The group reached the upper floor, and in addition to the frantic footsteps and bumping around that appeared to be coming from the end room, they could now hear the familiar growling that invariably accompanied such movement.
“So, what do we do now?” Matthew asked.
“What do you think we do? We clear the floor, just like we did downstairs,” Robyn said.
“We’re not going to be in here long. Why don’t we just leave it be and get out?”
“Rule one. Never stay in a building if you don’t know for a fact it’s safe. If there’s one of those things in here, it’s not safe. We clear the place, then we search for the car keys. Anyway, by the look of it, that’s probably where they’re going to be.”
“How do you know that?” Matthew asked.
“It’s the only door that doesn’t have a number on. More than likely it’s going to be the landlord’s place,” she said, readying her arrow and bow once again.
Wren slipped off her rucksack and headed down the narrow corridor towards it, crouching down like she had when they first entered the building. She tried the handle, and the sounds from within became louder and more excited, but the door did not open.
“Maybe we should look for another place,” Elizabeth said, holding onto Ruth like a comfort blanket.
“Get behind me, Mum,” said Matthew, holding the crowbar above his head.
Robyn, who was halfway down the hall, ready to fire the second she saw anything, looked back. “Yeah, if it gets through Wren and me, Matthew will protect you,” she said with a smirk before returning her gaze to the door at the end of the hallway.
The corner of Matthew’s mouth curled into a snarl, and he felt his hand almost become one with the crowbar as he clenched his fist around it.
“I’m going to try and boot it open, so get ready,” Wren said. She stood up, positioned herself in front of the handle, and kicked out with all the lower body strength she could muster. The kick made the door shudder, and the sound bounced off the walls, making the creature inside sound feverish with growls of anticipation. Wren steadied herself again before unleashing another hard, fast kick halfway up the door. This time, something gave, and the lock disintegrated and fell to the floor, but rather than the door flying open, it slowly drifted inwards, giving Wren time to turn tail and run back down the hall.
She went to stand at the side of her sister, and they looked towards the doorway apprehensively. For a moment, it remained clear, but then, not one, but two beasts burst through the entrance at the same time and ran towards them. Robyn released the bowstring, and one of the creatures flew back, landing with a heavy thud on the carpet, but the other continued. She grabbed another arrow and was about to marry it to the string when she felt a gentle hand on her arm as Wren stepped forward, gaining the full attention of the landlady, who, even beneath the layers of cosmetic foundation, was clearly off colour. The creature stormed towards her, making the hallway seem narrower than it was with her considerable girth.
Wren held her ground, waiting for the right time to strike, waiting...waiting… “Ugh!” she exclaimed as she thrust the javelin through the beast’s head, stopping it dead...well, deader.
The beast fell backwards, sending vibrations across the floor, but Wren remained there for a moment, frozen in her pose. She eventually righted herself and wiped off the blade on the landlady’s housedress, while Robyn plucked the arrow from the other creature and swabbed it clean then replaced it in one of the quivers. They headed along the hallway and through the open door. There was a key rack hung on the wall; each hook was labelled. BEER CELLAR, JUKEBOX, QUIZ MACHINES, FRUIT MACHINES, and there it was, not with a label, but sporting the familiar VW logo on the fob.
“God, I’ll be glad to get this day behind me and get some rest,” Robyn said.
“Yeah, me too, I’m knackered,” Wren replied. She looked into the hallway and then at the closed, numbered doors. “Why don’t we stay here tonight? Get a good night’s sleep, some grub, and set off again first thing tomorrow.”
Robyn thought for a second. “Yeah, sounds good to me.”
They walked back to join the others. “I think maybe we should stay here and set off again first thing tomorrow,” Wren said.
“It’s still only afternoon; there’s plenty of daylight left,” Matthew said.
“Yeah, but none of us got any sleep last night; we’re in pretty strung-out shape, and if the road is clear from here straight through to Aberfeldy, it will be an absolute miracle. We could end up getting caught somewhere. If we patch that window up downstairs, this place will be safe enough.”
