The Codex of the Knights of Day - 4. Chapter 3: Everybody's Wounded

The teachers were celebrating with cigars and the boys were already sharing survival stories. Jensen and Casey were waiting for me in SgtMaj’s office. It was something in their eyes that made me feel welcome.

“So where do you live, Casey?” Jensen asked, holding his phone in hand.

“North Little Rock near Steven’s Stadium.”

I thought I saw him somewhere before. “I live over there, so I’ll drop you off, if you want.” I wanted to take a hot shower and sleep for a few weeks, and cry.

He did the shoulder hug thing with me; I need to give that thing a name. “I would appreciate that.”

I turned to Jensen, who looked perfectly fine. “Well, you’ve completed your mission, what are you going to do now?”

Jensen looked at me, no real thoughts behind his face. “First, I’ll write out a report, describing people like you and the leader of the demons to look for. And we will help any way we can.” He put an emphasis on ‘we’ as in him and I, not the military. I’ve been drafted! The one thing I wished wouldn’t happen has but at least I’m not going to a desert any time soon.

I looked to the floor, wishing Caleb were here again. It would be fine if he were here with me. “I meant if I needed to drop you off somewhere?”

“Just drop me off at the bottom of the hill; my people will be waiting for us.”

People drove off as fast as they could afraid of another eclipse springing up. I wonder what they would tell their families about the bloodstains, or the ripped clothes, or the soot marks on them. I know my mom is going to be pissed about this. We’re very calm people, not really active people. Just adapters and we’ve adapted this calm persona as of late.

I was glad that my car made it through the night, untouched. My mom got me an apple green Kia Soul for my 16^th birthday two years ago. Jensen was going to drive down to give me a little longer break, I mean I was the hero; I should get some type of reward. I tried to remember happy times but nothing really came to mind, as if my brain didn’t have enough imagination to make anything up at the moment. I’d just be happy with not dreaming.

“What the hell, where is everyone?” Jensen’s alarmed voice made me sit up.

He was right, at the bottom of the hill, only two military jeeps were there; no signs of fighting, blood, or anything suspicious, like they just got up and left. We pulled over, checking all the cars but nothing still. We grabbed some more guns and ammo and drove off. We kept driving on the I-30 west. I would drop Casey off and ride with Jensen to the Air Force base in Jacksonville, watching for anything else strange. No one else except people from school was on the highway. I know it was Christmas Eve but there still should’ve been people on the road. The sun was already setting; it’s strange missing something so constant.

Our questions were answered when we reached the bridge that connected Little Rock to North Little Rock, it was about to be spilt by another eclipse. More Air Force, Marines, and police lined the bridge shooting as many demons as they could.

“Casey, you have to get out.”

He tore his eyes away from the growing dome, fear and ignorance in his eyes. “No, I’m going with you guys!”

Jensen shook his head, “Look, I know you’ve done a lot but it’ll be better for us if you got here and waited ‘til we took the dome down.”

“And the fact you can’t see and you don’t need to put yourself in danger.” I added. He thinks being a hero is fun.

“No, I’m going; my parents and my sister are in there. If you guys leave me here, I’ll just go in anyway.” I can’t believe he was guilt tripping us. Jensen and I looked at each other and just rolled our eyes. “Thank you. Do you have night vision goggles?” Jensen threw his over the seat.

Jensen pulled over, saying that we had to talk to the commanding officer or whatever the Air Force has. The dome had already sealed itself but some soldiers still fired into the impenetrable dome. If the first seven bullets are stopped cold then what makes them think another clip would do the trick?

Before I got out of the car well, some jackass had a gun to my head shouting, “You think you can just sneak in here, you demon bastard. I should shot you in the head right now.”

“If I were a demon, why would I have one of your men driving me around?” I’ve said this like three times now, my life gets worse day by fucking day. Where is Hellion?

Jensen came around like lightning, his semi-automatic tapping the man’s head. “I advise you to get your gun out his face before you lose an arm.”

The Air Force man, a petty officer, no that’s the navy, well, whatever he is, he looked like he was about to shit himself. “He has a symbol on his forehead like that demon.”

Casey jumped out of the car like Captain Save-a-hoe, smacking the gun down. “He’s a Knight not a demon. He just finished saving our school from demons.” Then for special effect, he cocked his handgun and stuck it to the man’s head.

