The Pale Titan (The Convergence Saga Book 1) Read online

  “Do you know where Elle is?” I asked in a gentle tone, so as to not startle them.

  “Not sure, I just woke up... but you knew that already,” she said. She crossed the cave on her hands and knees as she spoke. Stopping just short of where I sat, she extended her hand and I gently grasped it and gave her a friendly shake. “I'm Tory, and those three are Jamie, Josh, and Maddie. Maddie's seven and she's mine.”

  I waved over Tory's shoulder to the children, two girls and a boy, and then looked back to Tory. “Pleased to meet you, Tory. I'm Tanner.” I paused a moment before adding, “...And I'm.... hungry. I don't suppose there is any extra food around, is there?”

  “We have a little bit of food and water, but you will have to wait and ask Elle when she returns, it's really hers.” Tory answered as the expression on her face went blank. There was a sinking feeling in my gut that she wasn't altogether sure when or if Elle would ever return.

  I leaned back against the cave wall, sticking my makeshift pillow behind my neck and let out an audible sigh. Tory moved to the far right rear of the cavern and retrieved a nap sack. She shuffled through it occasionally shooting a quick glance at me over her shoulder. I closed my eyes and pretended to be oblivious to her actions. Returning to the children, I peeked through nearly closed eyes to see her hand them each something wrapped in shiny metallic cellophane. I watched enviously as the children opened the wrappers and began devouring some type of granola or cereal bars. My stomach clenched and ached with hunger. I could not remember the last time I ate. In all honesty, I couldn't remember ever eating.

  As the kiddos played amongst themselves, Tory split her attention between them and me. I felt like I was being babysat, so I slumped back over and rested trying to ignore the pain in my leg and Tory's random stares. I wasn't certain if she was afraid of what I might do, or if she was feeling guilty after feeding the youngsters, but not me.

  Something brought me back from near unconsciousness. At first, I thought it was the tremors from earlier, but I soon came to the realization that someone was coming through the diminutive entrance. First hands and arms, swiftly followed by the head and face of Elle. She pulled herself in with the quick grace of a gymnast, spinning around and landing on her feet, poised in a crouching position.

  “You're back,” I stated with a voice that was dry and cracked though it almost sounded like a question.

  “I always come back,” she replied, pulling a small pack off of her shoulder and casting a smile to the kids and Tory. “It's quiet out there. Time to move.”

  “Where to?” Tory inquired.

  “Not far. With his hurt leg, maybe three hours...probably five hours or more till the sun goes down.” The children froze and they stared at Elle wide-eyed. I recognized the fear in them and it unnerved me.

  Elle pointed to me, then the children and finally Tory. Then cupping her hand she motioned us to follow her. One by one we inched our way out of the hole and into the bright daylight. The sun was high in the cloudless blue sky and caused my eyes to water in it glare. We gathered outside and Tory whispered to Elle. Elle nodded back, looking at me. I feared what they were agreeing about. Perhaps I was about to be left behind due to my gimpy leg. I was pondering the possibilities when I saw Elle reach slowly into her pack, her eyes never leaving me. Did she have a gun, a knife... was I about to be permanently left behind? Surely not in front of the children. Elle drew her hand from the pack and pointing it in my direction, handed me one of the sacred, granola bars.

  “Thank you.” I mouthed silently. Everyone smiled. Elle swiftly turned and motioned us again.

  We followed her down a path that was visible only in Elle's head. Though we weren't completely hiding, we did remain cautious to not be obtrusive. The aching in my leg grew more uncomfortable with each step and after about an hour and a half, I tugged at Elle's pack.

  “Can we rest? Just for a minute, please?”

  Stopping short, she held up her hand and with fingers spread said, “Five-minute break, and then we move again.”

  Everyone sat down right where we were, and I broke the silence once again. “You were going to tell me... everything... when we got up. What are we hiding from? What is everyone so frightened of?” Tory glared at me and the children gasped and slapped their hands over their mouths.

  “We are hiding from the Titans, and what are we frightened of? The Ahsusha.” As Elle spoke these names, the children hid their faces and Tory looked around uneasily. “Are you afraid to die Tanner?”