Elizabeth looked at Matthew, then down at Ruth. It was over thirty hours since they had slept, and Elizabeth herself was feeling quite weak with it. “Actually, that would be good. It makes sense to rest here the night; I’d love a soft bed about now.” She looked towards the bodies in the hallway. “It might be nice to tidy things up a little first.”
“Good point,” Wren said, walking back towards the dead figures. “Anybody going to give me a hand?”
Matthew went to join her, and the pair of them dragged the bodies back into the apartment they had emerged from then headed back out to join the others.
“What time is it?” Robyn asked.
“It’s just before three o’clock,” Wren answered.
“I’m going to have a kip and grab some dinner later. I’m still pretty full from all those strawberries,” Robyn said.
“Sounds perfect,” Elizabeth said.
Wren handed her sister the bag of keys and retrieved her rucksack. “I’m going to make sure everything’s secure downstairs, then I’ll grab a few hours too.”
“You want me to come with?” Robyn asked.
“No, it’s okay. You get some rest—oh and before I forget,” Wren said, turning to Elizabeth, “you are now the proud owner of a Volkswagen Golf.” She handed her the keys, then headed back across the landing and down the stairs. The moment she walked into the saloon bar, the smell of rat droppings hit her once again. “Gross.” Wren reached into her rucksack and pulled out her torch. She headed to the internal door of the porch and saw that there were sturdy bolts at the top and bottom. They were stiff and squeaked when she moved them, suggesting they had not been used in a long time, but she closed the door and managed to slide them across. Wren pulled hard on the handle to check; the door was secure. She allowed herself a small nod of approval before heading behind the bar.
Bags of nuts and crisps had been torn open by the rodents. and the odd crumb could still be seen on the floor; the rest of the food had been devoured.
The group still had plenty of snacks from the machine they had raided, but if Wren had to have another sweet fizzy drink, she felt like she was going to develop atherosclerosis. She shone the torch down at the under-counter fridges. It had been some time since the internal lights had worked, but sitting on the shelves was what she was looking for. She opened the door and pulled out a bottle of water; it was room temperature, but she felt like the natural spring water was cleansing her very blood as she glugged it back. She let out a loud “Ahhh,” and wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve. She took out a few more bottles, placing them in her rucksack, then noticed a display case at the end of the counter. There was a T-shirt in it with a picture of the pub. The inscription underneath said: “We spent the night at the Haunted Inn and lived to tell the tale.”
Wren was not particularly enamoured by the design, or the wording, but she appreciated the irony. There was a shelf of cellophane packed t-shirts underneath, and she grabbed all of them before heading out of the bar and back up the stairs. She went from room to room like Santa Claus, handing out bottled water and t-shirts before finally reaching Robyn’s room. Her sister was already in a deep sleep as she entered, and she decided not to disturb her. Instead, she placed the water by the side of her bed and two t-shirts at the bottom. Wren went over to the other bed and sat down heavily, making the springs twang so loudly she looked over to se
e if she’d awakened her sister, but Robyn remained comatose.
She climbed out of her clothes and under the covers, lying there for a few moments recalling the events of the last twenty-four hours. Eventually, she drifted into a deep sleep.
✽ ✽ ✽
Wren checked her watch; it was just past eight p.m. when she heard movement. Robyn was still fast asleep in the other bed, but Wren put on her clothes, grabbed her javelin and went to see what was going on. Elizabeth and Matthew were on the landing, sporting their new t-shirts, and carrying an assortment of food.
“Hi,” Wren said.
“Hi,” they both replied.
“You been up long?”
“A little while,” Elizabeth said. “We’ve just been pottering about. Ruth’s still fast asleep; we thought we’d see if there was any food in the landlord’s flat.”
“I see you found some,” Wren said, gesturing to their full arms.
Elizabeth smiled guiltily. “Yes, but don’t worry, there’s plenty more.”
