I fall to the floor, my head flying backwards, jarring my neck. Blood gushes over my body from the severed arm that’s still latched onto my hair. With the meat cleaver, Hannah stabs violently at the intruders, cutting and slicing at random, her dress soaked through with red.
Rose is sitting on the chest of drawers, her face a mask of panic, cradling the baby.
I get off the floor, rip the dismembered arm from my hair, and join Hannah at the window, driving my machete between the bars. Through tunnel vision, through blood and gore, Ellie’s screams puncture the chaos. I turn to her and see the hatch vibrating beneath her.
Shit!
“Leave us alone!” Ellie weeps. “Leave us alone!”
Rose takes the baby over to the furthest corner of the room. She lays her down carefully on a blanket and returns to the hatch.
“They’re gonna get us!” Ellie’s body judders with each shunt below her.
“No, they’re not,” Neil says, firmly. “The hatch...will hold. The bars will hold. We’re gonna...make it. Trust your father.”
Eyes engulfed with tears, she nods. “Okay.”
Blood drips from the bars, a crimson ocean around my feet, but they keep coming, keep clawing at us.
Where the fuck is the sun?
Gasping for air, Hannah drops her meat cleaver, her hand pressed against the ceiling. She’s white as a sheet.
“Hannah?”
She drops to one knee, her eyes roll back, and then she collapses onto the bed.
“Hannah!”
Every urge in my body is telling me to help her, but I can’t leave my post. No matter what.
She’s just fainted.
That’s all.
It’s okay.
She’s exhausted.
Overwhelmed.
You need to keep fighting.
Dawn is coming.
You can do this.
A foot slams into the bars. The bracket shakes.
I sever an arm clean off.
More blood.
The floor vibrates.
The drumming of footsteps on the roof.
Tiles breaking.
Neil’s eyes are now just thin slits across his ashen face. He’s not gonna make it.
Where the fuck is the sunrise?
My machete clangs against the bars, slicing through another hand. My shoulder aches with each swing, each stabbing motion. Don’t stop, Freya. The light is coming.
Keep fighting.
This is who you are.
A protector
Don’t let these people die.
A gush of blood sprays over my face, stinging my eyes.
No time to wipe it off. Just keep swinging. Keep cutting. Stabbing.
No matter—
Amongst the bedlam, something at the corner of the room catches my eye.
A bare foot. It’s sticking out at the far side of the wardrobe.
It’s blue.
“Oh, shit!” Where the fuck did he come from?
I run at the purebred as he slithers out from his hiding place.
But I’m too late. The vampire shoots across the room to the blanket, aiming for the unguarded baby.
I swing my machete at the vampire’s head, but he ducks and drives his fist into my chin. The powerful blow throws me backwards, my head hits the edge of the sink, and the machete flies from my grasp. In a daze, struggling to stay conscious, I see Rose run at the vampire, screaming, just as he scoops up the baby. “Get off her!” My words fall from my lips in a slur. I will myself to get up, to help her, but my legs feel like iron. The purebred cradles the baby with one hand, and grabs Rose by the throat with the other.
And that’s when I see it. His hand has two missing fingers.
They were his.
The severed fingers we found by the stairs.
Oh, Jesus Christ.
Vision distorted, I use the sink to pull me up, and then pick up my machete. Amidst the screams, Hannah wakes. Like a woman possessed, she springs off the bed and charges at the vampire. “Get off my baby!” she barks, her arms outstretched like a zombie, but she’s met with a roar and a foot to the chest. She collapses into a heap on the attic floor, clutching her torso in agony.
Rose wriggles and kicks in the vampires hold, gasping for breath as her throat is crushed. I swing my machete, but I can barely see straight, so I miss by a mile, losing balance, almost toppling.
“You bastard!” Ellie cries. “Leave her alone!”
“Stay back!” I order her, just as the vampire kicks me in the face. For a moment, the sound disappears, leaving a faint ring in my ear. And through half-open eyes, I watch in dismay, in helpless agony, as Rose’s throat is torn out completely, her neck a fountain of blood, bathing the vampire, the baby, and the surrounding wall in red.
“Nooooooo!” Ellie and Hannah cry in unison, the horrid, gut-wrenching sound puncturing my ringing ears, dragging me back into the room.
Rose collapses to the floor, her eyes still open, her body limp and lifeless.
I feel sick. It’s not real.
None of this is real.
As the anger overwhelms me, clarity returns, and I stand up, the machete shaking in my hands, the attic spinning wildly. The vampire groans as it backs away from me, the baby squirming in his arms. Hannah has the meat cleaver in her hand, the blade pointed forward, her eyes red and swollen, streaming with tears. “It’s my baby!” she orders, stepping closer. “Not yours! Give her back!”
Razor-sharp teeth protruding from his mouth, the vampire claws at Hannah, but she doesn’t flinch, instead she hurtles towards him, trying to snatch her baby from his arms. With a venomous growl, he grabs her by the throat and launches her into me. Her weight plants me to the floor, winding me in the process. Fighting for air, I scramble to get her off me.
That’s when I hear the most hideous of cries coming from Ellie. A piercing screech of absolute panic. “No, Daddy! Don’t!”
