The Gabrielle Series Boxed Set

by Zachary Chopchinski

  The sound grew louder and closer, as though it was coming from right above her. She forced her gaze up to the edge of the counter. A set of black, putrid fingers crept one at a time over the edge of the counter. One, two, three, four, five.

  Gabrielle's vocal cords were icicles. She was unable to scream or breathe. A head grew into focus from atop the counter. Its hollow, sunken eyes and rotting teeth morphed into a maleficent smile and the creature screamed.

  Gabrielle rolled to her side in time to avoid a black claw from tearing at her. The claws tore long marks into the stone as if it were clay. Gabrielle crawled, desperate to get away from the monster, but it crept across the island like a ghostly spider and met her on the other side.

  An icy grip grasped the back of her neck with such force that her lungs failed to suck in air. She released her vice grip on the knife as she was lifted from the ground and thrown across the kitchen.

  Her back collided with the wall and she slid to the floor, sending a jarring pain through her back and into her neck. The bitter, metallic taste of blood filled the back of her mouth and a warm sensation trickled down the back of her neck.

  As she tried to bring her vision into focus, Gabrielle heard a cackling come from the darkness. She sat in pain, blood in her throat and dripping from the gash in her head. This is it. This is how I die. Gabrielle thought to herself in a moment of hopeless despair.

  Tick, tick, tick.

  Gabrielle squinted through the darkness and let her eyes focus through the tears that had welled up in her eyes. She opened her mouth to scream, but her throat was filled with a sickening mixture of blood and bile. The black creature was crouched on all fours across the room, watching her, like a lion watches a gazelle. It was not a natural stance, in fact it reminded Gabrielle of how a crab would stand, facing off with an opponent.

  The creature’s once sunken eyes, were now red as fire and glared at her like she was a midnight snack. Its teeth grinned in a putrid smile.

  She locked eyes with the creature that she couldn’t kill, afraid that if she looked away, even for a moment, that it would lunge. With the sound of snapping twigs, it continued in the awkward, crab-like stance, but turned its head around so that it was no longer upside down.

  Gabrielle couldn’t bring herself to move. She screamed internally at her muscles but they were jelly under her terrified form. Her head swam and Its grin widened so that even more of its jagged fangs were visible.

  RUN! Gabrielle screamed in her head.

  I CAN’T! I CAN’T MOVE!

  Before she could finish her argument, the creature dislocated its lower jaw, and it dropped down to the floor making it wide enough to fit a small child. With a moan, it poised its back higher. The moan grew louder, and louder, and louder, until Gabrielle clawed at her ears.

  With the agility of an animal, the horrid creature charged on all fours towards Gabrielle. All time seemed to come to a screeching halt for a moment.

  Move! NO!

  Run! NO!

  Fight! YES!

  The choice had been made. Fight or die. With that moment of clarity, Gabrielle saw it. She had been jarred, thrown, grasped and clawed, and in all that, she had forgotten the knife. It now lay on the ground a few feet away from her hand. Its silver metal was shining in the light from her bangle. Gabrielle reached out and took the blade.

  The bangle vibrated and the silver glowed with such an immense light that she found herself squinting. She felt a flush of life spread through her entire body, every fiber of her body tingled with electricity. The knife in her hand began to change.

  The etchings that adorned the ancient bangle began to etch themselves in the steel of the blade, materializing right in front of her eyes. Gabrielle felt more alive than she ever had. She didn't know what was happening, but whatever it was, she liked it.

  The moans intensified as she brought her eyes back to the monster. In the few moments that had passed, the creature had closed the distance between them.

  Gabrielle could smell the awful stench of decay on its breath as it made its final lunge at her. With all her remaining strength, she brought the blade across the creature’s face. To her surprise, the sharp edge severed the monster’s lower jaw completely from its face. It let out a terrible scream and with a blast of black smoke, was gone. Gabrielle let her hand and the knife fall to her side.

  “Damn creature! Cannot do a simple killing!” A hiss crept from the shadows.

