Chương 207: B4. 10.3 - Monster Horror Flick

Amber Deen Leska Amber Deen stared down with contempt at Grayson, who vomited while writhing on the ground. From the smell, he also peed himself. A pathetic scumbag. The pain in Deen's left shoulder blade eased. It wasn't just Erind who needed a cathartic release. Deen should restrain Grayson for Cecilia's needs and return to the store in case Erind needed help. But Deen didn't do that. She couldn't subdue the temptation to lecture Grayson. This lowlife should listen to what she had to say.

"You're a disgraceful pervert and a sexual harasser," Deen said in a severe tone. Her words wouldn't change him—he no longer had a chance to do so. This lecture was for her satisfaction.

"You must've victimized many other women. It's a wonder you're not in jail… Justice finally caught up to you." She gasped. An Adumbrae wouldn't say those things! Her words could also be interpreted that she knew him. Grayson mumbled pleas to spare him. No apparent reaction to what she had said. Since she had already started, she should finish her spiel. This was the end of these frat boys anyway. None of them would survive this night to report to the authorities.

"There is no debate that you're an awful person," Deen went on.

"But that doesn't mean I have the right to kill you. The wrongs you've done in your life, and I'm sure there are many… I'm not the one who should judge and punish you for them." Her words rang hollow. She allowed this to happen, condemning the frat boys to their deaths. Even if Grayson deserved this, the others, especially the first years, probably didn't. But this wasn't about judging Grayson and his fraternity brothers. They simply had the misfortune of harassing the wrong people. This was about Erind.

"Please…. Don't..." Grayson clawed his way forward, raking the sand with his hands. His legs could barely move.

"Erind comes first," Deen said, walking beside him. She wanted to feel bad about the situation because it wasn't morally right. But there was nothing. She had to do this for Erind.

"Help!" Grayson suddenly screamed with the last of his strength.

"Anyone, help! I'm—!" Surprised by the outburst, Deen swung the shovel handle as if it were a golf club and Grayson's head was the golf ball. The shovel handle's end broke as Grayson rolled across the ground. Deen felt some blood flecks land on her face and arms.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…" Deen chased after the body, hoping Grayson was still alive. She had intended to kill him, but not as unceremoniously as that, and not just yet. Moreover, Cecilia repeatedly made it clear that they needed to capture at least one person alive. She explained that spinal fluid stopped circulating upon death and was absorbed by the blood vessels and surrounding tissues. Decomposing body parts also contaminated it. She wanted to extract the spinal fluid of a living individual.

Grayson bumped against the tires of Deen's car. She tried to pull him into an upright position. His body fell limply to the side. Shining her phone's light on him, she confirmed that he was dead. Very dead. The side of his head was caved in, with an eyeball even popping out. Deen closed her eyes. Breathe in. Breathe out. She squeezed the shovel she had found behind the store, though it was only a stick now, feeling the wood crack and compress inside her fist. Things not going according to plan… I hate this.

Should she release Cecilia from the trunk? They could rush harvesting Grayson's spinal fluid. But Erind hadn't exited the store yet; she probably wasn't done feeding. Deen didn't want Cecilia to have any clues that Erind was both a Corebring and an Adumbrae. If only Erind hadn't shown Cecilia the crystal from her palm. Deen had the right to be angry about it, didn't she?

Deen had to stop Cecilia's experiment, punching the box holding the crystal to retrieve it, so Cecilia wouldn't learn more and somehow trace it to Erind. Deen had to be responsible since Erind wasn't.

"Is it safe to check on Erind?" Deen asked, turning to the right. Gabe, a feathery white ball floating over her shoulder, didn't say anything. He simply continued to rotate while giving off light that didn't affect the darkness. That was answer enough. Deen grabbed Grayson's left leg and dragged him to her car. She kicked him, causing his body to roll on the ground to hide under the car. Only the pickup truck had tailed them. Where was Enrico's sports car?