  “I suppose I am. Are you?”

  “No. I am afraid of being taken by the Ahsusha and not dying.” Her voice quivered, and for the first time, I could see a hidden vulnerability.

  “Okay, I realize I have some form of amnesia, but I really have no clue what you are talking about. The only Titans I know of are a football team and a group of teenage comic book heroes, and I never heard of anything called an Ahsusha.”

  “When we get to the camp, you will know all we know. For now, just know we are all being hunted. Some are rabbits and mice meandering around aimlessly, a few of us are more like wolves, built to survive and ready to fight for our lives... but we are all still being hunted.” And with that Elle slung her pack over her shoulder and stood up. The rest of us quickly followed suit.

  “What kind of camp are we headed to?” I asked with a hopeful demeanor.

  “There are a dozen people, including us now, that are holding up at a mountain retreat. Used to be a vacation time-share or something. It's just a couple of rustic cabins, but there are real beds, baths, and until the gas runs out, we can cook and take warm baths. You'll see how it works when we get there.”

  We traveled along slowly as the terrain became more challenging and the greenery grew denser as we journeyed into a canyon. Sheer walls towered on three sides, and actual trees, though mostly conifers, began to fill our surroundings.

  “Over there! It's a road!” I shouted and was immediately bashed upside of my head with Elle's pack and her enraged stare.

  Elle over animatedly mouthed silently to me, “What-the-fuck?”

  I held my arms out and looked from side to side as if to respond with 'What did I do?', when I realized we stood alone. Tory and the children were nowhere to be seen. I spun around once and instantly felt Elle's hand forcefully pushing down on the side of my head, neck, and shoulder. I fell hard, and the pain in my leg shot through me like an electric jolt.

  Elle fell on top of me throwing her blanket/poncho completely over us. I could feel her breath in my ear and her pounding heartbeat against my bare back, fast and heavy at first. A few moments passed... silent, motionless moments when Elle whispered in my ear scarcely louder than a breath.

  “If you want to be the bunny shouting, 'come eat me!' that's up to you, but I'll be damned if you are getting anyone else killed.”

  “Sorry. I'm just so confused still. I don't want anyone to die. Especially me.”

  “Well, if it will help, I can duct tape your mouth for the rest of our hike, but I hate to waste the tape. I don't want to do anything drastic, but I will do what I have to to survive.”

  “No. I will keep silent. I promise.”

  “Good... 'cause I kinda like having you around, Tanner Astin.”

  I smiled silently, and lay still, enjoying the closeness of my new, and possibly only, friend. Though we were still and silent as the dead for nearly ten minutes, I felt her body relax and melt against mine. It was a pleasant surprise since I thought I might be gutted for being such an idiot when Elle initially slammed me to the hard dirt and pine needles.

  Cautiously, she began to draw back the burlap poncho that covered us, until our heads were revealed enough to take in our surroundings. Slowly, she divided us, standing up, sliding her rifle from shoulder to hands. Placing the stock of the rifle to her shoulder, she scanned our surroundings. When her stare reached the area where I had spotted the road, she raised the barrel and took aim. My heart raced like never before. We had played the quiet
mouse game since this reality had started for me, and suddenly Elle was prepared to shatter the silence and give us away.

  Her glare turned from her gun sights to me. With a stern look, she puckered her lips and gave me a silent 'shhh'. Taking her finger from the trigger, she waved me up. I raised my eyebrows and widened my eyes at her as if to say... 'I don't know how quiet I can be'. I held my breath and took as many seconds as I needed to gain my composure and stand.

  Elle stood statuesque except for her trigger hand. I moved silently behind her. She touched the nearest gun sight with her pointer finger and slowly slid it forward down the barrel, slightly lifting as she did, until she was pointing to a distant point. Following her direction, I studied the distance. Through the trees and beyond the many boulders and obstacles before us lay the road, and then I saw it. Movement. It was a person, slowly trudging up the incline of the paved drive. At this distance, I couldn't tell if they were hurt, tired, sick, or just lost, but their movement was slow and awkward. Elle painstakingly lowered the gun.

