The Turning (The Forsaken Series Book 2)

by Phil Price

  “Really? You’d do that with me?”

  “Of course I would Baby. I love you. I’d do anything for you.”

  Rick walked back over to her, letting her wrap her black legging-encased legs around his waist. “I love you too, Marlies. You’re a wonderful girl,” he said as he kissed the top of her head. “Let’s just hope they turn up before then. If not, we will go and find them.”

  “I’d love a chance to go back there with you. But I’m hoping we don’t need to go next week. I’d rather explore the Cotswolds with you during a nice summer break.”

  “Me too,” he said as he hugged her. Although something in his gut told him he would be booking flights very soon.

  ☨☨☨

  “What time is it Dad?” Jake asked as he stopped next to a tree, his arm braced against the trunk. The forest around them was quiet. Jake could just make out daylight towards the east. To the west, an impenetrable blanket of darkness awaiting the four men.

  “Five,” Doug said as he unshouldered his pack for the third time since they had set out. “I’m getting tired Son. What say we camp somewhere here and continue on in the morning?”

  “What does everyone think?” Jake said, aware that he too was feeling fatigued.

  “I’m with you,” Wilf said hoarsely.

  “Me too,” said Father Stephen, who sat down heavily on a fallen tree trunk, his head bowed.

  “Right. That’s decided then. Let’s think about getting some dinner on the go,” Jake said. He dropped his pack and unzipped it, pulling a selection of items as the other men got as comfortable as they could on the bracken strewn earth. Chocolate and energy bars, sausage rolls, and three lengths of black pudding. “Okay. Who wants what?”

  Father Stephen’s head shot up, his eyes fixing on the younger man. “Is that black pudding I can smell?”

  “Uh huh. You want some?” he said, suddenly curious.

  “It smells so good. Yes, please Jake, throw me one over.” Jake did so, watching with interest as the vicar ripped the one end off of the long black sausage-shaped delicacy. He bit into it, exclaiming with delight as he chewed it noisily. “Lovely,” he said as it rolled around in his mouth.

  “What’s black pudding?” Wilf asked.

  “It’s pig’s bl-” Jake’s words died in his throat as he realised what was happening to the vicar. “Pig’s blood. Father. Have you always liked black pudding?”

  “Yes,” he said, half the pudding now eaten. “Why?”

  “Because you said you might be part vampire.”

  Stephen stopped chewing, his mouth wide open. “Oh yeah. Now I come to think about it, it’s odd that I could smell it so clearly. What does this mean Jake?”

  “I don’t know Father. I hope it just means that you’ve got a great sense of smell. What I’m not hoping for is that you’re becoming a full vampire, who will crave our blood.”

  The words slowly fell to the forest floor, each man letting the implications sink in. “Shit,” Doug said, his sausage roll hanging limply in his fingers.

  “Then promise me something Jake?” the vicar said, his tone flat and monotone.

  “What?” Jake replied, dreading the next sentence.

  “When that happens, finish me. I’ve got nothing back at home. Denise is gone. My faith has gone. My flock will have deserted me by now. When the time comes, kill me. Show me no mercy, because at that point I may show no mercy to you. Deal?”

  Reluctantly, Jake spoke. “Deal. Let’s hope it does not come to that.”

  “Jake. Can I try some black pudding?” Wilf said as he cracked open a bottle of ale.

  The younger man tossed him one across the makeshift picnic area, Wilf catching it one handed while swigging ale. He skinned it with his knife, taking a large bite into the dark sausage. “Well I’m no vampire.” He said as he chewed. “But I agree, Shaman. It tastes fuckin’ great!”

