by Leyton, Bisi
“Mum, stop, you’re killing him.” Wisteria ran up to the woman.
“That is the point,” Lara replied.
“You cannot hurt me human.” Sitting up, he pulled out the darts.
“I’ll keep him down,” Jason raced up pointing a dart gun at Bach. “Lara, get her as far away as you can.” He fired at Bach a couple times in the chest. “Hi, little brother, I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”
“Mongrel, you were the traitor who refused to help our mother.” Bach seethed.
“Because she’s insane and FYI…my name’s Jason. I was fortunate to learn the techniques the Red Phoenix use to resist the renewal.” Kneeling over Bach, he shot him again.
“D’cara,” Bach grunted.
“Why did you come here? Doesn’t our mother have it all in hand?”
“I don’t answer to you or—”
“You’re after Wisteria?”
“You aren’t as dumb as I thought.”
“Then why didn’t you take her when you saw her. Instead, you chased Steven—a rival. You’d have killed that kid if I hadn’t stopped you.”
“That was the point.”
“The darkness inside you will eventually lead you to hurt her.”
“I will take care of what is mine,” the darkness inside Bach responded.
“She’s not property. Dude, you’re totally out of control when it comes to her.” Jason looked around and grimaced at Bach. “I sense you brought biters to Smythe.”
“On the way in, I broke through the two gates and summoned a few hundred.”
“Why do this? Why not simply take her? She’ll hate you if you let anyone get hurt.”
“What she wants is as unimportant as what you think.”
“We’re going to help you.” Taking out a cloth, Jason placed it over Bach’s nose and mouth and clamped down. “First, this should help you sleep. Even as a Dy’obeth you’re useless against bean vine.”
“You cannot—” Bach struggled to speak as Jason suffocated him with the cloth. “You—”
“Enough, Mongrel.” Didan stepped up behind Jason and pulsed him.
Another Empiric, Mina emerged and pulsed Jason repeatedly. She’d also been among the empirics that had come to Smythe years before. Unlike Didan, she’d been turned into a Drone by Beraz to ensure her loyalty.
A third empiric entered the attack and they eradiated Jason with their blue light until he was bleeding from is his ears and nose.
“Stop, we didn’t come here for this.” Bach signaled as he struggled to rise.
The empirics ceased.
Exhausted, Jason collapsed. “Didan, why am I not surprised to see you here—serving the Dy’obeths and you’re not even a Drone. You were always an optimistic weasel.”
“I do what is right for the Family and eradicating the Terran jaga is best for us.” Didan advanced toward Jason. “Should I kill him?” He punched the weakened Jason in the face repeatedly.
“Bach, you let the biters in because you didn’t want your friends to see you came here for her,” Jason guessed. “There’d be no way the Dy’obeths would let you get away with bringing in a hum—”
“Didan, shut him up,” Bach ordered.
“A human?” Didan turned to Bach with a slight smug. “So, this is about your Terran jaga.”
“What do you think High Father will—” Jason seethed.
“I said shut him up,” Bach yelled.
Leering, Didan folded his arms. “We can always bring him back alive to High Father and decide what is a lie.”
Immediately, Mina moved forward and stabbed Jason in the chest. “Is this to your satisfaction Eminent, or do you want me to kill him?”
Not answering her, Bach staggered toward Didan. “You didn’t do what I ordered. Why?”
Pausing as if to think of an answer, Didan shrugged. “I was confused Eminent.”
“You still consider me the teenager you almost murdered,” Bach seethed. If he’d been stronger, he’d pummel Didan into the concrete.
“You seemed unsure of what you wanted, so I was uncertain whether or not—” Didan said.
“No, you were not.”
“A Dy’obeth gives a command you obey.” Using the knife she’d used on Jason Mina thrust it through his neck. “Eminent, unless you desire his regeneration, he will die here with the Rats.”
“Let him rot.” Bach exhaled, pulling out the last of Jason’s darts. He moved in the direction of Wisteria.
