A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 08

"Whatever you want," Willow replied. "MMMMMMM excellent technique you got there sister."

Willow and Lily each took a side as they licked and sucked Aaron's cock. Willow took the top half of his erection between her lips while Lily suckled one of his balls. He let out a guttural cry as he shot his load down Willow's throat. But Willow had taken her thumb and pinched off the flow and offered Lily the other half of his cum. Aaron looked down as Willow's thumb was removed and Lily swallowed as the pulse of hot fluid hit the back of her throat.

Lily and Willow did rock, paper, scissors to determine who got fucked first, Willow won. She stood up and lifted her leg skyward and grabbed her ankle offering Aaron a clear shot at her soaked pussy. How could he possibly refuse such a lovely invitation? Willow took him in hand and lined up the tip between her pussy lips. Aaron pushed into her and they both moaned. Lily watched from the floor of the train car. As he thrust Willow moaned each time his cock buried itself inside of her.

"Aw come on fella you can fuck me harder than that," Willow said challenging him at every turn.

"You are an ornery bitch," Aaron replied as he slammed into her now.

"NNNNN... that's more like it," she purred. "I like your dick. It's nice and thick and a decent length."

"Thanks, I think," he replied as he thrust harder and faster into her.

The sound of their bodies coming together filled the ears of all those lovely ladies. Willow reached out with her free hand and gently cradled Aaron's cheek. He was close again and covered in sweat from pounding her relentlessly. Willow leaned forward and whispered in his ear.

"I am tired of cleaning up your messes," she said with a wicked smile.

Just as Aaron shot deep inside of her there was a soft crunching sound. Aaron leaned forward against her and gasped his last. The assembled women stared in horror at the scene before them. The succubus' spell was broken as the dead man crumpled to the floor of the train car. Willow lowered her leg and tugged the blade free from beneath Aaron's jaw. She wiped the blade on his long coat and collected the silver coin from between his fingers. The screech of air brakes and the forward motion signaled the train coming to a halt. She pocketed the coin just as the armed men entered the car from either end. They called out that they were police and here to help. Willow reached down and helped Lily to her feet.

"Where the fuck am I?" Lily asked as she looked around. "Holy shit, is he dead?"

"Yeah sweetie, he's dead as a fucking doornail," Willow replied with an evil smile.

There were similar cries of confusion and alarm as the armed men examined the corpse of Aaron Atwater. They pronounced him at the scene before his body was taken away. Nick Shaw appeared and Petra and Kat raced into his arms. He apologized for being late. They had to deal with the men waiting at the other end of the tracks. There were a few left for Akira to interrogate. Nick watched as Aaron was carried off. He cursed until he saw Willow standing there.

"Wait, you can't be here," he said. "You are in a safe house two hundred miles from here."

"I am not who you think I am," Precious said as she shed her Willow disguise. "I am a dear friend of Warren Harrower. Where is he?"

"How the... I have some bad news. Warren and everyone onboard the Miskatonic are dead. It exploded when they attempted to remove an unstable element from the ships power core. You have my condolences."

"Are you sure?" Precious asked having adopted her mundane shape once more.

"I was there. I saw the ship explode in an emerald cloud." Nick replied. "I am so sorry."

Aaron's mother and sister left the train so they could claim his body for burial. Nick looked around at all the women assembled. He had to admit the guy had great taste. There wasn't a single woman here that wasn't a jaw dropper. The train was evacuated and the ladies piled into the assembled limos. They would be returned home and interviewed to discover what happened. It must be some kind of mass hypnosis Nick thought.

He didn't believe that demonic magic was at work no matter what Precious said. There was no such thing as magic. So how did he explain the inexplicable energy surge that had come off of Aaron Atwater? Nick spoke to the head of the SWAT team. He wanted a complete workup of Aaron's body from DNA to every scan known to man. Nick needed answers and he was going to have them.

Music of the Spheres:

David Meinz was led blindfolded into the room. He could hear the others by the sound of their breathing. He was sat down in a chair and the lights were turned off, he could tell from the little light leaking through the edges of the blindfold. David held his breath and waited for the inevitable. The blindfold was removed and before him the dazzling illumination of the forty some odd candles on his birthday cake. His family surrounding him began singing 'Happy Birthday' at the top of their lungs. A single tear ran down his cheek.

