Page 57 of Insidious Monsters
He had to be.
* * *
The PD had setup a barricade in front of the tourist entrance, but it didn’t take long to pick the lock.
We entered the reception area where people bought tickets to the attraction. A souvenir shop sat to our left, looking dark and morose without occupants.
There was a lift by reception and an arch opposite it that led to the stairs. If our eldritch was in here, he could be on any of the floors. If we took the steps and he realized he was being hunted, he could use the lift to escape. We needed to cut him off and flush him out.
“I’ll take the lift to the top and wedge it open, then scope out that floor before taking the stairs down. You guys take the stairs. One person scope the floor, the other block the stairwell.”
“Smart,” Victor said. “Stay on comms and call in if you see anything.”
“Same to you guys.”
We split and I headed for the lifts while they made for the steps. The ride up had my stomach dipping. The elevator rattled, making enough noise to wake the dead. No ghosties in the lift, though, thank goodness.
I exited at the top floor to a chill breeze and the familiar scent of polluted city air.
Nice.
There’d once been a glass walkway between this tower and another across the river, but that was barricaded off now, and the tower across the river was closed to the public.
I scanned the area, searching for residue. Nothing.
Great. Typical. I was obviously wrong about this. Wasting Quentin’s time. So desperate to be right. What was wrong with me?
I walked over to the barricade and looked out over the city sitting under a red sky. All those people scurrying around like ants, and for what? What was even the point?
What was the point of hunting these eldritch because more would come. More always came. It would never end.
August?
Telarion was awake. Great, another reminder of what I couldn’t have.
August, what is this? What are you feeling?
“Pointless, that’s what. Everything is pointless and we can never be together because you probably have a wife and a family, or a lover or someone, and when they separate us and Genevieve tells you about your life, it might jog your memory and your emotions for this other woman and then you’ll be gone.”
August, what the hell are you talking about?
“And it’ll hurt, Telarion. It’ll hurt so bad. I don’t want to feel that pain for weeks and months. I can’t. I won’t.”
I stepped closer to the edge. Much easier to end it now. One moment of pain rather than days and weeks of heartache. Because what would be the point of staying? With Telarion gone, I’d be mundane again. Nothing. No one. Back on the hamster wheel while life passed me by.
August, this isn’t you. August, you have to fight it.
But I couldn’t fight it because the despair was under my skin, burrowing deep into my bones, and a new kind of pain filled my heart and mind. Sorrow and devastation, and the vast void of emptiness. Nothing would bring my mother back. I was going to lose Telarion. I was worthless.
Better to be dead.
I climbed up onto the ledge.
August, no! Stop. I won’t be able to heal you. August, please. Stop.
I stared up at the darkening sky as his voice was drowned out by my sorrow. Salvation would only be found in the arms of death.
I stepped off the ledge.