Wren smiled, “I’m sure there is. There’s probably quite a bit downstairs too; I mean, there was a restaurant here.”
“Yes, probably. Well, I’d better get back to Ruth, she’ll be wondering where I am,” said Elizabeth.
“I thought you said she was sleeping,” Wren replied.
“Yes...she is. But if she wakes up and I’m not there, she might panic. Well, we’ll see you bright and early then,” Elizabeth said as they disappeared into one of the rooms.
Wren watched them and stood there for a moment, a little confused. The conversation had been weird and stilted. Elizabeth had been different; not the woman who had opened up to her and her sister the previous day, but more the woman they had first met when they’d arrived at the monastery. Susan’s words began to play over and over in her head - There’s something very wrong with these people. Wren shrugged and continued downstairs.
✽ ✽ ✽
Susan knocked lightly on the door, but there was no response. She gently pushed it open and stepped into the room. “Hello?” she whispered. In the dim light, she could see Robyn still asleep in the bed. She turned back to the door and turned the key, then walked over to where Robyn lay. Susan looked down at her before slipping off her clothes and climbing under the sheets behind her, immediately feeling Robyn’s warmth.
Robyn stirred a little, but was still half asleep, “You have another nightmare? Well don’t wake me up, I’m still sleeping,” she said groggily, before drifting heavily once more.
Susan lay there for a few minutes, relishing the feel of Robyn’s body against her own. She gently touched the bare skin of her arm and placed her face against the base of Robyn’s neck, kissing it tenderly.
Robyn’s eyes sprang open. She remained still for a few seconds, making sure she was not still dreaming, then she leapt off the mattress like it was on fire.
“What the fuck are you doing!?” she screamed, as she stood over the bed looking down at Susan, still under the covers.
“Erm..I…”
“Stupid question. I know what you were doing, but...what…” Robyn was panicked and confused, but at least she was awake now. She slipped on her trousers, buttoning them up as fast as she could.
“I thought you...earlier on when you held my hand...I thought you…”
“Erm...no. I was just trying to be nice.”
“I’m sorry…I’m sorry,” Susan said, her face turning bright red. She quickly fumbled her clothes back on and went to the door. “I’m sorry. I only wanted to make you happy.”
“Erm, nice thought, but you want to make me happy, bring me a stuffed crust meat feast pizza, don’t start touching me up while I’m trying to sleep.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said again, unlocking the door and running out of the room, just as Wren appeared in the doorway. She stood there watching Susan disappear into one of the rooms along the landing before looking towards her sister.
“What was that all about?” Wren asked, placing the food she had found downstairs on the bed, and closing the door.
“Erm, Susan likes me,” Robyn replied.
“Well, I suppose somebody’s got to. But why was she apologising and running out of the room?”
“No, Wren, she likes me,” she said again, flaring her eyes as she repeated herself.
Wren looked at her for a second, then her eyes widened too. “Oh, you mean, liiikes you? Did she tell you?”
“Erm kind of.”
“You didn’t get the wrong end of the stick. You know, you’re a bit slow sometimes.”
“She climbed in bed with me and started kissing my neck,” Robyn said, still shocked.
Wren burst out laughing. “Oh my god, I wish I could have seen that...I don’t mean that how it sounded. But I wish I could have seen the look on your face.”
“It’s not funny!”
“Oh my god, yes it is. It is so funny. Did she pick the wrong girl?” Wren said, flopping down on her bed and creasing over.
“Stop it. It’s not funny. She’s probably heartbroken in there.”
Wren fell onto the floor, struggling to breathe as the hoots of laughter left her. “Stop it, I’m nearly weeing!”
“I’m serious, she’s going to be really upset.”
Eventually, Wren stopped laughing and climbed back onto the bed. She dabbed away the tears from her eyes and did her best to remain composed. “Who’d have thought you’d be just as irresistible to women as you are to men?” she said, beginning to giggle hysterically again.
