The Demon's Grave

by E. M. MacCallum

Aidan jerked beneath the surface so fast it took me a second to realize he was gone.

  The water rippled where he’d been. Bubbles surfaced as the water began to smooth as if it were never disturbed, just like the paddle.

  “Aidan?” I dared to ask, hearing the squeak in my voice.

  A loud thunk against the bottom of the boat, had me jerk my extended arm back to my chest.

  Struggling to decide what to do, I heard a sharp scraping, like something was scratching the side of the wood. Clamping my hands over my mouth to prevent a noise, I glanced at where Aidan disappeared.

  Without warning, the raft lifted again. Teetering, I tried to center my balance, but it was too late. I was going over and, in my panic, I jumped. I didn’t want to be any closer to whatever hid below than I had to be.

  The hollowed log rolled as I met the water in a horrendous belly-flop.

  The cold water sparked a shock straight through to my bones.

  At first I sank, feeling the chill itch its way into my core. Bubbles escaped my lips, reminding me to swim.

  Wriggling in a panic, I struggled for the surface, kicking hard to circulate the sluggish blood. At least I hoped I was aiming for the surface. The water was so gloomy and dark I could barely see my own hands in front of me.

  Kicking as hard as I could, I broke the surface and breathed in deep.

  Aidan. Spinning in a circle, he was still missing. The boat was upside down, several feet away and the foggy shore was even farther.

  Ready to shout for him, I heard water dash against the other side of the boat, inconveniently out of my line of sight.

  Overhead thunder boomed through the silence of the swamp, jarring every sense.

  Swallowing the scream, I started for the boat. I needed a higher vantage to find Aidan. If he was still under the water, I had no idea how I’d find him in the gloom. The little light that was left had me squinting, straining for any sign of him. What if he’d left? He couldn’t sacrifice me when looking me in the face, but if we’re separated now.

  Shuddering in the water, I concentrated on swimming for the overturned boat, careful not to splash and draw unwanted attention. There were crocodiles after all.

  With each kick, my legs became hypersensitive to anything that might touch me or worse, drag me under. The anticipation was almost worse than an attack.

  I almost forgot to breathe until my fingers touched the side of the overturned boat.

  Listening, I couldn’t hear splashes or the knocking. Reaching up, I slapped a hand on the top of the rounded log to pull myself higher. Still, nothing touched my ankles as I dragged my soaked body up the side.

  My hands throbbed with the slivers and my body shivered from the cold.

  I eased my way to the top, straddling the over-turned boat with legs curled up on either side and out of the water.

  I was secure in my perch when the water burst only a few feet ahead of me.

  Shrieking I slapped myself down onto the boat, clinging to it as if it could hide me in open water.

  In a spitting, splashing, thrashing display, Aidan emerged for a second time.

  Aidan bobbed in the water beside the boat. He was struggling, hitting something in the water and gasping noisily for air.

  Stretching out my hand, bracing myself against the boat I shouted. “Grab it!”

  His wide, pale eyes caught mine and our fingertips grazed when something unseen stole him under the water again. His arms flailed over his head to grab at air. I tried to catch his hand, but missed.

  Staring at the empty space in shock I wasn’t sure what to do. Should I dive in after him and hope to find him in the shadowy ridges of the swamp? The coward in me wanted to wait but the voices from the first Challenge echoed in my mind. “We died because of each other.”

  I thought about Jordan’s attack, how scared and embarrassed I was. I’d wanted Aidan’s help then, though he couldn’t. But right now, Aidan needed me.

  Shaking away the crusty fear, I crouched on top of the boat, preparing to dive. This could be it. It could be all over in just a few minutes and despite my efforts we could die because of each other anyway.

  I dove off the boat. The icy water scorched my limbs all over again.

  I waved my arms as hard as they’d allow in the frigid surroundings, forcing each kick to find him. He couldn’t have been taken far, could he?

  Descending deeper, I was no longer sure if I was following him down or if I had arched somewhere in the process and was slowly floating up toward the surface.

