Chapter Eighteen

Outside in the dark were the foul, smelly creatures that Rhea called; leeches. Many of them waited patiently outside the gates. One monster dared to step in through the gate. A scream ripped through my head but there was no pain, I watched out of the window in amazement as the house's gargoyles screeched to life. They flew from their perches and picked the creature up into the air and with a team effort pulled it apart, showering its body parts onto the others below. The leeches screamed as one of their own was ripped apart before them. More of the gargoyles swooped down and disembowelled the leeches with one slash of their great talons, more of the leeches screamed as they saw their comrades sliced in half. I then had to turn away from the bloodshed.

"How did they know I was here?" I asked.

"They must have tracked you by your dreams." Rhea suggested.

"What!" I replied.

"Yeah, I've told you about your dreams were of things to come didn't it, and they've used that connection to locate you. I was a fool to think you would be safe."

"Where the hell did those gargoyles from?"

"It's because of Sophia." Rhea pointed.

I looked over at Sophia, who was now sitting crossed legged on the marble floor. Her eyes glowed a bright white, and around the house a radiant white barrier formed, protecting us from the faceless creatures.

"Ellie, go upstairs please, you will be safe there." Rhea asked.

"No, I'm not going anywhere! I'll be safer with you." I protested.

"Fine, stay close then." said Rhea.

Sophia was still sitting on the floor with bright white eyes staring into nothingness. She had a dead look to her face, and there was no emotion.

"Is she OK?" I asked. From Sophia, there was a white radiance ebbing around her. It was so beautiful. The lights danced playfully around, Sophia growing brighter with every second.

"It's beautiful," I said I awe.

I reached out slowly and tried to touch the white lights that jetted around her.

"Ellie, no!" Rhea screamed.

I looked over at Rhea while still reaching out to the playful white beams. My hand gently touched the ebbing radiance and the white aura around Sophia turned red. I twisted through the air, landing hard on the marble floor. My vision blurred and I could hardly breathe. I tried to catch my breath while my heartbeat pounded in my chest. I could hear someone shouting my name as a blurred silhouette came running towards me, it was Rhea. She bent down and slowly got me to my feet. She placed her hand on my chest and I felt a warm heat flow through me.

"What was that?" I said as I tried to catch my breath.

"I'm so sorry, Ellie, I should have told you," she said. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine thanks but what didn't..," Then it quickly came to me "How's, Sophia? Is she OK?" I asked.

"She's-." Rhea's words were cut off.

There was loud a sound above, like breaking glass. Something was hitting the house loud and hard, and the building shook with force and the massive chandelier above us swung violently above our heads. The ear shattering noise surrounded the entire house. Outside, loud and shrill screams could be heard from the leeches. The outcry pierced through my skull. The pain was unbearable. But after a few seconds, the noise had died.

"What's that?" I asked.

"The barriers down, Ellie." Rhea said grimly.

"Then do another one!" I looked over at Sophia, who was lying face down on the floor. I rushed over to her.

"Sophia, wake up!" I said, slightly shaking her. "She's not waking up, Rhea. What do we do?" I yelled.

I looked up at Rhea, hoping she would do something. Rhea stared at something behind me. Her eyes were full of anger. I spun my head around and spotted the faceless leeches. There were four of them standing inside the house, all of them were panting heavily.

"Ellie!" Rhea called to me.

I tried to drag Sophia away, but for someone so little she was heavy. Rhea reached out and pulled both of us out of the oncoming path with an invisible force.

"Ellie, go upstairs, now!" Rhea shouted.

I looked at Sophia, who was still unconscious. I could not leave Rhea all to fight them all. The pack of four faceless creatures stalked towards us.

"How dare you enter my home!" Rhea yelled at them.

I watched Rhea conjure a blinding white light. She threw it from her hands and it exploded, sending them spiralling off into different directions. I ran towards the stairs, but the creatures barred my path. They came flooding in from outside. There was no end to them. If I left Rhea and Sophia, it would overwhelm them. One leech came towards me with its discolour red claws outstretched.

I quickly backed up from the disgusting creature and bumped into the small table behind me. I turned to it and grabbed the white crystal vase and smashed it over its scarred head. It shattered in my hands and sent him down to the floor. I saw Rhea in the corner of my eye fighting five of them at once. I rushed over to her, but I felt something grab my leg; The injured leech slashed at my leg, pulling me down.

He swiftly got up and towered over me. I tried to get to my feet, but the leech leant over me and punched me in the face. There was a rush of pain and the familiar taste of blood entered my mouth and I spat it out onto his face. The monster took out something in his pocket while more faceless leaches rushed over to me and pinned me to the floor. I winced in pain while their long talon nails dug into my flesh as the pain burned.

One of them licked its blood covered claws and enjoyed it. The leech again dug his nails into my skin and drew more blood. I screamed in pain and tried to fight against them. More of the leeches dug into my skin and lapped up the liquid from their sharp talons.

The first leech held in its hand, a needle filled with what looked like black fluid. My heart pulsed fast. I could not move. Closer and closer the needle came towards my bare flesh.

"No, don't!" I yelled.

The thought of needles brought me back to being in the hospital after the crash. Kate, it was my fault, all this was my fault. I should have died. Blood was being drained by the leeches. Slowly their black tongues began licking at the freshly cut wounds while pinning me down. No, no. Everything was building to a point where I thought I might explode. The pain, I could not bear it anymore.

I took a deep breath and screamed with all the energy I had left. The disgusting creatures around me have blown away, and the needle shattered in its hand. The ground around me split apart that travelled across the room and up the walls. The house rocked, and the walls crumbled and fall to the floor. The house was slowly falling apart around me. The glass in the house had shattered all at once, showering me with its pieces. Parts of the ceiling fell to the floor, breaking the clean marble floor. The stairs collapsed into a heap onto the cracked floor and the tapestries fell to the ground, broken and ripped by the glass. Electricity sparked from every light fixture, sending the whole chandelier down to the floor with a great gigantic crash, scattering its diamonds in every direction.

I was panting heavily, still reeling from the energy draining scream that I created.

I looked over at to find Rhea. She had become pinned by falling debris and I couldn't tell if she was alive, but more parts of the mansion fell to the floor. One of the surviving creatures ran towards me, but quickly killed by one of the giant pillars that supported the second floor. I covered my head and curled up in a ball as something broke through the ceiling and came crashing down.