QUAKES: Episode 8

John just chuckled, "What?" He asked, "You think I've been out this whole time... with Sandra Cho? That is insane."1

Linda wasn't convinced, "I can not believe you would jeopardize our life here for that woman!" She scowled at him, and then the anger just bubbled out of her. She was angry at John, angry at The Professor and angry at those damn Quakes. Somehow, at that moment, it was all John's fault.2

So she slapped him across the face.3

Kathleen obviously saw where this was going, "Hey Charlotte, let's go out and watch the fireflies, okay?" She picked the child up and quickly left the room.4

John glowered, "What the hell was that for?" He snapped.5

"What was it for? What was it for?!?" Linda wailed, "You selfish bastard! We are all going to be blamed for what you are doing. The Professor will KILL US!"6

"Well, we wouldn't want to anger The mighty and powerful PROFESSOR," John screamed back, "Why am I the only one who even tries to oppose him?"7

"Actually, that would be your mistake," The Professor appeared inexplicably in the doorway. He shook his head, "John, John, John, I told you quite specifically not to cross me." He glared murderously, "And now there will be consequences."8

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Liam took a stone from off the ground as Carmen withdrew her spear. She closed her eyes, took a breath and then leaped up. Liam immediately followed, ready to retaliate against The Others.10

"Stay here Tilly." He ordered.11

"Like hell!" She replied, grabbing a long wooden splinter and stepping up to the battle. Moe grabbed his weapon, a sizable club, and Rodney bared his teeth and growled. They were all in this together now.12

The Others started coming around the corner, their blank eyes seeing nothing. Carmen stabbed at the approaching throng, killing one of the others and injuring another. Liam smashed the injured one's head in with his rock. The thing didn't even register it's own death. There were no feelings in there, no soul.13

After that first blow, everything was Liam and The Others and a mist of black blood. He wanted desperately to find Tilly, to make sure they were all going to be okay, but there was no time. It seem that whenever Liam took one of his enemies, another was ready to take it's place.14

Finally, the onslaught slowed, and Liam risked a glance around for his sister. He spotted Tilly, fighting off two Others at once. One grabbed her makeshift sword, and his partner tackled her.15

"Tilly!" Liam cried, racing to his sibling's aid. He ripped the splinter from the first zombie, kicked it down and stabbed the weapon through it's face. Then he pulled Tilly's attacker off of her. The Other scratched into his arm, clawing at Liam with it's fingernails. Liam smacked it with the heavy rock he still carried, caving in half it's skull.16

The Others dead, Liam ran to Tilly's aid. She appeared relatively unharmed, and as she sat up she smiled broadly.17

"We won!" She exclaimed. Liam looked around and saw that it was true. The Others they had been fighting were all dead. Carmen, Moe and Rodney were all alright, their only injuries would heal easily. Liam smiled, it seemed everything would be okay.18

Suddenly, Rodney started barking. He ran up the hill, and started growling angrily at something on the other side. Carmen looked around at everyone, then nodded towards her dog and started over to him. Liam and the rest followed.19

The small party clambered up the top of the hill, and looked over the side. Tilly sucked in a sharp breath. Carmen set her jaw. Liam just stared.20

Sprawled, obviously injured, in the valley below was the unmistakable form of a Creature.21

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John scoffed, "Oh, really, Professor?" He asked snidely, "What are you going to do about it?" He stepped over to the tyrant, accentuating their foot of height difference.23

The Professor just stared at John, toxically calm, "I won't be doing anything, not to you anyway." He replied, "Carlisle! Come in here!"24

Carlisle entered the tent, Kathleen locked in his grip. She struggled, and swore at him angrily.25

"Kath, could you not do that." Carlisle asked sincerely, "It's not easy to hold you still if you don't cooperate."26

"You are a moron, jackass." Kath replied venomously.27

Sandra followed in after Carlisle. She had a dark, black bruise over her eye, and she carried Charlotte in her arms.28

John's eyes widened, "Sandy, what are you doing?"29

She didn't look back at him, "I'm sorry John." Was her only reply. She was broken now.30

"I so very much wanted to make you pay for your disrespect," The Professor explained, still so steady. Like the calm before a storm, "But I thought this would be more fitting. You took for you own someone of mine, now I'm taking someone of yours." He had Sandra pass Charlotte over to him. The little girl did not belong in those unloving arms, and she knew it.31

"No no no! Kathleen," She screamed, "John, don't let the bad man take me!" Her big blue eyes started to fill up with tears.32

"Charlotte belongs to me now," The Professor told them, "As do you all. The sooner you learn that, the better."33

Oh, John wanted to hurt this man. He was pure, unadulterated evil, he deserved to die. But John also knew that Carlisle was a big man, and a puppet to The Professor's corrupt whims. He could easily take out Kath and then John. They couldn't risk Linda and her baby's safety; they just had to let The Professor take Charlotte away from them.34

Carlisle let Kathleen go, and she quickly spun on her heel and spat in his face, "You can all go to hell," She turned to John, a murderous look in her eye, "You too."35

This was completely his fault, John knew that. He didn't need Kathleen to tell him how much he'd royally screwed things up. He just stared at Charlotte as she was taken away from him, his fists clenched. He silently swore revenge against this maniac.36

"Oh, and by the way." The Professor added as he left, "When I said I thought taking Charlotte would be more painful than punishing you, that didn't mean I wasn't going to punish you as well."37

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The Creature was huge, the size of a truck, long and solid black. It had a long, thin, flexible neck, oblong body, and a thrashing tail, ending in a deadly-looking spine. There were no arms or legs, but two, big, black wings. The exact shape of the wings was difficult to determine, because The Creature seemed to possess no outline, as though it was nothing more than a collection of shadows.39

It's head was thin, swooping back like a pterodactyl's. Inside it's wide, unhinged mouth were several rows of sharp teeth, approximately the same dimensions as a human arm. glowing white orbs sat on the head, obviously the eyes.40

And, when Liam caught sight if those eyes, they chilled his very soul. Something in that gaze called to him, and before he could stop himself he was sliding down the hill towards The Creature.41

It was obviously dying. Several makeshift weapons protruded from it's body, and thick, black blood dyed the surrounding street. There had been some kind of battle here. The Creature had killed all it's human enemies, but they had manage to injure him, fatally.42

Now, Liam was drawn by it's hypnotic gaze. Distantly, he heard his friends calling to him, chasing after him, but his mind was empty. There was only one thought now; go to The Creature.43

Soon, Liam had reached his goal. The Creature was close enough to touch. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw it's tail move, but he put the thought out of his mind. Why was he here again?44

There was a sudden pain, and Liam looked down. The Creature's lethal spine was embedded into his stomach. Blood ran out of his body, soaking his clothes. Liam choked, he gasped, he fell to the ground and, as the hypnotic spell was broken, Liam screamed in pain.45

And then, the world went black.