I turned my attention to Max and Robert. They sat close together. Two brothers both fucked over because of something I had been a part of. The guilt hit me as I watched them. The black veins that travelled up the side of Max’s neck was a prominent reminder of what I had been involved in. It was a hideous scar that would bring nightmares to Max now every time he looked at himself in the mirror, and it would be a horrendous and guilty scar for me every time I would look at him. I closed my eyes, ashamed of what I had done, and although I knew that I hadn’t always been aware of what was going on and what I had done, it didn’t help the shame I felt that made me turn away from the crime. But this was my chance now to try to make amends. I had to do everything I could to make things better—to show these volunteers that I was truly sorry.
How touching, Quint spoke up suddenly.
I opened my eyes and shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I hated that Quint could hear and feel my inner thoughts. There was no privacy. It was all right for him. Quint could just block me out whenever he wanted. I could do no such thing.
I care, even if you don’t, I replied.
You’re wasting your precious thoughts on two people who are planning to kill us all—even Kassidy will die if you let those two loose on the island, said Quint.
I couldn’t argue with that. Not now they both believed Kassidy to be Doshia. If they could kill her—they would easily destroy every coffin without even blinking. Can you blame them, though, for wanting to kill us all…? After everything that has happened to them… everything that we’ve been a part of? Suspicions are running high… paranoia is running through us all like a plague. Who is Doshia… where is he? Until he shows himself… everyone is guilty, I said.
We wait and bide our time, Ben, replied Quint. But I will tell you now, that if those two cretins go anywhere near Kassidy or anywhere near our coffins, then you’re gonna have a lot more blood on your hands. I will kill them, and if you want to survive… you won’t stop me.
I thought about what Quint had just said. Taking a quick glance at Robert and Max, I said, No, I won’t stop you. If they pose a threat to us, Jude, or Kassidy, then I will stand back and let you do your worst. But only if they are a threat. You don’t touch either of them just because you’re a demon and it’s what demons do… okay?!
Quint fell silent. I rubbed my arms as the chill sea air whipped about. It wailed and howled as we got nearer to Gallows Island. I looked up at its craggy boulders and shivered. This looked nothing like Cruor Pharma, yet it’s dominating presence here in the ocean sent chills right through me. Seagulls circled high above and the waves pounded the rocks as if they wanted to destroy the island—wash it away into the ocean to be forever forgotten. The lighthouse could no longer be seen as the boat drew closer to a small, sandy beach. It had disappeared off to the left of the island, now shrouded by the large cliff face.
The fisherman cut the engine and the boat drifted up and down as the waves rolled in.
“This is it… I can’t go… any… nearer,” coughed the fisherman, still holding onto the steering wheel. He rolled his shoulders back and his bones clicked. He swayed from left to right as the boat tipped from side to side.
Standing up, I too stumbled as a large wave hit the side of the boat. Jude climbed over the side and dropped into the sea, followed by Robert, and then Max. Knowing that Quint wouldn’t bother, I turned to the fisherman and said, “Thank you.”
The old man ignored me. He kept his back to me and just stared up at the island as if in a trance. His hands gripped the steering wheel and he jerked forward, bones crunching as he tried to steady himself against the pounding waves.
I shrugged my shoulders, climbed over the side of the boat, and swam toward the beach.
Stumbling onto the sand, I looked back at the boat. The fisherman had already turned it around and was heading away from the island. There was another boat drifting a ways out. It was a small cabin boat. I wondered who had left it adrift. Turning away, I stared up at the looming cliffs, a feeling of dread now filled my stomach.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Kassidy
From the small, pebbly beach, a rocky path led up along the cliff face in the direction of where the lighthouse was. It was too narrow to walk side by side, and so I trudged ahead with Raven behind me. The higher we went, the windier it got, and every so often a strong gust would hammer into me, causing me to wobble and sway. I kept checking over my shoulder, uncomfortable of the fact that Raven—Doshia—was behind me. I could feel Goosebumps cover my skin every time I thought about it. With such a precarious path to walk, and with it being so high now, the thought of having Doshia close up behind me made me fear that a pair of hands would suddenly find their way onto my back and shove me, causing me to fall to my death. I stared down at the waves below. They crashed into the rocks, and even being this high up, I could feel the ocean spray hit my face. The sky was still a dull grey, and I hoped the rain would hold off at least until we’d got off of this path.