*****
Wisteria and her mother landed over the fence that now brought them to the empty Lawrence Street, three streets away from where she’d seen Bach.
A foul odor filled the air.
“Ah—Hell,” Lara let out as three biters staggered toward them. “He brought the infected in here.”
“We need to sound the alarm and make sure everyone gets into lockdown.” Wisteria turned toward the courthouse where there’d be a siren.
“You need to get as far away from Smythe as you can.” Her mother held her back. “Go to the rear gates and get to the boats.” She offered her the rifle.
“No, the island’s most important. From where we are, the courthouse will be the nearest place to sound the alarm. It’ll take me five minutes to—”
“We don’t have five minutes.” Lara gestured at eight or nine more biters shuffling toward them.
“Wisteria, what’s going on?” Garfield sprinted toward them.
“Was that Bach? What was he doing?” Amanda trailed behind him. When she reached Wisteria, she hugged her. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Wisteria replied. “What are you two doing out?”
“We followed you,” he admitted. “We were worried when we saw Bach.”
“He tried to kill Steven.” Amanda shook her head. “He looked crazy.”
“Plus the biters?” Pulling out his crossbow, he fired at the nearest flesh eater. “He must’ve brought them.”
“We’re sure about that?” Amanda inquired.
“What are the odds they show up moments after he does?” Wisteria finally admitted as she ran toward the courthouse. “I need to sound the alarm. Once that’s done I’ll find a way to help him.”
“No.” Again, her mother pulled her back. “Get to the rear gates and leave. You saw his eyes. He’s a Dy’obeth. The boy you remembered is gone.”
“Why did he go after Steven? Bach never liked him—that’s not changed,” Amanda noted.
“Fleshers.” Wisteria pointed as twenty or thirty more biters shuffling toward them from the direction of the rear gates. “Run, run!” She bolted through an alley.
The group fled through the streets now filling up with biters.
Wisteria couldn’t understand how these fleshers came through the gates. Surely, the soldiers would’ve blown up the bridge to stop this from happening.
Suddenly, an SUV swerved around the corner, parking in front of them. “Lara.” Coles wound down the window. “All of you in.”
“How bad is it?” Her mother got into the passenger seat.
“They’re everywhere.” Coles zoomed through the streets toward a less populated part of the island, but was soon cut off by hundreds of infected. Throwing the gear into reverse, he sped backwards toward the cemetery, but again was blocked by another swarm of approaching biters.
“Drive through them,” Amanda screamed.
“We can’t,” Wisteria replied quietly, “There’re too many.”
Taking out her handgun, her mother removed the silencer. “If you drive as far forward as you can. I’ll create a diversion.”
“What? No.” Wisteria grabbed her mother.
“No, Lara.” Coles glared at his wife, like she’d lost her mind.
“Use gas,” Wisteria suggested.
“There’s no gas in this vehicle, it’s not used outside the island,” her mother maintained.
“I’ll go,” Coles offered.
“I’m not leaving you here either,” Wisteria said firmly.
“You’re lying again.” Wisteria forced the door shut. “The last person to take a gun and run into a swarm of biters was Andrew and I had to cure him. I’m not doing that with you.”
“I’m not...” Her mother sighed. “I’m not important. You are. It looks like nothings changing that, no matter what I do.”
“You’re important. You’re my mother.” Wisteria pleaded.
“Hold on.” Coles steered the vehicle off the road and into a garden.
The vehicle rolled through the shrubs and down an alleyway.
“No, it isn’t that. Your father—” Her mother glanced at Coles. “Your biological father wasn’t like other men.”
The car halted as hundreds of biters flooded into the street.
“We’re trapped.” Wisteria realized aloud, as she’d not been focusing on the dangers around her.
Now, the swarm of biters were a few meters away from their vehicle and closing in.
“What do we do?” Amanda sobbed.
“We still need a diversion,” Lara maintained.
