Ella woke with a jolt, sitting upright in her chair at the table. She removed a file that had been stuck to the side of her face as she glanced out the window, the sun had set.
Her laptop screen lit up her face as she sat in confusion for a second, before realizing what had happened.
She'd fallen asleep in the middle of her research. Last night she had seen a sight she never thought she could've, and had been working furiously all day trying to connect the dots.
There were so many loose ends on Crocket and now, she was more than ever determined to solve it. The random predator showing up out of nowhere, Monsignor Pruitt mysteriously gone and no ones heard from him, Father Paul showing up and being to only person to ever have contact with Pruitt, his illness, and Joe Collie's murder. So far, she'd only found one thing. Monsignor Pruitt, and Father Paul were the same person. The news had hit her hard, Pruitt had been a mentor to her, and yes when she was younger she admired him, but now he's come back as if he's 30? And she fell for him? Pruitt being alive and young again, only raised more questions. What's his connection to the creature, and what is it. She'd been digging around all day to find anything that eats blood out of the neck, can't go in daylight, and heals tissue and wounds at a faster pace than normal. But there was nothing but old myths.
She was never one to disprove myths, she would always secretly hope there was something more out there, but she couldn't bring herself to believe Paul was a vampire.
She spent all day trying to piece it together, and the only conclusion was that Paul never really loved her. He had just been using her. This betrayal hit the hardest. She honestly didn't care if he was Pruitt, sure it was a little weird, but she'd barely knew Pruitt. He had dementia and he never seemed fully present when you would talk to him. But Paul... she loved Paul. He was the first person she ever cared to love and now she knew why she never did before.
He was a monster. Someone who used her, and murdered Joe. Someone who brought a living hell to the island she loved, and put everyone here in danger, including herself. She was never anything to him and she knew that now.
She wiped the tear slowly falling down her face, the sting of the feeling of crying burning behind her nose as she cleared her throat. She closed her laptop and decided to take her mind off of planning, and give her brain a rest by taking a shower.
Just as she neared the bathroom a horrible feeling came over her gut as the realization hit her like a truck. Tonight was AA. Joe wasn't there, but Riley would be. And he would be alone, with Paul.
Her heart sank as she wondered if it was too late, it would've been over by now, but she couldn't help but feel something bad coming.
Ella sprinted back down the hall and out the front door. The night was cold, a freezing wind whipped all around her face but she didn't stop. She pushed her legs on through the dark street, praying all the while she wasn't too late.
The gravel flew behind her as she kicked up dust. The church came into view and the rec centre just behind it.
The door was wide open, a small pool of light flooding out. That wasn't normal, and her heart began to race faster, as well as her legs.
She stumbled through the door, her breath catching in her throat, as she tried to take in deep gulps of air. It reminded her of when she was in the hospital, not being able to keep the air in.
She looked up, the bright lights blinding her.
After she got a steady flow of oxygen again, her vision returned to normal, as her eyes focused on Father Paul, kneeling on the ground. His eyes filled with terror at the sight of her.
The silence in the room was deafening as she shifted her gaze to the large coat and hat standing in front of her.
"Run," Paul whimpered in the corner, looking at her, his eyes full of sorrow.
The coat turned around, and she was once again face to face with the terrible orange eyes. And that's when she knew, they would be the last thing she ever saw.
*****
I watch in fear, as Ella stands petrified at the door way.
I want her to be saved, I want her to live her second life with me, and we can finally love freely, if she loved me anymore that is, but I didn't want it to be this way. I don't want her to get hurt.
The tears start flowing down my face as a watch the Angel scream it's blood hungry cry.
Oh my sweet Ella. Forgive me.
I watch her stand there, as it barrels towards her, knocking her again the ground.
"It'll all be over soon my Angel. I'll be with you every step of the way I promise," I whisper reassuringly.
My eyes sting with tears, I can't bare to watch her in pain or suffering. This isn't how I wanted it to go for her. My precious Ella.
The Angel launches its self on her, but it isn't Ella's screams I am met with. It the Angels.
