by Amy Cross
“What monster?” Annie asked. “Why do I have to do all of this? Why can't someone else? Why can't Elly?”
“I think you know the answer to that. Deep down, you know that Elly is -”
Suddenly Nurse Winter's body flickered from view, disappearing for a few seconds before reforming in the night air.
“- but you have to figure that out under your own steam,” she continued. “I have to go now. I'm running low on energy, and I need to conserve my strength for when you find me. I'm trapped, Annie. I'm where I need to be, I'm next to Eldion House, but I made a mistake and now I'm just going round and round in loops. I need you to help me with the last step.” She took a step forward, and now there was fear in her eyes. “Annie, help me!” she hissed. “Annie, hurry! He's coming! The answer isn't here at Lakehurst, Annie! Lakehurst is a trap, they were waiting for you! Annie, he's -”
And with that, she was gone.
Annie waited for her to reappear, but after a few seconds she realized she was once again alone.
Finally, slowly, she got to her feet. She was still half-convinced that Nurse Winter was about to reappear, and that she'd been a product of her own fevered imagination, yet at the same time she couldn't help wondering whether maybe – just maybe – her old enemy had truly managed to reach out and ask for help. And in the back of her mind, those final words were echoing over and over again.
“Lakehurst is a trap.”
“Lakehurst is a trap,” she whispered, as she began to realize why Elly might have been 'nudged' and guided to bring the SUV to this particular location.
She took a step back, while looking around at the dark trees. She saw nobody, but at the same time she couldn't shake the feeling that she was still being watched, and that this time the eyes were out there somewhere in the darkness. Frozen by fear, she continued to look around, still watching for even the slightest hint of movement, still terrified that at any moment she'd see proof that Nurse Winter had been right.
And then, suddenly, she heard the faint, distant crackle of a radio.
“No,” she whispered, as she realized there were people hiding in the forest. “Not here. Not now.”
She hesitated for a moment longer, before spotting the faintest flicker of somebody moving along the treeline.
Turning, she began to run back toward the SUV.
“Get out of here!” she screamed at Elly. “Start the engine! Move!”
Chapter Thirteen
As she ran desperately across the grass, Annie heard more radio crackles and a moment later she spotted scores of dark-clothed figures hurrying out of the forest. Her first instinct was to use one of her tricks to knock them out, but this time she knew she had to hold back. She could bowl the figures over like skittles, but the effort would knock her out and then a second wave of cult-members might arrive. Instead of taking the risk, she ran all the way to the SUV and climbed inside, at which point she found that Elly still hadn't started the engine.
“Why aren't you moving already?” she gasped, clambering into the driver's seat and setting the engine running. “Don't you see them?”
“See who?” Elly asked.
“Another cult's caught up to us,” she explained, as she hit the accelerator and sent the SUV bumping out across the grass toward the ruins. “They must have some kind of tracking system hidden nearby, which means they're stronger and smarter than the first lot. Either that, or they just took a lucky guess and figured this is where we'd end up, or they've been waiting her all along. I think these might be the ones she was warning me about, the ones from Eldion House.”
“Who was warning you about what?” Elly asked.
“I don't have time to explain it right now!”
“I don't see anyone,” Elly replied, peering out at the darkness. “Wait, I think I do. Annie, there are soldiers everywhere!” She turned and looked the other way. “Annie, why are there -”
Before she could finish, gunfire rang out through the night air, blasting away chunks of soil and grass just a short distance ahead.
Annie hit the brakes, before reversing and then shooting forward again in a different direction.
“Why are they shooting at us?” Elly asked. “Annie, this is crazy!”
“Nurse Winter warned me!”
“Nurse Winter? When?”
“Just now.”
“What?” Elly looked out the window, but all she saw were more soldiers moving through the ruins. “Nurse Winter's not here, is she?”
“It's complicated.”
“But -”
“I'm getting us out of here!” Annie hissed, driving past the ruins. “I think I remember a back route out of this place!”
“Why wouldn't they have blocked that off already?”
“It's our only shot! We can't let them take Katia!”
“None of this makes any sense,” Elly pointed out. “We have to call the police. I know you keep saying the police might be compromised, but at least it'll be better than us getting killed.”
“You had plenty of time for that while I was unconscious, and you didn't call anyone,” Annie pointed out, as she spotted an opening in the tree-line. “And don't claim you didn't have a chance, because you did. So why didn't you go and get help?”
“I didn't know where to go!”
“I'm pretty sure you're smart enough to have figured something out,” Annie muttered under her breath, squinting slightly as she aimed the speeding SUV at the gap in the trees. “Sometimes you have to have a little faith.”
With that, she sent the vehicle racing along the narrow, bumpy road that led down toward the river. She barely remembered where the road would come out, but she was sure this was the route old Morris had once taken and that eventually there'd be a gate that would lead out onto the gravel path near the rear of the site. The SUV's headlights picked out the immediate way ahead, but the vehicle was bumping so heavily that the steering wheel kept jumping out of Annie's hands.
