DISCLAIMER: The Sentinel and its characters are the property of Paramount Studios and Pet Fly Productions. These stories are offered for the enjoyment of the fans. No money has exchanged hands.
Howling Moon by Wildeskind and Captain Outrageous
.
Blair froze and tried to keep calm. Adrenaline made his heart pump harder, causing his arm to throb. He noted detachedly that even though his arm was throbbing, he couldn't actually feel any pain. Looking around, he searched for something to defend himself. His eyes were captured by the pale blue eyes of the wolf. A low snarl escaped the black lips. Blair snarled back. He was not backing down.
A whistle split the air. Looking past him, the wolf backed down, his ears popping up. A husky voice came from behind him.
"Sasha. Long time, no see."
It was the voice that had haunted his dreams for the first year of college. He turned and watched as a slender form appeared from the inky blackness. The heart-shaped face had lost its baby fat, but the body was still sweetly curved. A long tendril of black hair waved in the gentle breeze, untouched by time. Her name escaped his lips. "Miriam."
She boldly strode to him and grabbed him, her strong hands curling into his shoulders as her lips descended on his. Unwilling to submit, he responded in kind, his lips devouring her mouth. The battle was intense, each feeding off the other's passion. His tongue teased the smooth seam of her lips, demanding entrance. Her lips parted to capture his tongue. The kiss seemed to last forever as they fought for dominance.
Miriam pulled back, her breath harsh. Blair licked his lips to capture the last taste of her. He was caught off-guard when her soft hand connected with his cheek with a sharp crack. He bit his tongue.
"Ow! Wad was dat for?"
Miriam tossed her hair over her shoulder. "That was for waiting for so long to come back into my life."
"And the kiss?" He ducked as her hand came up, but she only patted his other cheek gently.
"That was for old times' sake." Her fingers tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear. "Why did you wait so long?"
He reached up and captured her hand, turned it over and deposited a soft kiss on the palm. "We didn't part on the best of terms. You said you never wanted to hear from me again."
Her fingers clutched his palm. "I lied. Women are supposed to say that when you abandon them."
Blair pulled away from her, dropping her hand. "I didn't abandon you. I had to go to college. People were depending on me. I had those scholarships and everything" He waved his hand as if the answer was self-evident.
"No one was depending on you going to college. Your mother wouldn't have minded if you hadn't gone and there wasn't anyone else. You belonged here."
Frustration boiled up within him. They had had this argument a decade earlier. Miriam hadn't understood his need to learn and the need to find his peers. She had thought the call of the open road would be too strong for him to resist. It almost had been. But he had a hunger for knowledge, to find out about things, why they were the way they were. The voice inside his head had whispered to him to go, that college would be where he would find his answers. "It wouldn't have worked. We were both too young. I wanted to go to college, to get my degree."
Miriam sniffed. "Your degree. You didn't need a degree for people to know how smart you were. You were scared."
"Scared? Pu-lease. I saw you and Titus that night. You were just stringing me along. Your feminine ego was bruised because I left you first."
She frowned, her eyes puzzled. "What are you talking about? There wasn't anything going on with me and Titus."
"That's not what I remember. I remember seeing you and Titus going at it hot and heavy." The image of her wrapped in Titus's muscular embrace sent a shaft a pain through him as if it was yesterday. "It was you who didn't want me."
She stomped her foot. "I don't know what you thought you saw, but I have never kissed Titus in my whole life. He's an overbearing bully, and he smells like those lions of his." She pulled something out of her pocket and threw it at him. "Here. I've been waiting for ten years to give this to you!"
Blair automatically caught it. It was a beaten metal charm strung on a piece of leather with the fur still clinging to one side. He lifted the charm toward the light. The form of a howling wolf stared back at him in the dim light. "Why are you giving me this?" The cold metal warmed in his hands.
"I was supposed to give it to you ten years ago, but you ran off." She tossed her hair back, her stance challenging. "I promised Mama I would give it to you and now I have."
Blair rubbed the charm with his thumb, automatically protesting the accusation. "I didn't run off. I went to college. You run away to join the circus, not to leave it."
"This is a carnival, not a circus. We have rides." She took a step closer to Blair, her show of temper temporarily banked. "Do you like it?"
He nodded, still fascinated by the dull metal. Weighing it in his hand he figured it was either lead or iron. "Yeah, I like it. Thanks."
