by Tahnee Fritz
“I never should have given up.” She sounds aggravated now. “I should have just kept going with it and dealt with the pain instead of letting you take over. He wouldn’t have gotten hurt if I was there. This is all your fault, monster.”
“How is it my fault that those creatures showed up last night and threatened me or that Trevor sent those bastards out to kill us? Like I’m supposed to be a fortune teller mixed with the rest of this shit I have to deal with. You couldn’t handle any of it.” I shout.
Ryder stares at me and listens to the argument I’m having with the voice in my head. I sound like a crazy person yelling at thin air, but she is driving me insane. She has no idea how to handle anything life throws at her. That is why I am here. She gave me this life to help her escape everything and I am doing a damn good job at it. If she would just stop popping up in my head, I could do even better.
“Hey,” Ryder says, taking my hand and holding it tight, “stop thinking about whatever is going on up there.” He motions to my head, “We’ll get to the city and everything will be okay.”
“She blames me for what happened to you.”
He shakes his head and says, “It’s not your fault though. I was in the way.”
“But you wouldn’t have been in the way if I would have just left the vamps alone. I allowed my weakness to show through and bad things always come with that.”
He nods as though he agrees with me. I have a feeling the old me has let something bad happen due to her weaknesses and the love she feels for him. I can only assume that she has or else she wouldn’t have gotten taken by Trevor. After all, Ryder did almost die under her watch and she got Jason kidnapped right along with her. I believe that I wouldn’t have let that happen.
We keep moving and I keep a tight grip on Ryder’s cold hand. His fingers are shaking and his teeth start to chatter. I squeeze my eyes shut tight and force the upset feeling back down into the pit of my stomach.
When I open my eyes again, a noise catches my ears. I look straight ahead of me, expecting to see a mass of humans or other creatures staring us down, but I see nothing. I glance over my shoulder and see the same emptiness taking over. The sound comes again and I sniff the air, taking in the human scent that comes from all directions.
We aren’t alone out here and we have nothing to shield us from the enemy’s sight.
“I really hope we make it there soon.” Ryder speaks slowly.
I agree, but it isn’t my words that are the response to his statement. The deafening sound of footsteps are approaching and I focus my hearing on where they are coming from. They are on the road, kicking up pebbles as they walk. There are a lot them and not a single human says a word.
Ryder notices the sound right along with me and he starts looking for the people heading our way. I let go of his hand and turn around, still waiting to see Trevor’s army on our tail. I squint my eyes and see the faint shadow of humans stomping on the concrete as they walk down the highway.
“How much farther until we get to the city?” I ask.
Ryder takes a breath and answers, “Not far, maybe a mile.”
I take a step away from him, a step back the way we came and the humans are steadily coming into view. Dozens of men and women ready to fight a battle that they do not intend to lose. Their weapons look fierce, some carry swords while others have handguns and automatic rifles. They look pissed off and some are wearing war paint on their faces. They have black lines drawn under their eyes and across their forehead. They look ridiculous and menacing at the same time.
I scan their faces searching for the only one I want to see in that group. His bruised face from Jason’s punches will be just what I need to smile as I rip him apart. But I don’t see him. He is not walking at the front of his group or even mixed in with them. I wouldn’t expect him to walk in the middle of all his men. He is the type of leader that needs to be at the front of the line to witness the show up close and personal.
By now, Ryder has turned around and is staring at the army coming after us. He reaches for my hand and tugs at it slightly. I turn to face him and see worry in his eyes.
“I think we need to keep moving.” He states.
I nod and we start walking backward a few paces. He turns around first and I am quick to follow. The smell of humans is getting stronger the closer we get to the city and it is masking my ability to track the scents that belong to our enemy. I need to keep on the lookout for Trevor and it is next to impossible to hone in on his odor.
I focus my eyes on the road, ignoring the potholes and debris that lie in our way. We rush past the trees of the surrounding forest and the abandoned cars left to rust on the sides of the highway. Ryder wheezes as we jog and he struggles to maintain a brisk pace. I keep my fingers laced with his and listen to the voice repeating the same thing over and over in my head.
“Please make it in time.” She says. “Please don’t let him die.”
I am doing my best. I swear on whatever life that flows through me that I will keep him alive. I know she can hear my thoughts and she has to know that I will try to do as she wishes. I might hate that girl in my head, but she has the same desire to keep Ryder alive that I do and together we cannot fail.
The footsteps are getting louder and sound more rushed than before. I strain my ears and listen to the voices that are speaking above the falling of their feet. They have spotted us. Each and every person chasing after us can see exactly where we are and they are picking up the pace to catch up.
I pull Ryder with me, willing him to run faster, a task he is simply too weak to go through. His breathing is becoming more and more labored, his heart is beating rapidly, meaning that the vampire’s poison is flowing faster through his veins. He could drop to the ground right now and endure the terrible transformation right before my eyes. Still, I tug on his arm and he moves his legs as fast as he possibly can.
