Merry Land -- One

[Mini Mia]

Havanna sat rocking on her front porch as the sleek, expensive car pulled up along side her front walk. The driver lowered his window and stuck his head out.

“Hey, where are we?” the man asked, his voice gruff and his face red. “I’ve passed by this town five times already, and I can’t seem to stop going around in circles. The road signs and markers make no sense at all.”

“You’re in Merry Land, my friend.” Havanna gave him her most inviting smile.

“Maryland? Are you sure?” The man scratched his bald head as he pulled out a map.

“No. Merry, Land, as in Happy, Land. We make merry here.” Her smile grew wider and more inviting.

“Oh. We’re up for making merry.” He looked to his friends and laughed. “So, where should we start? Food maybe?”

“Well, for dining, there’s Mary’s Diner just down the street. Mary makes a killer meal. Her specials are to die for.”

“Sounds good.” The man licked his lips. “What about lodgings?”

“Well. There’s this place, but very few people stay at the Safe Harbor Bed & Breakfast. They consider quaint to be dull and boring. They prefer to stay where it’s more exciting, like, The Bates Motel or the Hotel DéHaven. Those two get the most business.

“And what do we do for entertainment?”

“Well. There’s Zombie Island, out a ways from The House of Whoosher. By the way, you should steer clear of that old mansion, it’s a vacuum. It swallows people whole.” Havanna shifted in her rocker and leaned forward to point out the directions. “You take route 666, heading south, and then make a turn onto the last road to the left, called Ocean View Road. If you come to a dead end, you’ve gone too far. You’ll need to make a U-turn and head back north. Ocean View Road will then be the first road to your right. Do _not_ get out of your car at the dead end, that’s where the mansion is, and you want to avoid it at all costs.” Havanna paused, pretending to ponder what next to share.

“Whoa. Zombies? I’ve always wanted to be in a zombie movie. I’ve gotta do that first!” The driver sat back in the car as the window began to roll up. “Hey, thanks for the info.” He waved as the car pulled back out onto the road and sped away.

Havanna leaned back and continued to rock, a smile on her lips. “Better you than me, my friend,” she said with a chuckle, then grew serious. “Better you than me.”

[Mini Mia]

Tex picked up the phone on the third ring. “Yo,” was his standard greet.

“Tex, you have incoming with income, see to it they get the royal treatment.”

“Will do.” Tex hung up the phone and began gathering up the proper paperwork. Liability: check. Monthly check account charge forms: check. Automobile title transfer: check. Life/accident insurance forms: check.

“Cal, open up the wall to the weapons room and make sure the most expensive weapons are front and center.” Tex spoke into the mic attached to his shoulder as he pulled out the island maps and set them next to the paperwork. “Virginia, come do your wantonly womanly influencing thing. Get them to sign up for the deluxe package.”

Tex knew all of this setup by heart. Their parts pretty much played out like clockwork. Their roles were always the same, and the scene very seldom detoured from the script. He was more than ready to switch to another job. A new routine would keep him from drifting off in thought. He did not like to think about the arrangement the locals had made in order to survive. In order for their families to survive. Had they been wrong to make such a deal? Could they get out of it somehow? Destroy their captors, and save themselves? Or were they and their descendants doomed forever?

“Someone should blow up the Whoosher mansion and end this curse,” Cal said upon entering the front entrance. “You know that place brought all of this down upon us.”

Tex snapped out of his stupor and glanced about the room. “Yo. Keep your mouth shut, and your opinions to yourself. Voicing them out loud can have dire consequences, as you well know. And I, for one, do _not_ want to end up as a punished bystander who kept quiet about known counter attacks.” Tex grabbed the ear plugs dangling from around his neck and poked them into his ears to drown out Cal with music. He would not be marked as a snitch, nor would he be punished for keeping mum. He smiled as Cal’s lips kept moving, grateful that he had never learned how to read lips.

[jonjon3168]

I walked up to the door in wolf form. I thought about barking to be let in, but Tex probably had his earphones in again, and wouldn't have heard me. I transformed into my human form and opened the door.

Cal had been saying something to Tex, but his mouth shut when he saw me standing there. I grinned at the two.

"Mornin', fellas. Anything good goin on?"

Tex took his earphones out and nodded.

"Yo, Kalan. We've got a group on the way here. Everything's set and ready for them."

I nodded. Another group for Zombie Island. Tourists running for their lives from brain-munching zombies. Sometimes the zombies were smarter than the tourists. Occasionally, though, the tourists got away. Either way, it was so much fun to watch. The screens behind the counter would show what was going on once the tourists reached the island. And I had nothing better to do. Of course, the tourists would have to get here first. But I could wait. I pulled a chair up to the counter and straddled it. I looked at Tex.

"I'm just gonna sit here and watch."

I smiled at Tex, and he nodded.