Please, not Neil, too. Not now. Not after—
Back on my feet, I see Ellie run to her father as he lies next to the vampire. Neil’s entire body is drenched in blood, the kitchen knife still in his trembling hand, and the baby in the other. The vampire twitches, his emaciated hands pressed against his neck as blood gushes from the stab wound. A gargling sound escapes his fangs, his yellow eyes now a shade of orange, his skin light blue, almost white.
I step in front of Ellie, blocking her path, my weapon pointed at the vampire as his last breath leaves his body.
Sobbing, Hannah takes her baby from Neil. “Thank you.”
Neil doesn’t answer, too exhausted, too sick to form words. He crawls like a wounded animal away from the vampire, and sits against the wall, his eyelids drooping, the knife loose in his grip.
The pinging of metal draws my attention behind me.
“The hatch!”
The bolt-lock leaps from its bracket and spirals through the air.
And then, with one hard shunt, the chest of drawers flies to the side with a loud bang, and the hatch swings open.
The first vampire glides into the attic like liquid, his teeth on show, his eyes broad with hunger.
With the machete in hand, I step in front of Neil, Ellie, Hannah and the baby, shielding them. The vampire slinks towards me, hissing like a viper, so I swallow the fear and charge forward, swing the weapon, and slice the top of his head clean off. Blood spewing, he drops to floor, only to reveal a second purebred behind him. I swing the machete, but miss, hitting the beam instead. I try to retract the weapon, but the blade is planted deep into the wood. Panicked, I pull hard, but the vampire grabs me by my throat, picking me up off the floor. Stripped of breath and squirming viciously, I jam my thumbs into his eyes. He yelps out in pain and drops me onto the floor. The purebred cups his bleeding eyes, staggering around the attic like a headless chicken. Two more purebreds crawl through the hatch. Ellie stands beside me, clutching the kitchen knife. I snatch it from her and shove her behind me. I ram the blade into the blinded
purebred’s neck, killing it instantly. With the floor now a river of blood, the two purebreds creep towards us, their sights locked on the baby.
“Leave us alone, you bastards!” Ellie screams in a fit of revulsion.
Growling like starving dogs, they take a step towards me. Heart thrashing, body drenched in sweat, I notice the window. It’s clear. No vampires. Just a pink sky beyond the bars.
They take another step closer.
They’re about to pounce.
I can feel it.
Where the fuck is the sun?
I grip the knife with both hands.
My hips push Ellie and Hannah further into the wall behind.
Any second.
And then it’s over.
Where the fuck is the—
Four spikes emerge from one the purebreds. It drops to its knees with a gasp.
“Sean!”
I run at the second vampire, driving the knife into her stomach, leaving just enough time for Sean to thrust the pitchfork into her back.
In a murderous rampage, I continuously stab at the purebred until I forget where I am, until there’s no more blue, just red. Until I feel Sean’s hands pull me away from the carnage. Until I hear Ellie’s soft voice telling me to stop.
Telling me it’s dead.
That dawn is here.
Telling me that it’s over.
“You’re home,” I say to him, huffing with exhaustion. “You made it.”
He nods, and then hugs me.
I squeeze him tight, but then pull out. “What about the rest of them?”
“They’re dead,” he says, both eyes bruised, the ridge of his nose dented and bleeding. “All of them.”
I hold a hand out to keep Ellie back. “Stay here.” I pass Ellie the knife and then pull out the Machete from the beam. “Keep them safe,” I say, and Sean and I leave the attic.
Beams of orange sunlight seep through the broken windows.
There’s a vampire lying on the landing carpet, his legs halfway inside Rose’s bedroom, his throat pierced.
Each room is empty.
There’s another dead purebred on the stairs. Pitch-fork marks through her cheeks.
The sight doesn’t disgust me. Only when I catch a glimpse of Ethan does my stomach flip. My friend is now just a mess of bones and gore spread across the living-room floor. His remains passed around, fought over like a piece of meat thrown to the dogs. Sean takes my hand, drawing me away from the gruesome sight.
“Stay here,” he says as he opens the ruptured front door, the sharp ends of the pitchfork leading his way.
“Where are you going?”
“To check the roof.”
“I’m coming with you,” I say, and I’m outside with him before he can argue.
The sun has cut through the clouds, bringing the front lawn back from the grave. My ears prick up to the sound of feet scattering across tiles. A vampire leaps down from the roof, landing on the grass, her body smoking. In a squeal of anguish, she sprints off towards the trees. Another vampire launches himself off the roof, but misses the lawn, shattering his leg as he hits the concrete path. He tries to get up, but his ankle gives way. Crawling towards the trees, flesh sizzling as the last of the night dissolves. The vampire releases a disturbing gasp of pain. Despite everything they’ve taken from us tonight, I have to help him. I have to put him out of his misery.
“What are you doing?” Sean grabs my wrist. “Leave it!”
“We should kill him. It’s suffering.”
Breaking away, I jog over to the dying vampire, scanning the roof as I approach. By the time I reach him, he’s stopped moving, his body twitching, his skin charred and cracked.