“What am I missing?” Annie muttered, as she kept her foot down. “Something about Middleford Cross.”
“What about Middleford Cross?” Elly asked.
“That's what I'm trying to figure out. There's something I'm not figuring out yet.”
“I'm scared!” Katia sobbed. “Why are we going so fast?”
“They're after us!” Annie replied, glancing in the rear-view mirror and spotting another SUV racing up behind them. “Why didn't I see this coming? I should have seen this coming, I'm not -”
Before she could finish, the SUV hit some spikes that had been left out on the road. Spinning wildly, the vehicle veered across the road and glanced against the side of a tree, and the impact sent the SUV rolling over onto its side and then thudding down the hill until finally it came to a rest just a few meters from the side of the river.
Slamming against the inside of the window, Annie let out a gasp of pain and then slithered down into the darkness as glass rained down against her back.
“Katia!” she gasped, struggling to get up, only to find that the safety belt had stuck tight against her shoulders, keeping her pinned tight into the seat.
Behind her, in the darkness, the little girl was screaming and crying.
“It's okay,” Annie continued, as she heard voices shouting outside the overturned vehicle. “Just stay calm, and I promise everything'll be okay. I won't let the -”
Suddenly she heard a loud banging sound. Looking up, she saw that several soldiers had clambered onto the side of the SUV and were working to force the twisted door open. She saw flashlights aiming into the vehicle, and a moment later a boot came crashing down and one of the windows smashed. More glass was sent crashing through the interior, and then two arms reached down into the SUV.
“Leave her alone!” Annie screamed, struggling again to get loose. “If you touch her, I'll kill you!”
Looking over at the other seat, she saw that Elly was starting to stir after getting knocked unconscious during the crash.
“Help
me!” Katia shouted, as her safety belt was severed and the hands began to haul her up and out through the broken window. “Elly, help! Where are they taking me? Are they taking me to Eldion House?”
“No!” Annie shouted, reaching out in vain but not quite managing to grab Katia's heels as she disappeared from sight.
A moment later, a man leaned through the broken window.
“You must be Annie Radford,” he said with a smile. “On behalf of the Prime Congregation of the Initial Reckoning -”
“Where do you guys get these stupid names for your cults?” Annie spat back at him.
“On behalf of our organization,” the man continued, “I wish to personally thank you for your assistance in locating the girl. I'm aware that your help wasn't entirely intended. Nevertheless, you've made it much easier for us to achieve our goals, and I'm sure you'll be rewarded in the next reality. All that's left is for me to say that I hope you have a pleasant swim. I'm sure it'll be quick and painless for you, down there all by yourself.”
With that, he turned and followed the other man off the side of the SUV, and then they dragged the kicking-and-screaming Katia back to their own vehicle.
“We have to get her back!” Annie hissed, still trying desperately to free herself. “Elly, help me! Elly, I need you to reach for the other end of the belt!”
Still groggy and weak, Elly turned to Annie with a dazed expression. There was a trickle of blood on the side of her head, and she seemed to be having trouble staying awake.
“Help me!” Annie screamed, as the other SUV's engine began to rev. “We have to -”
Before she could finish, the other vehicle sped forward and rammed the side of the smashed SUV, sending it skittering across the mud until it was balanced on the side of the river. The other SUV then pulled back for a moment before trying again, this time succeeding in sending Annie and Elly's vehicle crashing upside-down into the pitch-black river.
As water rushed into the SUV, Annie could only scream.
Chapter Fourteen
“No!” Annie shouted, pulling harder and harder on the safety belt that was holding her trapped inside the vehicle. “I won't let it end like this! Elly, we have to get out of here!”
Unable to see a thing, Annie could already feel the water reaching her chin. She knew she had no more than thirty seconds before she'd be submerged, but the safety belt refused to budge. No matter how hard she tried, she was unable to pull the belt away, so instead she tried to duck her head through and clamber out. At first she had no luck, but finally she twisted free and fell against the inside of the SUV's roof, just as the water level finally rose above her face.
Completely underwater now, and in total darkness, Annie fumbled around and quickly felt the broken window. She grabbed hold, while using her other hand to reach over for Elly. She soon found the side of Elly's face, but she could tell instantly that Elly had once again fallen unconscious. She tried for a moment to pull Elly free, before realizing that she was running out of air. A moment later she felt Elly's shoulder and realized that part of the crumpled window seemed to be pinning her into the seat. Turning, she pulled herself out through the broken window and then swam up, desperately trying to reach the surface.
A moment later she broke through, gasping for air as she grabbed an old tree root that was hanging down from the path that ran along the river's edge.
She steadied herself for a moment before turning. Her soaked hair was hanging down over her face and it took a moment for her to move the strands aside, and then she looked around in the moonlight and tried to spot any sign that Elly had made it out of the vehicle. Seeing nobody, she took a deep breath and then ducked back down under the surface, diving back toward the SUV in a desperate attempt to somehow get Elly free and save her from drowning.
