Sergio Calderon's Story

Forgetting to lock the second floor windows...classic mistake. He almost smiled to himself. Peeling back the window, Sergio stared into the dark hallway. Three doors. No lights. After an awkward scramble to get his long legs over the windowsill, he pawed around for the light switch. He almost wished he hadn't. Splotches of blood lay splattered along the wall and floors, staining the ugly green carpet an even more repulsive brown.

Fighting back the urge to gag, he pressed ahead, his footsteps muffled by the soft carpeting. Careful to avoid the brown stains strewn across the floor, Sergio picked his way towards the door on the right at the end of the hall. It wasn't his first time in this house. In fact, he knew exactly where he was going: Sarah's bedroom. That, after all, was where the murder had occurred.

It was still so hard to believe Sarah was gone. "It is with our deepest regrets that we inform you that one of our own passed away," the University had emailed. "Counseling services will be available for any student." As if talking about it to some shrink was supposed to fix anything. Murder was a constant threat in Freedom, but it had always felt like something distant. Something that happened to unimportant people, people without power, people he didn't know and didn't care about. Not the privileged, the wealthy, the powerful. Not Sarah.

He had to know. To see it for himself. He had to know why. If the murderer had killed someone as innocent as Sarah in someplace as ritzy as Bayview Heights, then nowhere in the city could be truly safe. Yellow police tape walled off her room. This was where it had happened.

Pressing a gloved hand up to the door, Sergio clamped his eyes shut. His forehead furled in concentration, and he looked as if he was deep in thought. The hallway, the ceiling, and the walls faded to black. It was as if the lit room just plunged to blackness and all that remained was a single spotlight on the door. The clock began to unwind as Sergio tapped into his psionic powers, delving into the door's past. Like a video tape on rewind, he spun back to two days ago, the night of the murder. Sarah, already bleeding, screaming, stumbled into the door, fingers frantically fumbling with the doorknob. She thrust it open, vanishing as she lunged desperately inside. And then a young man followed her. Two features distinguished the man: a deep scar jutting across the left side of the man's face and a walking stick the man carried with him that appeared to be made of glass.

Opening the door, Sergio ducked under the police tape and wandered inside. Immediately noticeable was a circular stain on the large window that overlooked the yard. As his fingers traced their way around the stain, he concentrated once more. Sarah was standing in front of the window, but the man was too far away to be visible. That's when the window began to shimmer. The glass almost looked as if it was moving. Suddenly, the glass stretched outward, a large spike dashing out and impaling Sarah directly in the chest. Shivering, Sergio called his mind back to the present.

The loud clunk of a car door tore him from his thoughts, signaling the arrival of an unexpected guest. His pulse quickened. The last thing he needed was to be caught trespassing at the crime scene. Time to take my leave, at least for now. Minutes later, Sergio had scrambled outside and boarded a bus. The gruff voice of the driver bellowed, "Next stop downtown!"

Police sirens wailed as Sergio's bus was forced to a stop by traffic. The sound of gunfire erupted as people in the traffic jam screamed. Police were having a huge full scale battle with a gang right at the bottom of the Waterfront Bridge. It looked like someone wanted to score some new territory and it had exploded into a war. There was no way that Sergio's bus would be able to get past the firefight and it was too big to turn around on the crowded highway. It would be stuck there until the fighting died down. It seemed like there were hundreds of men all wearing the same skull covered ski masks. They were in fire escapes, windows, on the street, and even some popped out under manhole covers, all firing wildly at the police who had set up a blockade of cars and were returning fire. It seemed the SWAT had arrived as well.

On T.V. The News reporter was talking again. "We now have confirmation that the police are in conflict with a large gang just North of Waterfront Bridge. The Police Chief has called in for back up from other nearby counties but with two crises on our hands it looks like we'd need a miracle to stop the chaos now." The News cut to the Police Chief, warning people to stay in doors and out of harms way until everything had been settled down. The grey whiskered man did not seem to be all that confident.

Crack! The patter of gunfire elicited a chorus of shrieks from the civilians trapped on the bridge. Just my luck. My bus WOULD decide to take the route the gang and police decide to squabble on. Typical. Letting out a beleaguered sigh, Sergio stood up and attempted to squeeze his way past the balding, pear-shaped man whose sweat had now not only stained the armpits of his shirt, but proceeded to drip down the into the seat he occupied, leaving a rancid puddle for whoever would sit there next. The joys of public transportation.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to remain seated." Ignoring the bus driver's warning, Sergio strolled through the aisle, shoved the emergency exit lever, and hopped out the back, the bus driver's slew of profanity fading as he meandered back to the bus stop.

Half an hour later, he found himself ground to a halt in yet another pile of traffic, this time in Lincoln. Letting out a tortured groan that was so prolonged it drew the eyes of nearly every passenger on the bus, an exasperated Sergio thought to himself, You have got to be kidding me. I really need to start reading the future of these buses before I board. Exiting the second bus, this time a bit more politely from the front entrance, he sauntered ahead.

The first thing that was odd was that people were missing. The further he walked, the fewer cars were occupied. It wasn't long before every car on the street had been abandoned. That's when the street became even more strange. A vibrant green vine had constricted an overturned semi truck so much so that the metal had folded in itself.