Her fingers closed over the charm in his hand, breaking the spell. "You have to wear it for its magic to work."
"Magic?" His heart rate sped up as she took another step closer. She had always had this effect on him.
"Of course magic. It's for protection. Did you expect anything less of a gift from a gypsy fortune teller?" She gently pulled the leather band out of his grasp.
"I didn't think your Mom was a real gypsy." He licked his lips, trying to get rid of the tingling sensation.
Miriam smiled as she placed the leather band around his neck. "Of course she's a real gypsy. And as her daughter, that makes me a gypsy too." She pulled him closer until her mouth was next to his ear. "You never want to anger a gypsy. Do you know why?"
Blair gave a small shake of his head, unable to speak. The world spun around him, and his whole body began to ache.
"Because we know all the best curses."
Act II
"Hey, watch out!"
Jim turned around just in time to grab the flying projectile aimed at his head. With a flip of his wrist, he sent the Frisbee back to group of teenagers hanging out at the fringe of the crowd. Nearby a baby cried and a child screamed with delight. The smell of hot fat and popcorn hung in the night air as carnival goers let loose in the darkness.
Jim looked over the crowd, searching for a familiar curly head. Spotting Simon, he waved his arm to catch his attention. Simon acknowledged the wave with a gesture. Pushing his way through the crush of people, Jim continued to look for Blair.
Simon handed Jim the cup of lemonade. "Where's Sandburg?"
"That's what I was wondering. He wandered off an hour ago. I thought he wanted to catch up with some old friends. I take it you haven't seen him." He did another scan of the area, careful to keep the dials relatively low. The last thing he needed to do was zone-out on the flashing lights. He put his hand on Simon's arm, ignoring the captain's startled look. Closing his eyes against the distracting lights, he stretched out his senses. He heard his partner's voice off to the right. He opened his eyes and followed the sound to a scarlet tent covered in gold stars and silver moons. Letting go of Simon's arm, he strode to the tent with Simon hot on his heels.
A sign on the outside proclaimed that Madame Mysteria was communing with the spirits and would be back when the signs were favorable. Concentrating briefly, Jim picked up the scent of Blair's unique mixture of aftershave and shampoo. Jim could hear his voice even through the heavy canvas walls, telling what sounded like the end of a joke or story. "When the moon is full, the wolf will howl."
A light, husky laugh made the hair on his arms stand on end. It was a laugh that brought to mind rumpled sheets and hot summer nights. He glanced at Simon, who looked equally surprised and intrigued. Jim chuckled.
There was a pause in the conversation. Sandburg poked his head outside the tent flaps. "Jim! Simon! Come in, I have someone I'd like you to meet!"
As he entered the tent, the heavy scent of incense tickled the back of Jim's throat. The tent was dim after the bright artificial lights, lit by two kerosene lanterns on either side of the door. Madame Mysteria's back was to the door, her flowing robes outlining slender shoulders before cascading to the floor, a gold turban topping the ensemble. In front of her was a round table covered by a soft back velvet cloth. A geode with large crystals and a deck of tarot cards sat in the middle of the table. One bejeweled hand rose imperiously, a ruby pinky ring catching the light from the glass lantern on the side table. Sandburg jumped to help the Madame to her feet.
Sweeping aside her long skirts, she turned, revealing a face marked by experience and time. Raven black eyebrows slashed over flashing black eyes. She wasn't beautiful, but there was a magnetic quality about her. Holding out her free hand, she smiled, transforming her face from stern to mischievous. "Ah, you are the Ellison Sasha has been talking about."
Jim looked at Sandburg. "Sasha?"
Blair blushed. "It was my nickname from when Naomi and I lived with the carnival."
Madame Mysteria ruffled his curls. "My Miriam thought Blair was too feminine a name for such a handsome young man."
Simon chuckled. "Blair was too feminine?"
Sandburg's glare promised retribution for anything further said on the subject. Jim made a mental note to 'accidentally' call Sandburg Sasha at the precinct.
Trying to break the tension, Simon asked. "Who's Miriam?"
Sandburg jumped on the change of subject. "Miriam Blackstone is Madame M's daughter. We hung out together. She did a trained dog act here with the carnival when I was with the show. Now she owns five of the concession stands."
Madame Mysteria nodded. "She has done very well for herself. Now if she would only settle down and give me some grandchildren. You'd think in ten years she would find someone, but no, she works and works and works. Pretty soon she will be too old and then where will I be?"
