274 (Complex Series, #4)

Chapter Forty-Five

A scream rips from my mouth. The beams of light catch the Ecru pouring in. A flash of pale skin. A blank, all white eye. Glinting teeth. I stumble backwards as cries ring out around me. My back hits a shelf, my arm knocking something to the floor with a clatter. I wedge myself into a corner, behind the shelf.

I hold up my knife with a trembling hand, my eyes darting back and forth over the darkness.  Flashes of light. Screeches. Pounding footsteps. Cries of fear. My head pounds.

I need to get out of here. Where’s the door? There’s only darkness leading to darkness.

I won’t allow myself to give up. My grip on my knife tightens. I lift it out in front of me, ready to slice through the first flash of light I see. I tilt my body back and forth, the light on my collar cutting through the air. Something flies across the beam of light. I leap forward, slashing downward.

The handle digs into my own skin as I make contact. A cry hits the air, distinctly human.

“Try not to kill me.” My light catches Theo’s face as he appears at my side. The beam bounces to show blood trickling down his arm.

“Did I do that?”

“Maybe you should work on aiming for the right people. We’re supposed to be working together, remember?” He’s trying to sound confident, but his voice wavers in fear.

 I nod shortly, pretending that I hadn’t forgotten about our alliance in my panic. I’d thought only about saving myself, not about Theo or all the other people in this room.

Another screech echoes closer to us. Theo says, “I’ll guard the front, you guard the back. Both of us will watch the sides.”

He grabs my wrist and drags me out from behind the shelves. I’m too terrified to say anything. I turn away from him, watching behind us. Limbs and clothing appear and disappear in my light. Theo darts forward, his grip on my wrist yanking me forward. I turn to see his knife slice through skin. The dark, oily Ecru blood dribbles from the cut. The Ecru face flashes into view, a young boy maybe only a six or seven year. He lunges towards us.

Theo lashes out again, his blade splitting apart the Ecru’s skin. It screeches and stumbles a step backwards. Its blank eyes stare at us for a second. My muscles tremble but I push my fear aside. I’m done with the self-pity.

I step closer, and dart forward towards the Ecru. My light blinds its eyes as I slice down its arm. Theo shouts as he stabs his knife into the Ecru’s skin, “Aim for the throat or face.”

The Ecru is dripping with black blood, but it seems to have no effect. It leaps towards us again with inhumane strength. I stumble backwards, my back slamming against a smooth wall. Sweat lines my face. Each breath is a struggle.

Theo is still ahead of me. He brings his foot forward and drives a kick into its stomach. The Ecru trips backward. Theo regains his grip on my arm and pulls me out of the room. I blindly stumble after him, lost. My fingertips graze a thin wall. My flashlight flies over the floor and walls. We’re back in the hallway.

Theo breaks into a sprint down the hallway, still dragging me along. I break my wrist from his grip and follow him. I shine my light behind us. It appears to be empty.

We’ve escaped the Ecru for now.

By abandoning everyone else in the room.

Should we go back to save them? Is there anything we can do to save them? Are we any safer out here? Derek said the new Ecru travel in packs of five or six. It’ll be Theo and I against six lethal Ecru.

Theo slows slightly, settling for a fast walk. I struggle to catch my breath and whisper, “Where are we going?”

“To find the others.”