Raising a hand to rub the spot above her brow where the penny had struck her years ago, she was nearly thrown from the rail-car as it careened around the sharp turn. It seemed like the mother of all miracles that none of them had been ejected from the platform as the braking system engaged. The metal wheels screeched their protest and sparks showered from the rails as the car slowly ground to a stop.
Breathing a sigh of relief that none of them had been injured over the course of their brief, downhill ride, Katie jumped off the platform and helped Brian and Julie to the ground. During their descent, the rush of adrenaline coursing through their bodies had caused them to temporarily forget about the chill of the night air around them, but now that the boost of endorphins was beginning to wear off they were quickly reminded of this fact. Shivering, goosebumps dotting the landscape of her bare flesh as if she had just entered puberty and was covered with acne, Julie wrapped her arms tightly around her midsection.
With the urgency of their rapid departure behind them, Brian finally had a moment to gather his thoughts. As he began to relax, Julie’s nakedness registered in his mind and he quickly averted his eyes. After a few seconds passed, the touch of a hand on his arm startled him. Hesitantly, he turned his head slightly. “Oh, it’s you.” His relieved breath rushed from his lungs when he saw Katie standing beside him.
“If it’s not too much to ask, can I borrow your shirt for a little while? At least until we can find appropriate clothing for Julie?”
“Of course. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that,” he replied, hastily shedding his top and handing it to Katie.
“Thanks!” She managed to suppress her laughter, but not her grin. Even in the moonlight, which filtered through the trees at the edge of the tracks, Katie could tell the man was blushing. She couldn’t help but think how uncommon such a chivalrous act was back on Earth. That wasn’t her experience since coming to Desolace, though. Here, that type of thing seemed almost commonplace.
With chattering teeth, Julie thanked Katie for the shirt and slipped it on. Since she was a few inches shorter than Brian, the top hung slightly lower on her body, but not low enough to cover the tufts of her pubic hair. “I don’t suppose you have anything to cover my bottom half, do you?” The pleading look in her eyes echoed the question louder than the soft rasp of her voice, which was barely audible and sounded as if she had been gargling gravel or smoking cigarettes for about seventy years.
“Let me check our supplies.” Dropping a hand to her side, Katie fumbled for the bag she had taken with her when she and Brian had left town this morning. Frantically, she patted her hand around her belt line, thinking the supplies had shifted on their journey. It was gone! “Shit! Hang on a sec, Julie,” she said, her raised voice startling Brian.
His feet shuffled across the loose dirt beside the tracks as he strode toward them. “What’s wrong?”
“I lost our bag of supplies,” Katie admitted glumly. “Help me look for it. Maybe it flew over the side of the platform when we rounded that last corner.” She tried to remain hopeful, but the more she thought about it the less likely it seemed they would find the object. I’m not even sure I had it with me when we fled the room where we found Julie.
After canvassing the area near the bend in the tracks for nearly half an hour, Brian raised both of his palms to the sky as he shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe it fell from the car as we were coming down the hill,” he suggested.
“I hope so, Brian. I would hate to think that I somehow managed to forget it at the top,” she stated, exhaling sharply in exasperation, silently cursing herself for not paying attention.
“What’s done is done. I think it’s time we go check on Edward.” His lips pursed together in a tight-lipped smile that looked more like a grimace.
“Who?” Julie glanced at her best friend nervously.
Gently, Katie grasped Julie’s hand and urged her forward. “He’s a great guy, who also happens to be a wizard.”
***
Agitated that Amber had thwarted his plans for the hapless sorcerer, George angrily stalked back and forth between two buildings on the outskirts of the abandoned town as he considered a way to coax the woman’s spirit away from the human she guarded. As he continued pacing, the steady clack … thump, clack … thump, of metal on metal broke through the veil of silence that had lain over the town like a shroud.
The first thought which came to him was that the demons were returning to finish what they’d started, riding the flatbed train car as if it were a giant surfboard. It would be less work for him if that were the case, but George also remembered the Black Knight’s sneaky plot to have the creatures get rid of him. Drifting to the back side of the structure beside him, the one which faced the mountain, he quickly floated toward the inn.
When he arrived a few moments later, George glanced around in search of a hiding place. Within seconds he found the perfect camouflage. A shaft of moonlight shimmered off of the pile of corpses stacked against the rear wall of the inn. The illumination would disguise the presence of his glowing form well enough to mask him from anyone who casually glanced in his direction. Quickly, he slipped behind the wall of dead bodies and defunct cyborgs, crouching low to remain unseen and still allow him to view the area surrounding the tracks.
Looking on with great anticipation, George caught a quick glimpse of the rail-car as it sped around the bend at the bottom of the hill. Immediately afterward, he heard a loud, screeching noise as someone applied the brakes. Tiny showers of sparks were visible through the foliage until the platform came to a stop. Tensely, he watched, waiting for the surge of demons to appear.
