"The Scavenger Bride"
Chapter 36: Go Home, Baby

"Go get your work."

I glanced up at Hill. "What?"

"You always carry it with you, correct? Go. Get. It."

Tense, Herbert turned to Dan, clearing his throat. "Dan? Would you mind?"

"Not at all," Dan turned for the door.

"Front seat, floorboards. Brown bag."

He was back in minutes. The bag was heavy; Herbert had put everything in there. Hill took it out back. "Where are you going?" I called out, but he ignored me, and was back inside in only a moment.

"What did you do?" Herbert gaped at Hill. He was livid. I could practically feel the terror pumping through him.

"All in good time, my friend." Hill chuckled. Herbert jumped up, but Hill stopped him. "Sit down!" My partner, fuming, did as he was told.

I was holding Shelley to me when something caught the light, drawing my attention up again. Hill stood before us, arm extended; in his hand was a syringe of re-agent. He was handing it to me. My eyes darted to meet his. "No." I shook my head.

Hill sighed, wordlessly pulling down the hammer on the .45 and pointing it at Herbert. I gave a start, crying quietly as I shakily took the syringe from him. "It's going to be alright," Herbert whispered, keeping his arms about me. "I promise, we're going to be okay."

I nodded, sniffling, as I lifted Shelley a bit. Her head rolled back; her face was so peaceful. It was like she was sleeping. "I'm so sorry, Shelley." Taking a deep breath, I injected the re-agent into my cousin and gently let her back down.

And it was the worst wait of my life. She finally gave a jerk about thirty seconds later, and her eyes opened. "Shelley," I cried. "Can you hear me?" Her naturally brown eyes, blue from death, rolled around the room, trying to focus. I said her name again, and she turned to me, her face contorted in an effort to remember. She clutched at her head and I helped her into a sitting position. "Honey, are you okay?"

My cousin nodded. "Hurts."

"What hurts?"

"Head. Big ache."

"Magnificent! Even with the wounds, she still continues to function perfectly." Hill was giddy with excitement, and Shelley looked at him, confused.

"Who?" Shelley pointed to him.

"He's a professor from my school."

She went back to nursing her wounded head, and tried to stand, so Herbert and I helped her up. "Outside."

"You want to go out?"

She nodded, so we gently lead her out back to the yard, where Daisy's swing set gently swayed in the light breeze. We smelled smoke; Herbert gave a shout as we discovered Hill's reasons for needing Herbert's work. It was in flames on the grill.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Herbert shook so hard, I could tell it took everything in him to keep from violently throttling Hill right then and there.

"Don't!" I cried out anyway. "Don't. Herbert. Please."

Hill laughed. "I don't need it anymore anyway. I have the notes, the formula. Everything I need. I'll be famous!"

It was about this time that Shelley's demeanor seemed to unravel a bit as she had a hand to her head. She pulled it away, noticing the blood. "Immi? What that?" Finally, George started to cry. Shelley glanced at him, studying his face, trying to remember. "George," she finally recalled. And as I watched her, it all came rushing back - I could see everything come flooding back in moments and she started to cry.

"Shelley, honey, it- it's gonna be okay-" She gave an enormous howl, shoving me away from her. I steadied myself. "Please-"

"You promise! YOU PROMISE!"

"Shelley, I'm sorry! You don't understand, I had to!"

"Had to? What had to? Why?"

"Him! Don't you remember?!" I frantically pointed at Hill, who was becoming a bit uncomfortable at my acknowledgement.

My cousin glanced him over, and her eyes went wide. "You. You….." She began to shake. "You kill my family. You kill my baby! YOU BROKE BABY NECK!" My stomach churned at the mental image, and before I could move, Shelley screamed and lunged at Hill. The scuffle lasted mere moments before he threw her across the yard and into the side of the house. Dan was thrown off; Meg was thrown off. I was screaming, crying, and Herbert lunged at Hill then, ready. George was like a wild animal: teeth bared, snarling, crouching. It was when the .45 flashed against Herbert's head that George finally sprang, knocking Herbert out of the way and taking the full impact of the bullets. He crumpled to the ground, motionless, and it all came apart again.