  My heart hammered in my head as I felt my lungs aching a warning. Arching my back I twisted and changed directions until I broke the surface.

  Spinning in a circle, I couldn’t see him above the water. The thunder overhead vibrated and I took a deep breath before ducking back beneath.

  Squinting through the algae and debris, I realized I couldn’t see really anything more than a foot ahead.

  I focused my rhythm through the water, knowing it was slowing.

  This was useless, I needed something to see by, otherwise it was trying to catch a minnow in the desert. It was only a matter of time before whatever had Aidan would come for me.

  As if hearing my thoughts, thrashing bubbles erupted to my right. If it was Aidan, I knew I had to follow it. But, what if it wasn’t him? I ignored the fearful thought, foolishly.

  My lungs began to tighten and I think the water became shallower. I could see a little more than before. A silhouetted figure was grabbing his own leg. It certainly was the shape of Aidan.

  I swam closer, hoping it was him. When I caught one of the flailing arms. It felt solid, not slimy or slick like a corpse.

  Looking to me, hair floating around his shadowed face, he grabbed my wrist and I kicked back to pull. He twisted and kicked at whatever had him.

  Straining to see what held his leg, I couldn’t make it out. It was in the muddy earth of the river, shrouded in darkness.

  Tugging at the resistance I used my arms and legs to try to breach us, almost hitting the man in my grip in the process.

  I felt the pressure begin to accumulate in my chest, warming my insides. Would he let me go if I needed to get to the surface or would we both drown?

  The familiar warmth roiled up my limbs, coating the chill of the water. I could almost imagine steam lifting off my bones.

  The electricity, snapped from my fingertips, the fire ants marching up and down my arms at a feverish pace.

  Aidan’s hands tightened and I felt my electricity shoot into him. I could almost follow the pattern of charges as they rocketed through at breakneck speed into his body and through his legs.

  Bubbles escaped Aidan’s lips and he twitched as the energy cracked into whatever was at his feet.

  Without warning, whatever held him, let go.

  Aiden released my wrist and we shot for the surface. Both of us were careful not to touch, careful not to pull the other under until we could breathe.

  Choking on freedom, Aidan touched my shoulder with his fist and motioned to the boat.

  Between wet coughs, he said, “we can’t‌—‌stay in the‌—‌water.”

  The thunder roiled, almost drowning his words and we both looked up. The dark clouds were thickening, grumbling like an overstuffed belly before lightning shot from cloud to cloud, blinding me.

  Gargling on grimy, coppery-tasting water I was stunned to hear the echo of the thunder still ringing in my head.

  Moving jerkily, we turned to the overturned craft when a bony arm slapped onto the side of the boat.

  Teeth chattering we stopped, the emancipated arm hung over the boat from the other side. Tendons and muscles were visible, clenching and tightening as the thing dragged itself up.

  I glanced to the black door near the shore. It was close, but would it be close enough to swim to?

  Aidan’s choke jerked my attention back to our boat. A once human face peeked over the side. Bony fingers clawed into the wood, marking it as it bellied its way to the to
p.

  Skin hung loose off yellowed bone, sagging like an oversized suit. The eyes were depressed in their sockets and the lips had completely deteriorated, leaving a crude, toothy grin of black and yellow teeth. Long, thin, orange and white hair streamed from its skull, dripping with swamp water.

  The creature focused paled eyes on us and emitted a hissing groan that rocked fear up my spine harder than the thunder.

  “Nora, the dream before we woke up…‌” Aidan began, his eyes straining to tear away from the creature.

  “Aidan, I really wish you’d save this for later. You didn’t sacrifice me, it’s okay.” I began to kick back, pushing myself away from the boat. Maybe we could get a head start to the shore. To Aidan I whispered. “Should we make a break for it?”

  “Nora!” Aidan snapped, catching my attention.

  I glowered at him.

  “It was my grandpa and he passed me a note that said: She met him before.” His electric gaze drifted to the creature on the boat when he added, “I had thought that maybe it was Damien and since you weren’t there when I woke up…‌” he shook his head and pointed toward the creature on the boat. “Didn’t you say that one of the guys with your aunt had a leather jacket with his initials in the sleeve?”

