If I Die Young

53. Massacre

Elyse took Daisy's body from me and ran after Ethan, Noelle looking back at me for a moment before following suit. I turned my focus back to finding the remaining living member of the home, kicking open every door and calling her name. I was staring to lose hope when I saw a dark shape at the end of the hall, her dress forming as she stepped into the light.

"Where is she?!" I demanded, my voice choked up from screaming.

There were no words exchanged as Cosette lifted her hand, pointing into what I knew to be a shoe closet. I was over there in seconds before I threw the door open, turning the light on and jumping back in surprise; Herkimer was sitting there, the nesting doll staring at me with its masked face while I stared on in confusion. A sound reached my ears though, one coming from inside the figure.

"Delilah?" I asked, stepping back as Herkimer began to shift and change. It grew in size, revealing arms and legs wrapped around a tiny, crying body. She was still in her pajamas, a bunny slipper missing while her backpack was missing a strap.

"S-Sable!" She cried out, leaping forward and letting me grab ahold of her. I gripped her body with immense relief, taking her away from the closet and running towards the attic door.

Wait!

My feet skidded to a halt, just as a pale body dropped from the ceiling and blocked my path. Delilah screamed and something jutted out of the floor, one of the wooden boards blocking a vampiric Miss Huld's reach as she leaped. Herkimer wrapped itself around the woman and distracted her long enough for us to make an escape, running down the stairs and finding a messy, blood-spattered living room. The TV was smashed and one of the couches had been flipped, torn apart and lying halfway across the room. A gun had been tossed aside and I left it there, ducking into the parlor and finding two more figures hiding.

"Delilah!" Ladon whispered, reaching out and gripping her hand tightly. Brandon was still in a lycan form, crouched on his hind legs as he seemed to guard Ladon. There were two backpacks in here, one Aurelia's and one Iden's: Ladon had grabbed a pair of jeans out of Iden's to cover himself.

"Miss Huld's upstairs, Ethan took Elyse and Noelle outside," I wheezed, pain in every breath, "everyone else is dead."

"No..." Ladon's eyes boiled, a pure, animalistic rage in them that shook me to the very core.

"Kids! Where are you?"

The voice that rang out in the house made my blood run cold. Miss Huld sounded normal, a lure to drag us out into the open so she could finish us off. I held a finger to my lips and gestured towards the ceiling; she was still upstairs, or worse, clinging to the roof of the living room.

"We need to get Delilah outside," I whispered, "I need you two to cause a distraction while I break for the back door."

"Done," Ladon nodded, sprinting out of the room and screaming obscenities at the vampire while I just let out a sigh. Brandon walked beside us, shuffling on his knuckles before he let out a snarl, taking off towards Ladon as he fought with Miss Huld.

I was frozen to the spot as I watched them. The vampire whipped a hand out, knocking Brandon aside and sending him flying while she held Ladon aloft in the other hand. I was stuck, I didn't know what to do: do I join the fight or do I make a run for it? I didn't get the chance to make that decision before she turned to me, eyes locking with my own.

"You," she purred, throwing Ladon aside, "it's your blood I want, immortal."

"Well good fucking luck with that!"

I made a break for the door, just barely out of reach when arms wrapped around my body and pulled me back. Delilah fell from my arms and I screamed at her, telling her to go and watching as she scrambled out the back door, leaving it wide open. My head snapped back and I headbutted Miss Huld, her claws digging into my stomach and drawing blood through the bulletproof vest. I let out a caterwaul, her hand closing around my throat as she threw me to the ground and pinned me beneath her weight.