by Amy Cross
"Lovely," Bill says. "You know, I was thinking I might go and take a look around in some of the other rooms. Are you up for that, or do you want to rest?"
"I'll come take a quick look," I say. "Just 'cause I'm pregnant, it doesn't mean I'm a cripple yet. Anyway -" As I turn, I see something on the opposite wall. Shining my light over, I'm astonished to see that it's a huge series of check-marks. Someone has been counting off numbers in groups of five, and the marks cover almost the whole wall. Counting them first in rows and then in columns, I realize there are 276 of the damn things. "What do you think this is all about?" I ask. "What happened more than two hundred times in this room?"
"Something someone wanted to keep track of, that's for sure," says Bill.
Looking down at the little table by the bed, I see a pencil. I reach down, pick it up and add another check-mark to the end. "There," I say with a smile. "Now it's up to 277." Suddenly I feel another rush of recognition. I know it sounds crazy, but I swear I've stood in this exact room before, saying these same things and adding to the check-marks. It almost feels as if I'm the one who's been keeping count of things here, although that's impossible since I've never been here before in my life.
"Paula?" Bill asks. "You okay?"
I turn and look at the bed. "Look under there," I say, suddenly filled with a belief that there's a skeleton down there. I can't explain how I know, but I just know that there's a dead body under the bed.
"It's a bit dusty -" Bill says.
"For fuck's sake," I reply, a little annoyed. I get down on my hands and knees and look under the bed, but to my surprise I find that there's nothing under there apart from balls of dust. I could have sworn that there would be a skeleton. In fact, I have a strong mental image of a skeleton staring back at me.
"Paula?"
I look up at Bill and see him staring at me with a look of concern.
"I'm fine," I say, getting to my feet. Bill tries to help me, but I push him away. "Really, I'm fine. I think I just need to sit down for a while."
"I'm going back to the truck to fetch some water and food, okay?" he says as I take a seat on the bed. "I've got some stuff in my rucksack. You just wait right here, and I'll be back in ten minutes."
"Don't worry about me," I tell him. "I'll be fine, just -"
He stares at me. "Just what?"
"Gasoline," I say, as I get a strong image in my head of the truck's gas tank with a rip in the metal. "Bill, make sure there's no damage to the truck, okay? Make sure... Make sure you don't do anything to it."
"Like what?" he asks.
"Nothing," I reply, feeling a little confused. "Just make sure everything's okay."
Once he's gone, I sit and take a series of deep breaths, hoping to calm down. There's something strange about Devil's Briar, but I can't put my finger on what's happening. It feels as if I've been here before, even though I know that's completely impossible. At the same time, I have some really strong images in my head. I feel like I remember seeing a skeleton under the bed, and I remember the truck running out of gasoline, and I remember arguing with Bill. I swear, there's this whole other set of memories that seem to be filling my mind, reminding me of things that can't possibly have happened. I had no idea that the pregnancy would affect my mind so strongly, but I guess I just have to make sure I stay calm and rational. The worst thing to do would be to panic and start believing in these strange ideas.
"Hey," Bill says when he returns a few minutes later, carrying his rucksack. "I took a quick look in some more windows on the way here. This place is insane. It's going to take years to document this town, and -"
"How was the gas tank?" I ask, suddenly overcome by a feeling of intense suspicion. I can't shake the feeling that maybe Bill has sabotaged the truck in some way, hoping to keep us here for a while. I don't want to believe that Bill would ever do something like that, but at the same time I'm convinced he's hiding something.
"The gas tank was fine," he replies. "I took a look. No damage."
"Good," I say, feeling bad for being so suspicious.
"So what do you want to do?" he asks, handing me a bottle of water. "If we're only here for a limited time, I want to make the most of it, but I don't want to push you. Are you fine staying in here for a while if I go and take another look around?"
"Sure," I say, even though it's not entirely true. I'd rather not be left alone in this dusty old hotel, but I guess I can't ask Bill to sit around here with me. "Go and have fun," I continue. "Let me know if you find anything interesting. I think I'll just take a nap and see if I can shake this weird feeling."