"Of course you are."

[jonjon3168]

I heard what sounded like an old car backfiring. The engine turned off. A car door slammed. A man’s voice cursed. Three more car doors slammed loudly, and footsteps approached.

The door swung open. A tall man with shoulder-length brown hair walked in. He wore jeans and a black t-shirt. He smiled at Tex, and Tex smiled back. As I sat in silence and watched, the man approached the counter. He didn’t even glance at me; it was as if I wasn’t even there.

“Some guy up the street told me there’s an attraction here called Zombie Island?”

Tex nodded.

“Yes, sir. You’ve come to the right place. How many in your party?”

The man called over his shoulder toward the door.

“This is the place!”

A woman with shoulder-length red hair and two red-headed teenagers walked in the building. The woman wore a short blue skirt, which looked really bad on her. She was far too old to be wearing a skirt so short. Her purple blouse was too loose, and its sleeves were too long. She obviously had no sense of fashion, yet thought she did. I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from laughing. The two teenagers, one male, one female, both wore jeans and t-shirts, and looked to be about the same age. I assumed they were fraternal twins. They were shoving each other as they walked in the door.

The man looked back at Tex.

“Four. I’m Jonah; this is my wife Sally and our two kids, Jan and Jim. We all LOVE horror movies, and so we thought Zombie Island sounded like fun. So. How does this work?”

Tex walked over and showed Jonah the cabinet filled with weapons.

“Well, sir. You select your weapons, as many as you want, then board the boat for Zombie Island.”

The phone rang, and Cal answered it.

Jonah looked at Tex. He raised an eyebrow.

“Sounds like there’s a catch. How much do we have to pay per weapon?”

“You get unlimited weapons, sir. All four of you. Take your pick.”

Jan and Jim were browsing through the weapons excitedly. They both picked out pistols and pocketed them. Sally eyed a dagger, then showed it to Jonah.

“What do you think, honey?”

Jonah smiled, and picked up a pistol. He pocketed it, then picked up a rifle and cocked it. He looked at his wife.

“Sounds like fun.”

Cal put the phone down and looked at Tex.

“We’ve got another group on the way here. Plus the other one that Havanna already called you about.”

I smiled. Wow, three families in one day? That didn’t happen often. At least, not in the off-season. Tourist season didn’t officially start until next month. This would be very fun to watch. Tex nodded and looked at Jonah.

“If you’ll follow me, sir, I’ll take you to the boat. Once the other groups get here, you’ll be on your way.”

Jan and Jim smiled broadly as they followed their dad to the boat out back.

After Jonah and his family had boarded the boat for Zombie Island, a nicer car pulled up. It was sleek, and expensive-looking. I smiled. The fun was about to start.

[Mini Mia]

Bert, Ernie, Eric and Sammy chattered excitedly, like teenyboppers getting a backstage pass at their favorite band’s concert. Their excitement over living their ultimate fantasy was too extreme to keep a calm decorum. Bert barely managed to keep the car on the road, due to his adrenaline high. He even passed by his turnoff without seeing it, and only realizing his mistake upon finding himself at the dead end the woman at the Bed & Breakfast had warned him about.

They all ogled the house they’d been told never to enter. It appeared harmless enough, and if they had been haunted house nuts instead of zombie freaks, they would have made it their first stopover.

“We should do this next,” said Ernie. “Maybe we could learn a bit from this place and use it for a new set of video games.”

“Hey, what’s that woman doing on that wall?” Sammy pointed her out, even though the others noticed her at the same time he had.

Bert rolled down his window and stuck his head out. “Hey, Lady. You don’t wanna be going inside that house. I was told no one ever comes back out of it.” He didn’t quite catch her reply before rolling the window back up and making a U-turn. He and the others cracked up laughing. “Well I did my good deed for the day.” He high-fived Eric and continued on his way. This time he kept a close eye out for the turn off.

Welcome To Zombie Island _______________________

The boys high-fived as they entered the building, thrilled beyond measure to finally be at their destination. They greeted the workers and the other tourists and tried to take in as much of the information as possible. They signed all the paperwork with barely a glance, then chose four of everything to use on the island. It didn’t matter if they used it or not, but just that it would be there should they need the option.

They loaded themselves down with everything they could carry, without being weighted down, and everything else was divided up and set to be dropped off at several locations throughout the island. Each package contained a beacon that alerted their locator gadgets of its position. They chose to be boated in, fearing that the other options would be too public a statement for the zombies. If they quietly paddled, sailed or swam to shore, they felt they could arrive on the island without detection.

Butterflies entered their stomachs as they boarded the ship that would take them close to the island. Once within range of the island, they would climb aboard their sailboat and head for the north beach. Then the games would begin; a live-action zombie survival game. Maybe they’d start their own version of Zombie Island when they got back home.

