Footsteps grew louder as they approached from down the hall. Not just one set, but many, running with a pitter-patter that implied oncoming danger.

I quickly picked up a broken chair leg from the floor to use as a weapon, wielding it like a bat, waiting just beside the double doors for whoever to enter.

My heart tripled in beat and my hands shook at the possibility of a hunter, a soldier, or a police officer bursting through the doors with an armed weapon to mow us down. Sweat beaded at my temples, tickling the fragile baby hairs that resided there.

I stared at Hermit, readying him for what we were about to encounter. He backed away from the range of my swing and the doors swung open.

I readied my swing and a young lady appeared, screaming as her eyes met my weapon. I paused as soon as recognized Valerie.

She gestured behind her. "They're coming," she huffed in a panic.

Noel rushed through the doors and only feet behind him were a half dozen angry men wielding various weapons.

"Stay back," I warned, but the fury in their eyes told me my words meant nothing.

One of the men swung his fist, punching Noel directly in the face. When the man stumbled from the blow, I swung the hefty lumber and it connected with the guy's shoulder. He cried out in pain, and the anger and hatred in his scowl reminded me so much of—

The burnt sugar stench overpowered the space. So much so, the men stopped in their tracks to investigate the smell as they struggled to breathe through their coughs.

Valerie assisted Noel as he tried to maintain his balance, and together they looked wide-eyed at what lurked at the end of the hall.

The bubbling, sopping sounds of the Scorcher was heard before the scratches of its claws as it scurryied against the slick, jellied covered floor, carving deep groves in the tiles. It gurgled as the neck scuffed the ceiling, blocking out any light that crept into the hall from the reception area.

The men pushed through the double doors to get away from the creature, rushing and tumbling passed us and over the debris and furniture in the room. Valerie and Noel were smart to back into a corner and huddle each other as the creature squirmed through the double doors.

The Scorcher spotted them in the corner as they held each other. It crept closer, ready to destroy and consume. Valerie placed her hands above her head to shield herself from the creature and its bubbling tarlike syrup.

"No!" I demanded. The creature paused, its juice still seeped and dribbled from its body. "They're my friends. Don't hurt my friends."

The creature quickly lost interest and moved passed them and the debris to disappear through the double doors at the opposite end of the room where the men had gone.

When the room was once again quiet and stench free, Noel panted, "What the hell?"

"They won't hurt you," I assured them, seeing nothing but fear in their eyes. "You're safe with me."

"What if it comes back?" The whites of Valerie's eyes were prominent, and her lips trembled.

Hermit shook his head. "Looks like it has more interesting targets."

I stepped forward. "What are you guys doing here?"

It wasn't until Valerie looked at me and her face twisted with concern that I pressed my palm to my cheek.

"Oh, my god, Kyla." She came forward. "What happened to you. Are you ok?"

"I will be." I nodded, not wanting the focus to turn to me. "But why are you guys here? I told you this place was dangerous."

Valerie gulped and fumbled through her small side bag she had strapped across her torso. "Look." Her hands shook as she dug into her pack trying to retrieve an item. "This place is on the news again. Live. It's on every network."

She took her phone out to show us the footage. After trying desperately to get decent reception, the Scalded shown on screen from several aerial shots and angles. From the aerial view it was easier to see the new border wrapped around the original by miles as I suspected.

"The helicopters." I watched the hospital in the center of the screen and listened to the helicopter blades whipping the air in the part of the sky that matched their location on screen.

"We've been protesting all night." Valerie stared at the screen. "Hundreds of us. We don't want to see your home go down in flame."

"Too late for that." Hermit scoffed.

Valerie glanced back and forth between Hermit and I, seriousness in her glare. "Look, we're doing all we can to stop them, but as long as those creatures are here and... hurting people, nothing we do or say is enough."

"I'm in control now," I assured them, looking past the fear on their face to connect eye to eye. "They won't harm my friends. They only go after those who try to harm me and my home."