The curtain at the entrance parted. "You'll be here reading fortunes to gajos and taking their money, where else?"
Miriam was a tall and lean woman, with heavy dark curls tumbling around her oval face. She had the same sweeping eyebrows and flashing brown eyes as Madame Mysteria. A loose white peasant blouse hung on her generous shoulders, over a colorful green skirt. A maroon vest skimmed over a tiny waist and slender hips. Her movements were graceful and sensual at the same time. Jim could taste the male hormones released into the air at her arrival. He watched as Sandburg moved to greet her.
"Mir, I have some people I want you to meet." While he made the introductions, Jim watched their body language. Sandburg lightly touched her arm; she leaned into the contact. Sandburg moved infinitesimally closer, his thumb stroking the soft white skin of her wrist. The movement fascinated the Sentinel, the rough pad of the digit contrasting the ultra smooth surface of her arm.
Jim was pulled back from a near zone by Sandburg's voice. "... and this is Jim Ellison, my best friend and roommate. Jim, say hi to Miriam."
"Hi." He shook her hand, his face heating with embarrassment. Aside from the pointed look his partner gave him, no one else seemed to have caught his lapse of attention.
"Hi. Sasha has told me a lot about you."
"He has?" The mystery of where Blair had disappeared to suddenly became clear. Looking into Miriam's lively brown eyes, he could understand why. What he couldn't understand was Sandburg's need for secrecy. After all this time, you would think he'd know he could trust me. He ignored the pang at the thought.
"Yes. What I can't understand is what a classy guy like yourself is doing hanging out with this ruffian." She tugged on one of the ruffian's brown curls.
Jim grinned. He liked this woman. "He has his moments. It got better after I housebroke him."
That got Sandburg's attention. "Housebroke! I protest, I object, I --"
Miriam elbowed him in the ribs. "You resemble that remark. As I remember it, you didn't know how to keep an elephant cage clean, much less a house."
Jim laughed. "He had to clean up after elephants? Oh, man, talk about shoveling a load of..." Simon cleared his throat. Jim continued without missing a beat. "... manure. I thought the closest you got to wildlife was that monkey you had."
Miriam laughed. "A monkey? We always thought you were a monkey's uncle. Now we have proof. I want to meet this monkey."
Blair held up his hands, mock panic on his face. "Larry? No relation, no relation at all. He was just visiting me for awhile. Jim actually had a closer relationship with him."
Jim rolled his eyes, recognizing the reference to Sandburg's long ago Neanderthal comment. "As I remember, I was the one who threw him out. What happened to Larry, anyway?"
"I think he became a network executive. All that TV watching finally paid off."
"With the stuff you were showing him?"
Madame Mysteria patted Sandburg's cheek like a fond mother. "I would love to entertain your friends all night, Sasha, but it is a Friday night and I have work to do. Perhaps we could get together again another time?"
Sandburg covered her hand with his own. "Of course. I'll be here tomorrow for breakfast. Is that soon enough?"
Madame M. laughed at his shameless flirting. "Yes, I think so. Now get out of here and take Miriam with you. She hasn't ridden the rides in ages."
"That's not my fault."
Miriam looked at him sideways. "You were the one who left."
"I left because I had a future. I wasn't leaving you, I was going to college. That's what I wanted."
"And what do you want now?"
Blair opened his mouth and shut it.
Simon coughed. "Well, I can hear those ride calling us. Right, boys?" He pulled a pamphlet out of his pocket. "Anyone up for the Wheel of Terror?"
There were noises of agreement from the group. As they filed out, the seer grabbed Jim's arm, holding him back. Her eyes locked with his. "Stay for a minute, Mr. Ellison."
Blair poked his head back in. "Jim, are you coming?"
He couldn't look away from the gypsy woman's brown eyes. There was a subtle pleading in them. "I'll catch up with you guys later, Chief."
"'Okay, but don't be too long. We're going to hit the Pharaoh's Fury sometime tonight." He winked, waved at Madame M., and left.
The older woman let go of Jim's arm and seated herself at the table. He sat down across from her, his eyes drawn to the geode sitting between him. The purple crystals caught the light of the lanterns and scattered it through the tent. He watched as she pulled a deck of oversized cards from a silk-lined wooden box. She shuffled them thoroughly and held them out to him.
