And to make matters worse, she was keeping Matthew away from me. Normally they sat next to me at mealtimes, but now they were at the farthest end of the table despite the loud protests Matthew had made. It shouldn’t have bothered me. It should have been a relief. I’d been growing far too close for comfort to the boy. Some distance was a healthy thing, but it didn’t feel that way. It only filled me with more guilt.
“Not enjoying the stew?” Clara whispered beside me. “I don’t blame you. It tastes quite gamey to me. I’d kill for a cheeseburger, or New York style pizza.” I’d never tried those foods, or anything processed before. It wasn’t like I could miss them. This meal was more in line with what I’d grown up with, but I didn’t feel like talking so I just nodded silently.
I scooped a couple of mouthfuls in before finally giving up. Cletus came around to collect the dishes and several of the members of our group went off to the kitchen to wash them. I wanted to join in, but Jane was making Matthew help. I decided it was best to stay out of the way. The way Matthew kept looking at me, broke my heart. I hoped that Jane would have enough compassion to allow Matthew to at least hold my angel tonight.
I decided that the best thing I could do was to stay out of everyone’s way. So, I headed towards the main sleeping area in hopes of finding a good book to read. It had been a long time since I’d had the opportunity to read recreationally, but since being stuck here I’d gotten back in the habit and was enjoying the selection of books that the group had gathered on their scavenges.
I sat down on my mattress and plucked through the pile that Clara had offered me the other day. They were all books she had no interest in, which meant they were written more than fifty years ago. I ended up picking up Pride and Prejudice. It had been my mother’s favourite Jane Austen novel. My mother had been named for the heroine of the story, Elizabeth. She often said her mother must have known she’d have a strong will to pick such a fitting character to name her after. Either that or she’d just ended living up to the name.
I’d only managed to read a chapter when Seth sat down on the mattress opposite me. “That one’s a good one,” he said. I eyed him suspiciously.
“You’ve read Pride and Prejudice?”
“I’m British. I’m pretty sure it’s mandatory.” I smirked a little in spite of myself.
“You didn’t find it a little girly?”
“No, actually I found it quite informative. It gave me a deeper understanding of the inner workings of the female mind.”
I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to my book. Seth didn’t move. After less than a minute I looked back up at Seth, who was still looking at me. I sighed with exasperation. “Can I do something for you?”
“Actually yes. I think you can. Dr. Lee and I have been working on a project for some time. It’s kind of top secret. Less than a handful of people know. We could use some help and we thought of who could keep a secret and your name was at the top of our list.” I rolled my eyes again.
The last thing I wanted was to get any more involved with these people; but having something to do to distract myself while I finished healing wouldn’t be the worst thing. My curiosity won out. “What kind of project?”
“The secret kind.”
“Yeah I got that much. What do you need me to do?”
“Just stay in the blind tonight with Dr. Lee and I.”
“What for?” I asked. My curiosity was definitely peeked. I’d seen the blind, but only from a distance. I hadn’t really understood its purpose. Keeping people outside the safety of the building, felt a little reckless even in something like a hunter’s blind.
“Well that would be the secret part. If you join us tonight, we’ll fill you in but only so long as you commit to the super-secret code of honour.”
“And what would that be?”
“A pinky-swear,” he said holding out his pinky finger.
“Serious?” I questioned. “What are we five?”
“It’s that or spitting in our hands and shaking.” I opted for the pinky-swear.
◆◆◆
I stood one landing away from the roof door trying to catch my breath, as I leaned on my crutches for support. Sweat was dripping down my face. It may have gotten easier to go up and down the stairs over the past month, but that didn’t mean that didn’t take a lot out of me. And it still took a long time to accomplish the task.
Seth was waiting for me at the top landing impatiently tapping his foot against the grating. “This is ridiculous,” he called down. “Just let me carry you up here already.”
“No,” I huffed as I prepared myself for the last bit of climbing. “I can do it myself.”
“Before the sun goes down?” he said motioning to the fading sunlight. The winter weather was finally here and the sun set much earlier than I was used to. The others were still relaxing downstairs probably playing their little get-to-know-you games. They didn’t have to rush, but I did. Seth was right. We couldn’t waste time.
“I’m coming. Just shut-up and let me concentrate.” Seth was the only one here that I felt comfortable enough, that I could talk like that without repercussion. And true enough to his character he just laughed.
“Fine but I’m only giving you two more minutes and then I’m coming to get you.” He started counting loudly. It echoed down the staircase. And funny enough, it was actually very motivating. I was able to push past the pain, the strain and the sweat and work myself up the last set of stairs with twenty seconds to spare. Seth just shook his head as he led me onto the roof top.
We walked past the shower area, and the laundry station, around the corner to a part of the roof I hadn’t been to yet. On the other side of some large duct work, there was the large blind set-up. It was set up to look like it was just another piece of the building. It had some metal duct work that jutted out and was mainly a concrete structure. Seth took my crutches from me and laid them outside the blind as I hobbled into the structure that was only half my height. It was at least long enough that all three of us could sleep comfortably. On the floor were some foam mattresses as well as some sleeping bags. Two telescopes were set up, to peek through the duct work holes. There also appeared to be a tiny sliding door and on the floor, next to it was one of the high-powered military guns I’d used before.
