The Tellers Tales: Story Walker
The First Page
It was late evening, the point in time when the sun begins to go down. What seemed to be a calm day. A young man his age untellable in the gray hooded cloak he wore, anywhere from twenty or up. But the focus shifted away from him as he took a drag off something, likely some manner of vape, as he watched on. The event that was about to unfold would need an intervention, so he was posted up waiting for things to go down. Moments after, we would find ourselves focused on a tall haggered looking man. Mid to late thirties, hair long and disheveled. His beard was thick and matted to his face. He walked like he was heavy, so very heavy. His mind not solely his own. He had once more lost control of it in his home. Found himself wandering, pacing back and forth, ranting and raving. Remembered pocketing a gun. Then it goes black until he finds himself near a park. Where they had been having a Mother's Day picnic. He stood frozen, seeing the families about to leave the park as it was getting late. Had to resist as he nearly felt tugged in their direction. “No.” He would speak fatigued under his breath. Another two tugs until he was once more walking. Though the man's odd demeanor did not go unnoticed. It would be a strange thing to happen to glance across in the moment. A man looking like he was fighting and losing to the urge to approach people. A strange look flashed in his eyes. One moment tired, wiped out, wrapped in fear, pleading for help; the other hungry, momentary, hostile, and a threat. One parent would make the wise choice to call the cops and report the strange man and the way he was acting and behaving. Others made the foolish choice to approach, to do the kind thing, and ask if he was ok or needed help. The man would glance at the kind faces around him. Ending in maddening muttering at the edge of his hearing. His vision seemed to be tainted with something that crept around in the corners of his very sight. He may as well have been living in hell. He at least managed to get out to at least attempt to warn the people. “Please … ge … get away from me.” The man who got hit would see the man's eyes for that moment go stark black. Both the man's hands would shoot out and hit the man with such a staggering force that he would flay about five feet before crashing and rolling to the ground. The men started trying to restrain him by that point. So too did he when his left hand would grab his right forearm and try to prevent his elbow from breaking one man's nose. He would fail another man would crash to the ground. Punches would start flying; bodies would start dropping. Women and children would start screaming and fleeing as the Wee Woos would start getting closer. Soon, the classic flashing of the red and blues would take over the rapidly darkening evening. Officers would draw their weapons, and those not on the ground would scatter, dragging people away if they could. The man had a moment of calm, well before the storm. His body would tense as the cops approached, weapons drawn. He felt himself start, he knew he couldn't stop it, so rather he spent his energy as his body rigidly went for it. “Please, I … I have … a gun … it … was un … loaded last I know … of. Please don't kill me.” The police would react as expected, taking steps back, training their weapons on him. Watching him reach for it and ordering him to stop. “Please! I'm not doing, I'm not in control. Please save me!” The cops would panic as the man drew the weapon. But he would start frantically shouting, so glad to find no clip in. “It's unloaded! Please, it's not loaded! Don't shoot me!” He would plead and beg as his hand would pull the trigger, and a metal on metal click followed by another would set the cops at ease. They would rapidly approach as he kept trying to fire the empty gun; so very grateful he had the sudden obsession to clean the weapon the day before and left it unloaded, no round in the chamber. The cops would approach, and a fight for the gun would ensue, as the man wept and apologized. Pleaded with them to save him. The gun would end up dropped, but then a cop would be struck he too would be sent flying. The moment that froze everyone's blood. It was when the man suddenly leaned back and let out some inhuman guttural howl. The cops would back away, watching whatever force it seemed was asserting over the man was trying to take over. But the cops and onlookers both would share a sudden collective gasp. When our gray cloaked and hooded watcher was suddenly behind the man. A hand was placed to his head. The howl the man was letting out slowly stopped. Cops and civilians both held their breath as the entire situation was thrown into the unknown realms.
