Soul Wipe by Tahira Iqbal

2 YEARS AGO - ON THE WAY TO SOUTHGREENS

The star ran in the forest, darting through the darkness, he picked out his path easily. Following the startled deer, his strides easily caught up with it. Goading it, he ushered it into the direction he wanted it to go in. The road.

The deer billowed and cried as it realised that this was no ordinary human, its body glowed with a light it had never seen the colour of before, shadowy features were hidden amongst the stark white light that emanated from its skin. Terror leapt through its system as it crashed headlong into bushes that cut through into its flesh.

The deer hurtled onto the road. Seconds later, intense light filled its vision, with an ache that it had never felt before, bones broke and internal organs were seared with pain as it collided with something heavy and cold.

The star watched as the car twisted and turned down the road, the deer coming to a skidding halt, hurtling down the road on its side. Safe in the knowledge that he was alone, he stepped out into the road, his body illuminating the space around him. Devoid of human features right now, he kneeled by the animal. Dying breaths greeted him as he heard the car crash to a halt further down the road.

Grabbing one of the beast’s legs, he pulled the animal back into the forest. Ignoring the cries of agony that were leaving its torn throat.

* * *

Jaxon awoke with a start in the bashed and broken car. Coughing his way back into life, he realised that things had gone to plan. He just hadn’t banked on feeling like shit in order to achieve his goal.

Pushing the door with effort, which was heavily damaged, he dropped onto the road. Oh fuck. His body hurt in more ways than he could ever imagine. Spitting glass from his cut mouth, he assessed. He had done some damage to his head, blood was reeling into his eyes.

Brushing it away, he bit back the stinging and straightened up. He didn’t have long.

The road was moonlit now, enough to make out Cassidy. He stumbled around to her side, aware that the road was wet with rain. His strength coming back as he realised the fight ahead.

He checked that she was alive, her dying right now would equal a major spanner in the works. Satisfied as he spied the gentle heaves of her chest, he realised that she’d been hurt pretty bad. Blood poured from various harsh cuts, including one on her forehead.

Shit.

Steeling himself, he unhooked the seatbelt and pulled her out. Gathering her into his arms, he walked as best as he could further up the road.

His legs wobbled, and then finally gave way about 100 yards or so later. Plus Cassidy was stirring back into life.

Jaxon, shakily, ran into the dense hedges that lined the road. Hunkering down, he watched.

She sat up, spitting blood. His eyes picked out the detail in her. She was terrified, and called for him. She sounded desperate and oh so afraid. A lost emotion poured through him. He loved her. He did. He didn’t wish her harm. But she was chosen.

She was up, wobbling along the road, still calling for him. He bit his lip as he realised the confusion and anguish that she must be feeling. It would last for years.

Jaxon focussed on his mission. Moving further into the woodland, picking out the forest in the dense dark as best as he could, he ran for nearly five minutes straight, and then skidding to a halt in a clearing, he realised he had come to the end of his life. For now at least.

In the middle of the clearing lay the deer. The deer that had hit their car. Battered, bloody and dying, Jaxon went to it. He searched the space, the star’s light bled down from above. Guiding him.

“You chose a deer?” Jaxon wiped the blood from his eyes, “A fucking deer?! Are you out of your mind?” A soft, pained groan escaped the beast as it entered the last few minutes of its life.

Placing his hands on the belly of the animal, Jaxon pressed.
“For fucks sake,”

Uttering words that the star had taught him, Jaxon called the soul of the deer, and his own. And parting himself from his body, he freed the dying deer. A sweeping, lazy, sense of dizziness crept through Jaxon. It started from his feet, crawling into his gut. His vision swam, and his heart stopped cold. Panicking as he realised he wasn’t breathing any more, he resisted the urge to cry. He had to be strong. The star knew what it was doing. Trust. It was all about trust.

With no theatrics or drama, the deer died, and Jaxon’s corporeal form slumped to the forest floor.

A gentle thump in his chest indicated that his heart had restarted. Getting up, Jaxon called the star to heal him. And it did. The ripped muscles, broken bones, the torn skin healed. Jaxon’s soul was now inside the deer.

Rearing up, Jaxon tested his new body. Connecting his gaze with the star as it entered the clearing, they realised that they had succeeded in their mission.

The star moved to Jaxon’s body, and pulling him up, the star headed towards the road. Imbued with hope, the star walked. Jaxon stumbled along behind him, quickly getting used to his new legs.

* * *

Watching and waiting, Jaxon saw the star place his body back into the car. Cassidy lay unconscious beside the vehicle.

The star resisted the chance to advance his schedule, she was asleep, he could... No. He had patience, and he had to call on it. Otherwise years of planning would be wasted.

Cassidy would be given a gift, and in return, she would give anything to keep it. It would take 2 years and he would call on that patience that many had called a curse. But he had it. And he would not fail.

* * *

The star watched from high above in the night sky. Cassidy was being ushered into a waiting ambulance. She was sobbing, devastated cries as she realised that she had lost her husband.

He turned his gaze to body of Jaxon being placed onto a stretcher, then covered as people began the task of understanding why this accident had happened.

They would find reason, understanding, even Cassidy would. But his truth would never be known. Everything had changed for her. And she was more powerful that she could ever imagine. The key, the solution. His answer.

The star would take care of her, and show her the way. It would be painful. But in the end, she would ultimately respect him. And from there... The star smiled.

The star heard a rustling in the bushes below. It was the deer.

It reared up, and connected his gaze with the star’s.
“Good,” Said the star to Jaxon, “Good,”
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COPYRIGHT - TAHIRA IQBAL - 2006