Karl ran with all his might, tracing Merrill's scent in the air. "
"MERRILL!" he cried.
The distant echoes of a voice disturbed Merrill's thoughts. Who could that be? The voice shouted again. Merrill recognized the mere two syllables. Karl!
The voice was louder, meaning he was closer.
She ran.
//I'm driving through the night,
I'm driving through the rain.
The engine roars.
I'm on my way for Mr. Pain.
My eyes keep seeing
What my mind wants to forget.
Those sequences they rock and roll
Inside my head.//
Merrill stopped out of sheer exhaustion. The pain in her chest was too much to bear. If the sun didn't kill her first, her heart would.
"What are we going to do?" said Marty.
Essie was pacing in a corner. "I have an idea but it may be dangerous. We'll have to fuse our powers together to get Merrill to come back before sunrise. Do you think we can do it?"
"I'm in," said Marty.
Drew stared at the wall. "She's gone." A bloody tear slid down his cheek.
"That had better be a tear for Merrill or I will rip your throat out," threatened Essie.
Drew looked at her, seeing how serious she was. "I'm in. What do you want me to do?"
* * * * * * * * *
The chase was on. Karl heard the cracking of leaves and twigs up ahead and he ran.
//Over and over and over again.
I concentrate harder and harder and then
You are just an image
That I can't see
You are not for real
You are not for real.//
Merrill could feel that Karl was getting closer by the minute as the distance between them got shorter and shorter. And she thought about surrendering, going back. Back to Mansbridge, back to Drew, back to heartache.
//You turn into a picture of somebody.
Someone I don't know
Someone I don't feel.//
* * * * * * *
Essie, Marty and Drew held hands as they stood in the center of the room.
"Drew, travel to Karl, find him," commanded Essie. They were all struck by pain. The forces were unhappy and they were going to show it. But they endured.
The three vampires sailed across the forest until they came upon a clear area where Karl stood, sniffing the air.
"Marty, throw my power to Karl."
Marty did as Essie said.
"Karl, follow us. We will lead you to Merrill."
Karl obeyed as he ran with all his might, following his friends.
//The wolves cry out tonight
I see your broken line.//
Merrill could see an image approaching her very quickly. She could also feel heat from the horizon. And the pain in her chest was unbearable. A knife stabbed her in the back.
At that exact moment, Drew fell to his knees screaming.
"OH GOD! IT HURTS!"
But he held onto Essie's hand.
//The sun will rise,
without a love, without a smile.
I always think about
the way you had to leave.
I close my eyes
Cause I was with you by that time.//
Merrill felt heat against her back. The SUN! Another shot was taken at her back. Like bullets and knives. Her stomach was roaring with hunger. Bruises oozed blood. Merrill clung to her stomach and to life or what she had left of it.
Drew let out a scream. "WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?" There were red bruises on his hand. And his stomach was killing him.
"Oh no!" said Essie. "It's Merrill, she's dying."
//Faster and faster and faster ahead.
As if you were waiting for me
down the way.//
Karl came to Merrill but Essie sent him a message. "Stop! Don't go near her. I have to talk to her."
"Merrill, come back to us. You're not safe. You have only an hour before the sun rises."
Merrill heard a scream in the background.
"Merrill, it's Drew."
Drew looked down at his hand that oozed red blood. Drew cried for fear and for confusion. Like an innocent child that was dying, he started to rock back and forth and cry.
"Look at him, Merrill. Look."
Merrill saw Drew, her love, on the floor, in pain, screaming.
1
2 //I have never seen you
lying on the floor
Crying needing more.//
"Merrill," said Drew. His voice was a mere whisper. He inhaled a shallow breath. His heart hurt so much at the thought of Merrill dying. "I love you."
Karl stared as Merrill's beaten face healed. The bruises faded to white.
Drew's scars were gone as was the pain. Drew got up and said, "Merrill, come back to me."
Merrill was still incredibly weak and she knew she wouldn't make it on time.
She looked at Karl with fear in her eyes but he just smiled, scooped her up and ran with her in his arms.