They chattered excitedly, as the island drew near, plotting out their strategy for surviving the island. The butterflies grew to bats, setting off chills up their spines, and causing the hairs to stand up all over their bodies. Fear grew within them, screaming a warning that they squelched. This is what they had always wanted, and they weren’t about to give up and turn around now.

Not. Even. If. It. Killed. Them.

[jonjon3168]

After waiting a half hour for the third family to arrive, the other tourists got restless, and Tex sent them to the island on the ship. I watched the screens as the video-game guys cheered; they were really looking forward to reaching the island. Jonah and his family looked equally as happy to be going to the island. I shook my head. They wouldn't be as happy when they found out what was waiting for them.

As I expected, Jan and Jim did not last long. Once Jan realized the zombies coming out of the trees were real, and not men in masks, she completely freaked out and ran away from the rest of the group. Jim ran after her. In the confusion, I lost track of where the video game guys had gone. As the zombie closed in on his sister, Jim managed to get one shot off from the pistol in his hand. Then Jan disappeared from view as the zombie tackled her. Jim stood still, trembling. He didn’t see the two zombies coming up behind him. Jonah yelled at him.

“JIM! RUN!”

…but it was too late. Jim turned in time to see one zombie, and then his scream split the air. I chuckled. Teenagers never lasted long. They always freaked out too early. Tex, who was leaning back in his chair, his eyes closed and his earphones in his ears, grunted. He didn’t open his eyes or remove his earphones, but he was obviously talking to me.

“What’s funny?”

“Nothing you’d think is funny.”

He simply nodded and turned his music up. I thought I heard Hotel California blaring into his ears, but I could have been mistaken.

As I watched the screen, Sally fell to the ground and dropped her dagger, sobbing. Jonah looked really pissed off. He dropped his rifle and picked Sally up in a fireman’s carry, running for the beach, away from the zombies.

One zombie, who I knew was a newbie, caught up with Jonah and grabbed Sally down off his back. Jonah turned and punched the zombie in the face, and it stumbled back. More zombies than I could count started surrounding Sally and Jonah. Jonah pulled his pistol from his pocket and started shooting, and a couple zombies fell back. When he reached down to get Sally again, an ear-splitting scream filled the air as she was dragged away.

“NO! SALLY!”

The zombies were very interested in Sally for some reason. I couldn’t see her for all the zombies, but I heard her voice.

“JONAH, RUN!”

Those were her last words, because the scream that followed was one I recognized as a death scream. I chuckled. Tourists. Such idiots. I’d lost track of how many had fallen into this death trap. How stupid could you get?

Jonah followed his wife’s advice. He turned, and he ran like a bat outta hell. The zombies chased him, a couple of them moaning loudly. He reached the beach, and the zombies had to stop. Jonah jumped in the water and began to frantically swim away from the island.

[Gabrielle On Nutbread]

Raja had watched the old clunker of a car and the expensive-looking one drive past her house, up the hill, and park at the Zombie Island starting building. When she saw the pickup truck, she could no longer sit on her porch and watch it go by. It had been days since she had eaten… and she was very hungry.

Pulling her gun from behind her back, she shot out the two front tires of the pickup. It swerved, and then pulled to a stop in front of her house. The driver, a college-aged red-headed woman, jumped out of the truck, a scowl on her face and a gun in her hand. She walked right up onto Raja’s porch, pointing her gun at her.

“HEY! What the hell! Are you f*cking crazy!?!”

Standing, Raja smiled. She tucked her gun back behind her back and stepped up to the woman. The red-head dropped her gun in surprise when she saw Raja’s teeth. Before she had time to react, Raja grabbed the woman by her shoulders. Raja could see the fear in the woman’s eyes as she grinned and answered.

“No. Just hungry.”

[Mini Mia]

Bert, Ernie, Eric and Sammy paddled slowly toward shore in a small fishing boat. They chose to land down beach from where the family had chosen to go ashore. Their detector showed the four locations where their wares would be dropped. These dots would start blinking once the crates of supplies landed onto the island. When that happened, they’d head for the closest one first.

Screams filled the air, sending chills down the backs of the four men.

“We should swim in and let the Zombies go for the boats,” signed Sammy.

“No,” signed Bert. “We’re too heavy. We should wait to get a little closer and then wade in.”

“Not too close though,” signed Eric. “We want to stay as deep as possible to remain hidden while the Zombies lock in on the boats.”

“We should fill up our salt-water weapons while we have the chance,” signed Ernie. He held up his toy water assault rifle and hand gun. A huge refill tank was strapped to his back.

The screams drew Zombies out of hiding, and they swarmed the beach, heading toward the frantic commotion.

“Good move letting the family head out first,” signed Sammy.

“I was pretty sure they’d draw the Zombies like flies,” signed Bert.

