Ascendancy Rising

Ascendancy Rising by Brian Bigelow

Published by Brian Bigelow at Smashwords

Copyright © 2014 Brian Bigelow

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced by any means without written permission.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and Incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

DEDICATION

The one has supported me the most in my writing ventures, Brandy, my wife.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There are many that I would like to acknowledge, you offered support and assistance when I needed it. Thank you for being there.

Tammie Clarke Gibbs, Barbara Ivie, Sharon L Reddy, Aneesa Price, Wanda Hartzenberg

Cover image: Death and the Gravedigger, Carlos Schwabe 1895. This image is public domain in the US.

Contents

Demon Night

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Demon Night

In the moonlit field

Here I'm walking alone

Dark figures moving

Shadows and light coalesce

My heartbeats thud within

I try to run away

They grasp and pull me down

Drag me away with them

Their evil malevolence

Fills my essence with dread

I'm cursing and screaming

All to no avail

There's no release for me

Entities straight from hell

Am I dreaming tonight?

Or is it for real?

Pain, pain, ever more pain

Consumed by the fire

The flames raise higher

Rending my soul from me

11 March 2014

Chapter 1

Screaming at the top of her lungs Madeline Walker woke herself in the night. She’d just been experiencing a terrifying nightmare and now her entire body was drenched in a cold sweat. Her fright filled eyes cast about into the darkness of the one room shack she was living in searching for something. Anything, she wasn’t sure what. She finally noticed the alarm clock next to her bed, the hands were pointing at 3:45 a.m.

Through the places where the bottom of the boards had rotted out the moon glinted off of the quiet waters of the bayou outside. While that would normally be something comforting to see right now it barely registered. She was absolutely captivated by the terror within that was welling up.

She wanted nothing more than to eliminate the horrifying images from her mind she had just been witnessing. In the beginning of the dream it was rather mild and comforting, she’d been walking through an opening in a forest at twilight. Tall grass rustled in the light breeze of the early evening. Through the branches of the trees the full moon was shining. It cast long shadows all around her that interplayed with the patches of light in a pleasant scene.

In between the trees she caught some movements that caused her to stop walking forward and try to spot whatever was causing them. To her horror when she was able to discern what they were she discovered they were phantasms. She was only able to get that far into understanding when one of them spotted her, stopped, and turned toward her.

The entity that was looking at her had yellow glowing eyes and seemed to be floating effortlessly. When the yellow glow changed to a bright red one she could have sworn she was now seeing a wraith. The others stopped in place and turned their attention to her. Together, in unison they came to where she was standing. Despite her terror she couldn’t help but stand and stare as they came nearer.

As they crowded in they began biting her and slashing through her flesh with their claws. Terrified, she felt chunks of her meat as they were being ripped from her body. So sickening was the gruesome of the plops of the pieces as they landed on the ground at her feet. Feeling her gorge rise she came close to regurgitating her last meal. She could feel rivulets of blood running down her ribs and on down her legs to her feet. The smell of her crimson essence added to her revulsion.

When the pain was becoming all-encompassing she tried to escape and get away but her efforts proved unsuccessful. All her efforts were garnering her was being gripped even tighter by the group of unspeakable entities. Together, they pushed her down to the ground on to her back. Several of them pinned her limbs down so that she couldn’t use them to fight back. Others ripped her panties and the hem of her dress out of the way with razor sharp talons. Then they forced themselves inside of her as they gang raped her. During their painful act of coitus she felt her insides ripping. She felt like she was being split in half by their enormous members.

When the pain had grown too great she woke from the nightmare. Not aware of where she really was she bolted upright in bed and stared out in wide eyed terror. After what seemed to be an eternity grasped by overwhelming fear she was able to start calming a little. Her screaming gave away to grunts and sobs.

What she had been dreaming returned with total and horrifying clarity in her mind. As she sat up in bed she jerked which caused the bedsprings to creak. The sound echoed off the walls which added to her shock. Shaking her head she tried to eliminate the images that were playing out within but once again she was unsuccessful.

Something that was barely registering on her consciousness seemed to take control of her body. Irresistibly drawn along by something she wasn’t completely aware of she got out of bed and walked toward the door. Opening it, she stepped out barefooted onto the dock that served as a porch. The sound of the chirping crickets quieted with her weight causing the boards to creak. Her faded cotton nightgown swayed in time with each of her steps.

She was unaware of the splinters coming loose from the rough unfinished boards that made up the pathway. They were lodging themselves in the soles of her feet. An owl hooted in the distance which she also didn’t notice being captivated by whatever was impelling her. It was hidden in one the nearby cypress trees.

The humidity had condensed in the coolness of the night to become a mild fog that blanketed the ground and weeds. It softened the moonlight as the trees thinned out and the walkway became a dirt trail. Shadows and light interplayed as dark forms emerged from the surrounding forest.