“Then, I’ll go.” Garfield reached for her gun.
“No.” Coles opened the car door. “Lara drive.”
“What?” Her mother clawed at him as he left. “You get back in here Elliot or I’ll swear I will remove your skin one square inch at a time.”
Wisteria also tried to grab him back, but Amanda pulled her away. “We need the distraction or we’re dead.”
“Amanda let me go,” Wisteria screamed. “Coles, you’re not going anywhere!”
“I’m not a martyr, at least not today.” Coles nodded in the direction of the street sign. “Canon Street, Lara.”
“Oh, right.” Now her mother opened the door.
“What are you doing?” Wisteria demanded.
“Do you have your bow and arrow?” Her mother asked Garfield.
“Yeah, but I’m down to my last seven arrows,” he replied.
“What are you thinking?” Wisteria watched Coles fire his handgun at a biter as he stepped out of the car. “Coles tell me!”
“I used to live on this street. If we get into my old house, there’s a tunnel that opens up a few yards on the other side of the street and past the monsters. That way.” Pointing through the swarm, he gestured to a grey terrace house. “Number 12. I have your back, now go.”
“I’ll lead.” Garfield stepped in front of Wisteria.
“Hurry,” Amanda cried as the biters closed in.
Reaching for her samurai sword, Wisteria sliced at an approaching infected. Removing the creature’s head, she stepped back to Garfield. “If you’re going to lead, then go.”
He moved a head of her, drew out his crossbow and fired at the first biter in their way.
Following, Wisteria chopped her way through the growing sea of fleshers as her mother and Coles trailed behind.
Something grabbed her waist. Before she head butted it, she saw in the corner of her eye it was Amanda holding on for dear life.
With the exception of Amanda, the group battled their way to the six-foot gate surrounding Cole’s former house.
Lara broke the lock by firing at it and hurriedly pulled the gate open.
When she ran through, she noticed her stepfather wasn’t with them. “Where—?”
“He didn’t make it.” Her mother slammed the gate shut as biters tried to follow them inside. “Help me close this gate.”
Nodding, she joined her mother and shoved the barrier as hard as she could as Garfield bolted it.
“Inside now.” Her mother stormed through the paved garden to the front door.
Nodding, Wisteria followed. There wasn’t time to think about Coles or feel sorry for herself. They needed to survive.
“Wisteria, I’m sorry about your dad,” Amanda muttered while going toward the house.
Forcing herself not to think about Coles, Wisteria reached the front door. “The biters have our scent, so they’ll keep fighting to get through the gate until they eventually succeed. We’ve got to get to the tunnels now and hope things are better on the other side.”
Her mother banged on the door. “Jenny!”
Moments later, the chains and locks on the other side of the door were undone and the door opened.
Aunt Jenny appeared. Scanning the group, she stepped aside and let them in. “How bad is it?”
“Over a hundred out there, I can’t tell you more than that.” Lara rushed in.
“And they’re about to force their way in here?” Aunt Jenny glared at the gate as the biters shook it.
“We’re leaving through the tunnel in your bunker,” Wisteria replied. “We’re hoping things are better on the other side.”
“There’s a tunnel here?” Aunt Jenny slammed the door shut, but not before peering once more at the gate, that was now showing dents from the fists of desperate fleshers. “Damn.” Once the door was shut and locked, she placed the iron cage door against it and padlocked it. “Lara, Wisteria wait!”
Dashing through the house, Wisteria headed to the cellar where the bunker would be. Getting to the underground room, she heard the low pitch siren go off in the distance. She immediately recognized it as the signal to all residents to go into lockdown.
“A bit late for that now.” Garfield sighed as he followed. “The biters are already on the island.”
“Wisteria,” her aunt yelled from up above. “Slow down, we need to talk.”