The four began filling their weapons and tanks with seawater, while letting the boat drift nearer to shore. The waves grew in number and strength, but the boys paid them no attention.

“We need to jump in now,” signed Sammy.

“Not yet,” signed Bert. “We need to go a bit shallower.” Bert concentrated on the shore. So far all was clear. None of the Zombies were returning, or even looking in this direction. It was now or never. He gave the signal to jump in.

The waves sucked Bert under and the weight of his equipment pulled him down. For a brief moment, Bert stood under water, and then the waves rolled out, and he could breathe once again. He moved as quickly as possible toward shore, as another wave rolled over on top of him, covering him completely.

[jonjon3168]

I couldn’t believe it. Jonah had reached the shore. He still held the pistol in his hand. Since he had only fired three shots on the island that meant it was still loaded. It had been a long time since anyone had made it off of Zombie Island. At least five years. The last one who had made it off of Zombie Island had been mauled by my father the second she had reached the shore. Or so I had been told. But that wasn’t happening now. In fact, no one else was on the shore except Jonah.

As I watched the screen, Jonah rolled over and struggled to his feet. Almost as if he knew where the hidden camera was, he looked directly at the screen I was watching and screamed.

“YOU SONS OF BITCHES, I’LL KILL YOU![/i]”

He took off running, and I knew where he was headed. He was headed here; to where it had all began. Who was he planning on killing? Me? Cal? Tex? All of us? I didn’t know. But I wasn’t about to sit there and let him do it.

I glanced at Tex, who had taken his earphones out. He had a look of fear in his eyes. Where was Cal…? I didn’t know. I shook my head, and then jumped down from the chair I sat in and transformed into my wolf form, just as the door swung open. Jonah stood in the doorway. He was still dripping wet. The rage could be seen in his eyes. He pointed the pistol directly at Tex. Tex put his arms up. He seemed to be trying to say something but couldn’t quite manage to say it. Jonah’s rage could clearly be heard when he spoke.

“YOU. You sent us out there. And now my wife is DEAD! My kids are DEAD! YOU’LL PAY! DAMN YOU, YOU’LL PAY!!”

The gunshot rang out just as I lunged at Jonah. My teeth wrapped tightly around his wrist and I pulled on his arm as hard as I could. I heard a bone snap. He cried out in pain and dropped the gun. From outside, I heard the reassuring sounds of howling. I let him go. In wolf form, Mom, Dad, and Julia rushed through the still-open door and dragged Jonah away by his ankles. His screams echoed, and then faded as they dragged him out of sight down the hill. Tex looked down at me, a look of disbelief on his face. He pointed at me, his hand trembling.

“You just… saved my life.”

As he spoke the words, I felt the pain in my right side. A sharp pain. I looked. My eyes widened at the sight. Bullet hole… blood… the pain overwhelmed me and I collapsed. I couldn’t believe it. My last coherent thought before I lost consciousness was ‘oh shit… I’ve been shot…!’

[Gabrielle On Nutbread]

Raja had just finished her breakfast when she heard the gunshot. Dropping the now uselessly empty body of the red-headed woman, she took off running, up the hill, toward the sound of the shot. Her brother’s voice from years ago rang in her ears; “Shouldn’t we run AWAY from loud booms!?” She shook the thought from her head as she ran toward the Zombie Island starting building.

As she reached the top of the hill, she saw Kalan’s family was dragging a helpless tourist away from the Zombie Island starting building. He was screaming. He saw Raja, and he begged her for help. When she grinned and showed her teeth, he only screamed louder. His screams died away as they dragged him out of sight. Raja shook her head and approached the building, throwing open the door.

What she saw made her shake her head. Tex was bending over Kalan, who was in wolf form. Kalan had been shot. He was bleeding on the floor. Raja walked up to them, and Tex looked up at her.

“What happened?” She asked.

Tex shook his head. They had never liked each other. But Raja was the only other person around. She wondered where Cal had disappeared to.

“That tourist tried to shoot me. Kalan jumped in front of me. He…”

Raja almost growled.

“He did WHAT!?” Shaking her head hard, Raja bent down and picked up Kalan. He was badly bleeding, and the bullet hole wasn’t hard to spot. Raja was tempted to just finish him off. But the thought of what Kalan’s family might do made her rethink that thought. Kalan was unconscious, but that didn’t stop Raja from berating him as she took him back down the hill to her house.

“You stupid fleabag.”

