"GHOULS NIGHT OUT"

HALLOWEEN 2007 HARDY BOYS CONTEST ENTRY

GUARDIAN ANGELS

by

Author F

Chapter 2

The Chapters

INTRO

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

Frank hissed and clutched at his arm, stumbling forward.

“Oh my God! Frank, you were hit!” Callie cried out.

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” Frank ground out, even as he felt the warm, sticky blood beginning to seep through his fingers.  “Go!”

Callie stared at him for a moment, shocked but then grabbed him by the elbow, steadying him and hurried forward.  They ran, taking several more twists and turns before Callie began to slow down.  Seeing a small alcove ahead, she veered to the right, steering Frank into it.

“Cal, we can’t –”

“Yes, we can!” she snapped, already yanking the lightweight scarf from around her neck. “You’re bleeding for God’s sake.  We might as well leave a trail of breadcrumbs,” she muttered and Frank chuckled softly. She did have a point!  “Now let me see your arm.”

Frank couldn’t help but think of how much he loved her as she took his arm and gently turned it trying to get a better look in the light of the full moon.  “I think it just grazed me,” Frank said, craning his neck in an attempt to see the back of his arm.

“There’s a good sized crease in your arm but I don’t see a hole… or the bullet,” Callie agreed, her forehead creased in worry and concern but relief in her voice.  She wound the scarf around his arm several times and then tied it snugly, just enough to stem the flow of blood.  “That feel okay?” she asked, looking up at him still holding his arm loosely.

“Yes, thank you,” Frank murmured, leaning down to kiss her.

They pulled apart and Frank was about to ask which way they should go when they heard a blood-curdling howl, raising goosebumps on their skin.  It sounded almost like a wounded animal in excruciating pain. Frank felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up and Callie instinctively stepped closer to him.  He slipped an arm around her and their eyes locked.  Staring at her Frank saw his own feelings reflected in her eyes.  Something had happened, something very, very bad…

*****

The gunshots were so loud, so close that Joe felt his ears ringing.   His mind registered the shooter turning to flee the way he’d come and Joe was about to give chase but Vanessa cried out, stumbled and started to fall, pulling Joe down with her. 

Instinctively Joe reached back and grabbed Vanessa but her dead weight left him unable able to break his fall. Joe hit his head on the ground hard.  Wincing, he saw stars and then a gray haze as his eyes began to slide shut.

‘Don’t pass out!’ Joe commanded himself.  Vanessa was obviously hurt, how badly he didn’t know, but she needed his help. That thought was enough to keep Joe from completely giving in to the darkness.  He lay there for a moment, forcing himself to stay conscious.  Joe started to open his eyes and saw a bright, blinding flash of light.

‘Lightning?’ he thought puzzled as he squeezed his eyes shut again.  It had been a perfect crystal clear, late fall evening.  The dark sky held a blanket of stars and a full moon without a cloud to be found anywhere.

Waiting a few seconds Joe gingerly opened his eyes again, more slowly this time.  It was quiet now.  No more gunshots, no screams from the terrified visitors, no painful moans from the injured – not even a cricket. It was too quiet… dead quiet. 

Pushing himself up to his elbows, Joe looked around, his eyes landing on Vanessa.  She was lying on her side less than a foot away, her back to him.

“Van?” Joe whispered, suddenly afraid.  “Vanessa?”

He sat up and reaching out, he gently rolled her over. His heart stopped cold. “No… No… Oh God…”  His voice hitched and his throat tightened painfully.  He could barely breathe.

Vanessa’s eyes were closed and blood was flowing steadily from the perfect circle the bullet had made in the center of her forehead.  Reaching out with a shaking hand, Joe put two fingers on the side of her neck.  He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a pulse. Relief quickly gave way to heart stopping panic when the weak, thready thump-thump-thump slowly began to fade… and then stopped completely.

“No!” Joe choked out moving his fingers, pressing, searching and finding… nothing. “No… NO!”  Tears filled his eyes as his heart refused to acknowledge what his mind already knew…  Vanessa was dead.

‘No… please NO!’  Joe closed his eyes and raised his head to the heavens, tears streaming down his face. ‘If there is anyone up there, please, PLEASE… don’t take her, too!’

Cautiously Joe opened his eyes, hoping… praying it had just been a very bad hallucination.  One look told him it wasn’t.  Staring at his dead girlfriend Joe heard a mournful, animalistic howl unaware the gut wrenching sound was coming from him.  He gathered Vanessa’s body in his arms, crushing her to his chest and rocked back and forth, unable to do anything else.

Joe had no idea how long he’d been kneeling on the cold hard ground, cradling Vanessa’s lifeless body in his arms when he felt a hand on his shoulder.  Lifting his head he slowly turned and looked over his shoulder and found himself face to face with the dark-haired pixie who still haunted his dreams….   

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