When they got closer the individual forms of the entities became more distinct. Just like in her dream they had red glowing eyes. In one of her few moments of sentience she stopped. Wide-eyed in fear, she stood and stared at them in one of the few moments of sentience. Coming ever closer, they began to writhe around her. Sounds of soft chanting surrounded her. A tingling feeling travelled up her arms. In her terror she was frozen in place as smoke like tendrils were brushing over her exposed arms and torso.

Attempting to run she found she was unable to. Her assailants solidified and became physical entities. She helplessly watched as a scaly clawed hand reached out and touched her stomach. Warmth began to build up within her abdomen and flooded throughout her body. Covered in a cold sweat the chill bumps rose all over her skin. Can this be for real? She fell to her knees as her mind was unable to deal with what she was experiencing. Entering into a state of welcome oblivion her body dropped to lay prone on the dew laden grass for the next few hours.

After the sun had risen she awoke and found herself lying on the ground of the quiet sunlit glade not too far from the house. She’d been through there many times when she was searching for vines to turn into rope. She found herself completely alone except for a cottonmouth snake that was slithering through the grass searching out a meal. It disappeared behind a tuft of grass totally ignoring her as it continued its journey.

Looking around for a bit she tried vainly to remember all of the events of the previous evening. The jumbled memories were only coming in bits and pieces though in a confused mish mash where nothing was clearly delineated. Sitting up she shook her head in an effort to clear her thoughts about why she was out here.

Deciding she didn’t want to stay out there she got up and attempted to brush herself off a little. The globs of dried mud and twigs that had been loosened by her efforts fell and caused the grass to rattle as they hit. With confusion reigning supreme, she wondered momentarily why she was barefoot. Then some of the memories of the previous night returned which shocked her even more. She made her on the trail on the way back to her small shack on the water’s edge.

As she got closer she looked up at the roof which she knew she had to repair once again. The peak was swaybacked from the action the constant moisture of the environment of the swamp had on it. Gray boards were showing through some of the places where shingles were missing.

In some places it had been patched by flattened out coffee cans that he been flattened out that had been nailed down. Shingles were hard to come by here where you were several miles from the nearest town. By now many of them were covered with rust and red drips appeared below them and needed to be replaced soon. The domicile had every appearance of an uninhabited dilapidated derelict. The last time it had seen better days had been many years before when it had first been built.

Near the cabin, several feet from the edge of the water, the duck boat sat waiting for the time it would next be used. Beyond both, the shack and the shore, was the green colored standing water you had to use to travel from place to place in this watery world. Her shack stood on some of the only dry land to be found she knew of in the vicinity and she’d been all over the area. In the various coves nearby she would capture turtles, fish, crayfish and clams which her diet in large part consisted of.

Chapter 2

Over the next several months Madeline’s belly began to expand tremendously since she was carrying a child. It would have been obvious to anyone that she was pregnant if they had seen her. Living out in the swamps like she was that wasn’t very likely to happen.

It always proved to be a rather solitary life when you lived in a place like this one was. Any close neighbors were most likely the flora and fauna only because people were far and few between. Relatively few were the places you could erect a house in the first place. Besides most people valued privacy above all else which caused them also to make sure they added distance between dwellings. Creatures like Alligators and birds didn’t care too much and ignored you as long as you weren’t getting in the way of their next meal.

One of the things that happened to be a common denominator was building houses on stilts or pilings. That included islands where solid ground could be found. Moisture would leach up through the soil and rot out a foundation even if it was concrete.

There were others that would come to the area but usually only for a visit. Those were the sportsman. They would come mostly to fish or hunt for that day only. Rarely, they would stay out in their boat overnight parked between the mangrove clumps. When they had their quarry they would then go home to proudly show it off.

By now, because of her rotund middle, it was beginning to become difficult to fish or hunt for clams. And forget setting up bird snares. It was obvious she wouldn’t be able to get out too much in the future. Soon she would have to find a midwife who could come all the way out here and assist.

A short distance from Pilottown she managed to find Jessica who was a midwife. For several years she had plied the waters of the bayous throughout the area. Quite often her services were necessary because it was too far for many to go to New Orleans when they when they were bringing a new life into the world.

She tried to understand how she could possibly be pregnant. It was incomprehensible since she knew she hadn’t been with any man more recently. Conveniently, she had shut out of her mind what had happened months before in the glade during the night. Whenever she delved into her memories she would only get small glimpses of what happened that evening. Because of that she was sure that it had to be a dream. There was no way it could have ever happened. At least that’s what she tried to tell herself unsuccessfully. It was obvious though that she was pregnant because she hadn’t had a period for a while.

Regardless of being pregnant or not she still had to eat so she had to head out. She was in a nearby inlet trying to spear some fish when the contractions started. A severe cramp caused her to double over and fall against the side of the boat. She was lucky she didn’t fall over the side into the water.

Luckily for Madeline, her midwife, Jessica was due later that day to do the checkup that was normal. After recovering from the first severe contraction she tried to head back to her hovel to await the arrival of the midwife. She couldn’t tell how far apart they were but time between each of the contractions was decreasing.