  She turned conservatively toward me, leaning her face on the side of my head and whispered directly into my ear. “Taker, maybe Ahsusha...can't tell from this distance. It's in the eyes, and the marks.” I could feel the fear in her trembling voice.

  We stood motionless for what felt like an eternity. My legs ached and I gritted my teeth through the painful sensations. In time, I felt her begin to relax her tensed muscles and I did the same. This 'Taker' had been gone for quite some time and had followed the road until disappearing from our sight. He had been gone and there had been no sign of any other movement for such a long time that I had lost track of how long we stood there. The entire time I wondered and worried. What was the purpose of a Taker, and had Tory and the children fallen prey to this person, or thing?

  “Time to go.” She said hurriedly and continued in the direction we had been going, which was, for all intents and purposes, the same direction as the Taker had gone.

  “Wait a minute.” I reached up and took Elle by the arm, wrapping my hand around her bicep. “What about Tory, and the kids, and why are we heading the same way as that Taker?”

  “If they're okay, they'll find us. And as far as the Taker, where there is one, there have usually been many more, many more. We have to try to get to the camp before it does. I hope you are up to moving as quickly as you can and still be quiet.” Her expression saddened. “Trust me, please?”

  The way she called the taker 'it' left a cold, eerie, and empty feeling in my chest. “You have probably saved my life more times than either of us knows. Of course, I trust you.” At that moment, I wondered how many people Elle had saved and how many she had lost. “How long has this been going on?”

  She shot a queer look in my direction before finally speaking. “Oh, yeah... Amnesia. About three weeks I guess.” She mustered a half smile. “When we get to the camp, I will tell you everything I know.”

  “You promise? I've heard this before, and I'm still lost as to what the hell is really going on.” I smiled.

  “Tell you what... If we get to the camp, and it's not total chaos, I will tell you everything I know, and a few things I don't....Promise.” She winked at me and took off towards the camp.

  I struggled to keep up as we climbed higher, and delved deeper into the canyon. Making our way over a collection of fallen boulders of various sizes, Elle grabbed my hand and helped me up and over. Feeling a reversal of roles, I thanked her when she helped me down the other side. Without releasing my hand, she pulled me down next to her behind our rocky plethora, and put her finger to her lips, to shush me. We sat quietly and listened intently to the deafening silence. Then the slightest of noises caught our attention. The rustling of steps on the stones, twigs, and leaf litter on the floor of the canyon only yards from us. Elle raises the rifle into its place and aimed it up in the direction we had come. The scuffling sounds came from the other side of the landslide boulders. I tensed instinctively as Elle drew down on her sights, trigger finger twitching as she squeezed and released against the trigger, preparing to fire if necessary. The sounds grew closer, though still carefully quiet. Elle eased up on her grip, slightly lowered her aim, and loosened her composure as Tory peaked the boulders, followed by all three little ones.

  I exhaled deeply and raised my hand in acknowledgment to the foursome. Elle and I stood up, and when the others reached us, we greeted them with hugs. It was amazing how close I felt to these strangers I had only met a day ago and had hardly even spoken to. I suppose there were obvious reasons since I had no memory of anyone else, Elle had saved my life, and they had all taken me in, like a stray puppy.

  After our reunion, we hiked at a fast and steady pace to make up for lost time until we could see the first of the two cabins in the distance. Closing in on the cabin, we began to see the gathering of people outside, milling around.

  Chapter 3

  CRASH of the TITANS

  The introductions were swift and quiet, which was exactly what I had expected. There was only one other child there, a young teen named Todd. I was introduced to an older, 60-something couple who had been the actual tenants of the cabin before the arrival of the Ahsusha, Mel and Irene, another couple Mark and Darcy, parents probably, dark hair, eyes and olive skin that gave them the appearance of being foreign, though they spoke with no accent whatsoever. The other three were two women and a young man all in their twenties, by my guess, Maya, Ally, and Trevor.

  My head was abuzz trying to remember so many new names and faces at once. Elle pulled the four of us inside one of the cabins with her and showed us around the kitchen and then the bathroom where I spied the tub. Heaven on earth is what I saw, and as much as I wanted to soak and wash the grime out of my wound and my hair, I offered to let the ladies and children take their turns first. Elle let Tory and Jamie take the first turn in the tub and then went to the kitchen while I quickly located the sofa and took the load off of my leg.

