Chapter 13
Ella stomped around the kitchen like a spoiled child “I hate night shift when it’s a full moon. It’s not fair,” she pouted.
“It’s for the love of the job,” Karina reminded her as she pulled Ella’s hand, guiding her toward the door.
“I know, I know,” she droned to the car.
They entered the ward and Andrea was leaving, handbag tucked under her arm “Good luck,” she chimed.
“How many are here?” Karina asked.
Andrea stopped and smiled sarcastically “Full house tonight. But no Larry...yet,” she added raising her eyebrows sarcastically.
“Larry’s not here?” Ella repeated surprised and Andrea nodded then turned to leave.
A few hours into the shift Ella swung side to side on her chair. “It’s quiet tonight. Something feels off.”
Karina looked up from her gossip magazine and nodded in agreement “Did you bring your iPod?”
“It’s in the car.”
“I’ll go get it,” Karina offered rising from her chair and pushing the magazine toward Ella.
The car park was dark and only the staff cars were in it. Ella’s car was parked on its own under the lamp post which Karina always insisted upon during a night shift. The light flickered on and off casting orange light over the car. A soft breeze blew her hair, brushing a strand across her neck and sending a shiver down her spine. Karina was always confident when she was here, she knew she was safe but there was something in the air tonight that told her otherwise. Ella was right, something felt off. She made a check of her surroundings and cautiously walked to the car and stopped a metre away. Her heart started to beat loudly in her chest and her hands shook, Karina did another look around and squinted toward the shadows. There was no one to be seen, but she could sense otherwise. “Get a grip,” she assured herself and walked to the car opening the door. With one knee on the driver’s seat she leaned over searching the inner console until she found what she came for. She slipped the iPod into her pocket and stepped out of the car. A voice came from behind her as she closed the driver’s door “I told you to be careful” then her head was thrust forward against the roof of the car. Pain shot through her forehead and Karina felt dizzy as the world seemed to turn on its side. Falling to the ground her temples surged with pain and her ears began to ring. Hopelessly she tried to push herself up only to be pushed back down by a foot on her back. The smell was one Karina recognised an odorous rancid smell that could only come from someone with extremely poor personal hygiene.
“Larry?” she managed to choke out under the weight on her back “What are you doing?”
The weight lifted and he crouched down beside Karina and smirked at her, shaking his head slowly as he taunted his prey “I warned you Nurse Karina but you don’t listen,” she could see the yellow brown decay on his teeth.
“Warned me about what?” she had given up trying to sit, her vision was starting to focus and sitting would only send it into another woozy spiral.
“About the one who walks like a man but howls at the moon. You didn’t listen.”
“Larry I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I will get big monies for you faerie girl, but Larry will help you. Larry keeps you safe.”
“What?” Karina was sure she was delirious; Larry’s ramblings were more unusual than normal. She feared he was going to try and abduct her and do what he thought was keeping her safe. Slowly Karina rolled onto her back and looked up at Larry who was still crouched besides her, looking around himself frantically. Her fingers touched her forehead and warm sticky blood oozed from a cut above her right eye “Larry, listen to me. You need to let me go inside.”
“No, no,” he started shaking his head erratically “Keep you safe.”
Karina pushed herself to a sitting position using the car for support and waited for the spinning to stop before she tried to amble her way to stand. Larry looked to the sky and his body started to shake, he whimpered in fear and moaned burying his head in his hands “No, no.” he cried as his body rocked back and forth.
“Larry what’s wrong?”
She watched in horror as Larry stood, his body contorted in an agonising spasm and painful grunts came from his mouth. She could see saliva frothing as he breathed heavily through clenched teeth. His body doubled over then extended all the way back, he dropped to his knees and his arms reached up to the sky. He screamed out “Why Jesus, do you desert me? I am your faithful servant. Do not abandon me in my hour of need.” A guttural growl escaped from Larry and he fell to the ground hugging his knees to his chest sobbing. He pummelled his head into his knees repeatedly. Larry then rolled onto his stomach and hunched on all fours, his breathing now low and deep. Slowly Larry stood on one knee and his arms seemed to grow longer. His shoulders hunched forward with the seemingly increased weight and became more muscular. Long gnarled claws replaced Larry’s fingers and he grabbed the side of his head and howled. Larry’s mouth hung open and his jaw dislocated and became more defined until it resembled a long canine snout. As he raised himself to a stand Karina saw his body change shape until he was a gruesome hunched over creature with a hairy face, but seemingly little hair elsewhere. His fingers were now long yellow talons and teeth elongated and menacing. Canine teeth were now more prominent as he slowly lumbered his way forward. The eyes that stared out from what was once Larry’s face were bulging blood shot and gruesome. He raised a hand and took a swipe at Karina who managed to duck out of the way, falling to the ground once again. Larry took another step forward, swinging his arm back to deliver a death blow, when he was pulled backwards and splayed onto the ground. Karina hesitantly looked up as she wiped the tears from her eyes; another lycanthrope had thrown Larry back. The second monster was much bigger and stronger than Larry, with darker features. He lunged at the smaller less agile creature and reached into the chest of the beast pulling out the still beating heart. The body that once belonged to Larry, let out a long bone chilling yelp of agony then collapsed, dead. Karina covered her eyes and sobbed, her body shaking furiously. This was the end; she saw flashes of her life flit before her eyes. So many things had been left unsaid and done. The rift with her family was not healed, she had never told her parents how much she loved them and now she would never get that chance. She saw herself walking hand in hand with a tall youthfully handsome older man with silver hair. Karina could feel the hot breath of the monster above her, moving her hair with its exhale. She whispered a quick prayer and accepted that life was about to end, she waited hoping it would be swift and merciful. Something touched her shoulder and she cringed away from it. “Karina” a deep ragged voice spoke, one she knew but could not place. Slowly she raised her eyes and blinked away her tears. Xavier was beside her, his face anguished, eyes bloodshot and body shivering. He was the monster who saved her from Larry. Karina threw herself into Xavier’s arms and let her emotions give way, crying uncontrollably. “Let me take you away from here,” he whispered as he rose from the ground, carrying Karina easily. He slipped her into the backseat of Ella’s car; she heard the sound of the ignition just as everything started to turn black.
The Beast Within Page 13