Liberty (A Barren Luna)

Chapter 12

Finnick POV

I was just pulling into my garage when my phone began to buzz in my pant pocket. I immediately fished it out, the iPhone screen revealing an unknown number. Answering the call, I brought up the phone to my ear only to recoil and drop it to the ground as I heard a piercing shriek like that of a siren.

The shriek was followed by a voice which simply said "Come and get him," before the call was abruptly ended. As I recovered from the shriek which caused fear to settle deep into my bones I immediately sprung to action. That sound was one I was not accustomed to, but I could only imagine it would belong to a Mere.

Dashing into my mechanic garage I made sure to grab my blade which was hidden amongst the cabinets of paperwork before running back out towards my car. There was a large black storm cloud hovering over, the threat of heavy downpour imminent as I closed my door shut. I stared at my slightly scratched up screen wondering If to call Dana, and as I dialled her number the call went to voicemail just as I started up my car.

"Dana, It's about Daelan. I hope you get this and when you do, meet me at the same place we went yesterday," Ending the voicemail I drove with full speed towards the block of apartments which Daelan and his mother resided in which were at the edge of town. Pulling up to the apartments I held my blade close to me in my pant pockets, my eyes focusing on the top apartment which was where Daelan lived.

Opening my door the rain drops fell like miniature bullets on my skin but I didn't worry. Just as I was heading up the stairs leading to the top level a hand grabbed my shoulder and I immediately got into defence mood only to see it was Dana.

I nodded at her and she nodded back before we both went up the stairs. All that could be heard were the sounds of the heavy rainfall outside which echoed through the large and scanty building. Every step I took on the cement steps felt heavy, and my heart was beating uncontrollably at the thought of the shriek which I heard. We reached the top level and without second thought I rammed myself through the wooden door which was unlocked, the scent of fresh blood quickly hitting my nostrils.

The stench was enough to make bile rise and threaten to spill out of my throat. The place was turned upside down, furniture broken and wallpaper torn off the walls in strips. There were several scents, the most prominent being that of Daelan as I ran inside the house following it as it was fresh. I came to a closed door where I could hear heavy breathing and knocked it open, coming face to face with a sight which would forever be burned into my memory.

I was in a bathroom, a room once covered in white tiles now turned into a blood bath. Daelan was in a large bathtub having a bath in his own blood, and as I came in his head slowly turned to face me, his bright aqua blue eyes shining into my soul and filled with sorrow. I felt weak at the knees but ran to his side, wondering how this could have possibly happened.

"They came for me," He whispered as a tear slid down his young face. My heart constricted as I took in the full sight. His body was submerged in the bloodied water of the bath tub, his chest and above sticking out on one side while his torso was obscured in the water. On the other side of the bath tub his long dark green tail was sticking out. Dana was frozen behind me as she took in the sight also.

"Quickly, let's bring him out. Dana is there not anything you can do to save him?" I shouted frantically as she rushed to the other end of the tub. I put my hands under his armpits to lift him up just as she placed her hands on his tail, and then the day became even more of a nightmare. As we both lifted what we thought to be Daelan's body out we realised he had been cut in half, separated at the waist with his tail. Dana began to scream as she dropped his lower body to the blood covered tile floor and a cold feeling ran down my back.