Creatures of Want and Ruin

by Molly Tanzer

  Hunter caught her fist in his teeth and chomped down.

  Ellie screamed in spite of herself, but she could not get herself free. He worried at her fist like a dog with a bone, and she felt her fingers breaking as her skin ripped. The pain was tremendous and she pushed at him with her free hand, but he brushed off her feeble efforts.

  Ellie swayed on her feet. She was tired, she was sore, she was weary, but even when her knees buckled he still hung onto her fist with his awful maw. She looked up in despair and saw Hunter’s eyes gleaming at her so brightly that her own began to water. Spots dotting her vision like she’d been staring at the sun, the fight went out of her.

  Fin shouted at Ellie to hang in there as she planted her feet and stretched through her shoulder blades, but her friend was obviously beyond hearing. Her muscles tightened as her vision became wholly focused on Hunter’s left eye. Everything else faded away as she held her shot, waiting for Ellie to fade or duck down, knowing the agony her friend must be in and hating every second of it, but only when Ellie’s head fell back did Fin loose her arrow.

  It struck true. When he howled Ellie fell free at last, hitting the earth with a thud as Hunter staggered back, drooling from his enormous mouth, his arms swinging in a dead way that made Fin feel queasy. She watched the monstrous man flail, eager to make sure he was not just dying but dead, until a cry distracted her.

  Aaron was writhing on the ground as SJ dabbed at his eyes, attempting to wipe away the caustic smoking grease from his face as Gabriel and Jones scrapped with the youngest of the would-be acolytes. Neither of them were looking so good: Gabriel’s face was all but obscured by the fungus’s toxic secretions, and Jones’s nose was definitely broken—it was dribbling blood all over his mouth.

  “Father!” cried Hunter’s son, breaking away from them both. He started running as Hunter swayed one more time before crumpling to the earth. Fin nocked an arrow, but before she could loose it a twang followed by a thunk left a quarrel buried in the boy’s side. Veering to his right, he collided with one of the torches; both fell to the ground.

  The boy’s robe caught. He slapped at the flames as he screamed, rolling away into the bubbling mass that had been the enormous fungal body until several pounds of explosive sulfur had destroyed it.

  “Get up,” said SJ, hauling her brother to his feet. “We gotta get out of here!”

  “Come on,” said Fin, rushing to Ellie’s side and grabbing her by her unmangled hand. “Ellie, we need to go!”

  “Fin?” Ellie looked confused, like someone waking from a dream.

  “Come on! On your feet!”

  “Where’s everyone else . . . ?”

  Fin was actively pulling at her friend now. “They’re coming,” she said, not sure if this was really true or not. “Let’s go!”

  They hadn’t gotten far when a bright blue light and a truly amazing heat radiated out of the clearing. The noise of it was incredible, and the blast knocked them off their feet; Fin pulled Ellie down and rolled them both behind some bushes and they waited there, hands pressed over their ears, until the wood was dark again. When all seemed quiet, Fin still heard a faint lingering ringing that she could not shake, as if they were surrounded by mosquitoes.

  “We’re alive,” said Fin, amazed, and squeezed Ellie’s healthy hand. “We’re alive, and we got them, and the earth isn’t breaking apart under our feet.”

  Ellie looked confused. “We’re alive?”

  “We’re alive. We won.”

  Ellie sat up. “But where’s everyone else? We need to find . . .” She fell backward with a whimper as she tried to get up by putting weight on her broken hand.

  Fin took a moment to eat another spoonful of jelly, though the gift of uncannily sharp vision didn’t help her much right then. It was Ellie who heard the rustle that proved to be SJ and Aaron.

  “We need to wash this stuff off him as soon as we can,” said SJ, by way of greeting, as she looked worriedly at her brother.

  “We need to get out of here, period,” said Fin. “Someone will notice that explosion.”

  “Will you take him for me?” SJ was looking right at Fin. “I have something I need to do.”

  “What’s so important?” asked Fin. She looked worriedly to Ellie. “We need to find the others and get out of here.”

