DARK INTRUDER
DARK INTRUDER© nesciri
Part 14
Finally Lou realized that she could spend the rest of the night next to Rachel. Slowly she made her way up the stairs, to her and Kid's room. As she entered, she found him, dressed only in his trousers, up.
"There you are - I was gettin' worried. Is everything alright?"
Lou nodded and tried to shake the feeling of doom from her mind. She could feel her heart beating faster, but not from love, but from fear. Unyielding fear. Kid smiled at her.
"You look a bit pale, Lou. You're not comin' down with anything are you?"
That must be it, she thought. She was sick - that's why she imagined things. She would see Doc tomorrow and then everything would be all right.
"I might," she said. "I'm not feeling very well." She sat down on the bed and started to remove her boots. Kid crossed the room and sat down next to her, but instead of the warm comfort of a love one's presence, all she could feel was the cold breeze that seemed to fill the room. She gazed over to the window, assuming that it was open, but sound to her surprise that it was closed. Before Kid could open his mouth, she had left and walked over to the window to assure herself that it indeed was closed.
"What's wrong Lou?" Kid asked but Lou had no answer to give him. Instead she just stood there, looking bewildered at the closed window. Kid followed her and wrapped his arms around her.
"Come to me," he murmured in her ear.
Baruk could feel her soul's presence. It was a tangible as the woman he held in his arms. He couldn't believe that she finally would become his. There was no one near them that could stop him now. The only one close by was the blonde rider, but he was sound asleep in the bunkhouse. Baruk smiled. He wanted to savor her, to make her feel him, as he took her soul. He could feel her breath shortened and her bdoy shiver. She was his, for now and for ever.
Lou felt herself go rigid with dread. Those words, those were the exact same words that she had heard in her dream. But then Kid had been there to stop her. she felt Kid breathe on her neck and she inhaled deeply and turned around. Kid still had his arms around her. as she gazed up into his face, he smiled. But it wasn't Kid's smile. Lou stared into his eyes, to find something she knew, to find love and trust, but all she could see was hate and destruction. She backed away from him.
"Don't do that." The voice was slow and threatening and definitely not Kid's. Lou felt a hand grab her by her arm with such force that she gasped from the pain.
"Kid, you're hurting me," she breathed as he pulled her closer.
"You're mine." Lou stared at the man before her and she saw. It wasn't Kid before her - it was something else. Kid's features were still there, but they were so changed that they were almost unrecognizable. She tried to wriggle herself out of his grip, but he held on to her.
"Who are you? What have you done to Kid?" she asked with a voice that trembled with fear - not as much for her own sake as for Kid's.
"You are more beautiful than I remember," the creature said as his free hand caressed her shoulder and neck. It closed around her neck and tightened it's grip until Lou had tears in her eyes from the pain of not being able to breathe. But the creature slowly let go.
"Not yet, my dear. I want you to be mine completely before we end this life. I'll show you a better way - where this body no longer will hamper you, where you can be mine for eternity..." His lips closed over hers.
Terrified as she was, Lou had not forgotten how to fight and her searching hands soon found what she was looking for - the vase Thompkins had given them as a wedding present. It wasn't the most beautiful vase she had seen, but with a large bouquet of flowers you hardly saw the vase. But it was large, with served her purpose at this moment. As the creature kissed her, she gripped the neck of the vase with her right hand and then brought it with all her force against Kid's head. The vase shattered into a million pieces, as Kid sank to the floor. A howl of rage filled the room and it started pulsating with a red light. Lou brought her hands to her ears and fled the room. As she stumbled down the stairs, she felt as if the never would end. She ran to the door, only to find it locked and no matter how she tried she couldn't get it opened, when she remembered that Cody still was at the station.
"Cody!" she yelled for all she was worth. "Cody!" But there was no sound indicating that he had heard her. Sobbing Lou left the front door, and headed for the kitchen. She was almost there when an unseen force slammed it in her face. Trembling she saw a window open and she quickly managed to slide through it, landing several feet below into Rachel's precious garden. Brushing of the dirt she was on her feet immediately as she could feel the creature raging inside the house. It bare her against to leave Kid behind, but she had no choice. And it wasn't Kid inside the house. All she knew was that she had to get away - and that before Kid, or the being, woke up. She run towards the barn when she remembered Cody. She couldn't leave him here. The creature would surely kill him - so she changed direction and headed to the bunkhouse.
