frankie [episodes 1-3]

-8-

When we arrive at Kings College, Carter and Jared are outside in the street waiting. Carter stands impossibly upright, his reverend attire un-creased and his eyes watchful; they light up when he catches sight of the hearse. I feel a stab of dislike as Jared, leaning against a lamppost, looks lazily upwards. He's dressed all in black, like yesterday, but a leather jacket conceals the inked tattoos that curl around his arm.

Rebecca stops by the pavement and they both pile into the back of the hearse - bringing with them the scent of outdoors mixed with London traffic fumes. Jared hurls a bulging bag into the centre where the coffin would sit then looks up. His eyes darken when he sees me in the passenger seat; there's more than disgust behind them – there's pure hatred and it twists my insides.

Carter on the other hand beams as Rebecca restarts the engine.

"Frankie! I'm so glad you decided to join us."

My name isn't Frankie. I don't bother correcting him.

I turn to face the front of the vehicle.

"Decided? I didn't have much of a choice in the matter."

"It's true, I'm kidnapping her."

Jared exhales loudly and I feel his eyes burning into the back of my head.

"What's the point in bringing her along? She's shown she hasn't got what it takes."

Rebecca's eyes narrow.

"She's got what it takes. She just doesn't know it yet."

"Indeed," says Carter, "I think your abilities may manifest under a high-pressure situation, Frankie."

"I don't have any abilities."

"See?" hisses Jared.

"If my research is right then I think you do," says Carter, ignoring him, "You've been hearing voices, in your head, since you returned to us, right? And sometimes, maybe in your dreams, you aren't quite yourself?"

I don't reply, only stare out of the window. The traffic is slow moving at this time of day and the hearse creeps slowly across central London. Carter seems to take my silence as an invitation to carry on.

"How to explain this...? When you were brought back, I think you may have returned with more than just new body parts. I think parts of those girl's souls may have latched on. With practise, you may be able to access some of their strengths, some of their thoughts, some of their skills."

I feel a rise of nausea in my gut. I notice Rebecca watching me cautiously.

"You're insane," I say quietly.

"Maybe that's enough of the soul talk for one night, Carter," says Rebecca.

We all fall into silence and I listen to the steady lull of the engine – I let the sound fill me, empty my mind, drive my thoughts away. I don't want to be here. I don't want to be home. I don't want to be anywhere.

Finally, Rebecca parks the car down a quiet sloping road by a heavy looking wooden door.

"We're here," she says.

Jared opens the bag and grabs a small gun, which he sticks into a holster at his belt, a knife, and a wooden stake. My eyes widen. He passes a cross bow over the front seat to Rebecca.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Rebecca looks at me, "I told you, we're killing some demons." She opens the car door, letting in a whoosh of cold air, and jumps outside. "You coming?"

I shake my head, wondering if I should call the police or something.

Outside the hearse I see Carter say something to Jared. His face darkens but he nods. He opens my door and I instinctively move away from him as he pulls the gun out from its holster. He drops it onto my knee.

"Get this away from me." I say.

"Carter says it's just in case you need it."

He holds my gaze, dislike burning behind his eyes, and I feel another wave of recognition before he slams the door shut again. The three of them disappear behind the wooden door leading down into the abandoned train station and I am left alone, in a hearse, with a gun.

I wait there for five minutes, unsure of what to do. The cold weight of the weapon bears down on my knees. Part of me wants to get rid of it, if a police officer passes by I'll be arrested, but for some reason I don't.

Then I sigh. This is stupid. There's no such thing as demons.

I open the door of the hearse and step outside, leaving the gun on the passenger seat. I'll find a tube station and get home on my own.

I'm just about to move when someone bursts out of the door of the abandoned station. No, not someone - something. I stumble back against the car and the movement seems to alert it to my presence. It looks at me and my heart thuds against my chest.

It is shaped almost like a man, but its skin is dark grey and scaled. The eyes that lock onto mine are a deep, crimson red, and coldness radiates from it. It sees me and smiles wickedly, lunging forward in an animal like movement.

My stomach drops to the floor.

"What the...?"

I reach back for the gun in the car seat, my hands trembling. I feel the cold metal and raise the gun upwards. My arms are shaking too much as it quickly advances. I squeeze the trigger but nothing happens.

The gun leaps out of my hand.

This is it. I'm dead. I always thought that when the time came to die again, I wouldn't care. But I do. I don't want to die, not by someone else's hands – not again.

It's about a metre away from me when suddenly I hear a thunking sound. Its eyes widen and it falls to its knees. Then it melts into a puddle of foul stinking bile. Rebecca stomps through it with her combat boots, her crossbow resting over her arm. Behind her Carter is looking at the gun by my feet, disappointment clear on his face.

"I told you so," says Jared, not looking at me as he scoops it up.

"Maybe I was wrong," he replies quietly. Carter looks up at me and smiles but there is sadness behind his eyes, "Sorry about that, you must have had quite a scare. I thought you would...well...Sorry..."

The two climb back into the hearse as I stand staring at Rebecca. My body is cold with shock.

"That was..."

"A kind of demon, yes," says Rebecca. She walks around the car and climbs into the driver's seat. Then she leans over towards me, her eyes are kind as they focus on my face. "Come on, get back in the car. I promised I'd get you back for dinner."