I smiled at Casey, so protective. Only if he was like three years older then I might consider him attractive. “Thanks.”

“Attend-hut!” Jensen, the man and I all followed the command, snapping our hands to the side. A middle-aged man moved through the crowd of guns. “Airman Stevens, would you mind telling me what happened?”

Stevens swallowed audibly, he knew he something wrong. “I saw this demon get of the car and since he has a symbol on his forehead like the other I assumed he was a demon leader.”

The man nodded, scanning each of us. “And what happens when one assumes, Airman?”

“I made an ass of myself and you, sir.” He answered straight forward. If I were he, I would’ve twisted my words in my favor.

“Not only that but you threatened another Airman, another soldier and a civilian that just came from the St. Tribou Dome.” The older man started to walk around Stevens, making him feel even more stupid. My legs were starting to go numb. He finally finished giving Stevens the evil eye and walked over to me. “At ease, soldier. Sound off.

I relaxed my body immediately, popping my neck. I could never remember if ‘At ease’ was the one where I could only talk or was it ‘Parade Rest.’ “Cadet First Lieutenant Aiden Florence, sir.”

“I am Senior Airman Derrick Benet.” Recognition filled his eyes, “You’re Staff Sergeant Caleb’s boyfriend, aren’t you?” His words were like a heated knife being twisted in my guts.

My numbness was wearing off; I couldn’t let them see me cry. “Yes, sir.”

He patted me shoulder, only making it worst. “I’m sorry, son. You should know he saved all of our lives.”

I closed my eyes to trap the tears. Why wouldn’t he just shut up? “Thank you, but we can talk about him later.”

He finally caught onto my meaning. “Yes, I shouldn’t have brought him up right now.” He looked around like he had suddenly become aware of something. “Put your guns down, he’s with us.” He told us to follow him to a quieter area, which is on the side of the bridge. “Airman Trent, I see that you have succeeded in destroying the St. Tribou dome.”

“Sir, I did not kill the demon leader, Aiden did with Hellion, but I can’t share all the detail with you at the moment-.”

“Yes, I know, you need to destroy this one as well, but you plan to bring a kid with you?” Benet smirked at Casey.

I interjected. “He’s been helping me since the beginning including the demon leader; if Casey hadn’t distracted him then we would be dead. And he’s trying to save his family.”

Derrick looked at Casey like a proud parent or an amused one. “Well, then I should fill you in on this dome. When the St, Tribou went up, demons and other monsters came out of the city. Some of the men just started walking into the city. No one saw what caused the men to go mindless, but be careful. Now, let’s get this boy some better night eyes.”

After we were outfitted with enough ammo and grenades to start World War 3, he finally let us leave. It was scary, having to go back into the dark right after we got out of it. This time I realized the sun wasn’t the only thing that would be gone, so would the stars and the moon. It seems like I’m going to be pale for a long time.

I turned to Jensen, “Gun it.” He nodded and grinned, slamming his foot on the gas as Casey whooped in the back seat.

The Alltel Arena Dome, that what I’m calling it because it covers the Alltel Arena-I mean it’s the Verision Arena now, was much different from the St. Tribou dome. Casey didn’t need his night goggles. The whole city was lit like Las Vegas but empty as Wyoming. There were empty cars all over, in every type of condition. Some wrecked, others bashed, many just opened and still running but no people inside. The city reminded me of the story of Roanoke and Croatoan. The English settlement out of supplies so Sir Francis Drake went back to England to get supplies but when he came back, Roanoke was abandoned with no trace of its people except for the word ‘Croatoan’ carved into a tree. It‘s still a mystery to scientists today.

I told Jensen to get off the bridge and drive over to Pike. I decided that we should check Casey’s house first before mine. I didn’t see any demons anywhere that I didn’t know whether to think that as a good thing. The suspension grew worse when we pulled up to Casey’s house. He lived in what they call in Arkansas a townhouse. Really, it’s just a light blue two story colonial house and the only house with signs of life.

A shadow blurred across window followed by two more. Hellion shoved Casey’s door shut, pointing a finger. “Casey, you can’t go in there shooting everything.” I said.

He just looked at me with this look of rage the scared me a bit. “Are you going to let me out?”

