Limbo's Child (Book One of The Dead Things Series)

by Jonah Hewitt

“You’re bluffing,” he said coldly.

  She jiggled the door handle. He narrowed his eyes even further at her. Something like fear flitted behind them. Something was keeping him from hurting her outright, fear of something, some reprisal. He needed her alive she guessed, or he would have killed her by now. He considered her for a long while. She slowly began pulling the door handle to where it was just beginning to feel the tension of release. Any harder and it would pop open. She wasn’t certain if she was willing to do it or not, but she was going to find out.

  Suddenly, he cranked the wheel to the right and slammed on the brakes. The car skidded sideways to a halt on the gravel of the shoulder. The sudden stop caused her to lurch toward him. She nearly tumbled into his lap before she scrambled back to the other side. There were more muffled groans from the trunk. The thumping in the back of the car!! She instantly wondered if they were other victims.

  “Ok,” he said, putting the car in park. Suddenly, the old charming Schuyler was back. “I’m sorry if I scared you back there but it’s going to be ok. Lucy, we need to talk…”

  She wasn’t going to let him start that again. She yanked on the door handle and practically fell out. “RUN, YO-YO!!” she yelled as she bolted for the trees lining the road.

  “Hey!” Sky lunged after her but missed, “Lucy! Stop!” She got ten feet from the car and turned to look over her shoulder hoping to see Yo-yo right behind her, but he had gotten out on wrong side of the car!! He was over on the street side of the Impala looking like he didn’t know where to go. “DARN! How come these things never work out?!!” she thought frantically. Schuyler had already stepped out on his side of the car. He was ignoring Yo-yo entirely and striding around the front of the car towards her, palms out trying to calm her down.

  “Lucy…just calm down, we can talk this out.”

  Lucy was of no mind to talk though. She began to run around the back of the car. She was going to catch up to Yo-yo on the other side, grab him and make a run for it, but she didn’t even get a half a step before a hand like iron grabbed her by her upper arm. Schuyler had moved surprisingly fast, closed the gap between them in less than a heartbeat and seized her.

  “LET GO OF ME!!” She flailed, but his grip was unwavering like a steel band.

  “Relax, Lucy, it’s ok!! I’m not going to hurt you,” Schuyler said as calmly as if nothing unusual was happening. Yo-yo was whimpering, hunched down on the other side of the car.

  “Unnngh!” Lucy tried to pull herself from the vampire’s clutches but it was impossible; it was like straining against a stone statue. His hand burned like ice.

  “C’mon, freckles, I’m trying to help you,” he kept saying. She just remembered how much she hated that nickname! “You just need to come with me and we can sort this whole mess out, promise.”

  “I’M. NOT. GOING. WITH. YOU. ANYWHERE!!” She struggled helplessly against his steel grip and spoke each word through gritted teeth. “LET GO OF ME!” With that last exclamation she pulled with all her might, but still nothing. “UNNGH!!!” She hit his stomach with her free hand, more out of frustration than anything else, but then something happened that she didn’t expect. There was a loud crack like a small explosion and…he let go. In fact, he didn’t just let her go, he let out a loud groan and was pushed back several feet. He stood there, holding his mid-section, regarding her with a look of utter shock.

  Lucy looked down at her scratched and bloody hands. Did she do that?! He looked down for a second and then instantly lunged for her again. Lucy screamed, closed her eyes and shoved her hands out in front of her. There was another loud crack followed by a solid, metal-sounding “CRUNK!” and then the sound of more groaning. When she dared peek open one eye, there at her feet was a trail of skid marks in the gravel leading all the way back to the car. Lying in a crumpled heap at the foot of an impressively dented rear fender was Schuyler – unconscious, eyes goggling, wingtips in the air, tongue hanging out of his mouth like a cartoon character that had just been plowed by a Mac truck.

  There was silence for a moment as Lucy gaped at her outstretched hands. Yo-yo was staring slack-jawed as well. A brief moment of silence passed before Lucy was startled out of her shock by a muffled voice coming out of the trunk.

  “What’s going on out there?!! What are you doing to my car?!!”

  “Aach!” Lucy jumped back and bit her fingers in fright. She could taste the blood on them. Then another voice spoke in an Irish accent.

