THE FULL MOONS PART 2. DAY NINE. TIME WAS RUNNING OUT

The night crept in.

Cora couldn't see it, she now instinctively felt it. Every fibre of her being was on alert.

She sat there waiting for him. Angrily she yanked the chain again. He had obviously heard her shouting and she didn't know quite what to expect next. Cora was still in two minds whether to remain calm or just fight for survival. The sore rash on her ankle was open and agitating her. The room smelt of her. Badly. There was a murderous anger bubbling away inside her. She missed Eugenia so much. Cora knew that Eugenia and the authorities would look for her, but would they find her in time. Because time, she knew, was running out. She would have to pick her moment. She would have to rely on herself.

He knocked and entered without her consent.

"Here is your tea Mother. We have been a little agitated today haven't we? Do drink some tea and try to calm yourself"

"Thank you. Yes. My ankle is sore. Please remove the chain."

He ignored that.

"While you eat, I will fetch the shoes, oh you will be pleased, and we can try them on too.

Don't worry mother, it won't be long and soon all your troubles will disappear."

He didn't come close enough. He left. So time had run out then. Cora ate the soggy tuna and cucumber sandwiches. She sipped the tea with fear that it was drugged but she needed liquids. Her mouth was so dry it was hard to swallow. So she took a little and tipped the rest into the commode.

—-

The night crept in.

A car parked in a quiet badly lit backstreet. Fiona spoke first.

"You all must wait here."

Mulan looked at Eugenia, she had insisted on being there. Where else would she be.

Fiona continued

"I am used to this we can't all go creeping about. Ruby, give me your phone"

Fiona typed a number in.

"Now, if I am gone too long or am in trouble don't put yourselves in danger, ring that number and tell them an officer is down. Okay? I presume..."

She looked at the girls,

"I presume you will know if I get into trouble?"

They nodded. Fiona left.

"Granny? Granny do we just sit here then? I can't just sit here the night is calling me. There are so many smells in the air. I need to get out."

"No my sweet girl, we go in. You give the word. Anyhow sitting on my hands is not my style"

Mulan smiled and nodded. She looked up at the night sky. She felt hungry. She felt the need to run. She could hear the city breathing. She felt her body growing strong.

This was difficult for Granny. She had wanted to take charge so badly. Group and storm was her tactics. That's how she would have handled this. Surprise your enemy by jumping them because that's the last thing they expect. Fiona had no weapons, but she had numbers, powerful ones. She and Fiona had discussed this earlier at the hotel. Granny wanted to explain but knew it would sound crazy. The DI was insistent. For now Eugenia would respect that. For now.

She opened the bag she had been cradling. The girls needed food.

—-

The tea was drugged. Cora felt heady and weak, but still awake enough to plan.

He knocked and entered with a bundle which he rocked gently as if it were a baby.

He laid it down on the floor at her feet. She tensed.

He unwrapped the cloth and held a shoe up.

"Look Mother, look, isn't it beautiful?"

Cora looked. The shoe was bad news. She felt sick to her stomach.

"Let's try them on, shall we, can we".

It wasn't really a question he just went ahead.

They didn't fit. They wouldn't fit. These shoes were tailor made for his mother. He got very twitchy and kept trying, sweating profusely whilst grabbing her foot roughly which in turn hurt her ankle, the pain started to get through.

Cora broke.

"You stupid fuck, I am not your Mother"

But he couldn't hear. He was devastated. He stood up and glared at her accusingly. Then ran out the room shouting leaving the door open behind him.

Cora, despite her drowsiness started to pull on the chain. She knew he'd be back very soon and very angry.

—

No no no. It can't be. I measured her feet exactly. My measurements are never wrong. Never wrong. The last is sculptured exactly. No no no. This can't be, it can't be. What has she done? She's a witch. This must be her fault. The bitch has done something. She has spoilt it all. Oh my beautiful shoes. My poor beautiful shoes. All my hard work. I have never made a mistake in my life . No it's her. I have waited so long for this, I have worked hard into the nights for this. I have blisters to show for it. So mother now you will have no shoes then. You have no one to blame except yourself. You are a wicked woman. As usual you disrespect me and my expertise. You do not deserve me. Enough is enough mother. You will be a burden no longer. It's time. Scissors yes. Scissors. Messy but quick. She deserves no better.

—-

Fiona found it easy to enter the premises from the back. There was a wrought iron, albeit rusty spiral staircase on the outside of the building. The back door was old and gave easily. As she entered she heard some shouting from the shop upstairs. Good this gave her a chance to look around the basement. From the kitchen there was a long hallway with two doors. She crept down to the first door and looked in. There was a bed a cabinet and a chair. Someone was in the bed, the air was stuffy and very bad. She switched the light on and pulled the bedspread cover down. Although a hardened police officer she still jumped at the sight. Dark hard skin barely covered the skull that grinned back at her.

This one had been long dead. She backed out as she heard shouting, the second door in the hallway was open.

"Omg Cora!"

Cora was sleepy but her adrenaline was kicking in. She shouted at the chain in her hands.

Fiona rushed over and grabbed the chain as well.

They both tugged on it, the plastered wall behind the ring crumbled.

Fiona helped Cora up and as she did so he rushed in shouting 'take your hands off mother' and stabbed the DI in the back of her arm with a pair long blade scissors, she turned and wrestled with him but her arm was in agony and weakened her, he managed to sit astride her, screaming about magic and shoes. He raised the scissors to stab her again.

Suddenly a chain thrown around his throat, Cora put one foot in the middle of his back and pulled with both hands on the chain. He choked and struggled but twisted his arm around to stab repeatedly at her legs, a blade caught her in the side of her calf and because she was so weak in the first place from the drug she went down bleeding. The DI now desperate punched him full in the face, but it had no impact, his rage was that intense.

He turned his attention back to the DI and stabbed her again and again she blocked with her arm, he was relentless. She was covered in blood and didn't know how long she could keep him from fatally stabbing her.

Then suddenly he was gone.

Fiona and Cora sat up and stared at each other. Cora smiled. She knew.

—-

"Granny, we must go now, I can hear shouting and smell blood, it's pulling me"

"Okay quickly"

Mulan was already out and running.

They didn't bother with the back door. Mulan kicked the front door in. The girls rushed ahead of Eugenia. The scene that they ran in on was quite horrific, the man slashing at Fiona with scissors. Cora on a bloody floor swinging a chain at the mans head. The girls growled, change had come quickly they were still hungry and now angry. They dragged him quickly out the room. His scream became distant.

Eugenia rushed over to Cora and hugged her then they both attended to Fiona. Ambulance and police were on the way.

"Where is he?"

Eugenia smiled at the DI.

"He will turn up, don't worry. They won't harm him more's the pity."

Cora echoed that through gritted teeth.

The three women rode to hospital in the ambulance and were greeted by the DI's boss. Some awkward questions followed.

Later that night a man with his hands and legs tightly bound and rambling about wild dogs was dumped on the steps of a police station. He was detained due to the information that DI Harrison had detailed and all London police had been alerted.

The news of a butchers shop being burgled went under the radar.

It was a clear night, and for some, a moment to behold the beauty of the moon.