  ☨☨☨

  The boat nudged the pontoon that ran out from the forest into the sea. It barely made a sound, such was Sica’s skill, even in the dead of night. The sky was clear, the moon reflecting off the still waters that rippled gently against the shore. Tamatan had already said his farewell to the captain out at sea, telling Sica that it would be best to be quiet when they reached Mantz. There was no argument from Sica, who’d planned to turn the boat around and head back out to sea as soon as his friend’s feet hit the jetty. The diminutive demon never stopped his stride, heading into the murky forest at a brisk pace. He never looked back to see his friend sail away on the silken sea. Tamatan’s eyes shone bright red as he weaved and meandered through the thick forest, his footing sure. He skipped over rabbit holes, vaulting fallen trees with barely a whisper of sound. He could feel something. A gentle thrumming that pulsed through the forest. He knew the thrum. Vampires, he thought. His senses picked up another feeling that echoed through the impenetrable blackness. Humans? He slowed to a walking pace, eventually stopping when the feeling increased. Are there Cravens still in the woods? His thoughts were disturbed as a large elk passed in front of him. It stopped, eyeing him in the darkness before hurdling a fallen log, disappearing into the gloom. He sat down on the log, gathering his thoughts. I can feel evil in this wood. It’s Elias and his kin. I must not fail Veltan and Jake, he thought as he set off again, heading eastwards through the night.

  ☨☨☨

  “How much further?” Alison said in the darkness.

  “We still have far to go. Patience, Alison.”

  Katherine looked over at Elias as Alicia suckled from her, completely unaware of the peril that she faced. “Jake will come,” she stated flatly.

  “I’m sure he will eventually. But not just yet. I’m pretty sure he would not head towards Mantz straight away. And even if he did, Eddie and Karaa will be waiting for him at Monks Passage. We are all alone, Human. You can forget about your man. Concentrate on keeping the little one healthy.”

  “Why? What plans do you have for us?”

  Elias stared at her across the clearing. Until they had rested, he’d kept her under his spell, subduing her into a permanent drowse. He knew though that he would need to release the hold, doing so once they were well into the forest. “Why we’re going to live out our days by the sea. We will have all we need. There are many sailors and travellers that will pass by, giving us all we need to survive. You will be able to hunt for food, as this forest will yield many rewards. Not just humans either.”

  “Hunt for food? You mean animals? How do I do that? I’ve never hunted in my life.” What makes you think that I will be able to kill an animal?”

  “You will. Trust me. You will soon be able to do many things. Things that you cannot do currently.”

  A cold trickle of ice ran down Katherine’s spine as she drew her infant as close to her as possible. She shook her head in the darkness, tears appearing at her eyes. “What are you saying?”

  “I am saying that soon you will be one of us. You both will.”

  ☨☨☨

  “They are moving away from us,” Father Stephen said as the three men sat having an improvised breakfast.

  “Then we need to saddle up and get moving,” Jake said as he drained his bottle.

  “What is happening?” Wilf said as he appeared in the clearing, a roll of toilet paper in his hand.

  “Throw that here please Wilf,” Doug said. “I need to make a visit before we head off.” Wilf obliged, tossing the roll across the clearing. Doug caught it two-handed before heading off in the opposite direction.

  “Elias is on the move. Father Stephen can feel it. We need to get moving as soon as Dad is finished.”

  Wilf nodded, bending down stiffly, scooping his pack off the forest floor. “Which way Shaman?”

  “That way,” the vicar indicated with a point of his finger.

  “Let’s get this done on this day. My old heart cannot take any more worry. I need to see Katherine and the baby safe.”

  Jake walked over, clapping him on the shoulder. “Let’s
go hunting then.”

  ☨☨☨

  Across the forest, Tamatan heard a noise filtering through the trees. “That’s a child,” he said. What is a child doing in the middle of this forsaken place? Maybe some of the cannibals endured. I need to have my wits about me today, he thought as he made his way eastwards. He heard the noise again a few minutes later. Far off in the darkness. He couldn’t make out the distance, the trees making judging anything virtually impossible. He pressed on east at a brisk pace, his red eyes scanning the trees in front of him. He was ready for whatever appeared in the darkness. Ready to fight, ready to kill.

