Count to Ten

by Mark Ayre

  “I needed a follower in that centre circle,” said Mercury to Liz. She tried to remain audible over the howling winds, chanting voices. Not so loud that Heidi could overhear. “If I could rip them in half as I did with Ian in the woods, maybe I could disintegrate the host.”

  She pointed behind her but didn’t look. Calling Kayla the host, rather than by name was intentional. Although Kayla was almost certainly doomed, Mercury’s plan involved killing her and leaving Xyla never to know her mother. Such a realisation could paralyse.

  Remembering what Amira had said about winning wars, she determined to ignore the thought.

  “The ritual will rise her again,” said Norton.

  “Only if there’s a body,” said Mercury.

  For a second, Norton looked confused. Then, it clicked.

  “How long do we have?”

  “What does that matter? There’s no followers left. The chanters can’t be used. It’s over. Mega demon will rise.”

  “Actually,” said Liz. “You still have a follower.” She raised her arms as if to say Ta Da. What she actually said was. “You have me.”

  Sixty

  Some weeks ago, Liz had seen Amira into the operating theatre, where surgeons would repair the wound they had tended so few hours before, and rushed to Mercury’s house, unsure what was required of her.

  Upon arriving, she had found the door buckled from its hinges, the body of Dominic in the living room. Appearing as if from nowhere, Mercury had explained. Her boyfriend had been possessed, necessitating execution. As Liz tried to process this twist, Mercury had grabbed her by the throat, hoisted her from the ground, and announced herself as Heidi.

  “Pleased to meet you,” she had said. Liz assumed her life had seconds to run.

  She was wrong. Heidi would not kill but destroy her. Her torment would last months rather than seconds.

  “More than murder, she loves games,” Liz told Mercury. “Like Laars, my blood was infected without acceptance. I feel no devotion to Heidi but surrender my humanity daily. I murdered a man. From here, it only gets worse.”

  Mercury stared at Liz. Time was of the essence, but comprehension evaded her. In aid of speeding the process, Liz withdrew and presented the remaining demon-killing blade.

  “If you let me live, I’ll kill again. I’m slipping into darkness, and all I want is a hero’s death. For that, I fear this is my final chance. Help me turn Heidi’s game against her.”

  “I can’t kill you.”

  “Don’t condemn the world for false morals,” said Liz. “You’re not ending my life but saving my soul.”

  Before Mercury could respond, Liz entered the innermost circle, experiencing the blinding light. By now, the black smoke had engulfed Kayla. Little time remained. Heart pounding, she approached the edge of the silver symbol.

  Breaking from the monster, tendrils of black smoke became Tom and Victor. Tom bowed before Victor began beating him to death. Mercury had arrived. The way she stared at the apparitions told Liz she saw an alternate vision.

  “Time’s up, Merc.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Set us free,” said Liz. “Grant me a hero’s death and release Kayla. You did what was necessary with your mum and boyfriend. Don’t let Kayla’s body be used.”

  Breathing deep, saving the self-loathing for later, Mercury nodded, approached. Much as it hurt, she was ready.

  Into the inner circle came Heidi, holding Amira. She had figured out their plan.

  “Lose the knife,” said Heidi, “or I’ll break Amira’s neck.”

  “Save the world,” said Amira.

  “I won’t ask twice.”

  Liz remained silent in despair. That Heidi would kill Amira, either way, meant nothing. Amira had almost given her life to save Mercury. Mercury could not condemn her, no matter what it might mean.

  To Liz, she said, “Sorry.”

  She drew back the knife. Liz wouldn’t get there in time. The gun would not be as effective, but she had to try.

  Into the final circle burst a madman. Though he must have been blinded, as had everyone, when he jumped, his aim was good. Shocked, Heidi loosened her grip on Amira.

  As Trey landed on the monster’s back, Amira slid free and raced towards Mercury.

  “Do it.”

  Mercury held the knife.

  Facing her, Liz nodded.

  Already, Heidi had cast Trey aside. Roaring with bestial fury, she charged.

  Liz: “Now.”

  Screaming with regret, Mercury drove the blade’s point into the top centre of Liz’s chest. With Heidi’s residual strength, she yanked the knife to Liz’s midriff, splitting her almost in two before retreating.

  Weaponising the blood infected by Heidi, Liz dived into the symbol, wrapping her arms around the smoke covered Kayla.

  Closing her eyes, she clung on. Knowing they were victorious, she managed to smile.

  Slipping away, she died a hero.

  Sixty-One

  Knowledge of his inability to kill or even maim Heidi did not induce a second of hesitation in Trey as he attacked. In the medical tent, he had mapped the rest of his life. He would attack Heidi until she killed him, or by some miracle, he killed her. If he died on attempt one, saving Amira would make it worthwhile.

  In seconds she cast him aside. Rather than attack in retaliation, thus marking him as an equal, she went for Mercury, Amira and Liz.

