As I enter, an abrupt silence fills the room. ‘What’s going on?’
‘It’s none of your concern.’ He strides back past me, heading for the door once again. ‘Xander, we’re going.’ Before Xander has the chance to follow, I run into the hallway after the ice demon.
‘You’re just going to leave me here again? What am I meant to do?’
This time William shows visible frustration. ‘I don’t know. Find a way to entertain yourself. Xander, we don’t have much time.’
The boy nods, as he appears beside us. They both disappear out the door. The door thuds shut and for a moment I stand motionless, left in disbelief.
As I wake the following morning, the empty cottage rings with an eerie silence. The storm outside has cleared, leaving the land with a fresh layer of thick snow. Even if I was brave enough to try to follow the demons, their tracks would be long gone. And I don’t like my odds of venturing out alone, especially after the Hex incident.
My bare feet walk across the cold floorboards to the even colder tiles. Reaching the kitchen sink, I splash the chilled water on my face. My face tingles from the sensation, flushing in patches on my cheeks. Taking the pouch from my jeans, I swallow a food pill. I no longer feel hungry, but I can’t say it’s enjoyable. If I can just find a way out of this world, into my own. All I need is one opportunity. A city or a town, they’re my best odds. The better my chances of being seen, the better my chances are of escaping. Maybe then, I can finally have a good meal.
My eyes give a weary strain as I rub them. I stare out at the horizon, lined with the forest of trees. The treetops sink, heavy with a blanket of pure snow. It slides off the leaves effortlessly, dropping silently into the white ground below. A blur sits persistently in my vision. Did I rub my eyes too hard? A small, black silhouette hovers over at the end of the field. It could be a rock or maybe the demons? Unlikely, the demons, as part of their terrifying nature, tend to appear instantly rather than amble slowly. The window squeaks as I rub it with my sleeve. It’s not a smudge.
Wrapping myself in the blanket, I brave the cold. It’s worse than I thought. The chill bites at my skin despite the layers as I’m walking out onto the porch I shudder.
Just as I thought I’d lost sight, the featureless haze drifts closer, its enigmatic form wandering directionless and alone. It’s not a person but an inexplicable thing, ambiguous in its motive or essence. I wait for this thoughtless puzzle to hit the barrier, for it to change its way and wander elsewhere, but it doesn’t. It stops. With barely any force at all, it passes through the barrier, it’s steady and slow speed unnerving. My stomach churns.
I scramble back inside, securing the latches of the doors. This is not good. Can it see me? Does it know I’m here? I consider calling for the demons but who knows what other creatures are skulking around nearby, unaware of my presence behind this barrier.
After frantically running into the kitchen, I slam open a drawer; metal cutlery clashes against itself in the force. No knives. At least, no cooking knives that would be worth wielding. I pull open all the drawers and cupboards, praying for something to appear. Nothing. There’s nothing here. My heart beats in my ears. The window’s sudden clatter causes an uneven shriek. Turning, my heart sinks to my stomach. There’s no time.
It’s there. On the other side of the window. How? When it was moving so slowly…
Lingering beyond the glass, it stands; its eyeless form watches me, unbreathing and still. The only distinguishable feature, its mouth: a large, bottomless and terrifying void. Creeping closer, the bronze window frame creaks loudly under the pressure. With a sudden splat, a dark gooey substance is pressed against the window, spreading in every direction like a corrosive disease. Aches wail from the surrounding frame, as the creature continues to press against it bending the wood under its dense weight. Silence falls for just a moment.
My breath holds.
With a sudden loud crack, the window fractures. Cracks explode across the glass. Black thick drops slide down the inside of the fragmented window, creating a pool of black sludge on the floor at my feet.
