by Tiffany Foxe
Sam shook the sheetrock out of his hair and glared at Sophie as she walked away from him. More than anything in that moment, her decision to walk and not run floored him. That fact that she was so confident that their quarrel was over, that he would no longer pursue her piqued him to the point of seeing red. He eyed the wire that trailed behind her, still attached to her arm. He lunged after it and pulled. Sophie was yanked off balance and hurled backward through the air. Her body tumbled as she flew backward, the barbs catching her right thigh and pinning her right arm beside her. She hit the ground on her right side, wrenching in pain as the barbs dug into her thigh and arm. Sam stumbled to his feet and looked about for something to use as his prey writhed in pain. Blood oozed out of each barb site that touched Sophie’s skin. She felt herself grow weaker with each drop of blood that poured out of her body. Sam jumped up and popped a ceiling tile out of the way. He noticed a water sprinkler pipe directly overhead. He pounced up again and wrapped the wire around the pipe, the barbs locking it into place. Sophie hung upside down swinging like a pendulum, the barbs digging deeper into her flesh. Sam looked her in the face and smirked. He turned and walked away, leaving Sophie hanging by her thigh in mid-air.
“Are you really going to leave me like this?!” she called out.
He ignored her and continued walking.
“You’re gonna let me bleed out? For her?! She doesn’t love you!” she asserted as her body swung to and fro.
She watched him stop in his tracks as blood ran up her thigh. She felt light headed.
“She doesn’t love anybody. She’s incapable,” she muttered.
Sam’s body stiffened as he clenched his fists. He continued walking down the hall. He didn’t turn back.
***
Luce made her intentions clear to a crowd of Watchers that night. The Sons had alluded justice by removing Zadok from their custody. Repercussions were required. For their defiance, she declared war on the Sons. The next night they would attack.
The Sons stayed busy preparing for the inevitable: a fight they could not win, a fight they had never won. They had always resisted the Watchers, yet they had always remained squarely under their thumb. It didn’t matter this time. They had no other option.
Sophie hung dazed and delirious as blood seeped up her thigh and right arm. The barbs continued to dig into her skin, preventing the wounds from healing as they normally would after an injury. She had lost all feeling in her leg which carried most of the tension from the wire. As her mind slipped in and out of consciousness she found herself regretting having not fed more the night before. She was too weak for this kind of blood loss. She struggled to free the wire from the pipe it clung to, but was quickly met with exhaustion. Her vision went dark and she closed her eyes and her mind went unconscious.
***
Emiline tried to distance herself from the chaos of preparations, keeping hidden in her room. Eventually, hunger knocked on her door and she had to answer. She headed to the kitchen to make a sandwich. She pulled out a loaf of bread and a plate, but then stopped when the sound of the t.v. in the study caught her attention.
She walked into the room so she could hear better. The news was giving an update on the riverbank murder. A reporter stood on the bank not far from the mansion, recounting details about the case and informing the audience that the culprits had been captured. The screen cut from the live footage to a recording of several young adults being pulled out of the back of a cop car. The reporter informed that they were members of a vampire cult, The Nocturnal, and the murder was a part of their sacrificial ritual.
Em had heard of the cult, before. She had looked into them when she first learned of the case. They weren’t murderers. They were a mere group of geeky cosplayers, fantasy nerds that dressed and acted the part. But, their acting only went so far. It was all pretend, and Em felt they knew well enough to leave it at that.
Emiline left the study to look for Ralph as the Sons hastily armed themselves for the expected onslaught. She weaved in and out of the hectic movement of bodies as she looked for her father. She found him sitting alone in his office, his chair facing the window behind his desk.
“Ralph,” she said uneasily as she interrupted his silent pondering of the upcoming events.
He turned his chair around to face her.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course, honey. Just don’t ask me how old I am,” he joked.
Emiline smiled, wearily.
“That murder that happened near here...the one on the river...do you know what happened?”
“Um, yeah. It was the Watchers. Why?”
