For a moment, Nexus' heart fluttered.
That's right- he thought; use Abby! use the child!
With his full might, still surging towards Tiffany's helpless body that was still thrashing on the floor, Nexus called out one last time;
"You want to loose your granddaughter? Just go ahead- do it." he purposely slowed- skidding to a gradual halt- and lowering his tone;
"Kill the girl," he declared- adding a note of finality; "Even if I forgive you, Abby will never forgive you! She will remember this day. She will remember how you crushed her heart- all by your damn self!"
In a throaty chuckle, Dracula threw his shoulders back.
His large cloak slithered like bat wings. As he slowly pulled his gaze away from Tiffany. His dry laughter- cold as ice, cackled throughout the courtyard. In the background, more shadows were emerging from the building.
The shuffling feet of the encroaching werewolves pattered against the compound's grounds- like the slow marching of an undead army. Nexus noticed, with a start, that they didn't even seem to be in a hurry.
Suddenly, with a quickness, Dracula's throaty laughter died off- plunging the terrain once more, into a chilling silence.
Nexus, arms by his sides, eyes narrowed waited with his thudding heart- praying his gamble had worked.
"HALTTTT!!" Dracula cried.
From his raised tongue, the boom resound from his throat, sending rich acoustic reverberations slicing through the pack of zombie werewolves.
The result was instantaneous. In real time, Nexus and Abby watched as the veined muscles of the werewolves stiffened. Their scraggy haired faced paled, and their limbs dropped- lingering like pendulum balls- forcing their nervous system into compliance.
A dead quiet followed.
Only Tiffany's weak screams slipped out. On the ground, half naked, and bleeding from her thigh, she crawled desperately on her belly- heaving between breathless screams- fighting to get away from the three static werewolves.
Excitement budded in Nexus' eyes.
His throat bobbed up and down- bulging, just as the moon reappeared.
And Dracula boomed;
"I gotta hand it to you Nexus, I owe you one."
Nexus' eyebrows arched upwards;
"W-w-what?"
"Indeed," he glanced briefly at Abby's direction; "You've been there for Abby- I'm not blind. She looks up to you."
Nexus nodded- not sure where the old man was headed; "Indeed," he answered; "She does."
"Good," Dracula clasped his palms together; "That's more than enough reason owe you one. So, yes, you have my word, my werewolves will NOT eat the Reaves girl."
A flicker of victory curled up in Nexus' eyes.
His broad shoulders collapsed- sighing in victory, letting out the tension in one breath.
"Thank you Dra–"
"Hold your horses," the old man cut in; "You might not want to thank me yet."
A shadow of irritation flooded Nexus' cheeks; "What's with the games?! You just said YOU'D SPARE HER!!"
Up on his smoky altar of arrogance, Dracula shrugged once again;
"No, I said my werewolves will not eat her."
Nexus opened his mouth to speak, but Abby seemed to have suddenly found her voice again. She beat Nexus to it, and wailed;
"GRANDPA PLEASE!" her shrill voice sliced through the land; "You already killed her father! Don't kill her too–"
But it was too late. Nexus saw it in Dracula's eyes, even before the sound of cracking bones came echoing.
Dracula's face sank- slightly at the edges, mirroring a tinge of disappointment;
"It's too late." he announced quietly; "Both of you, you and Nexus- need to back away from her. She's technically not dead yet, but she's been bitten already. . ."
Crack-crack. . .
On the heel of each snapping bones, harsh whispers burst from Tiffany's mouth.
Nexus, with fear in his eyes, spun around slowly- snapping his head in the direction of the girl behind him. On the ground, her head was bent to the the left side, hanging from an unnatural angle.
Her chest jerked up- and slammed back down.
Wheezing noises, like the boiling of a whistling kettle, erupted from her nostrils.
From her knees down, both her legs kicked harshly on the ground- twisting, and breaking.
"Hear that?" Dracula spoke, crossing his arms on his chest; "That's the sound of her anatomy realigning her bones. In a couple of minutes, she's gonna jump on her feet, eyes blazing, looking for a snack. . ."
His head tilted, eyeing Nexus;
". . .I'm not in the habit of repeating myself, you know what this means, the girl's gone."
Nexus felt the slow surge of rage balling up from his gut. Knowing there was nothing he could do, his hands rolled into fists as he watched Tiffany's transformation.
Like a nightmare, her upper body suddenly jerked up- like the recoil of a spring bed.