"Blow out the candles Grandpa," his great-granddaughter cried out.

He took a deep lungful of air and blew. With the help of his nearest grandchildren and the single great-granddaughter the candles were extinguished. A joyous roar came from his family and David sat back and smiled. His daughter Joy took the cake and began removing the candles so that the cake could be cut and served. Ninety six isn't old he told himself. Anna plopped down in his lap and hugged him.

"I love you grandpa," she said giving him a good squeeze.

"I love you too pumpkin," he told her hugging her back.

David glanced at the conspicuous seat that was left empty for his dear departed Emily. Fifty two years they had been married. The pain of her loss flared white hot and he fought back the tears. He missed her so much! He blinked away the tears. He opened his presents, ate his slice of cake and sat and watched his grandchildren play. Over the next few hours one by one his children left and about seven at night his home was empty once more. It had been a lovely day. His children had cleaned up so there was nothing for him to do but make his way to his workshop.

David Meinz took the freshly brewed cup of coffee and opened the door to his workshop. The walls of the room were covered with sheet music. He had collected each and every piece of music from all over the world. Here was his life's work made manifest. He had always had a love of music since he was very young. He also had a love of travel and history. So it was a natural fit that he becomes an ethnomusicologist. He studied and collected the sacred songs of the native people from every continent. It wasn't until he was in his sixties that he had seen it. There in the most sacred of songs was a secret.

It had taken him another thirty years to decipher it. There was a song, a single powerful song that crossed every culture and had been shared by the oldest and diverse societies. He had written a piece of software that would analyze the thousands of songs for the common elements and finally it had fitted together the myriad parts together at last. Tonight on his birthday he would be the first human being in thousands of years to hear the tune that was the spiritual life's blood of the human race. He had contacted old friends and called in favors for this moment. Each musician had only been given his part to play and recorded separately. He had hired the best sound engineer to edit and paste the symphony together.

David sat in his comfy leather chair, picked up the headphones and placed them on his head. He settled them into position and reached to click the mouse over the MP3 icon. It was named 'Music of the Spheres'. It began softly like the first drops of rain hitting the surface of a lake. He closed his eyes as the first movement began to gather strength. His right index finger began to tap in time with the song. His foot soon joined in as the second movement began. The echo of distant thunder was on the horizon as the storm encroached and slowly gathered its strength patiently inevitable as the setting sun.

As the second movement ended and the third began David's hand rose from its position on the arm of the chair and he began to conduct the phantom orchestra. He was unaware he was humming now. The rain was pouring now as the storm was manifest. The deep rumble of thunder was loud as a flash of lightning split the fading light of dusk. David's other hand joined the other gesturing, commanding, demanding the full attention of the musicians. A wall of water fell from the pregnant clouds and the clash of lightning and thunder raged above as the full power of the symphony swelled to its apex.

The pain in his left arm was the first warning sign something was terribly wrong. The sledgehammer like stab in his chest removed all doubt that he was having a heart attack. David fought the pain and reached out for the flashing icon on the computer screen. Do you wish to send this email and attachment? David's last act on this plane was to click yes. As his sight began to fail him he saw the list of recipients and prayed they believed prayed they understood the significance of his life's work. He smiled as his heart slowed and stopped. Today had been a great day!

Nick Shaw sat in the back of the limo with the strange creature that called itself Precious. Surfer had informed him that he had an email with an attachment. When he asked who had sent the email Surfer spoke the name David Meinz. Who the hell was David Meinz? Surfer reminded him that he had funded Meinz's work as a sort of musical anthropologist. The attached music file was the culmination of his life's work. The symphony filled the back seat of the limo. Nick smiled but it was Precious' reaction to the music that was alarming.

"He found it," she said grinning wickedly. "They didn't die in vain. By the gods he found it!"

"Found what," Nick asked.

"A weapon, a fucking weapon against the Thanatons," Precious cried out. "Warren you will be avenged!"

