Haunted Headlands: Keepers of Devil's Bay, #2

By Heather Salter-Purves

What else does Devil's Bay have left hiding in the shadows?

 

Delilah and Don grasp each other in the moonlit attic, grappling with newfound revelations. The very fabric of Rachel's life is about to be torn apart.

The Nightmarish creatures torment Devil's Bay, shaking the town and disrupting its tranquility, marking the beginning of a blurred line between reality and the tales that haunt the town.

They were sinister things working in the shadows. As they dig their scalpels into the very fabric of the town. The stone masonry may not just be statues anymore that line the parks. Delilah's sister visiting her in dreams was just the beginning of her howling experience with the supernatural.

 

Who is still keeping secrets on the high street?

Are there additional fairytale creatures with intentions of ruining the lives of Devil's Bay residents?

It's time to grab a torch and cast them into the history books once more.

 

You might need to try something stronger than the milkshake next time you're in Devil's Bay.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Heather Salter-Purves
• Release date: Feb 7, 2024
• ISBN: 9798223302865

Heather Salter-Purves

Heather Salter-Purves is an English rose living in Western Australia. She has always lost herself in dark magical stories. Heather spends her days enjoying watching her toddler, Cadence, discover the world. As a queer author of dark fantasy and supernatural horror. She slays her dyslexia with the support of her beautiful wife Lee-Anne and her feet are covered by her rescued Staffy cross Jersey and her grumpy old cat mahogany

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Lala sighed as she looked around her bedroom.  Shrugging, she grabbed the pyjamas strewn across her bed and wandered into the bathroom, flicking on the light. She paused for a moment as she pushed the door closed, stopping so that it remained ajar, and she could see Dom shuffling around her bedroom. He nodded in thanks for the pair of pyjamas she had found for him that evening. Dom slipped off his still-damp shirt and paused for a moment, noticing the light flooding the hallway from the bathroom.

Vixen, are you okay? Dom called across the hallway. Lala closed the door the last few inches in response to his question. He flopped down on the bed, still rattled by the violent display from Atlas and the bizarre revelation that Rachel was one of them—those monstrous creatures from the water. The bathroom door creaked open.

Thank you for staying, Dom. I didn’t want to be alone tonight after everything, Lala said. She wandered across the hallway and back into her bedroom, her eyes landing on Dom.  Lala crossed the floor, kneeling on the bed and wrapping her arms around his torso. Dom patted Lala’s freckled hands, which were clutched around his centre. He lifted the track pants, pointing to the bathroom door. Lala pouted, dropping her arms to the bed. Dom walked into the bathroom and pushed the door closed behind him. Lala shivered. Turning around, Lala thought she saw a phantom flickering out of focus.

Suppose it would be better to be together. It will give us time to figure out what happened down on the lakeside and how we want to behave, Dom called from the bathroom. Lala jumped at the sound of Dom’s voice, breaking the silence.  After returning from putting on his pyjamas, he wandered over quickly, darting her feet along the exposed skin on Dom’s lower legs.

Fine, I’ll grab some socks, Lala offered. Pouting, she rolled over, fishing a pair of purple fluffy socks out of her drawer. They both slept under the covers. The warmth from Dom’s body soothed Lala’s rattled nerves. As he lay pressed against her back, soon after settling in for the night, Dom started snoring intently. Delilah lay there, her neck craning backwards over her pillow to see out the circular stained glass over her bedhead. The crescent moon was visible. As the moon began to hide behind the clouds, a group drifted into view from the window. They were leaving nothing but soft, silvery light dancing across the floorboards. Lala slowly greeted her old friend, Slumber, entering its warm embrace and drifting off to sleep.

Lala felt herself walking through a sleepy fog. She could register that she stood on the Pine Island shore with her bare feet. She tilted her head around, trying to show where she was coming from. Goose flesh rose on her arms as the cool breeze whipped over her stomach and legs. Looking down at the pale blue tank top and pastel-striped pyjama shorts she had gone to bed wearing.