What the…?

Nothing like a giant car-crushing plant to liven up your day. Giving the thick vine a few friendly pats before resting his hand firmly against it, Sergio joked, "Let's see what you've been up to buddy." He closed his eyes, the world faded to black, and time began to unwind...

"Drink, my children! Drink and GROW!" A woman in leafy green robes had cackled manically as the vine shot out like a javelin, smashing the semi's front windshield and the driver's ribcage along with it. The vine proceeded to crush the massive truck as easily as a man crumpling paper before tossing it in the trash. Apparently, these vines were both strong and swift, a lethal combination.

Calling his mind back to the present, Sergio felt something prickly pressing against his wrist rather painfully. He gasped as the vine began to squeeze his right hand. Feeling the vine clamping tighter and tighter, an involuntary spasm caused his body to buckle and he screamed. He screamed and screamed and screamed. He had never felt this much pain in his entire life. It was as though his hand was being crushed off. Indeed, it may very well be if things didn't turn up soon.

The woman was alerted to several humans entering her territory by the plants, they ignored any animal presences. Two were being dealt with by the wolves, one was simply standing outside the perimeter and another had been trying to communicate with them. Well, they thought it had been communicating. They had felt a psychic presence. Curious, the woman headed towards the one who had tried to communicate. Maybe he was an ally, wanting to help?

The wolf stalked around the building, searching for the female. It had lost track of her when it had gone deaf for a second, but her scent was still strong by the door. The wolf found an open window and jumped inside. It would find the girl, in time.

Sable

The wolves charged in from all directions and Sable opened fire. She heard a few yelps as bullets either grazed or found their marks. The wolves however were set on taking her out and several jumped up onto the car, knocking her off and onto her back. She landed with a thump as several wolves jumped down towards her. One ran in and bit her arm.

"Mother Fucker!" She screamed, shooting it several times to make it let go and got to her feet as fast as she could.With the air knocked out of her, she ran from the wolves. She was frantic now, firing wildly behind her, blood dropping to the ground from her arm faster and faster as her heart pounded in rhythm with the gun fire.

Sable ran as fast as her legs would take her, narrowly avoiding the jaws of the wolves and barely hitting anything with her guns. She wasn't exactly paying attention to where she was going and before long the wolves had backed her into an alley with a dead end. She turned around, pointing her guns at the wolves who were stalking closer teeth bared and hackles raised. She pulled the triggers and the guns didn't fire.

"Shit."

It ended as suddenly as it began. The vines loosened as Sergio sunk onto the pavement, a deep purple bruise budding on his arm. The vine lingered in the air poised like a snake, ready to pounce at the slightest transgression. But why did they stop? A shrill shout drew Sergio's eyes off the pavement. "You! The one who attempts to speak to Blight's children! I would have you join me!"

It's her...the vine lady from my vision! She was hard to mistake, her thick forest green robes covering her nearly head to toe, giving her an eerie resemblance to the creatures she was using to lay waste to the city. She was short too. Surprising, that someone so small could command such power. Her hands rested on her hips, and she tapped her foot, impatient for something.

"So? Will you help?"

It was an odd request. After all, Sergio was elite. He was wealthy. And this woman had just brought down a Starbucks. Taking Starbucks from a yuppie like Sergio was like stealing from the poor: it was just cruel! Despite this heinous infraction, he was a bit curious about this kooky woman. Why not play along, at least for now? So, he swallowed his burning desire to bellow a "SCREW YOU FOR TAKING COFFEE FROM THIS CITY!" and settled instead for "Help? Help you with what?"

She giggled, waving her hand as though to dismiss his stupid question, "To destroy the city so the children may flourish, of course!"

"And just what do you have to gain from destroying this city?"

"It's not me who has anything to gain! The world wins when Blight wins!"

Referring to herself in the third person...as if I needed more proof this lady was a total nutjob. He continued, "And why does the world win?" only to be met with a blank stare. Somehow, even though she was far shorter, she made Sergio feel as if she was looking down on him. That massive, hovering vine wasn't making him feel particularly intimidating either.

"Uhm...alright moving on...so...how do you plan to destroy the city? What are your powers?"

"I talk to the children and I tell them to grow! The Wild's hear my call!"

Children? Why does she keep calling these vines her children? This is getting crazier by the minute. Sneaking a hand inside his back pocket, Sergio fingered the lighter he kept on hand. It was silver, engraved with his name. The lighter was small, and the vine was thick. But it might not like being burned. Especially if burning the plant would harm this woman too. Perhaps she was psychically linked with the plants. Maybe he could use this to his advantage and escape. "Do you feel what your children feel?"

"Only what they tell me."

So much for that plan. But then a seed planted itself inside Sergio's head. He had always been a quick thinker. "Well Blight, I have a pretty useful power myself. I can read the future. And I happen to know that right now, your children are in grave danger!"

