Untitled (34 page)

answer your questions."

       Megan spun to face the voice as another of the hooded figures stepped forward, pulling back her own hood as she did so. The face hiding in the shadows was soft of features and surrounded by long, silken hair the colour of salt and pepper.

       "My name is Sister Ellen." She smiled. "And I will tell you what I'm able."

       "You'll tell us everything," insisted Harrison, reaching inside his jacket and pulling out the battered note pad. "And you'll start with this." He threw the book at Ellen's feet.

       Kaci joined Harrison on the floor, a long length of surgical tubing in her hand. "Will this do?"she asked, cringing at the sight of the tiny letters and symbols carved into Chappell's arms and hands.

       "It'll have to," he replied quickly, helping her to tie Chappell's wrists but keeping one careful eye on Ellen as she crouched to pick up the notepad.

       Sister Ellen opened the book cautiously and then slowly flicked through the parchment like pages one at a time. She was less than half way through when she paused and looked at Harrison.

       "May I ask how he died?"

       "Suicide," offered Harrison, now winding the tubing tightly around

Chappell's ankles.

"So sad. Christopher was a good man." Ellen closed the book. "Here, Samantha, you should have this." She held out the note book and another hood was pushed back from a female face, one that carried its years well.

       Samantha took the book and ran her finger down the spine, a single tear running down her cheek. "He should never have taken my child," she said, choking back a sob. "He should have kept his faith."

       "No man can be blamed for showing weakness and fear," Ellen said, resting a hand on Samantha's shoulder. "It is only human nature to love those whom you sire."

       "You're talking about all of this like its fucking normal," Harrison barked. "Are you telling me that those things out there are real?"

       "Do you doubt what you see?" Ellen asked.

       "The doubters will die first," Chappell slurred, coming around. "They will be devoured. Made one with the beast."

       "You best look at me if you're talking to me." Harrison kicked out at Chappell, a solid boot to the ribs.

       "The eyes are the gateway to the soul, Mr Policeman," Chappell coughed, blood spraying in a fine mist from his lips. "The gateway must be protected at all costs."

       Harrison dropped to his knees at Chappell's side and rolled him onto his back, placing a hand around the Doctor's throat, the tips of his fingers sinking into the open wounds of self mutilation. "Open your eyes or I'll force you." Harrison gasped, finally realising that Chappell's eyes were stitched firmly closed.

       "You'll do no such thing," chuckled Chappell. "You will, however, die screaming at my feet before you arise once again as one of my children."

       Harrison lifted Chappell up by the throat, struggling to keep a grip on the Doctor's blood soaked skin. Chappell kicked out and growled as he was dragged over to the examination chair in the centre of the room and unceremoniously thrown into it.

       As soon as he hit the chair Chappell attempted to launch himself out again but Harrison pre-empted the action and dropped onto the Doctor's chest, pinning him down with a well placed knee.

       "Do you truly think you can intimidate me with these threats?" Chappell growled. "I have embraced the abyss and allowed the darkness to envelope me."

       "I'm not threatening you Doctor," said Harrison, reaching over to the small trolley next to the chair and retrieving the blood stained scalpel. "You will look at me."

       "No." Chappell finally began to struggle. "Not the eyes... you can't open them."

       "I can and I will." Harrison took hold of Chappell's chin to steady his head. "Stay still or I will cut off your fucking eyelids."

       "You don't understand," screamed Chappell. "The eyes really are the gateway... They are my control"

       Megan had never been one for children. It wasn't that she didn't like them, they just didn't sit well with her life plan. Many of her friends had settled down to family life, married and had kids, but Megan wasn't the kind to turn all soft at the sight of a wrinkled face newborn. She never had the urge to pick them up, tickle their chin or make funny noises as she pulled silly faces.

       No... child and Megan were not meant to be and the very fact that she now held one in her arms made her feel more uncomfortable than the thought of what waited outside for them.

       
And now the kid was crying.

       "Take it." Megan turned to Ash and held out the swaddled baby.

       Ash looked at Megan, his expression giving nothing away before glancing at Ellen.

"Do as she asks," Ellen said with a curt nod, her eyes only briefly darting in Megan's direction.

       Ash took the child and held it awkwardly to his chest, rocking from side to side and doing his best attempt at a soothing noise. The child didn't agree and continued to cry.

       Megan looked down at Chappell as he struggled against Kaci and Harrison. The stitching from one eye had been removed, but the doctor refused to open the it, snarling abuse and spitting blood as Kaci did her best to steady his head.

       "Keep still or I'll gouge your fucking eyes out," Harrison hissed between clenched teeth.

       "Better that than to look into the abyss," Chappell screamed back at him. "Take them and burn them."

       Megan pulled her gaze away as Harrison began work on the second eye. It was all too much to comprehend.

       
Chappell... Alive.

       
Peter... A demon resurrected.

       
The world turned upside down.

       Megan stormed out of the room before she was forced to scream. Beyond the door was a narrow changing room, one wall dedicated to lockers and with three shower cubicles running along the other. She headed straight for the middle cubicle, turned on the water and then crouched down under the spray. The initial burst was ice cold, but Megan didn't care, thankful for anything to sluice away the gore and grime that coated her from head to foot.

       As the water warmed Megan stood, washing away the dirt and the tears that now came. She hadn't cried in a long time and she wouldn't let anyone see her doing so now.

       She quickly undressed, removing her clothing and throwing it over the wall dividing the cubicles. She'd salvage a new outfit from the lockers.

       Megan tilted her head back, pushing her hair out of her face and allowing the hot water to run down her back. She took a deep breath and held it, moving her face under the jets.

       "Too late to wash away the sins," the distorted voice came from the far cubicle. "Your world is about to drown in its own fluids."

       Megan let the breath out slowly, bringing her face out from under the shower and swallowing back the wave of nausea filled terror building in her stomach.

       "We love the stench of your kind and its fear," the Slavis said as the twisted fingers of one hand appeared over the edge of the cubicle divider. "A unique piquancy."

       The Slavis may have been female at some point but any semblance to humanity had been destroyed. The skull was misshapen. Domed above the eyes and concave at the rear, skin pulled tight across the reshaped bone. The nose was no longer, seemingly bitten off to reveal a bloody node of gristle that twitched with each breath the creature took.

       "And you smell better than most." The Slavis raised Megan's discarded panties to its congealing nasal passages and sniffed deeply at the soiled fabric. "We will enjoy tasting you."

       Megan lowered her arms, covering her modesty. The Slavis seemed to laugh, a guttural sound that caused its shoulders to shake. It took one more, lingering snort from the stained underwear and then tossed the item over its shoulder.