Look What the Storm Blew In

Alex Milds had been an outlaw since she was 9 but due to a freak of nature she found herself whisked away to a new world where she would become the hero.

The storm left a path of destruction near the perimeter of the forest but it also left something else.  Alex Milds stood in the middle of nowhere as a cool breeze whipped the bottoms of her chaps about her legs.  She felt instinctively for her pistols on her hips, breathing a sigh of relief at feeling their coolness at her fingertips; the last thing she wanted was to be in some strange place without her sidearm.  Squinting through the lingering dust clouds, she spotted her well-worn Stetson just a few feet away.  The spurs on her boots broke through the eerie silence as she sauntered over to the discarded hat and scooped it up.  Giving it a firm slap against her thigh to dislodge some of the dirt, she repositioned it atop her head, tucking a few errant strands of sandy blond hair behind her ears. 

 

“Where are we?”  She asked as her emerald green eyes continued to scan the area to which more and more was revealed as the dust continued to settle.  Turning to address her faithful companion she felt the bottom of her stomach disappear as she searched for any sign of a horse, her horse, but the painted mare was nowhere to be seen.  The young woman’s heart ached for the animal hoping it didn’t suffer in death.  She only allowed a few seconds of grief however; she had learned long ago that there was no place for “soft” emotions in the world.  Alone and in a strange land, the girl worked hard to keep her panic at bay, instead she focused on the practical side of things.  Two things were always needed no matter where one was �" one being food, the other shelter.  Glancing up at the sky she calculated that she had approximately three hours before darkness took over.  Not wanting to be caught out in the open she plunged into the line of trees, determined to find shelter before nightfall.

 

 She walked deep enough that she felt some measure of safety, all the while her mind trying to connect the dots of her being here.  She had heard stories of twisters carrying cows to the next town but this terrain was far from being the next town.  Perplexed and without hope of receiving answers any time soon, the girl eventually stopped in a small clearing that was created by pine needles.  Sheltered from wind and rain beneath the huge branches of an evergreen Alex stretched out on her back and removed her hat laying it nearby.  Despite being in such peculiar surroundings, sleep came quickly to Alex after the physically and emotionally taxing journey.  However, her sleep was not to be peaceful. 

 

Within a few hours of falling asleep the nightmare began.  She was galloping across the desert plain, Sheriff Small and his posy hot on her trail.  She only took what she needed from the store; a girl had to live after all, but her face on a wanted poster didn’t exactly help the situation.  The sky was clear, not a spot of a cloud to mar the vast blueness, and then the storm came.  She heard the horse whinny with alarm, raring up in anxiety and fear.  Alex clasped the reigns tightly but felt her hold loosening as if some invisible force were prying her fingers from the leather strap.  Her entire being was being pulled from the horse. Someone was screaming.  The cries of horror mixed with that of the howling wind.  The screaming was getting louder, her throat hurt from the suffocating wind and sand as her lungs burned for oxygen. 

 

 Alex’s body gave a sudden jolt as her eyelids snapped open, the realization that she was screaming in her sleep causing her to feel a little self-conscious despite the fact that no one was around to hear.  Slowly she brought herself up into a sitting position, pulling her knees up tightly to her chest as sweat trickled down from her temples to moisten her flushed face. With a shaky hand she brushed aside a damp ringlet of hair as she attempted to steady her heart rate and slow her breathing unaware of the creatures that watched from the protective cover of the trees. Restless and uneasy with this stranger in their forest a shrill call sounded from the forest canopy and echoed in the night startling the girl to her feet.  Instantly her hands shot to her .45s   but there was no chance to use the weapons before the underbrush erupted to life.  She could feel the movement more than see it causing the hair at the nape of her neck to stand on end.  Pistols out and at the ready she refrained from shooting what she could not see but having them out gave a certain sense of security.  Whatever was out there was moving closer, she felt them on all sides.  She knew that if she didn’t act now she’d be trapped.  Not being one to ignore her guts, she grabbed her hat and high-tailed it out of there.

 

After a short sprint, she stopped to catch her breath and listen.  The sound of movement was still present but the number seemed to be increasing.  She caught a glimpse of something moving to the left of her.  Glancing to the right she spotted more creatures running past, the moonlight reflecting on domed heads that were just out of her viewing to really make out details.  She knew she was being set up for an ambush but she had to believe that they hadn’t surrounded her just yet.  Once again she took off in a dead run, ignoring the branches and leaves that slapped at her during her passage.

