‘I will avenge you,’ she promised, under her breath.
The square had come to life again. Most of the restaurants and snack bars were now open. Already the punters were queuing up for food, probably to absorb last night’s alcohol. It was like being among the walking dead; Khaos looked into their faces and saw glazed eyes and pallid skin, every one. Some groaned occasionally. They moved very slowly, as if they were in a lot of pain. It could only be just past 8am at the latest, but the place was thronged again with people. One or two bars were actually open, the few hardy occupants hunched over on the bar stools, nursing bloody mary’s.
Though it was busy, it was hardly as crammed as it had been last night, and Khaos was able to move quickly through the crowds.
Nyx hailed her from the end of the road, now a gleaming black motorbike sounding his horn, revving his engine impatiently. Khaos mounted and they moved off, rolling slowly through the crowds. It was fairly easy going, although there was no signage for the boat. Khaos could see the glimmer of the sea between the rows of shipping buildings and warehouses however and was optimistic that if she headed for there, she would find the boat.
Sure enough, she had not long headed in the direction of the sea before she found a queue developing; people were keen even at this hour of the morning. The queue of ticketholders led down to the main dock, where several jetties lined the edge of the water, currently empty. Khaos shaded her eyes to the horizon and could just about see a boat in the distance, the first one of the day, returning to the mainland.
The crowd of people around her were rather dishevelled and worse for wear but clutched plastic glasses of cheap beer, still in party mode. A few determined revellers were attempting to sing and dance while they waited.
Eventually the boat was close enough to see on board, and Khaos immediately noticed something strange. Music blared from the boat and neon rainbow lights flashed as if a disco was in full sway on board. But the boat was empty. Not a single soul stood out on the decks. Khaos initially thought people may be in the indoor part of the boat, but as it docked up at one of the jetties, she could see in through the windows; the seats inside were empty. Surely a few people would be coming home, back from the island?
She felt a cold shiver run through her as she recalled all those phone calls that Loka had taken from worried parents, wondering where their sons and daughters were. Where were all the passengers? They couldn’t stay on the island forever. Could they?
The demon’s power is strong now, Khaos. One week has passed since he manifested, and it has been enough for him to gain immeasurable strength and control.
‘Where are the passengers?’
I don’t know. They must still be on the island. Or worse. Evil is at work here. You can see the influence of the demon already.
The other new passengers seemed not to notice anything out of the ordinary; they were much too concerned about their own enjoyment and piled on to the boat the moment the gangway was set up and the gate opened. Khaos piled on too, parking Nyx in the cargo section of the boat, then finding an empty spot indoors whilst the other revellers began dancing and partying immediately on the deck of the boat.
Khaos was not even at the island yet, and already the constant party atmosphere was becoming tiresome. The revellers, with their constant drinking and dancing, only stopping to stuff their faces with food instead of alcohol, were tedious, exhausting. And she could not get away from the blaring music; it seemed to emanate from every part of the boat.
An hour later, Khaos stood at the prow, looking out to sea. At the moment, there was no sign of Legend Island in view. The revellers were now partying indoors, taking over the small seating area and dancefloor, as the sun was clouded and the weather had turned a little chilly; all the chillier for the fact they were at sea.
She thought of her friends: Georgi, Barden, and Ripper. Had they made it? Were they at the island now? They could be on this very boat, for all she knew.
Remember your priorities, Khaos. You need to find the demon first.
‘Yes, I know. You don’t need to constantly remind me.’ It was annoying, knowing that the Spirit Voice was privy to all her thoughts. Khaos sighed and found herself thinking of her dreams again, the slivers of memories that fluttered through her mind occasionally, all that Khaos had to hold on to of her past, when she had been human.
She thought of the memories of her parents, the woman sitting on the bed and her father, the brown-armed man that rescued her from the water. What had they been like? Did they love one another? She thought of the new memory, her mother with the little tubular thing in her hand, Khaos herself a toddler, watching her, a feeling of fear… She tried to recall the memory, but it was like looking through smoked glass, or through moving water… Wait, what was on the object? This was important. Did she see a label? What did it mean?