It cries out in pain as it jolts back, I look in disbelief. It been burned. Like it's been in the sun.
I look over at Ella, wondering what she did, but she seems to be in just as much shock as I. Then I see her pull something out from under her shirt and stare at it dumbfounded.
It's a small vile, tied around her neck, glowing like the sun.
The Angel hisses, and screams in anger. It's hungry, and it can't touch its prey.
"What the hell is going on-"
There's a loud thud and a million different screeches fill the air this time.
The lights go out, and it is pitch black except for the golden glow by Ella.
My eyes are hazy as I try to regain strength, standing to my feet and rushing over.
The glow rushes towards me as well, I know it'll burn me though.
"Ella!" I shout as the thudding and screaming continues all around us.
She runs up and throws her hands around my neck, her warm embrace and familiar presence fills my senses, as I long to hold her, but the necklace burns me as it did the Angel, and I have no choice but to flinch away.
She doesn't hesitate, taking it off and stuffing it in her pocket before I run and hold her again.
I bury my head in her shoulder, not even feeling the desire of hunger, only the desire of her being in my arms and my safety.
But it's her that's saving me right now.
"Ella..." I sob into her shoulder.
"Don't...don't let go," she replies in her melodic voice.
"Never," I hold her closer, her body trembling in fear.
The lights flicker on again, only for eyes to be met with an awful sight.
The Angel sitting triumphantly, licking blood of its fingers, over top the corpse of Riley Flynn.
*****
Ella screamed. She'd screamed like never before. She could usually be calm, in drastic situations, she could usually keep her cool. But this was primal, bone chilling scream.
She saw red. All around Riley, all over the creature, the entire air seemed to fill with the heavy pressure of death. Riley was dead.
Ella was livid. She charged at the creature, sitting contently on its meal. It paid no attention to her, simply wishing to be fed.
It went back in for another bite out of Riley's broken contorted neck, but Ella launched for it, knocking it off.
This time it was mad. Ella felt her heart beat out of her chest as it lurched itself on top of her, and unfurled it's wings to scream at her.
She looked back into its blood hungry orange eyes. The ones that had been tormenting her all this time.
Her survival instincts kicked in as it rushed in for the bite. She stuffed her hand in her pocket and held her mother's necklace up in front of her face.
The Angel screamed for a final time that night, half it's face burning from the golden glow. It unfurled its wings once again and shot out of the door and somewhere into the night sky.
Ella was safe for now, but the rest of Crocket wasn't.
Ella pulled herself to her feet and looked back at Riley, finally the tears came. She glanced up at Pruitt, entranced by the blood pool.
"Back up," she growled at him, rushing to Riley's side. She knealt down and gently placed her hands on his cold, lifeless face.
"Ella..." Paul started.
"No! You don't get to feast on my best friend!" She shouted, laying her head in his blood covered chest and sobbing.
"I-I won't. But he's going to wake, any second now," Paul explained, slowly approaching.
Ella looked at him her brow raised, "what?" She asked staring at him like he was crazy.
Crazy, maybe. Be he wasn't wrong. Riley suddenly jolted awake, gasping for breath.
Ella screamed and backed up. Watching his eyes open, but unable to move his head.
Paul saw the opportunity and sat down, and began speaking to him softly, before snapping his neck back in place.
Ella watched in complete shock, feeling like her brain was going to explode from everything that had been happening. She had no idea how she was supposed to process any of this.
*****
Ella sat on the stage, still looking off, somewhere no one but her could see. She was lost in thought, or emotions, or something I couldn't tell.
It was nearing two hours, since Riley first woke. He was currently passed out, healing his neck, but it should take much longer.
Ella hasn't said a word to me, frankly I couldn't blame her. But she was going to spend forever trying to figure out something she couldn't understand.
"Ella" I finally said, finding the courage to speak to her again, "I'm ready to tell you everything. I can't promise you'll be able to understand..."
"You underestimate me," she snarls, standing.
