by Sara Clancy
Ring of Roses
The Plague Series Book 1
Written by Sara Clancy
Edited by Emma Salam
Copyright © 2018 by ScareStreet.com
All rights reserved.
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See you in the shadows,
Sara Clancy
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
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Chapter 1
The small tour boat was never designed to withstand the fury of a storm.
Crashing waves rocked it violently. Sea foam and frothing water washed across the windows, seeping through the ever-increasing cracks. The fiberglass hull creaked and moaned. The engine strained pitifully, unable to do much more than fill the enclosed cabin with the stench of gas and burning oil.
Annabel’s nails splintered as she clutched the seat in front of her. The next wave hit. Her nails tore through the worn material, but she held her grip. It wasn't enough to stop her from being thrown onto her older sister. Sitting by the window, there was nowhere for Jezebel to go. Annabel crushed her against the wall. The overhead lights flickered, threatening to fail and leave them to the premature twilight of the storm. Glancing up, Annabel watched the light flash against Jezebel's bloodstained teeth. Her crimson lipstick could no longer conceal the damage. Blood dripped down from the cut on her lip to stain her chin. Another wave struck. Annabel wrapped her arms around the chair as the boat tilted, reaching an angle that threatened to toss her into the narrow aisle.
A deafening crack of thunder shook the boat. Bolts of lightning flashed across the sky, their glow playing off the walls of water that rose around them on all sides. Refusing to release her grip on the chair, Annabel peeked over it, desperately searching for the tour guides amongst the crowded chaos of passengers. Logically, she knew there was nothing they could do. There was nowhere to go but into the dark depths of the thrashing Mediterranean Sea.
Jezebel tugged her arm sharply, each pull increasing in strength until Annabel looked over. The second she did, her vision was blurred by bright orange. Life jacket, her mind supplied as a boom of thunder made her cringe. Jezebel didn't wait for her to gather her courage. With the impatient shoves and clawing nails, she wrenched Annabel’s arms through the gap and secured the straps in place. Memories flashed across her mind of Jezebel doing much the same thing with snow coats when they had been little. She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting off the images, hoping that this didn't count as her life flashing before her eyes.
The next wave hit them with such force that she was sure they were going to capsize. Through the window, she watched the bruised purple water, fine and clear, as they climbed up the side of the wave. There was a glimpse of sky. Clouds the color of metal and polished by the blaze of lightning. Then, the frothy tip of the wave sloshed over the glass and they dropped. Plummeting into the canyon that separated the moving mountains.
The hallways filled with those who hadn’t been able to brace themselves. Chairs snapped free from the floor, adding to the airborne debris. Choking on her fear, Annabel locked her eyes with her sister. They were both adults. Far beyond a time when the three years separating them would matter for anything. Still, she reached out like a child, needing to know that her big sister was there. Jezebel latched onto her hand with a vicelike grip and refused to let go as the chaos raged around them.
That was when she saw the wave. It didn’t rise, but loomed forward, fully formed, to fill every inch of the windows. With a squeal of metal and a clucking hiss from the motor, the boat was dragged up the side of the monstrous tower. There was no doubt this time. The angle was too sharp, the wave too large. If it broke before they could reach the peak, it would consume the boat.
Jezebel ducked her head and twisted her body as much as she could while still maintaining her grip. There was no real way to hold on and brace for impact at the same time. Rain pelted down, joined by the first thuds of the breaking wave. Each droplet seeming to crack the glass a little more.
A quick glimpse of clouds made Annabel’s heart lurch into her throat. It was a moment of blissful certainty that they were going to make it. It didn't last.
A black mass exploded over the crest. A gaping skull, eyes hollow pits, and mouth a cackling smile, lunged towards them. Terror froze her mind. Survival instinct moved her body. Clutching Jezebel's hand with both of her own, she flung her minimal weight back. Glass exploded into the cabin as the decorative bow of the sailing ship smashed into the boat.
The fiberglass hull wasn’t a fight for the ghastly wooden figure. It cut clean across the cabin. Splitting it in half. Allowing the sea to rush in with savage ferocity and take the rest. Annabel was thrust out into the open waters. Tumbling endlessly with a force that crushed her lungs and made it impossible to move. Jezebel’s nails dug into the soft flesh of Annabel’s arm as she tried to hold on. She did the same in return. There was no thought of pain. Only the raw, primal need to stick together.
Unseen objects emerged from the turbulent abyss to batter her. Making her scream, robbing her of what little air she had left. One instant, the soft flesh of Jezebel’s arm was pressed tight against her fingertips. Secure and real. In the next, there was only the warm, violent water. Salt stung her eyes as she snapped them open. Her arms flailed as best as the currents would allow. For all of her frantic motion, there was nothing. Not a sight. Not a touch.
Constant pressure pushed against her chest and her back suddenly broke the surface. Righting herself, she spun around and peered through her burning eyes.
“Jez,” she breathed with relief.
