Weaver of Darkness

Chapter 24

"Oh, okay."

"But..." she continued, "I'll plan on you giving me a ride tomorrow night."

He blushed slightly. "Then...it's a date

Jackie's smile lit up the night. "Oh, it is most certainly a date," she said with a wink, riding off around the side of the store.

Ben sighed, leaning back against the bench seat. She liked him. Really liked him. All this time, the perfect girl had been right under his nose. He was done pining over Sarah. This was his life and he was going to take charge of it.

He started the engine, then opened the glove compartment, grabbing his cell phone out of it. He'd call Liss and see if he could talk to her and Jerry tonight. Boy, did he have a lot to tell them.

As he flipped open his phone, a screeching filled the night. Nervously, he looked around. What was that? Was the thing back? He glanced at his phone. Should he make the call or just leave?

Ben decided fleeing was the best idea. He'd drive straight over to Liss' house and talk to her in person. Turning his truck around, he headed past the store, towards the back alley. The screeching intensified, causing the glass in his truck to vibrate.

Putting his foot down harder against the gas pedal, all he could think about was getting out of there. Now.

As he reached the alley, a voice drifted to his window. "Help me. Somebody please, help me."

Slamming on the brakes, Ben threw the truck in park. "No," he muttered, flinging open his door. "Not her." Running forward, he tried to locate the voice. "Jackie? Where are you?" he shouted, his voice strained with worry.

A sob broke the night somewhere ahead of him. "Ben?"

"I'm coming, Jackie. Hang on." He raced forward, determined to find her before it was too late. Turning the corner, he came out of the alley and spotted her bike; the front tire completely torn off. "My God. Jackie?" he called, afraid of what he might find.

"Over here," she called from behind some trash cans.

Ben was next to them in an instant, knocking them out of the way. He found her sitting with her back against the fence. She was holding her leg, blood seeping through her fingers.

"Oh, no," he gasped as he knelt down beside her. "What happened?"

Jackie shook her head. "I don't know. One minute I was riding my bike, next a black blur hit me from the side. My wheel snapped and I went flying." She looked down at the bloody mess her leg had become. "I...I hurt my leg. I knew that thing must still be close by. So I crawled back here and hid." She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "I didn't think anyone would hear me, but you did. You came to save me."

"Of course I did. I wouldn't leave someone in trouble. Especially not you." Ben leaned closer, looking at her leg. Blood pooled on the ground from the wound. "We need to get you to the hospital. I don't know if we have time to wait for an ambulance." Standing up, he glanced back in the direction of his truck, then down at her. "I'm going to run to my truck. I'll be right back."

"No!" she said, eyes growing wide with terror. "No, please don't leave me." She looked around nervously. "That thing is still out there. I won't be safe."

Ben shook his head. "Moving you is not a good idea. We need to keep you still."

"No. Either I go with you or nobody goes," she told him stubbornly.

"Jackie, you'll bleed to death if we wait here," he told her, desperation seeping into his words. "I have to go."

"Then take me with you."

Shaking his head, he knelt back by her side. "I don't want to hurt you worse."

"It's okay. You won't," she said, looking in his eyes. "I'll be fine. Just get me to your truck. Please."

Against his better judgment, he reached for her. He didn't have time to argue anymore. Letting his arms encircle her, Ben lifted her. "Okay. Keep your hands pressed tightly against your leg. I'll try to take it slow."

"You know, Ben, not a whole lot of people would have done this," Jackie whispered into his jacket.

"It's okay, Jackie. I'd always do this, no matter what," he told her as he slowly walked forward.

"I knew that," she said, giggling against him. "I knew I could count on you to do the right thing."

He stopped, looking at the girl in his arms. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Oh, you know. A lot of people these days wouldn't even know what the right thing to do was, let alone act on it." She sighed, shifting her weight. "Besides, a lot of bad things are going on in the world right now. Who knows if it's even safe to stop and offer someone help."

He eyed her. "I think you've lost a lot of blood. You're not making sense."

"I'm just saying," she continued, "it's not even safe anymore for a guy to be alone in a dark alley with the girl he likes." She looked him in the eye, a giant grin on her face. "Is it?"

He froze. The feeling of Jackie's body pressed against his suddenly felt wrong. The heat radiating off of her penetrated deep into his bones. It left an aftertaste on his tongue. Sulfur. "You're not Jackie, are you?"

"No. I'm not," the thing with Jackie's face said with a giggle.

He tried to drop the abomination, but his arms refused to move. He was trapped with the creature curled up against his chest.

"Hey, relax," the Jackie-thing cooed. "It won't be all bad." She leaned into his neck, lightly kissing the side of his jaw. "You'll get me, then..." It giggled again, running her fingers through his hair. "I'll get to feed."

Closing his eyes, Ben lost himself to the terror. He screamed inside as the creature gently nibbled the hollow of his throat.