Something silver grabbed Lala’s attention. Her feet moved across the crusty sands of the beach that skirted Pine Island, made of broken-down shells and limestone. She moved towards the silver cord. Lala placed her fingers lightly on the silver thread. A misty blue spark arched between itself and her fingertips, causing her hand to clamp closed around the thread.  It was like a scene from a movie where she saw girls in movies walking towards certain doom. A compulsion propelled Lala forward towards the dimly lit trail as the pearly glow of the moon around her head shone on the sands. She ran up the small knoll at the centre of Pine Island. The authorities often warn visitors to Devil's Bay not to enter the central circle of

to sit on the bed, pulling Lala into his lap. Dom brushed Lala’s strawberry-blond locks over her shoulder, bending his neck and placing a soft kiss on the exposed skin at her collarbone.

Do you want to talk? Dom whispered, his lips lingering on Lala’s collarbone.

This whole day has rattled me. And to top it all off, I saw something over there, Lala meekly answered the question, pointing at the corner of her bedroom. She seemed unsure whether she had the energy to talk anymore.

Dom peered over to the corner where Lala thought she saw something. Lala slipped off her turtle’s lap as Dom stalked his way across the room. Not seeing anything, he started back towards Lala. As he hit the centre line of the room, Dom stopped. Lala rose to her knees, confused.

What is it, turtle? Please don’t tease. I don’t have the energy to manage it this evening, Lala said. Dom waved his hand at Delilah.

No, it just hit me that I assumed where I was going to sleep this evening, Dom answered, his voice shaking throughout the sentence. She knew that he wanted to snuggle up in her bed and wanted to make sure that Lala was okay with it. Given that their relationship status had changed, Lala’s brows knitted together.

What do you mean? Lala asked before registering the unspoken question that drifted in the air between the two of them.

We could share my bed if you are okay with that, Lala mentioned, shuffling over to make space for him. Dom smiled widely as he walked over to the bed, pulling the patchwork quilt down so that he could get into the bed.

Oh! Dom called. Lala giggled, looking at the shocked look on his face.

Your feet are as cold as ice! Dom cried, reaching under the covers to grab Lala’s feet. Lala squeaked quickly, darting her feet along the exposed skin on Dom’s lower legs.

Fine, I’ll grab some socks, Lala offered. Pouting, she rolled over, fishing a pair of purple fluffy socks out of her drawer. They both slept under the covers. The warmth from Dom’s body soothed Lala’s rattled nerves. As he lay pressed against her back, soon after settling in for the night, Dom started snoring intently. Delilah lay there, her neck craning backwards over her pillow to see out the circular stained glass over her bedhead. The crescent moon was visible. As the moon began to hide behind the clouds, a group drifted into view from the window. They were leaving nothing but soft, silvery light dancing across the floorboards. Lala slowly greeted her old friend, Slumber, entering its warm embrace and drifting off to sleep.

Lala felt herself walking through a sleepy fog. She could register that she stood on the Pine Island shore with her bare feet. She tilted her head around, trying to prove where she was coming from. Goose flesh rose on her arms as the cool breeze whipped over her stomach and legs. Looking down at the pale blue tank top and pastel-striped pyjama shorts she had gone to bed wearing.

Something silver grabbed Lala’s attention. Her feet moved across the crusty sands of the beach that skirted Pine Island, made of broken-down shells and limestone. She moved towards the silver cord. Lala placed her fingers lightly on the silver thread. A misty blue spark arched between itself and her fingertips, causing her hand to clamp closed around the thread.  It was like a scene from a movie where she saw girls in movies walking towards certain doom. A compulsion propelled Lala forward towards the dimly lit trail as the pearly glow of the moon around her head shone on the sands. She ran up the small knoll at the centre of Pine Island. The authorities often warn visitors to Devil's Bay not to enter the central circle of Pine Island, using cautionary tales to emphasize the point. The Silver Thread had captured her attention, and something else was in the cave, lying at the base of the crater at the central point of the island.