  At first offended to be dismissed as though no more than a fly, irritating but easily ignored, he found solace upon seeing Mercury slice open Liz. Upon watching the recovering police officer dive for the symbol.

  Heidi was too slow.

  Landing on Kayla, engulfing her, Liz ensured she and the host disappeared in a torrent of blood.

  Everyone stopped; not a breath was taken. Would the demon shake off the blood as a dog shakes off water? Would the ritual proceed as planned or—

  A scream loud enough to tear the sky ripped through the world. As Kayla melted a black cloud rose, forming a maligned mass in the atmosphere. Undisturbed, it hung for several seconds. From within its black folds came swords of blinding light.

  As one, the chanters screamed.

  Light continued to shred the black mass.

  Ribbons of darkness tore free, began streaming to the ground. Before they reached the body of their would-be host they broke up and disappeared, back to the hell from whence they’d come.

  Finally, the last of the mass vanished. At once, the screaming stopped. The winds continued to whip. Though the chanters remained in place, their bodies began to disfigure, then separate into numerous pieces. When the pieces became small enough, they unravelled into black dust which hung in the air, defying wind and gravity.

  Mercury, at the symbol’s edge, was fixed on the women she had killed. Amira grabbed her arm and dragged her away.

  Trey thought Heidi would follow. Instead, she turned. As she came, he stood. When a metre separated them, she smiled a mad, defeated smile.

  “You saved her life,” Heidi said of Amira. “Freeing Mercury to save the day. If not for you, my master would be here. Yet they run, leaving you to die.”

  Taking another step, she spread her arms.

  “No one has ever loved nor respected you. Not your father nor your siblings nor me, mummy.”

  “You’re not my mother.”

  “I lied when you were a kid,” she said. “No matter what you do or where you go, you’ll never find happiness, nor meaning. From conception, your life was pointless.”

  “You’re not my mother.”

  Not dropping the façade, she continued. “I told one truth that day. Do you know what it was?”

  “My mother said I’d never be exceptional.”

  “Correct.”

  “You’re not her, and she wasn’t right.”

  “No?”

  Heidi prepared to pounce; Trey to die.

  She stepped between two piles of dust, her former followers.

  She might have stepped
upon a hidden switch.

  With a rush, the wind, at last, took the chanters’ remains.

  Within a wheel of spinning dust, Heidi disappeared with a roar.

  Seconds later, the wheels exploded in all directions, creating a dust storm which blotted the sky and stole the world.

  After entering the circle, it had taken minutes to reach Heidi. In the tornado of darkness and dead followers, blinded and at odds with the wind, the return journey would take longer than his life had to run.

  As a child, his mother had warned his only route to happiness was to flee the family the first chance he got. Because he had failed to heed this advice, he would die alone, with no one to care he had gone. Worse, it was no more than he deserved.

  He had outlived them all.

  A hollow victory.

  Surrendering to the darkness, he stretched his arms wide. Let it take him.

  Someone grabbed his left arm, over one cast. Heidi had come for revenge.

  Another took his right, over the second.

  Forcing open his eyes, he looked first left, then right.

  “You coming or what?” Amira said.

  Giving him no choice, the women walked. At first too stunned to move, he soon worked with them, forward, forward. Not knowing if their course was correct, only that they needed to go somewhere.

  For an unknowable amount of time, they moved in silence. At times, hopelessness affected each of them. At last, they broke through the howling tornado and collapsed.

  On their backs, they observed the sky. Though the sun was blinding, they stared with open wonder. For a while, they were able to ignore the whirling black tornado right before them.

  Then it began to collapse.

  It might have crushed them, but they didn’t move. Merely turned from the sun to the funnel as it collapsed inwards, tumbling as though sucked into the Earth, sinking until all that remained was the symbol in the grass, the fast-dissolving bodies of Liz and Kayla.

  And Heidi.

  Staggering, beaten and bruised, she took the time to straighten her clothes and stand tall.

  with and bereft as she was, she still radiated power. Also fury.

  With slow, clomping steps, she approached, eyes burning. As she came, she pointed. When she spoke, her voice held plenty of strength.

  “You guys are impressive. I applaud you.”

  Mercury sat, patted her sides. Looked to Amira and Trey. There was no need to verbalise. She had lost the demon-killing blade.

  “It’s my fault,” said Heidi. “I could have killed rather than infected Liz. That joke backfired. Could have slaughtered Amira in hospital, but was interested to see what you’d try next. So many times, I could have killed Trey, but I’d grown quite attached. You raised me. I fancied keeping you as a pet.”

  All three were sitting now, watching Heidi approach like children about to receive a lecture from a displeased adult. Perhaps they had broken a window playing football.

  “The way forward is clear,” said Heidi. “I kill you then rebuild without anyone meddling. You can tell I’m not human. I learn from my mistakes.”

  Clapping, she said, “Who’s first?”

  Without consultation, they rose as one. Side by side, they waited.

  “All at once?” shrugged Heidi. “Works for me.”

  Somewhere nearby, an engine roared.

