Angie dropped the bucket and stumbled back. She felt woozy. She wondered if she'd made a mistake.
She fell to her knees and blacked out.
Twenty Seven
A second later she came to. She shook her head to clear it. She was still on her knees, the blood covering her whole body. She felt it soaking through her clothes and clinging to her skin. She saw it running up her cane. She saw it run through the point where the handle came free. It ran inside, presumably coating the blade.
She stood. She felt lighter. The pain in her ankle was gone. She put her full weight on it for the first time in years. There was no pain.
"Well shit," said Angie.
Thoughts and images rushed over her. Angie could see things she shouldn't be able to. Knew things she shouldn't be able to. She saw Beulah's towns, hundreds of them. People gathered together in the chaos just like World Memorial had been. She saw the children in those towns, standing ready to be sacrificed. Ready to be killed for the greater good. For the grand design.
She saw the corpses crawling over the whole of the world. She saw every major city, every town, every individual home torn apart by Sharon's curse. She felt Sharon's hatred for humanity. She felt the pain of every person ever torn apart by the dead.
She gradually came back to the here and now.
"Mom?" said Dalton, looking at her uncertainly.
Angie raised her hands to her face. The blood coated them, wet but staying in place. She'd never seen anything like it.
She looked to the sisters and smiled.
The sisters stared back at her. Angie could sense they were weakened. She felt the large amounts of energy they were using to hold their individual groups back. Angie stepped to the barrier and across it without incident. Angie marveled at it. Whatever rules bound the sisters to this circle, they didn't apply to her. She'd found a loophole.
The storm howled above them, swirling and blowing. Whole trees flew by overhead. She and the sisters stared at each other in the eerie stillness of the town.
Beulah watched her warily. Her face was confused and plotting.
Sharon held up one hand and clenched it. The same motion that had almost killed Angie days ago.
Nothing happened. Not even a tremor.
Sharon dropped her hand. She let out a scoffing snort and rushed at Angie, swinging her fist. Angie ducked, surprised by her own speed and agility. She swung her cane into Sharon's legs with a loud "thwack." Sharon cried out and crumpled to the snow.
Angie stood and backed off. Sharon stood, confused and angry.
"What the hell?" she yelled.
"It's the blood, Sharon," said Beulah, keeping her distance.
Sharon stomped back over and swung again, her powerful arm flying in a wide arc. Angie ducked and slammed her cane into Sharon’s stomach. Sharon doubled over and clutched her midsection. Angie rolled away and stood. She felt more full of energy than, well, ever.
Sharon stood, frowning. "That actually hurt." She stomped toward Angie for the third time, murderous fury in her eyes. "The only one to ever hurt me was my sister, little girl, and every wound she inflicts heals!"
Sharon swung. Angie pulled the sword from her cane. Momentum carried the blade across Sharon's cheek, slicing a thin line of blood. Angie stepped back. Beulah's blood had indeed coated the blade. It flowed all around it, without dripping off or dulling the edge.
Sharon blinked in surprise. She held her hand to her cheek and then looked at it. Blood coated her hand. Sharon’s own blood.
The cut wasn’t healing.
Angie smiled. "I'm not your sister."
Beulah looked back and forth between Sharon and Angie, as if unsure what to do. She finally strode over to Angie.
"You shouldn't be doing this!"
Angie felt the power in her voice more sharply now, in the clearer vision given her by the blood. But she was no longer scared by it. Beulah kept coming. “This isn't how it should go! Get out!”
Beulah reached Angie and swung her fist at her. Angie stepped to one side. Beulah corrected and shoved Angie in the chest. Angie slid back across the snow. Her chest hurt badly, and Angie knew the blow would have killed her without the blood's protection and Beulah's weakened state.
"Ouch," she said, standing.
Beulah grinned and rushed at her. Angie stepped to one side, slicing Beulah across the stomach. Beulah turned and stumbled to a halt. She looked down. Her dress was torn. A thin line of blood ran down her torso.
Sharon watched with hungry eyes. "Kill her! Kill my sister and I'll spare you!"
"Shut up, Sharon!" yelled Beulah.