Once he's gone back out to explore, I brush the dust from the bed and try to get some sleep. At first, I find myself staring at the check-marks on the wall, but finally I manage to doze off. I dream of being back in Boston, and being back at work with Bill and Ed and the others, and eventually I wake up to the sound of the door opening and Bill coming back into the dark room. I must have slept all through the evening and into the night. I don't bother turning to Bill; instead, I remain in this restful, half-asleep state as I wait for him to join me. I can hear him walking toward the bed, and for the first time in many months, I feel as if I actually want to make love. Bill and I have been through so much lately, and the pregnancy has caused all sorts of problems for my body, but at this moment I genuinely want to have sex with my husband. Eventually, I roll over to see what's taking him so long, and he kisses me on the neck.
"What time is it?" I ask, somewhat amazed that I managed to sleep for so long.
Instead of answering, he gently pushes me back down onto the bed and starts to undress me. Once I'm naked, I feel him kiss my breasts as he runs his hands over my skin. I take a deep breath, filled with desire as his kisses move slowly down my body until he slips his tongue between my legs. For the next few minutes, he goes down on me and brings me to a point of pleasure I haven't felt for a long, long time. Just as I think I'm going to climax, he moves back up my body and kisses me passionately, and I feel him slip his penis inside me. We make love for what feels like an eternity, the pleasure building and building until eventually we reach our point of climax together. I've made love to Bill many times before, of course, but it's never been so powerful. Finally, he rests on top of me, and I kiss his shoulder, and eventually I drift back to sleep.
Sitting up suddenly, I glance around. Reaching across the bed, I find that Bill has gone, although I've got no idea what he's doing up in the middle of the night. I grab the water bottle, but in the process I accidentally knock it to the floor. Sighing, I reach down to pick it up, but something catches my eye and as my eyes adjust to the darkness I realize that there's a small object poking out from under the bed. A feeling of dread immediately starts building from the pit of my stomach as I stare at what is clearly a small piece of bone. With my heart racing, my first instinct is to turn and run out of the room, but I force myself to get down on my hands and knees. Under the bed, staring back at me, there's a full human skeleton.
Chapter Four
1925
"What is the meaning of this?" Albert asks as he catches up to me. "Where -" He stares down into the empty grave, and we stand together in silence for a moment as the fire continues to burn nearby. "Where is the body?" he asks eventually. "Victoria, what have you done?"
"I have done nothing," I reply, unable to hide a wide grin. Finally, I have found some proof of my uncle's resurrection. Albert cannot possibly doubt my story now that he has seen the grave ripped open. "He was right," I continue. "This is exactly what he said would happen. I thought perhaps I would have to help him up, but he had the strength to rise unaided."
Albert merely stands and stares into the dark pit of the grave. It is clear that he has finally begun to understand the true gravity of the situation, and the nature of my uncle's experiment. For so many years, I have heard nothing but cynicism and mockery from those who could never understand the brilliance of my uncle's mind; he was ridiculed and pilloried, and run out of towns acr
oss the country, by people who lacked the intelligence to understand his ideas. Only in Devil's Briar was he able to hide his work so that he might put in place the final parts of his plan, at which point he was able to set off on the glorious journey that led him into the grave and then, finally, back out into the world.
"We must find him," I say, glancing back at the burning town. I cannot be sure whether his first impulse would be to go into Devil's Briar to look for me, or to get as far away from this place as possible.
"This is not real," Albert mutters. "This is some vile joke."
"It's no joke!" I reply, turning to him. I can see from the look in his eyes that he is starting to contemplate the possibility that I have been right all along. Whereas moments ago Albert looked at me as if I had lost my mind, now I can see that his thoughts are racing.
"This is a sickness," he says eventually. "A man cannot simply climb from his grave as if he were never dead. A man cannot blow his brains out and then return to the world as if nothing had happened. These are simple facts, Victoria. You cannot seriously believe that this man has risen from the dead!"
"Then where is he, Albert?" I ask. "You see the empty grave for yourself. Where is my uncle?"
