Читать книгу Blood RED - Paul Kane - Страница 17

CHAPTER SEVEN

Tilly almost didn’t answer the buzzer when it went.

It was dark outside. Nobody she knew would be calling to see her this late in the day; not that they ever did when it was light, either. Which meant that it had to be someone trying to get into her complex, into her flat—for whatever reason—and she was in no hurry to find out who. But it just kept buzzing. “You’re persistent,” she said to herself (Tilly had always talked to herself, even before growing old—making the joke that if you wanted decent conversation, there was really no other choice). Finally, she answered it to stop the noise.

“Whoever this is, I—”

“Tilly, oh thank God!”

She recognised the voice immediately. It was Rachael. Before she could even ask what was happening, the girl was explaining—her words fast and furious on the intercom. “You have to let me in. I was bringing you your medication because I forgot to give it you, but now I’m being chased—please Tilly, let me in. I need to call the police.”

She didn’t need to hear any more. Tilly buzzed her in and opened her flat door when she heard the knock. Rachael practically fell inside, shaking like a naked woman in an ice bath.

“Oh my word ... Whatever’s happened, young Rachael?” She placed an arm around her shoulders.

“It was terrible, Tilly. I thought ... I honestly thought ...” Rachael was close to crying now.

“There, there.” Tilly stroked Rachael’s shoulder with her hand. “You come sit down, and then you can tell me everything.”

“Phone,” said Rachael. “I need to call the police.”

As they were making their way through to the living room, the buzzer went again. Rachael looked at Tilly, her face frozen with fear. “Don’t answer it.”

Tilly shook her head. She had no intentions of doing so.

She got Rachael settled down on the sofa and handed her the phone, but the buzzer kept ringing. It was just as persistent, if not more so, than Rachael had been only moments beforehand.

Rachael lifted the receiver.

“Who are they?” asked Tilly, hands clasped and looking nervously at the buzzer on the wall.

“I don’t know.”

“What did they do, take the medication from you? They’re such a menace, those drug people.”

Rachael looked up at her through red eyes and shook her head. “No, I dropped your medication while I was running. I’m sorry, Tilly.”

The old woman waved a hand. “The important thing is that you’re all right, and that you’re ringing for the police.” But Rachael wasn’t ringing for the police at all. In fact she’d put the receiver back on its cradle.

“Rachael?” Tilly’s brow creased more than usual.

“I am sorry,” said Rachael. “Very sorry.” Then she smiled, but the smile looked strange on her innocent face. It didn’t sit right at all. Rachael got up and pulled the phone out of the wall by the lead.

“Rachael, whatever—?”

“You’re a necessary part of what’s to come,” said Rachael. “Of the ... production.”

“I don’t understand.” Tilly instinctively backed away.

“You’re not meant to.” Rachael snarled and leapt across the room at Tilly. As old as she was, the woman made a concerted effort to dodge the girl, twisting even though it sent waves of agony through her aching body. She backed away again, as fast as she could, out of the room.

Rachael landed by the side of the armchair, and grinned. There were so many teeth in that mouth, and when Tilly looked closer, she could see that all of them were razor sharp.

Her hand reached for the buzzer and a look of surprise spread across Rachael’s face. She sprang again, but not before Tilly had touched the speaker button.

“Tilly? Tilly are you there? Let me in!”

The old woman stood rooted to the spot as the person she’d believed to be Rachael put a hand on her shoulder and spun her around.

“Tilly—Tilly, let me in!” said the tinny voice through the grille. “It’s Rachael.”

Tilly’s eyes were wide. “Rach—” she managed before a hand was around her throat. It squeezed tightly. With its other hand, it flicked off the speaker. The Rachael in front of her leaned in and Tilly could smell its rank breath now, hot and fetid. However could she have mistaken this ... this monstrosity for Rachael. Her Rachael.

It smiled a final time, this performance almost over. Drool cascaded over its lips as it savoured the moment.

By the time it showed her its true face, Tilly had nearly blacked out anyway from the lack of oxygen. Part of her was glad; glad she’d be spared what came next.

But she could still see the teeth. Teeth used for biting and chewing.

With a definite taste for human flesh.