CHAPTER 15 – III
Under a dark gray sky, amidst gusts of wind
Freeze as the breeze cuts through skin
Seek shelter from the storm, somewhere warm within
Retreat home, a fortress; the threshold a line of fortification
Drop on your ass with a wine glass, unable to relax
Then the sounds from all around mean it’s too late to react
At the door, standing fore, looking more abhorrent than you remember from before
Reflected in your eyes is the instrument of your demise
Assumed it would come with a boom, not a whimper, and not so soon
Lunge…grab…slow…swear…relent
Plunge…stab…blow…tear…ascent
Too strong and too fierce, you never had a chance
The rematch against a demon, your demons, give in to reason
But lacking the will to kill, no blood in the heart, can’t convalesce – acquiesce
The Other fully committed, which you were incapable
To the Other you submitted, a result inescapable
As the earth shakes and shatters and quakes to tatters
Pass the baton – woebegone – bring it on
The next battle – the next generation – Aricame
The blitz!…Waves of light/sound/radiation/other…Ripple through the son from the mother…Tsunami of shock and shit…Aricame receives the bounty…For Geryman’s victory…The wave train hits Stievo too…Carenf bids adieu
—
Geryman transported Carenf’s body to the island hidden in the Sound. It was placed in his old carriage/cell/home and then blown up. A generation’s Champion had triumphed over their Other.
Throughout Seattle, the news of Carenf’s death was such a shock to some that they were left paralyzed, fixed in place and time to atrophy and starve. For those who remained animated, stories of the deaths of other prominent city figures followed:
Mark End – Met his end when LEGO bricks were shoved down his throat.
Ray Won – Way gone after being electrified to the point that he literally lit up the night sky on Aurora Ave.
Ernst Handel – Could not handle being bashed to death by the bookcase he attempted to hide behind.
Geryman even took time to incinerate the symbol of his original sin – the Bumgile’s old apartment building that had been rebuilt after Geryman burned it down in his first attempt to kill Carenf.
Glendan, who was across town at the time of his wife’s death, was given no time to mourn. With their son safe (for now) in Los Angeles, his main focus was on saving as many lives as possible in Seattle. Much of the city had become engulfed in smoke as Geryman’s terror spread. Masses began to flee. Hundreds made it to Dun Creek where Glendan was offering shelter. Unfortunately for them, proximity to Glendan only placed them more firmly in harm’s way. His brother was coming for him.
Looking death in the face, instinct takes charge
Of logic there’s no trace, biology’s discharge
Forward in fight or backward in flight
The future hinges on getting it right
Irresistible / Immovable 