  “Oh, bloody heck!! Move over!!” There was a lot of thumping and muffled groans and protests from the other voice before something started kicking from inside the trunk. The first two kicks raised huge bulges in the trunk from the inside before the final kick broke the lock and sent the trunk flying open. What lumbered out made Lucy turn white. It was the brooding, thick-necked, ugly, red-haired vampire from the hospital, only now his face was all scratched up. After it dragged itself out, the taller one with the hoodie and the lisp stepped out, and his left eye was swollen shut.

  “YOU?!!” she yelled in shock. Then a horrible realization hit her. They were all working together!! Schuyler was working with them all along! She couldn’t believe it! She felt so used and stupid.

  The dark one took several large strides towards her, breathing through his teeth and furrowing his brow in anger. His whole body was transforming into dark smoke, his visage changing into a monstrous, dog shape with jaws that seemed to unhinge like a viper’s. She was frozen in terror, but as he stepped closer to her, she flung out her hands towards him and screamed, “GET AWAY FROM ME!!”

  A single drop of blood struck the approaching vampire. There was a wooshing sound, and the dog-vampire thing was knocked clean off its feet and sent hurtling through the air before it disappeared with a crash into the woods a few yards away.

  Lucy stared in wonder at her scratched and bloody hands. Something about her blood repulsed vampires!! She laughed a mad giggle that she had to silence by slapping one hand over her mouth. She had already taken out two of them so now she turned her attention to the last one.

  He had followed the path of his friend through the sky with his eyes like a person might follow an impressive tennis serve. He stared at the dark patch of underbrush his friend had disappeared into before he looked back at Lucy with a look of panic. “What in the heck was that?!” he said at last. He was cringing now and had somehow magically lost his lisp.

  She looked down at her hands not knowing exactly what to do. Then she held up one finger on her right hand and waved it around like it was cattle prod. She ran up and brandished it at the last vampire who dodged it like it was a poisoned dagger.

  “How do you like me now, vampire? Huh?! HUH?” Lucy taunted him, poking and jabbing in his direction.

  He flinched and tried to run around the car, but she cut him off.

  “AHA!!!” she yelled triumphantly as she jabbed the bloody finger into his sternum.

  “AAAAAARHGH!” he screamed and threw up his hands to cover his face. But nothing happened. The hoodie-wearing vampire opened an eye and seemed as stunned as Lucy. Lucy poked him again and again, but the most she could get out of this one was a mild “Ouch” or “Stop that!”

  “Crap!!” she yelled. “What’s the matter with this thing!!!” she muttered, holding up the finger and shaking it like a jammed gun. The two descended into a kind of childish slap fight when the second, red-haired vampire crashed through the brush and staggered back towards them. “Grab her ya idiot!!”

  Lucy and the hoodie-wearing vampire exchanged awkward glances before she turned and fled. She didn’t get far. He tackled her and grabbed her around the middle, pinning her arms to her sides. He then awkwardly hoisted her off her feet and hauled her back while she flailed helplessly. She just hated being so small and weak!!

  “Let go of me!!” she screamed, kicking at the vampire in the hoodie. “Why was this one immune to her magic finger?!” she thought to herself.

  “Cut it out, kid! Ouch! Stop kicking!! It’s ok!�
� he tried to say reassuringly.

  “OK?!” Lucy spat back at him indignant. It was NOT ok.

  “Lucy?!” Yo-yo called out plaintively. He was still cowering on the other side of the car, not knowing what to do.

  “It’s ok, Yo-yo!!” she said, but she couldn’t think how things could be less ok. She arched her back and tried to pry herself free but to no avail. “Let go of me!!” she yelled at the vampire in the hoodie and then again in a calmer voice to Yo-yo, “It’s Ok!” but Yo-yo just slipped even further behind the car.

  The red-haired, pimply vampire staggered back out of the woods, holding his arm. He came around the front of the car wincing in pain. He laid his head down on the hood of the car for a moment as if resting and blinked back up at Lucy.

  “Blimey! She’s a right sight worse than the other one.” He grimaced in pain. “I’m beginnin’ to see why Hokharty bloody well put you in charge, Tim.” He was talking to the vampire holding her. “Tim?” she thought, “What kind of name is that for a vampire?!” She gave “Tim” a sharp jab with her elbow.