We pass by a dark green truck sitting crooked in the middle of the road. As soon as we run by the tailgate, a gunshot blasts through the air and bounces off the old metal. The bullet came from somewhere ahead of us and we force our legs to stop pumping. I hold onto Ryder’s sweatshirt as we stumble to a halt and stare at the empty road.
“Shit.” I say, then look over my shoulder.
A good majority of Trevor’s army is catching up and they are slowing down as they close in on the green truck. They have guns aimed and swords raised over their heads, ready to fight to the death for a future that should not have to exist.
I turn to the path leading to the city walls and I finally see the oncoming threat that fired the first shot. Many of them crouch low to the ground with guns pointed directly at us and the army coming their way. The men guarding the wall wear green camo outfits and look more like an army than Trevor’s ever could.
“We’re surrounded.” I whisper, although Ryder can already see that.
He nods and says, “What do we do?”
I glance back and forth between the two armies. The one from behind has us completely blocked in. Some of them are trailing into the woods, hiding amongst the trees to keep that way secure as well. I scan the faces of those that are close enough to see and I finally spot the one man who needs to die. He slowly walks through the crowd of men, a smile crosses his face and a gun is dangling in his right hand.
I shake his face out of my mind and turn to the men in front of us. The wall is not far away from them, I can see it poking above the tops of trees. We were so close to making it and now we have completely failed.
A familiar looking tall man with olive colored skin steps through his people with a few of them following close behind. Each one has a gun trained for Ryder and I, leaving us with no room for error.
Ryder’s question lingers in my mind and for the first time in this short life of mine, I have no idea what we are going to do to get out of this mess alive.
* * *
Another bullet flies through the air, passing right by us on its way to Trevor’s army. The group p
rotecting the wall can see the threat behind us and they are ready to take them down. The bullet struck an older man in the gut and he falls to his knees, shouting out in pain. The others around him ignore his cries for help and Trevor steps over him as though he is nothing. He nods to one of his own who fires a return shot at the city army, but that bullet misses its target.
“Stand down!” a male voice comes from the city army, shouting orders that will never be obeyed by Trevor.
Trevor keeps walking, inching his way to the front of his group and his eyes stay focused solely on me. I fire my glare right back at him and keep a tight grip on Ryder’s hoodie.
“I am ordering you to stand down!” the man’s voice shouts again. “We will open fire on you!”
Trevor laughs and keeps moving. He brushes those orders right off his shoulder and he takes that final step out in front of his people and breathes in through his nose. Accomplishment crosses his face as he stares at me and the gun hangs at his side.
“Looks like I found you, Bridget.” He shouts to me. “I can see that your boyfriend didn’t die after all.” His eyes turn to Ryder and I move to stand in his view.
“Bridget?” a confused voice comes from a man behind me, but I don’t turn my head to see who it’s from.
Trevor advances and Ryder and I both take a step backward, “You might as well give up and come with me. You did it so easily the first time, it shouldn’t be that difficult now.”
I grit my teeth and ball my right hand into a tight fist. My fingernails poke into my skin and rage boils beneath it. I stare at his face, still bruised from his encounter with Jason back at the school. This wouldn’t be happening if I had killed him then. We would be safe right now.
“Stop dwelling on what could have been and focus on what’s happening now, monster!” the voice shouts at me, snapping me out of the regret in my head.
The faint sound of a gun being cocked echoes through the air from the people guarding the city. Trevor stops moving and his eyes turn to those of the army behind me. He seems annoyed at the fact that someone is getting in his way and making things harder than they have to be.
“This is your last chance to put your guns down and get the hell out of here!” the man from the city shouts again.
“Or what?” Trevor replies. “Are you going to open fire on us and risk killing these two kids standing in the way? I hope you’d realize just what you’d be killing if you pull your triggers.”
I hear angry footsteps stomping across the pavement behind us and I steal a quick glance over my shoulder. The tall, familiar man, steps closer with a rifle aimed out in front of him. A few of his men follow close behind and prepare themselves for what’s about to come.
A war is about to break out between these two armies. Dozens of people will die because one man has the sick fantasy of taking over the world and will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
“We have to stop this, monster.” The voice says and I couldn’t agree with her more. “You have to stop this.”
“It doesn’t have to be this way, Trevor.” I finally open my mouth and take my hand away from Ryder. “There doesn’t have to be a war and you know that.”
He grits his teeth and spits as he talks, “War is the only way. That city belongs to me.”
I take a step away from Ryder and say, “No. You can’t kill them because of me.”
Trevor smiles and says, “I can do whatever the fuck I want because of you.”
He raises the gun in his hand and fires a round at the group behind me. He nods to a few standing close by and they do the same. I quickly grab Ryder and pull him closer to the truck and we duck down by the tailgate. The city’s army is returning fire, sending a barrage of bullets into the men and women following Trevor’s every command. I smell the blood of those that have been shot and listen to the sounds of their bodies hitting the concrete when they die.
“Come on you can stop this.” The voice is pleading with me now. “You can’t let Trevor take over the city. You are strong enough to stop this. Be the monster I created and do what you are meant to do.”