Seth and I arrived before Dr. Lee. So we got ourselves settled in. Seth had carried my book up for me, so that I’d have some reading material to entertain myself during what he liked to call ‘the slow time.’ I still had no idea what I was doing up here or what they did up here. Seth wanted Dr. Lee to be the one to tell me. But it was starting to make sense. Dr. Lee rarely slept in the main living area. I’d thought that maybe he was a snorer and to save the group from suffering, he’d opted to sleep somewhere else. But then Seth also disappeared at least twice a week. So this had to have been where they went at night.
Dr. Lee looked more excited than I’d ever seen him before. He hadn’t come empty handed either. He’d brought some water, some books and some note pads and pens. “What no snacks?” I asked sarcastically, as I grabbed a bottle of water.
“Easy on the water. We need to spend the night in here and there’s isn’t really the option for a bathroom break.”
“Not a problem,” I replied as I took a swig. “I’m pretty sure I’ve got the world’s largest bladder. I once went a whole day without…but then I hadn’t had water in three days. Never mind I’ll slow it down.” I realized I’d been rambling and both men were just staring at me, with a surprised look on their face. It was probably the first time Dr. Lee had heard me say anything personal about my past and Seth hadn’t heard much more.
Seth was the one to break the awkward silence. “Well she is the only woman I’ve never seen go for a midnight run to the washrooms.”
“I think the cast might have something to do with that,” Doc responded.
I smiled back. “Yeah it’s not exactly the easiest thing to lug around. It would be a lot easier if someone woul
d just go ahead and give me a walking cast.”
Dr. Lee wagged his finger at me. “One more week missy and no sooner.” I folded my arms across my chest in fake annoyance. I was trying hard not to make myself look too eager, after what Jane had said to me earlier in the day. Dr. Lee busied himself getting his papers and books in order and I waited patiently for him to explain what we were doing in here. After ten minutes of silence, I’d had enough waiting.
“Are you going to tell me what we’re doing up here already?”
A mischievous grin crossed the doctor’s face. “I think it would be better just to let you see for yourself. Just give it another ten to twenty minutes,” he said glancing at his watch.
I shook my head and went back to reading. It was hard to get into the book with the anxiety that I was feeling. I had no idea where it was coming from but for some reason I was regretting coming up here. Seth and Doc were talking quietly amongst themselves, about research and about a potential for testing on subjects. None of it made any sense to me, so I tried to ignore their conversation. Still the pressure on my chest continued to grow. I put it off to being so exposed. The blind was secure enough, I was sure. It wasn’t like there were any hives nearby, or at least that was what I was told. There was no need to be worried, but I was.
Dr. Lee kept glancing through one of the telescopes until he finally saw whatever it was he was looking for. He hopped back excitedly. “Is it happening again?” Seth asked. Doc nodded. “Okay your turn,” he said to me as he motioned for me to move towards the telescope. I hobbled over towards it awkwardly, with my busted ankle held out to my side. “Now before you look,” Seth said stopping me from peeking through the thing, “I want you to have an open mind and look past whatever knowledge you think you have.”
“Okay?” I said not really sure what to say to that. Without knowing what they wanted me to see, it was hard to make any sort of guarantee. Seth moved out of the way as I pulled my eye up to the telescope. At first, I didn’t see anything but the old burnt out building that was only a few blocks away but then as I focused in, I started to see them. There were at least twenty of the demons crawling, leaping, and running across the building and the nearby scaffolding.
My heart pounded rapidly in my chest, my body shook and I had to fight back the scream that was threatening to rise in my throat. One of the demons looked right over at me. Though I was sure that he couldn’t actually see me or even knew we were here, it didn’t stop the chill from vibrating through my body. The eyes were bright red and piercing just like the ones I’d seen the night my sanctuary was attacked.
In an instant it was like my whole self had been transported back in time. I was no longer in the safety of the blind. I was back in the old office building we’d called home for the past three months, with Molly by my side and the young boy. The little boy was clinging to Molly’s shirt as we backed away from the main entrance. The demons were in the building and there was nothing we could do but run now. They’d blocked our only option for actual protection. The building had a panic room but the demons were between us and it. My mind was rapidly trying to search through the building plans in my mind. We had schematics for the building, and I had tried to study them, but with my mind being completely inept for maps it hadn’t worked. It wasn’t like this building was a small space. It had once housed a lot of different businesses, from dentists, to lawyers and doctors. It had fifteen floors and I hadn’t hung out on any of the lower floors as they weren’t as safe with broken glass, busted boards, and such.
This was it. We were screwed. We were all about to either die or become like them. I reached for the gun in my holster. It only had three bullets. One for each of us. Molly stopped me before I could pull it out. “No, there’s another way,” she spoke firmly. She took charge, leading us through a part of the building I wasn’t familiar with. I’d always led her. It felt weird to let her take over, wrong. But at that point what did we have to lose?