  The red-haired vampire has gritting his teeth and groaning. Underneath his sweater, there was a large, misshapen lump on his left shoulder. It had been dislocated, badly. He took a few deep breaths, screwed up his face then rammed the shoulder against the front fender. With a sickening crunching sound the shoulder popped back into place.

  “Eewww!” Lucy exclaimed and winced, but she couldn’t help but look anyway.

  “Watch the fender guy!” the vampire, “Tim,” said. The red-haired vampire stood up and cracked his thick neck side to side. It sounded like someone stomping on peanut shells in heavy boots. Lucy went silent. He took a few more unsteady steps over to where Sky was slowly coming to.

  “Sky?! Ya dead, mate?” he slapped a hand down hard on Schuyler’s shoulder and shook it to bring him around. Schuyler groaned.

  “What happened?” Schuyler spoke weakly.

  “You made a right bags of it, didnya?! THAT’S what happened!” The red-haired vampire grabbed Schuyler by the hand and yanked him hard up to his feet. The ugly vampire seemed to be making a very quick recovery despite his short flight. Schuyler was having a harder time and had to bend over and put his head below his knees for a minute.

  Convinced that Schuyler was ok, the red-haired vampire turned towards Lucy. He took a half a step forward.

  “Don’t you touch me!!” she screamed.

  The vampire put up his hands and took a half a step back. “Believe me, sister, that’s the last thing I wanna do.”

  “Well it serves you right!!” Lucy yelled back at him.

  “Look, we’re sorry awright? I didn’t want it to come down like this. I never wanted to hurt or…” he paused, “frighten you.” He seemed sincere, even guilty sounding. This was not what Lucy was expecting, but then Schuyler had seemed sincere too. She desperately wanted to hurt both of them again, but couldn’t wiggle free. She gave “Tim” another hard kick instead.

  “Ouch! Will you cut that out?!!” Tim complained.

  “Well, I’m sorry you didn’t get your head torn off!!” she said defiantly. “What do you creeps want with me anyway?!!” She gave the one holding her another jab with her elbow.

  The red-haired vampire turned and looked at each of his companions in turn. Schuyler just rubbed his stomach and shrugged. Lucy couldn’t see the reaction of the vampire holding her but by the red-haired vampire’s face it wasn’t decisive either. He looked confused and troubled like he didn’t know what to do, and despite her circumstance and his brutish appearance, she couldn’t help but feel a slight twinge of empathy for him, he looked so pathetic. He just stared back at her like a beat dog. The red-haired one said nothing for a while. Then he looked suddenly determined and stepped back to talk to Schuyler face to face.

  “We have to tell her the truth, Sky!!”

  “The truth?!” Sky replied, incredulous.

  “Yes, bloody heck, the truth!! Ya can handle that can’t ya?” The red-haired vampire seemed really, really angry. “Ya made a right bags of it with all this bollocks! Now it’s time to come clean and tell her the truth!!”

  “The truth? You really want to tell her the truth?” Sky said nervously, rubbing his stomach were Lucy had touched him.

  “Yes, Sky!!” the red-haired one bellowed. The red-haired vampire was terrifying when he was angry and Lucy was glad he was mad at Sky and not her, but why weren’t these guys all on the same page to begin with? This was all very odd and Lucy couldn’t help but wonder out loud.

  “Who are you guys?!” she said at last, utterly bewildered.

  The red-haired one looked at Sky with a look of pure venom. Sky looked down sheepishly then slowly took a few steps towards Lucy.

  “The truth…” he paused and looked away as if ashamed of himself before going on. “The truth is that I am a vampire. I’m…I’m a monster!” He looked away and hid his face in his hands. Lucy shot a glance at the red-haired one who seemed as boggled as she was. When Sky got control of himself, he looked directly at Lucy with freshly moist eyes. They weren’t real tears. He had a small bottle of saline for just such an occasion.

  “I…I didn’t want to tell you because I was afraid you wouldn’t…” he paused and bit his lip, “accept me for who I am.”

  “Oh, bugger,” the red-haired one grabbed his forehead by the temples and looked like he was going to crush his own skull in frustration.

  Sky went on, “Lucy…the truth is that from the moment I first saw you…I knew…that you were the one.” He stepped closer and reached out his hand in a melancholic gesture. “That only your love could break the spell.”

