THE FOREST OF DEAD CRIES 4
The air is hot but it doesn't matter to the undead as she needs neither heat nor cold, her blond hair shimmers under the moonlight and her blue eyes reflect the moon's gaze upon the forest.
She hold Rachael's hand as they continue to run, she moves with inhuman speed and stops for a while so Rachael can catch her breath, "Sorry for that love but we can't be at the back of the line while those things are behind us," Elma says as she throws back her hair.
Rachael bends down and coughs, "You can puke," Elma looks down at her as she begins to vomit.
Rachael's cough becomes deeper and loud, "Are you okay? Did some fly get into your mouth or something?" Elma asks, she pats Rachael on the back but she suddenly grabs Elma's hand and bites it.
"You bitch," Elma pushes her away, "What was that for?" Elma snarls as she looks at Rachael. Rachael's eyes are dead black and she drools like a dog, "What the fuck..." "I will take them from you, both of them" Rachael says in a voice much too deep to be her own.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Elma takes a step back as Rachael crouches and begins to walk on all fours, "I see the way you look at me. You are jealousss," she stresses like a snake's hiss.
"After all these years you have been with the twins you are nothing but a plaything. But when they look at me their hearts sing a melody of love. They want me and they have become bored of you," Rachael says.
Elma removes a cellphone from her pocket and takes a picture, "Sure but nobody is fucking you like that," she says. The light flashes at Rachael's eyes and she turns away while Elma examines the picture. It shoes a dark shadow walking on fours instead of Rachael and Elma begin to recognize the aura of this creature.
"Legion. If you are Legion then where the fuck is Rachael? Fuck," Elma says and Rachael's jaw falls to the ground.
A swarm of flies come out of her mouth and Elma runs off to escape their meet. She scurries off to one side of the forest where she can still see Legion disguised as Rachael and to one side of the forest she sees something move. Something big that blends with the shadows like a ghost.
"You can't escape me, I am everywhere. I am Legion," a thousand voices echoes through the air and Elma sees corpses at her feet, rising to their feet and taking up alms of wood, clubs and spears.
"You have no reason to fight. They don't want you, nobody wants you. Not Gabriel, not Samuel, not Amanda and not even the human," the voices say.
"I can let you leave and enjoy the rest of your days in bliss or you can join them and become a part of us," they say.
"That is a very tempting offer, I accept" Elma says and the corpses give way and stand still for her to pass, "Thank you," she says and walks, observing them from the sides of her eyes.
Elma swiftly snatches a spear from one of the corpse and begins to attack them, stabbing through them and smashing their heads against the ground. She runs backwards toward the path she came and throws the spear at the demon who stares at her with thick black eyes.
She laughs and turns into a swarm of flies just as the spear reach her. Elma zooms toward the spear and the strong scent of human blood protrudes her nose.
She snarls and growls as her eyes turn red with hunger but she stops when she hears Rachael's voice, "Elma," Rachael says as she holds the spear in her leg.
Elma looks down in shock as she realizes that she threw the spear into the real Rachael's leg.
"Fuck," she mumbles.
* *
*
A FEW MINUTES EARLIER
"You are not suppose to be here. I have come for you, Rachael McQueen," the reaper says as it floats. Rachael's feet shake as she struggles to move backwards, her nightmares begin to flash before her eyes as the reaper raises its scythe.
"Come to me baby girl," the reaper mimics her father's voice, "We will protect you," it says in her mother's voice.
"They are waiting for you on the other side Rachael. Come, let us go together," the reaper says in a husky voice and swings at her, making her dive to the ground to dodge the blow. She tries to run but the corpses behind comes closer and she suddenly feels trapped like a mouse in a cage.
Her eyes dart from side to side as she searches for a way to escape, "Why are you running? You know you want Gabriel to die so you and Samuel can be together," the reaper says in a voice that echoes the voices of many.
"You don't love Gabriel, you pity him for the foolish sacrifice he made." the reaper says.
"Fuck you," Rachael shouts at it, "I speak the truth that you deny. You want to be held by your boyfriend's brother. There is no shame in that, don't deny what you feel"
"You lie. I feel nothing for Samuel. I love Gabriel," "Tell yourself long enough and you may come to believe it," the reaper says.
"Are you going to kill me or not?" she pinches herself and takes calm breaths; she knows she is surrounded so what can she do? How can she escape the calls of death now that it has come for her?
The reaper raises his scythe to swing and a glimpse of hope flashes before Rachael's eyes, she runs toward the reaper as it is about to land its blow and Rachael falls and slides underneath its floating cloak, dodging its swing and gets behind it.
She stands up but the reaper is gone, the horde of corpses that came from behind are all gone as well. She turns forward and her eyes meet the unwelcomed stare of a spear, she moves to dodge but she is not fast enough and its sharp teeth pierces her thigh while she sends out her song of pain into the forest.
She groans and falls as blood spills onto her pants, she tries to hold the spear but the pain becomes more agonizing every time she tries to pull. Elma suddenly appears and Rachael sees a glimpse of regret in her eyes before she tries to help.
Elma bends down to help but backs up a bit as the blood causes an intense craving behind her throat. She begins to listen to Rachael's heartbeat and her fangs show themselves.
She turns her eyes away, "We need to get you cleaned up," Elma says. "Are you okay?" "Rachael, I am a vampire and you are leaking. I want you so bad," Elma says.
"For once I actually wish you meant fuck me," she chuckles lightly, "So do I,".
"I need to take it out," Rachael says, "No you will bleed out," Elma says. Elma hears the few droplets of blood hit the dying leaves that cover the forest floors.
"Why is it affecting you? I thought Amanda gave you some blood," "There is no blood like a human's. And I haven't fed in days.
This is why I don't like this fucking place.
You are the only livestock here and we both know you are a no-go area" Elma says.
The pain she feels become evident in her eyes as veins begin to appear underneath her eyes. They are red underneath her fair skin.
Rachael tries to pull out the spear but she screams in pain, she stops and tries again, her screams becoming deafening but not loud enough to bury the sounds of rustling leaves from the shadows of the forest.
They both snap their heads to the direction of the noise, "What the fuck is that?" Rachael says with a whimpering voice, "I don't know but it can't be good,".
"Fuck it," Elma carries a stick from the floor and gives it to Rachael, "What is this f..." before she can finish her words Elma pulls out the spear and Rachael screams.
Elma tears the sleeves of her black shirt and ties them together, "Here," she throws it at Rachael and takes a two big steps back, "You will have to tie it yourself if you want to live," "Fuck," Rachael grunts.
She struggles with the pain as she wraps the piece of clothe around her thigh and tightens it. The pain is unimaginable but endurable, she manages to stand but walking becomes a new difficulty.
Elma assists her, "The demon is here," she says, "How are we supposed to find a gate in the middle of this shit?" "Ask your second boyfriend when we find him," Elma says and they wobble together.
"I think I will need that," Rachael points to the spear and Elma helps her with it. Rachael uses it to support herself as Elma holds on one side and they walk with steady steps.
"Let's just leave," Rachael says.
They walk but the rustling gets closer and their eyes remain blind to the presence of the remaining immortals. How will they cope with the arrival of another threat?