 

The sound of crunching leaves and thumping feet was coming from all sides easily keeping up with her blind run.  Breaking through the dense underbrush she stopped short; there in front of her loomed a tall mass of black rock.  Craning her neck back she saw that she was at the base of a mountain whose sheer rock wall loomed forebodingly over her.  A rhythmic chant filled the air, the sound causing her heart to skip a beat.  Slowly she turned around to face her pursuers, pistols clasped firmly in each hand.  She opened her mouth to scream as the first wave of creatures burst forth into the clearing.  Two shots fired off within a matter of seconds in an automatic reaction, but that was all the more she had time to accomplish before she felt a hard blow to the back of her head and all went black.

 

*          *          *          *          *

 

Alex awoke with a dull throbbing sensation coming from the back of her head.  Reaching a hand around to rub the sore spot she discovered a golf ball sized knot.  She was sitting on the ground inside of a damp cave whose entrance was sealed off by a large spider web.  Getting to her feet, she put out a hand against the wall as a wave of nausea over took her.  After a few more seconds, she carefully inched her way to the web and peered out between its geometric openings.  There was a faint glow of torch light near the end of a long tunnel, other than that there was nothing she could see but blackness.  She began pulling at the webbing, hoping to get out of there before somebody or something realized she was conscience.  However, the web proved to be stronger than what it appeared.  While searching the ground nearby for a rock to cut the sticky barrier, Alex heard a strange clicking sound.  Looking down the length of the tunnel again her eyes rested upon a large spider moving toward her.  She instantly reached for her pistols but to her dismay discovered the holsters empty.  “Damn.”  She breathed out, shrinking to the back of the cave in the hopes of hiding within the protection of the darkness.

 

With one sweep of a pointed leg the giant arachnid removed the webbing.  Alex stared in disbelief at the ghastly creature before her.  It had a large black abdomen with eight spindly legs protruding out.  On each leg was a series of spikes that promised pain, but it was the head that caused Alex alarm.  Attached to the enormous abdomen was a woman’s head.  It was beautiful and hideous all at the same time.  She had cropped black hair that hugged her petite head, beady eyes that looked like coal, and blood red lips shaped to perfection.  When she smiled, long white fangs dripping in poison were revealed reinforcing the fact that she was not hear for a tea party.

 

“Welcome, we’ve been waiting for you.”  Her voice was surprisingly soothing, almost hypnotic.

 

Alex stood dazed, dreamily staring at the oversized spider.  She felt the urge to go to her, to touch her. A sing-song voice in her head whispered assurance of how pleasant it would be to touch the bristling hair that covered the swollen abdomen, to kiss the blood red lips.  The spider/woman took a step closer and it was that singular motion that broke the spell.  Alex shook her head, clearing away the fog that threatened to overtake her mind and immediately sought to distance herself from the danger. Backing up until her heel struck the damp rock at the back of the cave.  Ignoring her overwhelming fear she focused on survival as she stealthily slid a hand along the wall in search of a loose rock to use as a weapon.  Finding one, she tightened her fingers about the cold object but to her surprise the rock wriggled within her grasp.  Jumping away from the wall, she caught a glimpse of something scurrying along the floor, her eyes finally focusing on the thousands of small black spiders moving about the cave. Instinct took over and she began stomping the creatures with her booted feet as her skin crawled with the overwhelming sensation of being surrounded by eight-legged creatures.

 

“No!”  The spider/woman lashed her front four legs about in horror causing the girl to duck out of the way.  “My children, my precious children!”  The face that Alex had deemed beautiful was now contorted in anger that seemed to enlarge the black form to the point of swallowing up the space of the cave, “You will pay for this, human, but for now I must take you to my master.”  Without a word of warning, she shot out a massive web that ensnared Alex like a lasso, pinning her arms to her side.  Spinning her repeatedly in a thread of sticky web, the young woman found herself bound from ankle to neck with no hope of escaping.  Hoisting the cocoon onto her back, the spider worked her way through the maze of tunnels, going further into the mountain, all the while discussing the slow death that was to come to the prisoner.