The only way she could keep track was by the amount of oar strokes between the bouts of agony and waves of nausea that were racking her body. It was painfully obvious she was giving birth this day. She hoped the baby would wait until the woman got there but she knew that very well might not happen.

It took almost all of her strength to row back to the dock at her residence. Tying up the boat and getting out of it proved to be a difficult exercise that required patience. Falling down twice to her knees she winced as more cramps came. Finally despite all of the odds against it she was able to make it inside of her little house.

Just as she got inside the door another excruciating contraction hit. She fell to the floor unable to make it any further longing for the cot within her view. She rolled into a ball and hugged herself. Grimacing at the discomfort she was feeling her teeth gnashed together.

At this particular moment Madeline wanted nothing more than to be able to get to the bed that seemed so very far away. Her insides felt like they were on fire. I just want this little bastard out of me. Where in the hell is that midwife? All of her focus was on the end her immediate distress. In fact the word distress wasn’t the right word to describe what it was she was feeling.

This had to be over soon. She wasn’t sure she wanted to continue with this for too much longer. If she’d had a gun she probably would have thought of using it on herself. Though it seemed like a long time she was lying on the middle of the floor it wasn’t long until Jessica reached the place. The midwife noticed the front door being and it registered in her mind that something was happening to her patient. She tried not to think of the worst.

When she had finished tying up the boat to the dock she walked to the door and poked her head in. The first thing she noticed was the gasping woman who was writhing on the floor in pain a few feet away. There was a puddle of liquid on the boards close to her ass which is how she knew the woman’s water had broken. It was time for her to be delivered of her child.

She ran to the expectant mother and began to help her get up on her feet. Her grunts and labored breaths filled the hovel as she waddled slowly on the way to the waiting bed. The twisting sensations within her gut were unwelcome ones that caused her to double over. It took twice as much time to cover the distance than it normally would have. A fly buzzing around her head and landing on her nose was completely ignored as she concentrated on the pain within her abdomen.

Madeline barely noticed when she sat down on the bed and then was pushed over on to her back to make her more comfortable. After removing the new mother’s panties the midwife pushed her knees up to make it easier. It would have been better if there had been some stirrups but they weren’t available here. She noted that the dilation of the woman’s cervix was well underway. By now the birth canal had expanded to about 3 inches so it would be over soon. How long have the contractions been happening?

About an hour, I think. I almost didn’t make it home in time. Her face contorted with her grunts.

In her surprise at hearing that short amount of time she had to ask. It was only an hour that you been having the contractions?

Yes, I’m not sure, I think it was. She sounded unsure as she tried to gather her thoughts to speak coherently. I thought I would have the kid in the boat before I could get home. I was trying to fish in this inlet that’s on the other side of the island.

You’re doing fine Madeline. Just hang in there girl. It won’t be too long now.

Ugh! Just get it the hell out of me now! Her face was a mask of pain as she grunted.

Breathe. Quick short breaths now like we talked about. You’re doing fine.

While she waited Madeline to actually give birth she mused over what she’d heard her say. While it wasn’t unheard of to have a rather quick delivery it would normally have taken a lot longer to get to this point in the process. She must have really been in labor for several hours and she just didn’t notice it because wasn’t having any symptoms. Jessica observed the crown of the baby’s head which stopped her line of thinking. So far it looked fairly normal as it was covered with mucus and blood. She reached down so that she could be ready to assist. Come on and push, you’re almost there.

In between gasping breaths she grunted. Okay.

The midwife continued to talk her through her panting breaths and her pushing for the next ten minutes. Madeline gripped the edges of the feather mattress and would raise her shoulders up slightly with each push. Guttural groans and moans filled the space of the shack. There seemed to also be some faint chanting in the surroundings which disturbed the midwife a little. While they weren’t all that loud they were noticeable.

Jessica reached down and stood ready to catch the baby as it came out. She was thankful that it was coming head first and it didn’t seem like the umbilical code was wrapped around it. Breach births could be extremely difficult even if everything went well. Luckily, it wouldn’t turn out to be necessary with this one to reach inside the mother and turn the baby around.

All was quiet in the room as the newborn slipped out onto the midwife’s hands and was turned the right way. The midwife felt something sharp nip the heel of her left hand. Surprised by the pain she noticed that he’d somehow his head got slightly turned.

Involuntarily she jerked her hand back away from the infant. For a few moments she rubbed the injured place on her skirt. Then she was able to observe very different about this birth. The thing Madeline had just delivered was what could best be described as a monstrosity.

To her horror it had red glowing eyes, sharp teeth horns, and claws as it looked up from the now soiled sheet it was resting upon. It couldn’t be described as human this creature the likes of which she’d never seen before. In her shock and revulsion Jessica’s mouth fell open. With palpable distaste she wanted to look away but couldn’t help but stare at it for