Jensen and I got out first before I let Hellion move away from the door. Someone screamed and we all fought to get through the door first. Casey slipped through followed by Hellion then me, all running at the other heels. She screamed again, “Just leave me alone!”

What we came upon made me sick. They looked like burn victims with twisted skin and a head collared by misshapen shoulders. Each one had one eye with the ruined skin covering the other eye. They belonged to the Silent Hill family of monsters. They were abominations.

One of them spoke in a dry, raspy voice, “You have no business here.” The other three continued to stare at his sister.

Casey raised his gun quick and precise, killing all of them without blinking. His sister scrambled to get to him, crying against his chest. She looked like her brother, the same chocolate brown hair and doe colored eyes. She was pretty girl, slender frame and generous chest.

“Uh, sorry to break you two up but we should leave now. Grab some clothes and we’ll go to my house.”

She screamed again, shoving me away. “Demon! You’re one of them!”

I’m just going to start wearing a bandanna or something. I caught her hands before they clawed my face open, “Relax, I’m not a demon.”

“Sandra, I promise you he’s not a demon. He saved my life.”

She stared at me harder. “But the symbol on his forehead?”

Jensen stepped between us, smiling at her. “He’s a Knight-.”

She gasped in surprise, interrupting him. “You’re the one they talk about, the Knight with the hand of the Creator.”

There goes that fucking title again. “Ta da, it’s me.” I added jazz hands at the end. “But we can talk about this later. I want you two to grab some clothes and we’re going to my house.”

Jensen and I swept the rest of the house but no signs of the parents, or any abominations. I didn’t feel any demons either. “Where are the demons? I remember seeing them at the border.”

Jensen sighed; he was probably just as aggravated as I was. “Maybe they’re different types of demons.”

“Oh joy.” I said.

Jensen replied, “I know.”

Casey and Sandra came downstairs with their bags. Casey seemed perfectly fine but Sandra looked distressed. She was hiding something, but we would find that out later.

We arrived at my house ten minutes later near the Broadway Bridge. It was a two story gray stone Manor home with stain glass windows. It was our first house here in Arkansas and the only one I truly liked. Everyone whistled at the sight, it was normal for people to do that since this type of house was mostly seen in New England. I’ve only seen two other in the state.

No one was home, no cars in the drive way or garage and no one waiting at the door for me. I lived with my mother and grandmother ever since I was three. My father wasn’t really concerned with me unless I got him pussy or became like him and his family. I’ve been exiled from the Florence family for about two years now. So my mother and Nana, as I call her, were the only family I had left after their side of the family found out we wouldn’t give them anymore money. And my small three person family had become just as precious to me than before

The streamers, balloons, and everything except the food was set up and a big banister with ‘Welcome back, Hero’ attached to the ceiling. Hellion reacted immediately, cutting it down and taking the balloons outside.

My numb mask was breaking again; I just needed a little more time. “Um, I’ll show you to your rooms.”

I put Sandra in my grandmother’s room, Jensen in my mother’s room and Casey in my room while I took the guest room. Jensen and the others were the first to take a shower. I just wanted to check out the house alone, I would take care of everything…no matter what. Luckily, I only found the spoiled food. Hellion refused to do the dishes but he offered to take out the trash.

“I wonder what should I cook.” I said mostly to myself. “Hellion, do you eat?” He shook his head with a smile, saying no but thank you for asking. “Can you eat?” He shrugged, why would he know that? “Would you like to try?” He just rolled his eyes.

“Hey-.”

“Whoa!” Jensen almost gave me a heart attack. “And you just stood there and didn’t say anything.” I accused Hellion.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to scare you.” He said. “I borrowed some of your clothes, if that’s okay.”

Well, it wasn’t like I could take them off him. “Yeah, sure.”

An awkward silence came upon us. “You can go take a shower. You’ve done a lot today. Relax, I’ll cook.” Jensen was right.

“Alright.”

Sorry but you’re not following me into the shower, private time.

I wiped the steam from the window, revealing my bloodshot eyes. I felt a little better from crying but the headache that came with it made me regret it, just a bit. My body looked more defined than usual, my stomach was already flat thanks to SgtMaj putting me on the Physical Fitness team last year but now it looked harder. Abs was starting to develop. I guess my build would be that of a track runner or basketball player. The tall and lean frame with broad shoulders and tapered waist. Girls told me that my best features were the rosy cheeks with the pale skin and electric blue eyes. Supposedly, I looked like a younger version of Ian Somerhalder, but I didn’t even care if I was ugly until Caleb.

