Splinterbark: Chaos of the Coyote Crew

Chapter 9: Seeds of Doubt

Maria had squeezed past the door into the main chamber where they had made their hideout. She used her penlight to navigate to where they had made makeshift sleeping quarters and tip toed as quietly as she could hoping her sisters were still asleep. Suddenly the stage lighting flared up and she covered her face to keep from being blinded. Slow footsteps approaching her direction could be heard until she felt a firm grasp on her shoulder. Jessie smirked a mirthless grimace in her direction.

"And where have you been?" she asked with sweet menace.

"I...I went out for a walk. I needed some air."

"Must have been some walk", was her sister's retort flicking a few droplets of sweat away from her.

"It's humid outside."

"Indeed it is a little hot isn't it? Say Maria, might I show you something before you go to bed?" Maria could not refuse her sister's command and uneasily followed her behind. As they walked down the hall she could hear growing sounds of metallic slashing and high pitched shrieking. They entered another large space. Fake purple and green rocks had been sculpted into strange and alien formations and the carpet swirled with peculiar colors. Above them planets flickered from their hangings while spaceships twirled about their cores. The whole set brought back a flood of memories, both good and bad. In the center of the space fake rocks had been formed into a ring with long tendrils curling over resembling a cage. Under the archway another large cage came into view. Inside was the monster rabbit they had encountered. It was banging and lashing at the bars trying to escape. And then it paused upon seeing Maria and it reached for her. Maria tried to back away but Jessie held her form.

"It seems to like you, doesn't it Maria?" Jessie cooed as she pushed Maria closer and closer to the monster. Maria tried to break free but her sister was stronger than her and continued to drag her ever closer to the cage. White Rabbit latched onto her shoulders and tried to squeeze her through the bars. Its mouth hovered over her and yellow haze began to pool about the crying girl. Maria felt something being torn out of her and it was a mix of terror and euphoria. Jessie just stood there tapping her chin like a depraved researcher watching how a cat kills a bird. Jamie skidded into the area and rammed her fists down hard on White Rabbit's nose. As it reeled back, Jamie grabbed her sister and carried her effortlessly far outside the rocky ring. Maria's face had sunken in slightly and she had curled up into a tight ball shivering.

"Fascinating", was Jamie's response.

"Fascinating? Fascinating?! What the hell is wrong with you?" Jessie appeared to be not even listening. Instead she just glanced between her huddling sister and the creature whose stomach now distended slightly.

"I think I know now the perfect way to handle Simon." Jamie shook her head frantically.

"Woah let's dial things back here. You're not serious."

"Oh grow a spine, Blaze. You were all fine on this before."

"Yeah because I thought we were going to scare the shit out of him or break into his house or something. Not...this." She held Maria close to her and shivered how cold her sister felt to the touch. Before Jessie would reiterate her point the rabbit suddenly became excited. It bounced and hopped around in the cramped space as the bars began to twist and bend under its weight. It was trying to get somewhere from the side of the cage and reached for whatever figure was suddenly standing there.

All three girls gasped at the woman who was now wadding out under one of the colored lights. She was not much taller than Maria though significantly heavier. Her gait was just supported by stocky cloven hooved legs that dented the ground slightly underneath them. The woman's sizeable gut and chest were just barely stuffed into a purple and rose pleated gown decked with shimmering jewels and golden edging. The most notable part of her was the face. The face was that of a boar. Gold bands had been fastened around broken tusks and streaks of color dotted her face and mane. In her hand was a long black staff with two rungs on either ends and framed by long twisted spikes. Orbs hovered in the center of each rung.