Artwork: Smooth as a Whisper by Bill Wolak

Bloodline
Emily Jones

The air was cold, moonlight glittering on the waves. Frigid salt water lapped against me but it wasn’t the temperature that had me paralyzed. Something moved below, mocking me with its song. My name. He was singing my name. And he was getting closer. Beads of sweat ran down my face, every nerve inside begging me to swim far away. I couldn’t.

Icy fingers locked around my ankle and he yanked me beneath the surface. Shock freed my limbs and I kicked and thrashed, filmy bubbles firing out of my mouth as I screamed, water blocking my ears and pouring down my throat. His laughter echoed around us, dragging me deeper into the darkness.

I shot up drenched in sweat, gasping for air. It took me a minute to realise I wasn’t dead. My pulse beat my wrist like a switch and I took ten deep breaths, searching my room for anything blue. Teddy bear. Lampshade. Cardigan. I reached number five and my pulse calmed. It was just the dream. I should be used to it by now. But I wasn’t. As ridiculous as it sounded, I felt like it was haunting me. I shook my head. Not helping.

I stood under the scalding water and tried to sear it from my mind. It never helped. I couldn’t forget his voice. His laughter. The burning in my lungs as I drowned. Still not helping. I changed into black jeans and a purple hoody, an old favourite of mine, and grabbed my coat and bag in time for Bonnie’s car to pull up outside. I peered out of the net curtain and a blonde girl got out. Fan-bloody-tastic. I went downstairs and pinned a smile on my face. You’ve got this. I opened the door and she was leaning against the wall wearing massive sunglasses and a lipstick smile, expensive brands stamped on her clothes.

“Hi Izzy,” I said.

She took off her sunglasses and returned the smile. “How’s my little Katie bear doing?”

Urgh. I hated it when she called me that. She threw her arms around me and squeezed, her manicured nails digging into my back. Her grip tightened and I struggled to breathe, lungs burning.

Beep! Beep!

She let go and I dropped like a stone, drinking as much oxygen as I could. She yanked me to my feet and shoved me out the door.

She giggled, the sound high-pitched. “Don’t dawdle!”

Bonnie smiled at me from the driver’s seat and unlocked the passenger door. I only managed to get a foot in. Izzy pulled me back out and stuffed her face into mine.

“Shotgun!” she said and laughed in my ear. Ow. Bonnie lost her smile and met my gaze. I shrugged. It wasn’t her. “Let’s go!”

#

I stared out the window, trying to lose myself in the passing trees. I had no idea where we were going and Bonnie refused to give me even a hint. After three hours of nothing, I couldn’t stand it anymore. My curiosity was champing at the bit.

“Bonnie, will you please just tell me?”

“Ssh!” Izzy said, finger to her lips. “It’s a surprise, right Bon?”

“Right,” Bonnie said and they both laughed. Anyone could tell it was fake.

“Oh my god!” Izzy said and pointed out the window. “Look at that girl’s outfit! She looks like a…”

I turned back to my window, wishing I had headphones or anything to block out Izzy’s incessant chatter. I missed the silence. Please let us be there soon.

Water pumped into my lungs. We were too deep, his grasp was too strong. I was going to die. Down here. Cold and alone. He let go of my ankle and secured his hands round my throat, his eyes boring into mine. Feeding off my fear. His face was gaunt, nothing more than leather wrapped over bone, jagged scars across his cheeks and neck. His thin lips smiled as he spoke. Return to me, Katherine. Gnarly teeth were crammed inside, each one chipped and cracked, pus wriggling through his gums like eels. The stench was too foul for words, every syllable dripping in rot. My heart slowed to a crawl and I fought to escape, knowing it was too late. I was going to die I was going to die I’m dying I’m dying I’m –

“Katie? Katie!”

I woke to the sound of screaming. My screaming. Bonnie was by my side, the car parked badly at the side of a road. I was shaking.

“Are you alright?” Bonnie said, eyes wide with fright.

“Just a bad dream,” I said.

She pulled me into her arms and held me while I composed myself. I wouldn’t cry. Not in front of Izzy. I wasn’t in the mood for one of her lectures or her relentless ability to turn everything into a competition. I was surprised she hadn’t said anything yet. Probably waiting for me to wake up properly so I could truly appreciate the awesome power that was Isabella bloody Sullivan.

“I’ve never heard you scream like that,” Izzy said. She spoke without nastiness or sarcasm. If she were anyone else, I would’ve said she was concerned. I fought to keep myself from gaping. “Do you have nightmares a lot?”

I risked telling her the truth. “Every night. Since my twelfth birthday.”

Izzy glanced at me in the rearview mirror, her expression sombre. OK, what was going on here? I’d known her for a long time, she didn’t have a compassionate bone in her body. I looked at Bonnie and she was as confused as I was. There was only one explanation I could think of. Did she…did Izzy have nightmares too? The question came out before I could stop it.

Izzy looked at the floor. “Shouldn’t we get going?”

Bonnie got back on the road and it wasn’t long until things were back to normal. Ish.

An hour rolled by and I still couldn’t get Izzy’s reaction out of my head.

“We’re here!” Bonnie said. Izzy shrieked and whooped at the top of her lungs. “Katie, look!”

