Leland sensed my trepidation and stepped in front of me. He gave me that “all knowing” gaze and kissed my forehead. I passed him the proverbial torch, and let him be the one to turn the lever then shove the gate open. He didn’t make me feel weak. He offered me the support of when I was frightened to be there to hold me up and be my light in the dark. God, I missed him so much. I ached to reach out and fold my arms around him but this wasn’t the time or place for that.
The metal door squealed as the rusty hinges fought against Leland’s strength, but eventually relented and allowed us entry. That same musty odor filled my nostrils and dread washed over me. It clung to the air and made me remember the freezing night I spent chained in the shadows. But I wasn’t the one being held captive anymore. We slipped into the room as a tight knit group, the person behind holding tight to the one ahead of them. I wasn’t quite sure what we would come across, but I had a glimmer of hope it would be Andrew.
“I see you have returned from my world, sweet Autumn. Bully for you. And you brought friends with you,” Alastor spoke from somewhere in the darkness. His voice crawled across my skin like a thousand spiders racing for the nearest orifice to penetrate. I shuddered and clutched the tail of Leland’s jacket.
“More of you to play with. This should be fun.” A hair-raising laugh followed, and I called out to him.
“Give us Andrew back, and we can go our separate ways, Alastor. This doesn’t need to be a battle.”
“Nonsense, my queen. You chose them over me. If I am to have you all to myself, then they must die,” he rumbled.
“If you want Autumn, you have to get through me, asshole,” Leland said through gritted teeth.
“Very well,” Alastor responded. A bright flash blinded us all. I tumbled backward and tripped over my mom’s foot. The three of us girls ended up in a tangled pile on the floor as Leland disappeared into the brilliant glow.
“No, Leland! Stop!” I screamed at him, but he was invisible behind the halo of intense luminosity. My ears picked up sounds of fighting beyond that. I got to my feet and dashed into the light to help Leland. It disoriented me at first, then my eyes adjusted and realization hit. The glorious light consisted of Alastor’s power in maximum force. He had been holding back all this time. I stood there with my jaw hanging open while the two men fought for me. Alastor resembled an angel with his golden mane and fair skin glowing in his personal light. Leland looked like a bad boy whose purpose on earth was to seduce women with his raven black hair and tanned complexion. Their appearance contradicted who they actually were.
Leland swung his axe at Alastor’s head every chance he got, but never made progress. Alastor was just too quick. He darted around the room as the blade missed him by a centimeter with each swing. He laughed at Leland, taunting him. Leland growled in frustration but didn’t back off. He gave it all he had. I wanted to help him in some manner but didn’t see how. My fighting skills couldn’t offer much between two husky men sparring to the death. I would get swatted like a fruit fly. I knew it would be useless, but I scanned the room for anything helpful, and what my eyes encountered appeared to be what we had come here for.
Andrew.
He stood in the far corner by the window I gazed through when Alastor forced me to spend a night in the cellar. His back faced our location. Shackles bound his wrists, as they did me several days ago. Metal chains affixed the restraints to the wall. Mom spotted him and called out. But he didn’t respond. Something wasn’t right. I held Mom back as she tried to move toward him, shaking my head in silence. She threw me a puzzled look, but didn’t argue with me. I maintained one eye on the fight and one on Andrew as I moved toward him. I stopped just outside of arm’s reach and spoke to him.
“Uncle Andrew? Are you okay?” I asked, praying he wasn’t harmed.
A noticeable twitch occurred in his posture and the chains rattled as he moved. In slow motion, he turned to face me at a snail’s pace. I gasped in horror when his eyes met mine. The once stormy gray-blue eyes I grew up seeing almost every day were frosted over with death.
