Scarred Protector(2)

             Her brain was numb and all she could think was that she was completely alone. No one here would understand. If she told them what she could see, then they would put her on medication and in a locked ward. It’d been tried once before and didn’t do a damn thing. Dad got her out back then, but she vowed never to tell people again. She should get home. The nurse said she needed to sign some papers, and then she could leave. Evie wanted to be out of here and in the imagined safety of her home. She stood and walked across, opening the door a crack. She saw the orderly push the mortuary trolley into Dad’s room. They would wash him, lay him out, and put a tag on his foot with his name on it. They would put him in a cold locker where he would be alone. Evie sat down, her body going cold, as if all the energy she had been holding onto was gone. Five minutes later, the trolley was pushed down the corridor. Would they let her go now?

Her backpack was still in Dad’s room. She would grab it and leave. It was strange to walk in and see the bed stripped already, like he had never been there. She walked across and laid her hand on the mattress that had been his last resting place. It was cold−what did she expect? Tears were so close, and her chest hurt as she breathed in deeply.

A shiver went through her body. What was the term? Someone had walked over your grave. At this moment, they weren’t just walking, they were digging her up. She didn’t need to turn to know she was no longer alone in the room. A feeling of dread wafted over her as the hair on her neck stood on end. All those years she had hidden at home away from danger. Well there was no way she would go down without a fight. Dad was gone, so what did she have to live for anyway? Before turning, she slipped her hand inside her backpack and grabbed the small letter opener she had put there earlier. Seeing what was there when she turned around, she thought a letter opener was going to be about as useful as a sieve in a flood.



             He was right in front of her, so close she could look up and see the gold on one of his teeth when he smiled at her. He breathed out, and she thought she would choke on the sweet, sickly smell that reminded her of treacle. He was so pretty, yet she could feel the evil wafting off him hitting her and making her stomach want to empty its contents. His short blond hair was perfect, and his blue eyes held her in their stare. She wanted to pull her hand out of her bag but couldn’t move. She wanted to call for the nurse to come, but her vocal cords were not responding.

“So it’s true. A female without a guardian. None in centuries, then two in a matter of years. This is my lucky day.” He placed his palm against her cheek and moved it down to her neck, gripping her windpipe until she struggled for air. He didn’t stop there, as he moved on down her body and squeezed her breast hard. Her eyes filled with tears, but she couldn’t cry out. His hand went lower and gripped between her legs. She wanted to vomit or bring her leg up but couldn’t manage anything, as her body stiffened in fear, or perhaps he was he controlling her somehow.

“To fuck an unprotected female has always been a fantasy of mine. I only had to live two hundred years to do it. I hope you’re worth the wait. You know it might make this planet a bit more interesting.”

The pretty blond guy moved away and Evie’s body could move again. She pulled out the letter opener and aimed it at his back. It flew through the air but stopped before it hit him. She concentrated on making the knife inch forward until it nearly scratched his face. He turned and the letter opener dropped to the floor. She should have been able to control it, and yet she couldn’t do a damn thing. Pretty boy wagged his finger at her like she was a naughty child.



             “Interesting little talent you have there, but I shall enjoy beating it out of you. I think we should get out of this place before any other Midworlders show up, don’t you? I don’t like sharing anything and your dim little human mind is sending out thoughts like a beacon. I’ll soon change that too. I’m only interested in your body.”

Midworlders. What the hell was he on about? Mid-what-world? She didn’t want to go anywhere with him. She didn’t want to go anywhere with anyone. Home and safety. There, she had everything she needed to keep everyone away. Everyone, except the voice in her head, but she could cope with him. Then again, maybe being mad meant you had voices in your head and weird guys with gold teeth who wanted to do things to you. She would make a run for it. Isn’t that what someone would do in the movies? She so wanted this to be a movie.

“Charles. It’s so nice to see you again. It’s been too long.”



Evie glanced across the room. The person who had spoken filled the door way. He had to be six feet tall and heavily muscled. His voice sounded educated, deep, and powerful. How the heck did she get that from a few words? He wore a suit and made her think of a rugged James Bond, but his face looked like it was etched with pain. Was he on her side? She hoped so because Charles with the fucking gold teeth gave her the creeps.

“Heath. Can’t say I’m surprised it’s you. So what do we do? Chop her in half and keep the spoils. I can’t sense any remnant of an Angelic here. It makes her fair game, and I got here first.”



Evie tried to move, but her body seemed to have turned into a statue and wouldn’t budge, yet again. Charles stood behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist pulling her against him. The bastard was hard and the thought terrified her. From what he had said before, she knew exactly what he would do if she couldn’t get away. To be raped had always been a fear after what had happened to Mum. All the self-defense classes she’d taken when she was young were useless now when she couldn’t move.



             Heath edged closer, so he was directly in front of her and faced off against Charles. “I can’t sense any Demonic remnants either, so I suggest we fight for her. If you’re not too scared to take me on. I believe the rhetoric about your exploits are a figment of your own imagination.”

Charles laughed. The door to the room was opened again and the nurse walked in. Charles relinquished his grip and she could move.

“The paperwork is ready for you to sign Ms. Withers. Are you all right? I didn’t realize anyone else had come in. Can I help you, gentlemen?”

Evie almost ran over to the nurse’s side, eager to get out of the room and away from these guys. If they wanted to fight, then they could carry on without her.

The one called Heath walked over. “We are friends and we’re just here to see if we could help, but we will leave now and you will forget we were here.”

The nurse gave him a big beaming smile.

“Oh, that’s nice. Come on then, and we will get those papers done.”

Evie walked over to the nurses’ station to sign the papers and gripped the counter, not sure her legs would hold her up. She peered back at the room she had just left, and it was empty. She had a strong urge to ask the nurse to call security but didn’t know why. She shook her head, signed the papers, then handed them back to the nurse.

“Was there someone else in the room with me?” she asked the nurse, who glanced at her like she had lost the plot.

“No. You were in there on your own. Why?”



             “I just thought someone else was here.” Dad’s death must be affecting her, because she was sure two men had been in the room, but the nurse wouldn’t lie.

“Sometimes people think they can feel a presence of those they’ve just lost. Do you have someone who can be with you at home?”

“You’re probably right. I’ll call my friend when I get home.” That was a lie. She didn’t have anyone to call, but this place was freaking her out now Dad was no longer here. At home she would be safe and wouldn’t have to touch anyone or see their demons and angels.

As she headed out of the hospital, she passed a security guy and almost gave in to the need to have him come along to her car, but didn’t want to risk him touching her and seeing things. She rummaged in her bag and found her parking ticket. The stupid machine kept rejecting her note because it was crumpled. It was silly and unimportant in the scheme of things, but it made holding back the tears and the loss of Dad even worse.

All she wanted was to get out of here. Eventually it took her money after she kicked it and hurt her toes. Next time, she would buy steel-toe-capped boots. Thank God, the lift was empty. She crossed her fingers and hoped no one else would come in. Her head kept throbbing as if she had forgotten something. Dad was gone and she felt lost. She had signed the papers so why was she thinking she should be doing something else. The thought seemed just out of reach.

The doors opened and she saw a flash of light and reckoned they were going to have a thunderstorm. Her life was gloomy like the weather around her. The ramp went to the top level, and her car was at the far end. Her keys were in the bottom of her huge shoulder bag. She could hear them jingling away with all the knickknacks hanging off them, but still couldn’t find them in the dark. When she finally pulled them from her bag, she was shoved forward and fell to her knees on the ground, and her keys landed about six feet away. Fear gripped her whole body as she went cold. She was going to be attacked, and she hadn’t even heard anyone.