The Demon's Grave

by E. M. MacCallum

  I had thought it was a dream. How could I have forgotten when the spiders were attacking? I was here before. Was this all a dream? A hallucination? Where was everyone?

  “Phoebe?” I whispered. “Read?”

  Dead air shattered under my voice and when my ears stopped ringing, no one had answered. “Cody? Robin?” I turned my head into the chair, my forehead bouncing off the wood and I winced.

  “You ask for everyone but one,” the mellifluous voice echoed in my ears but my eyes wouldn’t adjust to see him.

  Blinking several times I realized he was a shadow, pacing the wall near my feet. His broad shoulders hunched and hands clasped behind his back with his head tilted down. From the angle, he could have been watching me.

  “Where am I?” I asked.

  The pacing stopped and he straightened slowly. “You don’t know?”

  If I didn’t know better, it sounded as though Damien were smiling.

  * * *

  Warm water assaulted my mouth and nose, striking through my sinuses like twin daggers.

  I clawed at the water to reach the surface. One of the currents shoved me against the island shooting pain through my bruised back.

  Instinct took over and I shouted in bubbles. I clawed at water as if it were a mountainside or a tree.

  It wasn’t until after my gurgled scream that I realized all my air was gone. With a jolt of panic I planted my shoes against the island.

  Pushing off with all my strength, I aimed for the window, praying to break the surface.

  Stretching my fingers, I strained to feel Aidan’s hands. I could see his watery, warped face above; see him reaching for me.

  As my feet found the island to push off, a second current shoved me back. I skidded over the island as the water’s flow flushed me away from the kitchen.

  Kicking and swinging my arms, I tried to find the surface.

  Panic heated within my chest, my lungs were starting to ache, my throat convulsing for something, anything. It took all my concentration to not take a breath.

  One frantic kick landed something solid beneath my foot. Pushing off, I rose. My muscles leaked of energy with each labored stroke.

  My fingers broke the surface first. I don’t think I could rise fast enough before my head broke free. I took a shrieking breath. My lungs felt as if they’d been caved in. My arms wind-milled for something to grip.

  I didn’t want to go under again, but I had to get to the window.

  Taking another greedy breath, which still didn’t feel like enough, I twisted until I realized I wasn’t in the kitchen anymore. The undercurrent had swept me into the dining room. The water was over my head. The archway to the kitchen was almost submerged.

  My flailing arms eventually caught the top of the china cabinet. My fingers cramping to hold on. My sneakers flattened against the wall, preparing myself for another swim. Several breaths and heartbeats passed before I found a smidgen of courage to try again.

  Aim for the archway, I thought. One thing at a time.

  With that, I bent my knees for a leap off the wall.

  It was now or never.

  Jumping to bypass some of the water, I landed a foot away from the archway. Pushing hard, I used the burning muscles until my hands grabbed the doorway. Another rush of water attempted to knock me back.

  As I gripped the wall, my arms and legs strained and ached.

  All I wanted to do was stop but I didn’t want to deal with the consequences. The window was my only way out.

  Somewhere far away, I heard what could have been my name but it was muffled.

  I immediately thought of Damien. You shouldn’t be here, Nora.

  The water should have been flowing out of the window by now but it kept rising to crush me against the ceiling.

  Dragging myself through the doorway, I crawled until I was rolling against the wall of the kitchen. I tried to find the next place to jump before the current snagged me again.

  I couldn’t see the island in the kitchen anymore. If I could launch myself off of the wall I might be able to grab it and pull myself closer to the window, but if I missed I’d be back in the dining room.

  All I could hear was a roaring, splashing river. Gathering up bits of my nerves I took a deep breath, which still wasn’t enough, and plunged under.

  I counted the long, fighting stokes and hoped I’d find the counter sooner rather than later. One, two, three…‌I started to feel the familiar strain. The arch in my right foot began to cramp and I tried to roll my toes back in my sneaker to prevent it.

