The Marrower

By Alyda Jepsen

"My proposition, Ma'am, is for you to join my group. There is a threat that we've dealt with, and your town is on the list of the next affected." When he spoke, his teeth glittered dangerously. They were smaller shark teeth, crooked and aggressive and made for thrashing. Kasie steeled her nerves with a thick swallow. Don't make deals with demons. 

"Uh huh. Anyways, I think it's time for bed." Maybe the recipe mom used triggered something. Kasie turned off the computer and the light. The room was bathed in darkness, the only light coming from the street lamp below. Kasie walked in a big circle around the vague shape of where he stood, keeping out of his arms reach. She turned the light on beside her bed, pulling the covers back. He still stood in the middle of her room, turning to face her.

"I do not think you understand the situation at hand, Kassandra." 

"And I do not think you understand that I'm not playing your demon games. I'm going to bed and sleeping off whatever the hell you are." Kasie watched as he crossed the room, standing at the foot of her bed. His boots clicked against the floor. They sounded like tap shoes, and for a moment she considered him. More than she thought he deserved. 

 "There is a crack in reality, and it is going straight through your town in less than four months. Your town will be overrun by creatures beyond your comprehension, and by then we will be too late."

Kasie wasn't a picky girl. She wanted to be an author, and to go on adventures. When she's offered the chance, who was she to turn it down? 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alyda Jepsen
• Release date: Oct 2, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393598732

Book preview

Chapter 1

Kasie's room was lit by only a little table lamp and her computer screen. The other lights were shut off to ward off distractions. The deadline wasn’t for another month, but she still needed to write this. A paper about her. What was that supposed to mean? She could write about any topic in the world, she could do her research on whatever assignment and write however long of an essay she needed to about it. But her own life? Who she was and where she came from? Impossible. A ten page paper about the Roman Empire, mathematics, the geography of Japan and how it affected their culture, those were easy. Academically speaking, Kasie was at the top of her class and the lowest grade she ever got was a B. That wasn’t fair, she thought. I was sick the week we learned about wavelengths, and when I took the test I wasn’t in my right mind. Kasie dug her chapstick out of her sweat pants pocket. She was sitting with her knees up, curled in the computer chair. She spread it across her lips, rubbing them together. She stared at her essay. All she had was the first letter, the letter H. The rest of her page was blank. Maybe I should just say fuck it. Who needs a college degree anyway? She thought entrance essays were stupid. They were going to determine if they wanted her at their college because she wrote about her life in a shitty essay. Kasie ran her fingers through her coarse hair. She had a mix of both of her parents hair. Her mother was black, so her hair was coarse and frizzy, but her father was latino, so it hung like she was white rather than bunching up like an afro. There was also a streak of pure white hair from her vitiligo. She rubbed her face and groaned. She could write about anything, literally anything but herself. She jumped as a knock sounded at her door. She swiveled so she was facing it.

Come in! The door opened, letting in light from the hallway. Her mother’s figure was in the doorway. She felt along the wall for their lightswitch. Light flooded the room, Kasie’s eyes stung. She covered them, leaning back in the chair.

Sorry. I don’t understand how you write like that. she came into the room. Her feet hit the creak in the wood beside her desk, the one Eric would complain about in her late night writings.

"If I have the lights on, I start looking at the rest of my room and start to think Oh while I try to come up with an idea, maybe I’ll clean! Or I’ll go through my closet! If I can’t see the rest of my room, all I have to focus on is this." Jen placed a plate down in front of her. There was a slice of bread, corn cob and a slab of meatloaf. She took a paper towel out of an apron pocket and handed it to her.

She folded it and stuck it under her plate. Thanks momma. I could have gotten it if you wanted, you didn’t have to come upstairs with it. She stabbed her fork into the meatloaf. Did you make the bread?

"You’re busy. I tried a new recipe for it. I don’t think it tastes too bad. I mean... Eric didn’t really like it." Kasie rolled her eyes.