  SJ pointed to her sack. “I came up with a contingency plan in case something like that happened; I thought that if that abomination did get lit up one way or another it might be good if I brought some pieces of equipment from my old setup—broken glass and other things. I figured if I strewed it all around, anyone who came around might think it was just a moonshining still that exploded.”

  “And on Hunter’s property,” said Ellie, coming to a bit at this. “That’s brilliant, SJ—you always were the smart one. When they hear Hunter’s a hypocrite, all those people who showed up for his speech won’t be so keen on his ideas!”

  SJ stared at Ellie. “Are you kidding me?” she said, though more gently than she usually spoke to Ellie. “They won’t care!”

  “But—”

  “Discrediting Hunter won’t change anything for anyone—they’ll still agree he made a lot of good points, say he’s only human . . . They’ll justify it to themselves somehow. What’s important is to stop questions from being asked—well, more than need to be. After that explosion, fools will come around to see what went down—cops, feds . . . the mob too, probably. If they see a bunch of glassware and bottles and whatever else, they’ll say c’est la vie. Hopefully it’ll stop them from looking too close at that oil slick back there, too.”

  “You’re right,” said Ellie. “I should have thought of that. After all, it didn’t bother my father. Why would it bother anyone else?”

  “Your—”

  The conversation was bitten off by the sound of someone crashing through the underbrush. Fin reached for another arrow, but it was just Gabriel and Jones. Neither was looking their best. The right side of Gabriel’s face blistered and charred beneath a dark smear, and Jones was absolutely covered in blood, but they were alive.

  “Meet you at their place,” SJ said to Fin, jabbing her thumb at where Ellie and Gabriel were gently embracing before trotting off. Fin briefly despaired at the prospect of getting back to the little saltbox without attracting too much attention, but thankfully cooler heads prevailed.

  “The pickup won’t be far from here,” said Gabriel, looking at Aaron, “and we’ve gotta drive. He’s in no condition to walk.”

  “I agree. I can talk our way past anyone who stops us,” said Jones, gingerly dabbing at his face. “No one will have any idea what’s going on yet, so I should be able to cover for us easily enough.”

  Fortunately, they passed only one car on their way back to Ellie and Gabriel’s place, and it was just some old rattletrap Ford with a stranger behind the wheel, not a police vehicle. If anyone was out and about, investigating the explosion, they weren’t coming from the same end of town.

  The little house had never looked more welcoming, even in the dark of night and with all the lights off. No one said anything as they climbed out of the pickup, helping one another where needed, and the silence continued as Fin, who was the least injured of them, got some water boiling so they could all clean their wounds.

  Fin didn’t mind the silence as she sponged off Aaron and then started on Jones. She had a lot on her mind. They’d saved Long Island . . . but she was curious to see how much things would change and how much they’d stay the same. In the back of her mind lurked the thought that she would not be able to enjoy the results of their success. Sooner or later, her bill for helping in this fight would come due, and she would have no choice but to pay it in full.

  6

  Ellie winced as Gabriel dabbed iodine all over her mangled hand. Hunter’s teeth had torn her flesh to shreds in places, her knuckles were badly bruised, and her middle and ring fingers were both broken. Gabriel’s big hands held her firmly as he worked on her, but she knew she’d n
eed to see a doctor—and soon—if she wanted to keep the use of her hand.

  Lester used to talk about how all animals had distinctive bite patterns. She wasn’t looking forward to answering questions about the size or strength of the teeth that had mauled her. Not for the first time did Ellie long for her brother, and not just for his doctoring skills, of course.

  SJ ambled in like it was just any night. “Hi. Good to see you’re all relaxing,” she said, though Ellie saw how her eyes lingered on her brother. “As for me, I only just escaped. Someone was coming to investigate the scene just as I was finishing up.” Ellie was surprised when SJ submitted to Fin’s nursing without a word. “Not sure who. They didn’t see me, though. I was in the bushes hiding Hunter’s body.” When everybody just stared at her, SJ sighed. “I couldn’t just leave him there out in the open like that—his face was still all . . . wrong. By the time anyone finds him, hopefully he’ll have decomposed a bit and there won’t be enough left to raise any suspicions about . . . well, whatever. Everybody here knows what I’m talking about.”