Snarling and tearing echoed from the mouth of the cave. In her dream state, Delilah stepped forward, her foot slipping on moss-covered rocks, sending her tumbling down into the darkness of the cave. The air hung heavy in the cave.  Soft turquoise light danced on the roof of the cave. It invited Delilah to continue further into the limestone cavern. She continued, even with every nerve in her body screaming at her to run. As she rounded the last corner, a snarling, scaled beast greeted her.

They were ripping apart a carcass that was half submerged. Lala became hypnotized by the teal light dancing from the inlet in the centre of the opening. They say the snarling things are blind creatures. They tilted their heads back, smelling the air. Delilah clasped her hands over her mouth, praying that she could be silent with her breathing, so that she didn’t add added sound to alert the beasts feasting upon their kill that they were no longer alone in the space. One of the beasts moved away from the pack, growling as it stepped towards her. Delilah slipped on the damp, sandy cave floor.  The beast stretched out his claws towards her. It was dripping with blood and the remnants of a meal. It lashed blindly at her.  Lala turned, kicking sand up as she darted for the cave entrance. A lance of pain in her back sent her tripping forward.

"Lala sat upright in the bed, screaming, and clinging to the patchwork blanket. A sound behind her. Delilah turned to see a network of cracks edging their way through her favourite part of her bedroom: the stained-glass porthole above her bed.  Dom sat up gradually in the dark room. A thin track crawled along the side of his face, settling in the hollow of his collarbone. With shaky hands, Delilah reached forward, wiping the line from Dom’s face. Delilah’s fingers came away wet, smearing whatever substance was along Dom’s cheekbone.  Lala bit down on the whimper, which threatened to ripple out of her throat. Dom and Lala looked down at the dark crimson liquid on Lala’s fingertips. Dom wrapped his tanned hands around Lala’s shaking hands. 

'It’s going to be okay, darling,' he said, trying to comfort her. Lala pulled out of his arms. She tried to hide the tears welling up in her eyes. Slipping out of the bed, she padded quickly across the hallway. Dom rose to his knees, arching his neck to look across the hallway into the bathroom. Lala pulled the first aid kit out of the cabinet under the sink. 

'No, it is not Dom, you are bleeding and I think it is my fault,' Lala said, walking back into the bathroom with a first aid kit in her hands. They both blinked as Lala flicked on the lights. Once the black dots that spotted dancing in her vision from the sudden lighting change cleared, Lala sighed, seeing both Dom’s ear bleeding and the fractured window.

CHAPTER TWO

Lala and Dom tumbled out of bed, tangled in the blanket. Lala crawled across the space between her bed and dresser to collect clothes for the day. Dom climbed back onto the bed. Sleepily he ran his hand through the wild mane erupting from his head. They cuddled as they worked around each other in the kitchen, grabbing toast and pouring coffee into mugs and manically throwing food together for school after throwing the morning dishes into the sink. Dom slid his hand into Lala's back pocket as they walked out the front door.  They both beamed as they saw Rachel partially sneaking out her front door. Rachel grinned timidly, waving as she joined Dom and Lala in the middle of the cul-de-sac.

'Shall we head to school?' Dom dropped back behind Rachel and Lala. The girls linked arms tilting their faces to the early morning sun skimming the treetops. They wandered arm in arm up the road towards school.

'Did your mother tell you anything last night?' Dom called as he was trailing behind the girls. Both girls spin around each other to look back at the boy, who had been holding them together during the last year while they were trying to navigate the dramatic changes in their lives. Lala smiled at Dom, glad to have him wanting to stand by her side after all the wild events colliding around her.

'Mum told me about the family history with some form of the lake creature,' Rachel replied, skipping backward with Lala holding hands. Lala’s foot slipped off the curb, leading to Lala and Rachel tripping into the library’s hedge.

'Ouch, something is poking into me,' Lala explained, while Dom mentioned Lala should stop trying to return the hedgehog to the garden where she may have crawled from before