Her eyes were wide open, and yet, she seemed to be asleep. Her long hair was sprawled all over her shoulders- mangled with dust, dirt, and dead tree leaves. She cocked her head with a violent cracking sound- forcing her neck to bulge.
"Abby. . ." Nexus whispered- stretching out his right arm; ". . .you need to back up. Tiffany's gone. . ."
Anger flashed on her teenage face;
"What you talkin' about?!" she cried; "Tiffany's right there! She's right there! Tiffany pleaseee!! Come back!!"
"Abby!!" Nexus snapped; "Get up- NOW!"
The last part of his command was swallowed by the high pitched shriek that exploded from Tiffany's bulging throat. At once, Nexus ducked to a low crouch, dropping on his knees, and spinning around on his heels.
Tiffany's screams began to deepen- turning into a beastly growl by the second. As Nexus hurled towards Abby's petrified body, behind him, he could almost hear the skin over Tiffany's bones stretching.
The jagged, rough sounds followed again. And he knew her bones were breaking- rearranging themselves, slowly leaving her frail figure, taking on the image of a hunk of flesh. The jutting bones ripped her gown apart. She threw back her head, growling into the moon as her biceps tripled in size!
Nexus, still panting, stretched out his arms, and picked up Abby in a sweeping curve.
"Let me go!!" she cried, fighting against his tight grip- kicking, slapping, and scratching his arms; "Leave me alone!! I'm not giving up on her!"
"She's been bitten." he answered softly; "She's not gonna make it. . ."
"I hate you!" she spat; "I fuckin' hate you all!!"
He pressed forward- covering a full meter in one stride; "Stay still or you'll–"
ROOAARRRRR!!!
The words died off on his tongue.
Abby went limp in his arms.
And the ground shook.
Nexus' limbs ached- resisting the urge to turn around. But Abby gasped- gawking in surprise with round eyes. But, it was when he heard Dracula's cry behind him, that Nexus stopped dead in his tracks.
With the earth beneath him thudding in vibrant tremors, he whipped his head in a one eighty, and almost ended up dropping Abby.
Tiffany was, well- no longer Tiffany.
In place of the young naive girl, stood a humongous black furry beast- with a cone shaped snout, glittering black eyes- and rippling arms that could punch a hole through a human being.
But there was more.
Like a charging bull, the nine foot beast had its head craned forward, its arms shredded the open air.
For a moment, Nexus' heart fluttered.
That's right- he thought; use Abby! use the child!
With his full might, still surging towards Tiffany's helpless body that was still thrashing on the floor, Nexus called out one last time;
"You want to loose your granddaughter? Just go ahead- do it." he purposely slowed- skidding to a gradual halt- and lowering his tone;
"Kill the girl," he declared- adding a note of finality; "Even if I forgive you, Abby will never forgive you! She will remember this day. She will remember how you crushed her heart- all by your damn self!"
In a throaty chuckle, Dracula threw his shoulders back.
His large cloak slithered like bat wings. As he slowly pulled his gaze away from Tiffany. His dry laughter- cold as ice, cackled throughout the courtyard. In the background, more shadows were emerging from the building.
The shuffling feet of the encroaching werewolves pattered against the compound's grounds- like the slow marching of an undead army. Nexus noticed, with a start, that they didn't even seem to be in a hurry.
Suddenly, with a quickness, Dracula's throaty laughter died off- plunging the terrain once more, into a chilling silence.
Nexus, arms by his sides, eyes narrowed waited with his thudding heart- praying his gamble had worked.
"HALTTTT!!" Dracula cried.
From his raised tongue, the boom resound from his throat, sending rich acoustic reverberations slicing through the pack of zombie werewolves.
The result was instantaneous. In real time, Nexus and Abby watched as the veined muscles of the werewolves stiffened. Their scraggy haired faced paled, and their limbs dropped- lingering like pendulum balls- forcing their nervous system into compliance.
A dead quiet followed.
Only Tiffany's weak screams slipped out. On the ground, half naked, and bleeding from her thigh, she crawled desperately on her belly- heaving between breathless screams- fighting to get away from the three static werewolves.
Excitement budded in Nexus' eyes.
His throat bobbed up and down- bulging, just as the moon reappeared.
And Dracula boomed;
"I gotta hand it to you Nexus, I owe you one."
Nexus' eyebrows arched upwards;
"W-w-what?"
"Indeed," he glanced briefly at Abby's direction; "You've been there for Abby- I'm not blind. She looks up to you."
Nexus nodded- not sure where the old man was headed; "Indeed," he answered; "She does."