"I am going to get you home if that is the last thing I do," he said.
"MERRILL!" he cried.
The distant echoes of a voice disturbed Merrill's thoughts. Who could that be? The voice shouted again. Merrill recognized the mere two syllables. Karl!
The voice was louder, meaning he was closer.
She ran.
//I'm driving through the night,
I'm driving through the rain.
The engine roars.
I'm on my way for Mr. Pain.
My eyes keep seeing
What my mind wants to forget.
Those sequences they rock and roll
Inside my head.//
Merrill stopped out of sheer exhaustion. The pain in her chest was too much to bear. If the sun didn't kill her first, her heart would.
"What are we going to do?" said Marty.
Essie was pacing in a corner. "I have an idea but it may be dangerous. We'll have to fuse our powers together to get Merrill to come back before sunrise. Do you think we can do it?"
"I'm in," said Marty.
Drew stared at the wall. "She's gone." A bloody tear slid down his cheek.
"That had better be a tear for Merrill or I will rip your throat out," threatened Essie.
Drew looked at her, seeing how serious she was. "I'm in. What do you want me to do?"
* * * * * * * * *
The chase was on. Karl heard the cracking of leaves and twigs up ahead and he ran.
//Over and over and over again.
I concentrate harder and harder and then
You are just an image
That I can't see
You are not for real
You are not for real.//
Merrill could feel that Karl was getting closer by the minute as the distance between them got shorter and shorter. And she thought about surrendering, going back. Back to Mansbridge, back to Drew, back to heartache.
//You turn into a picture of somebody.
Someone I don't know
Someone I don't feel.//
* * * * * * *
Essie, Marty and Drew held hands as they stood in the center of the room.
"Drew, travel to Karl, find him," commanded Essie. They were all struck by pain. The forces were unhappy and they were going to show it. But they endured.
The three vampires sailed across the forest until they came upon a clear area where Karl stood, sniffing the air.
"Marty, throw my power to Karl."
Marty did as Essie said.
"Karl, follow us. We will lead you to Merrill."
Karl obeyed as he ran with all his might, following his friends.
//The wolves cry out tonight
I see your broken line.//
Merrill could see an image approaching her very quickly. She could also feel heat from the horizon. And the pain in her chest was unbearable. A knife stabbed her in the back.
At that exact moment, Drew fell to his knees screaming.
"OH GOD! IT HURTS!"
But he held onto Essie's hand.
//The sun will rise,
without a love, without a smile.
I always think about
the way you had to leave.
I close my eyes
Cause I was with you by that time.//
Merrill felt heat against her back. The SUN! Another shot was taken at her back. Like bullets and knives. Her stomach was roaring with hunger. Bruises oozed blood. Merrill clung to her stomach and to life or what she had left of it.
Drew let out a scream. "WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?" There were red bruises on his hand. And his stomach was killing him.
"Oh no!" said Essie. "It's Merrill, she's dying."
//Faster and faster and faster ahead.
As if you were waiting for me
down the way.//
Karl came to Merrill but Essie sent him a message. "Stop! Don't go near her. I have to talk to her."
"Merrill, come back to us. You're not safe. You have only an hour before the sun rises."
Merrill heard a scream in the background.
"Merrill, it's Drew."
Drew looked down at his hand that oozed red blood. Drew cried for fear and for confusion. Like an innocent child that was dying, he started to rock back and forth and cry.
"Look at him, Merrill. Look."
Merrill saw Drew, her love, on the floor, in pain, screaming.
1
2 //I have never seen you
lying on the floor
Crying needing more.//
"Merrill," said Drew. His voice was a mere whisper. He inhaled a shallow breath. His heart hurt so much at the thought of Merrill dying. "I love you."
Karl stared as Merrill's beaten face healed. The bruises faded to white.
Drew's scars were gone as was the pain. Drew got up and said, "Merrill, come back to me."
Merrill was still incredibly weak and she knew she wouldn't make it on time.
She looked at Karl with fear in her eyes but he just smiled, scooped her up and ran with her in his arms.
"I am going to get you home if that is the last thing I do," he said.