Given what happened at Barstow Station, Deen expected Enrico to watch over his fraternity brothers like a hawk. Enrico wouldn't be too happy that Grayson and the others left him behind and might be looking for them, driving in this direction at this moment. Enrico, if he would come, shouldn't find the dead Grayson before Deen could attack them—yes, if Enrico went here, he'd have to die. Deen went up to the store's door that she had secured with a rusty chain.

Looking left, she recalled that one other person had exited the store before Grayson did. She didn't follow him, not wanting to leave Erind until she was sure everything was fine. She couldn't leave the truck either. She was right to stay because Grayson came shortly after. The person who fled into the desert would be their living specimen for Cecilia. They'd have to figure out how to track him without Erind transforming into Blanchette.

Despite her promise to Erind, Deen pressed her ear to the store's door, hoping to get a clue of what was happening inside. She wanted to be with Erind when she'd confront the frat boys. Her best friend was incredibly powerful and wouldn't have any problems even if there were a thousand of these jerks, but she didn't want to let her out of her sight. What if Erind lost control as she did at the docks? Deen should be there to make a connection with their Cores and push away the Adumbrae.

If Deen had her way, she'd weld their hands together. However, Erind was adamant that she didn't want Deen to see or hear'that side' of her. Deen was confident that she could stomach witnessing… whatever was going to happen. But she also realized Erind's concern—it might affect their relationship. Not on Deen's part. Erind would most certainly be ashamed of herself. Deen didn't want her best friend to be uncomfortable, driving a wedge in their relationship. You might be reading a pirated copy.

Look for the official release to support the author.

"Is it… over?" Deen whispered to herself. There were gunshots earlier, followed by fearful shouting. Deen's interpreted that Erind was fine and had started to eat the guys inside. The fact that no one escaped the store after Grayson meant that Erind had killed all of them. Oh, there's one left alive… Deen stopped breathing as she listened to the agonized cries of a man. She couldn't tell which one it was. His words were inaudible, but his suffering was unmistakable. Erind was doing horrible things to him.

Deen almost puked at the thought of Erind biting human flesh and munching on bones. It turned out that it was for the best that Deen wasn't inside to see this. I fed humans to an Adumbrae, Deen realized, feeling the guilt gripping her heart. The immorality of what she had done hit only now. This was far, far beyond killing someone. These guys may not be exactly good people, but they didn't deserve this kind of end. Deen tightly shut her eyes as if that would turn off her brain.

She kept on listening, as if it'd lessen her sins. Erind was an Adumbrae. Deen had to accept there'd be more instances like this in the future. The next time that Erind's Adumbrae side would flare up, Deen intended to offer her own arm for Erind to eat. Deen wasn't able to do so earlier because Cecilia was there. The Adumbrae in Erind would prefer brains, but Deen hoped that her arm could stave off that hunger until Erind regained control. No more screams. Deen waited for several seconds. Sounds of movement inside.

She stood up, about to knock on the door, when she heard noise from the left of the store. Was someone climbing out of the window? Unsure whether it was Erind or a surviving frat boy, Deen turned off her phone's light. [Hide behind your car.] What? Shouldn't she chase the person who left the store? If it were Erind, she could've changed into Blanchette to hunt the last remaining frat boy. There was a part of Deen that wanted to meet the Adumbrae side of Erind again. Would Deen be able to talk to the Adumbrae?

It might just be wishful thinking, but she wanted to try to convince it to leave Erind alone. Could she offer her own body to save—? Gabe repeated his instructions. [Hide behind your car.] Behind my car? It didn't make sense to hide, unless… Deen looked around to check what her Guardian Angel was warning her about. Are those headlights? A car had veered off the main road and headed towards the gas station. As it approached, Deen noticed its red color.

She couldn't clearly make out its body, but its lights were positioned closer to the ground than usual. A sports car had low ground clearance. How many sports cars drove through this stretch of the desert nearing midnight? This had to be Enrico. He might also have other fraternity brothers with him.