  Thirty-Nine

  The hidden sun was falling away over the western horizon as the four men eventually stopped for the day. Doug slumped to the forest floor, reaching into his pack for a drink. He took a swig, his breathing hoarse. “Does this bleeding forest ever end?” he said as the other men sat down. “This is our third day here, with no sign of Katherine, Alicia, or daylight. It’s a good job I’ve got my watch on. At least I can keep track of the time and day.”

  “What day is it Dad?” Jake said as he finished another bottle of water. Water that was starting to run dry.

  “Thursday. Just after six. Wilf, do you know how much farther we have to go to reach the other side of this place?”

  The grizzled man, whose brow was beaded with sweat shook his head. “I’d only be guessing. I’d say at least another five days until we reach the western shore.

  “Five days. We’ll run out of supplies in two. We need to have a rethink soon, or else we’ll starve to death out here.”

  They all looked at each other, noticing the tiredness they all shared. Even Jake, who was the youngest by decades, looked spent. He sported the first shoots of a beard, putting ten years on his once youthful appearance. “So, what do we do?”

  “Whatever we do, we need to stay together. If we go back for supplies, we all go back. If we split up, we may never find the others.”

  “One more day, then we go back to Amatoll. I know that we agreed to keep quiet in the forest, but tomorrow I think we should start calling out their names.”

  Wilf looked wary. “If we do that Jake, it could cause other problems. We do not know who or what is in this place. We may bring trouble our way. Some of the Cravens may still be close by. Do you really want a pack of cannibals coming at us, in their forest? We’d be cut to pieces very quickly. Then all this will be for nothing.”

  Jake threw his empty bottle across the clearing. It bounced off a tree, landing out of sight in the gloom. “So, what do we do? Just turn back without even a fucking whimper? They could be close by.”

  “Yes, they could be,” Wilf said. “Or they could be far away. It’s taken us three days to make it this far. If we have to make a hasty retreat, it will take us the same amount of time to reach the edges of this forest. Three days, fighting off vampires, or heathens, or beasts, in a place where you can barely see anything. I’m not saying not to do it. I’m saying that we should all be in agreement, ready for the consequences.”

  “OK. Here’s my proposal,” Doug said. “Tomorrow. We carry on at first light. We call their names until lunchtime. If there is no response, we head back to the other forest to get more supplies.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Jake said, a steely resolve spreading across his face.

  “Aye,” Wilf said, his head bowed.

  “I’m with you,” the vicar said, scratching his beard.

  “Then let’s get an early night. Tomorrow could be a long day,” Jake said as he fished the toilet roll out of his pack, heading through the trees on his own, leaving the other men to their thoughts.

  ☨☨☨

  “Coop, Alison. Stay here with the girl and the infant. Something is amiss.”

  “What’s wrong?” Coop said.

  “I can sense things around us. I noticed it earlier. However, it now has gotten stronger.”

  “In what direction,” the young vampire asked, his body tense.

  “At first I felt it behind us, towards the east. Now however I can feel it towards the west too. It’s almost like two separate forces are closing in on us. I need you to watch them while I try to find something.”

  “What are you looking for?” Alison said, her tone flat, her eyes dim.

  “If I remember rightly, there is something close by that could be of use, if we do have company.”

  “What?” Coop said.

  “Our escape route,” Elias said as he turned from them, heading south into the forest alone.

  ☨☨☨

  He sat down, resting against a fallen tree. One tree amongst millions in the vast expanse. A giant skull of an unknown beast lay next to him, picked clean by the tiny inhabitants of the forest. Other bones were scattered close by, giving Tamatan’s resting place a graveyard feel. He was unfazed, concentrating his senses. He could feel something close by. Days moving through the forest had brought him to this point. He could almost smell something over the next rise. He’d heard occasional whimpers, certain now that a child dwelt somewhere in the forbidding wood. Whose child it was, he knew not. He just knew that he had to keep heading east, to find who the unknown person or persons were. He could feel evil close by, which confused him further. Why would a child be so close to such evil? Unless they are travelling together. That’s a possibility, he thought as he curled up on the forest floor. He closed his eyes, letting sleep carry him away. His last thoughts before the darkness overwhelmed him were of a log cabin across the sea, and the beautiful family that waited for him.

