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Chapter 135
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2021-04-29 09:47:40Noises from the battle raged on as Ru made her way along in inky blackness, feeling with one hand along a wall, Lyric’s hand on her shoulder. It was pitch black down here, darker than anything Ru had ever experienced before, and her eyes ached they were searching so hard for the light and finding none. She wished she could ignite her hand, but she couldn’t risk letting the demons or Reapers know they’d found the cellar.
When she’d reached the wall near the front of the sanctuary upstairs, she’d felt compelled to go through it, and at Lyric’s urging, she had done so, finding a stairwell that twisted and turned, and Ru realized they were going back into the mountainside Kayakoy sat atop. The staircase had been walled off long ago, but Ru knew there had to be another opening somewhere since otherwise no Reapers would be able to physically use the portal, and her gut was telling her she was headed in the right direction and the portal was ahead of her somewhere. The further unde
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Reaper's Hollow Chapter 136
Ru expected to awake back in her body, in her own bed, as Cutter had imagined they all would. But when her eyes opened, she was lying on an ancient, intricately designed motif floor, little pieces of green and maroon tiles covered in thick, white dirt. She sat up and looked around. The ringing in her ears was more than a little disturbing, and the colors were off again. She snapped her fingers, believing that would cause the sound to stop, and was relieved when it did. The right side of her body ached, that is, the area that would’ve been her body if she were in it. A glance at her arm revealed the first signs of what was sure to be some pretty serious bruising above her elbow. Her leg felt like it would be the same, particularly her hip. She was still in Kayakoy, of that she was certain, and the design she’d taken to be a floor was actually a street. She was outside; a few cypress trees waved in the off-color sunlight, stirred by a light breeze. Standing, she saw th
Last Updated : 2021-04-29Reaper's Hollow Chapter 137
With a shrug, Ru flipped her hair over her shoulder and noticed her shirt was wet, which she thought was odd. She wasn’t even in her body when she’d been with her dad. If that was possible, how could she doubt anything else. “Listen, some guy showed up at my work a few months ago and told me I wasn’t a human, that I was some kind of half-angel, half-demon, who-knows-what. If I could learn to believe that, then anything is possible. So, do I think there’s a way to take the demon out of my dad? Sure. And I’m going to try it as soon as I get the chance.” Cutter looked only slightly amused at her reference to him as “some guy.” He brushed her hair back from her face. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Ru? Remember what we said about casting spells.” “It’s white magic,” she repeated. “And, quite frankly, if anyone in this realm or any other has a problem with it, then maybe they can close their own damn portals.” “Dang,” Ivy mumbled, and Ru realized she was taking
Last Updated : 2021-04-29Reaper's Hollow Chapter 138
Flying to Wyoming for the second time wasn’t nearly as daunting as it had been the first time Ru came out, which seemed like a lot longer ago than just a couple of weeks. Sky and the rest of her team had decided it would be best to completely regroup and go into the forest in Japan with as strong a game plan as possible. Ru would play very little part in the planning, which was fine with her. So long as she could get to the portal and close it before anything catastrophic could happen, she’d leave it to those with more experience and a keener understanding of the other side to coordinate the actual invasion and attack. Ru would be staying at her grandmother’s house this time, which was probably for the best for a number of reasons. First of all, it would give her a chance to see her family and get to know them a little better, and secondly, it would make it easier for her and Cutter not to do anything that might make his parents uncomfortable. Even though they were both adul
Last Updated : 2021-04-29Reaper's Hollow Chapter 139
Ru sat up abruptly, startling her mom and sending Piper scurrying for cover. Thankfully, nothing came shooting out of her hands. Her grandmother didn’t seem to miss a stitch as the knitting needles rattled on. Wiping her mouth on the back of her hand, Ru looked around the room. Her mother’s eyes were wide in concern, but she said nothing, giving Ru time to compose herself. “Sorry,” Ru muttered. “I guess… I was dreaming.” “Were you?” Nana Sue asked, not even looking up from her project. “Didn’t sound like it.” “What do you mean?” Ru asked, hoping she hadn’t been talking in her sleep. “Usually, when someone comes back so forcefully, it’s because they’ve been out of their body,” Maggie explained, reaching a comforting hand out and placing it on Ru’s shoulder. It helped, and Ru settled back against the sofa. “Maybe it wasn’t a dream. I don’t know. It just seemed… odd.” She looked at each of their faces, not sure what she could say. “You ca
Last Updated : 2021-04-29Reaper's Hollow Chapter 140
A week had passed, and Ru still hadn’t mentioned the incident with Nat to Cutter, though it was difficult not to because she wanted to tell him everything. The more time they spent together, the more she realized just how lucky she was. After twenty-five years of one travesty after another, her entire life finally seemed to be coming together all at once. If it wasn’t for the legion of demons and Reapers who wanted to kill her, everything would be perfect. “This is a list of all of the incubi,” Windy explained, handing Ru another packet full of information. They were sitting at the dining room table at Cutter’s parents’ house, mid-afternoon sunlight streaming in through the nearby window. Each name in the packet had a description and a picture, and Ru only glanced down the length of the first page before she set it on top of the stack of other documents Windy had assembled for her. It was day three of her demon identification training, and Ru still didn’t get the point. Wind
