by R.A Cullison
I sat back in my corner and watched them move around., Matt was next to me this time. I didn’t understand them; they were speaking some kind of weird language, Welch I think.
I stood up, “Matt, can I speak to you out in the hall”
“Sure babe.” we both headed out to the hall, “what’s up?” he asked.
“We need to get on the ball in searching the lower floors for April. I don’t know what happened but the atmosphere in there has changed and not for good.” I looked at Matt, he was smiling.
“I agree, how are we going to let them let us go without them.”
I smiled, “Leave that to me.” we waited for someone to come out. I grabbed Matt and began making out with him.
“Excuse me.” Marcus chuckled, turned and went back in the room. We stopped, Matt looked at me.
“You’re a genius.” he smiled.
“I’m not done yet, follow my lead.” we walked into the room, I grabbed my sleeping bags and Matt grabbed my bags.
“Where you going?” Dorsella asked.
“Alittle private time.” I smiled, everyone had the weird smile on their faces. We returned to the hall with all my stuff.
“Are we going to have some private time?” Matt asked.
“Not the time and place honey.” I touched his face. He looked disappointed, “don’t worry we will soon, right now April is my main priority.” he shook his head in agreement.
“Your right, so first I think we should condense these bags.” We dumped everything out on the ground. We tossed the stuff I didn’t need and kept the stuff we thought was important. So I had one backpack to carry around.
Matt morphed into his werewolf form so he could carry me easier and faster. He ran us down to the next floor below. He sat me down to take a breather, for me not him.
“Yuck!” I said as I stepped in a soggy puddle of something. It made a squishy sound. The whole floor was wet, smelled of wet earth and stagnate water. After several minutes of rest, I was ready to go. He scooped me up and we were off again. I could hear his feet splashing through puddles and hitting soggy ground.
Suddenly he stopped and growled. I motioned for me to put me down but he held me tighter to his chest. I heard weird noises, growls I think. “Matt’s what’s going on?” I asked, “You’re smothering me in your fur. Not so tight!” he loosen up alittle. I peeked from under his arm. Something was moving in the shadows, I couldn’t make out what it was. I squinted hard to see what it was. It was a Skuggor. My heart began to beat so loud it was deafening me.
Matt held me close to his chest, wrapping his body around me. The Skuggor was circling around us looking for a weakness to attack. I began to shake and hyperventilating. Matt growled and the Skuggor screeched. It was getting ready to attack us it was crotched and ready to spring. I heard other noises in the room I couldn’t see anything and I knew Matt would rather die then let anything happen to me. I heard the sounds of metal swords being drawn.
“Easy Matt.” Marcus said. I heard the sound of something being sliced and water splashing. Matt eased up his grip around me now that there was no more danger. I could see the Skuggors headless body laying in a puddle. Its blood was turning the water a dark crimson color. We went to leave and I noticed Matt limping.
Matt was hurt pretty bad. I looked down at his leg and it was bleeding heavy. I tried to stop it but my mind wasn’t working. I took off my belt and put it around his leg to make a tourniquet.
“OW SHIT!” he yelled as I tightened the belt around his leg.
“Sorry babe.” I kissed him. The sound of the baby crying echoed from down the hall and it was getting closer. “Do you hear that?” I said excitedly.
Matt stood up, “Yes.” we made our way down the corridor. We turned the corner and there was Josh, leaning against the wall. “Josh!” he turned to look at us. he put his finger up to his mouth telling me not to talk. He pointed to a door that was in front of him, mouthed the words, ‘in there.’
“Matt.” I turned and looked at him; he morphed into his other form, the belt snapped off his leg. “Ok does that mean we are going in?” I asked, he growled. I pulled out my gun and checked the chamber. I had five bullets left I better make them count. We started towards the door slowly taking great pains not to make a sound. Dorsella and Marcus were coming down at the other end with Michael not far behind them.
“Nora, Matt?” Dorsella’s voice sounded surprised. “We heard the baby, we thought maybe you two would be here.” she saw Josh, “who is this?”
“This is Josh, he is my friend.” I answered her; Josh looked at me surprised to see the vampires there.
“Nora? Umm strange company you keep.”
Marcus huffed, “I wouldn’t talk mongrel.”
“Marcus.” Dorsella said in a stern voice, “stop” he bowed his head.
“Yes, my Queen.” but I knew this wouldn’t be over between them two, if we survived. Josh was still nursing his leg. He looked better. April cried again, it took all I had not to storm in there and grab her.
“Easy Nora.” Dorsella said calmly placing a hand on my shoulder. “we don’t know what’s on the other side of the door, so let us go first.” They drew their swords. Matt pressed me against his chest tighter. Troy came around the corner to join in.
Marcus, Michael and Troy kicked at the door but it was sturdy. Their kicks where strong but not doing the job. Everyone looked at Matt, “Matt, want to try?” Dorsella said as Marcus and Troy moved out of the way.
He sat me down next to Josh and with one good hit with his shoulder; the door went flying inside the room. April stopped crying for a minute then started again even louder. I went to run in but Josh grabbed my arm.
“Not yet.” he whispered.
