The Dark Ones by Anthony Izzo Page B

lifted up a scarred arm as if warding off the glow coming from her palms. She suddenly hated this man, this deformed freak, who had cruelly murdered an innocent woman, someone who had shown a runaway kindness.
    Die .
    The Light whooshed from her hands, rocked her back. The twin beams sliced through the man’s torso with a sound like bacon sizzling. The stench of burning flesh filled the kitchen. The deformed man howled and dropped to his knees. There were two scorch marks on his torso, and when he flopped forward, she saw the burn mark where her blast had exited his back.
    The Light had exploded a hole in the wall, and the edges of the wallpaper smoldered. The thing on the ground let out a final shriek and then was still. Keys in hand, she took the opportunity to jump over the body, grab the door handle, and slam the garage door behind her.
    She stepped around Joanne’s body, trying not to look. If there were more time, she would have gone for the gun. She tried to ignore the sound of her sneakers squelching in the blood on the floor and the smell of loosed bowels. Unlocking the BMW’s door, she climbed in and stuck the key in the ignition. A thud came from the door and then it was flung open. Time to put the pedal to the metal, she thought.
    Sara pressed the garage door opener and the door rolled on its track.
    Come on, come on.
    One of the other intruders ducked through the doorway, squeezing a pair of leathery wings against its body. It approached the car, its head a mass of horns and spikes. From her vantage point, she saw its clawed hands and watched as it created a wicked-looking hammer, like something a Viking warrior would use, seemingly from the darkness. It swung the hammer back and hit the driver’s-side window and glass stung her face. Sara started the car, threw it into reverse.
    The creature let loose a series of grunts and growls as the hammer was pulled from the window. Sara gunned the engine and swerved, scraping the side of the BMW against the garage door frame. She whirled the car to the right and did a hasty three-point turn, the tires squealing on the asphalt.
    Throwing the car in Drive, she sped forward, thinking her driver’s ed teacher would be swallowing his tongue right now if he saw her. She popped the headlights on and started down the road as fast as she dared. She took a glance in the rearview mirror and with dread saw the creature trot from the garage, spread its wings, and with a huge flap, take flight.
    If I can get back to the 90, I can get going fast enough to lose it. But try explaining to a state trooper why you were speeding. That should be good. Oh, I’m sorry officer, I was being pursued by the forces of evil. Could you let me off with a warning?
    She whipped down the road. Occasionally she glanced upward through the windshield. She saw only the tops of the pines at first. Then a shadow shaped like an overgrown bat appeared on the hood.
    The end of the road approached, and she was heading sharply downhill. She feathered the brakes, hoping to maintain control of the BMW and still make the turn without stopping. The shadow grew larger and the creature dipped in front of the windshield, giving Sara a view of its multi-jointed wing. It was enough to force a swerve. She jerked the wheel but the car veered right and she slammed on the brakes, the car going into a skid, the back end whipping around until she came to a screeching halt facing the opposite way. Her head thudded against the restraint and little black dots clouded her vision for a moment. She prayed she wouldn’t pass out.
    She didn’t, instead opening the door and grabbing her bag. She knelt at the side of the car, scanning the sky for the winged creature, and when she saw only clouds, she scurried into the woods.
    As she ran through the woods, the air cut through her. The sharp crackle of leaves underfoot and her ragged breathing were the only sounds she heard. She ducked through bushes, the branches scraping her face. At