"There's so much you don't know," I tell her, looking back into her green eyes with sympathy.
"Oh I know enough, John."
My breath hitched in my throat. It had been a long while since I've heard someone say my name.
That's when the realization really came to light in my mind. She was right, I'd underestimated her. She knew everything.
There was a heavy set silence settling in the room.
I swallow nervously. Now I am realizing how all this must look to her. I can't look her in the eyes, the hot sense of guilt rushes to my face.
"Ella," I finally start. I'll have to redeem myself somehow.
"No. You lied to me. You used me. You're using everyone on this island. But I don't know why."
I sighed, shifting uncontrollably on my seat. "Yes...I did lie to you..." I replied, glancing over at Riley laying on the floor. But please," I gather all my courage to look her in the eyes, "please know, I only brought the Angel here to save us. I wanted to save the island I loved like how it had saved me. Falling in love with you was never part of the plan...but I'm so happy I did."
Her expression softened, and it took me by surprise. She slowly walked forward, still keeping her guard up.
"How? You were like a mentor to me, when I was younger. And how could you have possibly fallen in love with me?" She asked, her soft voice cracking with sadness.
It broke my heart, hearing the crack in her voice. I longed to run and hold her, let her know everything is going to be okay and we will be together forever, but she doesn't trust me anymore.
"Ella...the man that you knew, he wasn't me. He wasn't my true, best self, the person I am now, the one God chose me to be. He was a man riddled with confusion and lost in his mind, on his last legs of life. And you are much different than that little girl. You are brave, and confident and beautiful in every aspect. And now that I am my best self, and I am in the same mindset and level as you, I truly see you in a new light. An amazing woman who stole my heart."
She looked back into my eyes. I was standing now, right in front of her. Her arms still crossed, but she lowered them and wrapped them around me.
She lowered deep in my embrace, as I held her with as much love as I could. "I truly meant it, Ella. I'm only trying to save us, trying to do what God has asked of me."
She didn't reply, instead she just hugged me tighter.
I could tell she was crying, trying to hide it. I slowly rubbed my hand up and down her back.
"I meant what I'd said before as well," I lifted her chin up and wiped the tear streams from her cheeks. She looked back into my eyes so innocently it almost hurt.
I hesitated, getting lost in the deep sea of emerald green.
"I really do love you, Ella," I told her.
She stopped for a moment, opening her mouth to say something when the door suddenly flung open.
Immediately worrying it was the Angel, come back for another chance, I acted in instinct, pulling Ella behind me.
But it wasn't the Angel, it was Bev.
"Ah Beverly, you've come," I greeted.
Ella looked like she was about to explode. Suddenly I understood, she's never trusted Bev, and I never knew why, but now she knows we were working together.
*****
Bev's smug ass face ruined it all again. Ella was furious. Paul had lied to her again, as long as Bev was involved, there was no way this was as pure as he made it out to be.
She scoffed. Looking between the two faces before shaking her head in disappointment. "Fucking figures."
Ella stormed past Bev and out the rec centre, into the rising sun. There's no way anyone would believe her, so she wasn't going to the Sheriff. She thought about going to Erins's but after all she'd been through already, Ella wasn't in the best place to deliver the news.
She walked home, the tears on her face freezing in the cool spring breeze.
She approached her familiar little red door and slammed it shut behind her, sinking to the ground.
Pebbles greeted her with a big stretch, but sensing his owner was in distress, walked up to her knees and started to purr, before pouncing on her and rubbing his little soft head against her chin.
All she wanted was for everything to be normal, perhaps this to be a strange dream. She cuddled him close and thanked him in whisper. Seeing he had done his work, he decided now was the best time to whine for food.
Ella shook her head at the sassy boy, for the first time a while, a smile forming at her lips.
She got up to feed him like normal, as she stood she heard her door creak open, and the roaring wind outside.
Pebbles started to hiss and scream. Ella sensed the fear buildup in her chest, but before Ella could react she heard a loud, thundering crack.
And that's when everything went dark.