  “Oh my god!” I exclaimed at a reasonable volume. “I forgot what it felt like to be comfortable!”

  Elle emerged from the kitchen with two paper plates and a can of soda. She handed one of the plates to me and sat down comfortably close to me. The peanut butter sandwich was a delicacy that I thoroughly enjoyed to the last delectable crumb, and though I have never been a fan of diet drinks, the diet, Dr. Pepper, I shared with Elle was magnificent. By the time we had finished, Tory and Jamie emerged from the bath, wrapped in towels and carrying soaking wet, dripping clothes in their arms. Elle showed them where to hang their clothes to dry, and took them directly into one of the bedrooms. They all emerged with mismatched clothes that were apparently not the correct sizes. The disheveled look was quickly dismissed by the look of relief on their faces.

  I relaxed as time passed slowly. A touch on my shoulder stirred me back from near unconsciousness. It was Elle, wrapped in a towel, black hair dripping, and appearing more like a wood nymph than a desert guerrilla. This was my first look at her face, not covered in the web of tangled hair and gritty dust. She was petite, with a naturally tanned skin tone, unlike me. I was typically either pasty white, or sunburned. From the waste up, the latter was fairly accurate.

  “It's your turn. I hope there is still some warm water left,” she smiled with a flirty grin as her fingertips slid down the length of my arm, brushing my thigh when she turned, walking toward the bedroom across from where I sat. I was mesmerized by her every move. When the bedroom door was closed to the point of being slightly cracked, she disappeared from sight. Her towel was tossed across the room and I watched as it flickered past the sliver of an opening. The teenage part of my libido urged me to cross the room and steal a peek of nirvana. I let the man in me prove that I had respect, and I left my place on the comfortable couch. The bath felt amazing on my parched, and dust-caked skin. It did sting the gash on my calf, but I didn't mind. I had lost track of time after cleaning every inch of my body at least once. I lay there in my own peaceful oblivion. The door opened abrupt
ly and Elle's face popped through the opening.

  “It will be dark soon. You need to get out and get dressed.” She was almost blushing when I realized though the water had become rather dirty, I was quite exposed to her stare. “Here's a towel,” she remarked as she broke her concentration, tossing a terry cloth bath towel to the edge of the tub. Her eyes had dropped to the floor, but I noticed one last glance up, and a smile, at my naked physique before disappearing and closing the door.

  I emerged from the bedroom after dressing in what was obviously a golfing outfit, and cardigan socks. I had even found a pair of slip-on loafers that were only slightly snug. It was awkward, but at least, I felt somewhat civilized. Tory, Mark, and Darcy were sitting on the sofa, and Elle sat alone on the two cushioned love seat that jutted perpendicular to the end of the couch. I joined them, taking a seat next to Elle, who was dressed in a paisley printed green, tan and brown sundress. I tried not to stare at how the dress lay loose, yet melted against the tiny features of her body.

  “Anyone else feel like a fire?” I asked breaking the silence of the room, and feeling a bit romantic, although I guessed that Tory may be feeling like a fifth wheel.

  “No.” answered Mark. “We can't.”

  I gave him a puzzled look, thinking a fire would be easy to build. I had seen plenty of dry fallen branches and kindling. “Why?”

  Mark and Darcy looked at me curiously, but it was Elle who answered my question, giving them insight as to who I was also.

  “Tanner has a strange case of amnesia. He doesn't understand the weight of our situation, and I promised him I would explain everything when we arrived here and were settled.” The couple expressed emotion in their faces, sadness, fear, and worry.

  “Tanner,” Elle continued, “The Titans and the Ahsusha can sense heat signatures. The Titans, we think are equipped with some type of thermal imaging, and the Ahsusha... god, where do I begin?” She sighed, and rubbed her face bottom to top, then ran her spread fingers through her still damp hair, front to back. She slid her hands to her shoulders and left them there as she looked from one to another of my new acquaintances.