Stay.
* * *
Stay although
the stars may shine
deceitful beckons
to cut short your time,
and you long to rest
among your kind . . .
* * *
Stay.
* * *
Stay to free
the ones who’d mourn
the light of you
and souls not born.
They have in mind
a different name
for you to keep . . .
* * *
The world does change.
Do not yet sleep.
* * *
Stay.
* * *
Stay to show
the stars and moon
this name you bear,
set in tune
to your orbit-world:
the Universal,
Irreplaceable you.
* * *
Stay.
* * *
Stay for all
that’s yet unknown;
solutions found
and problems grown
too small to ponder
as you reach such heights,
galaxies wonder . . .
You soar past sight.
* * *
Stay.
* * *
Stay.
* * *
Shine your light . . .
* * *
And break the day.
* * *
What on earth could it mean? I wondered. But I didn’t have time to find out because the wolves were at the door.
“Aha!” I heard Catron’s cry far above me, and the sound of stone moving. “I’ve got it! Look, fresh footprints in the dust, Cutter. She must be here, the sneaky hellion. Follow me.”
“Down there, sir?” Cutter actually sounded nervous. “But it’s dark, it is.”
“Then light another candle, you whining simpleton. She’s getting away!”
I jumped up, nearly knocking my own candle out of my hand. They’d discovered my location—and how to open the door. Blast. I’d hoped it would take them a little longer.
Jamming the Book under my arm, I picked up my skirts and hurried down the stairs. I could hear Cutter’s heavy footsteps behind me. They were quickly followed by Catron’s, which were lighter, but no less terrifying. I rushed out into the garden and looked around. I needed something to block the door. But there was nothing large enough.
I put the Book and candle on the ground, then grabbed a nearby vine. Looping it through the iron ring on the door, I tied the other end to a small, dead tree nearby. I pulled and pulled at the vine, but no matter how hard I tried, it didn’t tear off the ring or the tree. It was that strong. I hoped it would work.
Suddenly, the door heaved forward, just an inch. Someone was pushing on it from the other side. I jumped back, my eyes glued to it.
“What’s this?” I heard Cutter cry, her voice muffled behind the stone.
“What’s the matter?” barked Catron. “Just open the damn door!”
“I can’t, sir.” The door moved forward again and again, but each time was caught by the vine going across it to the tree. “It’s stuck some’ow, it is.”
“Move aside, you stupid cow. Let me try.” The door pushed out into the garden, maybe two inches this time. But my rope of vines made sure it went no farther.
“Bloody flaming hell!” Catron shouted. “Turn around. We’ll have to go back up. I said move!”
I exhaled loudly. “Seems like you were good for something after all,” I said to the vines. They twisted and turned for me, almost as if they were showing off. Their undersides looked even greener than I remembered. I heard Catron and Cutter rushing back up the steps, no doubt to find another route to the garden.
I wonder if they searched the garden while I was sleeping today, hoping to find the creature or the goddess. So much had happened since then, it felt like a hundred years had passed. Just like that story where a princess goes to sleep for the same length of time, and a web of vines grows all around her.
But this was no fairy tale, and I was no princess. I picked up the Book and candle and made my way towards the center of the garden. What if they dredged the pond in their search attempts? How can my spell keep Dym safe then?
I was in luck, if one could call it luck. When I got to the pond, Dym was nowhere to be found. I didn’t know whether to be frightened or relieved. Part of me wanted him to be there, on the off chance he’d do something incredibly chivalrous, like save me. Another part was grateful I couldn’t find him. I dreaded the thought of seeing his body—floating on the pond’s surface—because the spell took effect while he was swimming, and drowned him.
Maybe he decided not to swim to Silver Hill tonight. But he seemed so genuine when he said he wouldn’t leave. And if he didn’t leave, then he’s here sleeping somewhere. My spell worked. At the very least, my Endymion is safe.
It worked, I thought again. At least one spell in the Book worked. Maybe a second one will, too. And as Catron said himself, protection spells don’t guard against everything.
I had a decision to make. To my left were the moors. Endless expanses of wild terrain, where my chances of survival were uncertain to minimal. On my right was the lunatic asylum of Silver Hill. If I could get back in, I might be able to perform Drawing Down the Moon on Catron and Cutter. I could prevent them from hunting me down. And perhaps, most importantly, I could stop them once and for all from harming and killing more innocent girls.
If you don’t do it, Seluna, I thought, then who on earth will?
It might have been utterly suicidal and insane, but I chose the path to my right.
Chapter 15
I broke through one of the garden windows into the old ballroom. It was the only window Catron hadn’t bothered to place bars over, probably because it was completely covered with vines. I stood in the moonlight and made sweeping motions with my hands in front of the glass.
Miraculously, the vines parted. I thrust my elbow inside the lowest pane, breaking both the glass and my skin when my sleeve tore. Still, it allowed me to slip one hand inside and unlock the window, which I lifted open with great effort. I’d never been in this section of Silver Hill before, but I knew if I could find my way to the main entrance, I could get anywhere in the asylum.