  ☨☨☨

  Elias stood looking out from the cave towards the only town on the island. It was night. The island was either swathed in a perpetual fog, or under the cover of darkness for seasons at a time. He’d not visited this place since wars raged far-off lands. It was only because of need that he stood here now, looking at the rough sea as it peppered the craggy coastline. He stepped out of the cave, relieved to see the wide rocky path that led towards the town. He could make out twinkling lights that adorned hundreds of dark structures across the bay. He knew the town well enough. He knew he may be leaping from the frying pan. But he had little choice if his instincts were correct. He stepped back inside the cave as spray from a wave coated his back, soaking him to the skin. Elias walked steadily for a minute until a red outline appeared in front of him. His keen eyes guided him in the dark cave, his footing sure as he passed back through the doorway. He was motionless for a moment, listening to the sounds of the forest. Nothing seemed out of place. Elias was stood with the doorway behind him, looking up the steep path that led back to the others. He guessed the distance to be a mile at most. He was satisfied they could make it here if needed. The dark rocks of the passage rose forty feet above him, giving the passage a cloying feel. The split in the land was only a few feet wide, barely able to accommodate his wide shoulders. He began walking upwards, the rocks falling away until he was back at ground level. He looked back down the pathway, seeing the faint red hue a few hundred metres away. A small tree, a stunted cousin of the others around it stood opposite the path. With a swipe of his hand, the tree was cut in half, providing Elias with the marker he needed. He smiled, his red eyes burning bright in the darkness. He turned north, heading back to his kin.

  ☨☨☨

  Katherine lay on the forest floor, her head propped on her baby bag. Alicia was sleeping, a blessed relief under their current situation. She had never been so scared. She thought all the horrors were behind her. She loved her new life. Their house, the town. It all felt so perfect. It now felt like it was becoming a distant memory as she lay in the dense forest, two vampires guarding her. She looked over at her once mother-in-law.

  She looked back at Katherine, her feral eyes full of malice. “What?”

  “Do you not remember me, Alison?”

  “No. Why would I?”

  “Before you were turned, we were family. Your son, Jake? Do you remember him?”

  Alison blinked a few times
, trying to pull something from the recesses of her mind. She shrugged. “No. Don’t know Jake or anyone else. I only need to know my kin. Anyone else is an enemy. As are you.”

  Katherine turned away from her former mother-in-law as tears sprang from her eyes. Her body was wracked with shudders as she tried to stifle her sobs. She tried to remain in control, not wanting to wake her daughter. Please Jake. Please find us. Before we are turned into monsters.

  ☨☨☨

  “What time is it Dad?” Jake said as sat up groggily.

  “Six. What I wouldn’t give for a cup of tea and a bacon sandwich.”

  Jake’s stomach growled, before he fished a sausage roll and a bottle of water from his pack. “I know Dad. That sounds like heaven. Soon. Very soon we’ll be back home, enjoying life again. Where is Father Stephen?”

  “He said he wanted to scout ahead. He headed west about fifteen minutes ago. I told him not to be long.”

  Jake looked over at Wilf, smiling as the older man snored away peacefully without a care in the world. He took a swig of water, wishing it was at least chilled. “Do you think we will have any luck today?” Jake asked, hoping for a positive answer from the one man who always made things appear better than they were.

  “I hope so. I really do Son. Even if we don’t, we will return until we do find them. We need to keep a bright outlook on things. It would be very easy to let our spirits drop.”

  Doug was about to add something when Father Stephen came bustling into the makeshift campsite. “I heard a baby’s cry!”