Unleashed

Chapter Eight - Zack

I rubbed Val's back as she leaned over the toilet to vomit. She's been like this for the past few days since we found Zoey. Right now we were at her house since the funeral had finished, the funeral was just as painful as Caroline's.

"Here you again," Vik whispered, handing the glass of water to his sister as he made his way beside her. She gulped it down like she hadn't had anything to drinks in days.

We walked painfully slow back downstairs to where Danny was. My heart broke for my brother, no one loved Zoey like he did. He never got to tell her how he truly felt even though everyone could see their love for each other.

He was just staring at her photo on the wall, her blonde curls framed her face as she smiled cheekily at whoever held the camera. My heart tightened in my chest remembering she threw that smile at us whenever she'd have an idea about something or wanted to drag us into whatever she'd have planned.

We stayed for another hour before we all made our way to Val's house, we already had bags packed in Danny's van. Vik and Val insisted we stay at theirs while all this stuff was going on. Our parents didn't think anything of it seeing as we always go to theirs.

"We have to do something about this," Danny broke the silence that surrounded us as we sat in Viktor's room. "I did some research last night about spirits, ghosts and all that type of stuff." He pulled out salt from his bag and got up to pour a line at Viktors door entrance and his window. "I read that they can't pass a line of salt it's like protection for us till we can get rid of her."

"How do we get rid of her though?" Vik asked the question we all thought. This was crazy but we've already lost two people to her, we can't risk losing any more no matter how crazy or weird the ideas were.

"I think she thinks we are the ones who took her baby," Val gripped the blanket that was around as she stared down at the bed, "before we found her." Her voiced cracked as she tried to hold back the tears but I just pulled her into my arms knowing it was better to let it out.

Danny coughed which made me look up to see him wipe any trace of tears. How were we meant to defeat this spirit while we try to live with the fact that we've lost too many people? How were we meant to be strong for each other when we know we could break down at any minute?

"Sorry," Val said as she sat up straighter to continue what she was saying. "When you guys got on the ride, I saw her and she was running around screaming for her baby," she bit her lip as she stared at us all with an unsure look on her face, "she pointed at me and then ran towards me with a murderous look but I bumped into someone before she could get to me."

"So she thinks we took a baby and that's why she's killing us?"

She nodded her head at me as Danny and Vik seemed to have been lost in their own thoughts. Probably trying to make sense of all of this but nothing about this situation is normal.

But before anyone could say anything else, we heard something scratching at the door. I froze as Aurora came into my head, is she here right now? Would this salt actually protect us?

"Mum! Dad!" Viktor suddenly yelled as he took a few steps to the door but I held him back with a shake of my head. It wasn't them. Even if we wish it were but they're still at Zoey's helping them pack and fix up the place. They wouldn't be back for another hour at least.

"Where's my baby?" A girl cried out as the door shook from each blow she landed on it. We all flinched back at the bang, I felt like all I could hear was how fast my heart was beating. I could feel Val holding on to me and see Danny holding back Vik from opening the door.

I quickly got up and broke out of my little panic when I realised that if Vik opened that door, it would mean our salt line of protection would get ruined.

"Stop! She hasn't gotten in yet because of that line of salt," I yelled into Vik's face as I grabbed his shoulders trying to get him to understand that Danny's idea is in fact working.

"What do we do then?"

I didn't say anything in return as the banging and cries stopped. None of us moved as we just stared at the door waiting to see if anything would happen.

"Let's go pour salt everywhere cause that's all we have right now," Vik said as he handed us a packet each before walking out of the room.

"Hey, wait a minute," I grabbed Val's hand and placed a kiss on her forehead, "when all of this is over we should go Belmont for old times sake." She tried to smile at me but I could see the tears coming out again, "I wish they were still here to go with us."

I did too. That's why I wanted to go, to remember them and enjoy the place where a lot of good memories were made.

Once we finished we the salt, Val and Viks parents came home questioned us about the salt but they didn't really press for details when we bought up our friend's death. Vik said it was something he read about to keep the bad omens away and with all the death around us, we felt safe with it. It was basically the truth and I was glad they let us have this.

We all sat around the kitchen island as Danny decided to cook something for us. No one questioned this even though he never cooks for anyone we knew he was trying to keep himself busy.

"Oh god, what is that smell?" Val moaned as Danny placed a slice of lamb chops on the stove. She covered her nose and she ran to the bathroom so I quickly followed after to hold her hair up as she vomited out everything she could.

"This is why I never cook for yous!" I heard Danny yell, "ungrateful dramatic kids, my cooking smells amazing the fuck she means 'what is that smell?'"

I smiled to myself as I heard Danny slip back into his cheery self during a time like this.

"Hey, I think we should go to the doctors tomorrow," I suggested while we walked back out to the kitchen but she shook her head saying it was just the stress. I really do think something's wrong, the event's that took place in the past month isn't something people usually go through.

"You alright?" Vik handed Val some water and hugged her. She just passed it off for stress once again and sat down.

"Since when did you not like the smell of lamb?" Danny said as he pointed the spatula in her direction but Viktor responded, "since you started cooking it."

Danny just threw the spatula at Vik as our laughter filled up the kitchen. I didn't think I'd be able to laugh like this today, I didn't think any of us could.