Last Updated : 2021-04-29Reaper's Hollow Chapter 141
The sun was setting, painting the horizon a dull orange color. The winter air was crisp and there was a bit of a breeze at this altitude. Ru was beginning to wish she’d grabbed her gloves and hat when her thoughts froze. A man was making his way from between the shadows cast by the large rocks in front of them. Ru knew who it was instantly. She turned to Cutter and smiled. He looked confused and glanced from her to the man in front of them. Taking a few steps forward, Ru met him near the tree. “Hi, Dad,” she said, smiling. “You made it.” “I did.” Larkin looked much the same as he had when Ru had seen him not long ago in Kayakoy, though perhaps a bit more rested. He was wearing the same black clothing, and when Ru got a glimpse of his hands, she could see the scars didn’t seem as fresh. “It’s nice to see you, Ru.” “You, too.” She stared into his green eyes, pleased that he had made it this far and that he had come at all. “How was your trip?” “Long,” h
Last Updated : 2021-04-29Reaper's Hollow Chapter 142
Cutter drove back into town without saying a word. Ru didn’t blame him for being upset, but she thought he’d get over it, eventually. How could she expect him to understand why it had been so important to her to turn her father back into a human? He’d never been in a similar situation, though she imagined if the choice had been something he could better identify with, like saving his brother, he wouldn’t have questioned her actions. Before he even pulled into the driveway, Ru got a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach, as if she were walking into a snake pit. She looked at him and could tell by his expression he felt it, too. Others knew what she had done, and someone was here. “Ru, I don’t know what their reaction is going to be, but I do know that, no matter what, I’ll stand by you.” Cutter still held her hand, and though his expression was solemn, she could tell he meant each word. “Thank you,” she said, shifting in her seat a bit so she
Last Updated : 2021-04-29Reaper's Hollow Chapter 143
Ru stared at the other woman for a few moments in disbelief, her eyes wide. “Sorry?” she repeated. This was such a far cry from the Cinder she’d encountered in the desert not that long ago. “You’re sorry?” “I am,” Cinder nodded resolutely. “I wasn’t being fair to you, and I should’ve given you a chance before I decided that you weren’t going to be able to handle the tasks assigned to you. I guess, I just thought there was no way someone new to all of this such as yourself could be so powerful when I’ve worked so hard my whole life to accomplish less than you’ve done in only a few months.” Hearing Cinder’s confession pulled at Ru’s heartstrings. “Cinder, that’s not true. You’ve done so much more.” “But nothing so grand as closing a portal. And you’ve already closed two.” Ru took a few more steps until she was standing right in front of Cutter’s sister. Even though she wasn’t truly in the room, Ru could see both remorse and a bit of jealousy in the olde
Last Updated : 2021-04-29
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Reaper's Hollow Chapter 158: Epilogue
One year later… “All right, boys and girls. That is enough for today. We will pick up with Ramona’s story tomorrow afternoon. For now, go ahead and get your backpacks on, and let’s line up at the door.” Groans filled the air as twenty-two fourth graders followed their teacher’s directions despite wanting to hear what happened next in the story. They stood and walked to the cubbies where their backpacks were hung and politely took turns getting their belongings before making an orderly line at the door. Ru took a deep breath and looked lovingly at her students. Even though she’d made the same prediction every year since she started teaching, she had had a feeling about this group of kids from the very beginning. And she was right. They were the best group of fourth graders she’d ever taught. The bell rang and she wished them all a good weekend, gathering up the four students who went to daycare and walking with th
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 157
“I need to face him,” Cutter said. “And you need to get to the portal.” Ru craned her neck around the tree. While there were still some Reapers near the entryway, for the most part, the Keepers were able to set up a perimeter around the portal. If she was going to go, now was the time. “Okay. Be careful,” she said. Realizing that Cutter was about to take on one of her assignments made Ru feel uncomfortable, particularly since she knew what the end result would be, and despite the bargain she’d almost just made with the devil, she still didn’t want to see Nat destroyed. But she had to push those thoughts out of her head. She quickly kissed Cutter’s cheek and scurried off to the next tree closest to the portal. Nat saw her now, and he began to move in her direction, using his scythe to cut down an attacking Keeper as if he were nothing. Ru swallowed hard and steeled herself, looking for the next place to hide. If she used her powers on Nat, there was a chance she would
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 156
A Reaper stepped through the portal opening. Tall, with ebony hair, he wore the long black cloak she expected to see, a scythe in his hand. The man quickly ran to the left of the portal, and then another Reaper appeared on his heels. Dressed identically, with the same weapon, he ran to the right. Then, another sprang forth, and another. Ru watched, her eyes wide as the Reapers continued to pour out of the portal, as if Hell had spilled an inkwell and the thick, black substance was covering the entire earth. “Holy Hell.” It was hard to pull her eyes off of the sight, but she turned to see Cutter standing next to her. “We’ll never be able to take all of them.” It was Ivy, and Ru glimpsed a look of defeat on her face as she came to a stop behind Cutter. “We have to try,” he said. Ru could see the resolve in his face and noticed his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “Ivy and I will hold them off while you concentrate on the portal.” There ha