“Why would they do it?” Em asked, unconvinced.
“It was retaliatory. To get even,” he explained.
“But...isn’t that why they want me?”
“Now, I never said they play fair.”
“So it wasn’t The Nocturnal?”
“The what?” he asked, confused.
Here he was saying the Watchers were responsible, but Sophie denied they had any involvement. She didn’t know what to believe. She didn’t trust either one of them. Meanwhile, a group of cosplayers were taking the blame. Her stomach churned. She decided to let it lie as a another question sprang forth.
“What happened with you and my mother?”
Ralph’s eyelids fluttered as he was caught off guard by the sudden change in topic.
“Sh...she left.”
Emiline raised her eyebrows in expectation. She needed a more thorough answer than that.
“And?”
“And, that’s it. She didn’t leave a note. Nothing. She just...disappeared.”
Emiline shook her head.
“Why? Why would she just leave like that?”
Ralph leaned back in his chair.
“I don’t know,” Ralph muttered. He looked Em in the eye and felt the need to clarify. “I...I think she was...scared of what I was. Of what I am,” he said sullenly.
“Did you know about me?” she asked.
“No. Not until the first…”
“Murder?” Emiline finished.
“Awakening,” he concluded.
“They’re here!” Daemien yelled from the hallway as he rushed to the front door, gun in hand.
Ralph stood at once.
“Come with me,” he said to Emiline.
She followed Ralph down the hall to the elevator which led down to the lair underground.
She watched in awe as Sons moved in organized droves to various locations of intrusion at the mansion. She stumbled as a loud rumble shook the ground.
“They busted the roof!” she heard someone yell.
Another pack of Sons in a mix of human and wolf form rushed past her in the opposite direction. She turned and watched them head up the stairs. Another loud thunder cracked her ears. She winced as rubble fell from the ceiling.
The elevator doors opened.
“Let’s go,” Ralph said as he entered.
Unsure of what to do, she reluctantly followed suit.
***
“Soph. Soph!”
Sophie opened her eyes as she drowsily regained consciousness. A Watcher that worked at the club stood before her. She had come in to open up.
“I’ll be right back,” she said as she hurried into the office.
Sophie tried to orient herself as her mind drifted in a fog. The woman came back with a set of bolt cutters. She used them to cut the wire that dangled Sophie’s leg. Sophie came crashing to the floor.
“You okay?”
Sophie lifted her head off the floor.
“What happened? Is he here?”
“Who?” she asked.
Sophie gazed down the hall into the main room of the club.
“There’s no one else here,” she said as she helped Sophie to her feet. “They’re all at the mansion.”
Sophie froze.
“What mansion?”
The women looked at Sophie perplexed.
“The Sons.
How long have you been here?” she asked.
Sophie anxiously removed the wire from her leg and arm and began limping toward the front door. She could feel the punctures in her skin finally starting to heal, but she felt drained and disoriented. She had lost too much blood.
“Hey!” the woman called out.
Sophie turned around. The woman tossed a bag to Sophie from behind the bar. She caught it and looked at its innards. It was blood.
“Thanks,” she said as she hastily continued toward the door.
***
Ralph and Emiline exited the elevator into the dimly lit lair. Wolves stood watch at various points along the perimeter.
“If we fail, you go through there,” he pointed at a tunnel on the opposite side from them.
“Go down, take your first right, then follow it all the way down. You should be safe there,” he said.
Em nodded. A low rumble bellowed above. She looked up, rattled.
“Don’t worry. We’re more prepared than they realize,” he said as he advanced down the walkway.
A thunderous boom struck above them sending the ceiling crashing down in huge chunks of rock and boulder.
“Well, in some ways,” he corrected as he continued onward, unfazed.