Those are the first encouraging words she has ever spoken to me. I am strong enough to bring an end to this before it goes too far. There doesn’t have to be a war or meaningless death of hundreds of humans. I think I might know exactly what to do.
A bullet crashes into the bed of the truck and Ryder jumps at the sound of the ping. He is breathing quickly and his eyes are stricken with fear. I put a hand to his face and stare into his calming eyes for a short moment.
“I know how to stop this.” I say.
He quickly shakes his head from side to side as though he knows what swims through my mind, “You can’t go out there.”
“It isn’t the best plan in the world, but it is the only way.” I reply.
“You could die.” He states.
“I know, but it is worth it. You and the rest of the world will be safe and Trevor’s army will fall.”
He shakes his head and his eyes turn bloodshot and teary, “I can’t lose you again, Bridge. I love you too much to watch you die.”
I stare into his eyes for another moment and say, “Then don’t.” I press my lips against his, stealing a long kiss from his soft lips.
I let this moment linger longer than I planned. He puts a hand on my back, gripping onto my jacket, never wanting to let go. I feel myself never wanting this short moment to end. There is something in this kiss that is more than just familiar. It is warm and filled with a kind of love I know I’d never find with anyone else. But I have to let it go and do the one thing in my power that will end something horrible.
I pull myself away from him and push off the ground. Before he can protest, I am out of his line of sight, ducking between bullets that constantly slam into the green truck. There is something clogging my throat and my eyes are heavy with tears, but I push my legs to keep moving and ignore the sad feelings growing inside of me.
My eyes scan the faces of Trevor’s men, ignoring those that fall to their death as bullets pass through their bodies. They are scattering about, dodging bullets and firing more shots into those that guard the precious city. I quickly move away from the truck and spot the man of my evil desire standing tall beside a few of his men as he kills those who are in his way.
He wears a smile on his face and I let that image drive out the revenge boiling in my heart. My hands clench into fists and I move my legs faster than I ever have before to clear the space between us in a flash. I knock the man standing to his left out of my way and he flies to the ground, smashing his head on the concrete.
A younger woman steps in front of me, raising a small sword to my throat. I lift my arm and wrap my fingers around her wrist faster than she could ever anticipate. Her fingers unlatch the hilt of the sword and it falls to the ground at my feet. I grab the collar of her shirt and toss her out of my way. She lands on her back and rolls into the legs of one of her comrades. He trips over her body and slams to the ground with his face hitting the concrete. I smile a little more, then focus solely on the angry eyes of Trevor.
He lifts his gun and fires off a round. I move to the left and the bullet soars right by me. He pulls the trigger again and the bullet grazes my arm as I send my body into his. I wrap my arms around his waist and tackle him to the ground. The gun flies from his grip and slides out of his reach.
“Let go of me you bitch.” He seethes and sends a sharp blow to my ribs.
I grunt and roll away from him. That gives him the time to move to his stomach and push himself from the ground. I get to my knees and wince at the pain in my side. He stands behind me and I listen to his footsteps moving closer. I can feel the heat from his body as he reaches his arm out for my hair. I quickly spin out of the way and kick his legs out from under him. Once again, he crashes to the pavement and his elbow cracks against it.
He gasps for breath and I move to him. I reach for his jacket and force him to sit up and face me. His eyes are bloodshot and fil
led with the same amount of rage I can feel flowing through my veins.
“You tried to steal my life away from me.” I say over the sounds of gunshots.
He smiles and wraps his left hand around my wrist, then leans closer to me, “You have no life.”
I failed to see the dagger in his right hand and he thrusts it into my stomach, just below my ribs. My jaw drops and I can’t breathe from the pain coursing through me. He shoves the dagger in deeper until I feel the hilt against my skin. He leaves it in its place and grabs my throat, pulling my face closer to his.
“You see,” he says, “I will always win. You will always belong to me.”
The pain in my gut is wrenching and my hands are shaking uncontrollably. I manage to keep my grip on the collar of his shirt and force myself to stay strong. The voice in my head is quiet, unable to help me through this horrible moment of weakness and bad judgment.
The smile on Trevor’s face grows and he speaks so only I can hear, “I told you, you have no life. You might as well give up.”
My eyes meet with his as his words resonate for a brief moment. I tighten my grip on his shirt and calm my breathing.
“I have no life, huh?” I ask, not waiting for an answer. “Then I will just take yours.”
His smile fades and he raises an eyebrow in confusion. In a blur, I swipe his arm away from my throat and move my mouth to his. I close my jaw on the skin of his throat and bite until he bleeds. The warmth of his blood as it caresses my tongue and enlightens my taste-buds, has been a long awaited treat. It dribbles down my chin and my eyes fall shut and I allow this moment to consume me. Even as Trevor claws at my back and tugs at my hair, there is nothing to stop me from sucking the life from him.
I pull some of his skin away, spit it on the ground, then continue ripping through the muscles. He screams at the top of his lungs, digging his fingers deeper into the skin of my back and I take in those sounds escaping him. The screaming is music to my ears.