[jonjon3168]

“They told me you had been to her,
And mentioned me to him:
She gave me a good character,
But said I could not swim.
He sent them word I had not gone
(We know it to be true):
If she should push the matter on,
What would become of you?
I gave her one, they gave him two,
You gave us three or more;
They all returned from him to you,
Though they were mine before.
If I or she should chance to be
Involved in this affair,
He trusts to you to set them free,
Exactly as we were.
My notion was that you had been
(Before she had this fit)
An obstacle that came between
Him, and ourselves, and it.
Don’t let him know she liked them best,
For this must ever be
A secret, kept from all the rest,
Between yourself and me.”*


When I woke, I had a splitting headache. My side still hurt, and when I raised my head to look at it, I found myself looking at the last person I expected to care that I was hurt. Raja grinned at me, showing me her teeth. It wasn’t a friendly grin. It was more like a “you stupid idiot” type of grin. The words she spoke only confirmed my thoughts about her grin.

“What did you go and do a stupid thing like that for, you mangy mutt?”

Raja and I had never gotten along, and often traded insults. If I had had the strength to transform back into my human form, I would have thrown an insult back at her. As it was, all I could do was lay there and growl. She shook her head, standing from where she sat and walking away from me. I took a moment to look at my side. It was bandaged up. A small spot of bright red blood could be seen in the middle of the off-white bandage. I wondered how long I had been out.

When Raja returned, she wasn’t alone. Julia, in human form, followed her back into the room. I whimpered. I was really gonna hear it from her. She sat in the chair Raja had vacated. Her amber eyes met my black ones as she spoke.

“Tex said you saved his life.”

She reached out and touched where the bandage was. I cringed, but she left her hand there. Raja was standing behind Julia, and she cleared her throat. Julia looked up at her.

“Ok, I saved your flea-bitten brother. Now take him and get the hell out of my house, fur face. Go back to your kennel.”

Julia glared at Raja, but knew better than to argue. Raja never let anyone else win an argument, and Julia and I both knew it. She did, however, throw an insult back at Raja as she gently scooped me up in her arms.

“Thanks a lot, ya blood-suckin’ parasite.”

If I had been in human form, I would have laughed. Julia carried me from the building and Raja slammed the door behind us. I rolled my eyes and sighed as Julia carried me away from Raja’s house. Grrreeeeeat. Now I would owe Raja a favor.

Notes: *-Excerpt from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, By Lewis Carroll
This post was written jointly by jonjon3168 and Gabrielle On Nutbread.

[Gabrielle On Nutbread]

Why had Raja helped Kalan? So many reasons. First, she knew she would have been dog food for Kalan’s family if she had hurt him. Second, if she killed the creature who had saved Tex’s life, there would be a bunch of pissed off locals to deal with. And third… she shook her head as she slammed the door behind Julia and Kalan. No. She couldn’t even bring herself to think the third reason.

She sighed, walking into her living room. She eyed all the game systems attached to her big-screen. The entertainment center was set up in such a way that the systems circled the outside edge of the television. Her eyes scanned them. Xbox, Xbox 360, Playstation, Playstation 2, GameCube, Dreamcast, Genesis, Master System, SNES, NES, Atari 3800... she put her hands on her hips. Which game should she play to make the hours go by more quickly?

Her eyes rested on the Playstation 2, and she removed her sunglasses, putting them in her front right pocket. She grinned. Perfect. Grand Theft Auto: San Andres. Considering that she had just… inherited… a truck, that game seemed the most fitting. Plus she could shoot, blow up, set on fire, and kill regular people and not have a mob on her hands. She walked over and put the game in, turned the system on, and plopped down in the big plush recliner. Leaning back, she smiled as she watched the game’s intro go by.

[jonjon3168]

I was in pain, and woozy. But I noticed that Julia was taking me, not to my own home, or even to hers, but to Mom’s. I struggled, weakly, against her grip. NO! I didn’t want to go to Mom’s house! She wouldn’t even try to understand why I had jumped in front of that bullet. Julia glared down at me and stopped walking, a few yards from Mom’s front door.

“Now, stop that. You brought this on yourself. You know she’s the doctor. You knew I’d bring you here. So stop struggling. She might be pissed off at you for what you did, but she’ll still fix you up.”

I whimpered and stopped wriggling. Julia walked up onto Mom’s porch. She shifted me a bit so she could knock on the door. The knock echoed. After a moment, the door creaked open. Mom stood in the doorway, and her eyes widened when she saw me. Julia gently handed me to her. Mom looked down at me, then back up at Julia.

“What happened? Did Raja do this?”

Julia shook her head.

“No, that tourist did. Right before we dragged him away. So, no need to seek revenge on anybody, Nannette. He was breakfast.”

At that, Mom smiled.

“Yes, yes he was. But why did he shoot Kalan?”

I whimpered. I knew what was coming. But Julia surprised me.

“I… don’t know. You’ll have to ask Kalan. But I think he’s still too weak to transform. You’ll have to heal him first.”

Without another word, Julia turned, transformed into her wolf form, and trotted away. It looked to me like she was headed back to the Zombie Island starting building, but I couldn’t be sure. Mom carried me into the building and put me down gently on a medical bunk. Half her house was a clinic, and had been for as long as I could remember. Mom was a doctor in Merry Land, and she healed everything from Wendigos to locals. She wasn’t the only doctor, but she was the only one who knew anything about healing all the creatures in Merry Land.