Herbert, scuttling away across the grass, horror filling his features, came to protectively hover over me; I'd fallen into the grass to avoid being hit. Hill was on us in moments, hatred and evil flashing across his eyes; he raised the gun to meet us and in a split second, Shelley screamed, leaping upon him with everything she had. "YOU DON'T TOUCH MY FAMILY!" Before I knew what was happening, she had him on the ground; a great, powerful spray of blood erupted from Hill's neck as I realized she'd ripped his throat out. I clutched at Herbert, who still had his arms around me protectively, and a hand flew to my mouth as I felt myself starting to get sick. Shelley got to her feet, spitting blood, and Hill didn't move again.

Herbert's coat was around me. Life was coming at me in images; "She's in shock," Herbert quietly told Dan as they helped me inside. We made it to the couch.

"Shelley. Shelley!" I remember calling for my cousin.

"Here," she smiled, crouching in front of me. She looked like death, warmed over. I was coming back into myself, and she called for Herbert. "Help me, please."

"With?"

"Mom. Dad. Help upstairs."

"Where do you want to take them?"

"My room."

"Dan," Herbert called. "Get Harry, will you?"

"Yeah."

One body at a time, Shelley lead the boys up the stairs with her parents; Meg and I followed to find Steve in Shelley's room. He'd been dead for awhile, and a little foot stuck out from underneath him. I started to cry again, realizing he'd died trying to protect Daisy. They rolled him off of her, lining him up next to Harry, and then Daisy next to him. Then they went back for Jane.

When it was done, Shelley sat cross-legged amongst them, cradling Daisy's limp little body in her arms. "Mommy loves you, baby. Mommy loves you…" My whole body shook with sobs. And I wasn't the only one. Meg was on her knees next to me. In seconds, she was up and out in the hall; I could hear her vomiting on the landing. Dan went out to get her.

"Shel, I'm so sorry," I wept.

My cousin nodded, looking up to me. "I know. It okay." She became thoughtful all of a sudden, and reached into her pocket, producing Hill's gun. She looked up at me, and handed me the gun. I gawked at her.

"I don't…. I don't understand." But it started to make sense then; I realized what she was asking me. My whole body began to shake. "No," I shook my head. "Don't ask me."

"You my cousin, Immi. Has to be you."

"No, no, please. Please, don't make me do this, I can't!" I thought I was going to lose my mind.

"Please?" she begged. I brought my eyes to meet hers, dragging my hands across my eyes to clear them. She went on. "I'm dead. They're dead. Please. Let me be with them." Tears were streaming down her face, mixing with Hill's blood that had started to dry on her chin.

I slowly took up the gun from her; it was heavier than I'd imagined. I pulled back the hammer, click click click. In front of me, Shelley gathered up Daisy in her arms again, clutching her baby to her. The look on her face was one only a mother could give their child. "We go home, baby. Goin' home." She looked back up to me and smiled as the tears continued to pour.

Out in the hall, I could hear Meg shaking. "No, no," she sobbed quietly. "No, please, no….."

"Don't listen, Meg. Don't." Dan's voice broke.

My hand shook so hard I was afraid I'd miss. I squeezed my eyes shut, giving a little wail. "Please, I can't…."

"Imogen," Shelley's voice reached my ears, quiet and resigned. I opened my eyes. My cousin was still smiling. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Shelley."

BLAM!

It had happened in slow motion. My cousin landed out on her back, in between her husband and her mother, with her daughter still clutched in her arms, and she never moved again. I dropped my arm, the gun clattering to the floor at my feet; I could feel it tearing out of me like a hurricane. I screamed at last, screamed so loud, I was sure I'd awoken half of Shanghai, but no-one heard me. I was alone at last.

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MUSIC:

"Boadicea" by Enya

"The Host of Seraphim" by Dead Can Dance

"Sacrifice" by Lisa Gerrard

Also: "Division" by Moby (explanation in next chapter)