  The fourth stroke was a struggle, a current pushed me sideways and I had to flail to right myself.

  Five…‌six. I had to release some of my held air in my efforts.

  The window was barely visible. As I drew closer, I could see nothing was pouring out of the cracked glass, as if an invisible barrier was there. I had to hope it wouldn’t hold me in too.

  The cramp in my foot began to spasm pain up my leg, making my swim awkward and slowed. My lungs burned and convulsed for air, making me feel heady and my limbs weak.

  My hand smacked onto the top of the counter. I could still see the moonlight streaming through the window, making it an easier target. Beyond the window I could make out two watery silhouettes.

  One of them thrust hands through the window and its invisible barrier.

  Pushing off of the island, I used the last of my reserves. If I missed him again I wasn’t sure I could make it back to the opening.

  I stretched out my hands, wishing my arms would grow longer, I strained in agony.

  One of Aidan’s hands grabbed my right wrist. He was half submerged in the water.

  Having plunged his shoulders and face through the window’s opening. His hair floated around his head in the current.

  I could have shrieked in joy, and gripped his wrist in return. His other hand managed to snatch my waving free hand before he dragged me from the current that tangled in my feet.

  I wanted to help by kicking, but the cramp seized everything in my foot, seeming to cripple my leg in the process.

  Air.

  The coolness struck my hand first and Read grabbed my right forearm to help Aidan pull.

  My head was freed and I inflated my crippled lungs, but it still wasn’t enough. I gasped again, my cramped foot useless and I could only kick with one leg to help the guys pull me free.

  I tumbled into Aidan; he cushioned most of my fall in the violent crash.

  With a wheeze, I slowly rolled off of him and landed with a wet plop in the clipped green grass. Exhausted, we all heaved and watched the stars.

  Read sat up first, having fallen to the side. “You okay?” He whispered.

  Why hadn’t he been the one plunging through the invisible barrier for me?

  I nodded, unable to speak. My foot contorted and twisted in its cramp and I let the pain stab at me only because it meant I was alive. Also, I was too exhausted to care.

  I let the air touch my wet skin, chilling me until I started to shiver. Again, I didn’t care.

  Catching his breath, Aidan said. “That’s the last time I listen to you. Next time you go first.”

  I choked on a laugh that sounded more like a gargle.

  Sitting up was a chore, but when I did I tore off my shoe and grabbed for my toes. Stretching the cramp alleviated most of the pain. The balancing effort on my hips had me rolling onto my side and I didn’t dare let go of my foot until the pain was all gone. My forehead bumped into Aidan’s damp chest and I tried to joke. “You wouldn’t have been able to swim with that leg.”

  Aidan didn’t reply and touched the top of my head. I looked up at him and our eyes met, holding for a second or two longer than it should have in our proximity. I saw pain in his pale blue eyes that shut me up.

  Read cleared his throat loud enough to make me jump. “Can you stand?”

  I wasn’t sure who he was asking, but nodded anyway.

  Rolling away from him I sat up with a few grunts
and groans, putting my wet shoe back on. I would have much rather stayed on the soft ground. The exhaustion tempted sleep, but if I stopped now I doubted I’d get up at all.

  My muscles wavered as I crawled to my hands and knees. Grass and dirt clung to my arms, back, and tangled in my ponytail.

  Aidan hobbled to his feet and reached down to give me a hand. He staggered a little when I put too much of weight on him. We must have looked like quite the awkward pair.

  Balancing on my own two shaky legs, I wrung out my hair as best as I could. My jean shorts dripped no matter how much I squeezed out the edges.

  I realized Aidan was staring at me. When I met his gaze his cheeks flared red and he turned away as if he’d been slapped.

  Looking down, I realized my camisole was clinging to my stomach and bra in crinkles. I tried to pinch the shirt away, but it suctioned back to my skin. I was slim, but by no means like Robin, or lean like Phoebe. Thinking of Phoebe I was grateful that I wore a bra today, her tube top probably wouldn’t have made it through that. Ironically, I remembered the Others saying that Phoebe would drown. The reminder sucked the humor right out of the idea.