Angie rushed at her. Beulah stepped to the side and punched Angie across the face. Angie's head snapped to one side, pain shooting down her neck and shoulder. Angie recovered and swung her sword at Beulah in a wide arc. Beulah jumped back. Sharon rushed up and tackled Beulah.
Sharon pinned Beulah to the ground and looked to Angie.
"Do it!" said Sharon. "Kill her!"
Beulah struggled with Sharon. She looked at Angie. "You can't kill us! We hold everything together!"
"Shut up, both of you!" yelled Angie. She ran over and shoved Sharon as hard as she could. To Angie’s surprise, Sharon flew away from her and into a nearby trailer. The trailer crumpled inward. Sharon's body punched through the wall and landed somewhere inside.
"Whoa," said Angie. "Go me."
She ran toward the trailer.
"Stop!" yelled Beulah.
Angie ran to the trailer's door and threw it open. It was dim and cluttered inside. She heard the sound of wrenching metal and looked to one side. Sharon was extracting herself from a broken, rusted stove. The stove crumpled inward from Sharon’s impact.
Angie grinned. "I see why you girls like slamming each other around so much."
"Shut up, primate!" yelled Sharon. She stood, ripped the oven door from the stove and whipped it at Angie. It flew through the air toward her.
Angie dodged and watched as the oven door flew out the open doorway. It twirled through the air until Beulah caught it. Beulah didn't break stride as she snatched it from the air and continued walking toward the trailer.
"Stop this!" yelled Beulah.
Angie heard movement behind her and knew it was Sharon. She spun, sword out and ready. Sharon ducked back and Angie's sword finished its arc, embedding itself in the door frame. Sharon punched Angie in the stomach and she doubled over, letting go of the sword. Sharon slammed her knee up into Angie's midsection. Angie flew upward into the ceiling. The ceiling tiles splintered as she hit them. The momentum of Sharon's blow crushed her into the tiles a few seconds longer, then she fell.
She landed on her knees, surprised at how injured she wasn't, and sprung to her feet. She rushed at Sharon. Sharon swung her fist but Angie ducked, slamming her shoulder into Sharon's chest. She drove Sharon backward against the wall next to the oven. The wall cracked as they slammed into it. Angie drew back to punch. Sharon ducked away and Angie's fist slammed into the wall. The wall cracked further, sending dust and debris all around.
Sharon shoved Angie backward. Angie slid across the floor, her boots ripping through the carpet as she went. She stopped with her back to the open door, her fists out and ready. She heard Beulah grunt from outside and turned her head to look. Beulah was throwing the oven door back at them.
Angie dropped to the floor as the door flew by overhead. It slammed into Sharon, knocking her head back as it flew past and embedded itself in the kitchen wall. Sharon straightened her neck and scowled. A small bruise crossed her forehead. The bruise was fading, healing before Angie's eyes.
Sharon smiled, her eyes looking past Angie to Beulah. "You're weakened, sister."
"So are you, sister," said Beulah. Angie noticed the cut on Sharon's cheek – the one Angie had given her—had still not healed. Any wound she inflicted didn’t heal. Just like with the barrier, whatever rule kept the sisters from seriously wounding each other did not apply to Angie.
Angie j
umped to her feet and wrenched the sword from the door frame. She rushed at Sharon, sword down and aimed to run Sharon through. Sharon dodged and Angie's momentum drove the sword through the kitchen wall. The thin blade should have snapped, but it held strong.
Angie cast a glance behind her. Beulah was now inside the trailer. Both Sharon and Beulah rushed at her, looking angry and ready to kill. Angie wrenched the sword from the wall and swung in a wide arc. The blade sliced through Sharon's face and Beulah's neck. The cuts were shallow, not enough to kill. The sisters staggered back in surprise, blood seeping from their wounds. The wounds weren't healing.
Sharon looked at Beulah's bleeding throat. She grinned like an animal. "Finish it!" she said, looking at Angie. "Kill her!"
"Stop this!" said Beulah, holding her hand to her throat and then looking at the blood coating it. "You don't know what it could do!"
"I said shut up!" yelled Angie. She rushed at them, swinging at Beulah. Beulah ducked away and Angie stumbled into a hallway that led off the kitchen. She turned, holding out her sword.