Eric doesn’t like anything. You’re going back to the old recipe then?

You know how he is. Instead of eating the meatloaf she took a bite of the bread. She scoffed, taking another bite.

I really like it. It’s better than usual. She said, crumbs falling out of her mouth. Jen smiled, crows feet scrunching in her eyes.

"Yeah. I hope he does go into military camp. Then he’ll chill out and we won’t have to deal with him anymore." Jen gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

It’s our own fault. We... We should have put him in therapy before he got worse. Now if we even suggested it... It doesn’t matter. Don’t stay up too late writing honey. She turned the light off.

Kasie swiveled around in her chair and continued to stare at the empty computer document. You did what you thought was best at the time. Thanks for the food, Mom. She nodded and shut the door behind her. Kasie looked up as it shut, a small frown on her face. She shook her head, stabbing into the food beside her. When she looked back up, the empty essay was staring right back at her. College was overrated. Maybe she could live in the woods under a rock, stealing food from hikers and eating berries off of the trees. And if anyone ever came and looked for her, she could run after them like a goblin witch. Messy hair, torn clothes, long nails and hissing uncontrollably. If only. She didn’t even know what she wanted to go for. This was just a maybe for a degree, she could always switch over later.

She didn’t know when she dozed off. Her plate was pushed off to the corner of her desk, the lamp warm on her face. The screen turned off long ago. Kasie opened her eyes, pins and needles in her fingers and the sleeve imprint on her face. When she sat up a symphony of cracks erupted from her back. She rolled her head to the side, and her neck replied in a similar tongue. She gave the touchpad a wiggle. Her screen woke up and showed off the daunting white. Why couldn’t it write itself? Kasie rubbed the gooseflesh off of her arms. There was a slight tingle in the back of her head, and it made her pause. Her back was facing the rest of her room. The image of a black shrouded figure popped into her mind, looming over her shoulder and waiting for her to turn around. At that thought she swirled her chair around. She didn’t know what she’d do if it was there, but at least it wouldn’t be sudden. Kasie could breathe again. Her bedroom was an L shape, her bed on one end and the door on the other. The walls were a light purple, soft pink sheets rustled on her bed. There was a sort of wooden platform her bed was on, about two feet on each side so she wouldn’t trip and fall. There was Ham’s mattress on the floor across it, and her wardrobe was adjacent to the door. She looked under the door, and saw it was dark. The room was hotter than before. Which, made since, since she was in the attic and it was the middle of August, but it was significantly worse. She took her sweatshirt off and tossed it on the floor next to the desk. Does heat stroke make you tingle? Kasie rubbed her thumb over her space bar. It was silent, and the creepy feeling crawled up her spine. She opened a different tab on her computer, pulling up her go-to writing companion: Beethoven. Gentle classical music came out of the speakers. She watched the screen fade and change colors for some time, humid air drifting across her arm. Kasie looked over to the side, and her body instantly ran cold despite the heat. One of her windows was open. The single window took quite a bit to get to, but it was doable. Maybe Ham’s dad got drunk again. Hell, she made a latter and everything. But the latter was gathered in a matching stand, and he would have called her if he showed up. Or Mom opened it. But the air’s on. She wouldn’t open the window, especially not here. She could hear the kick of the fans in the vents below her.

Kassandra? Came a voice from behind her. Kasie jumped, then gave a breathless giggle.

Hey. Your dad again? She felt at ease with his presence here. He didn’t answer her. She gave him a moment, measuring the way he said her full name. He didn’t sound very upset... And he had to have been trying voice acting again. It was improving, and this time it actually sounded like someone else. "Oh, we’re doing that are we?" She rolled around in her chair and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Ham was about 5’10, and her wardrobe wasn’t big enough to hide him. But if he were to duck, he’d probably manage to fit his too thin body. Poor boy doesn’t eat enough. We’ll have to load him up, get him plump like your father. She heard Jen’s voice in her own ear.