After she had placed me on the bunk, she slowly removed the bandage. I cried out in pain. She stood and walked away. When she came back, she was carrying a bottle with something in it. Whatever was in it was glowing bright blue. My eyes widened. Had she kept some of that healing potion that that witch had made…?

She sat back down next to me, uncorked the bottle, and poured some of the liquid on my wound. WHHHHOOOOAA that felt so weird. Like my insides were being screwed with. Something metal hit the bunk, and when I looked, I saw it was the bullet. I turned my head and watched the wound heal itself. I slowly felt my strength return. I sat up on the bunk and licked Mom’s hand in gratitude. She smiled, then stood and put the bottle away.

When she came back, she stared at me. I knew what she wanted. She wanted an explanation. But I wasn’t in the mood to give it to her. Before she could say a word, I hopped down from the bunk and bolted out of the building through the oversized doggie door in the front door.

[Gabrielle On Nutbread]

It was dark when Raja switched off her video game and stood from her recliner. Stretching, she pulled her sunglasses from her pocket and put them on. Her breakfast had filled her up, but she hated to be cooped up inside so long. Checking to make sure her trusty magnum was safely tucked into her waistband, she approached her front door and pulled it open.

The sight that greeted her was not a welcome one. A large black winged wolf stood in her front lawn, glowing his red eyes at her. She sighed. The very last person she wanted to see. She walked up to him.

"WHAT do you want?"

The winged wolf seemed to grin, then stepped back and transformed into the familiar human form of Dane. His hood covered his green eyes, but his grin could still be seen.

"Hello, mother."

Raja scowled. Dane was one of the few people she had to look up at, and she hated that.

"I told you not[/u] to call me that. If I had known you were a werewolf, and not a tourist, I NEVER would have bitten you."

Dane's grin grew wider.

"So you've told me."

Raja shook her head.

"You didn't answer my question."

"Ah. It's not what I want. I want nothing. I just had a question."

Raja shrugged.

"Yeah, what?"

Pulling his hood down, Dane looked into Raja's face.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you to finish your food?"

Raja blinked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Your breakfast, about an hour ago, got up and walked away. I bet she's terrorizing the locals by now. You were too rushed to finish her, were you?"

Replacing his hood over his eyes, Dane transformed back into his werepyre form. Grinning, he turned from Raja and took a running start, then flew off into the night sky.

[Gabrielle On Nutbread]

As Dane disappeared into the sky, the screams echoed from the house next to Raja's.

'Oh...Shit,' she thought. Pulling her magnum from her waistband, she cursed her stupidity as she ran toward Richard's house.

The front door was open, and without thinking, Raja ran toward it. The open doorway glowed when she reached it, and she fell back, landing flat on her back. Standing, she grumbled. She hated that.

"RICHARD!" She yelled as loud as she could. "I CAN HELP[/i] YOU, JUST TELL ME I CAN COME IN!"

A voice echoed from deep in the house.

"RAJA, GET YOUR ASS IN HERE!"

Without hesitating, Raja bolted into the house, following the echoing sound of Richard's gravely voice. Sounded like he was in the basement. Good. That would simplify things. Or... so Raja thought.

The woman Raja had left on her lawn that morning had Richard backed against the basement wall, and was holding one of his swords in her hand. Raja aimed, and shot her hand off. Screaming, the woman turned and looked at Raja. Her voice had changed a bit, but not much.

"You. What did you do to me? You shot my hand off... it didn't hurt... it didn't bleed... and why am I so... hungry[/i]!?"

Raja shrugged.

"You're a zombie. Sucks, don't it?"

The newly-made zombie hissed at Raja. Behind her, Richard knelt and grabbed a brick. Raja grinned. She just had to keep the zombie distracted for a few more seconds. Which wouldn't be hard, since she was standing there asking questions.

"You... can fix me... can't you...?"

Raja shook her head.

"And... why would I do that...?"

SMACK. Richard hit the zombie in the back of the head, and she crumbled to the ground. Sighing, Richard dropped the brick, then glared across the room at Raja.

"Now. Take her and get the HELL out of my house."

Tucking her magnum back into her waistband, Raja bent down and picked the zombie up in her arms. Looked like Zombie Island would have a new addition tonight. A one-handed addition... but... still. Shaking her head, Raja walked upstairs and exited Richard's house, listening to the door slam loudly behind her.

Two good deeds in one day. What was wrong with her...

[Gabrielle On Nutbread]

Dane grinned as he flew away from Raja. He knew she hated him. He didn't care. She had given him wings, and for that he would always be grateful. That was why he had warned her about the newly-made zombie. If the locals were harmed because of Raja's forgetfulness, there would be hell to pay. He had done his good deed for the year when he'd done that. No more need to be nice this year. Dane grinned wider at that thought.