Matt went in first he looked around. I watched his head scan every corner. The room was somewhat lit with only a few candles. Giving it a gloomy feeling as they danced from the breeze of the open door. Matt slowly eased into the room, he surveyed the room more. He looked down at April who recognized him right away. I could see her chubby little arms reaching up from inside the crate she was in. She was opening and closing them eagerly.
“Dad dada!” she cooed. Matt reached down gently with his massive hands and scooped her up. He pressed her close to his chest and backed out slowly with her in his arms. He turned around and handed her too me. I held her tight in my arms, she clamped on to my shirt with both hands.
“She is beautiful.” Dorsella commented.
“Come in!” a voice from deep within the room made us all jump, it was Noah.
“Nora, take your daughter and leave, Josh go with her.” Dorsella said standing in the doorway, “Troy, take them to the safe room.” she ordered. Troy picked me up, holding April close to my chest and Josh in his other arm.
The rooms and halls blurred by, before I knew it, I was in the safe room. I sat down on the wooden chair looking at April, checking her out. Besides some small scratches, she was fine. I pulled my shirt up and began to feed her. She nursed forcefully; it was the best feeling in the world. Josh looked up and turned his head very fast.
“Oh Ok.. Ummm” he said embarrassed.
“Josh, I am sure you have seen a woman’s breast before.” I was looking down at April, she was staring at me. “I love you.” I whispered to her. She had a hand full of my hair. There was going to no way anyone would get her from me now, they would have to kill me first. She fell asleep, I held her close to my chest.
I wrapped her in a blanket and handed her to Josh who was sitting in another chair in the room. “Hold her please, I have to do something.” He gentle took her, still asleep. I took off my dagger and sat it on the table in the middle of the room.
April was wrapped up tight in a blanket sleeping in Josh arms. He was holding her tight against his chest. I was waiting for Matt to come get us so would could leave. After an hour Matt finally walked into the room looking pr
etty beaten up.
“Matt!” I said, feeling relieved. His eye got huge. “Matt, wha…..” before I could finish, I felt something cold and hard being shoved into my back. I felt hot liquid ran down my stomach and legs. I looked down there was something silver coming out of my mid section. I reached down to touch it. It was hard and sharp. I raised my hand to my face, blood covered my hands, I looked at Matt.
“NO!” he started towards me. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. Blackness began to creep in around me. I couldn’t feel my legs or arms. I felt my legs give away and felt my legs give. I landed in Matt’s arms.
I could feel myself slipping into unconsciousness. The only thing I knew I was Matt‘s voice pleading with me, “Nora, please stay with me.” I heard him talking, but I couldn’t answer. His voice was shaky like he was crying. I felt his hand on my stomach where the blade pierced me. “Stay awake!” he ordered me, I tried to focus on his face.
I then heard other voices. Voices of people not in the room, they were barely above a whisper and jumbled together. I could feel myself floating.
“Nora.” a soft female voice called to me. I could see my body and I seen Matt holding me in his arms and April in Josh’s sound asleep. “You can’t stay Nora.” the female voice said again. I looked, it was my Grandma. I looked at Matt working on me trying to get me to breathe.
“Baby please Breathe!” he was crying, I never seen that look on his face.
My heart began to get heavy and then April began to cry. I closed my eyes. “This is a nightmare.” I said to myself. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He was pleading me to breathe and not to leave him. I felt guilty for feeling peace when he was in agony. I turned there was my Grandma, smiling.
“You can’t stay!” she said sternly and pushed me backwards, I couldn’t stop myself, I was falling fast. I slowly concentrated on Matt’s voice and Aprils cries.
I opened my eyes to terrible pain, “Oh thank God!” he pulled me close to him. Jessie and Chad came out of nowhere to help out. I could feel hands tearing my shirt of me.
“We have to get her to the hospital, now!” Chad demanded. I felt Matt scoop me up. I heard Chad ask for April. Josh and Jessie hobbled behind us. I was still forcing myself to stay awake.
My head bobbed over Matt’s arm, I didn’t have the strength to hold it up. “Hold on baby, please!” Matt pleaded with me. I couldn’t answer him, I couldn’t find my voice. ‘I’ll try,’ I said in my head.
Matt slide me into the back of Jessie and Chad’s car. Josh slid in on the other side. He picked me up and cradled me like a baby in his arms. I could feel his breath on my cheek, it was hot and scattered, like he was still crying.
“GO!” Matt ordered.
I took what little strength I had and opened my eyes, “Matt.” he pulled me back to look at my face. He removed the hair that was stuck to my face.
“Baby?” he answered
“Take care of April.” I barely whispered.
“Shhh, we are almost to the hospital, Just hold on.” he was staring at me with his big blue eyes full of pain.
“I love.. You.” I said using the last bit of energy I had.
“Nora!” Matt gasped, shaking me. I was still there just too weak to do anything.
“Easy Matt!” Josh said from the other end of the seat, “she lost a lot of blood.” Matt pulled me close to him, so tight I could feel his heartbeat thumping against his rib cage.
“Please, please don’t go.” he whispered in my ear, all I wanted to say was ‘I love you.’ I never heard that kind of pain before in him, it broke my heart. I wasn’t sure if I could hold on much more. I let the darkness unfold on me.
I was trapped in the endless sea of darkness. I knew I wasn’t dead. I could still hear Matt talking to me. I heard the doctors and nurses talking about me. I heard the beeping of the machines.