After what seemed like an eternity, his excitement grew. It wasn’t a horde of foul creatures that strode into view, but three humans. It was difficult to tell from this distance, but one of them looked very familiar. As he continued to study the small group, George realized why. Though the blonde woman appeared to be emaciated beyond what any normal human could survive, the sight of her jarred his memory. It’s that skinny blonde bitch that used to ride my bus! When I gave her to the supervisor at The Factory, I assumed I would never see her face again. Once George realized who she was, he turned his attention to the dark haired woman beside her. I know her, too! If he would have had hands to rub together, they would have been doing so now, vigorously. It felt almost as if the Black Knight had dropped the two girls in his lap as a gift. Playtime is coming soon, my dears. A wicked grin suffused his misty features as he contemplated the return to his former glory.
***
Before entering the inn to check on Edward, Katie veered over toward the mechanical horses. At first, Julie didn’t realize what the darkened shapes were that they approached, but as the moon above them crept from behind a cloud her eyes grew wide in panic, vaguely recalling a hazy memory of the metal creatures. She shook her head violently, digging her feet into the dusty ground as she attempted to backpedal and pull Katie away from the monstrosities.
Jerked off balance, Katie spun to face her and saw the sheer terror in her eyes. “Relax, Julie,” she whispered, briefly recalling the first time she had encountered the beasts and how it had made her feel. “They won’t harm you.” Again, Katie tugged gently on her friend’s hand, but even in her weakened condition Julie didn’t budge. Even though she wore nothing except the shirt from Brian’s back, Julie began to sweat.
How am I going to convince her that the horses aren’t a threat to her? She rolled the question around in her mind for a few seconds when suddenly the solution presented itself. Since Julie’s palms were slick with perspiration, Katie attempted to withdraw her hand. “Let go,” Katie scolded in a harsh whisper when she failed to slip her friend’s clammy grasp. Julie shook her head again in vehement refusal.
Well, plan A didn’t work. Now, I need to come up with a plan B. It was a good thing that she could normally think fast when situations like this arose. Glancing toward the inn, she saw the shirtless shaman waiting impatiently by the door. “Hey, B
rian. I need a favor,” she called out softly, beckoning him toward her with her broken hand.
Walking over, he stopped beside Katie and bent an expectant ear to her lips. She whispered her plan to him as quietly as she could, hoping that Julie couldn’t hear what was being said. When Katie was finished, Brian nodded his head and straightened. With a quick glance toward the frightened woman, he spun on his heel and approached the nearest horse.
A cracked scream erupted from Julie’s throat and her eyes bulged from their sockets, her jaw dropping in disbelief. “What are you doing? Get away from it … please! Those things are evil!”
Within arms' reach of the creature, Brian stopped. Turning his head to face Julie, his lips turned upward in a smile as he extended his arm and placed a hand on the mechanical steed. When nothing happened, Julie’s expression changed; lines appeared on her forehead, her eyebrows furrowed, and her mouth hung open. She couldn’t explain why, but she had been sure the creature would attack. “See, there is nothing to fear,” Brian remarked, patting the metal horse to emphasize his point.
Gently, Katie tried again, lightly pulling her friend toward her. “It’s okay.” She smiled, continuing to coax Julie along.
Even after witnessing what Brian had done, Julie was not entirely convinced that the creature was safe to approach. She dragged her feet in the dirt to slow her progress, but continued moving forward. Maybe if I take my time it will reveal its true nature. Sweat seemed to gush from her pores as the distance between them grew shorter and shorter. Still, nothing happened to confirm her fears. Or, maybe by walking slowly I am keeping it from noticing my presence and getting spooked. It was a crazy thought, but suddenly she was determined to test her hypothesis. Without warning, Julie released Katie’s hand and darted, if that was what you called her accelerated, gimpy gate, toward the metallic creature.
“What the …” Katie gasped in shock as her friend rushed by.
The only reaction from the beast was the silent swivel of one head. A lone red glow regarded Julie with indifference. She tried to brace herself for impact, but her limbs weren’t working the way they should have. With her arms only halfway raised, she slammed into the side of the mechanical steed and her feet flew out from beneath her, causing a small dust cloud as she landed hard on her butt. The creature didn’t budge, and though she found it hard to believe, made no move to attack any of them.
“What was all that about?” Brian laughed, bending down to offer his hand to Julie. As Katie joined them, she let out a soft, exasperated sigh and shrugged her shoulders.
Once on her feet again, Julie brushed herself off and hung her head. She didn’t know why she felt ashamed, especially considering the horrors she had endured during her time on Desolace, but somehow she did. She should have believed Katie when she’d told her the machines were harmless.
When she didn’t reply, Brian put a finger under her chin and gently raised her head to face him. Streaks of tears blazed crooked paths down her dirty cheeks. Not sure what had prompted them, he did the only thing he could think of. “It’s okay. Everything will be all right,” he remarked in a soothing tone, wrapping his arms lightly around her in a comforting hug.
Behind them, Katie rummaged through the one remaining saddle bag after removing it from behind the saddle. Pulling the only useful item she could find from it, she approached Julie and tapped lightly on her shoulder. Her face was buried in Brian’s scrawny chest, but she turned her head toward Katie.
With a weak smile, Katie held up a ragged piece of cloth, which was a remnant of their time on future Earth. Separating herself from Brian’s embrace, she regarded Katie with a puzzled expression. “What’s that for?”
