― Meg Rosoff
Aftermath
I had been rescued by the Moore's and ordered to bed by Helen who had dressed my wounds and decided I was exhausted and needed rest. I didn't object―I knew I had pushed myself to the limit and obediently took to bed in the spare room and fell asleep immediately.
It was a fitful sleep, due no doubt to my being over-wrought, in addition to being bruised and battered by my fall.
I had seen myself in the bathroom mirror and looked a mess―even a warm shower hadn't soothed or refreshed me, but did make feel warm and tired, hence my lack of protest at her prescription of rest.
After some time I was disturbed by shadowy figures invading my dreams. I felt the familiar knot of fear in my stomach and my fight instinct clicked in.
The shadows ranged around me slinking like wolves until they coalesced into one giant entity I recognized as the Beast.
He was bristling and enraged, confronting, but standing off, trying to intimidate me by his sheer size.
Suddenly, he spoke in a guttural growl that was distorted as if coming from several voices.
"You are mine," his voice rumbled, his anger reverberating with deep peals of thunder.
I could feel each word pulsate against my chest and face, powerful enough to knock me backwards against the headboard of the bed.
I felt helpless and vulnerable as I did in the truck, my spine pressed up against the steel cab, my body jounced by pure force.
"Bow down before me!" The Beast roared.
I pictured myself as before, pressed down by the weight of his strength, helplessly crawling on all fours.
I couldn't breathe―my body tingling from terror and oxygen deprivation.
"Stand up!" A different voice rose up within me, calming my fear, allowing me to breathe. As I stood, I was strengthened and stood firmly facing the Beast who glowered in fury opposite me.
I noticed what appeared to be beams of light forming a hedge around me.
The shadows I had seen before surrounded the Beast as well as if in a standoff, but suddenly, they began to falter and bow down towards me.
The Beast gave an ear-splitting roar and exploded into shards of black pixels and disappeared.
I awoke in semi-darkness, the window blue with lightning and rain sheeting down the pane. I was trembling but unafraid―my body simply responding to the release of adrenaline.
I knew then it was over―the Beast was conquered along with Ike Helmsley.
A few minutes later when my cell pulsated I knew I would pick up to hear the same message from Breton.
“Zach, you can tell your friends to return,” he yelped at the other end, “order’s restored and the government forces are in charge. You’ve been delivered.”
“I have been delivered,” I replied, smiling from ear to ear.
“Sounds like you won your own victory,” he laughed.
“I think I finally laid some demons to rest and now can get on with really living.”
“Keep the faith, my friend,” he said in closing.
I intended to do just that, now that my personal demons were vanquished. For the first time in months, I took a deep breath and allowed peace to flow through me.
The five of us weathered the storms and we all earned the right to finally be able to relax.
We survived... we lived and did not die. We were finally free.