Dead Souls Volume Three (Parts 27 to 39)

by Amy Cross

  Before she could finish, she let out a gasp as she felt a sharp pain in her belly. She stood back, shocked and terrified. The sensation only lasted for a few seconds, but took another step back and held her breath for a moment. A moment later, the pain returned as a kind of dull, rumbling ache, as if something was churning inside her body.

  “Typical,” she muttered, wiping tears from her cheeks. “After everything else that has happened tonight, now I have indigestion.”

  IV

  “Such a lovely little place,” Estella said as she and Anna stood in the courtyard outside the store. “I remember coming here when I was a little girl. I used to love the colors of the fruit and vegetables on the stands, and my mother used to let me play – within reason of course – while she did the weekly stop. I honestly don't think it ever occurred to me that one day I should have to grow up.”

  She paused, thinking back for a moment to her childhood, and to the way her mother used to hold her hand as she led her through the streets. Looking down at her hands, she considered removing her gloves before remembering how her grandfather's bible had burned at her touch.

  “Well,” she added finally, taking a deep breath, “that was all a very long time ago, now wasn't it?” Looking down at Anna, she saw that the little girl still had a hint of fear in her eyes. “Come on, you're home. What could possibly be better than getting home? There are so many people in the world who'd love to get home, and here you are, with such a sour look on your face?”

  She waited, but it was clear that Anna was worried about something.

  “Is your mother here?” Estella asked. “What's wrong, are you scared she'll be angry? If you like, we could try to sneak you in without her waking up, but -”

  “She's not here,” Anna said suddenly.

  “She's not?” Estella paused. “What about your father?”

  “He's dead.”

  “Oh. Well... If your mother isn't here, then where is she?”

  “She goes out a lot at night,” Anna explained. “I don't know where she goes, but sometimes she's out until just before the sun comes up.”

  “She is? Doesn't she ever say where she's been?”

  “She goes out in the day as well sometimes. I followed her once, and she went to the police station. She went in through the back door. I was going to wait and watch, but Kate Langley made me come home.”

  Estella opened her mouth to ask another question, before realizing that the little girl clearly didn't know anything about her mother's unusual activities. “Well,” she said finally, “I'm sure she has a very good reason for being out. It must be scary for you, though, when you're all alone in the house at night with no-one else around.”

  “It's okay,” Anna replied. “I like it now that Kate Langley's here, because sometimes she's around when my mother's out, so I'm not by myself. And even when I am alone, I'm not scared of ghosts.” She paused. “Still, I definitely like it more with Kate around.”

  “Yes,” Estella said, flinching slightly at the repeated mention of Kate's name, “I can understand how that might help.”

  “I think Kate -”

  “Come along,” Estella added, taking Anna's hand and leading her over to the door, which she found to be unlocked. “We must get you safely to bed.” As they headed through into the main part of the dark shop, Estella forced a smile as she looked down at Anna, who still seemed concerned. “What you must remember,” she continued finally, “is that this night has all been one big dream. It all took place in your mind while you were tucked up safe and sound in your bed, and when you wake up the sun will be in the sky and everything will be back to normal. You certainly mustn't go thinking about anything you saw at the mansion, it'll only make you -”

  Stopping suddenly, she spotted a familiar logo on one of the nearby cans. Letting go of Anna's hand for a moment, she walked over and took a closer look.

  “My mother used to cook these beans for me every Friday,” she said after a moment, with a few tears already gathering in her eyes. “Horrible, cheap things, but I still remember the taste. I asked Edgar's chef to make some for me once, but of course he imported the finest beans from the mainland, and no matter what I told him, I couldn't get him to just use a can from the local store. Edgar wouldn't let me make my own food, of course, so I dare say I'll never get to taste them again.” She paused, before taking Anna's hand again and leading her to the stairs. “You'll learn, as you get older, that the funniest things can set off a twinge of nostalgia.”

  Anna stared at her. “They're just beans,” she said finally. “They're not even very nice.”

  Heading upstairs, they made their way across the creaky floorboards of the next floor before finally Anna pushed open the door to her bedroom.

  “My,” Estella continued, “what a lovely little room.” As she stepped inside, however, she was unable to hide her disappointment. The room was small and cramped, with only a wire-frame bed pushed over toward a window that had several cracks. There were no books, no toys, just a few clothes arranged over the backs of a pair of old wooden chairs, while a piece of faded newspaper appeared to have dried into the floorboards. With the heel of her shoes, Estella tried to wipe the newspaper away, but after a moment she had to admit defeat.

  “It's okay,” Anna said quietly, “I can get into bed by myself.” With that, she made her way across the room and climbed onto the rickety bed, which creaked and groaned under her weight.

  “I'll just go, then,” Estella replied, turning to leave the room before pausing, as if she felt she couldn't just leave the girl in such a state. After prevaricating in the doorway for a moment, she made her way across the room and knelt next to the bed, just as Anna was wriggling to get under the covers. “What time do you think your mother will be back?” she asked.

  “I don't know.”