“Be at peace now, brother, for I have come to save you this day.” The beast would roar a moment or two until the man's own voice yelled out, until all went quiet. “I've got you now, you slippery little shit.” A few officers once the man seemed to calm and slumped down to his knees. “Good evening, officers. Wish I could explain this … but I can't.” The hooded man would say as he tried to ease the tension. A little light humor.
“The hell was that?” One officer, a large black guy, asked as he approached. “He need to be restrained?”
The gray hooded man would look up at the officer and give a smile from under his hood. “Holy shit, my not often I have to look up; I'm betting both your mother and your wife are the greatest cooks in the world you look like you eat very well. They have one hell of a job doing it, I'd bet.” He would smile, starting to make the man chuckle. “You a rack of ribs kinda man? Oh, barbecued or smoked?” His quip would get a few snickers from officers who proceeded to put weapons away, letting everyone let go of their collectively held breaths. Turns out, yeah, he loves him some ribs, he can't even lie, he confessed, sharing a laugh with the others. “No, no, this gentleman is a victim officer. I, as you are dear sir, am an officer of sorts dealing with a case. I have a firm grip on the actual perp.” He would explain, pulling for a moment a black, strange something from the man's head. Everyone recoiled in fright. “This is a Shadow Fiend officer. It is a higher demon, this kinda fiend gains the ability to come to life on our end of the story. So by orders of the Father,” He would pause to look at the large black officer whose name badge said his name was Tyler. “And yes, I do mean that, Father.” He would point and gesture a finger upward a few times. “These things are forbidden from walking upon the soils of the earth, which he hath gifted to his children, the human race. So as a mortal guardian appointed by God, I am here to remove it from the planet forthwith with extreme prejudice.” He would start pulling this strange mass from the man, who would groan in pain as he did. “Uhh, fuck I should have thought of that. Can't use my book with my hands full of demon. Uhh, plan B.” He would pause and look around at the officers, more still gathering. The onlookers. “Does anyone have a quart size glass jar with a locking lid, Anyone?” He would first look at the officer and then at the gathering people. “So sorry, this is very embarrassing. I feel like I forgot to pack my cuffs.” He would glance over to the officers with him now as he was finishing pulling the shadow fiend from the man. “Fair warning, officers, this thing is going to try to make a break for it; I'm sure you know how lovely that is. I don't want to hurt anyone, so be prepared for my hands to suddenly and rapidly fly off in any one direction, alright?” The officers nodded. One large bald white guy walked up and offered an old style mason jar. “Perfect, thank you, sir. Rest assured, you'll find your jar at home later on. Ooooh Smells like pickles he's gonna love that, little shit.” So The watcher motioned the jar to Officer Tyler, who nodded and grabbed the jar. The moment the hooded one pulled the last of the fiend of the man, who was promptly able to pull himself away. A loud shriek would cry out. As advertised, The man's hands suddenly shot around for a moment in a few directions. He would manage to grip it tightly between his two hands, then began feeding the fiend into the jar. “OK lot gonna need a helping hand from the rest of the class. Once I get this thing in the jar and we get that lid on. For five seconds, this demon is going to try and fly around in this jar. He will be able to get it going zero to eighty eighty in a millisecond. So, needless to say, we lose our grip on this jar, and he will likely attempt to take all your heads off. Might want to get the civvies back, and if you guys have riot helmets or anything of the sort in your cruisers. I highly, HIGHLY advise you to put them on now. This thing doesn't play, it goes for the kill. Know what, please set up what you need. This thing is not getting out of my hands. But I can't do anything about it until I can use them again. No rush, but at the same time, this thing literally wants to eat all of you, so yeah, this is our collective night tonight.” The officers nodded, and one would say something into his radio; the Chief would quickly demand he say that again over the radio. A perimeter would be established faster than you could imagine. Properly geared Riot officers would arrive on the scene. And before long, he had about twenty officers in riot gear holding onto that jar. The entire time, our hooded watcher had been holding the fiend in his hands. With it yanking him this