The Blood Rite

Talon

Talon didn't believe that she was dead. He couldn't. If he did then his mind would wander down the alley of: What kind of monster steals a dead person's body? And that would drive him mad.

He began his search at all of Ruby's favorite spots; the garden behind her college campus, her gym, the art galleries in the surrounding towns, and, lastly, Crier's Creek. He knew it was foolish, but as he raced down the hill towards the creek, he'd still hoped he'd see her on the swing, grinning down at him.

When he didn't though, he knew he'd been an idiot. The part of him that hadn't wanted to believe she was in danger, had held onto the hope that he'd find her browsing the stacks at the record store or lacing up a pair of new black boots.

After he finally accepted the reality of the situation, he began broadening his search. He walked through the town and through the back roads, not caring that it was trespassing when he'd creep through abandoned buildings or sneak up to houses at night to listen for the sound of her voice. He peered through basement windows, scared of what he'd see if he found her, but also too desperate to care about himself. Still no luck.

Look at Redzone, the voice said. It had been there in the back of his mind ever since the night of the crash. It was the smartest way to go. But he'd used every excuse he could to avoid it. The cops had already search there multiple times. Yeah, but does anyone else know Ruby's patterns like you?

It was dangerous.

And she could currently be in danger.

He wasn't fully recovered yet.

You're running around town just fine.

Finally though, he knew it was the best place to look. He'd healed well enough and Talon knew how to defend himself. But even if he didn't, it didn't matter. It was Ruby.

He didn't tell his mother where he was going, only kissed her on the forehead and said, "I'll be back, ma."

"Be safe, mijo."

"I promise."

Nothing about where he was going was safe. He'd pay for the lie but could only hope she wouldn't pay for it. There was no looking back as he floored the truck down the road that would eventually blend into RedZone. The night was heavy, the moon barely a sliver in the sky.

His hands trembled, his breath racing as he leaned to fumble with the radio. He hadn't wanted to face the memory of that night.

The white road sign felt more like a bad omen than it had ever before. The city had cleaned the fake blood off but nothing could get rid of the menance it held. Talon eased his foot off of the gas and turned on his brights. He wouldn't make the same stupid mistake Beau made.

Beau. The idiot. Had gotten himself killed, leaving Talon alone. Without him and Rex, life felt like a harsh reality he couldn't escape. And although he wasn't very close with Lexi, he knew she had meant the world to Ruby. However, it was the loss of the latter that had completely shattered him. As if he wasn't made of steel as he'd assumed, but glass.

Talon's grip on the wheel tightened. His eyes scoured the road and before long, he realized he was looking for Beau's mangaled car as some sort of marker. But it was long gone along with all of the debris and blood. Eventually, if he didn't pull over and just get out, he'd drive right out of RedZone.

Steeling himself, Talon pulled the truck over and off of the road. He turned it off, grabbed his flash light and got out. When he flicked on the beam, part of him wondered why he'd come at night. If he didn't find anything, he'd come again tomorrow afternoon when the sun was high in the sky.

He walked straight into the trees, keeping his ears wide open and scouring the woods. Whenever he fell upon an abandoned barn or shelter, he didn't hesitate to creep in and search the ruins for her.

As he walked, gradually growing more calm, Talon wondered if she had escaped her captors and was at his house seeking safety. The thought made him antsy. He stopped walking, battling the urge to run back to the truck and race home or to keep searching. Eventually he realized that if she did show up at his house, she'd have his mom and his mom would call him. So, he continued on.

After a couple hours, the woods opened up to long fields. He found a few houses, some occupied and others not but still he had no luck. It wasn't until another hour had passed that he stumbled across an underground cellar.

Talon hesitated. He could go down and explore it, but what would he do if there were people down there. What would they do? He got down to his knees and pressed his ear to the hatch. There was a steady hum of machinery and the sound of dripping water. Otherwise he heard nothing. He hesitated only a moment more before deciding that it didn't matter if other people were down there. He'd do it for her.

He grabbed for the handle.

"What are you doing here?"

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That's when you run. Tell me you ran, Talon.

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