Ghost Stories (manxman)

Chapter 8 - Cut You A Deal

Chapter 8 – Cut You A Deal

            Cooper wouldn’t let it end like this. He couldn’t. Squirming some more he was able to turn himself back around. Jonas smirked at Cooper’s strength. Cooper knew this world wasn’t just about muscle, but about the strength of your soul.  “You bastard you forgot one thing.” Cooper spit in Jonas’ face. “My boyfriend.”

            Tobalt towered behind Jonas and lifted the demon off throwing him through the curtain and into the back wall. Lifting Cooper up Tobalt picked up his man with one arm and the candle with the other. He ran through the curtain until he came to a wall. Following the brick around the room he found a window and kicked it open. They were street level.

            “Run for the forest.” Cooper shouted grabbing the candle and having his feet touch the ground. The two took off in a sprint and heard Jonas trailing behind them, Breeching the forest wall the two hurried through the trees, but Jonas wasn’t going to let them go. Cooper stopped running.

            “Tobalt, take a defensive position. When I say go turn into your wolf form. Go,” Cooper instructed. Tobalt didn’t need further explanation, he trusted him. Standing alone in the dark forest Cooper closed his eyes and breathed deep. He needed to get brave and trust himself. He could do this, he could face his demon. Opening his eyes Jonas stood but feet from him with a malicious smirk on his face.

            “My question is who is faster. You’re wolf-fuck in getting to me, or me killing you and taking over your body…then killing your friends, with your hands.” Jonas snarled. It had felt like an eternity since Jonas attacked Cooper in the store he worked at. Even longer since when he attacked him outside the club and James had to intervene to save him. Jonas had been a thorn in Cooper’s side for a while now but that would all end here. Taking a step forward, Jonas licked his lips, “you ready for this boy,” the demon muttered. 

            “Just die already.” Cooper threw the candle on the forest floor. The ground ignited in purple flame forming a wall between the two. “It’s time to burn down this forest.”

            Jonas ran towards Cooper but the flame spread quickly. A wall of purple flame protected Cooper and Jonas stared at it for a moment before catching on fire. Cooper watched the demon burn and fall to the ground. Cooper was not out of danger yet. The forest continued to burn like a campfire with gasoline on it. All the dry, dead, black trees were igniting in a violet hue.

 “Now,” Cooper ran and Tobalt jumped out in his wolf form. Jumping on the wolf’s back, Tobalt ran through the forest quickly burning from the purple flame.

            A tree fell in front of them crackling and sending purple embers into the air and into Cooper’s face. Tobalt leapt over it and landed. They were surrounded in purple flame. The forest was burning and smoke started to choke Cooper. “Tobalt, please find a way,” Cooper leaned in clutching the tan fur and whispering in Tobalt’s ears. The wolf’s ears perked up, he had heard.

            Tobalt barked back in response and then Cooper leaned in feeling the soft fur on his face. The two jumped through one of the flames and landed on some soft grass. Running across the grass they came upon the iron gate and the old cemetery. Cooper slid off Tobalt’s back and looked at the purple bellows of smoke rise like buildings into the air. A circle of purple flame surrounded the graveyard; they were in the eye of the storm as the forest was nothing more than a ghost of itself, it’s spirit rising with smoke to the discolored sky.

            Cooper frowned and watched the flame slowly die, it was gone, the forest was all just ash on the ground, which stretched as far as Cooper could see. Beneath him the grass was greener now. Turning around, the cemetery was newer, the old tombstones beautiful polished marble and granite.