I can’t believe how crazy all this is, I thought as I exited the ballroom. On my right, I recognized the hall leading to the cafeteria, and followed it. Before, I was running away from Catron and Cutter, and now, I’m hoping to run into them. But if that’s the only way to end this, then so be it.
From the cafeteria, I found the schoolroom, and from there, the hallway to the main entrance. All the gas lamps had been put out. I blew out my candle as well and left it on the floor; I couldn’t risk alerting any enemies to my presence. Thank gods for moonlight and my nighttime senses, I thought. Otherwise, I’d never be able to find my way around here.
Finally, I got to the front of Silver Hill. The first thing I saw was the stained glass window depicting the goddess. The moonlight was shining directly through it, making it glow brighter than usual. Then again, I’d never seen it so late at night. Perhaps it always looked that way at this hour. I hadn’t thought about it when I’d been here earlier this evening; the sight of the girls’ corpses prevented me from focusing on anything else.
The glass chandelier in the center had only a few lit candles on it, which made it a bit easier to see. Unfortunately, it would also make it easier for Catron and Cutter to see me. The stench of formaldehyde was not so strong now. I tried hard not to look at the dead bodies as I made my way into the cavernous hall.
I assessed things from a military perspective. I’d get to the second-floor balcony; it had the best vantage point. If Catron and Cutter came in on the ground floor, I’d have a better view of them. I picked up my skirts and hurried up the enormous, crumbling staircase. If I could just get underneath the stai
ned glass window, it would be the perfect place to perform Drawing Down the—
“She ain’t in the garden no more, sir!” With supreme dread, I heard a familiar voice. “She’s ’ere!” Cutter cried, running into the main hall. No longer did she have on her nurse’s cap, gloves, or mask. There was nothing to hide her evil grin, her eyes full of dark delight. One hand held a candle, while the index finger of the other pointed at me on the upper level. “We’ve got ’er now, Doctor!”
Catron wasn’t far behind. His lab coat was gone, and he was struggling with a long, heavy object partially blocked by his body.
What’s that under his arm? Wait—is that a rifle?
“Don’t just stand there, Cutter!” Catron was trying to load the rifle with as many bullets as it could hold. “Get her!”
Cutter held up her candle and looked at the numerous steps between her and me. “Ah, right then, sir.” She began huffing and puffing her way up the balcony, careful to avoid any stairs that were broken or missing. I had to admit, for a large woman, she could certainly move fast.
What am I going to do? I supposed I could run around and around the balcony, praying Cutter would pass out before she reached me. But there was still Catron with the rifle. He would probably use it before I outran her. I couldn’t deal with both of them at the same time. I had to find a way to get rid of Cutter first. She was almost at the top of the stairs, just a few yards away.
“Aha!” she cackled as she finished the climb and ran towards me. Beads of perspiration were forming on her forehead, but the hag still had plenty of fight left in her. “Now, Dr. Catron and me is going to make you wish you was never born. C’mere, girlie!”
“Not a chance in hell!” I retorted. Whipping off my shawl, I threw it over Cutter, making sure part of it landed on the candle she held. It set both the shawl and Cutter on fire, as I had hoped it would. At this point, I really didn’t care if she burned to death.
Apparently, Cutter didn’t feel the same way. She let out earsplitting screams as she frantically tried to wrestle the flaming shawl off. I ran a few yards and ducked behind a long table with a trio of marble busts on it.
“What the devil’s going on up there?” Catron was still trying to load the gun. “Curse this old thing; it always jams. Cutter!” He gasped to see the nurse on fire one story above him.
Unfortunately for me, Cutter didn’t remain on fire for long. She managed to fling the shawl off and stamp the flames into submission. Half her hair and the shoulders of her uniform were gone. Her face was a mess of red and black flakes. She looked like the angry surface of an active volcano. Although her candle had been snuffed out, she still had the chandelier in the center of the room by which to see. And she used it to focus all her rage on me.
“You miserable, ’orrid little witch!” she howled. “You’re going to pay for this!”
Heart pounding, I looked to the left and right. I needed something to use as a weapon. I tried picking up one of the busts, but it was too heavy. I felt like choking the neck of the person it resembled. Cutter was running towards me, light falling on her body again and again from the chandelier reflected off the mirrors.
I gasped. The chandelier! The mirrors! Maybe I didn’t have the physical strength to move the busts, but perhaps my animating powers would. I hoped man-made light would work as well as that from the moon. I concentrated hard on one mirror on the ground level, directly across from Cutter. I imagined I saw a beam of gray-blue light shining from the chandelier to the mirror to one of the busts. The stone face opened its sightless eyes and moved its unspeaking mouth from side to side, as if it were waking up. Just as Cutter was about to reach me, the bust flew up and hit her in the chin—hard.
Cutter fell backwards with a heavy grunt. I looked over my shoulder at Catron. I didn’t know if he’d seen what happened. But he had managed to load the rifle and aim it at me.
Catron let out an angry yell. “The damn column is blocking her!” He moved from place to place on the floor, trying to find a position from which to fire.
“Cutter, I can’t get a clear shot! Bugger all, flush her out!”