As the cliff began to wind round and down to the left, I was suddenly faced with the white lighthouse towering ahead. It was perched on the east side of the island amongst the boulders, and although it looked bright against the darkness of the island, there was something unsettling about it. It wasn’t just because I knew what was inside. It was like the building had a personality of its own—like it had been tainted over time. It held secrets—dark, troubled secrets that the building had somehow soaked up, and now those secrets resided here. It had the same evil feeling of Cruor Pharma and its old, abandoned corridors covered in bloody handprints.
I stopped and crouched close to the cliff face. My hair swept wildly about as the wind seemed to race around the side of the cliff.
Crouching behind me, Raven peered over my shoulder and stared at the lighthouse. “I’m not going in there!” she shouted over the roar of the waves. “That place is evil… I can feel it… it’s like a nasty disease waiting to escape or infect anyone who dares to go inside.” She narrowed her eyes and wrapped her arms about her.
Good act, I thought. She’d been playing the same role since the moment I’d met her. She wasn’t scared at all. She was pretending—this was all a part of Doshia’s act. Well, she’d done, alright. She’d had me fooled right from the very start, but not anymore. Still, I went along with the sham. And thinking that this might just be my reason for parting with her, I said, “I think this place is gonna be worse than Cruor Pharma. It feels really bad. I don’t want to go in, either.” I shook my head slowly and widened my eyes to look like I was really scared. I could act, too.
“But… we’ve got to go in there, haven’t we?” Raven said, leaning into my ear. “If we don’t then we’re dead… aren’t we?” She said this as a matter of fact and continued to stare right at me.
“I’ll go,” I said, “you stay here and keep watch. Look out for Ben, Jude, and the others. When they turn up, tell them where I’ve gone.” I stood up.
“No!” cried Raven, pulling me down. “We should keep together.”
“But it’s too evil in there,” I pushed. “You hate that kind of shit.”
Raven jumped to her feet and said, “No, we go together.”
“I really think you would be better off staying out here and helping the others when they turn up.”
Towering over me, Raven said, “You really think I can help the others… more like lead them to their deaths!” Her eyes glinted as she turned and looked out across the sea.
I took a step back from Raven, not liking what she had just said, and, what, with the glimmer in her eyes, I didn’t want her—Doshia—doing anything bad to Ben.
Cursing the situation I was now in, and remembering that Etta had said to go it alone, I struggled to think of how I could ditch Raven without her suspecting something. Time was running out and I had to find the coffins and destroy the right ones.
Kill her! The voice of the male who had spoken to me on the boat had come back and was now talking so loud th
at it seemed he was standing beside me and not just in my head. I stood up and looked at Raven as she peered out across the sea and then my eyes fell to the rugged boulders below. The man’s voice continued to rant at me and he was joined by other voices that crowded my head.
Trying to hear myself over them and come up with a plan, the only idea that came to me was to run. I wasn’t gonna be able to ditch Raven, but maybe I could outrun her? And as for pushing her off the cliff, I knew that wasn’t an option. Doshia without a body was more dangerous than with one. At least I could see Raven.
I turned and faced the lighthouse. I couldn’t see the door from up here and I guessed that it must be around the other side. There didn’t appear to be anyone about, so perhaps if I was quick enough, I could run from Raven and go unseen by the other demons, get inside, and lock the door. It was all downhill from here. As long as I didn’t take a tumble on this rocky path, I might just do it. It was worth the try. It was worth my life.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Kassidy
The time had come to split up from Raven. There was no other option. And all I could hope for was that gaining a head start would be enough to get me to the coffins before her—before Doshia.