As soon as she was back down in the darkness, Annie swam toward the SUV and grabbed hold of the twisted frame. Reaching inside, she managed to find Elly's shoulder and start pulling her free, only to find that some part of Elly was still caught on the metal. She tried everything she could, even as she once again began running out of breath, but finally she had to swim back up and get some more air.
Breaking the surface, she grabbed the tree root again and hauled herself a little further onto the riverbank, panting desperately as she waited to go back down. She couldn't figure out how Elly was still trapped, but she figured somehow her clothes might be hooked onto a fragment of twisted metal. As she felt a crushing pain in her chest, Annie realized it was time to take another dive, and that this might be her last chance. She took one final deep breath, and then she began to sit up. As she did so, she blinked.
***
Opening her eyes, Annie found herself staring up at a faint white cloud that was drifting across the otherwise clear blue sky. For a fraction of a second, the image was utterly beautiful, but then suddenly Annie remembered that she still had to save Elly from the submerged SUV.
Gasping, she sat up in her still-wet clothes, only to see that part of the SUV's rear section was poking out above the water. The rest of the vehicle was still under the surface, but morning light was glinting as the river gently flowed past.
“I blacked out,” Annie whispered, filled with shock as she stumbled to her feet and stepped forward. “Elly, I'm coming! Elly, I -”
Before she could finish, her right leg buckled and she fell, slamming down hard against the mud and then slipping a little until she managed to grab the tree root and keep herself from tumbling straight back into the river. She hauled herself back up a little and then turned, staring in horror at the wrecked, submerged SUV. At the same time, an awful truth burst into her thoughts.
I must have been out for hours.
She stared at the small part of the SUV that was still visible. Her mind was racing now, trying to come up with excuses, trying to figure out a reason why everything could still be alright. The last time she'd seen Elly, she'd been unable to pull her free from the wreckage and time had been running out. There had been a minute left, maybe not even that. And now hours and hours must have passed, which meant...
“Elly?” Annie whispered, waiting and hoping for a miracle.
Sunlight continued to sparkle on the river's surface.
“Elly...”
Again, she waited.
Again, she saw no sign of life.
“Elly!”
Rushing forward, she waded through the water until she had no choice but to swim, and then she frantically made her way over to the side of the SUV. She grabbed the protruding section and steadied herself for a moment, but then she hesitated as she realized she was too scared to go down and see what had happened. In her mind's eye, she could already see Elly's dead body still trapped in the passenger seat, and she couldn't quite bring herself to actually go down and confirm the inevitable. She knew there was no way Elly would have been able to survive
And then she saw the end of a straw, poking out from beneath the surface.
For a moment, she wasn't entirely saw what she was seeing. Then, slowly, she remembered that she'd found a box of plastic straws at the gas station, and that she'd given the box to Katia. Now one of those straws – somewhat improbably – was sticking out just half an inch above the water, and Annie stared for a moment at the pink plastic before slowly looking down into the depths. She couldn't make anything out, of course, but already in the back of her mind she was starting to realize what she'd have done if she'd been trapped underwater in a flooded SUV. The whole idea seemed impossible, like a miracle, yet at the same time she was already starting to run through the mechanics and she finally realized that there was a chance.
Not a huge chance, but a chance.
Ducking her head under the water, she grabbed hold of the SUV's side and dragged herself down toward the broken window. She still couldn't see anything, but finally she felt the damaged door and reached through, and after a moment she felt Elly's shoulder.
A second later, a hand reached out from inside the SUV and gra
bbed Annie's wrist, and the miracle was complete.
***
“I can't believe you managed to do that!” Annie gasped, still dripping wet as she stood on the mud by the river's edge. “How did you even managed to get hold of the straws?”
“I confiscated them from Katia, remember?” Elly replied, still a little breathless after having finally been freed from the car. “She was being annoying with them, so I took them and put them in the glove box.”
“I don't remember that,” Annie said.
“It must have been while we were in the car, waiting for you up at Lakehurst,” Elly pointed out.
“I don't even know that I remember getting the straws at the gas station,” Annie replied, trying to think back to that frantic moment. Every few seconds she had a vivid mental image of herself grabbing the box of straws; just as the memory seemed to become stronger, however, it kept fading away, almost as if it hadn't really happened at all. “I don't understand how -”
“We have to find Katia,” Elly said, interrupting her. “Do you have any idea where they might have taken her?”
“How's your shoulder?” Annie asked, stepping toward her. “It seemed to be trapped earlier, but now -”
“It's fine.”
“How did you get it free?”
“Luck, I think.”
“But how did you -”
“We have to find Katia!” Elly said firmly. “Stay focused, Annie! It's been hours since they took her, and we don't have any leads. We don't even have a way to get out of here. All we have is a sunken car and some soaked clothes. How are we ever going to find that poor kid? She must be terrified!”
“Eldion House,” Annie replied.
“Where?”
“Eldion House. I don't know where it is, but I think that's where they've taken her. There must be someone there who wants to take her body, maybe someone who wants to have his own brain implanted in the body of a child who ages so slowly. But how does that fit with the entity? I'm missing something here, there's something I'm not realizing.”