"How did they know to come here?" Deen wondered, slinking into the shadows of her car. The sports car parked by the gas station. Two guys alighted and rushed to Grayson's truck. Deen listened to them exclaim about the broken window. She recognized Enrico's voice. They became more concerned as they found blood, bullet casings, and the shovel's head, bent out of shape from blocking bullets. While the two investigated the truck, Deen crept around her car, emerging on the other side.

Gabe instructed her to head to the sports car without being seen. Enrico and his friend loudly concluded that a fight caused the truck's broken window. Perhaps some of the frat boys disagreed with Grayson's plans. They think Grayson is assaulting us, Deen thought. For a moment, she wanted to stop Enrico. He only wanted to save them. He even helped them at the diner. But she had to prioritize her and Erind's safety. All potential witnesses should die.

"I'm going to find those idiots," said Enrico.

"You go call help."

"What? How?" asked his friend.

"I don't have a signal! The nearest police station might be a bazillion miles away."

"Here are my keys. Drive until you get a signal. Call 911. Go!" As Enrico headed to the store with a gun drawn, Deen sprinted to the cover of the truck, careful to avoid the sports car's headlight. Gabe instructed her how not to get spotted by Enrico's friend. Deen knew that she had to prevent him from leaving at any cost. Looking behind her, she saw that Enrico pulled the chains on the store's door. He cursed and ran to the side.

He probably assumed that the store was closed all along and his frat brothers must be somewhere hiding behind it. Enrico was out of sight. His friend had reached the car. Its engine revved, followed by the sounds of tires crunching gravel. No instructions from Gabe? Did that mean the plan she had in mind was correct? Deen waved her hands as she ran towards the sports car, making sure that its beams were on her.

"Help! Help me, please!" But the car didn't stop. It continued reversing to the main road. Actually, it was gradually picking up speed. Did the driver not see her? He couldn't have thought that she was a monster, right? [Throw stick.] Deen almost laughed. Was this seriously the way to stop the car? Perhaps she shouldn't find it funny because she was about to skewer a person. Gabe rattled off instructions on how to do it with perfect form.

"Yah!" Deen launched the shovel handle. It whistled through the air and penetrated the passenger's side window as the car righted itself on the road. The pole most likely hit the driver on the other side. The car stopped.

"I… did it? I did it!" Deen's arms tingled, adrenaline rushing throughout her body. She tried to wipe her huge grin; she shouldn't celebrate murder. Not murder! No. She had no choice but to stop the car. Enrico's friend would've called for help if not for her. Erind can feed in peace. Deen vigorously shook her head. She wasn't feeding an Adumbrae. She was helping a very precious person to her. Erind was the first best friend she ever had. A true friend.

Someone who didn't care about her appearance, her family, social connections, and all those things external to her. Erind relied on her, not as 'Amber Deen Leska', the socialite, but as her own person. As a best friend. And Deen wouldn't fail Erind. Deen sprinted to the sports car and quickly checked the driver—he was very dead, the stick having skewered his head. She then kicked the car's headlights to turn them off. She didn't want passing vehicles to remember a sports car in this area.

Then, she pushed the sports car off the interstate and back to the side road leading to the gas station. So far, there were no passersby. How are we going to hide these vehicles? Hiding the sports car and the pickup truck behind the store would only work for so long. Once helicopters and drones flew overhead, searching for the children of important people, they'd spot the vehicles. Burying them would take too much time.

"I'll think about that later," Deen mumbled, jogging back to the store. What should she do next? Wait until Erind returns? That was their agreement. Deen was certain that Erind had gone off to find the last of Grayson's group. Erind wouldn't have a problem with Enrico either, even though he had a gun. But… maybe Erind needed help in the darkness? Or Deen could hide and observe what Erind would do. If Erind didn't know that Deen broke her promise, then there'd be no problems.

"Is that them?" Deen spotted flickering light in the small dunes behind the store. She decided to head over there.