A dozen bodies thrashed in the water. Silhouetted against the heaving tides. Jezebel wasn’t there. A wave caught her by surprise. It swallowed her whole, rolling with her for what felt like miles. Again, she was dragged back up and again her heart was sure it was Jezebel. The long-suffering older sibling. It was, as she gulped down a breath of air, that the reality hit her. The lifejacket was keeping her up. Jez had one, too. Didn’t she? A wave hit her with a bone-rattling force. Driving her down with a speed that made her stomach lurch. Then, with a similar fevered rush, she was swept into a new wave gathering its strength.
The next time she was exposed to the air, the rain had picked up into a bombarding force. It rushed into her mouth along with seawater each time she called for her sister. She choked and sputtered, relying on her lifejacket to keep her up as she battled to breathe. Stubborn and panicked, she made a few more attempts until she admitted to herself that she’d drown if she continued. She needed all of her attention and strength just to keep herself up.
Tipping her face into the sheeting rain didn’t make it any easier to breathe. She gagged and gasped, holding out long enough for the clean water to wash some of the salt from her eyes. Prying her lids apart, she endured the pain and tried to make sense of her blurred vision. The safety of the boat had distorted her vision. What had looked like gigantic waves were now as tall as towers. The terror breaking upon her outweighed the fear of climbing upon them. Annabel wasn’t the only one to come to the same conclus
ion. She wasn't alone as she desperately swam up the side of a wave, the water as smooth as glass and reflecting the lightning like a mirror. She could glimpse the others, but only as shadows and shapes. None of them had Jezebel’s trademark platinum white hair.
She flushed with victory when she reached the tip before it broke. Rain and air whipped around her as she plummeted down the other side. Annabel fought her impulse to scream as her stomach lurched. Half-sure that the fall would kill her, she failed to fill her lungs before going under. Her head spun with the swell. Iron entered her limbs and a fire ignited under her skin. The lifejacket saved her once more but there was no time to recover. Another wave was brewing, forcing her to swim again. Exhaustion crept in quickly. Waterlogged clothes threatened to drag her under and her shoes sabotaged each kick. On the second crescent, she heard a new scream crack over the others. Howling winds and clashing waves dwindled it into an animalistic bellow. But it was there. She was sure she heard it.
‘Fire’.
Twisting around, she searched the ever-shifting horizon. New voices joined the first, an array of languages, most of which she didn't know. Instinctually, she knew they all said the same.
“Fire!”
At every peak, she searched, peering through the rain and gathering darkness. It gave her purpose to keep going. To fight her way up and endure the falls. Hope and defeat battled for dominance over her mind. The first glimpse of the promised flames stuck her as an illusion. It wasn't until someone swimming only a few yards from her began to shout that she believed it.
“Land! Fire!” The moment of joy threw off her limbs and a wave sloshed into her mouth.
Even as she spat and hacked, the words resonated in her head like a sweet promise. They propelled her on. The full sum of her willpower fixed onto a single task. Make it to shore. There was a simplicity to the thought that made it seem achievable. It kept her moving even as her body began to beg for a rest. The storm stole the point of flames from her sight. She tried to fix her vision and keep on track, but, when they abruptly returned, it seemed like they had switched positions.
Chunks of the boat and all it had contained swept across her path. Most were unidentifiable. Glimpses of shapes hurled with enough force to break her bones. But when she spotted a piece of the shattered hull, Annabel couldn't pass it up. Surging forward with what felt like the last of her strength, she latched onto the floating debris. The sharp edges cut into her palms, but she dragged herself onto it, allowing its buoyancy to keep her head above the water long enough for her to truly take in the hellish landscape. She regained sight of the others, finding that far fewer of them were moving now. The unrelenting downpour hammered against the back, and spikes of lightning broke free from the clouds, threatening to strike the water.
“Jez!”
She never saw what hit her. Pain exploded across her skull and strong arms ripped her away from her makeshift raft. Tossed back into the water, a sharp kick drove into her stomach, robbing her of breath before the waves reclaimed her. Feeling her heartbeat throbbing in her head added to her disorientation, leaving her helpless as she tumbled into the abyss. Her eyes burned and she couldn't keep from swallowing down a lungful of water. There wasn't enough strength left within her to fight against the pull of the waves.
There was no warning. Just a heavy thud and the sudden appearance of sand and stone under her hands. The water retreated with a sucking rush. Shore. I’m on the shore! Annabel scrambled and clawed at the wet earth below her, fighting against the pull of the current. Despite her feral efforts, she was dragged swiftly back. The water lapped over her shoes before another powerful wave crashed down upon her. Her ribs threatened to crack under the blow and her head snapped against the slightly relenting sand. Pushing forward, she let the momentum carry her forward before repeating the same desperate scramble. It seemed like an unwinnable fight. She couldn’t keep any of the distance she won. Then, with a deafening bellow, the sea spit her out.
Instinct moved her limbs, forcing her to walk, uncoordinated and staggering, through the hip-deep water. Rain and wind surged against her, shoving her to the side like an almost physical force. Hit from behind, the surf knocked her off of her feet and threw her sprawling onto her back. Each time, through the haze of wind and waves, she caught a glimpse of the flames. They grew harder to see as she progressed. She didn’t know how long she had fixed all of her hopes on those fires, but now, even with the shore under her feet, it filled her with raw panic to lose sight of them.