"The only thing showing on the news is death." Noel stepped beside Valerie. His upper lip puffy and bloodied from the hunter's punch. "That's all anyone is thinking and talking about out there. They see this black spot in their city as the place of death and destruction."

"Well, we have to change that." I nodded, full of confidence.

"Yeah?" Hermit scoffed. "How do you plan to pull that off?"

"I will show them that I am in control." I looked back and forth between each of them noting their doubting eyes. "The Scorchers won't harm anyone. I will make sure of it."

"As soon as you conjure your imaginings the authorities will kill you," Hermit argued, cradling his injured arm, and giving me an all-knowing look.

"Not if they're aware that my death will cause these creatures to roam much more than just the radius," I pointed out. "The city and the government need me alive. No one else could tame them like I do. They're my creations and only I have the ability to determine how this nightmare ends."

"You may have tamed them for now, but what happens when they don't want to obey anymore?" Hermit's unblinking gaze met mine. "What happens when that leash snaps?"

"I got this," I said, taken aback by his sudden lack of certainty. "You were the one who gave me the confidence. Why the change of heart now?"

"Because you say if you die those creatures are no longer tethered to you or your demands." He cocked his head like Lilac often did. "What makes you think they won't turn on you in a split second to make that happen?"

I blinked, stunned by the realization. I would have to keep strict control of the Scorchers for as long as I live, because no telling when their wild and destructive ways could backfire. "I get it, but for now, I have to do something. I got a plan. You just have to trust me."

"Okay, what do you got?" Valerie asked and her and Noel lit up with eagerness, giving me their full attention. They trusted me.

"We go to the roof of Knoques and send everyone a message." I suggested. "That's the best and safest way to reach them right now. But we have to do it now not later."

"What about Lilac?" Valerie glanced around the space. "We can use his help."

A lump grew in my throat at the mention of his name. "Well, he's not here right now so we will have to do this without him." Just the thought of him made me envision his limp and bloodied body. He should've been here, but his absence was something I'd have to endure, especially since I still had work to do to save the Scalded. 

Quickly and safely, we rushed through the front reception area. I swiped the Winnie the Pooh backpack and its contents from the desk before heading through the front doors of the hospital and to the side of the building. I located the old ladder high up on the side of the building that had been used by service personnel to access the roof.

After stacking pieces of chairs and end tables, I climbed the pile of debris. Teetering and balancing to get high enough to pull the rest of the ladder down with a piece of wood from a broken chair. The ladder released, bringing down strands of vines with it as it dropped low enough for us to climb up to the rooftop.

The sun sat just above the horizon, lighting up the entire roof like a stage. The helicopters hovered nearby, the wind from their blades caught in our hair and clothes and made them flap violently.

On my back was the small children's sized Winnie the Pooh backpack filled with the dead and dried roots I had intended to use as kindling but decided against it. I handed each person a thick dried stem, which acted as charcoal and allowed us to stain the light paneled rooftop with our written message. And with each other's help, we worked together to mark a message that could only be read from above.

Let us go. Let us be. If there's no peace, they won't leave.

I stood in the middle of the large letters as the helicopters circled the hospital at various heights, covering all angles.

From this vantage point, the sight of many fires blazing around us took my breath away. Pillars of black smoke plumed into the sky from different locations around the Scalded, seeming to burn on forever.

I focused on the damage and destruction surrounding us. Allowing my emotions to peak, I mustered up all my strength to ensure part of the message involved the shocking sight of all three massive Scorchers and their dark and distinct characteristics.

As my imaginings encircled the entire perimeter of the building in the same clockwise motion as the helicopters, their inky bodies doused any nearby flames. The fire was no match for the Scorchers. The creatures didn't even flinch at the heat and flickering flame as they left behind copious amounts of their inky molasses and deep scratch marks in the ground around the asylum.

~~~

Continue on to the final chapter of Behold the Scalded! Don't forget to vote.