the rest of its lifeless shell found a place to settle.  Silence was small for a moment and then the only sound was the crackling of the fires.  The creature that defeated the daemon was still partially in shadow for a moment.  I could see its chest rising heavily to the rhythm of its own breath.  It turned from the massive corpse on the ground and stepped out of the smoke.  The image shocked me. 

Bigfoot. 
I could not believe it. 

This creature of legend and myth was now entering my dreams.  Even though my body still sat on the floor of the hospital, my mind took me somewhere else entirely.  My mouth hung open in shock and disbelief.  Thoughts raced.  I should be surprised at this turn of events, but somehow a small amount comfort settled in.  This slowly started to sink in.  Bigfoot has been around for many thousands if not tens of thousands of years, helping mankind fight off these hordes of daemons spilling into our world...my world.  I suddenly felt very protective of my planet and the pieces of the puzzle felt like they got a little clearer regarding at least why I had seen him that fateful night so many years before. 

He walked forward with several large strides of his huge legs.  He appeared to be looking right at me, even though this was some sort of day dream.  I had no control over it.  He walked behind me and headed towards the fleeing people’s direction to aid them.

I shifted my vantage point, not sure of how interacting with this dream was even possible.  Villagers started to reform their ranks against the smaller daemons.  Bigfoot walked over, grabbed one of them by the head, and crushed its skull in his hand casually as he passed by.  Black ichor squeezed through his fingers until he let go of the dead creature and flung it away from him.  He shook his hand off to free it of the disgusting fluid; the droplets showered the area to his right as he engaged another one by grabbing one of its wings, pinned it to the ground by its head and tore it free.  I heard a sickening crunch and the creature's gray matter escaped its broken skull and splattered on the ground.

This assault continued.  The villagers finally turned the tide by forming defensive lines and the daemon host was weakening.  A feeling of relief engulfed me for the first time since the sequence started.  It was weird to know this was a day dream and that I was along for the ride but could control my view point while this scenario played out.  Just as I got the hang of it, the battle ended, forcing my mind backwards through a tunnel.  The light got smaller and smaller until it faded and my eyes opened.

Did that just happen?

I sat there staring at my arm.  My eyes were slowly coming back into focus.  The scar previously there was faded, but the faint outline of the vicious face remained.  The memory of it ripping its way through my flesh was real.  Its evil looking eyes tracked my movement even though the flesh was perfectly flat. 

My sanity came into question.  Confusion kept hitting me like waves crashing on the northern shore of one of the Hawaiian Islands.  I saw the footage of a long time ago.  This image drove itself deeper into my mind with the power and intensity of those waves.

My pulse pounded in my head.  I started to think it was going be a horrible headache when something released in my mind and the pain subsided.  It felt like my last grip of sanity had just let go.  I took a deep breath and relaxed.  My mind started to calm down.

“Do not forget!” the chorus came like before, jolting me out of my one serene moment for the day.  I laughed...gently at first.  The waves of laugher started out slow at first then turned into all out hysterics. 

“This must be what it feels like to lose your mind,” I proclaimed with a yell. 

Seconds later the door burst open.  Several men poured in dressed as orderlies.  They all had very serious looks on their faces and seemed to have a strong resolve about them.  In fact, my gaze panned from one face to then next, and I realized I had never seen these men before.  They closed around me in a slow circle.  One of them had a syringe, the others...restraints.

I locked my gaze on him.  He had a very weird look on his face, like he knew what he was going to enjoy doing to me.  With a sudden explosion, the other men came in from the sides.  I leapt to my feet...ready.

Grabbing the first one by the arms, I spun him into the second one.  They both flew against the wall hard.  The third man rushed in, grabbed my arms, and pinned them at my side while I regained my footing.  My hands went out wide.  I turned to face him.  Something stabbed the skin on my back.  My elbow found his face and his nose disintegrated into a shower of red as he collapsed, pulling the item out of my skin.  The man in front of me took advantage of my distraction.  My jaw took one as my head turned back to face him.  Again the sting came, only this time his fist landed in my palm, which promptly wrapped around the tiny hand.  My kick caught him in the chest with the ball of my foot. 

