Thea II

Chapter 3

3

It’s night again, and we’re back on the road. I can’t remember much about yesterday apart from being stuffed in the boot with Kate.

Why?

That’s right, I remember now! We had to get out of the sun. Glancing down at my arms, I notice that the blisters have healed already. How the hell is that possible?

Did I dream it?

My stomach aches in hunger, as though I haven’t eaten in a year.

‘Not long now,’ Kate tells my head. ‘Just a few more miles, I promise.’

The road is getting narrower, with thick, wild bushes and branches on the either side. Kate hasn’t slowed down once, even though there’s only room for one car at a time.

A short while later, she cuts off down an even narrower dirt track. It goes on for about fifteen minutes before we come to a rusty old farm gate, with a faded sign fixed to the centre that reads: Hylands Farm. Kate gets out of the car and races over to the gate.

‘Don’t move, Thea.’

I don’t plan to. Where would I go anyway?

The gate is padlocked. She grabs it with both hands, twists it, and then pulls on it. There’s a snapping noise as the lock shatters.

So hungry.

Kate pushes the gate; the bottom bar scraping against the ground as it swings open. She climbs back into the car, and we’re off again, along another dirt road, surrounded by even thicker, unkempt bushes, heading into more darkness.

A minute or two later, a farmhouse comes into view. Kate drives straight into the large barn, positioned to the right of the house. We climb out of the car and I follow her like a sleepwalker along the overgrown, concrete path towards the house. At the door, she pulls out a key from her jeans pocket and pushes it into the lock. Before she even turns it, the door swings open. Kate frowns, pauses for a moment, and then shushes me before we enter. That volcano, bubbling up inside my stomach suddenly gets much worse as something in the air catches my nose. A strange smell, like an old jar of pennies, but much sharper. What is that?

‘It’s blood,’ Kate tells my head. ‘Stay close.’

The ground floor of the house is just one large, decrepit room, with no hallway or porch. There is an old staircase in the centre, directly facing the front door. I follow her up it, towards a faint light coming from the landing.

What is this place?

‘Home.’

At the top, I can see that the light is coming from a door that is slightly ajar. Kate creeps towards it and then slowly prods it open.

That scent is getting stronger, invading my nostrils, causing my muscles to tighten, my fists to clench.

Just past the door, I notice a thick candle burning brightly, half-lighting the room. And there are feet. Two sets. One belonging to a man, mid-twenties, wearing a pair of thick boots, stained and ripped jeans and a brown hoodie, with the hood hanging over his head. The other set of feet belongs to a girl, late-teens, wearing a black coat and woolly hat stretched over her head. Their bodies are propped up against the wall; her arm resting on his chest. There’s a loud drum beating; it’s coming from their chests. And there’s a sound of rushing water.

Is that blood?

Kate slithers like a snake towards the couple, but the floorboards creak under her feet. The girl opens her eyes and springs to life. Her sudden movement causes the man to do the same. In a heartbeat, Kate is on top of the man, slamming his head against the floor. The girl screams and tries to scurry away, but Kate leaps off the unconscious man and swoops on top of her instead, pinning her to the floor. The girl’s screams become a gurgling sound as Kate bites down on her throat. After a few seconds, Kate lifts her blood-soaked mouth and turns to me. But this time I don’t need instruction. I know exactly what to do. I race over and sink my teeth into the girl’s neck and start to suck, closing my eyes tightly as the blood drizzles down my throat, instantly easing the pain as it reaches my stomach.

In the madness, the candle has blown out. But it doesn’t matter.

I see better without it.

Part II

Dead Man’s Blood