I craned my neck and we drove past a sign for Paradise Sands. I squealed. Oh my god oh my god!!! We parked in an overflowing carpark and I dashed out before either of them, running towards the beach. The ocean sparkled like sapphires in the sun, thousands of bright colours sprawled across the sand. Life guard towers in white and orange, pink and blue parasols, yellow bikinis. I tilted my head up and soaked in the sun, the sound of the waves calming. I hadn’t been here in years. I used to come every summer when I was little. My parents could’ve taken me anywhere but nothing compared to Paradise Sands. Even when the nightmares started.

“Going to miss this when you go to law school?” Izzy said.

“Oh yeah,” I said.

“Three years is a long time.”

“So we better make it count!” Bonnie said, throwing an arm around me. “Let’s unpack, we can go for a swim later.”

#

The chalet was gorgeous. Three bedrooms, a spacious kitchenette and a living room with a flat screen TV. But only one bathroom. Well that sucked. Picking a room took half an hour because Bonnie needed to test them all. She poked her tongue out when we complained and finally chose the one at the end of the hall. Izzy fought me tooth and nail over the room with the best signal. I won in the end because I’d promised to email my parents and Cady. She was furious she hadn’t been included and expected me to send pictures every day. For a seven-year-old, she was very demanding!

Izzy’s mood soured after that. Bonnie saved the day by treating us all to mani-pedis and mid-afternoon cocktails after a swim. She perked up after she caught one of the life guards checking her out and Bonnie took advantage, pulling us all in for a selfie. It was a great day.

The air was cold. Katherine. Icy fingers locked around my ankle. Katherine. Water pumped into my lungs. Return to me, Katherine. I was going to die. YOU WILL PAY!

I woke with a start, screams ringing in my ears. They weren’t mine this time. Bonnie stood at the side of my bed, her eyes as wide as her open mouth. What? She pointed at the covers. My right leg was hooked over my left, the floral duvet sandwiched between them. Oh god. Bloody lines marred my calf, an array of crescent moons bruising the skin around them. My ankle was lumpy and bloodstained like I’d been cuffed in my sleep. The sheets were a mess. How? She pointed at my hand. There was fresh blood under my nails. I’d done this? But – but how? Why? I mean, this had never happened before. I – What was happening to me? Bonnie couldn’t look at me. She didn’t hold my hand or try to hug me. She just stood there. Staring. Like I’d lost my mind. My eyes welled with tears.

“What’s with all the screaming?” Izzy said while walking into my room, hands fiddling with her ponytail. When no one replied, she looked up. “What are you?” She followed Bonnie’s gaze to my hand. Her eyes widened and she scanned the rest of me. The sight of my leg made her gasp. “Honey, what happened?”

I burst into tears. Izzy sat down on the bed and cradled me in her arms, just like Bonnie had after my nightmare in the car. She stroked my hair as she rocked me back and forth and whispered that everything was going to be OK. I’d never felt more alone. I held onto her like a buoy in the middle of the ocean, crying hard as confusion crashed over me. What was happening to me?

Things were strained. While Bonnie kept her distance, Izzy tended to me like a favourite sister, catering to every whim. Swimming. Bowling at the arcade. Pizza. She even split a giant cookie with me. Bonnie hardly said a word. Halfway through the day, she faked a migraine and went back to the chalet just to get away from me. I got the message loud and clear. I’d freaked her out and she needed time. I kept it buried but there was a part of me that hated her for it. Izzy slung an arm over my shoulder and we headed for the beach. Maybe a swim would help.

#

Katherine.

The air was cold, goosebumps prickling my skin. Must have kicked the duvet off. My hand fumbled about for it and plunged into something wet and icy. What was that? I opened my eyes and there was a starless sky above me, my hand shivering in the frigid ocean. What the hell??? I sat up without thinking. I sunk like a stone, water flooding my mouth and blocking my ears. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening.

I scrambled back to the surface, kicking and thrashing to stop myself from drowning, and spluttered up the water I’d swallowed. My head whipped round. I couldn’t see any boats or land, no lamp from the lighthouse, nothing! Only moonlight glittering on the waves. Something moved below. No, no, no no no! No! This had to be a dream. I slapped myself around the face, burning my cheek. Wake up! I hit myself again. Wake up! Something brushed my ankle, something hard and cold. Fingers. Katherine.

“NO!” I screamed as loudly as I could. “Somebody help me, PLEASE!”

His laughter sent shivers down my spine, paralyzing me. I couldn’t move, couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, my heart pounding like a machine gun. Icy fingers locked around my ankle and he yanked me beneath the surface. Shock didn’t free my limbs; I couldn’t even scream. He dragged me deeper into the darkness, his laughter echoing around us, then his hands were around my throat.

His eyes bored into mine. You’re prettier than the last one. He leant into my ear, his foul stench invading my nostrils. That doesn’t mean I’ll show you mercy, Katherine. I’ll still make it hurt as unpleasantly as the first time. He gripped my chin between his jagged nails. I have a lesson to teach. One I’ll make sure you’ll never learn.

Something glinted to the right, a flash of metal, and he thrust it into my chest. It punched the breath out of me, body sore and aching like I’d been hit by a truck. My insides began to burn. It crept over me like a fever and everything slowed down. Fear. Breath. Pulse. My body’s instincts melted away and everything became harder, lungs collapsing against my ribs, my vision blurring. My eyelids grew heavy. Goodbye, Katherine. I’ll be waiting. He faded before my eyes and I was alone in the water, moments from death. I was going to…

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