"How the hell can a symphony be used as a weapon?"

Precious leaned close and spoke about a time so remote complex life on the earth was a dream. She spoke about the First Ones and their arrival upon this world. They had locked away the Thanatons. They were the ones that wove the magic in that very piece of music. Nick scoffed at the term magic but if the music could be weaponized he was all for it. His attention and that of everyone else was diverted from the symphony to a breaking news report.

Rough Landing:

Fitzwilliger's Diner or as anyone within a two hundred mile radius called it, Fitz's. Like many of its kind the diner had seen its heyday during the 1950s and 60s when the more adventurous driver took the scenic route between Las Vegas and Phoenix. Fitz's father had built the diner after returning from the Great War. The gas pumps were brand new and shiny and the diner was on every tourist map they made. Now the sun and the heat and time had dulled everything from a bright red to a dull brown. The original pumps were sold to a collector ten years back and the new ones did just enough business to earn their keep.

Fitz had just opened the diner and was wiping down the dull black counter when he spotted the man walking out of the desert. He crossed Interstate 11 and that's when he noticed the queer smoke like vapors coming off the dude. Fitz reached down and put on his glasses that hung on a chain around his neck. The man was halfway across the parking lot by the time he had his glasses on. Yep, it appeared to be some sort of cloud like wisps of white smoke coming off the guy. His skin was marked with patches of ice and even the man's moustache appeared to be frozen.

Fitz rushed out and opened the door to help the stranger as he stumbled at the entrance of the diner. Fitz snatched back his hands at the deep cold coming off the guy. He braced himself and slipped one of the man's arms over his shoulder. He opened the door and helped the stranger to a booth. He was obviously too weak to be sitting on one of the stools at the counter. Fitz raced out back and snatched the fresh pot of coffee and a large mug. He filled the mug to brimming as the man's hands went around the mug.

"Warm... oh god it's really warm," the man mumbled in his heavy Londoner's accent.

"Mister, are you alright, what the hell happened?" Fitz asked.

"I will be fine I think," he replied after taking a healthy drink from the mug. "Where the bloody hell am I?"

"Earth," Fitz replied smiling. "You are back on earth."

The stranger laughed and winced at the pain. He looked around at the interior of the diner and then out the window at the stark landscape. It had to America, maybe the southwest or there abouts he thought to himself. He took another sip of the god awful coffee but it was hot and that is all that mattered after what had happened. He was lucky to be alive really. After what had happened and the things he had seen.

"Mister, you want something to eat?" Fitz asked and the man nodded vigorously. "Good, the diner may not look like much but I am one hell of a cook."

The stranger watched Fitz don his apron and take up his spatula like it was a weapon of war. Soon the smell of cooking food filled the diner. The man got to his feet and with mug still clutched in his fingers he managed the short walk to the stools. He sat down and watched Fitz cook through the large opening in the back wall. The stranger smiled seeing the joy on the cook's face as he went about his tasks.

"I am Professor I.Q. Loveless," the man began. "I teach physics at Miskatonic University in Arkham Massachusetts. I was on board the ship of the same name the S.S. Miskatonic when everything went wrong..."

Elsewhere:

The strange looking water spout formed off the coast of Lamassa. The small village is located on the south western side of New Ireland an island that is part of the New Guinea archipelago. The locals were enjoying a gorgeous evening when the glowing water spout was seen approaching the coastline. The ghost like radiance coming off the twisting column of water and air alarmed many and the more superstitious locals fled into town to tell others of the strange occurrence.

Mark Lansdowne, a photographer for National Geographic, just happened to be staying in the village when the freak phenomenon appeared. He rushed to the beach and snapped shots of the water spout before it unceremoniously deposited a man in the shallows just off said beach. Mark and others rushed to the man's aid and carried him ashore before he drowned. The man was dressed in khaki shorts and a matching button up khaki shirt. His skin appeared to be badly sun burned and he was feverish and incoherent.

