Read Online The Taken by Sarah Pinborough - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sarah Pinborough
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me.” He held her arms for a moment, focusing his eyes on hers. “Stay with me, Alex. We’re okay. We’re okay.”
Breathing deeply, the air feeling shaky around her, Alex nodded. Simon held her gaze for another few seconds, then moved her so she was leaning against the wall before he crouched by the body, touching the man’s scrawny neck where his head was twisted sideways, one cheek pressed into the coldness beneath.
“Still alive… he’s still alive.” Simon stared as the vicar’s eyelids fluttered open. Alex fell to the ground, kneeling in the man’s blood, her heart pounding in her chest with hope. Reverend Barker coughed; a weak, wet sound that sent a shiver up Alex’s spine, and spots of blood appeared on his teeth as he opened his mouth, his breath raw and rotten.
“Shhh. Don’t try to speak. Don’t try to speak…” Her own eyes were blurring with tears, but she could see that the vicar’s were so full of pain that he couldn’t even focus. When he whispered, he sent his words somewhere between her and Simon, as if a ghost had joined them that only he could see.
“Melanie Parr.” He spat the words out accompanied by a spray of blood and saliva. Alex’s heart froze, but
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this time the dying man’s gaze met hers, and for a moment there was clarity within the glare of pain. She could see his jaw and throat working, desperately trying to communicate, those two words obviously not enough. Not nearly enough.
A clicking sound came from his chest and he shut his eyes for a second, concentrating on the effort of speech.
The sound came out in a rattle of air. “Our… sin … warn them …”
He stared at Alex, the frustration at her confusion obvious as he tried to move his head forward, needing to be closer, needing to make them understand something. Alex and Simon both leaned forward, Alex trying not to recoil from the warm smells erupting from Reverend Barker, the death that was shrouding him.
“… Warn them. …” His lower body had started to convulse slightly, but still he pushed out the words before the shaking overtook him. “Come … for… us.”
This time the cough raped his being, sending warm blood into Alex’s hair as he angrily expelled his last breaths. She shrieked, burying her face in Simon’s shoulder, his arms wrapping round her, pulling her in. The awful choking hack stopped almost as suddenly as it had begun, but Simon held on to her, rocking slightly backward and forward, whispering soothing sounds, his hand holding onto her crimson hair as they sat in silence.
Eventually, she lifted her face. “Is he dead?” She didn’t want to look. She didn’t want to look back at the mess of the corpse beside them.
Simon nodded. “He’s gone.”
“I need … I really need …” The heat had returned to her face, and looking down at her hands, her red
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hands, she saw how they were shaking. Her whole body was shaking. Bile began to burn her chest as spots of blackness ate into her vision. She had to get away.
She had to get away immediately. Pulling herself to her feet, she clutched at the wall behind her, numb feet clumsily lurching back the way they had come, toward the lawn, to where she wouldn’t be able to see him, not able to get her there quick enough, fighting the scream that seemed to be filling her brain.
Doubling over in the open space, she let it go, her stomach emptying itself, the steak, the flesh of the previous night’s dinner not welcome inside her anymore.
She heaved and heaved until there was no longer even any liquid left to relinquish. Tipping her head backward, she let the heavy rain run through her hair and over her face and sighed, letting her skin cool. Somewhere down in the mess at her feet were her painkillers and medication, probably only half-absorbed. Should she take some more? Would she be able to hold them down?
And what the fuck would she start seeing if she did? Maybe a bit of pain wasn’t such a bad thing.
Turning around,
Breathing deeply, the air feeling shaky around her, Alex nodded. Simon held her gaze for another few seconds, then moved her so she was leaning against the wall before he crouched by the body, touching the man’s scrawny neck where his head was twisted sideways, one cheek pressed into the coldness beneath.
“Still alive… he’s still alive.” Simon stared as the vicar’s eyelids fluttered open. Alex fell to the ground, kneeling in the man’s blood, her heart pounding in her chest with hope. Reverend Barker coughed; a weak, wet sound that sent a shiver up Alex’s spine, and spots of blood appeared on his teeth as he opened his mouth, his breath raw and rotten.
“Shhh. Don’t try to speak. Don’t try to speak…” Her own eyes were blurring with tears, but she could see that the vicar’s were so full of pain that he couldn’t even focus. When he whispered, he sent his words somewhere between her and Simon, as if a ghost had joined them that only he could see.
“Melanie Parr.” He spat the words out accompanied by a spray of blood and saliva. Alex’s heart froze, but
68
this time the dying man’s gaze met hers, and for a moment there was clarity within the glare of pain. She could see his jaw and throat working, desperately trying to communicate, those two words obviously not enough. Not nearly enough.
A clicking sound came from his chest and he shut his eyes for a second, concentrating on the effort of speech.
The sound came out in a rattle of air. “Our… sin … warn them …”
He stared at Alex, the frustration at her confusion obvious as he tried to move his head forward, needing to be closer, needing to make them understand something. Alex and Simon both leaned forward, Alex trying not to recoil from the warm smells erupting from Reverend Barker, the death that was shrouding him.
“… Warn them. …” His lower body had started to convulse slightly, but still he pushed out the words before the shaking overtook him. “Come … for… us.”
This time the cough raped his being, sending warm blood into Alex’s hair as he angrily expelled his last breaths. She shrieked, burying her face in Simon’s shoulder, his arms wrapping round her, pulling her in. The awful choking hack stopped almost as suddenly as it had begun, but Simon held on to her, rocking slightly backward and forward, whispering soothing sounds, his hand holding onto her crimson hair as they sat in silence.
Eventually, she lifted her face. “Is he dead?” She didn’t want to look. She didn’t want to look back at the mess of the corpse beside them.
Simon nodded. “He’s gone.”
“I need … I really need …” The heat had returned to her face, and looking down at her hands, her red
69
hands, she saw how they were shaking. Her whole body was shaking. Bile began to burn her chest as spots of blackness ate into her vision. She had to get away.
She had to get away immediately. Pulling herself to her feet, she clutched at the wall behind her, numb feet clumsily lurching back the way they had come, toward the lawn, to where she wouldn’t be able to see him, not able to get her there quick enough, fighting the scream that seemed to be filling her brain.
Doubling over in the open space, she let it go, her stomach emptying itself, the steak, the flesh of the previous night’s dinner not welcome inside her anymore.
She heaved and heaved until there was no longer even any liquid left to relinquish. Tipping her head backward, she let the heavy rain run through her hair and over her face and sighed, letting her skin cool. Somewhere down in the mess at her feet were her painkillers and medication, probably only half-absorbed. Should she take some more? Would she be able to hold them down?
And what the fuck would she start seeing if she did? Maybe a bit of pain wasn’t such a bad thing.
Turning around,
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