A wall of sea foam caught her up and carried her forward. Her knees hit hard stone as lightning forked across the sky. The glow illuminated the long expanse of the stone beach. A cluster of massive boulders and deep crevasses. Beyond that, a sheer cliff face rose up in an impenetrable wall.
Dread welled within her chest as she stared up at the overwhelming sheet of stone, the fire burning somewhere far above. Transfixed, she didn't notice the person near her until they collided. Without discussion, they clung to each other, joining forces against the elements. The body she clutched was soft, larger than her own, and rattled with sputtering hacks. They worked their way from the water. Sand gave way to stone. Small stone to large boulders, smooth and covered with slick moss. Any slip of one was felt by both. The weight of her companion suddenly dropping onto her shoulders almost brought her to her knees.
It felt like a fevered dream to leave the waves behind. Her body couldn't shake off the sensation. The push and pull. It made her stagger. The waves bellowed with a wild fury, each breaking swell thrusting tuffs of foam and salt spray into the air. Enough that the smell lingered even as the downpour washed the stones clean. Neither Annabel nor her sudden partner considered stopping until they were beyond the reach of the waves. The stranger sat. Annabel collapsed onto all fours, her limbs shaking with the strain of keeping her from crumbling entirely. Panting for breath, she ignored the rain as the wind turned the spray almost horizontal. When she could hold her breath for a few seconds at a time, she turned her face into the flood, allowing the clean water to rinse her eyes. It didn’t stop the pain.
No matter how much she blinked, she couldn't return the world into anything more than a blurred mess. Wiping the back of her hand over her eyes, she sought out the person who had helped her. An older woman. Perhaps in her late forties. Not an unhealthy weight, but sturdy, stout, and thick.
“Are you okay?”
Annabel had to shout to be heard. Along with the elements, there were the cries and pleas of the other survivors. Annabel and the woman weren’t the first to make it to shore, although it did look like they had fared far better than some. In the twilight, the beach carried the aftermath of a war. Bodies, broken and bleeding, squirming or motionless, scattered across the stones. Some wandered aimlessly. Either in a daze or desperately searching for their friends. Annabel swallowed thickly and placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder, finally gaining her attention.
“Are you okay?” she asked again. This time, she accompanied the question with a thumbs up. It was the hand gesture more than the words that finally made the woman nod.
“Good. Rest here.”
Annabel could have saved her breath. The woman had already pulled up her knees, curling into a tight ball. The position did little to protect her body from the fury of the tempest. Still, Annabel observed the sight with no small degree of jealousy. She longed to shut down too.
Not an option.
The voice inside her head sounded suspiciously like her college professor. A new breed of fear was born within her. She was a first-year medical student, barely qualified to oversee a car crash. Memories reared like snakes, wrapping around her mind and dragging it back into the past. Images flashed in front of her eyes. Blood pooling on the asphalt. Twisted metal and broken bodies. A sleep-deprived student had cut out into traffic, sparking a chain of events that ended with a four-car pile-up.
“Anna!”
Her professor’s voice echoed in her ears as memory and reality blended together.
The stones under her gave way to an ice-covered street. Larger boulders became mangled vehicles. The broken bodies remained. The carnage and panic.
“Focus!”
Annabel looked around, trying to trace her professor’s voice, desperate to catch sight of her.
“You have your tasks. Complete them.”
Nodding rapidly, Annabel looked to the ground. Tourniquets. Confusion gnawed at her when she found her patient missing. A teenager. Dark hair. Pink parka. I have to tourniquet her leg. She’ll bleed out! The ramblings of her mind felt like rolling fog, clashing against the inside of her skull. Warm liquid dripped from her fingers. Blood. There was so much blood. She’s going to bleed out!
“Annabel Lee,” her professor spoke clear and sharp. “You can do this. They need your help, not your feelings. Focus on your task. Drown out everything else. There will be time to deal with your emotions later.”
The illusion fell away between blinks, thrusting her back into reality. She looked out over the chaos. The broken bodies. It’s too much. She had never felt so utterly alone. There are too many. I can’t. Her hands shook with a fine tremble as she clutched her knees. Tears welled in her eyes. Their screams were torture. She wanted her older sister.
Someone called for a doctor.
Annabel snapped her head up, searching for the source. One voice brought on others until the whole beach was beseeching help. Annabel held her breath. No one came. There’s no one else.
“They need help,” Annabel whispered, balling her hands until her knuckles ached. “Not feelings.”
Lurching to her feet, Annabel scanned the beach, trying to prioritize the injured. Spot who needed her first. Remember the order of crisis management. Salvation efforts had already begun. Those who had survived the first trial were pulling people from the ocean and dragging them up the shoreline. A few knew basic first aid and took to their tasks, but the wounded significantly outnumbered them. And there had been no attempt to create an organized effort. She searched for the guides. They’d need an action plan set up for this, she thought. Her chest clenched when she realized that she couldn’t spot any one of the three. Focus, she snapped to herself. The screaming rose higher, covering the fury of the sea and sky. She couldn’t catch her breath as she looked out over the carnage. There were too many. Agonized cries became ice picks in her ears. Her hands trembled.