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 155
The demons were up again, too, and the battles picked up where they had left off. Everyone else was engaged, which left Ru to face this Goliath all by herself. “Kill it! Kill it!” Rider shouted at her as streaks of blue wrapped around the snake’s midsection. He seemed to be closing in on his prey, and Ru tried not to let the sight distract her. He was right. It would be best to take out the giant before he was fully formed. With a deep breath, Ru drew upon all of the strength she had inside of her and aimed her blue light at the giant. It was difficult to figure out where to aim since he was only out of the portal up to his shins. Still, she hoped it would be enough. Perhaps it was because of his size, but she felt the need to shout even louder this time as she recited the incantation almost word for word along with Rider who was also sending the snake into oblivion. “Infernus et perdere faciam te in nomine Domini!” This time, Ru didn’t feel as confi
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 154
There it was, right in front of her, the portal. The final one. And all she had to do was raise her hands and say the incantation. All of this would be over. If Thanatos wasn’t here, she couldn’t kill him. Surely, Raphael would understand that. She’d just close the portal and sneak away, leaving that confrontation for another day. Except she knew it wasn’t that easy. Just because she didn’t see him didn’t mean he wasn’t there. And even before she could raise her hands, the pull from inside of her became overwhelming, causing Ru to double over. The air between the edges of the portal continued to ripple and wave, and Ru recognized the sensation from both of the previous portals. Something was coming. She looked at Cutter and for the first time she could remember, she saw fear in his eyes. “They’re coming,” she whispered. He opened his mouth to say something, but before anything came out, a rush of heat shot out of the portal opening. Both of them instinctively
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 153
“Well, that doesn’t even make sense.” Lyric rolled her eyes. “If you’re in charge, then why do you have to do what someone else told you?” Flint launched into a defense of his decision, but Ru shouted over him. “Flint! Look, the reason their numbers were so low at the beginning of the battle is obvious, isn’t it? It’s not because this portal doesn’t mean anything to them—it’s because it means everything to them. They’re not on the battlefield yet. They will come through the portal!” She had him by the shoulders, which caused him to jump backward, shaking himself free, and once Ru finished her statement she took a step back as well. “What? No,” Flint argued. “They’re not going to send them through the portal. That would be suicide. They’d have to come through a small opening into enemy controlled territory.” “Yeah, into a stream of five whole enemy fighters who cannot possibly hold them all off,” Rider reminded him. “You have to close in behind us.” Ru
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 152
Aokigahara sprawled in front of her like the untamed wild it was, trees encroaching into the neighboring farmlands and open spaces as if the forest insisted on reclaiming what used to be hers. From this direction, it was difficult to tell where the forest began and civilization ended, though Ru thought for certain she’d know when she crossed the line. She stifled a yawn and kept moving forward, one boot at a time, toward what might be her very last mission, if she had her way. Though she had fallen asleep for a few hours, for the most part, she’d gotten her wish and was able to stay up most of the night, with Cutter’s help, and the activity he’d chosen to occupy her certainly didn’t make her feel less worn out. The few hours she had spent in oblivion had been dreamless, as far as she knew. At least, if there had been dreams, they had been unmemorable. Her friends surrounded her as they made their way into the forest. Cutter was in front of her, Rider b
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 151
Navigating airports was hard enough for Ru when she was in countries where most everyone spoke English. Flying to Japan would’ve been completely overwhelming if Ivy wasn’t fluent in Japanese and Mandarin, especially when they had to switch planes in Shanghai. Luckily, the gentle-natured Keeper had managed to keep all of them in line and they’d made their way to Shizuoka Airport with little incident, though Rider complained about the lack of legroom on the commuter jet nearly the whole flight. Thank goodness for headphones, Ru had thought to herself. The entire van ride from the airport to their hotel, a place Ru hadn’t even attempted to try to pronounce for fear she’d embarrass herself, her eyes were glued out the window. From the buildings, to the natural surroundings off in the distance, to the smiling faces of those they passed along the streets, Ru was fascinated. By the looks she was getting, so were the people staring back at her. Five tall blondes with blue e
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 150
Cutter squeezed her leg, and Ru realized it must be apparent she wasn’t paying attention. She tuned back in to hear Sky say, “Now, the team we are meant to protect so that they can get in and close the portal will be given the code name Alfred. This will allow us to be briefer in our communications about the team.” Sky continued to talk, and she knew it was important that she listen, since Ru would be involved in whatever the blue-haired Keeper was discussing presently, but curiosity got the better of her. “Why Alfred?” she whispered to Cutter. Without turning his head, he replied, “Alfred Nobel.” “Huh?” Ru was still confused. “The inventor of dynamite.” “Oh.” Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to Sky, who was giving her the same look Ru might give a student who wasn’t paying attention. Ru swallowed hard and made herself concentrate. “Alfred will be dispatched from here, a break in the forest away from the typical entrance