An ambulance arrived and the medics took the man to the village hospital. Mark spoke with the doctors treating him as well as the local constable. The man's identification was as perplexing as his appearance. He was none other than Professor James Heatherton and was reported lost at sea two days ago and six hundred nautical miles away from Lamassa. The entire crew of the Miskatonic were reported as dead after an explosion destroyed the ship. Some say it had to do with the freakishly large hurricane that formed without warning. It was that very hurricane that had brought the photographer to Lamassa.

"How is he doctor," Mark asked the attending physician.

"His burns aren't severe but he is in shock," the doctor replied. "He needs to rest, perhaps in a day or two he will be strong enough to speak with."

"Thanks," the photographer said and returned to his room at the local hotel. He emailed the story back to the states and that's when he discovered the other strange sightings.

Meanwhile:

Eyjafjallajökull volcano last erupted in 2010. The snowcapped volcano is located near the southern coast of Iceland. Hans and Ulrich were on patrol when they noticed the strange plume of blue-violet flame emerge from one of the volcanic vents. They drove closer to get a better look and that is when they saw the shapes silhouetted against the ghastly illumination. There were definitely two of them and they appeared human enough at first glance.

It was Ulrich Skarsol, a hulking bear of a man that decided to rescue them. What else would someone need in this god awful moment but help? He gunned his snowmobile forward followed reluctantly by his friend and companion Hans. The women were half naked and shivering when the men arrived. Ulrich scooped the closest woman into his arms, bundled her in a blanket from his emergency kit and headed back for the ski lodge. Hans mirrored Ulrich and wrapped a blanket around the violet eyed Asian and set her close for the ride back.

The women clung to their saviors and were carried inside and set down in front of the blazing hearth. The women were definitely not dressed for an arctic environment that was sure. One wore shorts and a simple but revealing white cotton top. The other was clad in a torn silk dress of oriental design. They were given hot drinks and when they could stomach it all the food they could handle. They appeared dazed and confused at first. It was the Chinese girl that drew the most attention. Her eye color was so vibrant and in the dim lighting they possessed eye shine relegated to felines and predators.

It wasn't until morning that the ladies finally spoke and when they did their story was impossible to accept at first. They were none other than Gabrielle De Courtney and Shu Fang thought lost at sea on the other side of the planet. How had crew from a doomed science vessel come crawling out of a semi active volcano? The news and political ramifications were unimaginable.

Gabrielle contacted the Chapter House for transportation and word about Louis and the others while Shu accessed the net and deep web for any hint of unusual activity. All she did learn is that a Wizard Class hacker by the call sign Demogorgan was seeking the same answers that she was. Shu suspected she knew the true identity of Demogorgan and if she was right Shu understood her concern.

Shu closed her eyes and tried to access her other half inside of Warren. There was a whisper but it was faint as to be nonexistent. Louis could be in the Maze or worse case he could be a mile down below the surface anywhere on the planet. Please be alive she thought as Gabrielle touched her shoulder lightly.

"I am sure they are both okay," Gabrielle said her expression a carefully constructed neutral mask.

"No word on Louis either I take it," Shu replied and Gabbie shook her head. "What are you going to do?"

"I am returning home. You can come along if you want."

"I could use a ride to civilization. From there I can start looking in all the strange places." Shu said smiling. "I will find them or terminate... or die trying."

Just before noon the helicopter arrived. It bore the Papal Seal on the side and both Gabrielle and Shu climbed on board. As it lifted off Shu could see an expression on the Inquisitor's face. If she had to put a name to it, it would have been regret.

"Having misgivings," Shu asked leaning close so that the pilot couldn't hear.

"Do you mean regret," Gabrielle asked and smiled. "Yeah, just one and that would be not bedding that blonde hair blue eyed grizzly Ulrich."

"Really, but he is so... and you are so... surely great bodily harm could have ensued."

"One can only hope," Gabrielle said with a deep mournful sigh. "One can only hope."

The Ball Drops:

New York City... New Year's Eve... 11:59 PM

"10..." The crowd shouts in one thunderous voice.

The first signs something is happening manifests in Time Square. Several of New York's finest feel a prickly sensation and move away from the area.

"9..." The crowd and onlookers keep counting down.

A crackling sound begins to build drowning out the closest of the merry makers. A visual halo forms of blue-white arcs of electricity.