The laughter of the revellers inside the boat cut through her consciousness. All those happy people in there, having a great time, oblivious to their impending deaths. They had memories, probably stacks of photographs of their childhoods, chronicling their little human lives from birth until present day. Khaos had nothing, no photos to look at, just a few snatches of memories in her own head of who she once was. These people had parents back home worrying about them, calling them, just wanting one conversation, to know they were ok. What would Khaos give to have a conversation with her parents, or at least someone who knew her in her past life? Someone; if not family, then at least someone she could call a friend.
She realised she was rubbing her shoulder scars again, touching the strange lumps under the skin, and stopped abruptly. The feel of them sickened her, yet like a peeling scab, she could not quite leave them alone.
On the edge of her vision, a shape moved in the sky, and Khaos looked up to see a white bird circling above the boat. Khaos felt an odd, wry feeling of mirth at the sight of it. Experience had taught her to trust nothing white, and she had seen a bird like this before.
Khaos! The demon! Can you sense him? He is here!
Khaos was very quickly distracted from her thoughts.
‘Where?’
Everywhere! Somewhere beneath us!
Khaos glanced into the dark sea but saw only the reflection of the lights from the boat.
You must allow me to look through your eyes! We will soon see where this dark thing lurks!
Khaos groaned inwardly. The feeling of the spirit taking over her head sickened her to her stomach every time. Not to mention the brain-splitting headache she got afterwards. But what could she do? She conceded; let the spirit look.
Khaos closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they were grey, eyeballs and all.
In this state of mind, Khaos was only half-aware of her surroundings, as if she were somehow floating just above herself. She could feel the presence of the spirit, almost as if he were physically sitting on her shoulders. The spirit stared through her eyes, and together they both saw the world as shadows, only the darkness of evil and the light of good lighting up the surrounding greyness.
She could see the boat, but it was a pale outline, an unreal thing now, as was the water below. She saw the grey auras of the people inside the boat, dancing and drinking away, their souls gradually being darkened by their gluttony for partying, for that feel-good feeling to last forever. Below the boat, she saw an enormous expanse of darkness, a dark greenish, purplish colour. The all-too-familiar colour of a demon’s aura.
‘But it seems to be everywhere in the sea below us.’
I told you, the demon has gained strength. And size.
Then, as if an invisible plug had been pulled, the dark expanse trickled away, until it disappeared right before their eyes.
Then Khaos noticed another shape below them, in the hull of the boat. Not a darkness, but a bright white aura, tiny but perceivable, amongst the grey shadows of everything else.
‘Someone else is down there.’
Some trickery of the demon, no doubt. Don’t let your guar
d down!
Khaos blinked and her normal vision was restored; colour flooded back into her sight. Her head throbbed with a pounding headache, and that old familiar sickness filled her gut. Would she ever get used to it?
Fighting back the nausea, she left the prow of the boat and headed indoors. Avoiding the dance floor area and the other passengers, she climbed down the stairs until she found the cargo area of the boat. Nyx had returned to his old favourite form of a black horse and was standing there in the corner just behind a large crate, chewing slowly.
‘Nyx! You’re a horse again! What if someone sees you?’
‘Everyone is too drunk to think anything of a horse being on board the boat.’
‘What are you eating?’
‘I found sugar.’
‘Sugar?’ Sure enough, a small crate was partially open by his feet, revealing several boxes of brown sugar.
‘For putting in drinks, I suppose.’ She glanced around the various crates and boxes and other things in the storage bay. ‘Have you seen anyone here? Anyone who is… hiding?’
‘Someone is here. I can sense her.’
‘Her?’
Loka, Khaos immediately thought. Perhaps the white bird she had seen had been merely a bird; Loka had been down here all along.