  “SWEET BRIGID!” the red-haired one yelled, “Canya ever shut your lyin’ gob!? Canya?!!”

  Sky instantly stood erect, stuck his hands into his pockets, dropped the melodramatics and adopted a completely nonchalant posture. “Dude, what did you expect?” he said diffidently, “You just toss me this without any prep and tell me to tell her ‘the truth?’” He made his voice all warbly and sarcastic when he said “the truth” and he spread his hands in front of his face as a pantomime of the concept. “You gave me nothing to work with!” He reached into his jeans back pocket and pulled out a box like an old-fashioned cigarette case, except this one had lollipops in it. He took out a lime green one and stuck it in his mouth by wrapping his arm backwards around his head. After rolling it around a while with his tongue he spoke around it. “What did you expect me to do?” Lucy didn’t think these guys could get any weirder, but that whole lollipop thing did the trick. She was now more disturbed than ever.

  “Saints an’ angels save me!!” The red-haired one stomped around in a tight circle as if he were losing his mind. Lucy could relate. “I expected ya to tell her the truth!!” he screamed in Sky’s face at last in utter exasperation.

  Sky didn’t blink. Instead, he took out the lollipop and pointed it at the red-haired vampire. “Well, ‘Truth’ is an abstract concept at best. If you want ‘truth’ you should take a philosophy 101 course instead of asking a vampire. Besides, it looks like Tim has things under control for now, so what does ‘Truth’ matter anyway?” Sky even made sarcastic air quotes each time he said the word “truth.”

  The red-haired one looked like he was trying to form a rebuttal to this, but all that came out of his mouth was, “AARAAAANGHAA!!” He kicked the dented car fender, damaging it even more and stormed off towards the woods.

  “Dude! Not the car!” Tim said behind her, but the red-haired vampire ignored him. He stopped a few yards away; the thick black smoke Lucy had seen earlier in the hospital gathering around his head and shoulders like his own personal storm cloud.

  “He’s just having a fit, Tim, ignore him. Irishmen are sulkers – just let him sulk,” Sky said as he pointed the lollipop at the vampire holding her. “What we need is a new plan. What’s the quickest way to Philly from here?”

  “Dude, how am I supposed to know?! I was in the trunk the whole time! I don’t even k
now where we are!” Tim said.

  “Well, we can’t be that far from route 322 can we?” Sky whined.

  The two of them continued to argue over the route and directions. Lucy ignored them and looked back at red-haired vampire. Slowly, his massive, rounded shoulders just slumped even more and the smoke dissipated. She almost felt sorry for him. Lucy looked back to Sky. His stance, his smirk, his face, it was all the same and yet all, different. He was nothing like the boy she had met in the gift shop. Even if he hadn’t turned out to be a vampire, this would have hurt. She didn’t know why, but she nearly started crying. Then she looked and saw Yo-yo’s large, impassive, dead eyes looking back at her from the other side of the car. She felt utterly defeated and had to sniff back the tears to keep from losing herself altogether.

  The two others were still talking like she wasn’t there. “Well we could put her in the trunk if MILES HADN’T BROKEN THE TRUNK LATCH!!” Sky said this last part in the direction of the red-haired vampire.

  “Miles,” Lucy thought. That must be the red-haired vampire’s name.

  “Hokharty’s not going to like that,” the one holding her, Tim, said nervously.

  “Yeah well, Hokharty would like it less if we didn’t get her. C’mon, we’ll use the seatbelts in the back seat to tie her up.” Schuyler was already walking towards the car. “At least we won’t have to listen to anymore Boston.” He said “Boston” with a particular contempt. Lucy felt another small stab in her heart.

  “Dude! Don’t rag on Boston!” Tim whined.

  “Yeah, whatever,” Sky said calmly as he opened the car door for him. Lucy stared into the large back seat of the car and felt as if she was going to be shoved down an open well. She was about to just give up and resign herself to whatever horrible fate they had in mind for her. Then she thought of her mother. She just had to resist as much as she could.

  “NO!” she screamed and pushed her feet against the ground. Tim struggled to push Lucy forward. Her bare feet hurt on the gravel, but she dug in hard. “What do you want with us?!!” she demanded.