𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐆𝐄 ㅡ Golden Trio

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - LIFE AND DEATH

"Get out through the back door. Go!"

Noelle was dragged backwards by her arm and through an emergency exit door at the back of the break room, just as half a dozen rotting corpses burst through the walls.

"Bombarda maxima!"

Before Noelle could see the effects of the spell, Eira had dragged her out of the room and they started running down the emergency staircase.

"Mum, what about Spencer?"

"He'll be fine," replied Eira shortly.

Somehow, upon seeing his true appearance, Noelle could believe that.

"I need to get you to the nearest bridge, so stick close."

The haunting shrieking and snarling of the Erinyes who came in droves behind her faded away as Eira tore down the stairs, emerging through a door that took them to the emergency stairs in the back of the building. When the cold air hit Noelle's face she found it harder and harder to catch her breath; her mind was suddenly thrown back to the time she ran from the corpse-like creature chasing her three months ago, felt the familiar burn of her lungs, each slam of her feet on metal steps sending a jolt that thrummed through her entire body. She told herself that this time it was okay to look back ㅡ she wasn't in the forest anymore, there were no trees that would shoot out of the ground and block her ㅡ but her eyes stayed locked on her mother's back, neck stiff and tense and refusing to listen to her mind's reasoning.

"We'll need to get into that building," said Eira, panting as they ran across the tarmac of the car park, slipping swiftly between the vehicles packed tightly together. Briefly Noelle cursed out whoever thought making an emergency exit into a car park with little moving space was a good idea, as for the third time she found herself having to wriggle awkwardly through two narrowly parked cars. Her elbow rammed into the side-view mirror in her haste and she stopped in terror as the external piece fell off with a clatter, and the car alarm started wailing loudly in the chilling air.

Why the hell was this thing so fragile!?

"Noelle!" hissed Eira, doubling back and dragging her frozen body through, careless of the fact that her daughter had just committed vandalism. Her eyes darted warily back up the emergency steps from whence they came, and with a fierce tug and several angry mutters, the two made it across to the other side. As Eira fumbled with her entry card, there was a loud bang, followed by several alarms wailing in succession.

Noelle turned back to see that the door had been blasted off its hinges, and had crashed heavily onto several cars. One had its roof collapse entirely in on itself from the force of the collision, but Noelle didn't have the time to feel sorry for its owner as her eyes locked onto the weathered form of the Erinye snarling at her from the door.

There was a beep, a clank, and then Noelle was being dragged by her arm and she was running through the halls once more, pushing her way through several patients and nurses on patrol. Angry yells followed the mother and daughter pair as they crashed into carts and turned over bins in their haste to get away.

"Watch it!" snapped a woman who had been pressed into the wall. "Bloody immigrants running all over the placeㅡ"

"Shut the Hell up, you bloody hag," snarled Eira over her shoulder. Noelle swallowed down her apologies upon hearing the racist remark, and instead sent the woman a vicious glare. Eira turned to face the watching audience, and bellowed, "Do yourselves a favour and get out of our way!"

They waited not a second longer before tearing down the halls. Noelle knew they were being scrutinised with curious and annoyed stares ㅡ even heard one man mutter that they must be patients who've escaped from the mental ward ㅡ but when she heard screams and sickening thuds from behind her she couldn't find it in her to give a single fuck. The smell of rotting flesh had entered her nostrils, and Noelle squeezed her mother's hand and pressed on.