He fell down choking for air and clutching his torso.  Another sound came from behind me.  Spinning fast, my fist flew.  The face of Doctor Price appeared right before my fist connected with him.

“What going on here?” he proclaimed as my punch stuck with me managing to pull much of the power back.  It still connected hard.  He flew backwards and hit the wall.  I glanced around the room; none of the other assailants moved anymore.  Turning back to the doctor, I noticed he was shaking his head.  This was certainly going to extend my stay.  He moaned with his hands cupping his now gushing nose.

I cursed...walked over to his body and knelt down.  He looked up at me with a bloodied nose.  “You pulled that didn’t you?”  His voice gurgled as the crimson flowed.

Nodding, I carried him out the door.  Several terrified looks flew my direction from nurses shying away until they realized I was trying to help him. 

“We came to tell you that you are to be released,” he coughed.

“Oh,” was all I could muster.

XXVIII

Freedom

"So I'm finally free to go then?” 

The words felt strange to hear after the reality of what had just happened.  Four men had attempted to kidnap me in broad daylight.  Such a bold move meant someone had their eye on me and must have decided that it was time to take me out.  Doctor Price finished talking to the hospital security and had his nose full of gauss thanks to me.  It could have been worse had the punch not been pulled.  At least he was not pressing charges.

I stood in the room where the attack occurred.  Glass and gnarled chain link mesh littered the floor.  Blood stains decorated the walls.  The in-room security camera went offline at the time of the attack.  The police were on their way.  The fleeing men left no trace.  They simply vanished.  It was another item to add to the “weird” file.

Doctor Price finished his conversation and instructed me to follow him to a room to talk.  Conveniently, several of the bigger orderlies were working nearby.  They were “busy” outside the room in case he needed them.  After what he just saw, he knew they would do him no good.  I walked in ducking the door and sat on the floor, ignoring the flimsy plastic chair set in place for me.  “No back injuries today,” I thought, remembering the first time I tried to use one.

“I will not miss this place."  A few episodes of anger turned borderline rage a few times when I was startled awake by an orderly coming in to attend to me for whatever reason in the middle of the night.  The doctor told them not to disturb me at night, but they rarely listened.  Several of them know better now.  Instead of being smart about it and alerting me beforehand, it was as if they had decided the dangerous approach would be better.  Maybe even fun.  I found there behavior suspicious, especially since they were warned. 

I was, after all, in here of my own free will.  They had no grounds to hold me involuntarily, but acted as if they did.  Their instructions were to observe, but they were buying time, trying to find a loophole.  Part of me thought, maybe there was a judge in the loop somewhere they coerced into a decision to hold me.  After all, there was no way they could.  They attacked me without provocation.  The S.W.A.T. team helmet cams were proof.  Eryn did her homework.  I had to hand it to her.

Today was the end of my un-official period of cooperation.  Rather than days, it had been weeks.  I went along good naturedly.  The situation was as much a mystery to me as to anyone else.  My questions needed answers too. 

The doctor looked at me over the broken nose I had given him.  He did not seem angry.  In his eyes was a look of curiosity and respect.

“I know we have had our differences Diete – excuse me, Tathlyn.  Your situation is very unique, and it has been a privilege to be part of it.  From a medical point of view, you are in perfect health.  Your physical condition is that of an elite athlete.  Your mental clarity is keen.  Our tests show no abnormalities.”

“Did you have something specific in mind?”  I asked.

“Steroids tend to alter the mind and produce quick-to-anger responses.  You’ve no doubt heard of roid rage.  We have not caught on camera whoever has been slipping them to you all this time.  Somehow, you were unaffected mentally.  We also cannot find any trace of an anabolic agent in your blood work.  It could be a new product.  We suspect you have contracted a form of gigantism.  There is no conclusive proof.”  He paused.  I sat there seemingly un-phased by his comments.  What could I say?  I was asleep for six years. 

“It’s just a working theory for now.  The other weird part is your Sergeant friend has ordered your records sealed and taken.  What we discuss stays in this room.  You were never officially here,” he said.

I still looked at him without responding.

“Is any of this getting through, Tathlyn?” he asked.

“You mean do I understand what the hell you are talking about?”  I started.  “Actually, I do not.  Is that clear enough?”