A storm of Watchers dove in through the opening from above, hurtling silver coated spears at the Sons standing guard. Several took a hit, leaving the elevator and tunnels vulnerable to intrusion. Watchers scurried out of the tunnels as Sons entered from the elevator and stairwell. Both factions rushed at each other, Sons shifting into their wolf forms, jaws snapping, and claws swingings. Watchers fired off rounds of silver cased bullets as they flew overhead. Others attacked the Sons directly, swinging fists and throwing spears. Sons still in human form wielded axes at their enemy, decapitating Watchers and ending their immortal existence.
Emiline watched in horror as she looked upon the death and destruction about her. Nausea overcame her as she considered the fact that this all came about because of her.
“Grrrr!”
She heard Ralph’s voice and turned to find him in a struggle with Luce. She landed a left hook across his cheek, sending him flying onto the ground. He grabbed a knife from his side as he stumbled to his feet. Luce moved forward without hesitation. Ralph swung the knife at Luce’s neck with full force. She dodged with ease. He threw a punch which landed squarely across her jaw. She stood poised and threw an uppercut sending him hurtling through the air. Emiline watched as his body hit the stone floor, the knife sliding from his hand and stopping at her feet. Luce marched towards her nemesis with purpose. Ralph struggled to get up, disoriented from the blow.
Emiline looked around her in trepidation. Sons and Watchers exchanged blows and gunfire. Each side taking casualties.
Luces pulled out a gun and pointed it at Ralph. She smiled.
“It’s about bloody time,” she said as she squeezed the trigger.
“Ah!” Luce cried out as a sharp pain shot through her back.
Emiline let go of the knife that stuck into Luce’s back and stepped away. She stared in panic at the blood that stained her fingers. Luce turned around to gaze upon her attacker and gave a sly grin.
“You’re outmatched, my friend,” she stated as she grabbed the knife that pierced her lower back and yanked it out.
Luce grimace momentarily, but her evil smile quickly returned.
Emiline watched in dread as the wound quickly healed and the skin closed completely. She felt a flood of apprehension as the realization of the inevitable became apparent. She was screwed.
Luce returned her attention to Ralph who had managed to make it to his feet, but was still unsteady.
“I’m so going to enjoy this,” she said with pleasure.
She lifted her gun and pointed at Ralph. Emiline watched anxiously as a dark blur swooped down from her left and pummeled Luce to the ground. She saw them tumble and come to a stop in a heap on the floor. A Watcher slowly got up and towered over Luce with equanimity. It was Sophie. Her pants and sleeve were torn and stained with blood.
“End this,” she demanded of Luce.
Luce crawled to her knees as she wiped blood from the corner of her mouth.
“I’m trying!” she stated as she glared at Sophie.
Luce lifted the gun that was still in her hand and pointed it at Sophie.
“We both know that won’t kill me,” said Sophie.
Luce curled her lips in anger.
“Rrrrr!”
She charged at Sophie, tackling her to the ground. The two struggled. Luce pinned Sophie underneath her. She chuckled.
“Look at you. You’re a shell of what you used to be,” Luce said.
Luce watched Sophie’s eyes grew wide.
“Luce, look at out!”
Sophie threw Luce off of her and rolled to the side just as an axe struck the stone beside her. Sophie stared at the sparks as they flew from the blade hitting the stone floor inches away from her face. Luce and Emiline looked on in astonishment. Ralph lifted the axe and prepared to swing once more. This time at Sophie. He raised the blade up.
“Ralph, no!,” pleaded Emiline.
He glanced over at Emiline. A loud noise rang through her ears. She watched his expression grow blank as the axe dropped and he fell to the ground. Em blinked and looked to her right. Luce held a gun pointed right where Ralph had just been standing. Sophie stared at Luce dumbfounded. Luce turned her attention to Emiline.
“Soph, you look like shit,” Luce said as she stared at Emiline with a smug smirk.
“No thanks, to you,” Sophie responded as she started to get up.
“What do you say we find out how well that diet is working out for ya?”