Come on, quit fooling around. You’re creeping me out. She scolded. The only sound in the room was the music playing on her laptop. She got up and bent down on the ground beside her bed, peering under it. There was nothing but dust bunnies and an old sock. She grabbed it, once her hand passed the threshold of darkness the visual of a hand coming out and grabbing her wrist. She shook it off, snatching the sock and retreating far from her bed. I’ve been looking for this. She tossed it in her laundry basket. When she turned around she had a vague feeling of being watched once again. Nothing in her room had eyes, that she could see anyway. Kasie wasn’t one for fear. She wasn’t afraid of anything, not really anyway. She went to the wardrobe and opened up it. Nothing but her clothes, and when she pushed them around to check, she only saw the wooden back. It didn’t sound like it was coming from outside, but the lights were off. He could be on the ground talking under the door. She opened it and peered into the hall. All she could see were the stairs leading down to the rest of the house. She shut the door and turned around, locking it out of habit. It didn’t sound like her brother, although she wasn’t going to take any chances. Kill yourself. Kasie shuttered, and momentarily saw all the sharpie and paint on her walls. That was in the bedroom downstairs, and it was years ago. Surely... Her room was empty. The mattress was on the floor, she had her bed and her wardrobe, her desk with her laptop. She frowned. There was nowhere else he could hide. Her eyes flicked to her open window. The house is old... She went to it and looked outside. There was nothing climbable. What if its a demon and it chops my head off with the window? That happened in some movie didn’t it? It was a guy in a suit. He stuck his head out and- oh god. She sucked her head back in, slamming it shut. She turned around again. Kasie sat on her computer chair, turning her back to face the room. She heard the sound of something. Nothing more than a breathy sigh, and resisted the urge to go downstairs and get her dad.

I have a proposition for you, if you desire. Came the voice again. She gritted her teeth. Demon or not, she wasn’t going to take any shit.

Ham, I’m not in the mood. If its anything else, get the fuck out. she turned around in her chair, and came face to face with a man. He stood barely two feet away from her. A scream built up in her throat, but she wouldn’t allow it. Whatever it was, she wouldn’t indulge it. He wore a black shirt and a pair of old jeans, the knees dirty and worn. There was a pair of thick work boots on his feet. In his hand he held an envelope. She looked up at his face. The man was white, his skin so pale that his black hair and black eyes stood out. There were scars across his face, on his mouth where part of his lips were constantly bearing his teeth, one across his eyebrow that created a permanent gap in it, and one was around his throat from ear to ear, as if it was slit. His arms were ripped, scars leading across them. His brow was thick and his nose was hooked. His solid black eyes bore into her.

My proposition, Ma’am, is for you to join my group. There is a threat that we’ve dealt with, and your town is on the list of the next affected. When he spoke, his teeth glittered dangerously. They were smaller shark teeth, crooked and aggressive and made for thrashing. Kasie steeled her nerves with a thick swallow. Don’t make deals with demons.

"Uh huh. Anyways, I think it’s time for bed." Maybe the recipe mom used triggered something. Kasie turned off the computer and the light. The room was bathed in darkness, the only light coming from the street lamp below. Kasie walked in a big circle around the vague shape of where he stood, keeping out of his arms reach. She turned the light on beside her bed, pulling the covers back. He still stood in the middle of her room, turning to face her.

I do not think you understand the situation at hand, Kassandra.

"And I do not think you understand that I’m not playing your demon games. I’m going to bed and sleeping off whatever the hell you are." Kasie watched as he crossed the room, standing at the foot of her bed. His boots clicked against the floor. They sounded like tap shoes, and for a moment she considered him. More than she thought he deserved.

There is a crack in reality, and it is going straight through your town in less than four months. Your town will be overrun by creatures beyond your comprehension, and by then we will be too late. The thick scent of pine and musk entered her nose. Kasie’s blood pressure raised. Who does he think he is? She got up on her knees, crawling over to him on the mattress. She was still below his height, but he watched her with mild curiosity.