  My eyes snapped back to the living corpse, the jacket was tattered and nearly falling off of the bones, but the initials were stitched on the shoulder partially covered in mud: “JWD.”

  My memory flared, picturing the tall, skinny man with long, orange hair.

  “They never found them,” I said, spitting water. Every muscle in my body demanded to move. The five-year-old Nora in me didn’t want to stay and see what type of fear he could subject her to again.

  Aidan glanced between me and JWD. “Let’s swim to the shore.”

  “We won’t make it,” I whispered. It was hopeless, we might as well have drowned.

  This couldn’t entirely be possible though, could it? Was that really JWD? I stared at the foreign corpse-like creature. I couldn’t let it catch me, not like before. My shoulder ached with a phantom pain and I nudged Aidan.

  “Yeah, to the shore,” I sputtered.

  Every muscle quivering but now it wasn’t from the cold water. I’d almost drowned today; I didn’t want to risk it again.

  “There’s more than one,” Aidan warned.

  A second peal of thunder pained my ears and lightning brightened the mire making the rotting thing on the boat shine.

  At the boat’s tip a face peered just above the smooth surface. Bubbles rippled out of a hole where a nose once was. A mess of blonde hair strung over his face and one eye had been eaten clean from its socket but I recognized the hateful stare. It was the same man who’d stepped into our backyard to help Nell take us away.

  The shock of being watched shot through me as sharp as the lightning and I shoved at Aidan to move.

  “Don’t get caught, don’t get caught,” I repeated as we struggled through the water. The mantra followed each stroke and I focused on the shore, unwilling to look behind me. I could feel Aidan beside me. His elbows and knees knocked into mine.

  The shore was slowly getting closer. Too slowly and I gargled the words.

  Kicking down, I’d hoped to find something to run on. On my third attempt, I found the ground.

  “Aidan, there’s the bo…‌” The stony fingers wrapped around my ankle, digging into the bone.

  Before I could scream, I was yanked under.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  Yanked under, I felt the dirty water spear my sinuses.

  Twisting violently, I kicked with my free leg. Don’t get caught. With each flail, I didn’t hit anything. It was either at a clever angle or was able to dodge my foot. I couldn’t see it in the dark.

  I was being dragged down, but I wouldn’t stop fighting‌—‌I couldn’t. The last thing I wanted was to let these guys win again. They took away my sister! They wouldn’t have me too.

  Swinging blindly, I hit something with my socked foot. The impact crinkled my toes in a hot flash of pain.

  The hand released me and I swam to the surface, arms flailing then splashed for the shore. Another hand grabbed my forearm but didn’t pull me under, it pulled me closer.

  Wiping the hair out my eyes, I stopped struggling when I saw it was Aidan who had me.

  The rain began to fall, pelting cold skin as if the drops were ice chips. The clouds gurgled above before belching another bolt of lightning. The light shone the black surface of the door, inviting us closer.

  Aidan pulled me up until my foot touched the soft mud.

  Staggering with him, I choked on the stagnant water and wanted to gag. The shore wasn’t nearly as sludgy as the other side. Pausing, I tried to catch my breath and looked behind us. The water was disturbed by the rain, but I couldn’t see the two men.

  Aidan’s electric eyes met mine. “Was it them?” He asked, wiping his mouth.

  As an answer to his question a moan resounded from the river and the two corpses began to emerge. Water spurted out of rib cages and holes in their flesh like from a leaky garden hose.

  The one with the yellow hair uttered what could have been a cackle from the good side of his face. The other side was missing half the lower jaw.

  “Come on,” Aidan grabbed my hand.

  I held onto him, grateful that he was there. If I’d lost him, the doppelgängers would’ve been right.

  Together we stumbled into the trees.

  The door wasn’t far.

  Reaching for it, I prayed for it to come closer. My hand brushed the doorknob, the solid, cool surface a relief beneath fingertips. I didn’t get a chance to curl my hand around it and twist before it disappeared.