“Stop it, Aiden.” The other side of myself said. “People you’ve known longer than him have died and you haven’t cried, so stop being such a little bitch about it. You’re aggravating.”

With that, I put my numbing mask back on and walked out of the bathroom. Whatever Jensen cooked, it smelled amazing. I didn’t even know I was starving to death. I came down the kitchen stairs, the smell of the food getting better when I heard them laughing. They couldn’t see me by the way the kitchen and the living room were built, but I could see Sandra sitting on the couch with Casey next to her. I couldn’t see Jensen because he sat across from them on the love seat against the wall, but I could hear him.

“I mean, she was so in love with Zac Efron,” it was Casey telling the story. “She would wait until it was really late at night and put High School Musical in the TV and every time he came of screen, she kissed the screen.”

Sandra laughed, smacking him with a pillow. “What did you want me to do? I was eleven.”

“You didn’t see me kissing Jessica Alba on TV.”

“You were too busy jacking off in your room.” She retorted. Casey looked crestfallen. It was a low blow.

“Enough about us, Jensen, tell us about you.”

Jensen took a drink, trying to postpone the question. “What do you want to know?”

She looked at him dreamily, seeing something else that none of us could see. “Have you ever been in love?”

Jensen sounded uncomfortable at the get go. “Uh, no-I mean yes, I’ve been in love but I don’t-.”

“Please,” she begged with her perfect eyes. “I promise, we won’t tell anyone.”

Jensen stayed quiet for a minute, “You can’t tell anyone, including Aiden.” My ears perked up at this. They nodded and promised like jackals seeing a juicy piece of meat. “There was this guy-.”

“You’re gay?” They said unison. I was surprised myself but it wasn’t as if I had a gaydar in my back pocket.

“Yeah, you got a problem with it?” He said, curtly. They said they were fine with it. “Okay, like I said, there was this guy in my unit. We were assembled from all branches of the military, an Airman, a Seal, a Marine, and a Ranger. We were a test unit to see how effective we could be. I fell in love with the-.”

“The Seal!” Sandra squealed. I don’t understand why girls love gay guys so much. I mean I don’t see connection they make.

“No, it was the Marine.” I stopped doing whatever I was doing and focused on Jensen. “He was great. Smart, funny, and so fine it was unbelievable. He never complained about anything and he helped me do just about everything. I’ve been in the military more than he was but I learned more stuff from him than my teachers did. He saved my life more than once and he stopped a few guys from kicking my ass. But-.”

“He was straight.” Casey offered.

“No, he was actually gay, but he was in love with someone else.” He said, sadly. He couldn’t be talking about him.

The silence extended until Sandra spoke, “So you didn’t try anything? I would’ve done all I could to get him.”

“You should never try to separate people in love. If you truly love them, you’ll let go when they tell you no.” I walked out of the kitchen, still hidden by the wall. He couldn’t be talking about him, he wouldn’t. “I wasn’t so valiant. I offered myself to him every moment of the day.” He let out a sour laugh. “He just kept saying, “Sorry, but you’re not him.” I mean I did everything possible to get a hard on out of him but nothing.”

Sandra was all into it, you could tell be the way she grabbed the arm rest, like she was in a movie. “What did he look like?”

Everyone who has met Caleb can remember him in perfect detail. “He had sandy blond hair with these amber honey brown eyes. He looked like an Adonis with his cleft chin, and thick shimmering muscles from every contact sport you could think of.” No, it’s not the same person. Someone who looks like him. “His voice was a rumbling bass that sent shiver down your spine.”

“What was his name?”

Jensen broke out in a smile. He had become lost in his memory. “His name was Cal-.” And my vision had been colored red.

I moved faster than anyone could have stopped me. I grabbed Jensen out of the seat, slamming his head in door with Hellion’s sword shaking against his stomach. My heart was beating so loud I could barely hear myself whisper, “If his name comes out of your mouth, I’ll splatter your guts.” Hellion went to grab me but soon the same orange light brought him to his knees in pain. “How dare you say that in my house? What type of person are you?” Jensen just stared into my eyes, his sad eyes.

