Beneath the Veil (13 page)

B
arry and Willow moved towards the plantation. The sun was setting and they made it back with little time to spare. The change began as the house regained its magnificence in the waning light. The grounds around them began to look new again. Cracks in the fountain in front of the house were erased and water began to spray from carved marble fish.

They quietly entered the house before the others made their nightly appearance. Barry followed the girl through the kitchen and into a small office with walls covered in a lustrous walnut. They waited a few minutes until they rejoined the physical world and lost their weightless transparency. Willow pushed open a hidden panel in the wall leading to a narrow servants’ stairway. Barry followed her inside and closed the opening behind them.

“What’s this place, Willow?” His mind was beginning to cloud as his primal side emerged.

“Follow me, I will show you.”

She led him upstairs to a fourth floor dormitory used for servants’ quarters years ago. When he wandered into the room, the door slammed behind him. He turned quickly and pulled on the locked door.

“What are you doing?” he screamed in a hoarse voice.

“No one knows about this place. You will be safe here.”

His wilder instincts took hold as he scratched and beat on the door.

“Open the door!” He pounded on the door with all his might, but she was already gone.

Willow closed the panel downstairs in the office, muting Barry’s screams. She was able to control her thoughts, but knew he couldn’t be controlled so easily. She moved unnoticed onto the crowded veranda where tables of produce had been laid out alongside decanters of murky red wine. The creatures ate and drank like wild things, ignoring everything around them.

“Willow?” Evangeline called out. Her voice was a velvet covered stone.

Willow turned and saw the crowd had parted. She moved towards Evangeline and felt a charge in the air.

“Willow, you look troubled. Is there something wrong?”

“No ma’am, everything is fine.” She kept her thoughts locked away as the words tumbled from her lips.

“Remember, we are family and I am here to guide you to the truth.”

“I know.” The electrical field intensified as Evangeline probed for a path into her mind.

“Tonight we will celebrate mass and the light of the true religion will burn bright.” Evangeline’s black eyes shined as she spoke. “I want you to lead the sacrifice. We will eat the flesh and drink the blood as one.”

“Yes, Evangeline.” Willow fought to maintain her concentration.

“We will leave when the moon has risen,” Evangeline said.

“I understand.” Willow bowed and began to walk away.

“Willow?”

She turned and faced her again.

“Make sure you eat tonight,” Evangeline gestured towards the tables.

“Yes, I will.” Willow had never eaten the feast and the thought of it sickened her. She survived eating wild foods foraged in the woods north of the plantation. Turning away, she disappeared into the crowd. Once inside the house, she ran through the office and then slipped into the passageway to find Barry. When she unbolted the door and swung it open, he was on the floor with his head down and his knees pulled against his chest.

“Barry? It’s me.”

“I know,” he answered in a low voice. “I can smell you.”

He shot to his feet, startling her.

“Something terrible is going to happen tonight. We need to warn Jen and the others.”

“What’s going to happen?” he asked. He moved out of the shadows and closer to the open door.

“Evangeline plans to sacrifice one of your people.”

“One of my people?”

“Yes, at the cabin.”

His eyes glistened in the streaming moonlight and he ran his tongue over his lips before he spoke.

“These are my people. My kin.”

He shot forward, towards the door. Willow moved back and tried to pull it closed, but was too late. He smashed through the opening, knocking her down the staircase. He then ran past her and out through the office. She climbed to her feet and then ran through the house and out the front door.

C H A P T E R  F I F T Y - F I V E

B
arry rushed onto the veranda and his gaze fixed on the tables of wine and vegetation. He stumbled forward with his mind clouded by thirst and hunger and devoured a handful of rotten leaves. He then took a crystal wine decanter and began to drink, letting the red liquid run down his chin.

“Good evening,” Evangeline said. “Your hunger is strong, this is good.”

He only nodded while eating a molded corn cob. “I am so hungry,” he said between bites. He drank more, smiling with small jagged teeth stained red from the wine.

“Then you will enjoy the celebration of the sacrifice tonight,” she said.

He focused his thoughts for a moment as a thought occurred to him. “That girl, Willow, went to warn the others.” He then casually turned his back to Evangeline and continued eating the horrible bounty.