Sharon ran at Angie. Beulah shoved her, knocking her off course. Sharon slammed through the wall next to the hallway. Angie heard her break through to a room next to where Angie stood. The door to the room was somewhere behind her.
"I said stop!" yelled Beulah. "This is against—"
Angie rushed at Beulah, sword aimed at her stomach. Sharon smashed into the hallway and into Angie, pinning her against the wall. Angie sucked in her breath as the wind was crushed from her.
Sharon hissed in her ear. "I gave you a chance, primate bitch!"
Angie elbowed Sharon in the stomach, sending her flying back to the other wall. The wall crumpled inward and a large section of the ceiling crashed in. Angie could see the dark, stormy sky above them.
Then she felt it. Sharon's control over her forces flickered for a moment. For a fraction of a second, she lost control. Beulah's face said she felt it too.
"Dammit!" Sharon yelled. She climbed up the pile of rubble and out through the hole in the ceiling. Angie rushed to follow.
Angie ran up the rubble and onto the roof of the trailer. The storm continued to howl overhead. Sharon stood further down the roof, her attention focused on the mob of corpses and animals. The corpses looked like they had moved an inch or two but were now still. Angie held her sword out and rushed at Sharon, her boots pounding on the snow-covered roof of the trailer.
Sharon turned as Angie drew near. Angie swung downward at her legs. Sharon jumped back. Angie's sword scraped along the roof, then Angie corrected and swung for Sharon's head. Sharon caught the blade. The sword kept going, slicing through Sharon's hand and severing two fingers. Sharon stepped back, clearly in shock, as her digits flew off the trailer and into the snow below. Sharon stopped, almost at the edge, staring at her hand.
Sharon's hand bled profusely. It wasn't healing. Angie could tell by her expression that Sharon had never bled that much before in her existence.
"New experience?" said Angie, grinning. She panted at her and held her sword out and ready.
A loud crash came from below Angie. Beulah punched upward through the roof. Her hands grabbed Angie's ankles and jerked downward. Angie crashed down through the roof, landing in the hallway next to Beulah.
Angie sprang up and swung her sword at Beulah. Beulah dodged and shoved Angie back. Angie flew down the hall and into the trailer's bedroom. She slammed against a wall and fell to the floor.
Angie hopped to her feet as Beulah stomped down the hall.
"You're messing with things you don't understand!" said Beulah.
Angie remembered she now had the same strength the sisters did. She looked to her side and saw a large dresser. Angie wrenched a drawer free and flung it at Beulah. It shattered against her, knocking her back. Angie rushed at her with the sword aimed for her stomach. Beulah dropped to the ground, flat on her back so the sword passed over her head. Beulah kicked upward into Angie's stomach. Angie flew up and slammed through the ceiling.
Back outside, Angie landed on the roof of the trailer. She crawled to her knees, shaking her head. She heard movement and looked in front of her. Sharon was stomping her way, her hand now bandaged in what looked like strips torn from Sharon's dress.
Angie stood and walked forward, grinning. "Got a boo boo?"
Sharon scowled and stomped. "You'll pay, bitch!"
Angie crouched and waited, her sword ready. Sharon drew near and Angie prepared to swing. Beulah leapt up from below, crashing through the roof and landing between Angie and Sharon.
Beulah stomped on Angie's sword, pinning it to the roof. She kicked Angie with her other foot, sending her sliding back across the trailer.
Beulah kicked the sword from the trailer. It flew off, landing somewhere Angie couldn't place.
Angie climbed to her feet. She held out her fists, ready for Beulah. "Come on!"
Beulah stomped her way. "I will finally be rid of you!"
Sharon came up from behind and grabbed Beulah’s throat. "And I of you."
Sharon squeezed so hard Beulah's face went pale. She made choking sounds. Her lips turned purple, then grey.
The corpses in the opening started to move. The children screamed from their place across the way. Sharon saw this and let go of Beulah. She seemed to refocus her energy and the corpses stopped.
Angie rushed to Beulah, punching her across the jaw. Beulah fell to one side, slamming down against the roof of the trailer.
"Yes!" said Sharon with manic glee. "Finish her!"
