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  On reflection she needn't have been so cautious as moments later the sounds of snoring drifted down the path. She followed the sound and came upon a crumpled shape of what could only be a sleeping Dex. She edged closer until she was close enough to smell the sweat coming from his body; sweat and something far less pleasant that reminded her of rotting meat.

  The first grey lights of dawn were beginning to seep through giving her the first good look at her prey; a prey that had been haunting their lives for years.

  To say she was underwhelmed would be an understatement. The figure that lay at her feet was stick thin and wearing some kind of jet black pyjama that could have been made of silk. His hair was also black and long; the damp air leaving small curlets around his pallid face. She couldn't see all of his features, but what she could see left her cold; bright red lips that looked as if they had been kissing blood.

  He lay curled in a fetal position taking deep long breaths that - much like Dave - told her he was deep asleep. Still, she wasn't about to take any chances. Waking Dave and explaining what she was up to was one thing. Waking this 'thing' was apt to end with more than just an awkward conversation.

  Katy circled the sleeping figure being careful to not make a sound. She was conscious that this was the upper hand she had so hoped for, but was unsure how to make the best of it. One thought involving thrusting the knife into his throat whilst he slept crossed her mind, but the blade she had would not do enough damage with the first blow and she had a feeling this would have to be a one shot deal.

  The one over-riding thought she had was that whatever she did, she had to slow down Dex to give Dave a fighting chance of reaching their mother.

  She had some basic knowledge of knots from a handful of sailing days with her father. Nothing fancy, but she managed to put together a rough slip not with a noose on one end. An idea was starting to take shape and she knew she had to act quickly as the window of opportunity was growing shorter by the minute.

  Incredibly Dex slept on and was oblivious to the noose slipping round his neck and wrists. Katy was certain he would wake at some point, but miraculously she secured all the knots and hunkered down a full two hours before Dex began to stir.

  By this time Katy knew exactly what she was going to do.

  'I need to rest,’ Dex demanded, but much like his previous five requests, Katy didn't respond.

  They had been making steady if not particularly quick progress along the cliff path for more than an hour. It was thin, slippery and had a gentle gradient, but both of them made light work of it. The path also curved around the cliff face meaning their camp site and presumably Dave's still sleeping form was now well out of sight.

  Dex had been silent for the majority of the time which suited Katy and gave her precious time to think. He hadn't tried anything, choosing to trudge along head down lost in his own thoughts. Katy knew the longer they walked the further they got from Dave and the better chance he had of getting a head start. She hoped he was awake and was on his way, but that was something she had no control over and had to leave to the wheels of fate.

  Dex came to a halt and turned to face her. His already pale face now looked white as a sheet with big black circles under his eyes.

  Maybe this will be easier than I thought, he looks half dead already, she thought.

  'I said I need to rest.'

  'We'll rest when I say we'll...........'

  She couldn't finish. Dex's eyes had rolled up in their sockets and he collapsed face first into the dirt.

  Katy was waiting for Dex to try something and didn't move for a good few minutes. He’d dropped like a tonne of bricks, but she wouldn't put it past him to try something this drastic as an escape plan. She gave it another couple of minutes and when he still didn't move, she cautiously approached him.

  Disappointingly Dex was still alive as she could hear him breathing with a wheezy breath restricted by his nose and mouth squashed against the ground. She loosened the noose on his neck slightly but left the wrists tightly bound. She splashed his face with a small amount of water from her water bottle and first there was no response, but on the second splash his eyes flickered open.

  'Sit up,’ she said. 'Very slowly.’

  Dex took a moment to compose himself and then incredibly slowly lifted himself into a sitting position.

  'Water,’ he pleaded.

  She held the bottle to his lips and he downed what remained in three huge gulps.

  'Thank you,’ he said.

  'Fuck you,’ she spat back. 'Who the fuck are you to thank me. I should have killed you when you were passed out.’

  'Then why didn't you?’ he said.

  Katy took a moment to mull this over.

  'Because I'm not like you,’ she replied.

  'Then you're as weak as the rest.’

  'That may be the case big boy, but I'm the one still holding the rope. I could pull on this and squeeze the life out of you.’

  'Then do it!' he spat back. 'Stop with these games. You mean to kill me anyway. Or do you not have the courage?'

  Katy pulled the rope tight around his neck. The knot dug in just below his Adam's apple, but Dex didn't move. She could hear his breathing beginning to wheeze, but he just sat there staring and unblinking. His face began to turn a horrible red colour, but still he didn't move. Finally, she released the rope and his colour gradually returned to normal.

  'No. Not yet,’ she said. 'I'm not done with you.’

  'Pathetic,’ he said.

  'Whatever. I think you forget that I am only thirteen........and dead. Kind of puts a different perspective on things don't you think?'

  'I care not for you,’

  'Oh I know that. I know that very well indeed. I also know that you're not a person either. You live off pain and fear and misery, and do you know what? You're not going to win this time. Not like that, anyway.’ She motioned to his wafer thin body. 'You are the weak pathetic one. You are going to lose and my family is finally going to be rid of you.’