  Gabrielle was overwrought with pain and exhaustion. She let her feet slide out from under her and her butt bounced off the cold ground as she sat.

  Arawn’s face materialized from the nothingness. He sauntered over to Gabrielle, ego unmarred by the beating his monster had taken. She wanted to raise the knife in defense, but she didn't have the energy.

  Arawn made his way across the kitchen and stopped at her feet. This was the first time she noticed he was barefoot. White claws extended from the tips of his toes. The feet of a man mixed with the paw of a wolf. Arawn leaned down and brought his piercing gaze level with Gabrielle’s.

  “You couldn't let well enough alone, girl. I told you to stop and I gave you every chance in the world to go back. All that I wanted was for what was mine to be returned and for you to leave this place.” His voice was as cold as his eyes.

  Arawn raised himself and paced, stopping every so often to peer down at Gabrielle.

  “I suppose that it’s time for me to end this. Should I choke the life from you? What do you think Gabrielle? How do you think it would feel to have the life slowly leave you in the grasp of my bare hands? I could also spend my time on something more entertaining like your mother. Maybe she'd enjoy coming to my kingdom?” The clicking of his talons on the stone floor echoed as he paced.

  In a testament of bravado, disdain and sheer exhaustion, Gabrielle spat in his wicked, red eyes. Arawn pulled his head back and howled in rage, but he didn't wipe the saliva away. Bringing his spit covered face back down to Gabrielle, he slammed his hand against the wall near her head.

  “Foolish childish! Ignorant girl! You dare mock me? You think you can disrespect me and I'll let you live?”

  With that final threat, Arawn reached out his hands for Gabrielle’s throat. She screwed her eyes shut and waited for his cold embrace, but it never came.

  She opened her eyes and saw that Arawn was across the kitchen, facing a dark corner. A light whisper that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time filled the air.

  “…dominion…no dominion over the Sentient….” Arawn stood in silence for a moment.

  “No dominion? Do you think me a fool? I know well my dominion and you certainly are not in a place to tell me of my rights,” Arawn snapped at the empty corner.

  Gabrielle leaned a little closer so she could hear them, but there was no one else in the room besides Arawn.

  “…the laws are the laws. You would do well to abide by them, should you lose your crown. They will surely come for you.” Arawn paced and swore at the shadows.

  “You wish for me to follow laws? In the presence of what is happening? However, since I have no intentions of dealing with... them, the laws we will abide, for now.”

  Though there was no entity there to physically leave, it must have. Without speaking another word, Arawn turned from the shadows and walked back to Gabrielle. He once more crouched at her feet, frustration replacing the spit that once covered his pale features.

  “Well, fortuitous events for you indeed, Sentient. Don't worry thought, where there’s rules, there’s loop holes. Rest assured that you will be spending the limited time you have left here with me. I will not have what is mine stolen. It will be returned and I will have it no other way. Now, sleep. You will need all your strength if I am to have any fun.”

  With those final words, Arawn reached his long, thin finger out to Gabrielle’s face. The tip of a very sharp nail pinched the space between her eyes.

  Suddenly, she felt nothing. Her eyes became impossibly heavy an
d she could no longer hold them open. Like an unexpected summer storm, the darkness rolled over her like thunder and she slept.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  A chill thrust Gabrielle from the darkness. She opened her eyes but the blinding light made her slam them closed again.

  Why am I cold? I’m not cold, I’m wet!

  Confused, Gabrielle attempted to open her eyes again. The world finally came into focus and she discovered that she was, indeed wet. Soaked, in fact. Madame Toinette stood at the foot of her bed holding an empty wooden bucket.

  “Get up, you ghastly, lazy thing! You have slept for long enough! If you’re any later, you'll miss the group going to the village! Mother wants you and the other ones to accompany her on her errands and I have no intentions of looking at your face one more moment than I must.” Madame Toinette was particularly cross this morning. What crawled up her butt?

