69: Somewhere in the Dark . . .
Even before she was fully conscious, Cordelia’s hand slid up to cover the healed scar on her abdomen, a protective move that she remained unaware. Scattered images flashed, her senses reeling, warning of danger even as the phantom ache she tried to rub away sparked an instant of deja vu.
Cradled by darkness, a pulse of fear jarred her awake, a gasp on her lips. There was no light in the room when her eyes opened, pure blackness all around her as encompassing as when she had been unconscious.
Her head throbbed. It took a moment to remember why. “Bev!” It was a choked whisper as emotions welled up so fast they swallowed her scream.
Cordy never discovered how the demon had gotten inside. She had been back in the bedroom changing her clothes when it happened. When Bev’s scream of terror was followed immediately by the sounds of a fight, Cordelia knew they were in trouble.
The living room was hardly large enough for a bulky bad guy and a nimble Slayer to tussle. Bev was on the sidelines of the fight. She had obviously gotten over the eye-opening realization that there were such things as demons and moved right along to being seriously pissed that said demon was wrecking her house.
“I can handle this,” Faith had promised Bev simultaneously dodging a blow while arching her leg up behind her. Her booted heel connected sharply, knocking him off balance.
The lampshade went flying as the demon landed hard on the end table breaking the ceramic lamp into shards. While it was down, the demon turned its attention to her. Cordelia remembered the beady-eyed red stare; standing frozen under its intense gaze as she realized it would do anything to get to her.
“Why you—,” Bev was incensed at it all, aware only that the ugly thug had broken into her home. Picking up the hall phone, “I’m calling 911.”
“Cor, get out now. Both of you,” Faith had warned just as the demon gathered itself up launching back to its feet.
With a start, Cordelia took a jerky step toward her grandmother as Faith stepped in between them and the demon. Mister Beady Eyes let out a roar of irritation and took a swipe at them despite the superhuman punches pounding him in the gut. With a shriek, Cordy grabbed Bev’s wrist and tugged her toward the front door.
Despite Faith’s efforts, the demon slipped past. After that, only flashes of memory came back to with any clarity. The rest was a blur. Cordy remembered that Faith had pulled out a knife.
The demon lunged, knocking Bev aside and making a grab at Cordelia who was incensed at seeing her grandmother tossed down the hall like a rag doll. Her own efforts to fight back were merely an annoyance to the creature, but distraction enough that Faith got in a few arcing slices, a stab or two and another hard kick.
“It’s after Cor,” Faith’s hasty explanation spurred Bev into action. “Just go. I’ll try to hold him off.”
Now it was her grandmother’s turn to try to get her out of the house. Cordy knew Faith would have had an easier fight without them getting in the way. Getting Bev to safety was her top priority even before her own.
Only the demon was not about to let them go.
The demon lunged for her, unwavering determination on its gruesome face. What happened next took place within seconds. Bev pushed her out of the way sending Cordelia stumbling out the door. The ground came up hard and fast.
Dazed, Cordelia had turned to see Bev blocking the demon’s path. Faith then ran up to stop him, dagger in hand, ready to plunge it into the demon’s back.
Screams followed.
Cordelia’s hand slipped up to her own throat noting its soreness as she swallowed down the memory. The screams were hers.
There had been a flash of movement, bodies shifting faster than her hazy brain was able to follow. Then Bev toppled over with Faith’s dagger imbedded in her chest. The fighting continued, but Cordelia saw none of it as she crawled back toward the steps.
Someone hauled her to her feet, restrained her and then whispered in her ear. It barely registered as Cordelia struggled to break free. A rush of adrenalin gave her the strength to pull one arm out of the binding grip of her captor. She reached out for Bev whose dying gaze was focused on her.
The distance was too great for her outstretched fingers. As the light faded from her grandmother’s eyes, Cordelia’s world suddenly went black.
Sitting up, surrounded by darkness, Cordelia tried to push aside her grief to focus on the here and now. She swiped at her tears with the back of her hand, sniffing the rest away. The still air was cool against her skin and she noticed for the first time that her clothing was gone, all of it.
Cordelia gasped wondering who had stripped her bare, a flash of anger sweeping over her. She instinctively reached out to pull up the soft cotton sheets and only afterward realized that she was on a bed. Hardly the expected accommodations for a future sacrifice, she considered, unless the bed and the nakedness were all part of the ritual.
Shuddering at the thought, she tugged the top sheet loose and wrapped it around her body in sarong fashion. Edging off the mattress, Cordelia tested the flooring with her toe, hoping she wouldn’t find anything gross or alive down there. It was roughly textured cement.
She wobbled to her feet, groaning at the whoosh and sudden dizziness as her blood rushed downward. “Whoa! Headrush.”
Her head was still reeling when a creaking door sounded behind her. Cordelia turned as fast as her tightly wrapped sheet would allow. “Back off, you bastard! Unless you’re here to return my clothes, just get out. There will be no sacrificing tonight whatsoever,” she snapped.
A crack of light appeared around the door as it opened, the air stirring up a familiar metallic scent. She knew this place, dreaded the memory of it as it haunted her dreams. Cordelia’s hand moved to her abdomen again, subconsciously covering the site of her old rebar injury.
The fear she had felt at the moment of awakening returned full force along with the shadowy memory of sharp and then dull, persistent pain. Cordelia felt the sting of salty tears again as the door opened fully to reveal the dark silhouette of her captor.