It shifts and ripples ominously. After a few moments, it rises. Whispers and clicks sound from the shadow. Something inside me recoils – an intense fear washing over me, an emotion that doesn’t feel my own. My hands fumble on the cupboard handles behind me, blindly grabbing whatever they contain. I throw plates and bowls but they glide effortlessly through the creature’s non-physical form smashing against the counter behind it. One bowl, thrown a little higher than the others, hits the window, smashing through the already fractured pieces. The window shatters. My clouded breaths become visible in the icy air.
The shadow’s mouth opens, the black void swirling and churning ready for consumption. A horrid grating and sawing sound erupts from its infinite depths.
Move.
Move now, you stupid girl.
I don’t question where the voice is coming from. Crawling across the floor, I manage to find my feet. In the few seconds it takes for me to escape out the door, it has a hold of me, clasping its dense arm around my ankle. Falling to the floorboards, I reach for something to grab onto. My hands slide, screeching, as I am dragged back into the kitchen. I grab the door frame frantically but the pull is too strong and my fingers slip. My screaming and thrashing are ineffective but I can’t stop.
The being flips me on to my back, filling me with a dry scream as it looms over. Something churns beyond its open void, a moving mechanism that clunks and grinds. From the darkness a black hook plunges towards my chest. Its ghostly form latches onto something inside me and pulls. A cold sweat ripples through my body as it convulses with the tug of the chain.
Before my eyes, an orange glow is torn from inside me. Screaming fills my ears, but I know it is not my own. The dark being takes hold of my neck as the tugging becomes more extreme. My fingers try to pry its slimy grip but they move through the being seamlessly.
As I squirm, voiceless and consumed by panic, something glints in the corner of my eye. The dark being releases its grip on me, narrowly missing the ice spear that soars through the space between us. Air fills my lungs again and I fumble away clumsily, struggling to regain control of my breath. In a slight and swift movement, William freezes the being before shattering it to pieces.
The ice demon looks around the kitchen, a defeated look on his face. ‘Why does everything want you dead?’ he finally remarks, turning his attention to me. I smirk sarcastically, resisting my urge to thank him. It doesn’t take long for Xander to appear in the doorway, completely drenched and shivering. His green locks are pressed against his pale face, a troubled look forms on his face as he witnesses the destruction.
‘What happened?’ he says, picking up broken pieces of porcelain. I narrow my brows in response.
‘What happened to you?’ My voice is hoarse and breathy.
Xander shifts uncomfortably, shaking excess water off his dampened coat. ‘Well, it’s a little hard to explain. What happened to the kitchen?’
I shrug half-heartedly. ‘That’s also a little hard to explain.’ I turn to face William, a sigh escaping my lungs. ‘What happened to the barrier?’ It comes out more accusatory than intended.
‘Nothing,’ he mumbles, yanking his ice spear out of the wall with a grunt. He inspects the damage to the wall. ‘The barrier was meant for demons. That’s not a demon. That’s a Seether.’
Xander walks over, collecting the fragmented pieces on the ground. ‘They’re only meant to collect lost souls. What’s one doing out here and why did it attack you?’
William places his hand on the window, mending the glass with his ice, ultimately ignoring Xander’s question and letting the room fill with heavy silence.
That night I dreamt of people I’d long forgotten in places that I barely knew.
The dimly lit street stretched out before me. The recent rain had caused a beautiful shine on the cobblestone footpath, and the cluttering sound of hooves travelled past. An eagerness rose with me. I was almost there, just a couple more blocks. I came to a stop outside a large stone building, barred gates at the front, and surrounded by wonderfully gardened hedges.
A young man in a long coat stood, hands in pockets, outside the building. He dawdled aimlessly, kicking stones with his laced leather shoes. As I approached, he raised his head, a small smirk creeping across his wide and well chiselled face.
‘Took your time,’ he cooed. My hand meets his arm while the other tucks a stray curl behind my ear.
‘I’m glad you invited me.’ The words slid out of my mouth like practised prose. His playful hazel eyes darted over.
‘Will you be at the shop again on Monday?’
