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  Chapter Two: Fire and Ice

  Nathaniel and Karen are a mile from the main road where they pull in to a shady, lakeside spot. Nate dismisses the audibly conversation Karen has with herself while she’s off in the bushes. Then to return she delivers an exciting suggestion. After giving it careful consideration Nate goes along with her coaxing idea to go for an innocent swim together. Deciding it’d be careless to take his boxers off along with his jeans, he goes in partially clothed, while Karen puts on her bathing suit in the backseat of the car…then joins him.

  The two are splashing around at the shore of the lake (in waist high water) when Ashura slips into the water wearing a white tank top and a pair of grey panties. Nathaniel is shocked by the sudden presence of a third person while recognizing instinctively who it is by the energy Ashura gives off when she’s around.

  She maintains a playful mood, Nate struggling to grasp what’s happening. His head feels cold; there’s the sensation of snowflakes swirling and melting inside his skull. Karen recognizes the arrival of her accomplice, seemingly unmoved by the company of her other half, aware at the time when Nate made the wish what was happening during the phase of their separation.

  Suddenly Ashura’s mouth opens. Nathaniel watches an emerald serpent moving inside, seeing it slither past her eyes. It dwells throughout her body, waiting for Nate to approach. Its tail wading from below the water’s surface; a stinger is at the end of it with a powerful neurotoxin to strike her prey.

  Nate fights the urge of panic, wondering where this is leading. Would the two women ditch his body and continue on (taking his car to the camp, happy under the conditions of sharing each other’s company) as two capable persons sharing the same ulterior intentions?

  Ashura holds anger and contempt for males in general because they’ve always sought her/Karen to use for their selfish desires, then to dispose of her once they were done. The situation with Nathaniel is different, for the time being. The animosity she has toward him is not powerful enough to justify his execution. As the women laugh and enjoy the lake’s refreshing waters Nathaniel senses danger, attentive to the fact that if he were to stand in Ashura’s way, then her calculated thoughts would trigger and he’d fall victim to her precision.

  Nate finds it curious that Ashura chooses to ride in the back seat of the car (after they’ve changed out of their wet swimsuits, and into their dry clothes) continuing on their course to Dead Creek Falls. Once they arrive they’re required to sign a camp roster, before going to their lodge.

  After checking out the grounds and turning in after sunset Nate walks into Ashura’s room, on his way to his own, stopping by to check in on her. The imagery is brutal. His mind fights the urge to blackout, thus bypassing his brain’s mental retreat mechanism, by her query.

  “Would you like to try a cup of his urine? It truly is unique when it’s first extracted.” The two sit against the wall of the upper quarters. The frozen body of Ashura’s victim held close, its skin deathly pale, lured here after sordidly coming on to her.

  “No, thank you,” Nathaniel responds, detached from emotion.

  Nathaniel exits the two story lodge worried that Ashura may be near, monitoring him, spying to see if he seeks to reveal her secret. How many more will she go through?

  A sheriff holding a striking resemblance to Mark Wahlberg is patrolling the nighttime campsite neighborhood. Nathaniel nearly runs face to face with the scouting officer.

  “How you doing?” Nate asks surprised, seeing the name Ringer on his ID badge.

  Keenly the sheriff responds “The name’s Dennis. I’m on my way to notify the camp of a mandatory town meeting,” then intently insists, “I need for you to make your way to the community fellowship hall.”

  “What’s this about?” Nathaniel replies, holding Ashura’s actions under attentive scrutiny.

  “One of the residents has reported that her boyfriend’s missing. We need to make sure everyone is accounted for.” Dennis studies Nate’s reaction for hints of guilt, fear, or panic.

  Suddenly a spry girl in her twenties, slightly chubby, with brightly dyed red hair skips her way up to Nate from the direction of their lodge. He recognizes her only by a sense of familiarity. She lovingly places her hand on Nate’s face, whispering seductively, “Hey sexy.”

  Since their teen years Karen encouraged Nate to keep his face cleanly shaven.

  Turning to Sheriff Ringer she greets, “Hello, sheriff, I’m Rachael” (using the name Ashura signed the camp roster with, when they checked in). “Is my boyfriend giving you any trouble?” She smiles playfully at Nate with giddy eyes, hiding the power of death behind them, and then redirects her crafty attention to perceive the sheriff’s repeated instruction.

  After Dennis has finished explaining, he leaves Nate and Rachael standing outside, 3 hours till midnight. Rachael desires to press Nate’s convictions, understanding circumstances are about to take a drastic change. The presence of one similar to her design will soon be falling to earth. She hopes the guardian is not in Nate’s field of vision when it crashes through Earth’s atmosphere, aware there are still eight more stars set to arrive.

  “What does it feel like to know what your girlfriend Jennifer’s doing right now, as we speak?” Rachael studies Nate’s perception, to detect it falter. Pleased by this reaction, and her ability to connect with his thoughts while transmitting suggestions, her confidence amplifies.

  Rachael: this girl with fiery red hair clarifies “That’s right, I know your kinky little secret, Nay (told as a derogatory term for Nathaniel). How you imagine Karen as your Hollywood pet, using her to live out your infatuation with Jennifer Connelly.”

  Panicked by her ability to rifle through his personal secrets, Nate recognizes the mental link he shares with Karen is transferable. Rachael, because she is part of Karen, has a similar knack to link with him as an individual separate from Ashura and Karen. Initial fear causes Nate to lose his emotional footing, granting Rachael deeper access into his mind; this heightens the power of believability in her suggestions, leaning in close to whisper seductive connotations…

  “You like the safety of knowing Karen’s only with one guy, when she’s back at home in her domestic cage. That she keeps her lips closed. And when she does go out, she’s kept on a short leash. But now your high school crush has been turned loose; you let her get free; you had your chance to go swimming in the deep end, and it’s long gone. That opportunity has passed, and you’ll never get it back. My poor Baby; she’s never told you how beautiful your eyes are.”