“No,” I whispered in disbelief. Mom released a gut-wrenching wail and fell to the ground. Jess reached over to catch and comfort her. Andrew stood before me, formerly my kind and loving uncle, now just another undead soldier for the army Alastor had built. Bite marks were evident on his neck. Small chunks of flesh had been ripped away to expose the meat and tendon beneath. Wounds so fresh, blood still oozed from them and dribbled down his bare chest. Mom clutched his shirt she found at the bottom of the staircase. The fabric now stained with her grief-stricken tears. The measure of her cries sent me to a place of complete disconnect. Where I needed to go when I didn’t have a choice. Where I forgot about how much I wanted to scream, cry and ask God why. Where I shielded my emotions from seeping out, because I had to be the backbone for not only myself, but my mother as well. My heart shattered as he gazed at me through lifeless eyes. He groaned and snapped his teeth at us as if we were only a warm meal awaiting his ravenous belly. How could Alastor take such an innocent, generous soul from us? Andrew had been the glue that held our family together after my dad passed. Mom depended on him every day. Our world would never be the same.
Rage boiled within me, beginning at my core, and scattered throughout my veins until my skin flushed with heat. My hatred for the evil man, that claimed he loved and adored me, erupted like an angry volcano. I howled as my hand gripped the dagger then sprinted to where Alastor held Leland by the throat, and was squeezing the life from another man I loved. He had offered me his back, underestimating what I would do. Big mistake.
I muttered the words once again that would empower my weapon, and it came to life as I reached him. With every bit of strength left within my jaded body, I plunged the blazing dagger through his back where his heart should be located. His surprise showed with a jolt of his body. He gradually loosened his grip from around Leland’s swollen throat. Leland’s appearance was beet red, and he gasped for precious air when Alastor let him go. He stumbled, then reclaimed his balance and walked over to stand beside of me.
Alastor turned to us all. An expression of shock and confusion etched his once beautiful face. The dagger tip punctured through his massive chest. Crimson blood spurted from the wound to trickle on the ground and quickly formed a puddle. The blinding halo of light that flowed around him, dimmed until a soft glowing aura clung to the edges of him. He sank to his knees, landing in the puddle his blood had created. His golden hair spilled forward as his head drooped. Then he spoke in agony.
“What have you done, my queen? You would forsake me? I did everything in my power to keep you safe and show my devotion to you. How could you?” he sputtered as blood and spittle leaked from his mouth.
“I’m not your fucking queen. I never have been, and never will be. This is what you deserve. To die an unpleasant death and banished back to Hell where you belong,” I retorted. “You murdered Andrew and turned him into a monster. For that, I demand nothing less than to know you'll burn for eternity in the fiery pits. You will never be human. I’ll make sure of it.”
He collapsed to the floor and rolled to his side. He drew a deep rattling breath as if a lung was punctured and rolled his golden tiger eyes up at me.
“I would have given you everything you wanted, my love,” he muttered and sighed with his last breath. His power snuffed out, and the radiance left his body. We were cast in darkness.
Chapter 17
As Leland mercifully laid Uncle Andrew to rest, I ushered Jess and Mom out into the damp and chilly hallway. My arms embraced my mother as she wept against my shoulder. It would forever be one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to do. Memories of losing my dad filled my mind all over again. Andrew would have never taken the place of my father, but he was the only person there to pick us up when we needed a male figure in our lives. He spent countless hours with Mom weeping on his chest as she reminisced about times with my dad. He always dropped by to check on us daily and made certain
what repairs we needed done around the house held priority over anything else. Andrew was an all-around good ol’ boy that all the townsfolk liked, bragged about and trusted with their lives. The reality of him being gone hadn't sunk in yet. I kept convincing myself that at any second he would walk through the gate with Leland and snicker about pulling a fast one on us. I would kill Alastor a thousand times if it meant we could have Andrew back.
After several minutes, Leland slipped through the door with a somber expression tugging at his normally cheerful gorgeous face. His eyes found mine, and even in the tiny tunnel of illumination the penlight offered, I detected tears forming in them. My cheeks were already sodden with fresh tears of my own, or else he would have induced an instant crying session with the look on his face. I passed Mom to Jess and went to him, fully understanding firsthand the pain of killing someone who had turned. Except I had been fortunate enough that my mercy kill wasn’t somebody I cared deeply for. Leland always seemed to be there for the difficult ones. It was taking a toll on him. One person could only be strong for so long.
