‘It’s so good to have you back,’ she said, as she hugged him, letting the knife drop to the floor, Delyn’s heart went back to where it should be at the sight of the two people hugging,

‘Wish I could say the same,’ Peter mocked as they both withdrew from their hug, he noticed the young girl standing there, looking scared and as lonely as anyone possibly could be, Tony had told him as much as he could,

‘Who are you’ Delyn nervously asked.

Peter’s mind flashed back to the sign he first saw, the sign that read “Underwood, one way in” he smiled at the recollection.

‘I’m the one who’s going to get you out,’ he told her.

Tony walked to see the sheriff, glad to have his accomplice back, he knew the sheriff would be wanting a report, he just hoped he wouldn’t react to badly at his first assignment of people recoverer, not that Tony was ever going to recover anybody, he knocked at the sheriff’s door waiting for it to open, he did not but he heard a voice telling him to come in, Tony did so and walked into the sheriff’s office.

‘Well’ said the sheriff, Tony looked at the sheriff slumped at the table, with his head in his hands, he did not turn his head to meet Tony, Tony could see the sheriff had not shaved, the stubble starting to turn into a beard, this was so unlike the sheriff, he was normally so threatening but as he looked at the man sat at his desk, Tony could tell he didn’t look the same and he thought about trying to take the sheriff out, but he quickly came to his senses, recalling the events of the past and how strong and able the sheriff had dealt with everything and everyone who had come before him, even a weakened sheriff would overcome him.

‘It’s good news’ replied Tony, thinking on his feet ‘a family of four, twin daughters about 14 years old’ he told the sheriff.

The sheriff turned his head to face Tony, he let out a feint grunt,

‘That is good news’ he said, but as he said it, Tony noticed the look in his eyes, that cold colour was not there anymore, they weren’t the looks could kill kind of eyes he was used to seeing, now they were distant and desperate, the pupils were dilating.

‘You deal with them, I have too much to do’ the sheriff told him,

‘Shall I get the vicar or the judge…?’

‘NO’ the sheriff shouted, and Tony turned to leave

‘Certainly sir’ he said as he left, knowing full well now that the three were one, and he smiled as he thought,

And the three are dying.

Chapter 22

Lily done her silly dance of joy for at least 10 minutes, Nathan clung onto his father as if he was never going to let him go again, for if he did he was sure he would disappear again.

Eileen kissed her lover again and again and Delyn looked on, a smile forming on her lips, hoping soon that she would be hugging her own father and kissing her own mother, she had renewed hope, as did everyone in Underwood that day.

The creature in the woods lay in his den, lying beside what remained of Stuart Hillman, his remains covered in the creatures vomit, such was his hunger he had torn into the flesh, swallowing great chunks of it before realising it didn’t taste like the human he was used to, this one was bitter, his instincts told him it had been tampered with, the excruciating pain ripped through his gut as he lay whimpering in the night, doing the only thing he could do, transferring the disease inside him to those he controlled, sharing the pain, the torture that had been forced upon him, the animal was feeling better now, the sharing of the poison was helping his healing.

He would survive this attempt to kill him, as he had done with so many other attempts in the past, maybe those that he controlled would do as well, but that was not important, there would be others he could choose.

The news that Tony Griffiths had picked him up a bit, but the pain that ripped through Allan Herapath’s gut had not gone.

He believed the creature, his creator would come through this, then his strength would return and he could get on with sorting the mess out that the judge had left, they had all made mistakes lately, they had taken their foot off the pedal, they had been too soft, the laws would have to be stricter, the punishments more severe, when he was well he would wreak his havoc across the town of Underwood, along with the pain.

“There’s work to be done,” said Tony, grabbing Peter by the arm, they were all still in the basement, a celebration drink in their hands as they toasted the return of Peter Ford.

“Go back home, act as normal. Peter and I have things to see to, Sandra you stay with Delyn, you’re a wanted lady,” Tony added in a commanding voice.

“I want to stay with my dad,” protested Ivy as she grabbed her father’s arm, Peter pulled her close to him and kissed the top of her head.

“When this is over I will never let you out of my sight he told her,”

“Isn’t it dangerous for Peter to be out there,” asked a concerned Eileen, she really didn’t want to let him go again,

“The sheriff and the rest are not available at the moment,” Tony sniggered, “I’m not sure how long that will last,” he added.

Peter sat with his head in his hands, a cigarette poking through the fingers burning away, a tear trickled down his chin, Tony stood and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, they were in the living room of the car lot, Tony went to the kitchen and got two bottles of homebrew, he handed one to Peter, Peter doused his cigarette and took it, he took a long swig, his face still distorted with emotion as he tried to digest the news that his 14 year old daughter had killed someone to save her mother, the emotions going through his mind were to incredible to digest, but one emotion he knew he would never get rid of was the emotion of guilt.

I should have been there for them.

He kept repeating that thought over and over again, that thought will remain there for as long as he lived.

‘She’s bearing up well, an amazingly strong girl,’ Tony told Peter, who had sat down beside him with his beer, his words offered no comfort, even though Peter appreciated the effort.

Peter sat there in silence, swigging his beer, it was a while before he spoke.

‘I’ve been to Underwood,’

Tony almost choked on his beer,

‘When you were on the outside,’ he asked, his eyes wide in expectation.

Peter told him all that had happened, about how Underwood is just a normal council estate, how different it was to the Underwood they were now sat in, he also told them about Sue Bradshaw and June Murphy and how he had a drink with them in the pub, how they disappeared and were no longer there, he finished with,

‘What sort of world am I living in?’

‘I really don’t know, but I have to go and see those two,’

‘Tony,’ Peter shouted, calling him back, Tony turned around, noticing the change of expression on Peter’s face, he could tell he was holding something back,

‘What is it,’ he demanded,

Peter gulped, ‘How old are you’

’52,’ he rolled his tongue across his bottom teeth, waiting for a reason for the question,

Peter pulled his lips inside his mouth,

‘I saw your gravestone, you died at 52,’

Their eyes locked for what seemed an age,

‘That changes nothing,’ Tony said and turned around to leave.

‘All right love,’ said June Murphy as she opened the door to let Tony in, Sue was sprawled out on the sofa, looking as if she was recovering from having one to many the night before, she sat up when she saw Tony.

‘We don’t want to buy a car today,’ she mocked, Tony grinned and cast his eyes across the room, he noticed how warm and homely it felt, not giving the cold aurora that so many other buildings in Underwood gave off.

He offered the two girls a cigarette, they both took one, the three of them lit up,

‘Wanna drink?’ said Sue, Tony replied in the negative,