  Glancing back at the window, I saw that it remained broken and the water still didn’t escape.

  The outside of the house revealed just how tiny it truly was. It appeared large enough to contain the kitchen and dining room only. It was slapped in a clearing, surrounded by twisted trees. It had a shabby roof, with missing or loose wooden shingles and chipped, abscessed, dark purple siding.

  The full moon brightened the clearing enough to reveal no door to get in, at least not on our side.

  Coughing, I felt the water from the house burn my throat. Disgusted I didn’t want to swallow it again and, without an ounce of grace, I spat. People make spitting look easy, but apparently it takes some practice. I wiped the spit-strings from my lips with the back of my hand.

  “Mona teach you that technique?” Read was smirking.

  Instead of something intelligent, I issued the routine come-back. “Shut up.”

  Aidan detached himself from us, wandering toward the trees in a zig-zag pattern. One might have thought he were looking for the perfect entry, or drunk, though I think his limp was throwing him off balance.

  “At least he can walk okay,” I whispered to Read.

  “That’s a plus,” he said, grey eyes flickering to me so many times that I finally looked at him. “Are you okay?” he asked, serious.

  “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

  Read looked me over before nodding. “When this is all over, you and I should hang out more. What you did in there was really brave.”

  I tried to smile. Did he mean hang out, or did he mean date? Or was I over thinking it? I realized I was blushing.

  “What are you doing?” Read called to the trees.

  Looking over his shoulder, Aidan said. “Going into the forest.”

  “I see that, but why?”

  “Maybe the door’s in there.” Aidan pointed into the shadows. “It’s not out here and I don’t think I like being out in the open when I can’t run.” He tested weight on his injured leg.

  Despite the bright moon I still had the sickening feeling that something could come flying out of the sky and scoop us up. “Aidan’s right,” I said, “we can’t stay out where we can be seen.”

  Read shook his head, peeking at my shirt. “Guess not.”

  I pulled it from my skin again.

  Aidan hesitated along the tree line. He didn’t look back when he asked. “Why?”

  “There is something in there,” Read’s grey eyes narrowed, his handsome features going rigid and still as he concentrated straight ahead.

  I strained to see through the shadows. “How do you know?”

  Aidan answered instead, limping back toward Read and me. “We kept hearing things move when you were in the house.”

  “Then I bet the door is in there,” I answered. “Wherever there’s danger, that’s where our escape will probably be.”

  “Escape?” Read raised his eyebrows indignantly, “you mean new Challenge where we can almost die again.” He thrust a thumb over his shoulder at the house.

  “Do you want to get through this Challenge or not?” I snapped.

  Read nodded at me like I were stupid. “Yeeeeaaaah, but I want to make it alive.”

  Sighing, I dropped my arms. They were too heavy to hold up anyway. “What do you suggest then?”

  Aidan watched the two of us, pausing in his step. “Why don’t we wander around the perimeter?” Aidan made a circular motion with his hands, “then we can…‌” He stopped so suddenly I realized he wasn’t looking at me anymore, rather past me.

  I didn’t want to. I really didn’t, but I turned my head to look over my shoulder.

  Only a few feet away, within the shadows of the tree line was a tall silhouette.

  It appeared to be human, standing with its head high and arms akimbo. We stared at each other for the longest time before it lurched forward.

  “Run!” Aidan initiated the alarm.

  Together Read and I spun on our heels and bolted.

  I heard the shuffling leaves and snapping twigs as the figure leapt out of the shadows and raced toward us.

  He was shouting something that I couldn’t hear over my own panic.

  The maniac was gaining fast and I knew I wasn’t going to outrun him.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  I’m not sure what thought process ran through my head when I realized I wasn’t going to make it. I’ve read about flight or fight and had always wondered which one I was. I wanted to be a fighter, like Phoebe, but was certain I’d just run. Life was disappointing that way.

