Her no-longer-white jacket was adorned with fresh blood stains and her hands held a coil of something which appeared to have been made from the same fabric as the curtains that hung above the windows.
Though Ashton had never seen her before, he knew exactly who she was. The Surgeon.
"I had a feeling we'd meet again," she said in a voice like nails on a chalkboard.
"I doubt you remember the first time we met," she added, pouncing forward, causing Ashton to stumble backwards onto the floor, "but I'm here now, to ensure that the remainder of your life is a living hell."
Ashton pried his eyes from the creature that stood over him and desperately searched for something he could use as a weapon. There was nothing. Not so much as a coat hanger in his reach. Terrified, he pulled himself backwards as the Surgeon only continued to inch forward.
The woman smiled and pulled a chair from the table.
"Sit here," she demanded.
Ashton did as he was told. The Surgeon pulled his wrists behind the chair and tied them with the rope she'd made from the curtains. Then, she reached inside her jacket, extracted a bloodied knife, and displayed it for Ashton to see.
"Now," she cackled, "I believe we have some unfinished business to attend to. And you can thank your conniving little sister for this. That is, if you ever see her again."
Ashton clenched his jaw as she poked the tip of the knife into his bicep and began to twist it.
~~~
As soon as they set foot in the motel, Faith sensed that something was wrong. The little man behind the desk had disappeared. In his place was a puddle of blood. She took off at a full-speed sprint, Luke trailing closely behind.
They arrived at the room to find the door ajar. Luke pushed it open and paled at the sight. The woman turned, her grin growing wider.
"Marvelous! The little traitor and her friend are here to help me."
Faith backed away and the Surgeon plucked the knife from Ashton's arm. She slammed the door closed and handed the weapon to the young girl, who held it in disbelief.
Luke cowered into a corner as the demon pulled out a gun and aimed it at his head.
"Now, girl," she said in a sing-song voice," we're gonna have a little fun. I want you to take that knife and give your brother a nice big gash for me, okay?"
Faith looked at the weapon in her trembling hands, then at her brother who was tied to the chair, his amber eyes filled with regret.
"No," she said, forcefully.
The woman laughed and cocked the gun. Luke flinched.
"I'm gonna give you one more chance. Go on, I dare you."
Faith swallowed hard and began stepping towards Ashton, her knife raised. He looked to the ground, preparing himself for the world of pain he was about to enter. His sister now stood only inches away from him, a tear trailing down her cheek. A quick prayer went through his head.
Suddenly, Faith turned and flung the weapon at the Surgeon. It lodged itself in her arm, causing her to lower the gun and spasmodically fire it into the wall, a foot away from Luke.
Without missing a beat, the Surgeon pulled the knife from her arm and grabbed a fistful of Faith's hair, bringing the weapon to her chin. Luke stumbled to the gun laying on the floor and aimed it at the crazed woman.
"Stand back," he croaked, "or I'll shoot."
The Surgeon smiled and released her grip, turning to face Luke. Ashton watched the unfolding events in horror, unable to do a thing.
"I have to say, I'm impressed. All this time, you've been acting a coward, and now you choose to stand up for yourself. Congratulations."
Luke pulled the trigger. His hands shook and he ended up shooting her in the leg. Immediately, he dropped the weapon, appalled at what he'd just done. The woman fell to the ground, clutching the knife. Faith pried it from her fingers and cut her brother free.
She kicked the Surgeon back down to the floor as they left in a mad dash for Ashton's car. They landed inside with a concurrent sigh and immediately took off down the highway.
xxxxx
shnort
