All It Takes - Chapter Eight

"Why did you let him kill me, Kaylee? Why did I have to die?"

Sherri's pleading voice had forced its way into my dreams and kept me from getting any sort of restful sleep and, after Eric had left for his own home, I'd gotten out of bed, pulled on a pair of flannel pajama pants, and left my room. There was no use in trying to sleep. Too much had happened.

I stood on the roof I used as my balcony, letting the freezing night air roll over my shoulders as I tried to sort through and piece together all that had happened in just a matter of hours. Sherri had been killed and Nicolas had been with her. I had found her and then he'd confronted me. After that, there was only blackness. What had he done to me while I was unconscious? Sure, I'd been brought back home but someone had changed me out of my dress and into a shirt. Was Nicolas the one that brought me home? Surely it was because nobody had followed me into the forest or been with me when I'd woken up. Was it Nicolas that brought me home and changed my clothes? Was he the killer? Had he done something to my unconscious body? I flustered at the thought of it and buried my face in my hands and forced my thoughts into a different direction.

Sherri… What had she done to deserve such a brutal death? From what little I could remember, it had looked as if she'd been mauled by a bear. Whatever had attacked her had a field-day with her body…Her stomach had looked like fresh, raw meat thrown into a meat-grinder. Blood had been everywhere… Her face was frozen in a final look of terror and her already-too-pale skin the color of snow.

"Tell me Kaylee, why did you let her die?"

The blood in my veins turned to ice and my limbs grew too heavy to move.

"That's right. Fear me, Kaylee. Fear makes your flesh sweet and scrumptious." The voice purred next to my ear and, like a creeping panther, the creature that I'd seen in my nightmares slid its body along the wall I'd been leaning on, looking up into my face like a starving animal. It reached out with a half-decayed hand and wrapped it's long, ice-cold fingers around my neck, yanking me closer. "You're at my mercy, you stupid little girl. And you're going to come with me, conscious or not." It cackled.

The fear in my heart faltered and I somehow managed to pull away. I darted into my room and, just as my hand curled around something on my bedside table and turned, the creature pushed my back onto my bed, its decaying-hands pinning my shoulders to the mattress.

"And just where do you think you're going?" It laughed wildly as it withdrew a knife from the belt hanging around its hip and pressed the tip of the blade just below my right eye. "Where should I start cutting you, the face or the chest?" It said with a sneer clear in its voice as it dragged the tip of the blade harmlessly down my cheek, neck, and chest, resting the tip just above my heart. I gasped softly when he dug the tip down into my skin.

Without thinking, I jerked my arm forward and drove the blade of the knife in my hand down to the hilt in its thigh. The creature made a gasping sound and all but flung itself away, ripping the knife out of its leg in the process. I gripped the knife in my hand and shot off my bed, making a bee-line for my bedroom door. In turn, the creature slammed itself into my door before landing on the floor in front of it, facing me with blood-thirsty, disconcertingly pale blue eyes. "Bad move, Kaylee. You'll quickly learn to regret drawing blood." It growled.

Spinning around, I tore through my room and made it back onto the balcony just to turn on my heel and have the creature pounce on my and pin me to the floor. It laughed in my face, the wolf skull shaking wildly as it leaned closer.

Just as it made to drive the blade of its knife down into my chest, I closed my eyes and braced myself. But the strike never came. Instead, it leaped away from me and I was yanked off the ground. Someone then clamped their hand over my eyes and grabbed my hand that still clutched the knife. I started to fight them but there was little point. It was painfully obvious was stronger and who had the advantage. "Just hold still." A weirdly familiar voice breathed into my ear and I actually found myself calming down.

"This is no concern of yours, fallen one. You have long since lost the power to protect anyone." The creature hissed from what sounded like a few feet away, its voice suddenly disturbingly human.

"Tell me, Wendigo, what business do you have with the girl?" The voice behind me asked. I could tell it was a boy, and he sounded almost painfully familiar, but his voice was distorted just enough to keep me from putting a name and face with it.

"Our business does not concern you, fallen one. It would be wise for you to leave while you still can." The beast chortled maniacally, its feet scuffing along the ground as it came closer to us. I gasped painfully when dozens of what feel like glass shards raked across my arms, cutting deep before vanishing again.

"Forgive me for this," He whispered in my ear and swept his hand down my face, allowing me to open my eyes - but all I saw was blackness.