"Good," Dracula clasped his palms together; "That's more than enough reason owe you one. So, yes, you have my word, my werewolves will NOT eat the Reaves girl."
A flicker of victory curled up in Nexus' eyes.
His broad shoulders collapsed- sighing in victory, letting out the tension in one breath.
"Thank you Dra–"
"Hold your horses," the old man cut in; "You might not want to thank me yet."
A shadow of irritation flooded Nexus' cheeks; "What's with the games?! You just said YOU'D SPARE HER!!"
Up on his smoky altar of arrogance, Dracula shrugged once again;
"No, I said my werewolves will not eat her."
Nexus opened his mouth to speak, but Abby seemed to have suddenly found her voice again. She beat Nexus to it, and wailed;
"GRANDPA PLEASE!" her shrill voice sliced through the land; "You already killed her father! Don't kill her too–"
But it was too late. Nexus saw it in Dracula's eyes, even before the sound of cracking bones came echoing.
Dracula's face sank- slightly at the edges, mirroring a tinge of disappointment;
"It's too late." he announced quietly; "Both of you, you and Nexus- need to back away from her. She's technically not dead yet, but she's been bitten already. . ."
Crack-crack. . .
On the heel of each snapping bones, harsh whispers burst from Tiffany's mouth.
Nexus, with fear in his eyes, spun around slowly- snapping his head in the direction of the girl behind him. On the ground, her head was bent to the the left side, hanging from an unnatural angle.
Her chest jerked up- and slammed back down.
Wheezing noises, like the boiling of a whistling kettle, erupted from her nostrils.
From her knees down, both her legs kicked harshly on the ground- twisting, and breaking.
"Hear that?" Dracula spoke, crossing his arms on his chest; "That's the sound of her anatomy realigning her bones. In a couple of minutes, she's gonna jump on her feet, eyes blazing, looking for a snack. . ."
His head tilted, eyeing Nexus;
". . .I'm not in the habit of repeating myself, you know what this means, the girl's gone."
Nexus felt the slow surge of rage balling up from his gut. Knowing there was nothing he could do, his hands rolled into fists as he watched Tiffany's transformation.
Like a nightmare, her upper body suddenly jerked up- like the recoil of a spring bed.
Her eyes were wide open, and yet, she seemed to be asleep. Her long hair was sprawled all over her shoulders- mangled with dust, dirt, and dead tree leaves. She cocked her head with a violent cracking sound- forcing her neck to bulge.
"Abby. . ." Nexus whispered- stretching out his right arm; ". . .you need to back up. Tiffany's gone. . ."
Anger flashed on her teenage face;
"What you talkin' about?!" she cried; "Tiffany's right there! She's right there! Tiffany pleaseee!! Come back!!"
"Abby!!" Nexus snapped; "Get up- NOW!"
The last part of his command was swallowed by the high pitched shriek that exploded from Tiffany's bulging throat. At once, Nexus ducked to a low crouch, dropping on his knees, and spinning around on his heels.
Tiffany's screams began to deepen- turning into a beastly growl by the second. As Nexus hurled towards Abby's petrified body, behind him, he could almost hear the skin over Tiffany's bones stretching.
The jagged, rough sounds followed again. And he knew her bones were breaking- rearranging themselves, slowly leaving her frail figure, taking on the image of a hunk of flesh. The jutting bones ripped her gown apart. She threw back her head, growling into the moon as her biceps tripled in size!
Nexus, still panting, stretched out his arms, and picked up Abby in a sweeping curve.
"Let me go!!" she cried, fighting against his tight grip- kicking, slapping, and scratching his arms; "Leave me alone!! I'm not giving up on her!"
"She's been bitten." he answered softly; "She's not gonna make it. . ."
"I hate you!" she spat; "I fuckin' hate you all!!"
He pressed forward- covering a full meter in one stride; "Stay still or you'll–"
ROOAARRRRR!!!
The words died off on his tongue.
Abby went limp in his arms.
And the ground shook.
Nexus' limbs ached- resisting the urge to turn around. But Abby gasped- gawking in surprise with round eyes. But, it was when he heard Dracula's cry behind him, that Nexus stopped dead in his tracks.
With the earth beneath him thudding in vibrant tremors, he whipped his head in a one eighty, and almost ended up dropping Abby.
Tiffany was, well- no longer Tiffany.
In place of the young naive girl, stood a humongous black furry beast- with a cone shaped snout, glittering black eyes- and rippling arms that could punch a hole through a human being.
But there was more.
Like a charging bull, the nine foot beast had its head craned forward, its arms shredded the open air.
