Chapter 47 - Callahan

Your final ghoul is tough, let her show you.

M y jealousy took over and I leaped to my feet. In an instant my hand was on Riot's shoulder and I was shoving him back.

"Get your lips off?—"

"Who?" Riot interrupted. My mouth closed and shut asI stared into Riot's eyes. They dared me to keep talking. He would gladly tell the group what he did— what we did this afternoon in his junkyard. I gulped. I was feeling the alcohol more than I realized. I staggered some.

"Each other. Cherry said one kiss. Not a make out session." I cleared my throat and reached for Eleanor, pulling her back to sit with me instead of Cherry. I ran my hands through my hair and tried to relax my loudly beating heart. Riot took Eleanor's seat, directly across from me, a smug smile on his face as he looked at me. He was mocking me.

"Callahan, truth or dare?" Riot asked.

I swallowed. "Truth." It came out so fast I didn't realize how bad that question could be with Riot asking. I was too drunk to be talking.

"Don't be a pussy," he mocked.

"Fine, dare."

"Kiss me."

I glanced around the circle. Everyone seemed overly interested in how I was going to respond.

"Tongue optional," he added. "I'll leave that up to you. Although, I'd bet a few coins that you'll slip it in."

Eleanor gripped my forearm. "You don't have to. I'm sorry, I should have never?—"

I brushed her off and stood. "You want to kiss me so damn bad, well, let's have at it." I smacked my chest. Riot stood slowly and stepped over to me.

"Show me, pretty boy, what made Eleanor run away with you."

I took hold of Riot's face and yanked him to me. I crushed my lips down on his and pulled away an instant later. I held him for a moment and then suddenly, the room around us disappeared, and it was only Riot and I. His eyes were a hazel that was more green than brown. He was handsome, and rugged, and— my mind went blank as I closed my eyes and kissed him again.

Riot's lips were different than any woman's; they were soft, but his stubble rubbed against my stubble in an interesting tickle. His lips parted and my mouth matched his movements, my tongue darted between his lips, searching for his. They tangled in a delicious mess. He tasted of liquor and cigarettes. I groaned and pressed my body against his. I was hard. I couldn't help it. The memory of his mouth on my cock earlier returned to the forefront of my mind.

I vaguely remembered that we weren't the only ones in the room, but I didn't care. I suddenly couldn't give two thoughts about what Eleanor was thinking, or if she was upset. Right now, I needed more of Riot. Finally, someone cleared their throat loudly and we pulled apart.

I took a deep breath and looked at Riot. We were the same height. I loved that. He was my equal in every way, and I couldn't wait to?—

"You hurt her feelings," Bonnie said, her tone mocking.

I blinked and looked around the circle. Eleanor was gone.

"What?"

"You were too busy making out that you didn't see your little real life doll run out of the house." Cherry rolled her eyes. "Jesus, Riot, what are you doing?"

"Mind your fucking business, Cherry," Riot grumbled and shifted his jeans. I adjusted my cock as well and stormed out.

"Eleanor! Come back and let me explain!"

"Go away!" She cried off in the distance. I started in that direction, calling to her, begging her to stop running. I could see her shadow heading into the junkyard. She pushed through the creaky gates, and a low growl came, followed by a pair of glowing green orbs.

Two pairs.

They blinked and moved fast.

"Eleanor! Stop!" I screamed, but she didn't listen. I looked around, searching for something to use to fight whatever was in the junkyard. Against a stack of milk crates was a baseball bat. I snatched it up and examined it. The bat had barb wire wrapped around it tightly; this could work.

I sprinted after her, the bat over my shoulder, prepared to swing.

"Eleanor!" I called again. But I couldn't hear her moving anymore

Had the beasts already gotten her? What were they exactly? Where was Riot or Boone? Why hadn't they followed me?

I broke out in a cold sweat as I tried to avoid sharp metal while still moving fast through the junkyard.

Nothing in here was organized. Tools and parts were everywhere. Wheels and motors were strewn randomly, and puddles of oil were every few feet. I was slipping left and right; there was no way that Eleanor could navigate this in the dark.

A low growl made me freeze and look up slowly. A beast with black fur and green, luminescent eyes stared down at me. Slime that matched his eyes in color dripped down and hit a piece of sheet metal beside me. It sizzled, smoked and ate through the metal, dripping to the ground and creating a hole in it. If it did that to metal, I couldn't imagine what it'd do to flesh.

I inhaled deeply, trying to relax myself without taking my eyes off the beast.

"What are you?" I asked low, tightening my grip on the bat. I pulled back, ready to swing. It arched its back and hissed, exposing a row of rotting fangs. It lunged and I swung.

The bat collided with the furry beast with a thunk! It yelped as it hit the ground, but rolled to its feet and lunged for me again. I swung a second time. This time, it went flying into the air, hitting a car window. It shattered and the beast fell onto the seat. I crept over to it, carefully looking around for the second set of glowing eyes.

I peeped into the car. The beast was waiting for me. It saw my face and lunged. I swung, missing it completely, and instead hitting the steering wheel. In an instant, I was blown back by a loud explosion. I lost grip of the bat as the air bag deployed just as the beast was passing. Its yelp was cut off abruptly.

I was shot so far into the air I fell on my back, miraculously not hitting anything. I scurried to my feet and looked for the bat. It was a short distance away, seemingly floating. The hair on my arms stood up as the second set of eyes opened directly above the bat.

It was in its teeth.

Fuck.

I looked around for something, anything, that I could defend myself with, but nothing stood out. I could shield myself, but that was no good when the monster's spit ate through metal.

"Here, kitty kitty." Eleanor's sweet voice came from somewhere in the yard. "Here, kitty kitty." She clicked her tongue.

Eleanor! What were you doing?

I wanted to scream for her to stop, but I had nothing to defend myself if it came for me. I needed to get the bat from it first.

"Where are you? You look hungry. I have kitty food!" She called to it. The beast cocked its head and turned abruptly, trotting toward her voice.

No !

I hurried after them. The animal didn't seem to be paying me any mind. Eleanor continued to call to it. I tried to head it off by running around it, but I kept running into dead ends. The beast weaved through tunnels I was too large to go through, but finally I caught up with it just as it made it to a clearing in the junkyard, where Eleanor stood in the center.

"Here, kitty kitty," she cooed. She held out her closed fist, with her other hand behind her back. The beast dropped the bat and bound excitedly for her.

"Eleanor, no!" I screamed, lunging for the bat.

Eleanor swung her other hand from behind her back and aimed a pistol at the beast, shooting once. It dropped instantly, a thick green ooze spilling out from the hole between its eyes.

What a shot.

I stood, the bat bouncing limply off my leg.

"Eleanor, wha—" I stopped when she raised the gun to my chest.

"And now to deal with the dog."