Ears, Eyes and Nose Shop

Under a pair of eyes, ears and nose painted on the window, the word Apothacary was written in script. In the windowcase, ornate boxes, tins of tea, odd shaped baskets filled with dried herbs graced tge kower shelf. On other raised shelves, bottles in a variety of colors filled with mysterious liquids, powders and herbs were artfully displayed.  Kara arranged the bottles filled with colored water and cornstarch. Anyone with brains knew you couldn’t subject real potions, herbals and ointments to the sunlight and heat of a display window.  The street lights went on and Kara sighed. It was six o’clock on the dot.

At her door she flipped the deadbolt. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a shadow on the sidewalk then it was gone. A shiver went through her body and she hastily turned the sign to CLOSED and pulled the shade down.

Behind the counter she rubbed her arms and stared at the front window as someone tried to break into hse shop. it had happened in Canby.  Outside people hurried by as if they too felt the need to get to safety. Her fingers trembled slightly and she clenched them to still the feeling. It was't a full moon, or the dark of the moon. The moon wasn't really in vies because of the cloud cover.

She jumped at the sound of a loud knock. Her eyes went to the front door. She didn’t want to go there. A muffled second knock made her turn, this time it was from farther away. She stepped toward the back of the shop, and heard another thump at the back door.

“Who is it?” there was no answer. She leaned against the door, she felt a supernatural push against her senses to open the door but she resisted.

“Who's out there?” she made her voice sound firm. She didn’t want to invite anyone into her shop just in case they was hostile creatures. There was no answer but she heard the bump and thump again. She placed her hand on the door but couldn’t feel anything or sense anything that was on the other side.
Should she take a chance? What if it were one of her brothers or sisters in need?  What about the shadow she saw and what she felt? She couldn’t leave someone in need outside her door.

She called her alter being into play. Wolf blood ran hot in her veins and her sense of smell became more acute. Someone was out there; an odor of death mixed with something else she couldn’t quite name. Cautiously she turned the knob and opened the door as far as the silver and steel chains would allow. No one was standing there.  A moan caught her attention and she looked down. A figure lay crumpled at the foot of the steps.

“Hey, are you awake? What is wrong with you?”

The figure moved slightly and groaned. In the dim reflection from the alley light she saw a number of dark, wet spots on the shirt and pants, she smelled male pheromones.

“Ok, it looks like you need help. I am not sure what you are, and I hope I don’t regret this.” She unhooked the chains and stepped out into the night. There was no way she would bring whatever it was into her shop. Long ago she learned not to invite anyone or anything into her dwelling. They may enter on their own, but any powers they might have could not be used without her permission. She rarely had visitors, of the supernatural ilk, enter her shop unless they were there for the healers she sold or a potion of some kind.

Using enhanced wolf strength, she pulled the figure to a semi-standing position and maneuvered him down the alley to another doorway. She pulled his arm over her shoulder and used her power to open the locks and door to a shed attached to the back of the shop. From the outside it looked like a gardeners shed, but inside she pressed a latch, the wall slid to the side and revealed a large laboratory. In the corner was a cot where at times she would sack out if she was working on a formula she couldn’t leave unattended.

He fell on to the cot, groaned and curled up facing the wall. Kara went to the metal cupboard and unlocked the door. She pulled a black rectangle bag from the lower shelf keeping her eye on the man even as she moved to his side. He didn’t resist as she removed his shirt and washed the blood from his wounds. He had been shot and knifed. Whoever wanted to send a message did so effectively. The wounds were not life threatening, but disfiguring. When she applied a soothing balm, he drifted off to sleep. Kara covered him with a soft sheet and fixed herself a light snack.

As she ate a microwaved bowl of soup. Immediately the smell of the chicken noodle soup caused her saliva glands to drool. She wiped her mouth with her napkin and stood,  her wolf instincts ready for any attack.  In times like this she almost wished she could shift to become a wolf, but it was not her time.  She could allow some of the characteristics freedom, to keep would be muggers and drunks with wandering hands away. Her inner canine became agitated and she went completely alert. She allowed her alter self full reign of her senses.

There was an odd smell in the air. She couldn’t place it. It was almost as if something died in the room. Following the scent she stood over the man lying on the cot. Realization of what he was caused her to move quickly to the opposite side of the room.  She had brought a vampire into her dwelling. How had she not noticed?  Her heart beat faster and the hairs on her neck stood up. She wondered why he ended up at her back door.

