long enough already, perhaps too long.
He grabbed Cameron by the hair and pulled her towards the ladder. He wasn’t nice about it. His fingers closed into a fist and he pulled her as hard as he could manage. In a different situation he would have earned a punch in the mouth and a trip to court.
“COME ON!” he screamed. And it was a scream. He sounded like a siren, or like a scream queen in a movie. He had never sounded like that before. “GODDAMN IT! WE’VE GOT TO MOVE OR WE’RE GOING TO DIE!”
He pulled her again.
Now Cameron screamed.
She screamed in pain, but getting her hair pulled was the least of her worries. This pain was nothing compared to what was coming. She needed to get her ass in gear. Daniel knew it and she knew it too. She stumbled another foot or two, falling to one knee while she slapped his hand away. She felt her stomach churn; it continued working against her. She was going to be sick again.
Daniel looked at the monster, then Pat, and then he stepped away.
Enough , he thought. Something inside him changed.
“I have to go, Cameron,” he said panting, with a voice that seemed distant. “I’m sorry.” His bottom lip trembled. A drop of sweat rolled along his cheekbone. He wasn’t screaming. Not now. That time had passed; his voice was practically a whisper.
He was leaving her.
She was going to die.
Daniel didn’t want Cameron or Pat to be ripped into pieces by that thing––whatever it was––but it was going to happen. He didn’t have time for this, for her, for them. Cameron was going to get them both killed if he let things continue this way; he understood that now.
There was no saving this girl.
This stranger , he reminded himself. I can’t get myself killed over somebody I met an hour ago. It’s not fair to me, or my wife.
Maybe Cameron didn’t want to be saved. It was a possibility. Or maybe she did. Live another day; die another day. It didn’t matter now. She was going to give up the ghost right here in the basement––or cellar, or bomb shelter, if that’s what it was. He couldn’t change her fate. He couldn’t change anything.
Daniel turned away from Cameron.
“Wait,” she begged. She picked herself up and stumbled towards him, coughing and spitting. She reached out with unsteady fingers.
“We’ve got to go Cameron,” he said. And with that, he made for the ladder. And somewhere behind him, the creature shifted its weight and shuffled its legs.
And Patrick screamed.
19
William and Beth entered the basement just as Daniel began to climb. They didn’t hear the screams. They didn’t hear anything.
But Hellboy did.
Hellboy heard everything, sensed everything. He didn’t want to leave the main floor of the house and wander down those thirteen steps. He didn’t like the smell that was coming from the basement. Smelled like blood, some type of predator, possibly a wolf. The scent made him nervous, made him scared, made him growl.
Beneath his breath, Hellboy released a pair of protest barks. He snapped his teeth. Not once, but twice. Then he paced back and forth at the top of the staircase. Eventually, he made his way down a few stairs, followed by a few more. He sniffed the railing and lowered his tail, holding it tight against his legs.
Beth stood in the center of the empty room with a shit-eating grin creeping across her face. She said, “Wow. What wonderful friends you have here, Will. These people are amazing.”
William issued Beth a lengthy light-hearted scowl. “Very funny.”
“Thank you.” Beth gave a little curtsy and kicked a chunk of drywall. She hadn’t noticed the hole in the floor. It was easy to miss with the entire basement in shambles. “Looks like they’ve been doing some renovating,” she said more seriously.
“Yes, it looks that way. Maybe they went into the backyard for a smoke. Wanna go check?”
“Yeah, I guess. There’s no point in being down here.”
Just then, as Beth was speaking, Hellboy
He grabbed Cameron by the hair and pulled her towards the ladder. He wasn’t nice about it. His fingers closed into a fist and he pulled her as hard as he could manage. In a different situation he would have earned a punch in the mouth and a trip to court.
“COME ON!” he screamed. And it was a scream. He sounded like a siren, or like a scream queen in a movie. He had never sounded like that before. “GODDAMN IT! WE’VE GOT TO MOVE OR WE’RE GOING TO DIE!”
He pulled her again.
Now Cameron screamed.
She screamed in pain, but getting her hair pulled was the least of her worries. This pain was nothing compared to what was coming. She needed to get her ass in gear. Daniel knew it and she knew it too. She stumbled another foot or two, falling to one knee while she slapped his hand away. She felt her stomach churn; it continued working against her. She was going to be sick again.
Daniel looked at the monster, then Pat, and then he stepped away.
Enough , he thought. Something inside him changed.
“I have to go, Cameron,” he said panting, with a voice that seemed distant. “I’m sorry.” His bottom lip trembled. A drop of sweat rolled along his cheekbone. He wasn’t screaming. Not now. That time had passed; his voice was practically a whisper.
He was leaving her.
She was going to die.
Daniel didn’t want Cameron or Pat to be ripped into pieces by that thing––whatever it was––but it was going to happen. He didn’t have time for this, for her, for them. Cameron was going to get them both killed if he let things continue this way; he understood that now.
There was no saving this girl.
This stranger , he reminded himself. I can’t get myself killed over somebody I met an hour ago. It’s not fair to me, or my wife.
Maybe Cameron didn’t want to be saved. It was a possibility. Or maybe she did. Live another day; die another day. It didn’t matter now. She was going to give up the ghost right here in the basement––or cellar, or bomb shelter, if that’s what it was. He couldn’t change her fate. He couldn’t change anything.
Daniel turned away from Cameron.
“Wait,” she begged. She picked herself up and stumbled towards him, coughing and spitting. She reached out with unsteady fingers.
“We’ve got to go Cameron,” he said. And with that, he made for the ladder. And somewhere behind him, the creature shifted its weight and shuffled its legs.
And Patrick screamed.
19
William and Beth entered the basement just as Daniel began to climb. They didn’t hear the screams. They didn’t hear anything.
But Hellboy did.
Hellboy heard everything, sensed everything. He didn’t want to leave the main floor of the house and wander down those thirteen steps. He didn’t like the smell that was coming from the basement. Smelled like blood, some type of predator, possibly a wolf. The scent made him nervous, made him scared, made him growl.
Beneath his breath, Hellboy released a pair of protest barks. He snapped his teeth. Not once, but twice. Then he paced back and forth at the top of the staircase. Eventually, he made his way down a few stairs, followed by a few more. He sniffed the railing and lowered his tail, holding it tight against his legs.
Beth stood in the center of the empty room with a shit-eating grin creeping across her face. She said, “Wow. What wonderful friends you have here, Will. These people are amazing.”
William issued Beth a lengthy light-hearted scowl. “Very funny.”
“Thank you.” Beth gave a little curtsy and kicked a chunk of drywall. She hadn’t noticed the hole in the floor. It was easy to miss with the entire basement in shambles. “Looks like they’ve been doing some renovating,” she said more seriously.
“Yes, it looks that way. Maybe they went into the backyard for a smoke. Wanna go check?”
“Yeah, I guess. There’s no point in being down here.”
Just then, as Beth was speaking, Hellboy
Similar Books