“Warn them about what?”

“The sacrifice...I guess.”

Evangeline began to change, becoming larger and surrounded by shadow. “Come with me.” She grabbed his throat and lifted him off his feet. His eyes were wild as he fought to steal a breath from her powerful grip. The crowd moved aside as she passed by, carrying Barry in front of her. She walked into the mansion and through the ornate foyer to a doorway located under a curved staircase. She opened the door and threw him down the stairs like a rag doll.

“You fool! You are not one of us. Not anymore,” she screamed down to him.

Barely conscious with both legs broken, the blackness drained from his eyes and he became himself again. He wretched and heaved up the putrid contents of his stomach. A dozen creatures descended the staircase and tore into him with jagged teeth, ripping away hungry mouthfuls of flesh.

“Enough,” someone said. “Bring him to the garden.”

His tormenters lifted him and carried him upstairs. Pain seared through his body as he went into shock. The creatures carried him outside to Evangeline who stood waiting at the iron gates of the cemetery. She motioned them to an open grave with its headstone knocked over, half buried in black soil. Evangeline pulled Barry’s head forward and ran a razor sharp fingernail across the back of his neck, severing his spine. His body went numb and thankfully, his pain was gone. Her gaze lingered on him for a moment, then she kicked him into the grave where he landed face up, staring into a starless sky. He closed his eyes when the first shovel of dirt hit his face.

C H A P T E R  F I F T Y - S I X

S
ully took a sip of black coffee. It was cold, but that was alright. He wasn’t drinking it for the taste. He sat on the porch of the cabin propped behind the barricade, holding an M-16 fitted with a night scope. It was the best weapon they had left. Jimmy had his Browning hunting rifle and a shotgun in the corner as a last ditch defense in case they were overrun. The two men pulled the first watch of the night with Doc, Jackson and Bobby bunking just inside in case they were needed. The moon was nearly full and illuminated the woods with a stark gray light. Black smoke billowed from the torches and swirled as it rose into the air. When a twig snapped in the woods, Sully tightened the grip on his gun and looked over at Jimmy.

“Probably another squirrel,” Jimmy said, with a nervous grin.

“Yup, probably a squirrel,” Sully agreed.

Another sound emanated from the woods. This time it was louder. Jimmy stood and trained his rifle towards the sound, while Sully lined up his scope. They waited and listened.

“Jen,” a voice called from the trees.

“Who’s there? Show yourself or we’ll shoot!” Sully shouted.

Willow stepped forward into the moonlight.

Sully opened fire and the girl collapsed to the ground.

Doc, Jackson and Bobby tumbled out of the trap door with their weapons drawn.

“What happened?” Doc demanded.

“Not sure. I think it was a kid,” Jimmy answered.

Fear shot through Doc. Did one of the children leave the house?

“Cover me.” He walked off the porch towards the tree line with Jackson following him.

“Stay back, Jackson.”

“I got this.” Jackson raised his revolver.

The two men approached Willow. She was on the ground, unconscious.

“Thank goodness it wasn’t one of ours,” Doc said. He turned and walked toward the cabin.

“Doc? We can’t leave her like this.”

He stopped and turned towards Jackson. “There’s no choice, we can’t risk bringing one of them inside.”

Jackson tucked his gun in his belt, knelt down and picked up the girl.

“Put her down, Jackson.”

“Please,” he pleaded. “She saved Jen’s life.”

Doc looked at the small creature in Jackson’s arms. “Alright, get her to the porch. I’ll take a look, but I doubt there’s anything I can do.”

Jackson placed her down gently, and then Doc knelt beside her. Her pulse was wildly fast, not unlike the other creature he examined. Suddenly, she rose to a seated position unfazed by the gunshot to her stomach. Startled, Doc scrambled backwards towards the others.

“I mean you no harm. I must speak with Jen.”

“About what?” Bobby realized he had never spoken to one of the creatures before.

“The celebration is coming. They will sacrifice one of you tonight. I came here to warn you.”

Jackson ducked his head inside and called for Jen. She stepped onto the porch and the door was bolted shut behind her.

“Willow. What are you doing here?” she asked. “Where’s Barry?”