  “Would you like me to read you a story?”

  “We haven't got any books.”

  “That's okay,” Estella replied, “I know some stories. I keep them in here -” She patted her chest, over her heart, and then tapped the side of her head. “And in here. It's magic, see?”

  “Was it really a dream?” Anna asked.

  “Tonight at the mansion? Yes, sweetheart, it was.”

  “And is this a dream now?”

  “Well...” Estella paused. “Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. All you have to do is go to sleep, and when you wake up in the morning you'll find that all the nasty shadows have gone away.”

  “Do you have children?” Anna asked.

  At this, Estella paused again. “No,” she said finally, “not yet, but I'm going to get married very soon, and then I'll have lots of lots of children very soon.”

  “Who are you going to marry?”

  “The most charming...” She caught herself just in time. “Well, the most handsome and... He's very mysterious.” She thought for a moment, trying to find a tactful way to explain Edgar. “He's powerful, but beneath his rough exterior, he's a very good man, even if he sometimes fights against that.”

  “Is it Baron Le Compte?”

  “You know of him?”

  “Everyone does,” Anna replied. “He's scary.”

  “I suppose he is,” Estella said, with a faint smile. “But if you get to know him, he's not so bad at all.”

  “My friends say he eats children for breakfast.”

  “Well, I've had breakfast with him many times, and I can assure you that he only eats bread and eggs, washed down with a cup of tea.”

  “And are you going to live up at the big mansion after you've married him?”

  “I am.”

  “Like a princess in a castle?”

  Estella allowed herself a faint laugh. “Something like that.”

  “Are you sure you're not dreaming too?”

  “I'm quite sure,” Estella replied. “I'm just very lucky. I met a wonderful prince, and...” She paused again, tempted to say the words but wondering whether she should hold back. “He's going to make me a
princess,” she said finally. “I'm so lucky, but you can be lucky one day too.”

  “Do you think I'll be a princess when I'm an old lady too?”

  “Are you calling me an old lady?” She ruffled the little girl's hair. “Bless you, I'm only -”

  “What the hell are you doing?” a voice asked suddenly.

  Turning, Estella saw to her shock that Jennifer was standing in the doorway. “Oh, I just -”

  “Get out of here!” Jennifer shouted, hurrying across the room and grabbing Estella's arm, before pulling her away from the bed with such force that she almost send her toppling down to the floor. “What the hell gives you the right to come sneaking into my house in the middle of the night? Just 'cause you're almost one of them, that doesn't mean you own every goddamn square inch on the island!”

  “It's okay,” Anna said, sitting up, “she just -”

  “Go back to sleep,” Jennifer snapped at her, as she manhandled Estella out of the room.

  “But -”

  “Go to sleep!” Pulling the door shut, she turned to Estella. “Are you out of your goddamn mind? Do you know I have the right to shoot an intruder?”

  “I was just bringing her home.”

  “Bringing her home?” Jennifer stared at her for a moment, clearly shocked. “From where? What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Your daughter came up to the mansion,” Estella replied, trying to stay calm, “and she slipped inside. There's a party going on tonight and I suppose she wanted to see what it was all about. Thank goodness we spotted her in time and I brought her down here, that house is -” She stopped herself before she could say the words.

  “What?” Jennifer asked. “No place for children? Well, you've got that right.”

  “I didn't mean it like that, exactly,” Estella stammered. “I mean, when the times comes, children will -”

  “So you thought you'd bring her back here and make yourself comfortable, did you?”

  “There was no-one home! I couldn't just leave her alone in a dark and empty house, could I?”

  “I was only out for a few hours!”

  “Doing what?”

  “None of your goddamn business!” she snapped. “I don't need you, or anyone else, coming into my home and telling me how to look after my daughter, especially not someone like you!”

  “Someone like me? What do you -”

  “One of them! One of those monsters from that house! Jesus Christ, you have no business being around children!”

  Estella opened her mouth to reply, but the words caught. She paused for a moment, before turning and hurrying down the stairs. She felt as if she had to get away, to get back to the mansion where she could at least hide away from such horrific words.

  “That's right!” Jennifer shouted, running after her. “You come into my home like this again, you can expect a lot worse than a few harsh comments! I'm fully entitled to defend myself.”

  “I'm sorry,” Estella blurted out, reaching the bottom of the stairs and hurrying toward the front door, “I only -”

  Catching her foot on the edge of a basket, she stumbled and fell, landing hard on her knees.

  “Get out!” Jennifer sneered, hurrying to the cash register and then pulling out the gun she kept for emergencies. Aiming it at Estella, she took a step closer. “Get out of my store right now or I swear I will shoot you. I don't need any more excuses, you're in my home and you're refusing to leave.”

  “I just wanted to help,” Estella replied, stumbling to her feet and then hurrying to the door. “I just wanted to make sure the girl was okay.”

