Blink {Featured}

Chapter Thirteen

She smirked. 'Is that all you got, big boy?'

Slime splattered from the creature's nose and it huffed, baring its teeth. 'Aaaarghh!' it screamed and lunged at the woman, who dodged again but only just. The thing didn't stop coming. Both of its hands hung in the air, the nails like weapons, and it advanced on the woman who parried against the nails with her sharp knife and took steps back until she was cornered.

A drop of sweat fell from her brow onto John's soul, or the floor if you like, her eyes panicked. Something tugged at John's heart just after the drop had splattered, something strange, and he felt the fear and panic rolling like waves from the woman. Was it a strange sort of connection they suddenly shared? Whatever it was, it made him uncomfortable and he squirmed where he stood.

Death still stood by idly smiling like he knew who would die and found the idea amusing. What a dick. John stood straight, took a pensive step forward. Should he do something to help her? Was there something he could do? Of course yes, the Bible--it still lay on the ground where the thing'd slapped it out of her hands. With slow, measured movements, he snuck over to where it lay. The creature laughed a booming laugh that shook the walls of his soul. Whoa! Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

'You think you've won, Grimsol?' the woman snarled, the knife held in front of her mere inches from the creature's black nails, and she shuffled deeper into the corner.

'I will finish you now woman, and then John's life will be forfeit too.' With one hand the creature blocked her knife, and with the other he reached from above to her head. What was it planning? She now pushed the knife against its nails with both hands, and her arm muscles trembled with the effort.

'This is not the day I die, Grimsol,' she said with clenched teeth. 'This is your time to end.' She looked for John where he was supposed to be standing against the wall, and then frowned until she spotted him crouching to pick up the little Bible. All fear left her face, even though the Grimsol bloke's nails now touched her scalp.

'I will slice you open and eat your sooouuul,' it said drooling.

'Stab it in hard,' she said to him with a huge grin on her face. But in a split second she looked straight at John and nodded the minutest nod. Ohh, so she meant he should stab this Grimsol thing with the Bible, not that Grimsol should stab her. Of course. God, sometimes his own stupidity was too much to believe.

'Come on,' she said, and her smile faltered. 'Do it now.'

The creature's nails paused and it said, 'So eager to die all of a sudden, Semila?'

John gathered his courage, sucked in a deep breath, and charged, Bible in hand.

'I told you Grimsol, today it's your turn to die.'

Bang, he hit the creature's back and the Bible dug into its flesh. It yowled into the air and lifted both hands in pain. The woman, Semila, took the opportunity and jammed the knife into the creature's chest with both hands and a satisfied smirk.

Grimsol's yowl bubbled to a groan and it sank to the floor. Semila yanked the knife out and wiped it on her jeans. Black matter sludged from the gaping wound on the creature's chest and it curled into itself, hands over its head.

'Told ya,' Semila said and kicked the creature once in the stomach. Turning to John, she smiled and extended her hand. 'Thanks mate. I'm Sem, your guardian angel.' She kicked Grimsol again and he groaned. 'Your real guardian angel.'

For a moment John stood awe-struck, his mouth hanging open, his eyes wide, staring at this crazy woman. Was she really a guardian angel? She looked nothing like a guardian angel. She looked like a filthy criminal for Pete's sake. But he got over the shock quick enough and fumbling, extended his hand to shake hers, which was sticky with sweat. At least he hoped it was sweat.