"He is -" He pauses, and it is clear he has no alternative explanation. He sees the truth, yet he is unable quite to grasp the true ramifications of these events. Perhaps my initial assessment of my husband's intellect was a little wide of the mark; perhaps he is not able to contemplate such grand ideas, nor can he appreciate the importance of events even as they occur right in front of him.
"Do not worry," I say, taking Albert's hand in my own. "You will understand soon. You will -"
"No!" he replies, pulling away. "I do not know what you are, woman, but you are no wife of mine. You are some creation of Satan. You and your uncle came to Devil's Briar with the express intention of perverting everything that was good about this place! Even now, you stand before me with your hideous naked sinner's body, believing you can lure me further and further from the path of the righteous man. I can only pray that the Lord will recognize my good intentions and admit me back into his fold."
"We must find my uncle," I tell him. "Then you'll see. I promise you, Albert, it will all make sense once you hear everything from his mouth. He is so much more eloquent than I could ever be, and he -"
"Stop talking!" Albert shouts, backing away from me. "I have listened too much to you already, vile serpent." Turning, he hurries away, heading into the forest and leaving me alone by the empty grave. I must confess, I had hoped to persuade Albert to stay and see my uncle's brilliance with his own eyes, but I am still certain that he will eventually understand. His love for me is strong, and he will eventually overcome his petty superstitions.
I turn and walk toward the smoldering town. The sun is coming up, bringing the dawn's light to witness the ruins. Not a single building has been left standing, and it is hard to believe that this was once Devil's Briar at all. Once there were streets and homes and shops, but all these things have been burned to the ground. The destruction has been complete, and the cleansing must now be followed by a period of rebuilding. The only thing that remains standing is the large metal cross, serving as a symbol of the town's continued faith and purity in the face of so much destruction.
I walk through the destruction, stepping over burned, fallen timbers and listening out for any sign of my uncle. I cannot help but feel he would most likely have chosen to wait for me by the cross itself, although there is so far no sign of him. Then again, perhaps he is not quite himself yet? Now that he is out of his grave, he might be dazed and confused. He has undertaken a strenuous journey, and there is no way of knowing what toll this has taken on his mind. It might even be the case that he does not remember everything about his own actions, in which case I shall have to act as a guide. I am fully prepared to nurse him back to full health, but first I must find him.
Once I am sure that he is not in the ruins of the town, I walk back past the grave and head into the forest. My uncle probably emerged disorientated while the fire was burning, in which case he will have headed into the darkness. I call out for him, but I hear nothing until, finally, I see movement up ahead. I hurry onward, hoping to finally find him, but instead I discover a small group of residents from Devil's Briar, dragging something through the undergrowth.
"There she is!" shouts David Haynes, pointing at me.
"Hold her down!" says Dr. Collings, as they run toward me. Before I can react, half a dozen people have me surrounded, and there's clear malice in their eyes.
"I'm looking for my uncle," I say. "I merely wish to -"
"You want your uncle?" Dr. Collings spits back at me. "Come, we shall take you to him." Grabbing my arm, he pulls me roughly over to a nearby clearing, where a bulky cloth sack rests on the ground.
"What is this?" I ask.
"See with your own eyes," he says, reaching down and pulling the sack open to reveal my uncle's corpse. Discolored and showing early signs of decomposition, and with a huge hole in the side of his head from where he shot himself, he looks to have been pulled out of his grave and dragged to this spot. His eyes and mouth are open, but his skull is filled with wriggling, squirming maggots.
"I don't understand," I say, shocked by the lifeless body. My uncle should be returned to full health, and walking about of his own accord; instead, he looks to be still dead.
"We dug him up," Dr. Collings continues. "We ripped his cursed body out of that hole in the ground, and we're going to leave him out here for the wolves. From the moment he came to our town, terrible things have been happening. The fire tonight was God's way of warning us to expel such darkness from our midst." Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a small bag and starts sprinkling white powder over my uncle's body. "The final act is to salt the corpse, to ensure that no more evil can bloom from his blood."
