The exercise:
Our second to last visit to the House of Mercy has arrived. Let us see how things set up for the finale next month.
Worked my last Wednesday shift for a while at the bakery this morning. They'll be closed next week for a little break, and then when they reopen I'll be doing Saturdays (more or less).
It was slow, but I didn't mind too much. I got hit with my first migraine in a long time last night and I was still feeling the aftereffects this morning. Still am right now, actually. But hopefully some sleep will take care of that.
Not sure what else there is to say about the US election results. Other than, perhaps: buckle up.
It's going to be a bumpy ride.
Mine:
"We need to get out of here," Julie said. "I want to go home."
"We can't," Anne said with a slow shake of her head. "Not yet."
"What?" Julie wiped the last of the fire extinguisher foam from her eyes and stood up. "What do you mean, not yet? Are we waiting for an invitation? Maybe a pretty little card, with a nice apology handwritten inside? Or a-"
"Cecilie." The name stopped Julie in her tracks. "We can't just leave her... or it... or whatever... here. We have to kill... let's go with it, okay?"
"Why us? Why can't we let somebody else have that honor?" Julie was beginning to feel the exhaustion of the past months settle on her shoulders. She wanted to sit down. Have a nap. Maybe get a foot rub or...
"Julie!" Anne shouted, snapping her fingers in front of her face. "Come on, stay with me. Don't let Cecilie take you away again."
"She's not taking me anywhere," Julie muttered, but even she could hear how uncertain she sounded. "So what are you saying? That we have to do it if we want to make sure we're rid of her... it forever?"
"That... and who else would do it?" Anne mimed picking up a phone. "Hello, police? Yes, please send a unit over to the House of Mercy. There's a vampire locked in the basement that needs to be properly disposed of."
"Okay... but how?"
"You've read vampire books, right? Seen a movie or two?" Anne flipped over a wooden stool by Bradley's desk and smashed its legs off. She gathered them up and handed Julie a pair. "Here, have some wooden stakes."
"This," Julie whispered as she stared at the weapons she held in each hand, "is insane."
"Careful now," Anne said as she headed for the hallway. "Talk like that might just get you committed in a place like this."
Sorry to hear about the migraine -- I hope it wasn't a bad one. And I hope it's not been caused by the US election!
ReplyDeleteUm, I'm confused, what happened to Cecilie? She was in the room with Julie, then there was the fire extinguisher, but I can't find anything that says where she went! I'm going to assume that she's gone downstairs to the basement to check on Babs and the body of the receptionist, and hope that that's what you had in mind.
I like how practical Anne's being and that Julie would rather wish it all away -- these characters are stayed nicely consistent since the start of the year and I think I might miss them just a little when this concludes next month. Though I'm sure they'll appreciate not being locked-up, drugged, and hounded by vampires :)
Mine:
"Is this really a good idea?" asked Julie as they walked along the corridors back to the elevator. Try as she might, she couldn't stop herself from tiptoeing, worried that someone might hear them coming and try and imprison them again. "What happened to those doctors, they might easily lock us up again."
"They're on call at night," said Anne. She was swinging her makeshift stakes with a determination that made Julie feel worried. "They only come in they're needed, and I don't think a breakout counts as a medical emergency. Here we go." She pushed the button for the lift, and the doors opened immediately.
"That's not right," said Julie, taking a step back. Anne, already pushing the button for the basement, turned and came back, reaching for her wrist. "No, Cecilie was ahead of us, why is the lift on our floor?"
Anne hesitated. "She didn't take the lift?" she said, scrunching her face up as she thought. "Maybe she prefers the stairs."
"But why? The lift has to be faster."
The doors slid shut while they were talking and Anne cursed. She pushed the door open button again, but the doors stayed shut and there was a strange whine. Three seconds later there was a bang that deafened them both and sent Julie to her knees, her hands clutching her head and her eyes tightly shut.
"What the...."
Minutes passed while the ringing in their ears subsided, and then Julie realised Anne was kneeling next to her, kneading her shoulder.
"She booby-trapped the lift," she said. "Must have torn the cables somehow, vampires are supposed to be really strong. We we so lucky...."
"You have an odd idea of lucky," said Julie, shakily. "We should just leave, you know-"
"No! No, no more vampires, no more women locked up for being women! This has to end. Now!"
Julie gazed at her friend, seeing the determination in her eyes that had attracted her when they'd first met, remembering how she always had advice that seemed strong and right and so very hard to do by yourself. "The stairs," she said at last. "But -- I'm scared."
ReplyDelete"Me too," said Anne, and Julie wondered quietly if it would kill her to show it.
When they stepped out of the stairwell they saw Cecilie rip the secret door off its hinges and throw it across the basement. Golden light poured out of the doorway, and Babs staggered forwards. She couldn't have missed seeing them, but before she could react Cecilie reached out to her and twisted her head violently sideways. Julie collapsed, unable to cope with the horror, exactly as Babs collapsed as Cecilie dropped the body.
"No-one fails me twice," hissed Cecilie, and Julie moaned as a thin grey fog probed at her mind, filled with writhing shapes and scuttling sounds like cockroaches hiding between the bedsheets.
"I can't do this," said Julie tonelessly, looking up, but Anne was already half-way across the basement, running as best as her bad ankle would allow, a makeshift stake held high. With each step Julie was sure that Cecilie was about to turn and seize Anne by the neck, throwing her away like a ragdoll, but each step succeeded as Cecilie stared at what was inside. Like a high-stakes game of Grandmother's Footsteps Julie found herself holding her breath and hoping that each step would be enough. As Anne got within two arms lengths, Cecilie suddenly turned, snarled, and ducked away from the stake.
Anne launched herself, feeling a stab of pain in her injured ankle, and flew over the top of Cecilie, who unfurled from her ball, looking puzzled. Anne sprawled on the floor inside the room, and dragged herself quickly upright.
"KILL HER!" Cecilie's voice screamed in Julie's head and Julie whimpered, struggling to fight back. "KILL HER!"
"Bitch!" shouted Anne, and drove her stake down into the chest of the receptionist. Blood welled up and Cecilie staggered. Her mouth opened in a soundless scream, and Anne pulled the stake out, took aim more carefully, and impaled the body again. Its back arched, a blackened tongue spilled from its mouth, and thick red blood surged over the stake and Anne's hands. Cecilie began to shake, tearing apart into puffs of blue smoke, and Anne sank to the floor as well.
Greg - my understanding of the events in... September was that either Babs or the receptionist were actually Cecilie and that what appeared in October was just in Julie's head.
ReplyDeleteNot sure it really matters though. Let's see where you went with it!
Wooo, Nellie! That was intense. And I was quite certain Anne was doomed there as she came at the vampire from behind. Though, perhaps, she still might be.
A wonderfully apt ending to Cecilie's reign, I think. Now I'm looking forward to the conclusion/wrap up party next month!