Blight stood stock still her mouth agape. "You see the future?! What harms come to my children what-!" She was cut short by the sounds of gunfire and a bestial roar. "Why did you not tell me sooner!" She screamed as the yelps of wolves echoed out through the still city. It was growing darker by the minute and since the plants had cut power, soon it would be pitch black. Blight Reached out her hands towards the sounds. "The Wild Ones...I can only hear one over there." She almost seemed ready to cry. "Come back to me sweetheart. Come back to Blight and reunite with the Others."

The one remaining wolf stopped short as the human leaped from the building and onto the fire escape. It could have caught her, it really wanted to, but the Alpha called. It growled softly but turned and ran down the stairs and back out of the building the way it had come.

Blight reached out and called the other Wild Ones around the city to her. She felt another presence that was very wild, probably the one that had roared, but she turned her attention first to the Psychic. "My children were hurt as you say. What more do you see? Tell me and I will spare you!"

Sable

Sable fell backwards and dropped her guns as she tried to scramble away from the giant monster that was tearing apart the wolves. It was throwing those creatures around as if they were mere play toys and not predators that had, a few seconds ago, been ready to tear her limb from limb. She even saw one bite the monster and not even leave scratches on it's scaly hide.

She looked at her own bloody mess of an arm. It was useless now, and she was starting to feel a little light headed. She doubted she'd be able to put up a fight with the giant dino-man. This thing was out for blood and it looked like it wanted to kill her too. She fumbled around for a weapon, anything, forgetting about the virtual arsenal in the ink on her body. When the beast was done destroying the wolves it stopped in front of her, rumbling and breathing steam. She hefted a lead pipe with her good arm to block any attack. "What the fuck are you?" The small girl asked, not really expecting an answer. She looked for a way out of the dead end, but it seemed hopeless. The monster was blocking the entire alley and backwards was not an option. At this point, Isabel was certain that she was going to die.

"My children were hurt as you say. What more do you see? Tell me and I will spare you!"

Cocking an eyebrow at the vine, Sergio hesitated, "This thing won't try to rip my arm off this time when I look into your future, right?"

As she nodded her assent, Sergio gently lifted her hand and removed her glove. "Well, let's take another look shall we?"

And then everything went black. Sergio's mind careened forward in time. Predicting the future was a difficult task. It was nearly impossible for him to read a particular moment. Rather, he would discern scenes that might come to pass, but it was uncertain if they'd occur hours, months, or even years from now. And, the future could change at any moment; it was fluid, living, because it was the active creation of a million different actors. Still, Blight didn't have to know that.

Arriving at the future moment was always unsettling. Like a passenger clutching the rail for dear life as his subway car brakes to a sudden stop, Sergio always felt similarly skittish upon his landing. Focusing, he could once again see Blight, only this time she was standing on what looked like a glass square. "Noooooooooooo!" Her shriek pierced the air. "Noooooooo!" The tears were streaming from her face. Something she loved had been ripped away from her. Her eyes widened, grief transforming into panic in the blink of an eye. Two hulking, translucent figures, also appearing to be made of glass, had snapped her up. The tiny woman looked so fragile now, so breakable. Her lip quivered and her whole body began shaking uncontrollably.

The man approached, a hideous, jagged scar across the left side of his face. "Tsk tsk. I thought you'd put up more of a fight," he sighed. With a flick of his wrist, the glass walking stick extended, spearing out to impale Blight through the chest.

And then he was back, Blight's eyes transfixed on him, unblinking, expectant. He could read the desperation on her face. And now he knew she had good reason for that desperation. That man...I've seen him before! He killed Sarah. And he'll kill again. Unless the future changes…

"Look Blight, I know of a threat that you need to deal with. I don't know his name or what he is exactly. But he's a man with a scar on the left side of his face. And he's very dangerous. Watch out for him." He held his breath, and then added, "That's all I know. May I go now, as you promised?"

Blight focused on the psychic intently as the wolves and other creatures of the wild began to fill in the clearing that was once an intersection. She waited as he seemed to stare off in space, hoping that he might be able to help her keep her children safe while still furthering her goals. What she got instead was disappointing cryptic nonsense.

"I do not know a man with a scar!" She said, the nearby plants beginning to twist and wind towards the psychic slowly as if responding to her anger and not a direct command. "You have told me nothing! How does a single man stop Blight? Where? When? Why?" She was almost screaming now. "You may not leave until you tell me answers and truth!"

____

The chopper followed the creature as best they could as it ran through the streets and alleys. When it ducked under a parking garage, however, they lost sight on it. They hovered over the garage, waiting for the beast to exit.


Sable
“You may want to have a doctor look at your arm.” The monster said in a deep rumble before leaving. Sable just dropped the pipe and stared open mouthed as he walked towards the end of the alley and then ran away. She stared for a few more minutes before a throbbing in her arm caught her attention. She was still bleeding.

She looked around for something to stop the bleeding but couldn’t find anything that wasn’t disgusting. She sighed and tore a piece of her shirt off, exposing her midriff, and tied it tightly around the bite marks. “Orale. What have I gotten myself into?” She muttered.

When she finished, she saw a girl at the end of the alley. The girl was looking towards her. “Hey!” Sable, shouted as she stumbled out of the darkened alley. “Are you okay?”