Look fucker, I have a busy day tomorrow. I can’t be up super late entertaining some sort of hallucination or making deals with the devil. So either you leave on your own or I make you leave. Those are your two options. Kasie watched the wheels turn behind his mask of indifference. She hoped he couldn’t somehow look inside of her, to see that she was biting back her fear and lying about what would happen if he were to come near her. She wasn’t a religious person, and she didn’t have any religious artifacts to ward him off with, but Kasie knew she could be a force to be reckoned with. Maybe. He closed his eyes and gave a small nod. She could feel the terror building in her heart. He was huge. He could crush her skull in his hands, this massive beast of a demon. The man gave a short nod.

I cannot force you. However, if you do reconsider. He handed her the letter, an elaborate seal keeping it closed. It was orange and red wax, silver dust outlining the head of some sort of bird. She plucked it out of his fingers. The letter was surprisingly heavy. She looked at him with a squint. He stood like a soldier, with how straight and stiff he was.

You were leaving? She watched as a door appeared beside him. He opened the door, and the moment he stepped through it it disappeared. What's with the window then? Kasie tossed the letter onto her nightstand with a metallic clatter. She flopped onto her back, and within moments sleep overtook her.

When she woke up for the second time, it was to her alarm clock. Kasie blindly grabbed for her phone, fingers coiling around it. Her blinds were open just enough to let a ray of sun cross her eyelids. Kasie squinted against it. Kasie looked to the side table, to her eye drops, chapstick and water bottle. She squirted a drop into each one, blinking the blur away. She took a few gulps of water, and when she sat up her eyes landed on the letter. It was propped up against her lamp. Her blankets were pushed to the side. Her phone found itself on her pillow, lighting up with a text from Ham. She ignored it, staring at the elaborate seal on the back. Kasie walked across her room and slowly sat down in front of her desk. She squinted at the wax, orange and red swirled around. There was silver outlining the bird. It had big fluffy feathers and a downward hooked beak, it’s showing eye was piercing. She pulled google up and began to search. After visiting a handful of avian websites, she found the bird was called gypaetus barbatus. She googled that and a bearded vulture showed up. It had a silver head with black tear trails and fire colored feathers surrounding its head. Kasie pulled up a website for it.

It is the only known vertebrae who almost lives entirely off of bone marrow. While it is a vulture, it mainly eats carcasses of dead animals. It picks the meat for its bone. When they do hunt, their main prey is tortoises. They fly them to a height of 200+ feet and drop them onto large rocks...

In look, it’s mainly white, however it bathes in dust to give itself the signature red...

She stared at the letter. Slowly she picked around the wax, trying to keep it as undamaged as possible. Kasie opened the envelope. Inside was a piece of expensive paper and a silver coin. She didn’t recognize the design of it, it was larger than a quarter. It had the same vulture head on one side, on the back was a school looking building. Trees surrounded it. The letter was folded crisply, a stamp of the bird was on it. Kasie thought she smelled something floral. She brought it to her nose and sniffed. She couldn’t place it, but it was definitely something her mom would recognize. She had a few candles that smelled like this. She opened the letter, it was written in smooth black ink, handwritten instead of printed. She leaned back in her chair and began to read.

Dear Sir or Madam,

It has come to our attention that your residence is along the path of the dimensional crack. We have sent a soldier out to greet you and let you know the dangers you will be facing. We are a group that is working to fight and slow down the crack.

The crack is a tear in the dimensions. We do not know what caused this to happen. For the last fifteen years, we have been battling the monsters that come out of the crack, as well as keeping as many people alive as possible. When the tear grows bigger and comes into your towns, the monsters that follow are disguised as natural disasters. Only my group have the ability to see what they really are. A few examples, should you disbelieve me:

- 2011 Tornado outbreak across the states of Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Arkansas and Virginia. Total death toll: 346.

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