THE BEGINNING OF THE END....LAST CHAPTER

Harry reached the door first and noticed some blood, he immediately drew his gun and pointed at the door. Astrid came up behind them, munching on a small bag of chips.

‘What’s going on?’ She asked. Harry whispered.

‘We might not be alone.’ Astrid looked at the sky.

‘But there’s still some daylight, we should be safe.’

Harry shook his head.

‘We don’t know that for sure. We were in that hospital for at least a day and a half. We didn’t exactly keep up with what was going on outside of the church either. Who knows how far out they may have travelled and how many are out here now?’

Astrid shoved whatever chips were left in the bag into her mouth and threw the bag on the ground. Whitey shook his head at her.

‘Just because the world is going to shit, doesn’t mean we should lose all manners.’ he then picked up the chip bag off the ground and threw it in the nearest trash.

Harry asked them both to quiet down before slowly opening the door to the front door.

He wedged the barrel of his gun between the door and frame of the building, slowly moving forward and inching his way into the building. It was quiet, there was a light flickering above the front desk, papers were scattered, chairs were knocked over, and there were blood smears on the floor and walls. Amelia stayed close behind Harry while Astrid pulled her gun out and stayed close to Whitey.

Harry looked more around the room, keeping his gun drawn, but using his light to look around.

Amelia gasped when she looked behind the front desk, making everyone else snap their heads in her direction. There was a body on the ground, their chest cavity ripped open, and their organs were gone. Harry shined the light over the body.

‘Doesn’t look fresh, at least a day, maybe two days ago that this happened.’

Astrid started puking into a wastebasket in the corner of the room.

Whitey shook his head as he peeked out the window between some very tasteless curtains in the lobby.

‘We don’t have time to be out in the open like this. Doesn’t matter how many days ago they were here, there’s fresh meat here now and they will smell it. We need to get into a room and hold up for the night.’

Whitey walked away from the window, around the body, and grabbed a key off the wall. He tossed it at Harry.

‘1508?’ Harry tossed it back.

‘The fuck we are, get a different number.’

Whitey gave him a strange look before grabbing another key and throwing it at Harry.

‘Fine, here is 1509.’ Harry looked back at Whitey.

They made their way from the front desk, out the door and slowly down to room 1509.

As they made their way past the rooms, the numbers increasing as they went. Harry looked at room 1508. The windows were broken, there was blood and body parts of some kind hanging off the broken edges of the glass. The door had been scratched at and broken through. Someone was trying to keep them from entering the room. They had the night stand and end tables pushed up to the door, but obviously it was of no use.

Harry continued to the next room, 1509. It was untouched on the door, no broken glass. Harry looked back at Whitey who had his gun drawn still, scanning the wooded area by the Inn.

“Aren’t you glad I made you pick a different room?’ Harry asked as he grabbed the key out of his pocket. Whitey rolled his eyes, but secretly, yes, he was glad they picked a different room. As Harry inserted the key into the door, there was a high pitched, banshee - like scream near the woods. Harry’s hand froze as it rang through his ears. Astrid snapped him out of it by gently nudging him. Harry pushed the door open and everyone behind him went inside, shutting and locking the door behind him. Harry and Whitey looked out the window, scanning the woods and around the room for any signs of the creatures. It was quiet, except a tapping that was coming from the bathroom. Harry looked at Astrid.

‘Silence that noise, please.’ He whispered, looking back out the window, waiting for the tapping to stop.

After a few minutes, it was silence. Harry whispered as quietly as he could.

‘Thanks Astrid.’

‘You’re welcome1.’ A voice came from behind them, but it wasn’t Astrid. Harry and Whitey both turned around in sync, guns drawn and pointing at a woman who had the muzzle of her gun pressed firmly against Astrid’s lower back.

‘Lower your weapons or this one will be the first to go, taking out the white - haired guy with her, two for one.’

Harry seen the worried look in Astrid’s eyes and lowered his weapon. Whitey doing the same as Harry.

‘Now,’ she pushed Astrid towards Harry and Whitey.

‘What are you 3 doing in my room?’ The woman stood firmly as she pointed her gun at them. The woman watched them as Harry looked back out the window. Her eyes followed his.

‘Ain’t nothing out there coming in here tonight.’

The woman spoke with certainty. Her back was to Amelia, who was directly behind her in the corner of the room. Amelia slowly made her way closer to the woman hoping that she would be quiet enough to disarm her without anyone getting hurt.

‘I Know you are back there Amelia, I’d sit down on the bed if I were you child….’

Amelia stood there shocked; how did she know her name? She slowly made her way to the bed and sat down on the edge of it.

The woman turned around to face Amelia and smiled. Amelia’s eyes lit up.

‘Granny!’ The lady with the gun wrapped her arms around Amelia and chuckled.

‘OH, I’ve missed you child. I know it’s been a long time, but it was for the best.’ Amelia let go of her and stood back.

‘Why did you stop coming around?’ The woman sat down in a chair that was close to the bed, setting her weapon beside her. She looked over at Harry.

‘You may sit now.’

Harry looked over at Whitey and Astrid who were both still standing there next to him. He took a seat next to Amelia; Astrid and Whitey followed his lead and did the same. Amelia looked at the woman.

‘Granny, why are you here?’ Amelia looked around the very well - kept motel room. The woman gently put her hand on Amelia’s chin.

‘The day you were born, was the most important day of my life you know. You had this glowing light about you. When I was told to take you to Dees in the city, they handed you to me. As soon as you were put in my arms, my life changed forever.’

Amelia sat there confused.