“Fair enough.  As far as your wounds opening and healing on their own, I have no theory.  Could it be an undiscovered viral strand?  Sure.  Could it be spiritual?  As a doctor, I really don’t have a comment.  Off the record, I suppose anything is possible.”

“So I’m a freak,” I said, almost in a whisper.

“That’s one way of putting it I suppose,” said the doctor.

Whether or not he meant to pause for dramatic effect, he did.

"You have been evaluated Tathlyn, to the best of my ability.  The rage you experience seems to have passed for now.  I can issue a clean bill of health.  The truth is, I don’t know where we’d put you if we wanted to have you committed."  He paused and looked me up and down the best he could with me sitting.  “And I don’t think we have enough extra-large orderlies to
make
you do anything you don’t want to do.”  He smiled and brought a new tissue to his nose. 

“Sorry about your nose, Doc,” I said.

“It’s okay.  The bleeding has stopped.  Besides, I am certain you could have killed me.  Try not to hurt anyone, ok?”

“Will do,” I managed.

“Oh, and another thing, with your file sealed and gone, there will be no more research or tests.  This tied our hands.  Whatever is going on with you, it belongs to you now.”

He stood to go.  I watched him.  Who could blame him?  They had done what they could.  I could not really complain about my treatment.  There were bound to be people, even groups, interested in figuring me out.  At least they had kept the Press away.  That is a headache I did not need.

Besides back fisting the first orderly who tried giving me a shot when I was asleep, I behaved myself.  The staff learned a valuable lesson that day. 
Deal with the giant when he is awake
.  Besides, I had no way of knowing his intentions.  Anything could have been in that syringe. 

I drifted mentally.  The doctor’s voice was a soft whir.  When I refocused, the subject had changed to my previously scheduled appointments, which they cancelled.  He was interested in having me come back on my own.  He wanted to check in with me from time to time.

Not a chance.  Eryn and I would figure this out ourselves.  She was the only person I could trust.

I nodded and smiled.  How could anyone explain scientifically how I grew in the span of nine weeks?  Seven of those had been in a vegetative state, and I had not only tripled my body weight, but it had been solid muscle.  How could a chemical induced coma add muscle?  I looked like a bodybuilder.  My appetite was ravenous. 

Maybe it is good that my files are gone, I thought.

I was in a coma for six years.  In that time, I had been severely “wounded” dozens of times, with no apparent cause.  Surviving the attacks must have made me stronger.  The medical and scientific communities spent years trying to get answers.  They loved sipping warm coffee and pontificating on their “findings” in all-day meetings.  I had been their experiment.  One of them wanted to be the one to make the official diagnosis.  Get his name in a magazine.  Win a prize.  To them, it was a game.  They had no idea what was happening to me. 

And now, thanks to the Sergeant, my file disappeared.

I was having a hard time trying to figure out my dreams.  Why so much fighting?  Why so many creatures?  My day dreams were bizarre, too.  I found myself constantly tracing the outline of my new face with my finger.  It was like an obsession.  Something was more than missing.  There were clues, but I was missing them.  The dreams, both day, and night, overshadowed everything.

Many mornings I woke up smelling blood.  At night, I would sit up certain that I had blood all over me.  Every time, I was clean, not a spot of blood on anything.  Then one morning I felt moisture in my groin area.  Fearing I had become a bed wetter, I was surprised to find it to be blood.  The blood spawned a dozen theories, words I cannot even pronounce.  It was similar to previous injuries, but the difference was there were no visible wounds before.  The doctor ran tests thinking it was a nocturnal emission traced with blood, but he found no semen in the sample.  I felt relieved that I could rule out bloody wet dreams as my problem.  At last some good news for a change.  I tossed it into the “weird” file and tried not to worry.

One day at a time.

Another different scent got my attention too.  I do not know what it was, or what caused it, but it smelled of musk.  I detected the scent on various people in the room at times.  It was distant, but distinct.  I logged it away for later.  Too much thinking did me no good.

