Forever Indeed
As flames became besotted with the innards of the home, Jerry leisurely waltzed toward the gaping entry.
Charley crawled from beneath part of the remains of a side table, shoving at the frame of the back door, as he made his way to his mother. She stared at the ceiling, eyes wide and watery. Blood thudded up her throat and into her head. "Charley," Jane hoarsely gasped, "Charley!" Brows furrowed, half of his left replaced with burned and bloody flesh, Charley examined his mother.
"Your leg," He almost wept, rubbing at his eyes with sooty hands, "We have to get you up."
Jerry kicked the splintered door out of his way. Amy cried out. She pushed hastily at the sofa leg that had toppled upon her right arm. Jerry grabbed her left arm. He hauled her to her feet. Amy screamed, as her right arm was ripped from beneath the couch. The frame of the furniture tore through her skin. Jerry took a big breath, savouring the scent. Sneering, his fangs elongating, Jerry clasped a hand round Amy's throat.
"Charley." Amy whimpered, as the beast turned her to face the pair.
Without sparing her a glance, Charley insisted, "You're going to be okay."
Jerry laughed gruffly, speech muddled due to the additional canines, "You really think she's going to be okay Charley?" Forcing her closer, Jerry licked the shell of her ear. Tears bolted. Amy clenched her fists and closed her leaking eyes. Jerry fiercely bellowed, "Seriously!"
"Yeah." Charley calmly replied, tugging his mother's hands. Jane leaned against the remains of the livingroom seating, pushing herself from the scorched floor.
The heat boiled their blood. Sweat streamed down from their throats. Tears in Charley's skin oozed, as he provided his mother with support.
Jerry howled, "What?"
Body shaking with laughter, he stared at the young lad.
Charley smiled briefly, eyes darting from Jerry's gaudy gaze. "Sam's got me."
The grin fell from Jerry's lips. He threw Amy away. She dashed madly to Charley. Jerry turned. Sam swung a kitchen cupboard door. The rectangular wood bit into Jerry's left cheek. An involuntary holler fled his lungs and flew from his throat.
"That's right," Sam certified, dropping the splintered cupboard door. He reached into his back pocket for stairway stake.
Growling, Jerry kicked out at Sam.
Charley yelled. Sam fell to the floor.
Thunderously, Sam jabbed the stake out to his side and down. Jerry rolled, arms extending to catch himself against the sofa. The tendon of his leg taut, Sam heaved the stake from the floorboards and dived. Jerry shrieked. Sam cowered back. Stake protruding boldly from his shoulder, Jerry bayed. Snarling and throwing out his claw-like hands, Jerry attempted to grasp Sam.
Charley released Amy and dragged Sam away. Glancing at the front door, he spied his mother pounding against the cracked glass of the bay window.
Amy screamed angrily, watching Jerry patiently wriggle the stake out.
She hurried to the staircase. Amy bashed her fists, arms and feet into one of the remaining banister legs. Charley eagerly grabbed her back, as the banister gave way. The wood crashed. She stole one of the spayed legs and ran to the window. Sam aided a limping Jane out of the terrorised girl's way. Amy gripped the fractured and paint chipped wood. Frustrated, she cried out. Amy swung the wooden leg behind her. She pulled it forward. Following through, the bat shattered the glass. Amy stared horrified, mouth gaping, as shards embedded themselves.
She felt the expulsion of her blood. Jerry exuded a sigh of relief. Sam picked up Charley's mother. As Charley shook Amy, Sam vacated the house. Red rivers ran down Amy's arms and legs, meandering across her chest. Jerry tugged material from the gradually decimated couch. Flames overwhelmed the slaughtered staircase banister. The light rose to the next level, entering the bedrooms.
Jerry slowly rose to his feet, holding the material to block the blood. Charley indignantly laughed, hesitantly stepping in front of his girlfriend.
Jerry spitefully said, "Bit thirsty now actually."
Gulping, Charley stepped towards the window. Amy had climbed through, but despite Sam's hushed insistence she would not leave.
As Jerry walked forwards, Charley moved further back. His legs snapped against the window frame. Jutting glass snagged his jeans.
"Come on!" Sam called.
Amy remained.
Charley huffed. Jerry's smile broadened. He teased, "Come on Charley." Raising a hand, Jerry stretched out for Charley's chest. Jerry whispered, "That heart of yours is big." He barked, Charley jumping, "It is really going to hurt when I take them away from you."
Jerry stopped. Dark eyes sweltering Charley's own bright pair, Jerry happily encouraged, "Go on Charley. I'm going to give you the best chance – one chance." A finger pointed straight to the burning ceiling that threatened to fall, Jerry told the young lad, "I'll count to one hundred… better go hide."
Lips pursed, Charlie reached a leg over the window frame. Ignoring the glass splitting his leg open, he took Amy's shaking hand.
Jerry closed his eyes. Listening intently, he heard the frightened tone of a neighbour. Lips stretching, straining to reach over his fangs, Jerry walked out of the back door. Wandering to Charlie's concerned neighbour whose words lunged down their telephone, Jerry peered through their conservatory. Hissing at the bright bulb, he shaded his eyes with a hand held to his forehead.
Jane's engine began to splutter to life.
Beneath the roaring of her car, Jerry heard the child. Getting closer to the doors of the conservatory, he spied the singing soul. She towered up bricks. Smirking, Jerry watched as her mother worryingly choked. The emergency services kept her from wailing.
The little girl giggled, as her tower grew above her head. Straining to get another brick atop her tower, her lacy white socked feet rose. On her tip toes, she placed another brick. Her yellow dress shined under the sun of the glass globe. Jerry clasped the handle of the door. The metal refused to agree with him.
Sighing, he leaned his forehead against the glass. Warmth penetrated his skull. He sniffed and smelt freshly baked pie. "Yes," He mumbled, hearing the patter of feet, "That's right."
Eyes opening, he leaned down. Hunched over, he looked at the child. She peered curiously, hand held to the glass of the door. He swept a finger through her image. Grinning at him, she called out. Jerry leaned back, rising as the mother approached.
"Holy Hell!" The child's mother erupted.
Hastily, she ran back into the kitchen. Jerry attempted to smarten his tattered clothes. The red haired woman dashed back to him, keys clattering stridently. She discarded the phone carelessly onto a floral covered chair. The child clapped her hands excitedly. Opening the door, the mother ushered him inside.
"I'll get some bandages!" she told him, running back into the heart of the house.
"Was anyone else hurt?" she called back. The mother tore through her kitchen cupboards, searching, "I've called the authorities, but i was thinking we should leave this house too - maybe go to a house opposite until the fire is out!"
Staring at the child, Jerry replied, "No. It seems some rough kids were trying to play a prank on me." He tottered over to the bricks, the child biting her fingernails as she watched him inspect her tower. He smiled at her. "They ran off when it went wrong." He deliberately held out a finger to the girl's tower. She hesitantly tiptoed toward him. She stopped, as his large teeth and big eyes blared. The child gulped, teeth breaking bone as she tore at her fingernails. "I shouldn't be in need of much. It is just a scratch really... a glass would do." Nails sharp, Jerry sluggishly tipped the tower.
The child cried out. She rushed to even the tower, but as she came closer Jerry plucked her from the ground.