  'So confident of that are you?'.

  'I'm confident that you are no match for my mother. She kept you trapped for years and you didn't even notice.’ Dex's eyes flared at this and she knew she’d hit a nerve.

  'Shut up,’ he shouted. 'You know not what you speak of.’

  'I know exactly what I'm saying. You've finally met your match. My mother has powers you can only wish for. Powers to control this place that can trap you here forever.’

  Dex was silent for over a minute. When he spoke, his voice had calmed to just above a whisper.

  'You are no more than a child. For hundreds of years I have lived and for hundreds more I will continue to do so. You, nor your pathetic family will stand in my way. Your powerful mother will die at my hand.’

  'Jesus, you sound just like Gandalf,’ she chuckled.

  'I know not of this Gandalf you speak of.’

  'Oh no? Well you should watch out for him. He's a powerful wizard in these parts.’

  'Do not mock me child. My patience with you is growing very thin.’

  'Oh fuck off. Look at you. Thin as a rake and half dead. You don't even know how to walk properly and you talk like some ancient wizard in a fucking children's book. Look around fuck-face. There's no one here. This place is empty and my brother is now miles away. You've got no chance of finding him and even less chance of getting to my mother. You are going to die a slow and lonely death with only a thirteen year old dead girl for company.’ As monologues go, Katy was pretty pleased and Dex didn't seem to be able to conjure up a response.

  The truth was she was right. The biggest advantage she could see was the physical state of him. Yeah, he had stared her down when she was strangling him, but she had no intention of killing him - not then anyway - and he knew that too. By the look of him it seemed like he hadn't had a meal for weeks. She didn't think he could raise a finger in anger and definitely couldn't chase down Dave. He looked completely spent, but the way he spoke as if he was some kind o
f a lord told Katy that despite his condition he still thought he had control of himself and the situation.

  'You had your way with my father for years. But that was then and this is now. Now, my brother and my mother have control over you and you don't like it one bit.’

  'You may think.......' Dex began, but Katy cut him off.

  'I've had enough of your shit for now. We are going to continue up this path and you're not going to say another fucking word. I have another full water bottle in this bag,’ she lied. 'and if you want any chance of another drink before you drop down dead, I suggest you do what I say.’

  He gave her a look that was a mix of hatred and lust for the water she promised, but nevertheless he once again staggered to his feet and set off along the path. Katy took a tight grip on the rope and followed.

  When it came down to it, the end was swift and violent and inevitable. They had been walking for around thirty minutes when they came to a portion of the path that had crumbled away. The gap was no more than four feet, but it would need a good jump to cross. Dex again stopped and turned to her.

  'I cannot cross this with my hands still bound,’ he said. 'Unless you intend to kill me now, that is.’ He made no attempt to hide his mocking tone.

  'I'm not untying you freak, so stop asking.’

  'Then you may have a problem here.’

  'There's no problem. You're going to jump that gap and if you don't make it.......' she shrugged her shoulders to indicate her indifference.

  'I apologise,’ he said. 'But I did say that you may have a problem here. I on the other hand, do not.’

  Before she could react, Dex had whipped his hands out from behind his back, grabbed the length of rope that was attached to his neck and gave an almighty pull. Katy was still gripping hard on the rope and was pulled forward with such a force it took her off her feet. She fell forwards into the dirt and could just about manage a 'fuckers' untied his hands' thought before Dex's foot crashed into the side of her head and all further thoughts were filled with stars and pain.

  He rained down six or seven further blows and then just as quickly stopped. Katy had remained conscious during the attack and rolled onto her back. She could feel warm wetness on the side of her face and a shooting pain in her jaw where the blows had landed and then he was on her like a feral dog. He straddled her chest with his knees and pinned her arms above her head.

  'Now little lady,’ he hissed. 'Now we shall see who has the real power.’ Then in one terrible move he bit out her throat. Blood gushing over his entire face. As he drank her blood and ate her flesh he could feel strength and then power return to his body. Although at this stage Dex was more animal than human; feeding on Katy's body in a ferocious frenzy. If he were to have a human thought, it would have been something along the lines of. Why have I not tried this before.........?

  Katy's final thought as she died for the second time in her life was: Did I give David enough time?

  The answer was maybe.

  Just maybe.

  Chapter 20

  Dave awoke just as daylight was starting to seep through the trees. He expected to be aching from sleeping upright all night but remarkably he felt fresh with no after effects from the previous days (and nights) exertions. His nose was still sore, but all in all he felt in much better shape than he had any right to feel.

  He stood, popped his back and checked out where he was. Even with a modicum of light, it was hard to get his bearings, yet he felt he was higher up the slope than the stream. If that was the case, then at least he had a direction.

  'Let's get this show on the road then,’ he said to no one in particular and in a voice that was much too cheery for the situation. But for some obscure reason, he felt good. He felt that after the struggles of the previous day, how much worse could it be.

  The good news was it took him a lot less time to find the stream and bag. The bad news was it had been ripped to shreds by something he really had no desire to meet. The bag, blankets and food had all been either destroyed or eaten. The only thing left in one piece was one of the water bottles.