  No one said anything after this for several long moments. Then Fin stood and poured SJ a drink.

  “Thank you,” she said, and after she finished it all in one gulp, Fin poured her another.

  “Hopefully your burns will heal up fast,” said Jones, looking at himself in the hall mirror. “I can say this happened in the line of duty—checking out some tip when I tripped and fell or something—but as for you all, we should probably figure out some kind of cover story.”

  Ellie’s eyes flicked to her fiancé’s face. They’d cleaned it and salved it and bandaged it as best they could, but there would be scars. Aaron, too, would not go unscathed, but at least his eyes seemed all right.

  Gabriel tied off the bandage around her hand, and Ellie winced.

  “Everyone who wants to stay tonight, please feel free,” he announced. He put his hand on Aaron’s shoulder; Aaron had not spoken since they’d come back; he had just allowed people to tend to his wounds, content to stare silently off into nothingness. Ellie couldn’t blame him—while she felt they’d done the right thing, the scars this night left on them would not all be visible. “We have enough space to make up some beds.”

  “I’ll clear up room for someone else by heading home,” said Jones. “I’m close enough.”

  “So’s our aunt’s place,” said SJ.

  “Oh, please stay,” said Ellie, sliding off the kitchen counter where she’d been sitting.

  It didn’t feel safe, and while she sensed that Amityville would never feel safe for her again—at least, not like it once had—she didn’t want to see their group dissolve, not so soon after they’d gone through everything together. Deep down, Ellie got the sense that SJ’s earlier statement was correct—Hunter’s followers wouldn’t change in the wake of his demise and any potential public disgrace that might follow. Surely that meant they all needed to stick together, not drift apart.

  “Really, there’s room for all of us,” she said, “and tomorrow . . . Well, I was thinking we’ll need to rest and recover. I thought maybe . . . I don’t know, we could have a clambake or something, in the evening. It’d be no problem; I’m sure my traps are full. I didn’t check them yesterday, and I could probably catch some flounder. Anyone who wanted could come out with me. It might be nice . . .”

  “It does sound nice,” said Aaron, finally stirring from his reverie.

  SJ looked inclined to object until Gabriel chimed in. “My folks should have potatoes and sweet corn up at the farm, too. I could run up and grab some.” When Ellie started to protest, he grinned at her from under his salve. “She’ll see my face sooner or later. Hell, maybe she’ll have some old-world remedy for burns that’ll save my pretty face for you,” he said, and chucked her under the chin.

  “I do love your folks’ sweet corn,” said SJ. “Can Georgia come?”

  Ellie recalled the pretty girl she’d met in SJ’s shack, what felt like years ago. “Of course. Why not?” she said. But as she said it, she finally realized what SJ really meant. She was asking if she could bring a date. Jesus Christ, was she thick sometimes. “I’d love to see her again,” she added, just in case her face had betrayed her sudden understanding.

  “I’ve never been to a clambake,” said Fin. “What is it?”

  “Oh, well, first we’ll dig a pit down by the water for a bonfire— Hey, maybe that could be our cover! We could say—”

  “I’m going to bed,” said SJ. “Go on and talk about your party plans as long as you like, but I’m pretty tuckered out after saving the world.”

  “Here, let me get you some bedding,” said Gabriel. Aaron followed them upstairs, still listless, but perking up a bit.

  “Well, I’d be pleased to attend this clambake . . . even if I wasn’t going to impose on your hospitality in other ways,” said Fin.

  “Stay as long as you need,” said Ellie, though she anticipated Fin would land on her feet pretty quickly. Her friend had changed so much in such a short period of time—even now, when they were so comfortably relaxed together, she seemed reserved, thoughtful . . . even grave.

  “I think SJ has the right idea,” said Jones. “I’ll come back for your little party if I can, but I want to sleep in my own bed.”