  Emotions form, ones Nate has tried to avoid, afraid the fondness he holds for Karen would inadvertently develop into something stronger: possessive jealousy. His ability to withstand such passion wilts, as this seductress weaves a web around him…

  “Now your high school sweetheart has turned her interests away from you by looking elsewhere. She already has the sheriff under her control. You know what she’s got in mind. She’s out hunting for fresh meat to taste. She’ll follow the scent to where all those strapping teenage guys are staying; the ones who signed in on the roster. You know she’s gonna give herself away to every over-eager stud on that varsity football team.”

  Nate’s breath is stolen, finding himself in a humid lodge smelling of male perspiration. A tearing sickness spawns madness in his mind from the live engagement Rachael broadcasts, watching as though first hand, standing to the side as Jennifer performs with multiple partners; her zealous appetite for attention propelling her on a ravenous marathon, never to be satisfied.

  “Why don’t you come back to my room, lover,” Rachael coaxes, “I got something nasty in mind. It will be just you, and me, and all our desires. You can close your eyes and imagine Jennifer is with you, as I’m the one doing the kissing. I know you want to experience the thrill of my love inside you.”

  Nate gives into the notion of accompanying Rachael to the lodge, to chase the promise of exploring illicit pos
sibilities. Suddenly a shocking realization petrifies him. He knew from the start Rachael is a stalker. That she intends to consume her prey with flames. And yet he’s given her the advantage by allowing his mind to wander and to be led by her control.

  He takes a step back, wide eyed. Not just from appall by this harpy’s influence, neither from the shock of recognizing his near downfall by his frail weaknesses. He can’t believe what he’s noticed in the night sky. The view so clear, he can see star on top of star, clusters of stars, entire galaxies. There’s one speck of light that has his attention. The star’s brilliance intensifies; his concentration spurring this reaction; it blasts an explosion of light. The environment all around becomes clear as day for a split second. In this brief instance there are unfamiliar creatures suddenly visible. They cringe, and then escape moving lighting fast to cover and hide.

  Looking back up to the source, the star is moving. This can’t be what he understands it to be. Denying the influential truth, hopping for a simpler explanation “It has to be a satellite!”

  But the glowing object is advancing, it’s getting closer, and it’s heading toward Earth. Disbelief can’t deny that whatever the source may be, it’s honed in on him!

  This anomaly causes separation, breaking Rachael’s control over Nate’s focus, formed initially through eye contact. Nate gave up his protective essence by relenting to her coaxing techniques. Drawn by her allure, she uses his weakness to claim his ability to think freely.

  Staring at the star, Nate understands that Rachael, along with Ashura, were both born the same way. These creations, while falling from the heavens, seek to utilize a human host who will offer the greatest level of intellectual strength.

  There was this other side to Karen, this Rachael side, which Nate dismissed long ago. It was a brief time in Karen’s life, imparting significant development toward her maturity. Rachael is a feature of Karen’s personality, one Karen disregarded once she was ready to move on. Rachael was her 14-15 year old stage and came about from abuse, just as Ashura did.

  Ashura is Karen’s 20 year old stage, having fully advanced by the time Karen is 27.

  This star that’s falling before Nate’s eyes is tapping into his essence, bonding to his character, and becoming familiar with the strongest portion of his nature to extract perfection and transcend it to divine nearness. Nate fears the loss of his identity, recognizing this as if it were a distant childhood memory, with the potential to defy the supernatural powers that Ashura, Rachael, and others (destined to fall in the next 9 hours) poses.

  The wish Nate made in the car had nothing to do with unlocking these events. His mental capabilities honed onto these happenings by having an open mentality that was ready to receive.

  In Nate’s preexisting innocence Rachael, this creature disguised as an attractively chunky, flirtatious, twenty year old girl, with bright red hair, is unable to destroy him. The battle Rachael wages is fleeting. With enraged frustration its self control wanes. Presuming fear and vulnerability would follow suit from a delivered scream, the prospect to do so is denied by loss. Rachael turns to run, seeing Nate developing a bond with the inbound heavenly enemy.

  Through this progression Nate’s connection with Jennifer builds, developing awareness of her situation. She’s not prowling the camp like a loose female dog in heat. She’s exhausted from life. For once her anxieties are free from her, having manifest into physical menaces.

  Nate’s happy for Jennifer, and for Ash, deducing the couple has a close respect and trust for one another. Though Jennifer’s thoughts have a tendency to stray, and she may imagine being with another guy who’ll be her comforter, protector, provider…it’s a fault she’s working on. The fact is she has never seen herself as one to give in to those tempting notions of adultery.

  Karen’s deterred focus, two years into her marriage, came by wanting to wade through life’s social waters. A violent incident took place during this moment of trial and exploration. Ryan Lipton raped her. Still in shock by the event, she relents the next time he calls, reassured that what took place was a misunderstanding. Drawn into trust by his deception, she embraces the hope of fanciful amenities through a romance with Ryan. A twisted notion develops, that being used, even in an abusive manner, is a way of receiving love. Her divulgence about their conceived baby, telling him in the hourly hotel, triggers violent rage which Ryan acts out.

  Distracted by these revealing thoughts, Nate looks back up to see the falling star has vanished. A force then takes a hold of him, pulling him away from the area and tests his footing. Nate maintains his ground. Suddenly a bright, glowing, bluish-white figure stands before him, shining like a heavenly beacon. Nate fears this presence will give him, and itself, away, before understanding he is the only one who sees it as the light becomes blinding.