There was a loud bang as the outer door of the shed sounded like it was ripped off its hinges. She whirled to face the intruder should it come through the door. She felt the urge to howl and her teeth ached. Outside the door to the room she could hear heavy nasal breathing. Her senses were on fire. The man stirred and opened his eyes. He looked around the room until he saw her.

“What am I doing here?” his voice rasped.

“You are wounded and I took you in.”

He looked down at the bandages on his side and ripped them off. Kara gasped, the skin was like new. There was no sign of the wound or a scar. Her eyes met his.

“You know what I am.” He breathed the words at her. Kara stood still not moving except to nod her head. “I think there's a zombie or something mutated trying to kill all of the “Supers” in this area,” he continued.

“That’s great.” Her voice was hoarse as she tried to force words from a dry mouth. “What are we supposed to do? Can it get in here? I have put up protections around the door and this room.”

“You did what?” He eased his feet over the side of the cot and stood testing his physical reflexes. His eyes never left hers.

“I can weave spells of protection, healing and a few other things when needed.”

“So you are a mutant too?” He spoke, but was interrupted by loud banging and thumping out side the door. “Can they get in?”

“I don’t know. I've never met a Zombie. They don’t tend to come around during the day.” She stayed on the other side of the room with the table between them, her back to a shelving unit.

The banging and growling was joined by others as if a number of intruders were trying to get to them. The walls reverberated with scratching and pounding. The smell of them was foul in the air. Kara placed her hand over her nose and mouth. It could be her companion; he was dead too after all.

The man inspected the walls making his way around the room. “You have done well to seal this off from the spirit world, but you made a mistake, you didn’t allow for an alternate escape.”

He was standing at the end of the table, between her and the door. “At some point in time they are going to tear down the walls to get to us.” He leaned his body over the table, his captured her and she couldn't look away.

“Why? Wouldn’t they just go find someone else?” All her canine senses were running hot. She sensed he was trying to seduce her and she fought him.

“They are stupid and only fixate on what they were told to do. Someone wants me dead. They didn’t finish the job and now they are here to do just that. He waved his hand in resignation and turned to the wall that was shaking. “We are dead meat unless you have some way of fighting them.”

“I hate to state the obvious, but you are already dead meat. What’s the difference?” She stepped backwards toward a tall stool and put it between them.

“Very funny. I don’t want to die again. Well, I guess it wouldn’t matter, but I think I am still here because there is something for me to do. I am trying to get the “Supers” to stop killing each other and live peaceably. There is room in this world for all of us and the rest of the “Naturals” to coexist together.”

Kara stared at him. “You are the one. You sent the letters, you wrote the articles in the Subterranean newspaper. You want to unite the Supernaturals. You are Jack Rippon.” She fought to keep her voice calm.

The man gave her a brief nod but didn’t look at her. He was watching the wall shake.  “So what are we going to do? If we stay here we are going to die and I won’t be able to carry on this mission.”

He turned to her and moved a few steps in her direction. “Are you with us on this or against us? How do you feel about the mixing of the races?” He stood just an arms length from her.

“I am not a purist but I don’t believe the races can mix. What will happen when you mix some of the bad traits from the races? We could have a whole new set of problems.” She stepped away from him, her back against the shelves.

“That is possible, but there is a way to test for some of these things and keep that from happening.” He smiled, “We will have a world that is peaceful and full of wonderful creatures.”

She gave a snort and glared at him, “You are living in a fantasy world.”

“Yes I am and soon I will rule it.” He moved closer to her sending more waves of his essence to attack her defenses. “You can’t fight me forever Sweetheart.”

In a burst of anger she finished plaiting a defensive protection around her and at the same time she made vortex around him that held him in his place. Immediately he knew he was trapped.
“You can’t win Honey. They are almost though the wall.”

“Jack, you are an idiot. You tricked me into bringing you here, but you are the fool. This room is not my dwelling. I didn’t invite you here, so here is where you must stay until your little drooling friends get through that wall. I wish you well.”  She pressed a button and the shelving moved so she could slip out of the room. Before she closed the passage she smiled at Jack. “Better luck next time, if you survive. We will not support your movement to inter-mix the races for a Master race of mutants.” The doorway closed with a slam and the wall between him and the zombies was breached. Jack was trapped. He couldn’t follow her into her shop without an invite and the Zombies moved toward him with a purpose.