A cold wind swept over the yard and soon she found herself struggling against it as the dust it brought up hurt her eyes. She tried to call for Cody but the wind drowned her calls. Almost exhausted she reached the bunkhouse and threw herself inside, blocking the door behind her. she sank down to the floor as Cody woke up and stared at her disheveled appearance.
"Lou...," he begun, when something struck the door to the bunkhouse with great force, making the walls shake.
"What's going on?" Cody asked as he through threw off the bedclothes.
Lou scrambled to her legs. "We gotta get out of here, Cody," she panted.
Still a bit stunned, Cody rushed over to the window with his rifle ready, believing that there was somebody outside. But he didn't see a soul, all he could see was the wind blowing up dust from the ground. He was just about to turn back to Lou, when something caught his eye. He stared over to the main house where a red light could be seen from the top bedroom window. His first thought was that the house were on fire, but as he looked closer he realized that it was not the case. There was something else emerging from that window, something sinister. As he watched, the red light changed from a soft red tone to a deeper crimson, creating an effect that made it look as if the room was pulsating. Scared, Cody backed away from the window until he stumbled over the bench by the table.
"What --," he gasped, "what is that?"
Lou handed him his pants. "We need to get out of here," she urged and Cody wasted no time in pulling on his pants. For once he didn't ask any questions, as he had no other wish at that moment than to get as far away as possible from the frightening light in the house. Dressed in only his pants and undershirt and with the rifle in one hand he joined Lou by the door. Together they tried to open the door only to find that it was locked. Despite their efforts they could not budge it.
"The windows," Cody panted, and started to head to the window when suddenly all the open windows were shut simultaneously. The sound alone was enough to send the two trembling and Lou felt herself grab Cody's arm. Cody felt himself go pale as all his bragged about courage left him. A cold breeze entered through the chimney and effectively blew out the lights as it threatened to suck the air out of the bunkhouse, and Lou felt herself panic. Cody sensed it too and without thinking he threw himself with all his force at the door. To his surprise it flew open and he tumbled out on the porch and onto the dusty ground. He was immediately surrounded by a hard wind that prevented him to get to his feet, until he felt Lou next to him, helping him. Together they ran over to the barn, grabbing the nearest horses, which meant that Lou took Katy. Outside a full-blown storm seemed to have taken over and Cody had to shout to make himself heard over the noise.
"Lou! What about Kid?"
Lou turned to stare at the house where the pulsating light seemed to have invaded the upper floor and slowly spreading. She knew that they had to get out of there before the being grew stronger and with tears in her eyes she turned to Cody.
"Just leave, Cody! Leave!" She quickly mounted Katy, and as soon as she was in the saddle the terrified horse ran out from the yard, away from the station. Cody followed in seconds and soon they headed out over the plains at full speed, fleeing from something they couldn't control or handle, running for their lives from something more terrifying than anything they'd ever encountered before.
Baruk raged and used all his forces to keep Louise at the station. He had not suspected her to use violence against a loved one, but once more had he misjudged her strength. And now he was forced to stay, as he couldn't move without the aid of the young man he possessed. And he was unconscious. Wasting his energy he used his mental powers to block doors and to prevent the two riders from escaping. He growled with frustration. He would have to wait. Slowly he managed to simmer down and the red light vanished until it only glowed around the amulet in Kid's pocket. It would be futile to waste his energies now. He would catch them eventually. And this time his host would help him, since he had found his weak point. It would be easy,
Jimmy couldn't sleep. With Rosemary's all too recent death overshadowing everything else, sleep was not to hope for. He found himself pacing the room until he could pace no longer. Giving up he decided to go for a walk. Grabbing his hat he walked out on the street. There was music coming from the saloon and for a minute he contemplated heading over there but changed his mind. Rosemary deserved better than him hiding his grief in a bottle. He slowly strolled down the street, his hands deep in his pockets and his head turned down. After a few minutes he looked up and stopped in his strive. A bright light caught his eyes and he stared at it. It seemed to come from the station. 'Fire!' he thought and started running, keeping his eyes on the house. He was about to alert the rest of the town when the light suddenly disappeared and everything went back to normal. But Jimmy kept on running. Something had happened at the station and he wanted to know what.