As he flew, he surveyed the ground below him, as he always did. All the werewolves were coming out. And the lycans. And Dane was almost certain he saw at least one Wendigo down there. This was not a rare sight. In fact, the werewolves, lycans, and the like tended to gather every night. Tonight, however, Dane could sense that something was very wrong. He hovered above the large group and watched as several of the werewolves transformed into their human forms. Dane recognized Julia, Ron, and Nanette. He recognized Felix and Jonathan. They spoke to each other, and Dane's keen hearing picked up every word, even from his high vantage point in the sky.

"Has anyone seen Kalan?" Julia asked.

"Not since I healed him," Nanette answered.

"Where the hell is he...? Why did he get shot!? Is he avoiding us!?" Ron seemed really angry, and Dane could see that he was even having trouble maintaining his human form because he was so mad.

Felix placed a hand on Ron's shoulder.

"Relax, my brother. We'll find him."

Felix looked at Jonathan, who nodded. The two of them then transformed into their wolf forms and took off running with their noses to the ground. After a moment, Julia, Nanette, and Ron also transformed and ran. They were all heading in different directions, with their noses to the ground. They were out of sight in moments, leaving the lycans and the Wendigo looking around, confused. Puzzled, Dane flew in the direction of Raja's house, certain she might know something about Kalan and his disappearance.

Note: Jon's characters were used with permission.

[Gabrielle On Nutbread]

Raja watched as the auto-boat left the shore and headed to Zombie Island. The new zombie lay inside of it, unconscious. The boat would take her to the island and dump her there. When the boat was out of sight, Raja nodded and turned away from the shore.

As she approached her house, she heard the sound of wings and looked up. She rolled her eyes. Great. He was back. NOW what did he want? She shouted up at him.

"What do you want NOW, you flea-bitten mongrel?"

Dane circled the air above Raja, and growled. He dove at the ground, landing directly in front of Raja. His eyes glowed and he growled again. Raja knew how much he hated being called a "flea-bitten..." anything[/i]. Which, of course, was why she did it.

Dane transformed into his human form, his hood covering his eyes. His grin was missing, replaced by a scowl. Raja raised an eyebrow.

"What is your major malfunction?"

"Where is Kalan?"

Raja shrugged.

"How should I know? It's not my day to watch him. Did he run away? Want me to have Richard print up some 'Lost Dog... Reward' posters?"

Dane scoffed.

"Very funny. You're the only creature in Merry Land who has ever purposely injured another creature. Since it was him that you shot, I figure that you know what happened to him. Why he was shot. And where he is. See my logic?"

Raja shook her head.

"No. It was years ago that I shot Kalan. And it was his own fault. So when am I going to live that down?"

It was Dane's turn to shake his head.

"Never."

Turning, Dane transformed back into his werepyre form. Before he took off into the sky, Raja called after him.

"If you happen to find him... remind him that he owes me a favor."

[jonjon3168]

I ran. I didn't know where I was going. I didn't even really know what I was running from. I just knew that I had to get away from Mom. If she heard that I had jumped in front of a bullet to save a local... I shuddered at the thought.

Soon, I realized that I was nearing Raja's house. I slowed down. On Raja's lawn lay a woman. I sniffed at her. I didn't need to get close to know she had been drained of her blood and was dead. That was nothing new, considering this was Raja's house. But, something was wrong. I narrowed my eyes. Something seemed... off... about her. Before I could get close enough to figure out what it was, I heard the familiar sound of a motorcycle approaching. I turned my head. I couldn't see him, but I knew who it was. Dad. I didn't know if Mom had sent him to find me, but I didn't want to find out, either. Turning from Raja's house, I bolted up the street, then took a left and ran into the woods. I dodged around trees and ran until my legs would not carry me anymore.

I collapsed, exhausted, between two large oaks. I had no idea where I was. I had never been this far into the woods, not even on our family hunts. It was dark now, and the sounds of howling could be heard nearby. The other creatures of Merry Land were stirring. My Uncles would be awake now. They always slept all day so they could have their fun at night. I had no doubt that they would find me, if Mom and Dad wanted them to. If Dad had seen me run from his motorcycle, he would be really pissed off at me. I really hoped that, if anyone from the family was going to find me, that it would be Julia.

Panting, and still exhausted, I struggled to my feet. My ears perked up at all the sounds around me. Crickets chirping. An owl hooting. Wings... flapping...? Oh... shit. I looked up. A very large bat circled my head. I couldn't tell who it was... but it was too big to be a real bat... so it was obviously a vampire. I growled, and the bat landed in front of me. Folding its wings in front of its face, it transformed.

