The Mountain Road
Sophie Reese
My first ten seconds on a motorbike was enough to convince me that I never wanted to ride a bike again. Jacques sped off the estate and head down the road with no headlights. I couldn't see anything, but I felt every bump and pothole. I clung onto Jacques' waist and remembered what he had told me about being a good passenger. I followed his movements, trying to mirror him as he leaned forwards and back with the bends and dips of the road. I wondered what would happen if I accidentally leaned the wrong way. Could I knock the bike off balance? Would Jacques lose control and slam into a pine tree? I imagined the hundreds of demons wandering the mountainside slowly descending upon my remains like wild animals picking at roadkill.
I closed my eyes and tried to silence the 'what-if' voice inside me. This could end in disaster, but then it might lead to the breakthrough that was so desperately needed. I couldn't allow myself to succumb to sad thoughts and worries. Too many people were counting on me to put this right.
The bad road evened out the further we travelled down the mountain and the snow started to clear. Jacques switched the headlights on, allowing me to see the road better. Jacques' must have really good night vision to drive without headlights. I imagine the only reason he switched them on was so that other traffic could see us coming. I envied Jacques with his night-vision eyes. I couldn't see shit in the dark. I hadn't been blessed with that gift, although when I was fighting the Wendigo, there was a moment before I killed it when something inside changed. I remember the blackness suddenly lifted and I could see everything around me with piercing clarity. I also knew in my mind what I had to do to kill the demon. There was no hesitation or fear, I just plunged my hand into his chest and drew the lightning down from the sky to burn its heart in my hand. After that, everything went back to normal and ever since then I've wondered, how the hell did I do that?
I hoped that I wouldn't be called upon again to kill another demon tonight. Hopefully, the thorns in my pocket would keep me safe until I returned to the safety of the lodge.
We carried on travelling for what felt like an hour but was more likely thirty minutes. We veered off the main road, down what appeared to be a maintenance road to a building site. There were signs dotted along the road, warning us to turn back but Jacques kept bike going forward, all the way up to a security point and barrier.
He slowed the bike to a standstill and instructed in a low voice, "Don't say anything, let me do the talking."
A watchman exited the small wooden sheltered and raised a flashlight towards us.
"Where you folks headed?" He enquired.
"St Lucretia's market. I've come from the royal hunting lodge to return this wench to her pleasure house," Jacques replied.
My eyes widened in shock and it took everything inside me not to elbow Jacques' in the back.
The watchman directed his flashlight at me and smirked, "Oh, did you have a good time entertaining the prince and his fine lords? Would you like to come to entertain me in my little shelter? I bet you want a real man after dealing with those perfumed pricks."
"I think she's had enough for one night," Jacques replied.
The watchman ignored Jacques and came closer, his flashlight still pointing at me.
"I bet you are a pretty one underneath that helmet." He grinned.
I dug my fingers into Jacques' waist, unable to hide my revulsion. Jacques sensed my unease and casually shrugged, "So, are you going to let us pass? I need to get her back to her boss before the market closes."
The watchman's beady eyes narrowed on me and I watched in disgust as he wetted his thin lips and whispered, "Did you fuck the King and his mad brother?"
"Come on, man. You know she can't answer that," Jacques snapped.
The watchman paused and sighed, "I suppose... but it's not often I see a pretty one returning from that place. They normally just disappear."
"How do they disappear?" I asked, forgetting Jacques' strict instruction not to speak.
The watchman shrugged, "Well, they go up to there for work, but then they never come back. Many of the working girls I know would never go up to the lodge by themselves. Especially when the King is in residence."
"Why?" I pushed further.
"Everyone knows that the King is a killer. He killed Princess Celia and now he is free, he is killing our girls with his mad brother. The pair of them are rotten, no good..."
Jacques removed his helmet and the watchman's face suddenly turned white.
"My lord, I-" he stumbled.
"Please raise the barrier," Jacques ordered.
The watchman dipped his head in respect and turned back to his hut. I couldn't see Jacques face to gauge his mood, but I suspected that he was fuming.
"You shouldn't have lost your temper, he may have told us more information," I said quietly.
"They're all fools," Jacques snapped. "They delight in these fantasies and conspiracy theories that are completely ungrounded in reality. Luc and Casper are my families and I won't have anyone talking trash about my family."
"That's admirable, but it sounds like these missing girls might not be helping the rumours. If we can prove who has been sacrificing these girls, then we can help restore Casper's reputation."
"Perhaps," Jacques sighed irritably.
The barrier in front started to raise and Jacques turned on the engine.
"It's not much further from here," he said.
The bike rolled forward, past the barrier and watchman's shelter. Inside, the old man feebly waved at us as we passed, most likely praying that Jacques would not report him to his superiors.
We followed the road through what appeared to be a fake construction site into a tunnel. There was no other traffic in the tunnel, except us. I wondered if this was normal or if there was a reason why no-one seemed to be on the roads tonight. There was nothing in the tunnel that suggested we were approaching a city. There were no signs or directions or billboards advertising whatever a vampire would want to buy. This made me question the size of Port Cressida. Was it a city filled with a couple of hundred vampires, or a couple of hundred thousand vampires?
My question was soon answered after we left the tunnel. A large sign appeared on the roadside that read: 'Welcome to Port Cressida, home to 3,834,000'.