When he arrived, he found the door to the barn open, as well as the doors to the main house and the bunkhouse. A quick look in the bunkhouse told him that it was empty. In the barn the horses were acting so nervously that he decided not to go inside. There was no way he could calm the terrified animals on his own anyway. He rushed over to the main house calling for Lou and Kid without getting any reply. He stormed into the bedroom that Rachel had vacated in favor of Kid and Lou. The sight in the room made him gasp. Kid was lying on the floor, unconscious and with the shattered pieces of the big vase Thompkins had given Lou and Kid for a wedding gift. There was no sight of Lou. Jimmy walked over to the basin and soaked his bandanna, before returning to Kid, turning him over, he used the bandanna to wipe his face and was soon rewarded with a soft moan.
"Kid? Come on, wake up! What happened here and where's Lou?"
Kid tried to concentrate despite the headache and tried ton remember what had happened. Lou had been there, and he had told her that he was going to bed. Then everything was a blur, until the nagging voice returned in his head. She hit you - she hurt you. And now she has left you for Cody. You know this. You have to get her back. You have to show Cody he can't take your woman. Take her back, Kid, take her back. Kid fought not to believe the words that were spoken when an image of a scared Lou raising the vase over him came to mind. My God, he thought, she hit me! She really hit me. But she wouldn't leave me - Lou wouldn't leave me. He could her the voice chuckling in his head. Then go and see for yourself, it said. Go and see if Cody's still here. Then you will know. Kid struggled to his feet, Jimmy giving him a helping hand. He winced as he felt the swelling on his head and although he tried to suppress the anger the voice tried to install in him, but it was hard. He wanted to yell at it to shut up, but it kept creeping back in his head, using his jealousy against him. He didn't want to be jealous, but when it came to Lou he couldn't help it. He was too afraid of loosing her and what the voice told him about Lou and Cody was too much for him to take. Give in to it, it whispered, give in to me and I'll bring her back. Just let go. Kid inhaled deeply and once more tried to fight the voice, but slowly it wore down his resistance and he begun to listen.
"Where's Cody, Jimmy?" he asked sternly.
"Cody? Why do you wanna know?"
"Where is he?"
"I don't know - he wasn't in the bunkhouse. Kid what's wrong?"
Kid swallowed hard. The voice had been right - Lou had left with Cody. A part of mind that still was sane tried to tell him that it was rubbish - that Lou loved him and nobody else. But it was in vain - Baruk's spell over him was too strong and despite Kid's efforts to fight it he could feel himself getting angry - an anger that he no longer could control.
"She left," he muttered.
"Lou left? What the hell are you talkin' about?" Jimmy said wearied. "Why would Lou leave?"
"She left with Cody," Kid replied fiercely, and looked around for his gun belt. Finding it he put it on and grabbed his jacket. Pushing the stunned Jimmy aside he quickly walked outside.
It took the shocked Jimmy a few minutes to catch up with him and by then Kid already had a horse saddled. There was an odd expression in Kid's face that Jimmy could have sworn never had been there before. Suddenly he was afraid for Cody and Lou.
"What are you doin'?" he asked as he almost backed away when Kid turned two hate-filled eyes towards him.
"I'm gettin' her back - and make sure Cody pays," came the cruel reply.
"This is insane, Kid! Lou would never leave you and if she ever did it wouldn't be with Cody!"
"You knew about this, didn't you?" Kid turned to Jimmy. "You asked Cody to take her away so you could have her - and now you're here to stop me. Well, I won't let you."
Jimmy stepped back, uncertain over the hate he saw in Kid's face. This was not the Kid he knew - this was someone else. Anger got hold of Jimmy, anger that Kid had killed Rosemary and now threatened to kill Cody. Soon anger took over from reason and Jimmy faced Kid.
"The way you're acting I'm not surprised she left you," he hissed. "You're a damn fool, Kid, if you don't see that Lou loves you!"
Kid stared at him and grabbed the reins of his horse.
"Get out of my way, Jimmy," he ordered.
"No, I ain't. Not until you see reason."
Kid's fist flew out and hit Jimmy in the face, causing him to stagger backwards, but he remained on his feet. Jimmy immediately charged at Kid, but before he could reached Kid, Kid had pulled out his gun and fired. Jimmy felt a sharp pain on the side of his heads and his head was forced backwards. Jimmy fell backward and lay still. Kid wasted no time in checking if he was dead or not as the voice inside urged him to go after Lou.
Lou pushed Katy forward as she fought the conflicting feeling inside her. she had hit Kid, knocked him out. How would he ever be able to forgive her? and what had happened to him? Who was it she had hit? The questions in her head sought for answers were there was none to be found. She almost fell of Katy as somebody grabbed the reins and slowed her down.