I slipped my arms through his and rested my head against his chest. His heart thudded hard with the adrenaline from fighting and killing. I pressed my ear to his heart and whispered, “You are the bravest person I know, Leland. I will never understand how to express my gratitude for what you have done for us. I love you more than I can say.”
He didn't respond at first. I glanced up at his solemn face and he bowed his head in acknowledgement. Choked up was an understatement for the display of grief in his eyes. He hugged me close. Our bodies became one. We wrapped each other in our shared anguish and sorrow.
I heard Mom sobbing as she repeated, “No, no, no. This can’t be. He can’t be gone. My brother can’t leave me!”
My heart shattered into a billion pieces. A puzzle that will take forever to put back together again. Only this puzzle will have a missing piece that can never be found, or filled, again. The mourning of my uncle would be everlasting. My bones ached with sadness. How would we carry on? Andrew occupied such an important space in our group and our lives. The level head when we all got worked up. Mr. Fix It when something broke. A joyful joker when the mood was too heavy and needed lifting. A father to us when we tried making foolish decisions. I loved him so much. I hope he knew that.
When I envisioned being saved from Alastor’s prison, Andrew was always a member of the rescue squad. It broke my spirit that the last time I saw him, he was unconscious and injured. I never had the chance to say goodbye. A world without him made life seem devastating. I needed to get out of this place. The knowledge of him lying dead in the next room was more than I could bear.
“I’m sorry. I have to get away from here,” I sobbed and took off down the corridor toward the spiral staircase that would lead us back up to the main level.
I listened to their footsteps closing in behind me as they ran to catch up. We all filed up the steps and emerged into the next level. The hallway of nightmares before me received my final farewell. Without another look back, I guided us through the estate and found the main entrance beyond the grand staircase where we cut down the crowd of biters. My hand folded around the brass knob of the Victorian door and flung it open.
The crisp mountain air was the single most refreshing sensation my filthy and tired skin encountered. Like dipping into a cool stream after a long day’s work in the heat of summer. My cheeks flushed and nose turned pink from the chill, but I didn’t mind. Snow blanketed the frozen soil and sparkled in the moonlight. The sun had set and darkness stretched across the landscape. Only days had passed by, but seemed like weeks, since I breathed in fresh air. My lungs ached from the sharp breaths I took to gather as much of the crisp oxygen as possible. I suddenly recalled that I had no shoes on after several moments of standing on the icy concrete porch of the colossal estate. There was no way I could meander out in the snow without protection on my feet. I would surely get frostbite by sunrise.
“I need to find shoes. My feet will freeze if I don’t,” I turned and told them. Then I remembered a rather important question I needed to ask. “Where are Benji and Vicki? You mentioned you told them to hide away someplace safe?”
Mom sniffled and rolled her matching emerald eyes up to meet mine, “They are in an old shack around the side of the house. Right on the tree line.” She pointed in the direction we needed to find them, but I wouldn’t be effective to help retrieve them until my feet were protected from frostbite.
“Here, let’s hunt for some shoes, while Jess and Leland go get the kids,” Mom suggested, leading me back inside the dreadful mansion. I wanted to stomp my feet and complain about having to go back in, but it had to be done, so I sucked it up and followed her inside. Jess and Leland headed for the shack, their silhouettes fading into the night.
We searched the main floor for a pair of shoes I could wear. Unfortunately, all the available ones were worn by dead bodies. I shuddered at the idea of wearing a zombie’s shoes. It was disgusting and creepy. So my options were: steal the footwear from a dead woman’s feet and live with the heebie jeebie feeling it gave me, or stroll around in the frozen tundra outside barefoot and have my toes turn black and fall off.
Looks like I’ll be shopping in the second hand section of the shoe department.