I took one more glance across the ocean, hoping beyond hope to see a sign of Ben and the others. My heart sank as the sea remained empty. I looked back at the lighthouse, stomach beginning to turn over at the thought of what I might come across in there and having to face it alone. Where was Etta? Why had she remained quiet? If I ever needed her, it was now. But as I stood and looked upon the lighthouse wondering if this would be my final resting place, I began to question whether Etta had just been a figment of my imagination. Had my deluded mind conjured her up? Had I imagined her to give me strength—to quieten the silence and loneliness that I felt? Had I made her up to shut out the evil voices that shouted and screamed at me? I no longer seemed to know anything.
I stared down at myself. My clothes were filthy, hair matted, and nails and veins black as the darkest night. I heard nothing but evil inside my head and it appeared that I had lost Ben. I swallowed back my tears and tried to ignore the terrible images that cropped up inside my head. So many people had died at the hands of Cruor Pharma and its demons. Was I the next to go? And as these memories swarmed around inside my head, I realised that I was running.
Sprinting toward the lighthouse away from one demon and toward a whole bunch more hidden inside. The wind howled around me and my hair swept about. The sea air rushed up my nose and down my throat. I held on tight to the satchel, down the cliff-side, and rushed forward.
I could be running to my death, I thought. Did it matter? I had nothing left. No parents—no home—no Ben. In my mind, as I passed the jetty with the moored boat, I wanted to go to it. I wanted to turn my back on all this evil and just disappear—leave the demons to it. But my limbs refused to go. My legs instinctively headed around the lighthouse to find the door.
I had no idea if Raven was behind me. I was too consumed within my own thoughts and self-pity to even look over my shoulder. As I rounded the lighthouse, I skidded and dug my heels down into the sandy ground. I backed up. My heart pounded. Charlie was there. He stood in front of the weather-beaten door, arms folded across his chest.
Throwing myself against the lighthouse, back pressed tight against its white, crumbly walls, I remained silent. Charlie was just a few feet away. I had stumbled across my next problem. I was now trapped between Charlie and… I looked back at the way I’d come. My stomach twisted. There she was, striding toward me. Raven—Doshia—her tall frame, lanky legs, and greasy black hair, heading my way like a stalker.
I had to think fast. I knew I wouldn’t get past Charlie without a fight and alerting the other demons that I was here. But I had to get in somehow and quick—away from Raven.
I peered up at the lighthouse and felt giddy at its height. It had a few small windows dotted from top to bottom—too tiny for me to climb through, but what about at the top? I stood on tiptoes and strained my neck to see. There were metal railings that circled the top. Could I? Would I be able to find that ability to climb these walls and make it over the railings like I had found myself scouring walls and ceilings when I had stayed at Doctor Langstone’s? What if I fell? What if…? I shook my head and looked over my shoulder. Raven was almost here. I could feel the panic eating away at my insides. My limbs trembled. I glanced down at the ground, and with a skip of my heart, I snatched up a large stone and hurled it in the direction to where Charlie would see it.
I heard it hit the ground, followed by footsteps. Taking one more look at Raven who was now only a few feet away, I jumped at the lighthouse wall, away from Charlie’s prying eyes.
The stone had caused a distraction and now as I began to climb, the satchel swinging from my shoulders, I saw Charlie walk around and instead of seeing me, his eyes fell upon Raven. He rushed toward her as I moved across the wall and out of sight.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Kassidy
I wasn’t sure if it was fear that seemed to give me this strange ability to climb walls or whether it was because my veins flowed with VA20, but whatever it was, I was thankful in this moment of escape.