‘Loka. Following me again. She’s got some nerve. Come out, Loka! I know you are here!’ She stared all around her, but nothing moved.
Then she heard the faintest rustle, coming from behind several large sacks of vegetables.
‘Loka! Stop messing around! I know you are here! Come out!’
There was a further rustle, then a thump. Then, to Khaos’ surprise, a teenage girl stumbled out from behind a crate. She took one look at Khaos, then threw herself at her feet.
‘Saviour!’ said Melody.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
‘Saviour! I have found you!’ The prostrate girl grasped at Khaos’ ankles, head bowed in reverence. She had very long, blondish hair which fell all around her like a curtain. Her clothes, Khaos noticed, were also odd; a long brown skirt and a white, long-sleeved polo-neck. She could not remember when she had last seen so much clothing on one person.
Khaos stared at her in bewilderment. Who was this girl? Why was she bowing down? What was going on?
‘Uh, I think you’ve got the wrong person.’
‘No! I know you! I saw who you are! Our Messiah! Our saviour! You have returned!’
‘Uh… what did you call me?’
‘Saviour!’ The girl stared up at Khaos, a weird expression of love and devotion in her pale, slightly freckled face. ‘You are Christ incarnate, returning for the rapture!’
‘Rapture?’
‘The end of days. When all the peoples of the world will be judged, the good sent to glory in Heaven, the bad condemned to Hell. You have come to save us all!’
With a jolt, Khaos suddenly recognised her as one of the zealous protesters from the gate, the one who had grabbed her hand.
Oh shit. Why has she followed me? Khaos thought to herself. And who… Who does she think I am? Christ?!
‘No no, really, you have the wrong person. I’m not even a man!’ Khaos laughed nervously.
‘You said we would not know the hour of your coming. You said you would not come the same way. You may have taken the form of a beautiful, exotic woman, but I see who you truly are! Christ incarnate! Christ the redeemer! Our Messiah!’
Oh God. This was a turn of events Khaos really hadn’t expected.
‘No really, I am really just a normal woman. Not Christ. It’s not the rapture, you can relax.’
‘I know it is you, my Lord! I have been following you!’
‘What have you seen?’
‘I saw you change. I saw your steed who turns into a motorbike and a trailer. I followed you to that warehouse place and watched you through the window, from outside. I saw you fighting with the painted jezebel… ’
‘The what?’
‘Satan’s prostitute? She comes at the end of times. She has the number of the beast on her forehead. She has flaxen hair and eyes of seduction… ’
‘Loka?’ Khaos barely stifled a laugh.
‘Loka? Is this she? The one who rides the demon with the seven heads?’
Khaos thought about this for a moment. It wasn’t a completely incorrect description…
‘I saw you get shot and you didn’t die,’ the girl continued, oblivious to Khaos’ mirth. ‘I’ve been following you since I first saw you.’
Shit.
‘I know you saw my soul when I touched your hand,’ the girl continued. ‘I felt you look through my whole life; you know every vile thought I have ever had! You know my sins!’ She burst into tears and wrapped her arms around Khaos’ legs.
‘Uh… Calm down.’ Khaos, at a loss for anything else to do, patted the girl’s head awkwardly.
‘I’m so sorry!’ she wailed. ‘Forgive me, for I have sinned.’
‘It’s ok. It’s not that bad.’ She looked at Nyx in desperation, but he continued to chew his sugar cubes, watching them silently, offering no help.
‘No! I should be cast into the fiery pits of Hell! I deserve no forgiveness!’
‘No, really, it’s ok.’
‘I am a lie! I live a life that is a lie! I am the worst kind of sinner!’
‘Ok, so you have a few sexual thoughts!’ Khaos snapped, unable to take the bawling any longer. ‘You look at guys’ crotches by accident. You are curious about sex. So what! Everyone does stuff like that! So you have some doubts. That doesn’t make you a bad person, Melody!’
‘See! You do know me! I didn’t tell you my name, yet you know it! You have looked into my soul!’