Angie kicked Sharon in the stomach, sending her flying back across the trailer. Beulah recovered, standing and punching Angie across the face so hard she felt teeth rattle. Angie fell to the roof of the trailer. Beulah raised her foot to stomp Angie's head. Angie grabbed Beulah's foot and twisted hard to the left. Beulah cried out, falling.
Angie jumped up and kicked Beulah in the side. Beulah slid off the trailer, grabbing hold of the edge and hanging on. Sharon ran back over and punched Angie in the stomach. The punch was deep and hard. Angie knew the punch would have killed her if not for the blood.
Angie grabbed Sharon's wounded hand and squeezed. Hard. Sharon screamed and Angie punched her in the face. Then again. Then again. She gripped Sharon's wounded hand and punched until Sharon's nose began to bleed.
Beulah pulled herself up and climbed to her feet. She came up behind Angie and punched her hard in the back. Angie cried out, letting go of Sharon.
Beulah, still behind her, grabbed Angie's head and squeezed. So hard Angie thought she'd pass out. She felt like her skull would crack.
She whipped her head backward, slamming into Beulah's face. Beulah let go and staggered back.
Sharon rushed over to Angie. Angie grabbed her wounded hand again. Sharon grabbed her other arm and twisted, flinging her off the trailer and through the air. Angie flew for several moments, sailing over the barrier before crashing down into the snow just in front of the corpses.
"Mom!" yelled Maylee from her side. The corpses pawed and grabbed at her. Dead mouths closed on her. They dug their teeth in, but could not penetrate the blood coating her skin.
Angie stood and shoved the corpses away. She turned to look across the barrier. Beulah and Sharon were off the trailer and stomping toward her. They reached the barrier and stopped, unable to go any further.
Angie smiled and ran back across.
Sharon was waiting for her first. She lunged at Angie. Angie ducked to one side, turning as she did. Sharon's momentum slammed her into the barrier, stopping her cold. Angie grabbed her and threw her backward. Sharon slammed into Beulah and they both flew back across the area and into a large metal shack.
Angie looked around for her sword. She saw it, sticking out of the ground near the center of the area and ran for it.
Sharon and Beulah recovered and rushed to meet her. Beulah reached her first, grabbing Angie and throwing her back over the barrier. Angie landed in the snow as Beulah raced for her and then slammed into
the barrier and stopped, looking dazed.
Angie ran back across and spun to grab Beulah's shoulders. She slammed Beulah against the invisible barrier again and again. Blood leaked from splits in Beulah's face.
"Finish her!" yelled Sharon from somewhere behind Angie.
Beulah held up her hands to stop herself as Angie slammed forward again. Beulah shoved backward, knocking Angie from her. Angie flew back into Sharon. They both tumbled across the snow until they slammed into the metal shack.
They both climbed to their feet. "You should have killed her!" shrieked Sharon, punching Angie hard in the stomach. Angie doubled over and Sharon grabbed her from above. Angie dropped to her knees, pulling Sharon over on top of her. She leapt up, throwing Sharon into the air. She landed as Sharon flew upward into the awning of the shack. She broke through it and flew up a few more feet before crashing down. She hit the shack on the way down, tearing off a huge chunk of metal as she fell. Sharon grabbed the metal and aimed the edge of it for Angie's head.
Angie dodged to one side as Sharon slammed the metal into the ground. Angie ran up and kicked Sharon back against the shack. Sharon let go of the metal, leaving it embedded in the snow. Angie rushed over and pulled Sharon from the shack and dragged her toward the metal lodged in the ground and slammed her down on top of it. Sharon cried out as the metal dug into her stomach.
"Die!" yelled Angie. "Fucking die you fucking bitch!"
"Stop!" yelled Beulah from somewhere. "We can't die!"
Beulah rushed up behind Angie and pulled her off Sharon. She flung Angie into the shack. It crumpled inward and Angie fell to the snow. She rolled onto her back as Beulah ran up to her.
Beulah raised her foot and stomped Angie in the stomach. So hard Angie thought her spine would crack. Beulah raised her foot again and Angie grabbed the hem of her dress. She jerked downward and Beulah fell toward her. Angie punched Beulah in the chest as she fell. Angie heard bone crack. Beulah cried out and spit blood.
Angie gripped her dress with one hand and punched with the other. Over and over again.
World Memorial Page 39