I could hear shouting coming from below—from around the corner of the lighthouse. I knew it was Charlie I could hear, but was unsure as to whether his shouts were that of anger or alarm. I strained to hear his words—listened for Raven—but the wind seemed to rush around the lighthouse in circles as if each gust was competing in a race. The sound of the waves seemed to roar even louder here than up on the cliff. My own beating heart thrashed in my chest. It filled my ears with a frantic sound like a hammer smashing repeatedly on metal.
I clung to the white, decaying walls of the lighthouse, knowing I had to forget what was happening below. I had created the situation so I could get inside this building undetected, and I couldn’t waste this opportunity on listening to Charlie or waiting to see what happened to Raven.
As I pulled myself further up the lighthouse, I suddenly felt guilty. I had set Raven up for capture for my own ends but… I shook my head and cursed myself for being soft. Stop calling her Raven. She isn’t Raven—not really, I told myself. And I hadn’t done this purely for my own ends. I was doing this for everyone. And if I failed? Well, at least I would die trying than just sitting there waiting for death to take me.
I dug my fingernails into the wall and continued to climb, Father Williams’s satchel secured across my chest. I was about halfway up when I looked down. The ground below appeared to spin. The sight of it seemed to drain my confidence and my feet slipped. My body slithered down in short bursts and I screwed my eyes shut tight as I desperately tried to regain my composure.
Not now, I pleaded with myself. I clung on, arms and legs wrapped tight against the wall as if in a bear-hug. “Come on,” I urged, “you can do this!”
I breathed in deeply and refused to look down. Instead, I opened my eyes and focused on the top of the lighthouse. There was still a ways to go, and I wondered if I would truly have the strength to make it to the top. Stop doubting yourself, I argued, stretching up with my right arm. I inched myself up and glanced out toward the sea. The waves swelled high and broke against the rocks. The sky had become darker now, and the thick, grey clouds moved toward Gallows Island at a fast pace.
Narrowing my eyes, I tried to see the mainland. Where was it? Had the darkness of the day shrouded it under its veil of gloom? I blinked several times before I realised what was wrong with the view. My stomach somersaulted. I could feel myself falter. I was stuck in a predicament. Unable to run. I had to get inside this lighthouse. I forced myself up, more desperate now to reach the top. I glanced back across the ocean. My fears were right. The sea in the distance appeared to be covered with a layer of what looked like sea mist. But I knew it wasn’t that. The Cleaners had caught up and now they floated across the ocean like an army of ghosts.
I continued to climb. My renewed fear seemed to propel
me and give me the strength to somehow climb this tall structure.
Not wasting another second on the Cleaners, I almost seemed to scamper up like a monkey in a tree and reach the metal railings. Curling my fingers around the cold rails, I pulled myself up and landed safely on an open galley. I squinted and covered my eyes as the lighthouse appeared to come alive with the sound of a generator rumbling below. The lamp suddenly shone its rotating beams out across the ocean, nearly blinding me.
Stunned, I staggered to my feet, gripping the railings for support as the wind hit me with full force. The light came around again and I turned away.
Over the sound of the wind and the waves, a siren sounded out. It was so loud that I covered my ears with my hands. It came again from the lighthouse. It was a foghorn warning vessels to stay away from the rocky coastline of Gallows Island in the fog. I shuddered and immediately felt sorry for anyone who was sailing out on the ocean. For anyone who got lost in the fog.
Turning my back on the sea, I looked for a way into the lighthouse. As the beam of light moved away I stared at the lamp and its glass casing. The lighthouse was old, and one of the large, glass panels was missing. Heading toward it, my hair billowing out in all directions, I climbed inside and shut my eyes as the light came around again. The foghorn cried out, blocking all other noises.
I peered around the circular glass room and my eyes fell upon an open hatch. I stared down into it and could see steps leading into the room below. With no time to waste, I rushed forward and began to descend further into the lighthouse. The stairs were narrow and they creaked. The room smelt stale and old, and as the light from the lighthouse continued to turn, it lit up the room through the open hatch in brief bright flashes. The generator rumbled loudly and I could feel it vibrating underfoot.
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