We ran down, as quietly as we could, some back stairs that led to a fire escape. None of us said a word as we ran. The sound of our breathing was probably all the demons needed to find us. We did our best to watch out for the busted steps and the nails that jutted out from beneath our feet. The railing we clung to felt like it might break at any moment. We were just down the third flight of stairs when a door above us burst open bringing the sound of snarls and screeches echoing down the dark hallway.
We started to run faster but the boy became terrified and wouldn’t move. He was clinging to the rail which was barely hanging on with only a couple of screws still left to keep it together. The demons were getting closer. Molly was frantically trying to get the boy to run. But he wouldn’t move and we couldn’t pry his hands free from the rail. “We have to leave him,” I screamed at Molly yanking her hand away from the boy and pulling her down the staircase.
“We can’t just leave him,” she whispered as we ran. I could see in her eyes that she was ready to turn back around for him.
“No choice,” I wheezed through staggered breath as I held on tightly to her. There was no way I was going to let her die for the boy. It was cruel. Just moments ago we’d done all we could to try to save him and now I was acting like Alex. It didn’t matter, Molly mattered. “Which way?”
“There’s some duct work down another flight of stairs, that should be too narrow for the demons to get through. It leads down to the city’s old underground rail system.” I wasn’t so sure about that. An abandoned underground system of tunnels seemed like the perfect place for a hive to set up shop. But we didn’t have many options, so I followed her lead. As we ran the sound of gun fire permeated the building. I didn’t know where it was coming from or who was shooting. It didn’t matter they’d left us and now I could only assume that someone’s luck had run out. Karma at work, I told myself. They’d stolen the guns, but it wasn’t going to do them much good when they had dozens of demons scrambling to take a bite out of them.
We made our way through to the basement floor and she led me down the hall to an old storage room. The moment we were in we started piling file cabinets against the door as quickly as we could. On the far side of the room was a grated panel that led to the duct work. Just looking at it, I was pretty sure that one of the smaller demons could manage its way through the system. Molly assured me that the further we went the narrower the opening became. I had no choice but to trust her. The demons were on the other side of the door screeching and scratching trying to push past our lame attempt to block them.
Molly went first because she knew the way. “Hurry I urged her as we moved deeper into the system of ducts. The metal banged with every movement we made and I hated it because I knew that not only would we call attention to our location for the demons, that were trying to get to us already, but any others that hadn’t been after us would surely be seeking us out now.
Sweat poured down my face as the space slowly became more confining. If it was getting uncomfortable for me then at least that was a good sign that it would be much tougher for the demons to reach us.
“We’re almost there,” Molly exclaimed excitedly. “Oh crap,” she said as she came to a dead stop.
“What’s the problem?” I asked not bothering to keep my voice down. There was no point anymore.
“I can’t jump down there it’s too far. I’ll break my legs for sure.”
“Move,” I said pushing her down a side duct, so I could see the opening. There was a small circular metal door, that thankfully wasn’t locked, which led to a small old brick room. It looked like it was probably at one point some emergency technician room that had been just on the other side of the tracks. It was a long way down, at least for Molly. I was pretty sure if I climbed down first I could avoid injuring myself and then could assist Molly in climbing down.
“I’ll go first. Hold the door open for me,” I ordered. She obeyed and I eased myself out backwards dangling my feet in mid-air. I worked as quickly as I could and as safely as I could manage t
o get myself down. When I was dangling just by my hands I went for it and dropped. Thankfully the floor was only a couple feet away and while it wasn’t a pleasant sensation to have my feet smash into the hard concrete floor, I wasn’t injured. I quickly looked around for something to stand on so I could get Molly down. I found a very old small rusty ladder. I pulled it up to the hole, jumped up and signaled Molly to give me her hands.
Molly was halfway through when suddenly her body started sliding backwards. She screamed as the demon dug its claws into her leg. “Don’t let go,” I yelled at Molly. I pulled with all my might, but it wasn’t enough. The demon had to be young to have followed us this far, probably younger than Molly. We’d been so focused on finding our way out that we’d stopped listening for their snarls and completely lost track of where they were. I could hear the other demons now in the distance. They sounded like there were a couple more that were jammed up in the tunnels. Their screeches vibrated off the duct work, causing searing pain to shoot through my ears. It took all of my strength to push past the pain and resist the urge to hold my ears. The only thing that kept me going, was seeing the fear in my sister’s eyes. She was so afraid I didn’t think the horrible sound was having any effect on her.
The young demon that had hold of Molly was snarling but not at us. It was like it was communicating with the others in the tunnel. It was a sound I wasn’t familiar with. Normally it was screeching, horrible, endless screeching. This sound was almost worse. I didn’t know if this demon could get help by calling out and I didn’t want to find out. We needed to get out of here now.
I pulled harder. Molly screamed as the demon dug its claws deeper into her leg. It wasn’t going to let her go and I knew that if I didn’t do something quickly it was going to bite her. Why it hadn’t already I didn’t know. “Hold on Molly I’m going for my gun.” I held onto her tightly with the one hand and reached with the other for my weapon.
Seeking Daylight Page 8