‘Go get some rest. There’s no point bringing you if you’ll only be a hindrance.’ Whatever warmth that had graced his words by the lake is long gone, replaced again by bitter indifference and perpetual stoicism. Returning his bitter sentiments, I shoot a callous glare and an irritated sound before trudging up the stairs.
I lie down on my bed for what feels like hours. Xander’s right to be worried; something’s not right. I’m exhausted but I can’t sleep. Memories flash like a reel through my brain. Some mine, others not. Foreign thoughts seem to blur with my own until I can no longer remember which were originally mine.
I have to go to the manor.
She’s right, we have to go to the manor. It’s important that we go. I slip off the bed and after changing back into comfortable clothing, I descend down the stairs. The demons have already finished the portal circle on the living room floor – all it needs is an activation.
‘I am ready.’
They both look up quickly.
Xander stills. ‘I didn’t hear you come down the stairs.’ He glances over to William, whose eyes have hardened into an intense stare. He steps forward, placing himself between Xander and me, a telling action that is not unnoticed by myself. Why would I hurt the boy?
I stride past him, finding my place in the circle and dusting off my coat. ‘Is there something you wish to say?’ William’s hardened stare lingers.
‘No,’ he says slowly. ‘It’s nothing.’
‘Right. Let us be off then. We haven’t got all day.’ For a moment I think he’s going to plunge his ice spear right into my chest, but it slams with a thud into the centre of the circle. Xander walks in, his stare on me unwavering. And with a turning click of the spear, the portal ignites.
20
As soon as the landscape comes into view, gravity crashes me back onto the ground like a heavy wave. I stumble and fall over, a terrible sickness rising through me.
What a horrible feeling.
She’s not wrong. I can’t say I missed this nausea, a feeling that turns your insides upside down and your balance inside out. I assume this is what vertigo would feel like. Displacement. Stumbling across the ground, I collapse into the bushes.
Don’t be sick. Don’t do it.
She says that but she knows as well as I do that this is happening. And it’s happening now.
No, not yet. Not now.
Yes, now.
The sound causes the demons to look over uncomfortably. They clearly hadn’t noticed me wobbling away. I raise my head, immediately feeling better. How strange. Climbing to my feet, I pat the dirt off my legs. Taking a deep breath, the clean ocean air fills my lungs. My head feels clearer. I can only assume it’s the amazing effects of non-polluted air.
‘You haven’t done that in a while,’ William says, his cold stare still piercing. Xander, on the other hand, walks over, peers into the bush and grimaces. In embarrassment, I grab him by his shoulders and lead him away. He trods down the boardwalk, his head hanging back to look at me curiously.
‘What are you doing? Don’t look at it, that’s gross,’ I snap. I lead him down the steps from the boardwalk and onto the sand, the ice demon already beginning to make his way along the shore. Xander’s concern vanishes, causing a small grin to replace it. I raise an eyebrow.
‘You’re back to normal now,’ he chirps before breaking free of my hold and running to catch up to his Master. I call out after him asking what he means but he doesn’t answer.
Passing the old rusted sign, oxidised from ocean air, I realise that Xander is right. This place isn’t too far from where we had first met; in fact, it’s only two or three towns over. I look down the beach. If I follow this shoreline, it will lead me to that town. The last place I was before I knew all of this existed. If I started walking now, could I make it to my old holiday site before dark? Would my parents be there now?
I take a moment to wash my face in the cold saltwater. Would it even matter if they were? They don’t know me anymore.
I inch up my jeans and take off my shoes, carrying them with me while wading through the small waves. Giggling and squealing echoes down the beach, fake and exaggerated. Surfboards stick out like tombstones in the white sand. Friends shout and cheer for their adrenaline junkie comrades in the rough sea from the safety of their lain beach towels. One girl with bleached blonde waves and a golden tan glances over and evaluates my worth with her feline eyes. She scowls as she sees my faded jeans, baggy tee and hoodie tied around my waist, turning to her friends to giggle.
I look away.
One of her group, a tall surfer, runs past me, a surfboard under his arm. He spontaneously makes a swift turn to face me, nearly stumbling backwards in the sand. ‘Oh, hey, I love your shirt. I went to that concert too. Wasn’t it so cool when they…’ I look down at my t-shirt, confused as the surfer trails off about lights and guitars.
Oh. I forgot I have this on. A Metallica tee. It’s one of Rye’s. I had taken it from his room on the night I snuck out to confront the demons, stuffed into a duffel bag until I got home today to change out of my wet clothes. It had rained the whole journey back to the house. More importantly, I know nothing about Metallica, despite Rye’s insistence to show their entire discography to me. It’s been too long now. I have to say something. Fumbling, I somehow pronounce a word of thanks.
His shaggy hair ties back roughly. Stray hairs dance ferociously in the strong winds. My cheeks flush at the realisation of just how attractive he is. He gives a polite smile, showing no teeth; he doesn’t need to, his eyes convey his warmth. I see Xander and William in the corner of my eye, pausing to watch my interaction, although it’s obvious the surfer can’t see them. I give a small nod as I pass by him, trailing towards the demons.
‘I wouldn’t go up that way to the cliff face, the waves are rough as hell and the rocks are just as dangerous,’ the surfer calls, pointing to the direction the demons and I are heading. The demons don’t stop, unconcerned with his remarks.
‘Uh yeah, I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks,’ I say, trying my best to come across as a normal human being.
‘You must be crazy.’ He laughs. My lips curve to a pursed smile. I can’t help thinking that he really has no idea.
‘Bryce, what are you doing? Come back and drink with us,’ the unpleasant girl from earlier yells. Bryce tenses, looking over to me apologetically.
‘Don’t worry about her. She’s just…’ He trails off awkwardly. ‘But hey, if you’re free later, we’ll still be here if you want to come down and hang.’
‘No thanks, I’m fine. Plus, I don’t think your girlfriend would appreciate that,’ I state, bracing myself against the cold chill that races through the beach. Bryce flinches, maybe from the cold or maybe my answer had come across a little too curt. I soften the blow. ‘I’m actually here with some friends, so I have some things planned already.’
‘Ah, okay. Well at least keep an eye on the tide, yeah? That cavern area can trap you if you’re not careful. There’s a legend that some noble’s daughter drowned around there. There’s a plaque there and everything,’ he says, starting to turn away. ‘Anyway, see you around?’
‘Yeah, see you around,’ I say back with a smile, knowing full well I won’t.
Xander has started to walk back to me, possibly curious as to what the hold up is. A pair of snarky giggles echoes from behind. From what little I can make out it mostly consists of teasing Bryce about his peculiar interests in women. I know where this conversation is going so I keep walking, ignoring any future comments made. As Xander draws near, his posture starts to change, eventually decaying to an unnerving stillness.
For those few moments, the falling dusk is silent. No creature is heard other than the girl’s shrivelling laugh. No birds, squawking. No dogs, barking. No insects clicking in the oncoming of night. All living things cease to breathe, air thickening with every second. There is something about the absence of sound that always makes me shudder. It could be the emptiness that it entails, or the lifelessness that it implies.
A small wave crashes nearby, a faint sound in the distance, barely enough to notice if I wasn’t listening. The sound is distorted, manipulated, softened.
