Sarah Benadine is Dead

Chapter XXII, Part II

"Oh, boy," Jared said, "that's not good."

"Maybe...that's for Tuly?" Ginger asked hesitantly.

"Well then where is she?" Allison asked. She gestured at the ground at their feet. "And what's all of this?"

The arm of the Christ lay at Shannon's feet. Other pieces of the body and the cross were scattered about, like some grotesque religious mockery.

"Look, we gotta find Tuly," Allison said. "She's a pain in the ass, but I don't want her to die."

"Touching, Allison," Dexter said wryly.

"We should take care of these two first," Shannon said, nodding at one of the coffin-boxes.

Allison looked at her appraisingly. "You really want to do this, huh?"

Shannon shrugged. "We've got the chance. We should do it now before something else happens."

Shannon found herself in great agreement with the Allison of just a few months ago. One way or another, this had to end. From what she'd learned, it had been going on for years. Empty promises that things would change fell from the lips of people who should've done more. Shannon certainly saw the irony that seven schoolchildren had gotten farther than anyone else had.

"She's right," Caleb said. "They're sleeping now. Let's not find out what they'll do when they wake up."

"You got what we need, Jared?" Shannon asked.

"Of course," Jared said. With one hand, he began to dig around in his bag once more. "Honestly, you guys would be so dead if not for me."

"Yeah, yeah, you're a true hero," Allison said impatiently. "Hurry up."

With a dramatic flourish, Jared produced two wooden stakes. He looked around at the group apologetically. "I could only get two. I didn't want my dad to get suspicious."

"I don't think your dad would even notice," Dexter said under his breath.

"Anyway, I think Ginger should do it," Jared said, giving Ginger one of the stakes. "I think she'll...have the best luck."

"It's always me," Ginger complained.

"Should've gotten a different gift then," Jared shot back.

Ginger opened her mouth to make a retort, then closed it, settling for glaring at him, arms crossed. Jared smiled innocently at her.

"Give me the other one," Shannon said, holding a hand out to Jared for the other stake. He looked at her in confusion but handed the piece of wood over nonetheless. Shannon looked at Ginger. "We'll do it together. I'll get one, you get the other. I don't know what will happen, but I don't want to take any chances. I don't want them to wake up."

"You sure?" Allison asked.

"Aren't you?" Shannon replied. Allison looked at her for a long, long moment, and then she nodded.

"Let's do it quick," Jared said, "before something goes wrong and we all die."

"Oh, don't worry," Ollie said. "There's plenty of time for that. We still have to find Tuly, after all."

"Thanks for the reminder, Ollie," Jared said, grimacing.

"Are you ready?" Shannon asked Ginger.

Ginger shrugged and laughed, short and wry. "Ready as I'll ever be, I guess. Just wanna get it over with."

Shannon nodded. She walked away from the hole in the ground and the empty coffin and the broken crucifix. She went back to the first coffin-box they had looked at, the one holding the vampire with the flowery dress and short brown hair. Allison and Caleb trailed after her; Ginger, Jared, Dexter, and Ollie went to the coffin on the other side of the room.

"Together then?" Ginger asked.

"On three," Shannon agreed.

Don't take any chances.

Allison and Caleb took hold of the lid and held it open. Jared, Dexter, and Ollie were doing the same thing on the other side. For a moment, Shannon felt like it was too easy. Here these monstrous creatures were, and after all the carnage they had done they would not even put up a fight. Shannon was looking at a corpse, both literally and figuratively. The vampire did not budge an inch.

"Ready?" Shannon asked. Ginger voiced her assent. "Okay...one...two...three!"

Shannon drove the stake home as hard as she could manage, praying that she was aimed at the heart. She felt the sickening break of skin under the point of the stake in her hand. The vampire's eyes flew open, red and awful. Shannon felt hands clasp around her own; Allison had let go of the lid and was holding the stake with her, pushing down as hard as she could. There was a fire in her eyes that shocked Shannon in its intensity. Shannon thought she heard bones breaking. The vampire let out a mighty shriek, and then in one instant she turned to dust, falling away to lie on the bottom of the coffin box. Shannon and Allison both staggered forward, the stake now slicing through thin air.

***Ugh, this part of the chapter ends so abruptly, but idk...this whole chapter seems so long, I didn't want to post it all in one. Oh well, it is what it is. Thanks, as always, to everyone who voted and commented, especially since updates have been few and far between lately. :)***