button.
‘It’s been carnage…’ he growled, and Sabra didn’t wait to hear more. She skirted close to the wall back into her living room; she had a safe in there, with a fair amount of cash and credit cards. She’d need it to get out of town for a while.
The living room looked like a bomb site. Broken glass and shattered furniture lay everywhere. Something sad pinched her deep inside.
My home, ruined. Why? What for?
She’d bought this house and worked hard to keep it, that is, until the royalties from the book came in. The furniture she’d scoured antique and second-hand shops for was destroyed; splinters of wood lay like toothpicks all over her floor.
Struggling to stem the welling sense of depression, she turned to her left and saw Elka’s twisted corpse; there was blood pooling beneath it on the cool white tiles and soaking into her Persian rug. Sabra suppressed a shudder but couldn’t take her eyes from the gruesome sight. The shattered skull and blood-splattered hair looked like a revolting abstract painting she’d seen once in an art gallery.
Shaking her head to dismiss the bizarre and unwelcome thought, Sabra gingerly stepped over the body to reach the Art Deco credenza which hid her safe. As her right foot stepped over the corpse and landed gently on the squelching blood-soaked rug, she thought she heard something.
She froze, unwilling to move or turn, and she waited. It had sounded like a shuffle, maybe a slight groan. She couldn’t be sure.
Her heart hammered as she willed herself not to completely freak out and run screaming in a circle.
For a long moment there was nothing more, so Sabra took the next step over Elka’s body, her left foot landing shakily beside her right.
Again, she froze; something was moving in the room and it sounded close. Spinning around, her eyes scoured the whole room. There were no more sounds, nothing except the wail of sirens in the distance and the gentle autumnal breeze flicking the shredded curtains.
Her body reacted before her mind did — her ankle was suddenly caught in a vice-like grip.
‘What the fuck?’ Sabra screamed, certain she was about lose control of her bowels.
Her heart raced faster than ever, and she clamped her hand over her mouth to stem any further cries. The sirens in the distance got closer. Terrified of what she might see, Sabra looked down at what gripped her ankle with such strength.
The moment she did, she wished she hadn’t. Elka, or what remained of Elka, reared up from the floor, hissing through shattered teeth. She was absolutely monstrous and ruined.
How could she possibly be still alive?
Sabra began to struggle, vomit boiling up to her throat. This was a nightmare. She wailed and in her distress collapsed to the floor, all the while Elka’s grip remaining furiously tight about her ankle.
‘Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!’ Elka hissed, small shards of tooth falling from her bloodied lips. The only feature still recognisable were her eyes, and Sabra stared at them, frantically trying to calm herself. It didn’t work. It was just too horrible, too gruesome. Black spots floated before her vision, and though she struggled against it, she could feel darkness beckoning her.
I will not faint. Sabra gritted her teeth and struggled some more, but Elka’s grip was like iron and the horror refused to fade.
The black spots turned to little sparkling stars; in her shock, she’d forgotten to breathe.
Belatedly Sabra tried to take an enormous gulping breath, but it was too late. The horror, the shock and hysteria were too much. Blackness came swiftly, easing her mind and taking away her terror.
Chapter 6
It was like swimming through thick pea soup — difficult and a little weird. Sabra struggled through the warm cloying thickness of her unconscious mind, trying to reach the surface. At first it seemed like an impossible task. Every time she neared consciousness a horrid memory of Elka’s shattered skull hammered through her mind and she
‘It’s been carnage…’ he growled, and Sabra didn’t wait to hear more. She skirted close to the wall back into her living room; she had a safe in there, with a fair amount of cash and credit cards. She’d need it to get out of town for a while.
The living room looked like a bomb site. Broken glass and shattered furniture lay everywhere. Something sad pinched her deep inside.
My home, ruined. Why? What for?
She’d bought this house and worked hard to keep it, that is, until the royalties from the book came in. The furniture she’d scoured antique and second-hand shops for was destroyed; splinters of wood lay like toothpicks all over her floor.
Struggling to stem the welling sense of depression, she turned to her left and saw Elka’s twisted corpse; there was blood pooling beneath it on the cool white tiles and soaking into her Persian rug. Sabra suppressed a shudder but couldn’t take her eyes from the gruesome sight. The shattered skull and blood-splattered hair looked like a revolting abstract painting she’d seen once in an art gallery.
Shaking her head to dismiss the bizarre and unwelcome thought, Sabra gingerly stepped over the body to reach the Art Deco credenza which hid her safe. As her right foot stepped over the corpse and landed gently on the squelching blood-soaked rug, she thought she heard something.
She froze, unwilling to move or turn, and she waited. It had sounded like a shuffle, maybe a slight groan. She couldn’t be sure.
Her heart hammered as she willed herself not to completely freak out and run screaming in a circle.
For a long moment there was nothing more, so Sabra took the next step over Elka’s body, her left foot landing shakily beside her right.
Again, she froze; something was moving in the room and it sounded close. Spinning around, her eyes scoured the whole room. There were no more sounds, nothing except the wail of sirens in the distance and the gentle autumnal breeze flicking the shredded curtains.
Her body reacted before her mind did — her ankle was suddenly caught in a vice-like grip.
‘What the fuck?’ Sabra screamed, certain she was about lose control of her bowels.
Her heart raced faster than ever, and she clamped her hand over her mouth to stem any further cries. The sirens in the distance got closer. Terrified of what she might see, Sabra looked down at what gripped her ankle with such strength.
The moment she did, she wished she hadn’t. Elka, or what remained of Elka, reared up from the floor, hissing through shattered teeth. She was absolutely monstrous and ruined.
How could she possibly be still alive?
Sabra began to struggle, vomit boiling up to her throat. This was a nightmare. She wailed and in her distress collapsed to the floor, all the while Elka’s grip remaining furiously tight about her ankle.
‘Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!’ Elka hissed, small shards of tooth falling from her bloodied lips. The only feature still recognisable were her eyes, and Sabra stared at them, frantically trying to calm herself. It didn’t work. It was just too horrible, too gruesome. Black spots floated before her vision, and though she struggled against it, she could feel darkness beckoning her.
I will not faint. Sabra gritted her teeth and struggled some more, but Elka’s grip was like iron and the horror refused to fade.
The black spots turned to little sparkling stars; in her shock, she’d forgotten to breathe.
Belatedly Sabra tried to take an enormous gulping breath, but it was too late. The horror, the shock and hysteria were too much. Blackness came swiftly, easing her mind and taking away her terror.
Chapter 6
It was like swimming through thick pea soup — difficult and a little weird. Sabra struggled through the warm cloying thickness of her unconscious mind, trying to reach the surface. At first it seemed like an impossible task. Every time she neared consciousness a horrid memory of Elka’s shattered skull hammered through her mind and she
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