way or that way. Trying to break free, but his grip could not be broken. Once ready, he would first place his left hand on the jar. Pull it away and start pushing down. His now free hand clasping the bottom of the jar. As the officers were surprised to actually have to get serious about holding that jar, as the fight started instantly. As the fiend struggled and the jar violently started banging around in their grip. “Told you; these guys are killers plain and simple. Don't lose your grip, please; we are literally giving this little bastard a glass cannonball if we lose it.” The men would shout in unison to hype and rile themselves up. The jar was fighting violently as more of the demon was trapped and pushed inside. Another loud shriek as more demon was pushed in. Eyes suddenly glaring at the cops from inside the glass; both unnerving yet reinforcing the ‘oooh hell nah’ factor. “Ok, class, here's the next step, it'll be short but highly violent. Once this lid gets closed, all hell's gonna break loose. Good news, we only need to hold the jar for five seconds after it is sealed. Bad news, it's gonna fight us like a bat outta hell with a serious hate boner for gray matter. So lock in boys, this is only going to get worse.” His right hand would quickly push down onto the top of the jar. Quickly, his hand would move the lid to snap shut. The hooded watcher then grabs the top with his right and the entire collection of men was suddenly and violently shoved. The men clamoring as suddenly twenty plus bodies were being flung around by a glass jar. Officers tossed, picking themselves up and pushing back into the mob holding the jar. A loud ear piercing shriek would cry out as, go figure, the vultures were near and a news chopper would finally buzz overhead. But once the five seconds passed, the strength of the demon instantly petered out. Once the gathered men would glance around at each other, then at the hooded man. Laughs would finally be let out as nerves would finally be eased. “Thank you all so much for your help, gentlemen. Above and beyond the call of duty, all of you. You'll likely be getting blessings in the near future.” They would nod, clapping and applause would cry out for a moment. And our hooded stranger would finally set the jar down. And unlatch the seemingly needlessly large book that was latched to his right side. It bore the name The Tellers Tales, he would lick his thumb and start leafing through pages that would make no sense to anyone looking at its pages but him. “There it is. A one way trip straight into the belly of UllenGaul for one demonic psychopath. Tell the dragon I send my regards.” He would quip as a purple rune would start glowing. A hum of energy would fill the air. The officers would watch with wonder the camera above catching what was sure to be worth billions. As a field of energy built up, then with a bright flash boom, the jar was gone, the demon inside gone as well.
“It done?” One officer asked risking to remove his helmet. The stranger would look over, nod a few times, disturbing his hood a bit. “Man, this … this is going to be some hell of a report to write up.”
The stranger would nod once, holding his book again. “AH, my friend, allow me to spare you the burden. None of you will be remembering this, this event never happened, as it is a violation of Heaven's Order of Protection on the Earth. As such, at this time, I will be removing this entire event plot from your storyline. Earth isn't meant to know the true scope of demons and the Things until …ahhuuhh well, I suppose that's not a tale I'm not at privy to share, is it?” The officers would look on confused as several stars would emerge from over his book. He would pluck at something the stars would hand over, which looked like a thread, maybe a thin cord. Then by the time our hooded watcher closed his book with a tight snap. Boom, there was nothing. No cops, no barricades, no news vultures buzzing overhead. No suspicious man had been reported, no major demonic event had been reported on in the morning news the day after. No event whatsoever, absolutely nothing. But a calm night that had never been disturbed. In a park where families had been able to celebrate Mother's Day in peace. With a man who had, instead of being possessed for months, losing him his family. Had been able to spend Mother's Day with his wife and kids, the demon had never been allowed to drive from his arms. A smile would break out on his face as he would roll his shoulders pop a few stiff joints; commenting under his breath that he does prefer a happy ending. Reach into his pocket and take out a black vape. Which he would take a long drag off of. He would exhale his cloud then would be gone in a fluttering of pages quickly vanishing into the night sky.