 

The passageways were dark other than the occasional wall torch that emitted an eerie orange glow that soon became swallowed by blackness.  There was a constant drumming sound that echoed through the caves; its rhythm strong and methodical as if beating out a pace to be kept but for what Alex could only guess.  Mixed in with the thump-thump of the drum was the tink-tink of pick axes striking rock, a sound all too familiar to the girl after having spent time in a mine as punishment.  For such a dreary place, it was certainly full of activity.  Alex could hear things moving around the spider/woman but due to her bindings she couldn’t move her head to see what was lurking about.  Something told her that she ought to be glad she couldn’t see anything.  Her “ride” would occasionally stop to adjust its load or talk to somebody but overall they kept a steady pace, moving ever closer to the heart of the mountain.

 

“That’s far enough, Sherpice,” Came an icy voice, startling Alex from her thoughts.  “I have been told to bring the human the rest of the way.”

 

The spider had stopped, taking in the situation at hand.  “You lie.” She shot back, her beady black eyes starring down the creature at hand, searching for the lie that she knew he spoke. “Who sent you?”

 

“The Master.”

 

“Since when does your kind transport prisoners?”  Sherpice began to move forward again blatantly ignoring the order to hand the girl over. Then a jolt sent both the spider and her load sliding back several feet along the corridor.  The spider/woman let out a shriek of rage; her anger causing her body to pulsate with the negative energy as she repositioned her many legs in a determined stance.

 

“Give it to me!”  Boomed the other creature as he rose to his full height of seven feet and a few odd inches.

 

Not wanting to wait for the other to attack her, the spider/woman quickly climbed up to the ceiling and darted away in the direction from whence they had came and towards reinforcements.  From this new vantage point, Alex was able to see everything.  She quickly regretted not closing her eyes for the image she saw would surely add to the nightmares she already suffered.

 

The creature in pursuit of them was nothing but a skeleton, just yellowed bones and decaying tissue offset by glowing red eyes.  Wings that looked to be as long as the creature was tall came sprouted from its shoulder blades, slightly folding in to avoid scraping the walls. Razor sharp teeth lined the open mouth like needles on a cactus, promising pain to whatever was unlucky enough to be caught within them. As the thing stormed through the passage it blew fire from its mouth, consuming anything within three feet. Creatures that weren’t bright enough to move out of the way were quickly squashed beneath the clawed feet or left in ashes, and those that did move grumbled and cursed the large beast of bones.

 

From several side tunnels came other spider/things, intent on helping one of their own.  Together they quickly began weaving a series of huge webs; their screeches and curses reverberating through the tunnels creating a cacophony of noise. This accomplished nothing but angering the beast more and evoking an all out skirmish between the oversized monsters.

 

Alex bounced painfully along on the back of Sherpice, the world turned literally upside down until she felt herself falling.  Still bundled in the cocoon, she had no way of breaking the fall and therefore clamped her eyes shut in preparation of what she knew was going to be a hard landing.  A dull thud announced her arrival on the rock floor, her head bouncing on the ground like a ball.  Blackness threatened to overtake her once again, but she fought against the sinking feeling.  There was yelling and screaming all around her.  She could feel the heat coming from the winged beast’s fire.  Unable to move, to protect herself from the oncoming danger of the beast of bones or the many legs that tapped dance around her, the girl struggled against her bindings all the while fighting down her rising panic. The corridor was starting to swim before her eyes.  The faint orange glow of torch lights disturbed by the brilliant red/yellow glare of fire as voices and sounds blurred together in an undecipherable babble of noise.  Before she completely lost consciousness, she felt something roughly grabbing her feet and dragging her away, her face scraping along the rough surface of the rock floor.

 

*          *          *          *          *

 

“Give me that, you bloody fool.  You’re gonna cut your thumb off.”

 

“Leave me be, I can do it meself with no ‘elp from the likes of you.”

 

Alex struggled against the fog in her head, trying to make sense of the conversation nearby. Somewhere in her mind she saw large spiders and skeletons that mixed with a surreal sensation of fear.  “A nightmare.”  She rationalized, keeping her eyes squeezed tight in an attempt to make the lingering feelings of the dream go away, but the voices that had woke her did not leave.

 

“I told ya she ‘ad leather.  I can smells it.”  A cool breeze washed over the girl’s body as the webbing that had been keeping her captive was finally cut free allowing air to move across her once more.

 

“Jest get it off an’ let’s go.  I aint up fer a meetin’ with that bag o’ bones.”