  Gabrielle wiped the water from her face and glanced at the head mistress’s hand for sign of the switch. Relief washing over her, she threw the covers back and stood from her bed.

  “Good! Now, dress yourself and make your way to the garden. Mother and your friends are waiting for you!” she barked as she left the room and slammed the door behind her.

  “How did I get in my room?” The sound of Gabrielle's voice bounced off the stone walls.

  She brought her hand to the back of her head and felt for injuries. She smacked her tongue and lips, searching for the metallic taste of blood. Nothing. Was any of that real, or just a dream?

  The more she considered her situation, the more Gabrielle resigned herself to the thought that everything had been a dream.

  The sound of her own laughter shocked her. The thought that she'd spent all night chatting with a Queen, had been attacked by some putrid ghost, and had defeated it with a glowing magic knife was so bizarre that it was comical.

  Gabrielle let the laughter consume her and she bent forward gasping for air. The door flew open and she straightened herself as Hilde ran into the room.

  “There you are! Come now, Renée grows frustrated with waiting. We wanted to leave for the village twenty minutes ago.”

  The village?

  Morrigan!

  Gabrielle was filled with a second wind at the thought of finally being able to see Morrigan.

  She ran to the armoire and swung it open, grabbed the first dress and apron that she could see and threw it on. She'd not even taken the time to dry her hair and water was dripping from it as she threw it up into a messy bun. She tied her apron around her waist and adjusted herself in the mirror. She turned to address her friend who was tapping one finger against the door frame.

  She hurried Hilde out of the door and let it slam behind them. Gabrielle felt silly, as though she was making a spectacle of herself, but the chance to see Morrigan again made butterflies fight in her stomach. She had to get to him.

  “Well, look who has joined the living” Hilde giggled as she poked Gabrielle in the ribs.

  Hilde was in front of Gabrielle as the two ran down the hallway to the kitchen. Her heart was pounding in her throat as they came into the kitchen and rounded the corner.

  As Hilde was making her way through the door, and the bright sun stung Gabrielle's eyes, she found herself frozen in disbelief. There it was, clear as day. She couldn't and didn't want to believe it was there, but there it was. Along the side of the island, were five deep claw marks.

  A bead of sweat rolled down her face and she swallowed hard against the lump that sat frozen in her throat as she stared at the markings.

  Bringing her hands to the back of her head and neck, she felt all over for the injuries. Nothing, but the monster was real. The scratches proved it.

  A hand grabbed Gabrielle’s arm, yanking her away in a panic. Her face went white as she was now face-to-face with an agitated Renée.

  “What in the heavens is the matter with you? You have kept us waiting long enough! Are you planning on joining us in town or would you like to spend the day scrubbing floors?” Renée scolded Gabrielle as a mother does a child.

  Gabrielle apologized. The last person she wanted to anger, especially after everything she'd done for her was Renée. All she wanted to do was to go to the village and see Morrigan.

  “Well then, if you intend on joining us in the village today, I suggest you pull yourself together and follow me.” Renée dropped Gabrielle’s arm, turned and walking to the doorway. The old woman pushed through the doorway to the garden with Gabrielle in tow.

  Outside, the air had an autumn chill, but otherwise proved to be a perfect October day. The crisp smell of the nature and the crunch of the fallen leaves beneath her feet brought a smile to Gabrielle's face. She had the uncontrollable urge to sip some chamomile tea and read a book, but there were more important things to do.

  Hilde and Claudie were standing with their arms crossed, mirroring Renée’s mood. Gabrielle ignored their sour faces and sucked in a deep breath of the fragrant autumn air.

  Generally, going into the village was a chore and most servants didn't enjoy leaving the palace. Lately, some of the animosity in the village had been turned toward the women that worked in the palace.

  Women from the village damned them for supporting a family that wouldn't support their own people. Gabrielle never understood this logic. What were they to do? Leave their homes, their work, and their lives, just to please others?