Cutter put her hand to her jaw and groaned, but struggled to her feet. Blood trickled out the side of her mouth. My guess was the blow from the bust had knocked out a tooth or two.
For the love of all saints, I thought, can nothing keep this foul woman down? I’d have to try again. I focused on the mirror once more and managed to fling the second bust at Cutter, this time nailing her in the middle of her face. The force of the blow made her cry out again and double over onto the railing, where she stood clutching it and moaning. A quick look over my shoulder revealed that Catron had a better view of me now. He’d definitely seen Cutter get hit with the second bust. I pressed myself against the back of the column. I didn’t know what I’d do if he fired the gun at it.
I expected Catron to at least take a shot at me, but instead, something very surprising happened. I heard him give what sounded like a cry of victory.
“It’s you!” he shrieked. “You, who turns light into motion!” His voice was hysterical, like a madman’s. “We went through all those girls trying to find the truth, but in the end, I knew it was you!”
Light into motion? He must have been referring to my reflecting light to move the bust. But I had no idea what he meant by the rest.
“I searched for decades for your brother and sister without success. But then, I realized it didn’t matter. You, with your power of light in darkness, were the strongest. I knew you’d stop at nothing to complete your mission. All I had to do was get to you, and my future would be assured.”
The air around me seemed to turn wavy, but I didn’t dare put my hands to the sides of the column for balance. It was all starting to come together, like long-mislaid puzzle pieces. The nighttime abilities. Reanimating things with the help of light. The way I automatically point like that woman in the Book. I couldn’t believe it. It sounded impossible, and yet, it had to be true. The answer was staring me in the face all along.
“The goddess is . . . me?” It was almost a whisper, but the echo easily traveled down to Catron.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know! Feigning ignorance won’t save you now. I can see you are still too young to know how to use your powers. Better for me that way, however.” He laughed again, and I heard the chit-chit of the gun.
My head was spinning. I am a goddess. I have a mission. Catron also seemed to have a mission, part of which involved killing me. Is destroying Catron my mission? Why must I have a mission at all? Haven’t I been through enough? You’d think being a goddess meant things would get easier.
I turned my head ever so slightly so I could talk to Catron, but not enough for him to see me. “If I have a mission,” I called out, “then what is it? What’s this ‘future’ of yours? What the devil are you talking about?”
“Don’t act as if you don’t remember!” he sneered. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him snaking around the column, trying to get the best possible shot. “I was sure you’d be one of the most troublesome girls in the realm, too. I knew if I set up a clinic especially for those girls, you’d find your way here eventually.”
A wave of cold horror passed over me. All the atrocities at Silver Hill were committed because of me? Because one man was trying to find me? The thought was too hideous to comprehend.
Regardless, I didn’t have much time to contemplate it. Cutter had gotten back on her feet and was looking at me with murder in her eyes. Blood from her nose was pouring down her face and onto what was left of her burned uniform.
Oh, come on, I thought desperately. Can’t anything kill this bitch? My gaze fell on a landscape painting on the wall. I still had one more bust left. I had to make sure Cutter stayed down this time.
“There’s no use tryin’ to run, Seluna,” Cutter snarled. Her voice sounded raspy, almost animal-like. “We’re a force from which you cannot escape. Our darkness will swallow you ’ole. Your life—and the life of everyone y
ou care for—belong to us. You’ll see. We may as well be the monsters that ’aunt your dreams.”
I never heard Cutter speak like this. I had no idea where it was coming from. Still, there was only a moment’s hesitation before I said:
“Trust me, Cutter, if I ever have dreams about you, they’ll end with my kicking your ass!”
This time, I didn’t need more than a cursory glance at the mirror. I tore the painting off the wall with my mind and threw it over Cutter. As she cursed and struggled to get her arms out from the canvas, the last bust flew up and knocked her squarely in the forehead.
I half-hoped the blow would kill her before she went over the railing. But in the end, it hardly mattered. Cutter let out an unholy scream as she fell backwards, breaking the balustrade. Her legs flailed wildly, and her body hit the floor with a final, heavy thud. I dashed to the next column before Catron had a chance to react. From there, I could see Cutter still encased in the painting. Her eyes were wide-open; more blood spilled out of her mouth. Her torso was bent at an impossible angle from the lower half of her body.
Nurse Cutter was dead. But there wasn’t a moment to celebrate, or even feel relieved.
“Cutter, you miserable sow!” Catron howled, standing over the body. “I suppose I’ll have to finish this myself. That’s what I get for hiring subpar help.”
Well, that was a quick grieving process, I thought. But it was no concern of mine whether Catron cared about Cutter or not. The only thing that mattered was that he was still out for my blood. There was the earsplitting noise of a gunshot, then the sound of shattering glass.
I cringed so hard my shoulders jerked. I covered my ears and thought about crouching down to make myself a smaller target. However, that also might make it harder to run if Catron shot at me again. But as I peeked past the column, I saw that Catron hadn’t shot at me at all. Instead, he’d destroyed the mirror that helped me animate.
Myths & Magic: A Science Fiction and Fantasy Collection Page 145