Michelangelo. I rolled my eyes and transformed into my human form. I sat on the ground, my back against a tree.

“How long have you been following me?”

He grinned, showing off his fangs.

“Long enough.”

“So, what do you know?”

“I know that you've got a soft spot for the locals. Tex, in particular. Is he your... friend, Kalan?”

He said the word friend as if it was a curse... and it could be. I stiffened. I did consider Tex a friend... but I sure as hell wasn't going to admit it to Michelangelo. If I did, the entire town would know, and I would never be trusted by another creature again.

“NO[/i][/u]. But what kind of riot do you think there would have been if that tourist had killed him? Huh? He's a very popular local, and you know it.”

Michelangelo shrugged.

“Perhaps. But you're hiding something. I can feel it.”

I glared at him.

“Bite me.”

He chuckled.

“No. I don't like you that much.”

Grinning, he transformed back into a bat and took off into the night sky.

[Gabrielle On Nutbread]

As Dane flew out of sight, Raja heard running footsteps and growling. Pulling her magnum, she surveyed the area. She couldn't see anyone...

Suddenly she was on the ground, a growling, red-furred, black-pawed werewolf pinning her there. Raja's magnum flew from her hand as the werewolf tackled her, and landed ten feet away. Raja hissed at the werewolf, showing her her fangs, but the werewolf didn't budge.

“Julia...! I swear to you...! I have no idea where Kalan went!”

Julia's growl subsided, slowly, and she let Raja up. Running forward, she grabbed Raja's gun from the ground and held it in her mouth. Backing up, she transformed into her human form, dropping the gun from her mouth into her hand. She pointed it at Raja, who was struggling to her feet.

“If you don't know where he went, who does?”

Raja shook her head.

“Now, how in the bloody HELL would I know that, fur face?”

Julia glared at Raja.

“Do you really think it's a good idea to insult me... while I'm holding your gun!? I might not be able to kill you with this thing, but I could sure as hell maim you. And don't think, just because you helped Kalan earlier, that I wouldn't.”

Raja hissed at Julia again, baring her fangs. She felt completely defenseless. Her only weapon against Julia was being pointed at her... by Julia. Because biting her would only help her. They stared each other down for several tense moments.

The silence was broken by the sound of flapping wings. Raja glanced up, sure that Dane had returned. Just what she didn't need.

...Only it wasn't Dane.

A large bat landed between Julia and Raja, and transformed into his human form. He was smiling... at Julia. He had his hands up, signaling both of them to back off. Julia lowered the gun and her expression softened.

“Michelangelo. Do you know where Kalan is?”

Michelangelo nodded.

“I do. Give the young-blood her gun back, and I'll take you to him.”

Raja hissed at Julia, and Michelangelo looked at her.

“I told you I didn't know where your mangy brother went.”

Michelangelo's eyes seemed to glow angrily as he looked at Raja.

“I did not give you permission to speak, young-blood. If you want your gun back, you will be silent[/i]! Otherwise I will destroy your precious silver-bullet-loaded pistol.”

Raja scowled, but didn't say another word. Her eyes met Julia's. Cautiously, Julia tossed the gun to Raja. Raja caught it, and put it back in her waistband. Michelangelo eyed Raja, then transformed into his bat form. Julia transformed into her wolf form and followed Michelangelo as he flew down the street and took a left into the woods.

As Raja watched Michelangelo fly away, she shook her head and wondered how long she would have to be a vampire before she acquired the ability to transform into a bat.

Note: This post was written jointly by Gabrielle On Nutbread and jonjon3168.

[Mini Mia]

GabrielleNNutbread
3/5/2012, 10:07 pm

Death Wish

Raja watched Michelangelo fly away and Julia follow and heard the howls. Must be a meeting of the mangy mutts again, she thought. Turning to go back inside, she saw Richard standing outside her front door. Great.

"What's eatin' ya, Richard?"

Richard was not amused, and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Almost that zombie, thank you very much, Raja. Don't we have enough of them on the island without you making more?"

Raja shrugged.

"Every little bit helps. Sometimes we lose one or two."

Richard scowled.

"Well thank you for saving me, but can you be more careful next time and finish your food? Seriously, that was stupid, Raja."

Raja just sighed and nodded. Then her eyebrows went up.

"Richard, do you have a death wish? What are you doing outside after dark?"

The howls grew louder and Richard's eyes widened in sudden realization. Turning, he bolted for his house. Out of the woods ran a Wendigo, and headed straight for Richard. Raja, without thinking, pulled her magnum and shot a bullet into the sky. The Wendigo turned away from Richard and looked at Raja, and Raja watched as Richard threw open his front door and disappeared inside, and she heard the door being bolted and latched. The Wendigo hissed at Raja, then turned and vanished into the woods.

Raja let out a single laugh, put her gun back into its holster, and walked down the street to enjoy the beautiful night.