Page 40 of Sound and Deception

“I have to say I’m a little disappointed, Klahanie.” Jay approached me, his face shadowed in the coming darkness. “I would have expected more of a fight from you.”

He mimicked my approach by stepping around the stilt to approach me from underneath the cabin. “But that’s okay. I’m generally a pretty patient guy, but…” He swung his head from side to side. “It’s been harder than usual keeping myself contained. You now have the satisfaction of knowing your sacrifice will keep me satiated for, well, a while. And you even saved another life, you might be interested to know. I thank you for that. And so would she, I’m sure.”

I didn’t have the energy to respond, even as he laughed. I needed to hold onto every ounce, even as a thousand comebacks bombarded my brain. Just a little bit closer…

Despite the swirl of sea water less than fifty feet away, I heard the slow crunch of his footsteps. They seemed very loud in my muted head, but any fear had already slipped away. There was no more room inside me. My emotions had gone numb.

“You know Hanes, I’m going to do a little something for you. I’m just such a magnanimous kind of guy, you know?”

I still didn’t give him the satisfaction of a response, and concentrated on the searing pain in my body to keep my mind from slipping. If I passed out, it would be over for me, and Noah might never recover.

“Huh. And I’d always taken you for the curious type. No worries though, because I’m going to tell you. Being the nice guy that I am, I’m going to fuck you before I kill you. Trust me, you’ll enjoy it. All women do. Call it a parting gift.”

He took that last step. I covered my head with my arms, and flung my legs outward to connect with the beam. Agony travelled upward from the impact and I was pretty sure I screamed, but couldn’t swear to it. A low crack split the air, followed by a rumble that escalated into a roar and a shriek, as if the world were tearing itself apart right above me.

A few moments later, dusk turned to night.

Chapter Forty-Two

Good evening, my fellow islanders. Christmas is just around the corner, and I trust you all are primed and ready. Or maybe you’re of the last-minute ilk, and that’s okay. Traditions vary from person to person, so no judgement here.

Word has it that Fred and Becky are inviting all locals to their family and friend gathering. If anyone feels like crashing … er … joining in on their festivities, just let our power couple know so they can plan accordingly.

Ms. Fran Deakins from our own “Village Gifts” wants to remind everyone that all her teapots are on sale, so if you haven’t grabbed a gift for your dear Aunt Betty, or Nana Millie, well, you may still be in luck. Don’t snooze and lose!

Diane Bennett, our lovely guest writer has chatted many of you up, but would like to put out a call to anyone who has not had the honor—those are my words, not hers. If you’re interested in a brief interview, IM me for her contact info.

That’s about it, so stay warm, stay cozy, and here’s some semi-silliness for my beautiful cryptid.

The DJ spun “Angel Eyes” from The Jeff Healy Band.

Chapter Forty-Three

I tried to focus through blurred, grainy eyes, and coughed dust and debris from my lungs. Frigid temps had settled into my blood, pressing hard from the outside, made worse by my own body betraying me.

The only sounds I heard were the rise and fall of the ocean, and the perpetual squawk of seagulls. If Jay was alive, he was either unconscious … or waiting. I shoved at the rise of panic, knowing I had limited resources. If he found me, he found me.

My position within the boulders had protected me for the most part. The cabin had slid down the embankment like a giant sled, the foundation crumbling, but the structure oddly intact. A chunk of debris from the corner of the structure rested over my legs, suspended by the huge rocks around me. I tried to pull from underneath and winced at the pain in my side. Doing my best to ignore it, I found my right foot caught within the narrow crevice between boulders. Teeth chattering, I took a deep breath and worked to inch it free. There seemed to be a little bit of wiggle room, but not quite enough for an easy escape. My debate was short. I started to count to three and yanked it at two, biting back a gasp. My sneaker stayed wedged, but my foot came loose, scraping through the rough basalt. Not pausing, I pulled myself from the tiny space, hoping to hell my movements didn’t trigger any further collapse.

I dragged myself over several more boulders, conscious of the knife in my thigh. If it somehow tore free, any chance I had would poof from existence. I had little doubt Jay had been truthful about the wound and knew my odds weren’t great. I just wasn’t ready to crap out either.

The staircase had been ripped from the structure at the top of the bluff and hung to the side like a broken neck. There was no way I could clamber up there. I used the railing at the base to pull myself to my feet and debated. It would be too easy to drop into a puddle. I figured I’d just go to sleep and drift into death. It wouldn’t take much at this point.

I shook my head, and my brain sung off key.

Fuck, no. Not ready. Too much to do.

I limped toward the embankment, pressing my arm into my side in a feeble attempt to push back the pain in my ribs. Some of the trees showed their roots, thanks to erosion, others seemed solid. Unsure, I continued along the beachline, looking for some kind of trail. Several yards ahead, I found what I hoped would lead me up and back to the house. The path was steep, but not insurmountable, at least, I hoped it wasn’t. If I wasn’t injured, I could easily scramble up there like a monkey. Clenching my teeth, I started my ascent, grabbing branches wherever I could, sometimes going down on all fours and digging into the earth and undergrowth with my fingers. Sweat poured into my eyes and my body felt like it intended to shake itself apart, but I crept forward, and concentrated on trying not to backslide. A few minutes later, I found level ground, but it took me a moment to make the realization. Darkness had stolen in, but further up, I could see Noah’s porchlight. At least, I hoped that’s what it was.

Just a little bit further. Not long now.

I hobbled toward the speck of brightness, startled when I eventually reached the walkway to his front door. My gaze dropped to the small mound a couple feet before me. My purse lay on its side, contents sprawled in an arc. I knew my phone had to be around here somewhere.

The sound of tires crunching on gravel made me look up when headlights washed over me. Shaking, I stared stupidly. It occurred to me that I might throw up, so I swallowed in quick succession.

“Oh, my God! Klahanie!” A familiar voice floated my way, followed by the slam of a door. Two sets of footfalls darted my way, and Dani and Dean swam into my vision.

“I don’t feel very good.” I informed them, and passed out.

---