Secrets In The Bones: The Curse of Blood Bay

Twenty five

We lost the 4 x 4 before we hit the country lanes between Rora and Longside—a two-car pile-up just behind a Cortina on its side down a ditch by a farm entrance. Three marked police units had their hands full, and the Landy got spooked and disappeared. We were heading in the right direction, but no signs.

As we approached, an unsettling sensation churned in the pit of my stomach. Instinct warned of trouble, especially if McNally's nefarious associates followed. They left a head in a box, anticipating our move. We were playing into the hands of these scoundrels who fancied themselves as werewolf hunters. Michael remained hyper-focused, sinister yellow flashes in his eyes. The beast within him was on edge, perhaps sensing the impending danger.

Ellena, asleep, showed no signs of waking from the tarmac to dirt roads. Another uncomfortable mile and the unmistakable scent of charred wood reached us. Finally, a sign should have welcomed us to Oxley, but it was sprayed with red paint resembling blood.

"It's not too late to turn back, Georgie," Michael broke his concentration as we passed over a cattle grid. Suddenly, the world transformed, revealing how profoundly this town had been forgotten. Oxley resembled quaint American towns seen on television, minus white picket fences—though not anymore.

Oxley had lost its homes; a parade of shops lay in ruins. Michael slowed, and I rolled down my window to take in the eerie silence. Ellena, disoriented but awake, clutched my arm tightly. Scorched wind and kicked-up dust filled the air. Michael's eyes flickered once more, and my claws emerged.

This town was saturated with death. That sickly feeling from earlier had taken on a life of its own. I sensed something unsettling—no heartbeats, just overwhelming pain.

My senses tuned to the pain imprinted on this forsaken place. It was excruciating, pervasive, and overwhelming, as if the pain had taken on a tangible form. Something sinister surrounded us—still, no heartbeats. It was unlike anything I had encountered.

As I tried to make sense of the unnerving situation, the first ghostly figure materialised before us, peering through the shattered window of a hardware store. A man in his thirties, adrift. Michael must have noticed the dread on my face. Ghosts unsettled me, and I couldn't fathom why. Lately, encountering them had become unsettling, adding to the eerie atmosphere of this macabre town.

No sooner had I seen the first apparition than many others manifested around us. They appeared, drifting before vanishing. The whole town seemed to teem with these ephemeral spectres.

"What are we looking for, matey?" Michael inquired, his face reflecting curiosity and disgust at the town's state.

"Michael, I wish I knew. This place is dreadful, and I can see why it's been abandoned. Let's check the houses and leave here as quickly as possible. I imagine we might find something inside that could shed light on what transpired here," I reply.

"But what about these ghosts?" Ellena chimed in, showing signs of life.

"Yes," I confirmed. "The whole town is filled with them. They appear and disappear, though."

"Oh great, so now we have Casper to contend with," Michael quips, injecting humour into the situation.

We shared a momentary laugh, a rare respite amid this grim exploration. However, my senses remained on high alert. I had an unsettling feeling that a twist in our journey was imminent. Call it paranoia or the uncanny way our cases often took unexpected turns, especially after the previous night had spiralled into chaos. This time, we didn't have a vampire to remove a bullet. I wanted to find a haven with Michael before the full moon's influence became overwhelming. Somewhere away from prying eyes, just in case, it affected us more intensely than expected.