  Fingers collapsing together, I almost fell forward. If Aidan hadn’t been holding my hand to tug me back, I would have run face first into a tree. “What the hell happened?” I demanded.

  Aidan heaved a frustrated growl and glanced over his shoulder. “I don’t know but they’re almost here.”

  Don’t get caught, not like before. I didn’t need any more encouragement than that.

  With Aidan taking lead, we looped through the jungle, hopping and tripping through the thick brush.

  Our feet were completely hidden by the thick vegetation, making it easy to falter over vines and exposed roots. The rain thickened until not even the canopy of trees could shelter us from the storm.

  Branches clawed for our eyes as we ducked, dodged, and swatted at them. The dead men were doing a much better job at avoiding the pitfalls. They didn’t trip or stumble behind us, slowly advancing.

  Knocking through the leaves and trees the zombies seemed louder than us, unless it was my imagination.

  Distracted by what was behind me, I didn’t see the clearing until we blundered into it.

  Aidan threw up an arm, crossing it over my stomach and halting me in my tracks.

  Catching my balance I saw the reason. Inches from the tip of my toe was a sharp drop. The crevice in the earth was clouded several feet down. There was no telling how far we’d fall. If I had kept running I would have run right into the rocky gorge.

  Shakily, I took a step back, feeling the vertigo that often came with heights.

  Aidan snatched my arm and pulled me off to the side. I twisted to see the swinging bridge. It crossed over the cut in the earth, striking hope.

  Across the bridge, was a tall, black door, just within the tree line. I swallowed hard, pondering whether this one would disappear on us too. Were we following a bread-crumb trail to a trap?

  Hearing the harsh gnashing of teeth behind us I didn’t peek. It was eventually drowned out by the reverberated roll of thunder. I could feel it through my ribs.

  Nearing the bridge I couldn’t mask my suspicion. “I don’t think that it’s safe,” I eyed the gnarled, frayed rope. Moss clung to the cracked, grey planks that still remained, though not all of them were there.

  Stepping onto the decaying bridge, Aidan shouted back. “Better than
the alternative.”

  I looked back to see the two men reach the clearing.

  Turning back, I saw Aidan was already shuffling along the planks, gripping the ropes on either side as he tested each new plank before stepping on it. The boards creaked and groaned between thunderclaps, but held together. “Do as I do!” He shouted back.

  Lightning shot from the sky, but instead of reaching for another cloud it rocketed into the gorge. The thunder reverberated through the skies like an angry god.

  Following Aidan, I mimicked his steps and didn’t look back. Clinging to the ropes, I braced myself as the bridge swayed under our shifting weight.

  I tried to convince myself not to look down and concentrated on each new step, but my eyes betrayed me. They caught sight of the abyss below. If I fell, I’d be falling forever. The idea prompted me to lift my chin.

  Behind us, a horrible raspy moan could be heard, sounding closer than before.

  I glanced over my shoulder to see the dead men step stiffly onto the bridge. Their weight didn’t affect the crippled boards the way we did. They walked on the planks as if they didn’t notice the dangerous plunge below.

  Aidan and I kept going at a steady pace and made sure that each new board was safe while our pursuers were both unhindered and unafraid.

  They were gaining on us without much effort. I warned Aidan and he started to skip the testing phase and just eased into each new plank, lengthening each stride.

  Mirroring his every move, my heartbeat raced as we edged forward like sloths. I would have given anything for a Fast-Forward button.

  The weather-smoothed boards were becoming slick with the extra rain.

  A wind brushed my back and I looked behind me to scream.

  The tall, decaying creature wearing the tattered JWD jacket, swung an arm at me again, whistling past my shirt.

  My scream launched Aidan forward into a run. I raced after him, abandoning caution for fear.

  Slipping on the planks, I tried to ignore my inflamed palms. The fraying rope grew hot as I slide along it to keep from falling. The bridge swung hard with each leaping step, threatening to pitch us both over. Lightning snaked from the heavens and there was nothing but a brilliant, white light.