  Hearing his breath close behind, I could practically feel the heat of his body.

  One warm hand grabbed my bicep and my fear turned to liquid, taking my limbs with it.

  Skidding to my knees, I curled up in a ball on reflex.

  The pursuer staggered, letting me go, but didn’t have time to stop.

  Dirt sprayed just as a foot hit my leg and his shin collided with my side. Luckily, it didn’t hurt as much as I expected.

  Calling out, he toppled over me and crashed onto the ground.

  Like a drunk, I attempted to wiggle out from under his shins and to my feet. I had to start running, but my attacker was quick to recover.

  The assailant wrapped his arms around me from behind, already on his feet. I lifted my legs, hoping I’d drop and he’d lose his grip.

  The bear-hug gripped me so tight that I found myself gasping, my ravaged lungs whistling.

  A familiar voice cried, “I can’t believe it!” He let me go.

  Spinning around, I gasped while still trying to catch my breath. “Cody!”

  Slapping my hands around his neck, which almost required tippy-toes I hugged him to make sure he was real. There had always been an adamant whisper in the back of my mind saying that we’d never see him again. Pressing my cheek against his chest it was almost surreal. He smelled like dirt and honey, though I wasn’t sure why they’d be together.

  Aidan limped closer, his suspicious gaze appraising Cody. I couldn’t blame him. I should have considered that Cody might not be the real Cody before flinging myself into a hug. But, I was far too relieved to think differently.

  Read slapped Cody on the back, smiling widely. “Took you long enough.”

  Cody didn’t back away from my arms the way the old Cody would have, and he ignored the fact that I was probably soaking his clothes.

  Cody provided me that ounce of hope I needed. Hope that Phoebe and Robin could be found.

  I was the one who pushed away, craning my neck to look up at him. “Where have you been?”

  Cody looked back at the woods after fist bumping Read. “Here. I can’t believe that you guys came back for me. Where’s Robin? Probably waiting on the other side, right? How did you get so wet?” He tried brushing off his shirt, but it was already damp and dirty.

  Aidan spoke
first. “What do you mean by, came back?”

  “Well, when you completed the Challenge of course. And you did!” He threw his arms up as if he just scored a touchdown, at least until he saw Read’s pointed frown. “What?”

  “We’re still playing, dude,” Read said.

  Cody’s smile faltered. “You mean that you guys haven’t left?”

  I shook my head and winced as Cody’s expression plummeted.

  “So,” he rubbed his face between his palms. “Did…‌did you lose the Challenge?”

  Aidan’s eyebrows furrowed. “What are you talking about? We only made it through two so far.”

  Cody looked from Aidan, to me, and to Aidan again, astounded. “I’ve been here for over three weeks and you’ve gone through two?!”

  “Three weeks?” I cried.

  Cody’s fists rose to his temples, pressing hard.

  I notice for the first time that his shirt was torn and tattered. Fresh blood blemished the left arm of his shirtsleeve and old bloodstains splattered his shirt and down the left side of his jeans.

  His once bleached, spiked hair was matted with mud and dirt. It was almost like he was telling the truth.

  “We’ve only been in the Challenge for maybe four hours or more,” I guessed, seeing Aidan nod his agreement out of the corner of my eye.

  Cody pressed his fists harder on either side of his head.

  “How do you know that you’ve been here for three weeks?” Read asked guardedly.

  The question snapped Cody from his trance. “Damien told me one night.” Then barked a strangled laugh that covered a surge of emotions.

  “Damien visited you?” Aidan and I said together and peeked at each other.

  Cody’s eyes were suddenly wet and he looked away.

  Read patted Cody’s back, looking uncomfortable. “Well you’re with us now. You can help us beat this Challenge.”

  Cody snapped straight. “Shit! Robin. Where’s Robin?”

  Aidan took an automatic step back. Read looked scared as if Cody was about to burst into tears.

  Clearing my throat I said softly, trying to sound calm. “She, uh, disappeared in the last Challenge.”