"W-What –"

"Relax," He breathed and slipped his hand around mine, taking the knife from my hands and moving in front of me, holding me close behind him. "You have no business with the girl Wendigo. Leave this place now!" He ordered in a booming voice.

A low growling met my ears and I trembled, the boys arm tightening at my waist as he drew me closer to him. "You have won this round, fallen one. But you will severely regret interfering with this affair." It hissed and a gust of wind rushed past us.

A moment passed before the boy wrapped his free hand around my waist and guided me forward. After a few feet, we entered my bedroom and he shut the door before directing me over to my bed. There, he sat me down and moved away before returning with a wet rag. After diligently cleaning the numerous cuts on my arms and wrapping me up in bandages from my shoulders to my hands, he knelt in front of me. I flinched instinctively when he cupped his hand against my cheek.

"I ask that you forgive me for all that has happened. I should never have interfered." He said in such a sad voice that a lump rose in my throat and my eyes stung. I blinked but couldn't see anything more than the darkness he'd caused. "I will leave you now." He breathed and stepped away from me.

"W-Wait, I –"

"Your eyesight will return once I am gone." He promised. A gust of wind hit me and I closed my eyes. A minute or so later, a knock sounded at my door and I looked towards it. True to his word – whoever he actually was – I could in fact see again.

"Kaylee, can I come in?"

My eyebrows furrowed. It was my dad, but why did he sound so…troubled? I looked down at my arms. He would get so worried if he knew all that had happened to me… "Let me put some clothes on." I said quickly and limped over to my dresser. I reached inside and pulled off the shirt I'd been wearing and pulled on a dark red short-sleeve and then a black turtleneck – no sense in making it easy for any blood to be seen should I start bleeding again. I then removed my night-shorts and yanked on some jeans before going over to my door and pulling it open. My dad stood there with a man by his side. His eyes were dark with worry and fear. "What's wrong?" I asked worriedly. The last time my dad had looked scared had been when my mother had died.

Then concern showed in his eyes and he stepped forward, cupping his hands to my cheeks and brushing his thumb across the cuts on my cheeks. "What on earth happened?" He asked nervously.

"The, uh, light bulb in the bathroom blew and actually broke. Some of the shards caught my in the face. It's alright. Now, what's going on?" I asked and looked towards the man. He was easily six feet tall and bullet-proof with muscles packed upon muscles and poorly hidden in a Haven Police uniform. The man stepped forward and held out his hand. "Hello Miss Taymyr. I am sorry to have to meet you under these circumstances but I'm afraid you'll have to come with me." He explained coldly, his eyes hidden behind a air of aviator sunglasses.

"Who are you?" I asked defensively, taking a step back to put some distance between us. I didn't like him at all. Something didn't quite settle right with me.

"My name is Tony Belizaire, Chief of Haven Police. Now, you can come with me peacefully or I can arrest you as a suspect in the murder investigation of Sherri Pearce." He said, his hand resting above his belt where his handcuffs were.

"Now just calm down Tony, you have no grounds to arrest my daughter." Dad practically growled as his face paled with both anger and terror. He then took a deep breath and turned back to me. "Just…get dressed and we can get this over with as soon as possible, alright?"

I could've cried right there and then. He looked about ready to faint. I nodded before going over to my closer, pulling on a dark wool pea coat, and pulled on my knee-high black boots before returning to my door way.

"We'll need you to bring the dress you wore to the festival." Chief Belizaire stated simply, stepping ahead of my father and rolling his shoulders.

I turned and looked around my room. After doing a somewhat-thorough look-around and coming up empty, I groaned. "I…don't know where it is." I said. Things were going wonderfully. Now, not only was I hurt from head to toe, but now I looked like a potential murderer.

"Come with me Miss Taymyr, we get to go for a little ride downtown." Chief Belizaire said with a hint of humor in his voice that sent a chill down my spine.

"I want her to ride with me. You can follow us if you want. But she's going to ride with me." Dad said firmly, standing his ground.

After a few tense moments of silence, Belizaire smirked before nodding. "Fine by me, but don't think of trying to come up with a clever story, Daniel." He said threateningly. Belizaire might have been five or ten years older than my father but he still acted like a stubborn, proud teenage jock planning some kind of sick prank.

Dad took my wrist in his hand and guided me out of my room, past Chief Belizaire, and down the stairs. I dreaded whatever was about to come. There was no way it was going to be good.