Without looking away from Em, she pointed her gun at Sophie and fired off several rounds. Sophie dodged the first round, but was hit by the others. Sophie grimaced in pain as she felt her body reject the bullets and slowly push them bank out of her skin. Luce glanced over at Sophie and scoffed. Emiline took advantage of the moment and darted toward Luce. She felt her rage grow as her bones twisted and contorted as she shifted into her more savage half. The white wolf pounced upon Luce, toppling her to the ground. Luce fired off several shots, sending the wolf fleeing from her attacker.
Sophie looked on, paralyzed in pain as her body dealt with the ravage of bullets on her body. Luce sat up and fired off more rounds as the wolf turned back, jumped and ran along the side of the wall back toward Luce. Luce continued to fire until she ran out of ammunition. She threw the gun down, jumped to her feet and prepared for impact. The wolf jumped off the wall toward Luce. Sophie gawked as the wolf transitioned back into her human form, midair, and landed a punch across Luce’s face. Luce hit the floor. She keeled over in pain for a moment, but was quickly back up exchanging swings and blows with her mortal counterpart. Em threw a punch that Luce dodged. She grabbed Em’s arm and slung her hard against the wall. Emiline crawled to her feet just in time to avoid a stomp from Luce. Luce swung. Em ducked, wrapped her right arm around Luces and jammed her left fist into Luce’s elbow. Luce cried out in pain as she felt her bones shatter. She dropped to her knees as she gripped her elbow.
Emiline surveyed the chaos about her. Wolves and Sons exchanged a crippling onslaught from the Watchers. Em took a step back and shook her head as she watched them pointlessly throwing their lives away.
“We’re done,” she choked out.
She took a couple of steps back, turned around and walked away. Luce seethed as she glared at Emiline. She caught sight of a spear on the ground a few feet from her. She quickly picked it up and rushed upon Emiline.
“No!” cried out Sophie as she bolted to place herself between Em and her attacker.
Emiline hastily turned around in time to catch the tip of the spear piercing her abdomen. Luce had shoved the weapon with such force it had shot clear through Sophie’s back and into Emiline’s abdomen. They both stood facing each other, paralyzed in shock and horrendous agony. Luce smirked.
“Two for the price of one,” she resolved.
Em fell to her knees, pulling Sophie down with her. She writhed as the silver burned through her flesh. Luce grabbed the end of the weapon and placed her foot on top. She pulled the end up forming a ninety degree angle, preventing Sophie from just sliding the smooth end out of her torso.
A baritone roll of thunder and high pitched cracking echoed throughout the air as rock and stone began to tumble from the walls and ceiling. The bombardment from the Watchers had taken its toll on the foundations of the structure. The mansion was caving into the lair. Luce observed the crumbling structure and took it as her cue to leave. She gave a quick smile at Sophie.
“Toodles,” she said playfully.
Sophie glared in disgust as Luce trotted away with a satisfactory air. Rocks from the foundation continued to plummet around them. Sophie could feel herself growing faint as her vision faded and thoughts grew unclear. She was losing consciousness. She knew she had to act fast for her sake and Em’s.
“Hang on. This is going to hurt,” warned Sophie.
She braced her hands against Emiline’s shoulders, summoned what strength she had left, and gave a forceful shove. The spear tore through Em’s flesh as it exited her abdomen, releasing her from its tormenting grasp. Emiline gave a sharp cry and immediately passed out from the pain. Sophie sighed with relief. Now that the the silver was no longer a threat for Em, she might live.
Cecelia noticed Em and darted to her aid. She knelt down beside her and placed pressure with both hands over her abdomen as she called out for assistance. Sophie looked on in a woozy blur, her body teetering from side to side. Two men hurried over and listened attentively to Cecelia’s orders. Sophie collapsed on her side, her face pale and breath weak. Cecelia turned and looked upon her with quiet pity. Sophie watched as the two men took Em into the tunnel. Cecelia got to her feet, still gazing upon Sophie with inquisitive wonder. Sophie’s attention remained unaffected as she stared at the tunnel where Emiline had disappeared.