Ethan and Rose’s dead bodies flash in my head, and I drive the machete into the vampire’s skull.
There.
Done.
Out of its fucking misery.
Each step towards Sean, the sky becomes lighter and lighter, a beautiful glare reflecting off the campervan.
I never thought I’d get through tonight, let alone see Sean alive again. He smiles with swollen and cut lips as he opens the campervan door. “Medicine,” he says, handing me a full rucksack.
“Oh, my God. You’re amazing!”
I notice Ellie standing in the doorway of the house. “Get inside!” I snap, marching up to her. “It’s not safe out here!”
“Is that antibiotics?” she asks, her words trembling with hope.
“Yes,” I reply, and hand her the bag. “Get this to your father now. And don’t come out here until I say so. Got it?”
“Okay,” she replies, her face glowing with relief, and then she flies up the stairs, unflinching as she leaps over a dead vampire.
I jog over to the campervan.
“Sean?” I call out when I don’t see him.
No response.
Nerves tingle in my stomach.
“Sean!” I look back at the house, at the lawn. “Where are you?”
No sign.
In a panic, I scurry around to the other side of the campervan.
He’s not there.
“Sean!”
Where the fuck is he?
“Sean!”
Nauseated, eyes darting back and forth, I spot something in the distance.
Moving fast.
“Oh, shit!” I gasp when I see Sean being dragged through the tall grass.
“Noooo!” I bolt after him as the burning vampire reaches the trees.
I keep running. Following the trail of flattened grass. Following Sean’s faint voice.
It’s getting weaker by the second.
The trail is fading.
Half a mile passes. No sound.
“Sean!”
The trail has vanished.
I keep running.
No matter what.
He can’t have gone far.
“Sean!”
A mile.
Maybe two.
“Sean!”
No sound.
No trail.
Where is he?
“Seeeeeeeeean!”
I don’t stop moving even when I’m through the trees, onto the vast field of grass, out under the bright morning sun.
I re-enter the thin forest, darting blindly between the trees, jumping over logs, checking bushes, slicing my arms on the sharp brambles.
But I keep searching.
Even when my lungs are ready to explode.
Even when I throw up on the ground.
When I burst into tears.
“Seeeeeeeeean!”
Even when the sun envelopes the sky in pale blue.
Dawn is here.
Dawn is finally here.
48
It’s been two days without an attack. I can’t keep waiting for them to show up, waiting to follow them to their nest. What if they never come back? What if they’ve lost too many purebreds? Decided to stalk an easier prey?
I should be grateful that they’ve stayed away. It means the house is safe. It means Neil can get better. He can make the house more secure. He can seal off the roof window. There’s only so much Ellie, Hannah and I can do.
We need him. Now more than ever.
“He’s alive,” I say, confident with my words, filling my water flask in the kitchen sink. “I know he is.”
“Where would they take him?” Ellie asks from the sofa as she floats a glass of water under Neil’s lips.
“To a nest.” I throw the flask into my rucksack. “They’re getting smarter. Thinking long-term.”
“How are you going to find him?” Neil asks, his voice hoarse. “He could be anywhere.”
“I’ll find him,” I say, just as Hannah and the baby enter the living room. “I always do.”
“You’re leaving now,” Hannah says, disappointed.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” I zip the bag up and throw the strap over my shoulder.
Ellie runs at me and I catch her in a hug. “You promise?” she asks.
&
nbsp; I kiss her on the head. “I promise. This is my home now. Sean’s too.”
Neil sits up, wincing in pain. “Good luck.”
“You, too. Keep the house safe. Keep each other safe.”
Hannah puts her arm over me and half-hugs me. “Thank you for everything you’ve done.”
“Jesus, you’d swear I’m not coming back.”
The room falls silent.
“But I am coming back,” I say. “With Sean by my side. Maybe even Ben.”
There’s a knot in my stomach as I look at Neil, and then the baby as it sleeps in Hannah’s arms, her tiny body wrapped up in a white blanket.
“You don’t have to worry, Freya.” Neil says. “We’re family here.” He shares a glance with Hannah. “Every one of us.”
A tight smile forms on my lips because I trust his word. And I trust he’ll get better.
The repaired front door is stiff, but I manage to get it open. “I love you all,” I say with a blown kiss, and I leave the house.
Not for good, though.
And not without Sean by my side.
I climb into the campervan, throw the bag on the seat, and start the engine. My lip quivers when I think of him being out there, all alone, suffering, tortured.
I feel sick just thinking about it, so I shake it off, take a breath, and then kiss the photograph of us playing Trivial Pursuit. This is the only one I have of Sean, but it’s the best one. It has Rose and Ethan in it, too.
I open the side pocket of the bag and slip the Polaroid in. Before I zip it back up, I pull out the pregnancy stick.
The sight of it should terrify me. It should be the last thing on my mind right now.
But I need it. It’s my motivation. A reason not to fail. A reason to bring back the love of my life. At all costs.
I release the handbrake, grind the gear into first, and drive off.
Hang on, Sean.
I’m coming...
Part XVII
Blue Skin (Book 4): Blue Skin Page 16