  “And keep away from my daughter!” Jennifer called after her. “I don't want you or any of the rest of your friends getting inside her head, do you understand? Just because she's from Thaxos, that doesn't give you an automatic right to go anywhere near her! Do you hear me?” She watched as Estella hurried out of the store and across the courtyard. “Do you hear me?” she shouted one more time, before hurrying to the door and sliding the bolt across. “Goddamn bitch!”

  ***

  Running along the street, Estella finally stopped and took a moment to catch her breath. With tears in her eyes, she looked around and saw to her relief that she wasn't being followed.

  “Oh Lord,” she whispered, steadying herself before hurrying away, until she spotted a familiar door and stopped again. For a few seconds, she considered knocking and waking her parents, but finally she realized that there was no way they'd ever let her in.

  Looking up at the mansion, she saw that the lights were still blazing, which meant that the party was still in full swing. She took a moment to straighten her dress, and then she wiped a solitary tear from the corner of her eye before setting out on the long, uphill walk back to the Edgar's home.

  V

  “Stop!” Kate shouted, banging on the roof of the carriage. “Edgar! Stop!”

  As soon as the carriage came to a halt, Kate opened the door and jumped out, staring at the vast empty field that spread out into the dark night.

  “What is it?” Edgar asked, climbing down to join her. “Kate? Did you see something?”

  “Out there,” she replied, pointing into the darkness. “Something was running, going the same way as us. It was keeping low, like it was trying to stay out of sight, but I didn't imagine it!”

  “Kate, are you sure?”

  “Completely. It didn't look...” She paused, before turning to him. “It didn't look... normal.”

  “Stay here,” he told her, making his way out into the field.

  Pausing for a moment, Kate looked over at the horses and then at the darkness all around.

  “No way,” she muttered finally, hurrying after Edgar until she caught up to him.

  “I thought I told you to -”

  “You told me to stay with the carriage, I know,” she replied, “but if there really is something out here, I'd rather be with you than with two horses.”

  “You have a point, but I must warn you that I can't guarantee your safety.”

  “Oh yeah,” she said, rolling her eyes, “that's why I'm here, because you make me feel safe!”

  “Is that -”

  “Sarcasm, Edgar. What's wrong? Haven't they invented that yet? Besides, I can't guarantee your safety either, so I guess we're in the same boat.”

  “You don't talk like a refined woman,” he replied.

  “What's that supposed to mean?”

  “I'm not entirely sure. To be perfectly honest, Kate, women are supposed to be more reserved, and quieter with their opinions.”

  “Not where I come from. My God, Edgar, you are so old-fashioned!”

  “The future sounds -” He stopped suddenly. “Did you see it?”

  Looking ahead, all Kate could see was the moonlit field, along with the shadows of a few trees that dotted the landscape. As a cool breeze blew across the scene and ruffled the long grass, she turned and looked back the other way, but there was still no sign of anything untoward.

  “What did you see?” Kate whispered.

  “A figure, moving through the night, just as you described it a moment ago.”

  “And did it seem human?”

  “I didn't get a good look at it, but it seemed like nothing that should be on this island. And I count both humans and non-humans in that assessment.”

  “What do you think it is?” she asked, stepping forward. “Edgar, what could have been hiding in the chamber?”

  “Maybe it wasn't hiding,” he replied, making his way past her. “Maybe it was trapped, or maybe it had been imprisoned down there.”

  “You're really making me feel better,” she told him. “Are you sure you don't know anything about the stone circle that might help to explain all of this? Don't take this as too much of a compliment, Edgar, but I'm finding it hard to believe you didn't know the chamber existed until I mentioned it.”

  “Compliment accepted,” he replied, “and in all honesty, Kate, I knew nothing of that chamber until tonight.�
�

  “Makes you wonder, doesn't it?”

  “Wonder what?”

  “What else there is on this island that you don't know about.”

  “There is nothing else,” he said firmly, as if the very idea was an affront to his honor. “I know everything.”

  “Apart from the chamber.”

  “Apart -”

  “And whatever came out of it.”

  “I will determine that shortly,” he replied, turning to look back the way they'd come for a moment. “Unless...”

  She waited for him to continue. “Unless what, Edgar?”

  Turning again, he seemed to have hit upon the spark of an idea. “I only caught a brief glimpse of the figure,” he continued finally, hurrying onward, “but there is one thing that it resembled, something that I never thought could reach -”

  Before he could finish, they both heard a cry of pain ringing out through the darkness. Turning, they realized there was a distant rumbling sound, and a moment later the ground beneath their feet began to tremble slightly, as if something was approaching.

  “What is that, Edgar?” Kate asked.

  “I...”

  “What is it?”

  “I'm not certain, but I believe it might be -”

  Suddenly a shape began to appear in the darkness, rushing toward them and accompanied by a shrieking, whinnying sound. At the last moment, as the horses and carriage bore down on them, Edgar grabbed Kate and pulled her out of the way before turning and reaching out, taking hold of the harness around one of the animals. Pulled along with the horses, he fought his way onto the animal's back and struggled to bring it under control, until finally the wheels of the carriage hit a divot in the soil and the entire vehicle twisted around, slamming onto its side and bringing the horses down with a heavy crash.