Inside Evil

Chapter 17 - Part I

*Inside Evil and its sequels are available on Amazon, Kobo, B&N, Smashwords and iBooks*  

Roberta hadn't managed to get through many streets before there was the roaring of a car engine behind her. She turned, full of anticipation to ward off the detective who had become her shadow of late, but saw Sam frowning at her through his unwound window.

"Where are you going?"

"Sam, you can't come," Roberta replied, continuing to hurry down the street. He followed at a snail's pace, keeping up as she scurried towards the beckoning trees.

"I'm not letting you go alone Roo, that was never part of the deal."

"Don't you get it Sam?" Roberta said fiercely as she stopped and looked at Sam. "I'm going to die, tonight. You can't be anywhere near me when it happens."

"So, I won't come near you," Sam responded quickly. "But I'm not about to let you go into those woods alone."

"Why can't you leave me alone?" Roberta screamed, trying desperately to show anger on her face even though she felt exactly the opposite.

"Get in the car," Sam replied, leaning over to the passenger side and pushing the door open.

Roberta looked at Sam for a few moments as she studied his face. She saw a pleading look behind his eyes and knew only too well that he was trying to cover this emotion with one of strength.

"I have flashlights, blankets and hand warmers. Get in the car and we'll go and find these clearings together," Sam said.

As soon as Roberta was in the car, she realised that Sam was entirely right. The sun had barely set and there were still many hours before midnight.

"Thanks Sam," she said meekly, unable to catch his eye and instead fidgeting with the kitten who was still curled up inside her pocket.

"There's a dirt road into the woods that the foresters use now and again. If we can get up there we might be able to get further into the trees than before. Explore places we haven't been yet.

Roberta didn't respond and simply watched the glowing houses as they rolled by. Curtains were drawn, families were arriving home and life was going on as normal. Nobody else realised the struggle that was going on outside their very doors; a struggle which was almost certainly going to end with Roberta's untimely death.

Ahead of them the small woodland park came into view, the patch of barely tended sprawl looking dark and unwelcoming. The trees on the other side cut out much of the sky and seemed all the more eerie, and with the full moon now a distant memory, little light shone down upon the scene.

In front of the car, a figure scurried across the road onto the pavement and hastened down towards the park. The full beam of the headlights caught upon the figure's face, causing it to momentarily look up, casting an icy gaze upon Roberta. There was no way to stop the burning in her stomach and flames seemed to lick at Roberta's soul. Without thinking she pulled the wheel away from Sam, swerving the car in the direction of the figure.

"What the hell are you doing? Roberta! Stop!"

Sam's voice was of little help to Roberta as her entire head could only hear the pounding of her own heart in her chest. She fought for the wheel, the car swerving back and forth along the street as she dug her nails into Sam's hand in a bid to get him to release his grip and give her control. The figure's face was clearly caught in the beam again, and this time Roberta saw Susan's expression change. Susan attempted to leap out of the way as the vehicle came thundering towards her, another figure becoming caught in the beams as Martha gripped her friend's arm and dragged her away.

The car was slowing, and Roberta unleashed her full force upon Sam as she tried to kick her foot across to the driver's side and gain access to the accelerator pedal. Martha and Susan crushed by the car. Roberta smiled at the thought of managing to finally rid the world of Susan Lingly.

There was a sudden pain in her leg and Roberta looked down to find that Faithful had climbed from her pocket and thrust his tiny needle-like claws into her thigh. She screamed aloud and tried to smash his face with her spare hand, but the tiny fur ball simply pushed his claws deeper into her flesh with a bout of additional searing agony. He yowled and writhed on her lap, and Roberta's hands became slack as the car careered out of control and hit the wooden gate to the forest. Faithful flew off Roberta's lap and hit the windscreen with a thud before lying on the dashboard limply. Roberta saw that blood was appearing on her trousers where the kitten had slashed her skin. She opened the door with a creak and dragged herself from the car, looking at the bonnet which was crumpled against the gate. The gate itself had buckled, the chain and lock having been ripped from the wood that it was carefully keeping closed.

The moment that Faithful had been torn from Roberta's leg, the fire in her soul had returned, causing a rush of blood to her head which almost blinded her. She flicked her eyes around like a predatory beast before they rested upon Susan who was standing several metres away with Martha.

"Keep her away from me," Susan screamed as Roberta lunged towards her. Martha pulled her friend away but not before Roberta had managed to bring her hand down upon her victim's face. A spark of euphoria vibrated through Roberta's body as she felt her knuckles contact Susan's bony cheek and saw the woman fall away from her. From her left, Roberta saw the detective racing down the road towards the scene, but the only individual in her real sights was Susan, and she readied to place another punch upon the woman's face, one that would inflict real damage.

"Roberta."

The sound of her name momentarily caught Roberta off guard and she whirled around to see Sam standing on the other side of the crumpled car. In his hands he held a writhing ball of fur which he launched into the air towards her. The spitting and yowling ball of fury soared through the air, and Roberta put her hands up to save her face from being torn apart by the kitten's razor sharp claws. It landed upon her, raking lines in her palm which instantly started to bleed. As quickly as the head pounding and bloody vision had occurred it vanished, leaving Roberta feeling limp and terrorised.

"I don't know what's happening to me," Roberta said, looking towards where Susan was clutching her face.

"Yes you do," cried Martha. "You have to fight it, don't let it win!"

Roberta, her panic really rising now, looked up and saw the image that had become so fearful to her, a waning half moon hanging in the sky. As quickly as Faithful's enforced clarity landed upon her, Roberta knew what she had to do. Even with the kitten in her grasp, there was only so long she could hold back the urge to attack Susan again. Turning her back on the gathering in the street Roberta fled as fast as her legs would take her, racing past the crumpled car towards the woods.    

*I will be posting one or two scenes a week as the story builds. However, if you can't wait that long, Inside Evil is available on Amazon, Kobo, B&N, Smashwords and iBooks.

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