‘Yes, ok! I have,’ Khaos conceded. ‘By accident.’
‘So… I am forgiven?’
‘Yes. Fine.’ Khaos couldn’t believe she was saying this. As if she was in any position to be forgiving someone for sin? It really seemed so wrong. Yet the girl seemed to need reassurance. ‘You are forgiven.’
‘Oh, thank you! Thank you!’ Melody cried into Khaos’ legs. ‘You are so merciful!’
‘Yes. You can get up now. Here.’ Before Khaos realised what she was doing, she had offered her hand to Melody, and once again, she saw through her grey vision into the girl’s life and instantly knew everything about her. What was more alarming though was that Melody was staring right back at Khaos, as if she could see something too.
‘How are you doing that?’ Khaos pulled her hand away, and the world returned to normal.
‘Doing what?’ murmured Melody, dazed.
‘You aren’t supposed to notice when I look into your life. No one is. Yet you can see something. When I touch your hand. What can you see?’
‘I see… ’ the girl whispered, ‘your true form.’
‘My true form?’ Khaos’ heart skipped a beat.
‘That’s how I know you are no normal human. I see… your wings.’
‘Wings?’
‘Yes. Like an angel, but black, heavy with all the sin you carry around, probably. And you are bigger. Stronger. And your eyes are like… grey, but all over, like stone. You are frightening. Yet I’m not afraid.’
Khaos’ heart sank. For a moment, she had thought perhaps Melody had seen something of her human past. Of course not. How silly of her to think that would be possible. Khaos had no past, she merely was. And whatever she seemed on the outside, on the inside her true form as Khaos, destroyer of worlds, was visible, for some inexplicable reason, to this human girl.
‘You don’t need to be afraid. You are still wrong about me though. I’m not who you think I am.’
‘You must be.’
‘No, no, you’re thinking of someone else.’
‘But you were sent from Heaven to save the good souls and to destroy the bad ones?’
‘Something like that, but… ’
‘Then you are the Messiah!’
Khaos sighed. There was no convincing Melody otherwise.
‘Gre
at. Well done, you found me. You can go home now, you have succeeded.’
‘Oh, no! I cannot leave your side, now that I have found you, for you must have disciples, followers to spread the word.’
‘No one needs to spread the word. No one must know about me!’ Khaos hissed. ‘Do you understand? I have a very important task here; I cannot afford to take anyone along for the ride. Especially a young girl like you. You won’t last five minutes around here.’
‘I’ve lasted this long.’ Melody pouted.
‘You’re life is in danger just being near me. You should go home.’
‘I can’t.’
‘Why?’
‘By tracking you down, I have broken my vows to the Ministry. They have disowned me.’
‘What, even your family?’
‘That is the teaching of the Ministry. My family cannot welcome me back now, even if they wanted to. It is against our beliefs.’
‘So they didn’t want you to follow me then, did they? Why did you not listen?’
‘They didn’t see what I saw, they wouldn’t believe me. That you were the Messiah. They said I was being blasphemous. Pastor Jack said he would know before I would when the Messiah was coming. I thought if I found you, maybe you could convince them! It would change everything!’ She suddenly perked up.
‘No way. I don’t have time to go and visit your “Ministry” or whatever you call it.’
‘But if they could just meet you… ’
‘Trust me, it won’t work. They didn’t notice me going through the gate. All they will see is a normal human woman.’
‘But why? Why can’t you make them see you?’
Khaos shrugged.
‘People see only what they want to see. Most people don’t see things that are right under their noses. Only occasionally are someone’s eyes truly open, like yours. But I don’t know why.’
‘But we pray for your coming all the time! I thought they would be excited, but they were angry with me.’
‘I’m not what they are waiting for, trust me. They would just be even more angry if you tried to make them meet me. They are waiting for a man with a long beard and a white robe. They would never see me the way you do. Some of them are probably hoping the Messiah will never come.’
Resort Page 9