He didn't touch them. "What is this? "
Her mouth quirked as she grinned mischievously. "It's a snake."
"I don't need my fortune told." His voice was sharp. He wasn't annoyed, precisely. The cards made him nervous. Being a modern day Sentinel, having seen real ghosts and received psychic visions didn't allow much room for disbelief. Still, there was a difference between believing in the supernatural and actively participating. He didn't think he was going to find the answers in some pieces of painted paper.
"Humor an old lady. Shuffle the deck, keeping in mind a question." Her words were teasing, but the look on her face told him he wasn't getting out of there without offending her. Since Sandburg obviously adored her, he decided to play along. "Fine, okay." He reached for the cards.
She held them back. "Do you have a question?"
He thought about it. What he really wanted to know was what was going on with Sandburg. Keeping the question firmly in mind, he held out his hand for the cards, shuffling them awkwardly. Not like dealing for a hand of poker here. After a couple of shuffles, he handed them back to the gypsy lady.
She dealt the top card. Six goblets marched up and down in two rows with a vine twining between them. "Six of Cups. This card represents the past. Perhaps an incident, which happened in the past, is coming back to haunt you. Has an old friend or lover come to visit you?"
"No. Not recently. Look, you don't have to do this..." The words trailed off as she shot him a severe look. "No, no one close." He thought of Miriam. Could that be the reason Sandburg was so jumpy? Except he had been on edge before he knew the carnival was in town. He gave himself a mental shake. This was just a bunch of hocus pocus. He watched as the second card was revealed. It was a man standing in front of a table with strange instruments on it. The Roman numeral one was on the top of the card and the word 'Magician'. The card was upside-down.
Madame Mysteria nodded. "Ah, the Magician. He is a traveler and a performer. His knowledge of the arcane is legend and he can be a wise advisor of the mystic. However, here he is shown in reverse. This may indicate he is abusing his power and is seeking to trick you or someone close to you. You should be wary of him."
He nodded, now a little suspicious. Was she trying to warn him about Sandburg? It angered him that someone who pretended to be Sandburg's friend would try something like this. "You know, I really do have to catch up with the others." He started to rise, but her hand grabbed his, holding him.
"I just have one more card. Aren't you curious what it is?"
Jim rolled his eyes. "The death card?"
She flipped the last card. It was also upside-down, with a picture of a moon with two buildings on either side. There was a wolf next to one building and a dog next to the other. They were sitting on a hill bisected by a path. On the path, a crustacean crawled towards the canines. "The Moon card. An unseen enemy is seeking to harm you. If you keep your wits about you, you can defeat him. The answer may come during the night. Pay attention to your dreams."
Jim shoved the cards away from him. "Look, I don't know why you're doing this, but I don't appreciate it. Sandburg and I came here to have fun. There are no plots against us or hidden enemies waiting to trap us. No one is trying to put a hex on us. All we want to do is relax and enjoy the carnival."
Madame Mysteria shook her head and sighed. "I am doing this for Sasha. I sense that something is happening and he cannot find his way out. From what he told me, you are his best friend. All I want is for him to be happy. Talk to him. Find out what's wrong before it's too late." She seemed genuinely upset.
Jim wondered if he was being paranoid. He could feel Blair pulling away from him and his attraction to these people. He stood up. He needed to think about what she had said. "I'll try."
She smiled. "Sometimes, that's all it takes."
The loft was quiet after the noise of the carnival. Blair heard the jingle of the keys as they dropped into the basket. He slipped off his jacket, shivering a little in the coolness of the loft. Looking to Jim, he noticed the tiredness in his partner's sluggish movements and the relaxed lines of his face. There was a feeling of contentment to the silence. It feels good to be home.
Jim headed towards the bathroom as Blair shuffled into the kitchen. He turned on the burner beneath the teakettle and set out his and Jim's favorite mugs; he pulled out a box of sleepy time tea and dropped the bags into the mugs. Absent mindedly, he pulled out a small tin and pinched some herbs into one of the mugs. Replacing the tin in the cabinet, he yawned, waves of exhaustion flowing through his body. It wasn't going to take much to drop off to sleep tonight. He rubbed his injured arm, his eyes starting to close as he leaned his head against the cabinet. They popped open again when he heard the toilet flush. He didn't move as Jim joined him in the kitchen.
"Tea?"
"Yeah. Want some?"