Mom helped me hunt for a pair that were sensible and my size. She was all too willing to jump in the piles of corpses. It unnerved me a little. But whatever she needed to do to cope with the loss of her brother, I was not going to stop her. It took longer than I anticipated because most of the women lost either one or both shoes in their journey through death and reanimation. I almost gave up, then I overheard Mom grunting and an “Ah ha!” come from around the corner. My head rested on my knees as I sat on the staircase brooding in frustration and defeat.
“I found some!” my unstoppable mother called out as she rounded the bend and found me on the stairs. “Here, try these on and see if they fit, sweetie.” She placed a bundle of clothing and a pair of Nike running shoes at my feet. “I figured you might want to get out of that dress and into something more comfortable. I get that it's weird to wear a dead woman’s clothing, but I think that’s the least of your worries.”
I hesitated for a second then scooped up the shirt laying on top. It was a long-sleeved sweater with a delicate floral pattern sewn into the material. I wouldn't dream of wearing it in the normal world, but beggars can’t be choosers. Mom unbuttoned the gown for me down to my waist then I slipped the sweater over my head. It appeared a tad big, but I would need the extra warmth to deflect the arctic chill outside. The jeans were snug and about three inches too long. It sucked being short and curvy. It was difficult to find clothes that fit well without having alterations. I shrugged and rolled the cuffs up a few times so they wouldn’t drag under my heels. Tossing the dress on the floor gave me more satisfaction than I expected. A sudden urge to spit on it arose, but I thought better of it and swallowed my animosity down.
The shoes were last. I snagged the right one and begrudgingly slid my cold dirty foot inside. It fit like a glove. As down and troubled as I was, I still smiled at the fact that my mom could find me perfect shoes and somewhat suitable clothing in the rotting mess of bodies. That required skill. Actually, the harder I thought about it, the more it amused me. My smile blossomed into a grin and then my grin developed into a suppressed giggle. Soon after, I was laughing so hard that my eyes leaked tears and my bladder threatened to expel its contents. Mom stared at me with concern. I shook my head in a “Don’t ask” gesture and continued my chuckling session. When I believed my belly might explode from over-exertion, my laughter slowed and I could breathe again.
“I’m afraid to ask, but what was all of that about?” Mom questioned me… and my sanity, from the look in her eyes.
“Honestly, I have no clue. I guess all that happened, since the outbreak, has caught up with me and taken a toll on my sanity. When Alastor kidnapped me and forced me to stay here, I lost a small portion
of myself each day. I’m not sure who I am anymore. Or if I can get back what I’ve lost. Now when an unusual situation arises, all I want to do is laugh. I think I’ve gone mad, Mom.”
“Nonsense, Autumn. You are one of the strongest people I know, you get that from your father, God rest his soul. You are not going mad. Our world has been turned upside down and you are coping with it the only way your mind knows how to. It’s okay to laugh when something seems weird or unusual. I’m sorry we took so long to find you, honey. We tried every place we could think of. Every time we searched and didn’t find you, I felt like I was losing my mind as well. I assumed I would never see you again, and that drove me crazy. I missed you so much, and begged God to would keep you safe,” she said as tears pooled in her eyes and she captured my hand to wrap her own around it.
Leland and Jess came in with the kids in their arms and my eyes lit up at the sight of them. Benji wiggled free from Jess and raced across the room to land in my outstretched arms. He cried and squeezed me so tight, I expected my heart to break in two again. After assuring him I was all right, he hunkered down beside me with one of his little hands in mine. Vicki slowly climbed to the step we rested on and dropped to her knees in front of me. She settled her head in my lap and wrapped her arms around my waist. I stroked her long brown hair and whispered how greatly I missed her and Benji both. Their tiny arms embracing me was enough to drive away the madness growing inside. The fact that I had my family back, minus one, and that Alastor was dead, indicated that we had won. I needed to realize that.
Autumn's Calling (Book 2): The Battle Page 15