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| Chapter Eight: Under the Big Top | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In the haven of the deranged Doctor Jest - the Setite named Calloway found himself standing before a large tent. He sighed as he shook his head. He didn't know how long he had been there - but when his wounded arm began to bleed again - he had a hunch. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Another day - this lack of sleep is not doing anything for me," he muttered as he leaned against the tent. He groaned when he felt the metal plating that was beneath the cloth like tent. "Do this crazy shit and get out," he muttered. He concentrated on his wounds. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Slowly he made his way over to where the entrance to the big tent was and passed through. Once inside - large metal doors slammed down. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At that moment - in the control room - Doctor Jest was writing notes down on a clipboard as he watched Calloway on one of the numerous security cameras he had all over the place. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "This one is good," he said to himself. He tensed up as he looked around the room. Nothing - or was there. He closed his eyes and concentrated for a few moments. When he opened them again - he could see an ethereal form. "I have company? How rare," he mused. The image looked in his direction and then vanished. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Doctor Jest quietly laughed as he took down some more notes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No one has made it as far as he has. Most impressive," he began as he looked at the monitor and watched as the vampire made his way through the bloodstained bleachers. "I don't know why you were looking for me - but - I sure am glad you did," he mused. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back in the tent - Calloway climbed up and made his way to the center of the tent. The place was massive. By the center pole - if he had to guess - had to be at least a hundred feet plus. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He hopped over the eight-foot barricade that separated the bleachers from the performing area. He took notice of the dozens of skeletons that littered the ground. Calloway knelt down and ran his fingers through what could only be described as a mixture of sand - and ash. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Vampires died here - lots of them," he remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He felt something. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He placed the palm of his hand to the ground - it was shaking. Something was heading his way - something big. He rolled to the side and had his bone daggers ready. Much to his surprise - an elephant was standing where he had been. It was full-grown - had long stained tusks and appeared to be more dead than alive. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh - you are a lunatic," he muttered as he slowly backed away from the elephant. "Only a complete - stark-raving card carrying psycho would ghoul a fucking elephant," he added. He was going to mount an offence when the eyes of the elephant locked on his. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He tensed up as he could feel a presence forcing itself on him - telling him to sleep. He staggered as he fell to one knee. He couldn't let fatigue get to him now - no - it wasn't fatigue. He shook his head as he looked over at the elephant. It raised its trunk and screamed out - revealing that it had vampiric fangs! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - have got to be joking - that bastard - embraced an elephant?" he asked out loud in complete disbelief. The elephant charged the weary Setite. Calloway blinked his eyes were like that of a hypnotic serpent. The elephant screamed out as it closed its eyes and batted him aside with its massive trunk. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Calloway was flung far across the tent - bounced four times then rolled amidst the dirt and ash until he hit the far wall of the arena floor. His vision swam as he could feel the elephant racing in to finish what it started. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "High level of potence you have you unnatural pachyderm. Ah - I actually felt that," he strained as he forced himself up to his feet. He took out the daggers he had - acquired from the vampire hunter that he encountered in the haunted house. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He dodged to the right as the elephant rammed its head into the dividing wall - driving its massive tusks clear through. He looked over and saw the blood red eye of the massive beast glaring at him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Not going to be able to match strength with you - that's for damn sure," he muttered as the elephant backed up. "And you were almost able to put me to sleep you fucked up Malkavian beast you," he added. The elephant swung its trunk at him he ducked - it dented the metal dividing wall. "Look at me!" he shouted to the elephant - once again trying to ensnare the beast with his hypnotic gaze. The beast screamed out as he tried to resist - Calloway smiled as the beast seemed captivated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Slowly he concentrated. His mouth opened - and a forked, serpent like tongue lashed out - hitting the elephant's trunk. The beast screamed out as it lashed at Calloway with its trunk - sending him rolling across the arena floor again. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He shook his head as he forced everything to stop spinning. He looked and saw the enraged elephant charging at him again. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Let's try this another way," he remarked as he squatted down. The elephant was almost on top of him. He leaped up over the elephant's head - landing on its back. "Allow me to scratch your back!" he remarked as stabbed the vampire hunter's daggers into the elephant's back. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| It screamed out as it began to roll over. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh no you don't!" Calloway exclaimed as he leaped to safety. He watched as the elephant glared at him. "Okay - the aggravated damage is only pissing you off," he muttered as he looked at the only remaining dagger he had managed to pull free. He looked to the beast and pondered how many times he would have to cut such a monster to keep it down. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The elephant seemingly smiled. Again he could feel a presence in his head - telling him to sleep - coaxing him - suggesting that he close his eyes and rest. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You just don't give up do you?" he muttered. He shook his head - fighting the unnatural hold the beast managed to get on him. "There is no way I am going to be able to cut him enough times through that thick skin of his. That leathery shit is like armor," he muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Slowly the elephant stalked towards him. Calloway hesitantly - reluctantly backed away. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If only there was a way for me to punch through that armor of yours - without getting squished," he pondered out loud. A part of him swore - he heard the elephant laughing at him. He looked above the head of the beast and saw Luther waving at him. He growled and shook his head. Although he never liked it when the ghost reveled itself - now was a particularly bad time. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A Malkavian elephant - now - I have seen everything," Luther mused. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Please shut up - have to think and squishy here is trying to get me to sleep," Calloway muttered. The ghost laughed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "OH - there is a thought! The great hunter - the mighty viper in the service of Snake - is taken out by an elephant that said it sleepy time," the ghost mocked. Calloway looked to the only weapon he had that could do any damage to the undead beast. The elephant raised its trunk and screamed out again. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Calloway - smiled. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "This can't be good - take a nap - I am sure our friend here is trust worthy," the ghost suggested. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh - you must be a hungry bastard," Calloway began as he ripped some material from his shirt. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What are you up to you filthy snake?" the ghost asked. Calloway wrapped the blade with the material and then looked at his arm. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I bet it takes a lot to keep you sated huh? Want a taste of your next meal?" he asked. Not taking his eyes from the elephant - he sunk his teeth into his arm. Both the elephant and ghost watched as Calloway saturated the cloth covered dagger. "You a hungry boy?" he asked holding up the bloody cloth that was starting to smoke. The elephant rose up on its back legs - raised its trunk and screamed out. "Down the hatch with the bitter pill!" he remarked as he threw the weapon up and into the elephant's mouth. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That is cruel. Can't you read the signs? Don't feed the animals," the ghost remarked. The elephant came crashing back down as it screamed at Calloway. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Have to keep going longer than he does!" Calloway muttered as he bolted. The elephant screamed out as it gave chase. The ghost floated up and landed by the tent pole and watched as Calloway and the enraged elephant began doing laps. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I have a feeling that this is going to take some time," Luther remarked as he began humming an old song to pass the time. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Six hours passed - both were still running. It looked like the elephant would gain some ground but Calloway seemed more motivated by self-preservation than whatever was keeping that elephant going | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Four more hours passed - the elephant seemed to experience a brief moment of pain but was still running - Calloway - unfortunately - was still able to keep just our of reach of the displeased pachyderm. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eight more hours passed - were he not a ghost - he would have passed out due to boredom. Both the runners were slowing down. But it seemed as though the race was far from over. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Six more hours passed - a new day had started. Luther looked over and could see that Calloway was nursing his badly wounded arm. Unfortunately - the internal wounds that the elephant had sustained had slowed it down far more. The gap between the two had widened for the first time since the long - boring race began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh dear god - let this monotony end," the ghost muttered to himself. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Five more hours passed - the elephant collapsed. Calloway tripped - gasping and panting. Not since he had been embraced had he ever felt as physically drained as he was at that moment. He looked over his shoulder - fearful that his pursuer was still mobile - when he saw that it was down - he quietly laughed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Exactly what is so funny?" Luther asked - looking down at him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I haven't - slept - in one - two - three - at least three days," he remarked. The sleep deprivation starting to get to him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You are losing it," the ghost remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh no - I lost it!" he muttered as he sat up. "Oh you big ugly beast - come here! I'm hungry," he slurred as he staggered over and began to feed on the fallen kindred elephant. Never - had he - ever - tasted anything - quite so putrid as the vitae that came from that beast. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Uh - I think that thing is diseased," the ghost pointed out. Calloway fell over gagging. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Tell me something I don't know. Had to drink four times as much just to heal," he muttered wiping the blood from his face. "If I ever see another fucking elephant in my life - I swear I will puke," he added as he staggered away from the unmoving vampiric elephant that was in torpor. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Aw - but I had some passes to the zoo!" the ghost taunted as he hit him in the shoulder knocking him over. Calloway growled as he leaped over and tried to knock the head from the ghost. Unfortunately - like every other time he tried to attack him - he passed harmlessly through him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I thought we played this game before - you already killed me - remember?" the ghost taunted. Calloway was about to get up when he felt something amidst the dust, dirt and ash. He carefully grabbed a handful of the sand and watched as it flowed between his fingers until a clan ring remained. "What is that?" he asked hesitantly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A ring - looks like it belonged to a prince - from - Rome?" he stated - as he looked at the inscription that was in a foreign language. The ghost looked at it and snorted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Rome my ass you uncultured clown. That is French - whoever this belonged to was of status in Paris," the ghost replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Someone from France ended up here? His network is quite the web," he muttered. He was about to toss the ring aside - but something told him that - it might come in handy later. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "So what happens now hero?" the ghost taunted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "First," he began. He shook his head as he collapsed to the ground. The ghost looked at him and shook his head. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I guess you were going to say nappy time first. Leave it to a viper like you to fall asleep on the job," he remarked as Calloway fell deep into unconsciousness. The taxing efforts on his mind and body finally caught up with him as his mind wandered into a deep - deep sleep. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To Be Continued... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||