‘What do you mean Granny?’ Amelia’s grandmother smiled.

‘I was a member of The Sect, a group that came together a long time before you were born, but only came together because of the prophecy foretold of the birth of a child. A child who would either bring the people together, fighting the evil or …’ She hesitates, staring into Amelia’s eyes.

‘Or what Granny?’

Amelia’s grandmother placed her hand softly on Amelia’s cheek, tears swelling in her eyes.

‘Or you would destroy us all as ruler of all evil.’

Harry stood up, pointing his gun at Amelia’s grandmother.

‘You’re lying!’ Everyone stared at Harry, Amelia stood up between him and her grandmother.

‘What the hell are you doing Harry? This is my grandmother! Why would he lie?’

Harry kept his gun up, still pointing it at Amelia’s grandmother.

‘What she is saying doesn’t make sense. We read the prophecy in Mournstead, there wasn’t anything being foretold about her ruling for evil, you’re lying!!!’

Amelia’s grandmother stood up and shoved Amelia aside, forcing the muzzle of Harry’s gun to press against her grandmother’s chest.

‘If you are going to shoot me, then just shoot me. Otherwise sit down, shut up and let me explain.’

Amelia’s grandmother stood there, waiting for Harry to make his move. He stood there for a moment more before lowering his weapon and waiting for her to start speaking again. She looked at Amelia.

‘No matter what the prophecy says, there will always be people out there who believe different things. People who will stop at nothing to make sure that whatever happens is for the best, even if it means hurting thousands of others in the process.’

Amelia shook her head, and her grandmother held her in her arms.

‘If you and Dees were on the same side and wanted the same things for Amelia’s sake, why didn’t she let you come around her? Isn’t there more fire power with numbers?’ Harry asked as he watched Amelia sob into her grandmother’s arms. Amelia’s grandmother rolled her eyes.

‘You know you really are too smart for your own good.’

Amelia’s grandmother stood up with Amelia still in her arms. Holding her tightly against her chest, and then turning her around as she pressed the gun against her back.

‘Dees had a good reason not to trust me and you should have tool.’ She pulled Amelia towards the door, continuously pressing the gun against her back. Harry pointed his gun at Amelia’s granny, but she used Amelia as her human shield, blocking Harry’s shot.

‘Don’t bother with that, you won’t get the chance to use it.’ But just as Amelia’s granny was about to leave the motel room, she stopped dead in her tracks. There was a man standing outside the motel room. Without hesitation, Amelia’s grandmother threw her into Harry’s and Whitey’s arms, knocking them down to the ground. The man continued to stand there, unmoved from his position. Amelia’s grandmother yelled to him.

‘He’s already won! You might as well just give up now! Even if she does get away tonight, she will never be safe!’

Just as quickly as the words had exited Amelia’s grandmother’s mouth, a light so bright immersed from the man’s body, everyone covered their eyes. When the light dissipated, Amelia opened her eyes, and her grandmother was gone.

James walked down a long narrow hallway lined with a vintage red carpet with gold trim. Gargoyle statues guarded every inch and the corridor of the establishment. James’s heart raced as he reached the iron door. The doorknocker was bigger than his head alone. A skull with horns rested just above his head. A snake slithered through every hole on the skull, its body swooped low enough to use as the knocker itself. James was hesitant before grabbing the snake. He gently touched the snake with his fingers and knocked twice. The sound echoed through the hall as the door opened by itself, the snake slithering away.

James stepped into the room, it was dark and there was a staleness to the air. As he walked into the room a voice stopped him in his tracks.

‘YOU!!! Failed him.’ The voice spoke. James stood straight, his hands behind his back, standing like he would for his sergeant in basic training.

‘Dees betrayed…’

The voice cut him off.

‘YOU were the one to secure her from Dees. You failed your master.’ The voice trailed off into the shadow.

James stood there waiting for the voice to speak again but it didn’t. Instead, another voice spoke, but it was in a language that he didn’t. He heard the original voice that spoke, speaking back to him, communicating with each other back and forth for a long while. Just as James was about to speak out of turn, the voice became a figure that swiftly moved in front of his face, nose to nose. He whispered.

‘I wouldn’t, you are already in enough trouble as it is. You wouldn’t want things to get worse for you, would you?’

He moved back into the shadows just as quickly as he surfaced from it.

‘Now, what is your next move?’

James stood up straight, swallowing a lump in his throat before speaking.

‘We just lost contact with Gretchen, We are unsure if she obtained the girl or not.’

The voice let out a sigh as he clicked his tongue with disappointment.

‘We are running out of patience, James. There are only a few more key things before the prophecy can take place and the girl is the key to making it come true.’

James nodded his head.

‘I understand, which is why I have another plan set into place. She was leaving for college with her friend. We have her friend here, hopefully she will be able to convince her to come here.’ James had a hopeful tone in his voice as he finished speaking, but that was quickly diminished as the man from the shadows spoke with distaste.

‘I hope so James, for your sake. If this new plan of yours fails, I will not be here to save you.’

The door James entered the room through, opened once more. He took that as a sign to exit the room. He bowed to the man in the shadows, turned around and left the room, the door closing behind him. He didn’t realize how fast his heart was beating until it echoed through the hall. He quickly walked through the hall, up some stairs, down another hall and into his room. He picked up his phone and dialled a number, waiting for an answer. After three rings, it stopped, there was silence on the other end. James took a deep breath and spoke.

‘It’s time.’ James hung up the phone and laid down in his bed. His heart rate was finally starting to slow down. Still in all his clothes, he laid there letting his eyes fall shut, falling into a deep sleep.

THE END