“This isn’t the time for talking. We’ve got to get out of here before the biters break in.” Wisteria arrived at a metal door built into a wall. Pulling the handle back, she saw Del Raubacher, her six-year-old cousin, sitting on one of the three beds. To her dismay, she spotted Steven leaning against the far wall with Hailey kneeling on the ground weeping. “What are you doing here?”
“Are we safe now, Wisteria?” Del got up and ran to her.
“Not yet.” She signaled to Amanda and Garfield to get in. “What are you doing here Steven?”
“Your aunt let me in when the biters corned me. Hailey was already here. Apparently, she ran off when she heard you and Amanda fighting.” Forcing a nervous smile, Steven didn’t make eye contact.
“As long as you’re with us, you do what I say,” Wisteria said firmly.
Steven nodded, but Hailey didn’t respond.
Scanning the room, Wisteria searched for the tunnel’s entrance.
“Cool, more weapons.” Garfield hurried past a broken mirror to a rusty metal cabinet in the corner. “Crap, Wisteria, we need to—”
“Mom.” Bursting into tears, Del rushed through the door in the direction of his mother. “He didn’t hurt me.”
“Who didn’t hurt you?” Wisteria turned to see her mother and aunt descending into the cellar as the bunker door closed and locked leaving her mother, her aunt, Del and Amanda on the other side.
“Get out of there now.” Her mother yelled. “Don’t—”
“Hello Wisteria.” Enric stood facing her, looking pale, but intense.
She backed away, bumping into Garfield. “What’s going on?”
“I tried to warn you,” Garfield whispered.
“You did this? You helped them bring the biters and now you’re holding my aunt and cousin hostage.”
“No, I didn’t bring the infected here.” Enric walked up to her. “Bach did this and he’s going to destroy this place looking for you.”
“And you’re helping him?” Wisteria guessed.
“I came here looking for you,” Enric explained.
“And when she didn’t tell him, he refused to let us go,” Hailey blurted it out.
“Human, what is happening isn’t about your sad life. I couldn’t risk anyone going to warn Wisteria.” Marching up to Wisteria, he held out his hand. “We leave now or your town dies here.”
“We can’t leave ever
yone here to die.” Wisteria shook her head.
“Bach is after you. He will go once you are gone,” Enric replied.
“How is Bach doing this?” Steven asked.
Enric scowled at him. “This does not concern you human.”
“Your Family brought biters to our home, so it affects us all.” Garfield seethed.
“Don’t provoke him. Enric’s still strong enough to kill you.” Wisteria stood between Garfield and Enric.
“You’re not going anywhere with him,” Garfield protested.
“You need to get to the Hall of Ages.” Enric held the dark glass in her face. “Because if the Dy’obeths or Bach gets you first, everyone is dead.”
“What is he on about?” Steven asked. “What are Dy’obeths? Why is Bach’s family coming after you?”
“I have been able to command the biters away from here.” Enric ignored Steven. “Your bloodline is safe as long as they stay inside. Even if you do not help me, they will be safe.”
“Send the biters away from the town,” Garfield emphatically pleaded.
“He isn’t strong enough to do that,” Wisteria knew this.
“So, what do we do?” Garfield asked
Wisteria had the answer, but didn’t have the words to say it. “Can you make the dark glass work?”
“Yes.” Taking the dark glass, Enric moved and placed the tiny tile on the broken mirror.
The dark glass started growing over the mirror.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Garfield whispered.
Wisteria kept her eyes fixed on the glass. “I’ve got to go.”
Intertwining his fingers within hers, Garfield sighed. “Let’s do this.”
“Seriously?” She felt surprised he wanted to go with her.
“Human, this is not a game,” Enric remarked. “Are you prepared to die over there?”
Garfield stepped up to him. “You better believe it.”
As Enric gave Wisteria a red stone, another shard fell to the ground. “Obsidian coral. Hold this if you want to pass through the threshold in one piece.”
“And me?” Garfield asked. “Will that work on both of us?”
“I won’t need it.” Wisteria gave the stone to Garfield. “I’ve journeyed to Jarthan without the coral.”