 

Alex felt something tugging on her left foot until the boot popped free causing the creature to fall back with his trophy in hand.  His partner must have found this amusing as a giggling childish laughter filled the room.  Opening her eyes just a slit Alex surveyed the situation.  As soon as she saw the frog-like creature crouched beside her she knew that the images of her nightmare were a reality.  As consciousness seeped over her the pain of her ordeal sunk in as well.  Her body ached from the fall, she had a hammering of pain in her head and her face burned like fire.

 

“It ain’t that easy, you give ‘er a try.”

 

“Yer  jest not doin’ it proper like.”   She focused back on the present company as she felt something tugging at her other boot, a stubborn rage building within her.  She was lost, sore, and hungry and now they were going to take her boots.  Damnit, she’d had enough.

 

The two creatures continued to argue about how to remove her other boot without repeating falling over, ignoring the “unconscious” human. Taking advantage of their distraction Alex jumped to her feet, using her still booted foot to kick one of the squat green creatures across the mouth.  Yellow blood oozed from the fresh wound as it howled in pain.  The one that had grabbed her boot stared dumbly at her, not sure what he was supposed to do. “Strong and dumb, always a bad combination,” thought Alex as she yanked her boot out of the creature’s hands, using the object as a weapon to slice across his face, the spur leaving a vertical cut from cheek to forehead.   The first creature she had attacked was on his oversized feet and charging at her, again she used the boot as a weapon, slicing the frogman from navel to neck bathing both the ground and her in more yellow blood.  Certain that both creatures were sufficiently hurt enough to leave her alone; she jammed her foot into the boot and ran out of the cavern.

 

The passageway was quiet; wherever she was it was far from the fight or perhaps that had already worked itself out.  She had no concept of time and now she had no clue as to where she was in the vast maze of this underground world; the realization that she was underground threatened to crush her but she fought down the anxiety in order to get out of this insane place.  Pressing her back against the rock wall she stealthily slid through the corridors, stopping often to duck inside a door way or room to escape detection.  Her stomach ached with the sickening realization that she had yet to see another human in this place. 

 

The air grew fresher as she progressed giving her hope that she was at least moving towards an opening.  Word must have gotten out that she was missing as she’d heard mention of “the human” more than once by passing creatures, making her escape all the more urgent.  Alex didn’t want to see what other ways they had for keeping their prisoners confined; the spiders had been enough for her.  A patrol of the frog-like creatures threatened her route forcing her into the blackness of yet another cavern.  She hated these black abysses that provided shelter and fear all at the same time.  She tried not to think about what might lay hidden in the shadows the image of the tiny spiders still too vivid in her mind.  So far she had been lucky to not encounter anything but it only took one time to ruin her chances of survival.

 

As the group passed she held her breath in anticipation, heart pounding in her chest as seconds passed like hours.  “You should go left.”  Alex snapped her head around and peered intently into the darkness of the room.  Large blue eyes floated before her, positioned just a few inches above her own.  “You are looking to get out of here aren’t you?”

 

Alex couldn’t find her voice to answer, some of that was due to the shock of not being alone and the other was from fear of what the blue eyes were attached to.  As if knowing what was keeping the girl from speaking, the creature stepped forward, a soft glow from the palm of its hand chasing away the shadows that had been harboring him, “I’m Lithe.”   The creature stepped forward and gave a polite bow of his head sending a curtain of brown hair to spill over his shoulder.  He could almost be described as human but Alex knew better.  He had a grace and presence that was very much inhuman, that and the fact that he had pointed ears kind of cinched the deal.

 

“You with them?”  The girl gestured with her head towards the passageway to indicate her reference to all the creatures that seemed hell bent on making her life miserable.

 

Lithe gave a sympathetic smile and shook his head. “I’m here to help you.”  Alex furrowed her brow at this remark, not liking how he seemed to know something about her circumstances that she clearly did not.  “There will be time enough to answer all of your questions but this is neither the time nor the place for that discussion.  The Master of the Mountain does not like it when his orders are disobeyed so unless you care to meet him I suggest we leave now.”   Lithe closed his palm and the soft light that had illuminated the cave was gone. 

 

She didn’t hear him move towards her so when he tapped her shoulder to get her attention, Alex couldn’t disguise her surprise. “What in blazes!!!  Don’t do that!”  She could feel him smiling even before he opened his mouth to apologize, the amusement annoyingly obvious in his voice.  Together they slipped out of the protection of the room and once again she moved through the oppressing corridors. 

