Read Online Passage Graves by Madyson Rush - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Madyson Rush
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hallucinations. He reached over, turned out the light, and feasted upon the darkness.
Chapter 1 7
MONDAY 2:15 a.m.
Denburn Court Apartments
Aberdeen, Scotland
The elevator bell chimed and the door slid open. David stepped off the lift onto the sixteenth floor and walked down the hallway. All bu t a few of the ceiling bulbs were burned out. It had been months since they had expired, but nobody bothered to complain to management. The walkway was mostly dark except for an occasional pocket of dim yellow light over the doorways of his more fastidious neighbors. The lackluster glow muted his already exhausted and blurred vision. Everything was harder to see under this light. Things would be better if there were no working bulbs at all. He stopped at the last door near the end of the hall, dug through his pant pockets, and removed his keys.
As he reached for the door handle, the brass knob caught his attentio n. The metal was crushed inward. It looked like someone with a superhuman grip squeezed it out of shape. He touched the knob and quickly pulled back his hand. The metal was hot.
“What the hell?” He crouched beside it to get a better view. He tapped it again. The handle broke off its base and fell to the floor.
“Come on,” he muttered . This was the last thing he needed right now. He kicked the door open a few inches. Something heavy was blocking it. The door could only inch open with each blow. He threw his entire weight into the door. It budged a few inches as something broke apart inside with a loud crack. After that, the door refused to move any further.
Slipping one arm through the narrow opening, he reached along the inside wall and flipped the light switch. The room stayed dark.
He tried the switch again.
Nothing.
Hips first, he forced his body through the cranny and edged along the wall toward the coat closet. The answering machine across the room on the kitchen counter blinked red. That meant the electricity wasn’t out. He tried another switch a long the wall. That light didn’t work either.
Glass cracked under his sh oe. He looked down to see jagged pieces of a picture frame. His shins met the corner of his overturned coffee table, and he toppled to the floor, landing on his injured knee. His kneecap exploded with pain. He grabbed his leg and pulled his knee to his chest. Warm blood seeped into his dirty pant leg.
The pain was blinding. He felt along the floor to figure out what was going on. He closed his eyes—maybe if he allowed time for his eyes to adjust.
It worked.
After a few moments, he could see shards of glass glittering on the carpet from the dim outside hall light. Adding to the fray were splinters of wood and metal and billows of shredded cotton and fabric.
V ertigo spun him in circles. He had to stare at one spot for a few seconds to regain his equilibrium. He stood up. His knee throbbed as he limped to the coat closet. There was a flashlight on the top shelf. He clicked it on.
The entire room was ripped to shreds, crushed, shattered, obliterated. Not one item was left intact. Even the plaster walls and hideous shag carpet had been cut into fraying ribbons. Someone was looking for something.
There was a loud crash in his bedroom.
A dark figure ran across the living room into the kitchen. Beyond the kitchen, a small balcony overlooked the city, offering a suicidal 160-foot drop to the busy street.
David scrambled over the debris to the kitchen. The explosion in his knee returned with startling vengeance. His knee buckled. Face met carpet, and he was on the floor again. He forced himself up and stumbled into the kitchen not sure of what he’d find. Across the room, the dark figure broke through the sliding glass door leading to the balcony. The window splintered in a waterfall of glass.
David held himself upright by the counter. This was crazy. There was no way he could defend himself in this condition, but he had to do something. He pulled open the junk drawer and
Chapter 1 7
MONDAY 2:15 a.m.
Denburn Court Apartments
Aberdeen, Scotland
The elevator bell chimed and the door slid open. David stepped off the lift onto the sixteenth floor and walked down the hallway. All bu t a few of the ceiling bulbs were burned out. It had been months since they had expired, but nobody bothered to complain to management. The walkway was mostly dark except for an occasional pocket of dim yellow light over the doorways of his more fastidious neighbors. The lackluster glow muted his already exhausted and blurred vision. Everything was harder to see under this light. Things would be better if there were no working bulbs at all. He stopped at the last door near the end of the hall, dug through his pant pockets, and removed his keys.
As he reached for the door handle, the brass knob caught his attentio n. The metal was crushed inward. It looked like someone with a superhuman grip squeezed it out of shape. He touched the knob and quickly pulled back his hand. The metal was hot.
“What the hell?” He crouched beside it to get a better view. He tapped it again. The handle broke off its base and fell to the floor.
“Come on,” he muttered . This was the last thing he needed right now. He kicked the door open a few inches. Something heavy was blocking it. The door could only inch open with each blow. He threw his entire weight into the door. It budged a few inches as something broke apart inside with a loud crack. After that, the door refused to move any further.
Slipping one arm through the narrow opening, he reached along the inside wall and flipped the light switch. The room stayed dark.
He tried the switch again.
Nothing.
Hips first, he forced his body through the cranny and edged along the wall toward the coat closet. The answering machine across the room on the kitchen counter blinked red. That meant the electricity wasn’t out. He tried another switch a long the wall. That light didn’t work either.
Glass cracked under his sh oe. He looked down to see jagged pieces of a picture frame. His shins met the corner of his overturned coffee table, and he toppled to the floor, landing on his injured knee. His kneecap exploded with pain. He grabbed his leg and pulled his knee to his chest. Warm blood seeped into his dirty pant leg.
The pain was blinding. He felt along the floor to figure out what was going on. He closed his eyes—maybe if he allowed time for his eyes to adjust.
It worked.
After a few moments, he could see shards of glass glittering on the carpet from the dim outside hall light. Adding to the fray were splinters of wood and metal and billows of shredded cotton and fabric.
V ertigo spun him in circles. He had to stare at one spot for a few seconds to regain his equilibrium. He stood up. His knee throbbed as he limped to the coat closet. There was a flashlight on the top shelf. He clicked it on.
The entire room was ripped to shreds, crushed, shattered, obliterated. Not one item was left intact. Even the plaster walls and hideous shag carpet had been cut into fraying ribbons. Someone was looking for something.
There was a loud crash in his bedroom.
A dark figure ran across the living room into the kitchen. Beyond the kitchen, a small balcony overlooked the city, offering a suicidal 160-foot drop to the busy street.
David scrambled over the debris to the kitchen. The explosion in his knee returned with startling vengeance. His knee buckled. Face met carpet, and he was on the floor again. He forced himself up and stumbled into the kitchen not sure of what he’d find. Across the room, the dark figure broke through the sliding glass door leading to the balcony. The window splintered in a waterfall of glass.
David held himself upright by the counter. This was crazy. There was no way he could defend himself in this condition, but he had to do something. He pulled open the junk drawer and
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