“Evangeline is coming for one of you. She intends to hold a sacrifice tonight. Your brother would not listen and would not come.”

Jen noticed the injured girl and rushed to her side.

“What happened?”

“I will be fine,” Willow answered.

Jen glared at the men and put her arm around the girl.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” Bobby snapped.

“We need to get her inside. You heard her, those things are coming.”

“Lady, you must be out of your mind.” Bobby moved in front of the door, blocking her way.

“He’s right,” Doc agreed. “She should stay out here. We can keep an eye on her.”

Jen started to speak, but Willow grabbed her hand.

“I will be fine.” she said, looking up at her with liquid black eyes. Jen let go of her and walked over to Doc.

“I am staying too, give me a gun.”

“No way,” Jackson said. He grabbed her arm and walked her to the door. “You’ve never shot a gun in your life.”

He opened the door and gestured towards it. Defeated, Jen walked into the cabin and slammed the door behind her.

“I can help you kill them,” Willow said, stepping towards the men. “I know how. I have seen Evangeline do it.”

The four armed men retreated as the child approached. But she was no child anymore.

Doc pushed his fears aside and stepped towards her. “How’s it done, then?”

She walked up and reached for his hand. Doc reluctantly let her place it on the back of her neck under a mane of matted hair. At the base of her skull was a circle of hardened skin. He picked up his lantern and then lifted up her hair to examine the area. A brand, similar to the engravings scattered throughout town, was burnt into the girl’s skin. It was black and crusted, surrounded by porcelain white skin.

“How’d you get this?” Doc asked.

“It happened many years ago. Before any of you were born,” she answered. “My family lived on a farm nearby. One by one, they all got the sickness. I was the last, and by that time I had run away from them. They all turned and I was afraid of what they would do to me. One morning I woke with this on my neck. I went into the woods to hide, but by that night, I changed like the others.”

“But, how come you’re not like them?” Doc asked.

“I am not sure. I think it may be the feast. I have never eaten the things they grow on the graves, nor drunk the wine. The others eat and drink it every night. Evangeline says it feeds their souls.”

Doc finished examining the girl and let her hair fall back in place. For the first time, he realized that he and the others were not the only victims in Auraria.

“If you shoot them back here, you can kill them,” she said, touching the brand. “I have seen Evangeline kill them this way when she feeds on them.”

“Damn, they are eatin’ us and she’s eatin’ them?” Bobby exclaimed.

“Yes. She eats them,” Willow answered. “Sometimes she tells Ezra to thin the herd. She’s not like them, they were all people once.” She looked down at her fingers, tipped with jagged nails.

“We oughta take that bitch out, then,” Bobby said loudly. “Shotgun blast to the back of the neck should fix her up real good.”

“Sure Bobby, you waltz on out and ask her to turn around for you,” Sully said.

Doc shared a nervous laugh with Sully.

Willow shook her head. “She’s not marked. You can’t kill her that way.”

“How’s Ezra figure into all this?” Sully asked. “I know he brought her back here, from overseas the story goes.”

“That was the story he told many years ago when things were still normal here. But the town always doubted his story. Some of the prospectors said he found her deep in the ground in one of the mines.”

“Where are these mines, Willow?” Doc asked.

“Up the mountain, past Mills Creek,” she answered.

“I know that area,” Sully said. “You can’t get up there due to rockslides. The whole area is unstable.”

“That’s what the old signs say,” Willow said. “But that was just to scare people away. Ezra didn’t want anyone going up there.”

“Now, why would that be?” Doc asked.

“Quiet!” Jimmy said. “Something’s out there.”

The porch fell silent. The flickering torches illuminated the shadows near the tree line. There was a sudden rush of crunching leaves as something moved towards them. Bobby grabbed his shotgun.

“Get your trigger fingers warmed up, boys.” He ran out close to the tree line.

“Bobby, git your ass back here,” Sully whispered.

He ignored Sully and trained the shotgun on the black void of the woods. A dozen creatures swarmed out, each with its actions synchronized. Bobby ran between the sharp stakes lining the ground, then turned and fired. Creatures fell to the ground, then quickly regained their feet. He turned and ran towards the road, leading the pack away from the cabin.