 

*          *          *          *          *

 

Alex was so close and yet there blocking her door to freedom were two monstrous creatures each standing nearly nine feet high with legs as big as tree trunks and arms thick as a horse’s head.  The girl ducked back behind the pillar of rock that was hiding her and her new companion from view.  “We have to get past those?  It’s not possible.”  She was sore, hungry, tired, and scared so a little pessimism was to be expected but her pointy-eared friend seemed far from the point of giving up. 

 

“They’re big but dumb.”  He assured her with a mischievous grin.  “Just follow my lead.”  She was about to ask more but he moved away before she had the chance.   Peering around the side of the pillar she watched in horror as Lithe approached the giants and introduced himself.   The pieced together lumps of muscle seemed confused by this unusual meeting and looked about for someone to tell them what to do.  When no answer came the one to the left hoisted his spiked club up over his head and brought it down with the intent of smashing the annoying visitor like one would swat away a fly.  Lithe was prepared for such tactics and easily leapt out of harm’s way.  Frustrated, both guards began banging around the cave entrance causing the ground to shake and fragment of rock to tumble down around them.    Alex saw what Lithe was trying to accomplish and quickly joined in the party, moving about the mouth of the cave faster than what the giants’ small brains could process.  More and more chunks of rock fell at an alarming rate but the guards seemed oblivious to the damage they were causing. 

 

Lithe stopped with his back against the pillar, for a moment hidden from the disgruntled guards.  “Still with me?”  He asked, his chest rising and falling with the exertion of breathing even as a child-like smile spread across his face.  For a brief second Alex contemplated slapping him but she was too tired to attempt it.   

 

“I’m with ya.”  She assured her partner in crime hoping she sounded convincing while welcoming the opportunity to stand still.  She could hold her own but when it came to running around, her horse usually did the work.  A twinge of sadness sliced through her soul at the thought of the animal but the moment soon passed as the two goons spotted the duo.  Rushing forward, clubs raised and ready to crush.  Alex bolted to the left, Lithe to the right as the giants brought their clubs down with a force that knocked through the pillar of rock causing a shower of debris to fall on everyone.  The elf easily raced towards the opening, jumping down the two feet to the next landing with the agility of a cat.  Alex, however, wasn’t quite as prepared for the leap and fell off the edge, sliding down to the rocky shelf.  Confident that she was on solid grown, she scooted up against the embankment until the avalanche of rock and dirt slowed.  As the dust cleared silence ensued, giving testimony that their plan had worked.

 

Sighing with exhaustion Alex closed her eyes and for a few seconds allowed her mind and body to just relax.  She focused on her breathing, inhaling deeply of the fresh air that had been absent for so long.  There was a hint of rain in the air that accompanied the greenery that stretched out below them.   She heard Lithe moving but refused to open her eyes.  She wanted this all to go away so in a childish manner she kept her eyes shut in the hopes of making the bad things disappear but the elf would have none of that.  Clearing his throat he began speaking, knowing she could hear.  “We need to get to the shore before night.  This forest is not safe for you.”

 

Groaning, the girl opened her eyes, glad for the overcast day that filtered the light down.  “Why are you helping me?  What’s in it for you?”  She asked bluntly.  Now that the immediate danger had passed she figured she could be a bit picky in her decision to follow this guy.

 

Lithe focused his dazzling blue eyes onto her banged up face.  She was tough, he had to give her credit there, but he sensed a vulnerability about the girl that made his heart ache.  Had he not seen her for himself he would have never believed that she was the one.  Squatting down so that he was eye level with the woman he offered his simple answer.  “Nobody belongs in the mountain.  Your path here is far greater than working the rock pit.  More will be told when appropriate but for now I ask you to trust me.  I wish you no harm.  Think of me as your guide during your stay at Hereanafter.”  Feeling that there was no more to say on the matter, Lithe stood up and began his descent off the mountain.

 

Alex sat contemplating the elf’s words.  “Hereanafter.”  She repeated the word.  At least now she knew where she was of course it seemed to help her little in actually knowing her location.  Glancing up towards the collapsed cave and then down over the expanse of the forest she saw little choice but to follow the elf.  Sighing, she stood up, dusting her pants off out of habit before picking her way down the mountainside behind her guide.  She wanted to think that leaving the mountain was the end of her trials here but deep down she knew better.  This was just the beginning �" of what though, that’s what worried her.