“He saved your life for you to save me. I saved your life because you saved mine, and you come in my house and pronounce your love for him. Listen here bitch, he loved me and me alone, so don’t color your memories of him differently. He’s mine, even in memory.”

I heard Sandra mumble something under her breath and a blast of fire threw me off him and into the wall.

Hellion rose, bent to my will by the orange light, and raised his blade toward Sandra; who began to murmur something else. I felt like I was watching this happen on TV. I couldn’t stop my rage. Casey raised his gun to shoot Hellion in the head. Jensen’s finger was on the trigger of the gun aimed at Casey. We were about to kill each other. “Bark! Bark!”

I shuddered at the familiar sound. The black fluff of fur barked at Sandra, interrupting her concentration. King growled one last time and trotted over to me, nipping my fingers to tell me he was hungry. The hostile emotions that had us all turning on each other suddenly disappeared. I felt like I should find out what the hell had happened, how Sandra had manipulated us, if it was even her.

As soon as the thought came to me though it was gone though, suddenly it wasn’t important to find out the answer.

I got up slowly, holding King tight to my chest. Hellion began to move freely again and we all went our separate ways. I think I was the last to go to sleep. I just watched King eat and go outside to do his business. He was the only other connection I had to Caleb. He hopped in bed with me, scratching at my covers before he went under the comforter with me and curled into a ball. I just wanted a silent dream.

“Babe, wake up.” Who the fuck just called me ‘Babe’? “You’ve been asleep all day.” Caleb pulled me into his arms.

He went to kiss me but I stopped him. “What are you doing here?” I tried to push him away but it was a feeble attempt on my part.

He gave me a goofy grin and tried to kiss me again, which didn’t happen. “Uh, hoping for morning sex.”

I pushed him away again. “This must be a dream.”

He pulled me back again, holding me with his honey brown eyes. “I assure you, I’m not a dream.”

“Yes, you are because the real you is dead.” I struggled to get out but it only made things worst. I found out that we were both naked, his erection sliding against my ass. His skin was so nice and warm. “You’re dead, and I have to fight monsters with Jensen and a kid and this girl.”

Caleb bent his head down, kissing down my neck. “If I was dead, could I do this?” I felt like I was going to burst into ecstasy as his fingers moved inside of me. “Huh, now do you think I’m dead?” I sighed in pleasure. God, it felt good in the strangest way. “Do you remember last night, our first time?”

I let out a ragged, “No.”

Caleb always prided himself in making me blush and he was doing an extremely well job. “Then let me remind you.”

He started kissing down my neck, passing my nipples going directly for my red and swollen dick. At first, he just sucked the head and I almost came. I started to hump his face, getting to get the rest of it in his mouth.

I whined when he pulled off but he still had two fingers going. “Do you still think I’m dead?” I shook my head. I moaned again. Whatever he was doing was electric to my body.

“Please.”

He acted like he didn’t hear me. “What babe, what did you say?”

This was cruel. I hated begging. “Please, Caleb.”

“I love the wicked desire in your eyes.” Caleb positioned himself, ready to enter me.

“Bark! Bark!” King appeared on my chest, growling at Caleb.

“King, get the fuck off.” I snapped. God, I just wanted Caleb to fuck me. The little bastard just kept coming back.

King kept barking, impossible to hit. We both swung at him but it wasn’t until my fist went through Caleb’s arm that when he faded away. “Get off, mongrel.” The abomination whispered in his dry voice. I cut off its head as a reflex, only able to summon the razor sharp ring that was the hand guard of Hellion’s sword. I looked down to see King, attacking the thing’s legs. “Good boy.”

I checked on Casey first, throwing the ring through the abomination’s head. I shot the one that held Jensen in his dream. I wonder if he was having the same one, I was. Sandra screamed again and we burst into a mild walk. I think they feed on you while you sleep so the dream was a way to make sure you wouldn’t wake up and stop them.

Three more of the abominations cornered her. “I challenged the laws of nature and reason by summoning the power of destruction, Ni en terra explosum, Combustion. Exist!” A triangle with a spinning symbol inside of it appeared briefly in the air before it exploded. Now, there was gross black juice and burn victim of my living room walls. Sandra looked at us as if we were ghost. We probably looked like it.

I pointed my finger at her, angrily. I’m tired of this shit. “We’ll talk about this when I wake up.”