Page 9 of Fated Protector

I dash to the back of the shop, and sure enough, there’s a large wooden door waiting for me. I fling it open and bolt into the summer night, past the honeysuckle bush, past the magnolia tree, and down the cracked asphalt of the street. I don’t look back. Soon, the slap of my shoes on the pavement is joined by another faster set of feet, sending terror through me. I pump my legs, trying to speed up, but I’m not a runner, and I can’t get much faster than this.

“Annabelle!” Jack shouts. “It’s just me!”

I skid to a halt so quickly that Jack nearly knocks me over in his own attempt to stop. “Is it gone?” I pant, resting my hands on my burning thighs.

“No,” he says, barely winded. “But we’re gonna need a safe place.”

I wince at the thought. The bookstorewasmy safe place until a few nights ago. I feel like more has been taken from me than just my aunt. “What was it? One of your vampires?”

“They’re not my vampires,” he scolds. “And no, it wasn’t. Ain’t no vampire makes that sound.”

“What sound?” I ask, but then a loud snarl fills the street, turning my blood cold.

“That one,” says Jack, shoving at my shoulder. “Now, run!”

CHAPTER6

I'm going to die. Right here, right now.

I'm actually not that out of shape; I do yoga every Monday and Thursday at a studio near my office building. But all the downward dogs and corpse poses in the world will not save me now. Well, maybe the corpse pose will come in handy when I'm mauled to death by the creature chasing us, but other than that, it won’t be any help at all.

"Where are we going?" I shout to Jack, who is now running ahead of me by a few feet. I'm trying my best to catch up, but it feels like I'm just getting slower and slower.

"Run now!" he shouts. "Talk later!"

I sprint after him, thighs burning and lungs screaming with effort. Behind us, the great lumbering creature chases us down. I don't look back at it. Looking back will make it real.

Several car alarms go off as the creature bounces off parked vehicles. The sounds rise into the air but cannot match the creature's hideous shrieks in volume. Below its cries, the click-clack of its feet on the cement provides a drumming cadence for its haphazard movements.

"Down here!" shouts Jack, veering right into a narrow alley. I follow him, and we jump over overfilled trash bags and crushed cardboard boxes, neither of which will slow the monster down. In my haste, I miss a pile of scrap wood, and my foot catches on a loose piece. I crash to the ground on my hands and knees, asphalt biting into my skin. The wind is knocked out of me, and I pant, trying to catch my breath.

Steady hands grip my waist, lifting me to my feet. "I know you're hurting, but you gotta run. Just keep running. You can do it."

"I'm trying," I eke out, my voice squeaky. Jack grabs my hand and pulls me close. Behind us, the wet-sounding breaths of the monster fill the narrow alleyway.

My energy is waning, and part of me just wants to yell the clichéd, "go on without me!". Jack must sense it because he halts next to a large garbage dumpster. He spins me to him, holding my shoulders. "Do you trust me?"

"Never," I gulp out, trying to pull sweet oxygen into my tired lungs. He laughs and picks me up in one swift movement. I shriek as he swings me one way, building momentum before the bastard throws me right into the dumpster.

"Stand there," he shouts, already running away. "I'll be back for you." I hear his footsteps pounding as he runs down the alley towards whatever is coming near us. I slump back amongst the garbage, spluttering, and hacking at the horrendous smell. Something wet and acidic is seeping through my pants, and my hand is on something squishy that I don't want to identify.

I can't believe he threw me in the trash. I curse out loud for several seconds until I hear a terrible noise–a second roar. Loud and trembling in its power, it rises in pitch until it becomes an echoing howl. Underneath it, the monster's guttural growls continue, punctuated by the sounds of crashing and bodies hitting brick walls.

There are two of them.Despite my anger, my eyes fill with tears. There is no way Jack could take on two monsters. No one could, not on their own. I didn't see if he had any weapons, so his best chance is to run. I hope he gets somewhere safe so he can call for help, but I know it isn't likely.

I lay my head against the rusty side of the dumpster, and a single tear runs down my cheek as I listen to the whines and shrieks of two monsters attacking a man who has saved my life—someone who Sasha called a friend. Being alone in the bookstore had been horrible, but nothing compared to this quiet terror.

And then, the noises stop. I hear a whine, not unlike that of an injured dog, and loud footsteps rumble the cement before fading into the distance.

I don't dare look out. They might be waiting for me.

"Princess? You in there?" Jack's voice rasps. “It's safe now."

He survived.I don't know how he did it, but he survived. I peek my head out of the dumpster, my fingers raw against the rough edge. "How are you even alive?" I whisper. Maybe he’s a ghost. I’ve seen weirder things today.

"One thing you should know about me," he says with a cocky grin. "It's extremely hard to kill me."

Of course, he remains arrogant, even in the face of death. "Did you kill them, or are they still out there?"

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