"Sure."
Blair pushed himself upright long enough to ease himself onto a stool at the kitchen island. "Man, the thing nobody mentions is that a walk down memory lane can be soo exhausting. Even my bones ache. Must be old age catching up with me." He laid his head down on the counter, sprawling out like a rag doll. He heard Jim sit down across from him. A hand sifted through Blair's hair.
Blair looked up at his partner through a screen of curls. "What are you doing?"
"I'm looking for your gray hairs. With all your moaning and groaning about getting old, you have to have some gray hair hairs somewhere. Ah-ha!" His nimble fingers parted the thick strands of hair.
"What, what?" Blair grabbed his hand.
Jim chuckled. "Oh, nothing. It's just some fuzz."
"Ha-ha, very funny." The kettle gave a wavering whistle. Blair turned off the stove and poured the hot water, stirring in the right amount of sugar. Jim got up to retrieve two orange plastic bottles from the top of the refrigerator. Blair grimaced as Jim shook out a single pill from each of the hated containers.
Not bothering to wait for his cup to cool, Blair downed the pills with a sip of tea, hissing as the hot liquid burned his mouth.
Jim blew on his own drink before setting it down. He cupped his hands around the mug, his expression thoughtful. "What was in the basket?"
Blair looked at him puzzled. "Which basket?"
"The basket in your dream. What was in it?"
"I don't know, maybe the truth. It certainly had a bite to it." Blair rubbed his arm again, looking at Jim out of the corner of his eye. His partner was in a weird mood tonight.
"The truth about what?"
"I don't know. I couldn't see in the basket. What does it matter?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Then why did you ask?"
"I don't know. To get you to talk."
"I talk all day long, Jim." A thought struck Blair. "Is there something wrong with your senses? You were pretty quiet the last half of the night. Is it a headache?" He stood up.
Jim waved him down. "No, it's not my senses." He got up from his stool. "Look, maybe this was just a bad idea. I'm tired; you're tired. Go to bed and get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow." He left his untouched tea on the counter.
As he watched his friend trudge to the stairs, Blair felt he had let an opportunity slip through his fingers. Picking up Jim's cup, he called out to his friend. "Jim!"
The Sentinel turned easily on the balls of his feet, his eyes automatically scanning the room before settling back on Blair. "What?"
Blair walked over and pressed the warm mug into his hand. "I hear you, man. I'll let you know when I figure out what's in the basket. Okay?"
A slow smile spread across the older man's face that brightened his whole being. "Yeah, okay. Now get some sleep. You look like death warmed over."
"Oh, thanks. I'll try." Retrieving his mug from the counter, Blair retreated into his room.
Moonlight painted silver pictures of light and shadow through the dirty alley window as a gentle breeze pushed wispy clouds across the night sky. Blair shoved aside the brightly-patterned quilt as he sat up, blinking in the dim light. Plaid boxers rode up high on his hair-roughened thighs as he swung his legs over the edge of his bed. Stretching his arms above his head, the soft yellowed T-shirt molded to his muscular shoulders. The metal wolf charm dangling on a leather strap glinted on his chest. His curly hair drifted wildly around his face, strands catching on the dark beard on his jaw as he moved to the window, lifting his face up to the bright full moon. She stared down at him, a bank of clouds dancing around her, hiding her one second, revealing her the next. His deep blue eyes were hazy and unfocused. Reaching down, he tugged at the sash of the window absently. The window remained stubbornly closed. Pushing and pulling, he tried again and again to join the moon outside, ignoring the splinters that pricked his fingers. His hand brushed the lock, scraping his knuckles. Fumbling, he finally unlocked the window and escaped the close confines of his room. Laughing as the cool breeze caressed his skin, he clambered down the fire escape and into the night. Upstairs, Jim stirred, a frown tugging on his lips, but his eyes remained closed. His breathing was heavy, his mouth opening and closing, gulping air. On the nightstand next to him was an empty mug. Turning over, he hugged the blankets closer. For the next two hours he tossed and turned, unable to relax. Finally, the draft that had traveled through the loft was shut off. There was a muted creak of bedsprings and a familiar soft snore. Turning over one last time, the sentinel eased into a deeper, more restful sleep.
Back to the FPP Home Page
E-mail Faux Paws Productions.
If you experience any problems with this page, please contact
The Pagemaster.
This page last updated 10/31/00.