  Usually, there was a large group of people to go to the village for items, but due to the recent events, the groups were growing smaller and smaller.

  Today, only Hilde, Claudie, Renée, and Gabrielle were going for some items that they'd run low on and needed for dinner that evening. With baskets in hand, the four women made their way across the garden and were off to the village.

  The chilled air and dense morning dew cast a fog that came up to Gabrielle’s chest. As she walked through the fog, she wondered if she was being followed by the hounds. Would she even know?

  Shoving that thought from her head, Gabrielle tried to focus on the fact that she would be seeing Morrigan today. As they reached the old gate, Hilde stepped ahead of Renée and opened the iron bars for the group.

  Renée hadn't stopped for an instant as she made her way through the gate and down the path. The four walked in near lock-step as they made their way down the garden paths and to the opposite side of the grounds.

  Renée maintained her heading and never once glanced at her followers. Though the older woman was strong and fearless, Gabrielle could tell she was worried. The last couple of trips to the village were not met with praises from those that lived there.

  They had a simple task, to get the items they needed and bring them back without issue.

  As the group wound through the path, the morning fog lifted. The emerald grass of the lawn peered through the dense fog to get its first view of the morning sun. The glistening dew was so bright that Gabrielle had to squint to see the group ahead of her as they all walked towards the road.

  “We need fourteen baguettes, three jars of honey, and two-dozen assorted tarts. This trip should not take us long. So, no milling about! I expect us to be back at the palace no later than lunch. Understood?”

  The three girls nodded in agreement, though Renée didn't see as she hadn't turned her head for a response.

  Claudie turned to Hilde and Gabrielle and smiled a sinister grin. No doubt she had other plans. Although Gabrielle couldn't see Hilde, she could picture the shake of disapproval in her head as they walked.

  The sun was glaring in her eyes as they made their way down the hill and drew closer to the village. The cold air began to warm in the sun and the initial nip had left her face and fingers.

  A breeze threw back her hair and her apron fluttered as she took a deep breath. A sharp smell filled Gabrielle’s lungs. Her mother used to tell her that the smell was called ‘ozone’, and was what happened after lightening stuck. “It lets you know that the storm was here, but is gone now,” Gabrielle’s mother would sa
y to comfort her. Curious, she thought, that it had not rained here in some time.

  A dull rumble began to fill her ears as they approached the base of the hill and their feet found the brick-lain roads.

  Claudie and Hilde shot another mischievous look over to Gabrielle, as if telling her to follow them when she had the chance. With almost a clairvoyant respect, Renée stopped and turned to the three as they reached the street.

  “I expect that you three tend to your tasks immediately and we are to meet back here in no more than one hour! It is not safe for you to wander around and take your time. Stay together, and do not fool around.” Renée’s lips thinned as she pursed them together.

  “If it is so dangerous, then why are we to separate?” Hilde’s voice was just above a whisper. Gabrielle wasn’t sure if this was a sincere question or if Hilde was poking at Renée.

  “Well, we must separate because we have many things to collect, and unfortunately, they are all located in opposing directions. For my being old, and not the least-bit pleased that our cooks cannot maintain a pantry, I am not looking for a lovely day in town. If you tend to your tasks, and get back here early, you should be fine.”

  Though she knew that Arawn and the hounds would not attack her in the middle of the morning, she was still nervous being back in the village.

  “Now, you three know where you must go and what is needed, right?” Renée prodded. The three nodded in agreement. “Remember, one hour. Any later, and I will box your ears, understand?” With a final nod from Claudie, Hilde, and Gabrielle, Renée was off, leaving the three girls to their own devices. Waiting until Renée was out of earshot, Hilde turned to face the others.

  “Now, we finally have time to talk!” Hilde broke, with a massive grin shooting across her face. A look of trouble and mischief danced in her eyes.

  “I'm not sure what you two are planning but Brenton is also in the village this morning on errands for his father, and I am going to meet with him. The two of you are more than welcome to come…” Hilde paused and gave a look that screamed "please say no".