Robyn put her socks and boots on. “I’m going to have to sort this out,” she said, walking towards the door.
“Should I wait up?” Wren said as she started to guffaw once again.
“You are so immature sometimes.”
Robyn closed the door behind her but heard Wren’s baying laughs once more as she headed towards Susan’s room.
chapter 23
There was a knock on the door and Susan looked towards it. She glanced back to the mirror to see tears still streaming down her face. The knock came again, and she remained silent, but the door opened anyway.
Robyn stepped into the room and walked over to the bed, sitting down beside Susan. “I’m sorry about my reaction,” Robyn said. “I was just...shocked, confused, asleep. It’s just, I’m not gay, not by any stretch of the imagination.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done what I did. I…”
“Look. Let’s just forget about this, okay? We put it behind us and move on. It was a misunderstanding; that’s all. It doesn’t change anything. I like you, Susan, just not in that way. Now, how about you freshen up and come and have some food with me and Wren?”
Susan looked in the mirror at herself and then at Robyn, who looked so confident, and so together. “No. I think I’ll just go to sleep.”
“Screw that. You weren’t wanting to sleep a few minutes ago, and you made bloody certain I couldn’t, so you’re coming to eat with us,” she said standing up, taking Susan’s hand and dragging her to her feet.
They entered the room to find Wren still giggling to herself, but the happy face turned to a shocked one the second she saw Susan. “Erm, hi!” Wren said.
“You were laughing at me,” Susan said, beginning to back out of the room.
This time it was Wren who ran after her guiltily. “No. No, I wasn’t, Susan. I’m sorry. Please come in.” Susan reluctantly stepped forward into the room with some coaxing from Robyn. “I was laughing at the situation. If there was one girl in the world that would not work with, it’s my sister. Trust me, when you’ve been around her a while, you’ll figure that out.”
“I’ll be back in a minute,” Robyn said, grabbing her rucksack and the torch from the small table by the side of the door. She headed downstairs and straight to the bar, where she went to one of the fridges and piled as many bottles of beer into the rucksack as she could. Within a few minutes, she was back in the room. “I’m guessing the Addams family across the hall wouldn’t ap
prove of this, but we’re in a pub, we may as well enjoy it.” Robyn handed a bottle each to Susan and Wren before taking one for herself.
“Do we have a bottle opener?” Susan asked.
“Don’t need one,” Robyn replied, twisting off the top and taking a drink. “Ahhh! That’s the stuff,” she said before letting out a huge burp, making them all laugh.
“You are so gross,” Wren said, taking a drink from her own bottle. “I ran into Elizabeth and Matthew earlier. They said they were going to eat in their rooms and get an early night.”
“Cool. Suits me. More grub for us,” Robyn said, walking over to the bed where Wren had placed the food she had found downstairs. “Tinned beans, tinned fruit, pickled gherkins and pickled onions? Oh man, we’re sleeping with the window open tonight. It’s going to be Fart Central.”
The girls did not get drunk, but they relaxed enough to have a good time. They snacked until they felt sick, and the incident with Susan climbing into Robyn’s bed was all but forgotten by the time they called it a night. Susan, who had rarely ever raised a glass, was affected the most by the alcohol, and gave both the sisters tight embraces. “You two are, like, the nicest people I’ve met in years. I love you two guys. Both of you.”
Wren and Robyn smiled. “We’re really happy we met you too, Susan,” Wren said.
With that, Susan turned and left, weaving a little down the hall as Wren shone the torch after her to make sure she could find her way into the right room. When she had disappeared, the two sisters climbed into their beds. Robyn broke wind loudly and started laughing “Scuse me,” she said.
“You are such a gross pig,” Wren said, laughing too. She climbed out of bed, parted the thick curtains for a second, and opened the window a crack before walking over to her sister’s bed.
The torch was on Wren’s bedside table, and her shadow loomed over her sister. “What is it?” Robyn asked, her laughing coming to an abrupt stop as Wren stood there.
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