The doctor continued to drone on about not finishing his work.  My own thoughts had me lost in the day’s events.  Who wanted me kidnapped?  How could they have gotten away so easily?  What would I do next time they tried? If there was a next time.  They had already made three attempts.  I had no reason to doubt a fourth was in the works.  I was glad Eryn had not been there.  I might have killed someone protecting her.  She was the rock that kept me grounded.  With her, I felt stable.

Getting to see her every day was about the only high point in my life during those times.  It did look good that I cooperative, especially after beating up the S.W.A.T. team.  Jail should have been the next stop.  Eryn’s quick wit saved the day.  She had them worried about accusations of excessive force because of my size.  Silly as it sounded, “
Hey, you attacked my freakishly massive boyfriend for no reason!
”  Size discrimination.  There is a concept.  I was still surprised the charges went away.

Doctor Price finished.

“So that’s it,” he said.  “You are no longer under the care of this facility.  For security reasons, follow me and you will be escorted out the back.”

My mind had faded completely.  I barely returned to hear the last of his remarks.  Standing up, my thoughts turned to a vision of myself running in the woods, hunting. 

I had never been a hunter.

I drifted again, thinking about the vision, unaware of the room when the silence shattered.

Pain.

It was as if someone had hit me square in the nose with a board.  My guard dropped defensive.  I could taste of blood on my lips.  My tongue instinctively wiped it away.  The orderlies outside the room turned and must have seen the blood and my reaction to it.  They scattered like cockroaches in daylight.  Two of them bolted from the hallway through a door at the end.  The other two ran and hid behind pillars built out from the walls.

Standing there with my fists clenched, my breathing got heavy as the adrenaline hit me.  The smell of fear filled the room.  A noise came behind me.  Turning I saw the doctor trying to hide under a desk.  Sound, like white noise, flooded my ears.  Deafness rolled over me.  The doctor’s lips were moving very rapidly, and I was suddenly aware that he was yelling something.  Buzzing followed by a slight popping sound brought things back to into focus.  The doctor was indeed yelling.

"Stay calm, Tathlyn!  Nobody hit you.  No one even touched you.  What the hell was that?”  He was clearly scared.

I touched my upper lip and felt the moisture already starting to recede.  It seems I had smacked my face on the upper entrance as I started out the door.  I forgot to duck.  Everyone in the room panicked thinking I would go into a rage.  The doctor was under a desk.  His behavior was odd for a grown man.  I found myself wondering what had happened to him as a child.  Had there been an abusive parent?  The thought took me to my own childhood.  I remembered every time my stepfather ever laid a hand on me.  Deep down the hate was there, but it did no good.  He was dead.  I had nothing.  I did not even go to his funeral.  Anger suddenly rose and the desire to break something filled me.  Something inside me boiled.  I wanted to inflict pain like the kind experienced all my life.

My hands shook.  It was rather rapid, almost like a vibration, but small and focused.  A deep breath seemed to help.  My nose pulsed with each beat of my heart.  With each breath I took, the pain subsided.  Then it stopped entirely.  The pain fled, with no trace of soreness.  No ache of any kind.  I looked up and saw two orderlies peeking in at me.  They were scared of me just standing there.

Minutes passed and a small crowd of orderlies and nurses gathered.  Murmurings circulated.  I could hear it all; no matter how quietly they spoke.  Everyone agreed. 
I was a freak
. 

I heard a familiar voice.  Eryn!  She pushed her way through the crowd outside.  She had become quite a friend.  She approached me slowly.  I felt a smile force its way to the surface.

"Hi."

"Hi,” I said in a low, defeated tone.

"Did you try to hurt the doctor again?"

“No,” I said.  “My face hit the doorway.”

I had to laugh.  The memory of punching him in the nose was there.  I looked over at the desk and could see him peeking out at me from underneath.  He did look terrified.  There was no blame.  I felt more like a freak.  I put my head in my hands and ran my fingers over my scalp.  As I ran my fingers through my hair , I felt a lock come away in my hands.  I heard Eryn gasp.  I looked at my hands.  They were full of my hair.  I looked at Eryn.  Her hand was over her mouth.  She was shaking.  She looked as if she was expecting me to lose it.  I started to giggle out of sheer nervousness, not knowing what was happening.

"Looks like I will have to shave my head," I said, awkwardly.