"Stop!" I say, pushing him away and kneeling next to my uncle, whose dead eyes stare up at the sky. "He's waking up," I explain, desperately hoping for some sign of movement as I brush the salt from his body. "He's coming back. You'll see. Just wait." Looking up, I realize that Dr. Collings has begun to sprinkle salt over my head.
"You too are cursed," he says. "After all, you come from his stock, so it stands to reason that you would be equally responsible for this evil."
"Kill her," David Haynes says. "We can't let her live."
"We must show the Lord that we recognize evil," adds Andreas Dixon, standing nearby. "We must show that we are willing to cast out the sinners from our town." He pulls a butcher's knife from his pocket.
"When one rebuilds a town," Dr. Collings continues, "one does not repeat the mistakes one made last time. One cuts out any cancers that were present. You, Ms. Paternoster, are such a cancer, and your uncle - dead though he may be - is another. He, conveniently, has already done us the courtesy of dying, though you remain alive." He smiles as he takes the knife from Mr. Dixon. "I can only hope that the pair of you are shown a sliver of mercy when you face your final judgment."
"Something's wrong," I say, running my hand across my uncle's cheek. "Something's missing. He should have returned by now, unless..." I pause for a moment, and finally I realize what must have happened. "He has slipped his old body and taken a new form," I say, looking up at Dr. Collings as he towers above me. "Yes, that is what has happened. We must find him. We must help him, he is somewhere around us, but he..." Suddenly the blade of the knife catches the light, and I am faced with the enormity of the situation. These men intend to kill me.
"Although nothing would give me greater pleasure than to be the one who ends the life of this filthy harlot," Dr. Collings sneers, "I believe it would be more appropriate if another were to wield the knife. Albert Caster, you must atone for your lustful embrace of this foul woman."
From behind some of the other men, Albert appears. As he gazes at me, I see that there is a new coldness in his eyes; it is almost as if he has come to hate me, as if he has begun to believe
the lies that spring forth from the doctor's lips.
"Albert!" I say, refusing to give up hope. I try to rush over to him, but David Haynes holds me back. "You must help me, Albert!" I shout. "Make them understand the importance of my uncle's work. Make them understand that there is still time for him to come back to us."
Taking the knife from Dr. Collings, Albert stares at me.
"He is returning," I continue, determined to make Albert understand. Of all the people I have ever met, the only man who has ever truly believed in me is Albert Caster, and I remain convinced that he will not lose his faith in me, not when the final moment comes. "Albert," I say, "you must recognize that this is wrong. I have done nothing except..." I pause, and suddenly I look over at my uncle's rotting corpse. For the first time, it occurs to me that maybe these people are right; maybe I am evil. After all, I believed everything my uncle said, to the point even of burning down the whole of Devil's Briar. Countless people died in the fire, yet it seems that my uncle's return has so far not come about. Is it possible that everything I believed was wrong? Have I wrought death and destruction upon this town for no reason?
"Remove her clothing," Dr. Collings says. "I want to see the knife slip into her bare skin."
Before I can reply, Andreas Dixon steps forward and pulls the coat away, leaving me naked. As my faith starts to falter, I try to use my hands in order to cover myself from the prying eyes of these men, but David Haynes has a strong grip from which I cannot escape. Finally, he pushes me down onto my knees.
"It is time," Dr. Collings says, turning to Albert. "You helped nurture her evil in this place, Albert. Now you must be the first to show the Lord that the people of Devil's Briar are capable of starting a new chapter. You know what you have to do. Every second that you wait, is another second that our town aches and weeps for its errors."
"Albert..." I say, as my husband steps toward me. "Please, Albert, you cannot do this." I look down and see that while he has the knife in one hand, in his other hand he is holding a small crucifix. "Albert, think of the love we share. Think of how I helped you recover from your mistreatment at the hands of others. Do I seem sinful? The worst that can be said of me is that I... I made a mistake." I look down at my uncle's dead face. I believed in him. I was so sure that his work would prove successful and that he would return to life once the town began to burn. Perhaps I do deserve to die after all.