  Not a great start, he thought.

  He washed his face and drank as much as he could from the stream before filling the bottle. The water would have to be enough, but food was going to be a problem. Right on cue his stomach rumbled its disappointment. He knew that a body could survive a lot longer without food than water, but right now that didn't offer a huge amount of comfort.

  However, picking up from his positive vibes from earlier, he put these concerns to the back of his mind. Today was the day he was going to get to his mother and if he kept to that mantra, he felt he could overcome any other obstacles the day would throw at him.

  He hoped he wouldn't live to regret that thought.

  He set off back up the slope. The cooler early morning air had none of the humidity that had sapped him the previous day and he made good time. Before long the ground levelled out which made the going even easier. The trees had also started to thin out which gave him a good view of where he had come from.

  It also gave him a good view of the giant inland lake that lay before him and the sheer cliff that protruded from its center.

  It took him a while to really register exactly what he was seeing. Forests and lakes were one thing and he could (just about) get his head around the cliff/staircase combos. But seeing them both together like this was a bit much for even Dave's imagination.

  From his vantage point he guessed the lake was about three miles away. It stretched as far as he could see to the left and right. It could have been a picturesque view seen on a thousand postcards if it wasn't for the huge slab of rock jutting out from the center and reaching high into the sky.

  Just keeps getting better, he thought.

  It took him another thirty minutes to get to the lake's edge where he came across the morning's second strangest thing; a small wooden row boat tied to a jetty that looked so pristine it could have been built this morning.

  Apart from the staircases which he presumed had been carved by either machinery or human hands, this boat and jetty were the first real signs of human activity he had ever come upon. The boat was a tiny two man affair with a single bench seat in its center. The jetty on the other hand, was something else entirely.

  As he approached it he could smell the fresh cut wood and another smell that could have been creosote. On one side was a handrail that ran along its length and at the far end was a winch and handle attached to a linked chain that disappeared into the water.

  It was quite obvious what he needed to do and if he wanted to reach the staircase and travel down two more layers, then he would have to do it. But everything about this scene jarred with everything else he had seen before. He got that all these different layers were connected by these stairways, but seeing this boat tied up so perfectly on this newly built jetty brought back the feeling that he was being played. Or worse, being lead.

  And if that's the case, am I being lead to where I want to go? He thought.

  The winch was very smooth (again it felt like it had been freshly oiled) and in no time the chain was out of the water. He pulled the boat to the end of the jetty and jumped in. Being such a small boat, it didn't take a lot of effort to get it moving and before long he had pulled himself halfway across the lake. The cliff loomed nearer engulfing the boat in its shadow. Where the chain met the rock he could see it was attached to a much older and rougher looking jetty that was carved out of the cliff face. For some obscure reason the fact that it had a much more 'used' look gave him comfort.

  He pulled alongside the jetty, steadied himself and jumped out. Looking back at the shore, he was amazed at how far he had come in such a short space of time. He was also glad that this time his water experience had been far less traumatic. He took the opportunity to refill his remaining bottle, looked up and saw the now familiar site of some rough stairs chiselled into the rock; without hesitation, he headed up.

  Although he had made the staircase
trip once before and kind of knew what to expect, it didn't make the journey any easier. It was damp and slippery and the tiny blue pinpricks of light were again mesmerizing and freaky in equal measures. Also, without Katy there to spur him on, it was an eerie descent. There were no hazardous sections, but he was extremely relieved when he came upon his exit cave. He really hoped that climbing these staircases was a thing of the past.

  He made the virtually blind walk along the cave and came out on a much more familiar looking 'barren' scene with one marked difference; it was hot, damn hot. He clambered down the cliff and was dripping with sweat by the time he reached the bottom. He took a tentative swig of his water that was getting worryingly low and set off on a course directly away from the cliff.

  He very much wished he could take back his thoughts from the previous day as a hot 'no man's land' was worse than a cold one; much, much worse. There was no real sun to speak of, but the air was thick with humidity. Preserving his water supply needed to be a huge priority and at the rate he was sweating he knew this was going to be a challenge. Crossing this barren stretch as quickly as possible would be key. Doing it without pushing his body to the limit was the catch.

  Breaking point came about three hours later. He was still in the 'no man's land' with its unchanging terrain and had just finished the last of his water. A nagging doubt had started to creep into his mind that he was walking totally in the wrong direction. He would have expected by now to be coming to the edge of the barren area but as far as he could see it just stretched on and on in every direction. The heat was sapping and he longed for a hint of a breeze to take the edge off. He had no other option than to just trudge on, but hope was beginning to fade.

  The situation reminded him of an old 'French Foreign Legion' film he had watched with his mother. He had a vague memory that it was a black and white film they used to be show in the afternoons. In this film the main character was lost in a desert and running out of water. After hours and hours of walking he had started to see mirages of a desert oasis in the distance. When he reached the place where the oasis should have been, there was nothing there only another one appearing far in the distance again.