"Lou, where are we going?"
Lou turned her head and saw the pale face of Cody next to her. She threw a glance over her shoulder. There was nothing behind them and suddenly the frightening feeling from the station felt distant and not so intimidating. She turned back to Cody, uncertain if she had imagined everything.
"Did you see what happened at the station?" she asked trembling slightly. "I wasn't dreamin', was I?"
"If you were dreamin' then so was I," Cody replied grimly. "And I never want to be in such a nightmare again." He wiped his face with his sleeve.
"I don't know what happened back there, Lou," he said seriously, "but it scared the hell out of me. What was it?"
"A demon," Lou replied. She knew that now - an evil creature that thrived on others, killing and robbing them of their souls. She didn't know how she had come to know this, but she knew it. And she also knew where they were should be heading.
"Let's go," she said shortly and kicked her heels into Katy's flanks.
"Where?"
"To find Buck."
Cody followed her wearily as they continued, not sure what to believe. If Kid seemed to have lost his mind, so it seemed now that Lou had too. He had been out here twice, looking for Buck without finding a single trace. There was no way Lou would find him - not alive. Cody wanted to tell her that it was a waste of time, that they should head over to the nearest town and from there let Teaspoon know what had happened. There was no way he was going back to the station or Rock Creek for that matter. But he hadn't the heart to tell Lou that she was wrong. She had that determined look in her face that he knew of old. She would not turn back and although she had the determination to go threw with her stupid idea of finding Buck there was something fragile over her - something that made him want to pick her up in his arms and hold her tight, comforting her. He knew that her distress was because of Kid. Something had happened to Kid and it had to do with that light he had seen earlier. He had tried to ask her about it and about Kid, but she had refused to talk to him. He was still deep in thought several hours later when he noticed that his horse was limping.
"Lou!" he called out, causing her to rein Katy to a halt.
"My horse's limping - I don't think we can go on without a rest."
"We can't stop now," Lou objected. "We need to get to the sacred grounds before dark!"
"Lou, we won't find Buck there. I've been there twice already - Buck's dead, Lou!"
The desperate look Lou gave him immediately made him regret his words.
"I'm sorry, Lou," he said softly, "but you've got to see the truth - there's no way Buck can be alive."
"We still need to go," Lou insisted.
"All right, but can we go after we've had a rest?"
Lou stared out over the plains. The sun was up and the landscape did not appear threatening and she nodded slowly. She was tired as well and Katy needed a rest to. Wearily she dismounted Katy and walked over to where Cody was examining his horse.
"He's gonna be fine after a rest," Cody confirmed and looked at her. "You look as if you could use a rest too, Lou."
"I'll be fine," she stared towards the horizon. Cody rose and stood next to her.
"What are you looking for?" he asked.
"It," she said.
Cody shivered. "You think it'll follow us?"
"Yes."
"What happened to Kid, Lou?" Cody asked silently, not really sure that he wanted to know.
"It killed him." Lou's voice was void of emotions. During their ride she had come to accept that it was no longer Kid that she had hit in their room. Kid was no longer there. She didn't know where he was, but his soul was no longer here. It had been hard for her, but she had come to the realization that for her and Cody to survive, they would have to kill - it. They had to kill Kid. She already knew that she would never see her beloved husband again - never again look into his loving arms or feel his warm arms around her. Kid was dead and so was she. She would take her revenge on this creature and then she would join Kid. But first she had to make sure that Kid was gone and the only one that could do that was Buck. Buck had told her that he could feel Ike's spirit as he passed on. If Kid was dead, then he would be with Ike - and then Ike could tell Buck. She wasn't really sure she believed in all that about spirits but she was willing to make a try - she had to be sure. She felt a hand on her arm and turned around to face Cody.
"Are you sure?" he asked and she was a bit surprised that he didn't question her. in fact, Cody had not argued over anything, not even when she had told him that it was not a human that were chasing them but a demon had he objected.
"You believe me, don't you," she said choking on the words as tears filled her eyes.
"Yeah." Cody looked down on the ground and kicked at some pebbles. "I believe you, Lou. I wish like hell that I didn't, that I just could go back to sleep and then wake up and realize that this was just a real bad nightmare. But it isn't, right?"
"No, it isn't."
Cody looked up at her and embraced her. "We'll get out of this mess, Lou, I know we will."
You will, Cody, Lou thought, but not me - but I promise that you will. No matter what.