Though Julie’s voice was a barely audible croak, she understood perfectly. “I’ll show you.” She smiled. Bending down, Katie wrapped the strip of cloth around her friend’s waist and knotted the ends together on her hip. Standing up, she took a step back to admire her handiwork and grinned. “Voila! Now you have a skirt to match your fashionable top,” Katie announced dramatically. For the first time since their departure from Cemetery Hill, Julie’s face lit up with a smile.
“I don’t suppose there was another shirt in that bag, was there?” Brian raised an eyebrow questioningly.
“No such luck. Maybe we can find something to replace it after we rejoin Edward in the inn,” Katie suggested. “If not, perhaps Jack will loan you some of his fur.”
“Ha, ha. Very funny,” he commented sarcastically, shivering as the night breeze picked up slightly.
Turning her eyes on the darkened building, Katie wondered how Edward had fared in their absence. She had almost expected to see light coming from one or more of the windows, but there was none. Suddenly, it felt as if there was a rock sitting in her stomach, as if her guts were trying to tell her that there was something drastically wrong. Driven by her intuition, Katie launched into a sprint, dreading what she would find when she burst through the door.
Confused, Brian froze in place as he watched Katie dart toward the structure, wondering what had suddenly lit a fire in her. He cringed as she flung herself into the door, slamming it open with her body and nearly knocking it from its hinges. In a matter of seconds, screams pierced the night air.
***
Katie blasted through the doorway and her feet skidded out from beneath her on the slippery floor. As a result, she tumbled through the air for a moment, every limb flailing the air in search of something to break her fall. For a split second she caught a glimpse of something on the floorboards in front of her. Though its shape told her that it was human, the instant before she crashed on top of it Katie realized it wasn’t moving to get out of her way. With a bone crunching thud she landed on the object, which turned out to be a block of ice. Broken shards skittered across the floor in every direction as her weight pulverized the frozen form, reminding her of when Edward had turned the invading zombies pouring from Outpost 13 into blocks of ice. Blocks that Jack had immediately destroyed with his powerful claws. As she sat up and shook off the force of her fall, an agonized scream resounded from nearby.
“Nooooooo! Mother!” From the veil of the protective bubble he’d hidden inside of, Edward emerged.
Chapter 15
As he patiently waited for his opportunity, George watched the trio walk toward him then disappear around the side of the building. For a few seconds, he considered following them. Especially after discovering who the two girls were, the students from his bus that would have blown the whistle on his activities had he not taken matters into his own hands. The desire for revenge swirled like a storm cloud in his mind. The feeling was so overwhelming that it nearly blotted out all other thoughts, but deep inside he knew if he rushed blindly ahead to quench his fury, something terrible would happen. As difficult as it was, he had to restrain himself. There would be plenty of other chances to sate his vengeance. It was just a matter of time.
A scream from within the structure brought him out of the vortex of his thoughts. He wasn’t positive, but it had sounded like the wizard. There were a few possibilities that suggested themselves to George regarding Edward’s outburst, and each one brought a huge grin to his misty features.
Feeling it would be best to keep his distance from the small group—at least for a while, long enough for them to grow confident in his absence—George turned his attention toward the platform resting on the railroad tracks, wondering if there were more potential victims for him to toy with where the rail-car had come from.
***
Startled by the sudden scream, Katie scrambled backward, sending shards of the frozen woman skittering across the floorboards. As she attempted to flee the potential threat, Edward stepped from the darkness as if a magician had waved a wand and caused him to reappear. The look on his tormented face gave him the appearance of someone who had gone insane. Katie wasn’t entirely sure how to react, especially since it seemed like he was looking right through her instead of at her; almost as if his mind couldn’t comprehen
d that she was really in front of him, like she was an illusion or a hallucination. Behind her, the door flew open again.
“What’s going—” Brian’s question died in his throat. As moonlight framed his and Julie’s bodies in the open doorway, he gazed in horror at the carnage before him. A coppery scent hung in the air, reminding him of the stench he associated with slaughterhouses, causing his stomach to lurch. If he had been there moments before, when Katie had accidentally crushed the icy form of Edward’s mother, he would have likely been vomiting uncontrollably.
Falling to his knees, Edward scooped up one of the ice chunks, one that contained what remained of Victoria’s face, it’s features frozen in agonized terror. Ignoring the others, he stroked her rigid, icicle-like strands of hair. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he wailed with grief. “Why couldn’t you have stayed home in Elysia?”
As Edward continued to sob, Katie slowly crawled toward him. When she was beside him, she gently placed an arm on his shoulder. Feeling his body trembling beneath her touch as she hugged him, he still seemed to be unaware of her presence. Glancing toward Brian and Julie, she wondered if there was anything at all that would comfort Edward. Katie didn’t want to think about letting his grief run its course. It could be days, maybe even weeks, before that would happen and she knew they didn’t have time for it. A flash of the forgotten bag in Cemetery Hill floated through her mind, a grim reminder of just how little time they had. They needed to get their wits about them and get the hell out of this town before something came down the hill after them. It was at that moment when Katie realized something else was off.
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