  An unassuming blue vehicle, neither race car nor battering ram, jumped off the road, onto the pavement, and smashed through the fencing onto the field.

  “What do you reckon?” said Heidi. “Drunk driver?”

  The car hit her.

  Across the grass she flew, tumbling head over heels then into the ground over and over. Upon landing in a heap, she immediately rose.

  The car’s driver side window was down. Will looked out.

  “Time to go.”

  They did not need telling twice.

  “No, no, no,” Heidi called as they jumped into the car. “That’s hit and run. That’s illegal. Don’t go anywhere. You can’t escape. Stay and let me finish you.”

  But already, they were gone.

  Sixty-Two

  Shoulder to shoulder, they watched the sun set on an awful day. In honour of Liz, each had their choice alcoholic beverage, large.

  “Her master’s not dead,” said Mercury. “She’ll try again.” She was drinking white wine. Impossibly, this had begun less than a day ago in an unfamiliar bed. That she would never see Leon’s wife and daughter into a proper grave filled her with regret. Heidi would likely have left town. Going back was still too risky.

  “Agreed,” said Amira. Her drink was a large vodka with minimal tonic. Weeks had passed since she had left the hospital. Her hope that freeing Mercury would mark the end of her entanglement with demons was predicated on killing Heidi at the same time.

  “We’ll stop her,” said Trey, in who’s broken hand was a pink cider. He was thinking of his family but with little sadness. That he reserved for himself. His determination to kill the beast he had risen had not departed with their near escape. Relentlessly, he would chase her, knowing until one of them died, his guilt would mount with her kill count.

  “I just want to protect my daughter,” said Will. His was a beer. Upstairs, Edie and Xyla slept in the same bed. Today, they had lost their mothers. Will had promised Edie both would be treated with respect. Back in the town he had fled, they were rotting into the Earth. “Even without the demons, for how long must we run?”

  No one answered. If they defeated the demon threat, the police would no doubt have questions about the bodies they had left behind. For Trey, Amira and Mercury, this seemed a moot point. They each hoped to destroy Heidi. None expected to survive the conflict.

  “What do you reckon,” said Amira. “One more good night’s sleep?”

  “Here’s hoping,” said Mercury.

  In contemplative silence, they watched the sun fade beneath the treetops. Mercury raised her glass.

  “To Liz. Who died a hero.”

  “To Liz,” they echoed.

  “In her honour,” said Amira. “Let’s kill that demon bitch.”

  They went inside for one last good night’s sleep.

  Want more?

  The third and final novel in the Hide and Seek trilogy will be released later this year. Tap the link to get your free pre-release copy: subscribepage.com/hideandseek3

  Author’s note

  I don’t plan my novels.

  I get a basic idea, and I just go for it. It’s more fun for me that way, and I think it makes my work less stilted and predictable for the readers.

  Of course, there are drawbacks. After having the basic idea for the Hide and Seek series, I decided on the titles for four novels. They would be:

  Hide and Seek

  Count to Ten

  Ready or Not

  Here I Come

  Clever, huh? The problem is, when I was part way through writing this book I realised something.

  It wasn’t going to be four books. It was going to be a trilogy.

  Naturally, this is a problem. One I as yet have not solved. I might call the final novel Ready or Not, or Here I Come, or something else entirely. I’m still thinking about it.

  Got an idea. I’d love to hear them so please get in touch at mark@markayrewriting.com

  While I muse on what novel three might be called, I’d like to thank you for reading Count to Ten. I hope you enjoyed it, and Hide and Seek too.

  If you did, I’d be incredibly grateful if you would take a couple of minutes to review either Hide and Seek or Count to Ten or (perfect world) both on Amazon.

  Reviews help me reach new readers and make a huge difference to my career, my happiness and therefore, most importantly, my wife’s happiness. You can return to Amazon to review or click the links below.

  Thank you so much in advance - I truly appreciate it.

  Tap here to review Hide and Seek on Amazon

  And here to review Count to Ten

  Mark A
yre

  09/05/2020

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  Tap the link below to sign up and I’ll send you your copy a couple of weeks ahead of its official release. If you want, you’ll be able to give feedback for last minute changes. If you don’t, you can just enjoy the read.

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  Have you read?

  Hide and Seek

  A Series of Supernatural Thrillers

  They still look like your loved ones. The ones you love are gone forever.

  After going for a walk in the woods to escape her crumbling relationship, Mercury stumbles upon a terrible ritual. She escapes unharmed, but something has risen.

  It wears a human face, but its power is unimaginable.

  If Mercury can’t stop it, it’s not only her life that’s on the line…

  Book one: Hide and Seek

  Book two: Count to Ten

  The James Perry mysteries

  The black sheep’s shadow

  They see the body down an alley. Hair matted with blood from a blow recently struck. They call the police and try to stop the bleeding.

  Somewhere nearby, a mother screams. Her nine year old has been taken.

  All your secrets

  His body lies on his office floor, multiple stab wounds having shredded his white shirt and the chest beneath it.