  Ellie was disappointed, but she didn’t say so. No mushy stuff with Jones; that had always been the rule between them. She did see him to the door, however.

  “Drive safe,” she said.

  “Don’t you worry about me, Miss West. I’ll be all right.”

  “I know you will. Drive safe anyway.”

  Jones put on his hat. Ellie imagined him taking it off and hanging it up in his quiet, empty house, with the dead oregano plant on the windowsill and all those photographs of people long gone. He didn’t even have a dog to come home to anymore. While she knew that wasn’t because of her—or at least, not because of anything she’d done—she felt terrible about it.

  “Stop by tomorrow,” she urged him. “Please? If not for me, then for the sweet corn. It’ll knock your socks off.”

  He leaned in close to her. “You really want me to come, don’t you?”

  Ellie felt her skin tingle. “Don’t you?” she asked, trying to play it cool. “It’s not so far to drive for a free meal.”

  “When you put it like that, how could a man resist?” He tipped his hat at her. “Good night, Miss West.”

  Fin was happy to take the couch, bolstered with a few extra pillows and a blanket or two. SJ had put Aaron in Lester’s old bed, and had decided to bunk on the floor beside him in case he needed her in the night.

  After making sure everyone was all right, without appearing to fuss over them too much, Ellie and Gabriel went up to their bedroom hand in hand. It was the first moment they’d really and truly been alone together in . . . well, even if it had only been a few days, it felt like far longer.

  “Miss me?” said Gabriel, after shutting the door behind them.

  “A little,” she said, and then shook her head. “So much. I can’t do it, Gabriel—I can’t be away from you. You’re always on my mind, and your name’s always on the tip of my tongue. Even times when I’ve been with . . . other men”—Ellie blushed, amazing herself that she could still be shy about such things—“I always think about you, about how you might be pleased by hearing about the things I was doing.”

  He took her in his arms then, and kissed her. “What a good little wife you’ll make,” he said, and then tweaked her on the nose when she pulled away from him in mock outrage. “Oh, come on. You know I missed you too.”

  “Did you?” Ellie wished she had Fin’s power to discern the truth.

  “Oh, I was furious at you. I’m not too proud to say it . . . or pleased at myself for becoming so. I’m sorry. I’m still learning when to hold you close and when to let you go.”

  “Now’s a good time for holding close.”

  He kissed her some more, and moved down to her neck. But when he started to fumble with the h
ook on her coveralls, she stopped him.

  “What?” he asked.

  “We can’t. Everyone would hear us!”

  “I built this bed; it won’t creak. I can be quiet, so it’s on you if they catch on.”

  She liked it when he got a little bossy like that, and let him do what he liked. She had been longing for his touch, and at last there was nothing stopping them from enjoying one another. As he pushed her down on the bed, Ellie whispered in his ear, “I think I talked Jones into joining us tomorrow.” He paused, a strange look on his face. “At the clambake, I mean,” she added to clarify. She hoped she had read him right, earlier that day when he’d seemed so intrigued by Jones.

  Gabriel grabbed his belt as she reached for her contraceptive case.

  “You’ll have a harder time keeping quiet now,” he hissed, sticking the folded leather between her eager teeth, but there could be no mistaking his enthusiasm after that. Ellie was quite glad he’d muffled her as he pulled her beneath him. She was no exhibitionist.

  Ellie thought she might sleep afterward, but as usual she was wakeful once Gabriel fell asleep beside her. It was just too wonderful, lying beside her fiancé in their bedroom, letting a breeze so mild and cool it was almost autumnal brush over her naked body.

  The thing was, eventually the sun would rise, and with it would come another day full of uncertainty. Perhaps they’d taken care of Hunter and his colleagues, but in the investigation that would surely ensue, who could say what would shake out—who would be questioned, what they would decide or discover. Her father . . . her brother . . . There would be much to explain. The lack of Lester’s body alone would make things difficult . . . as would her father’s unpredictability. It was strange to think how she had known him all her life, but she could not guess what he would do anymore. Neither could she anticipate what part her mother would play in all this.