The Peculiar Case of the Lost Colony

by Constance Barker

  “Let’s get her out of the car and call for help. Call an ambulance,” he ordered gently, opening the door for Agnes and moving to scoop her up. She scowled at him, slapping his hands away and edging out of the car, only for her leg to give out from under her. She collapsed to the ground with a cry of pain, clutching the piece of glass as if she wanted nothing more than to rip it free of her flesh.

  “Wait—” I cried out, too late to stop her as she did just that. The overwhelming scent of blood nearly bowled me over, and I covered my mouth to stave off the rising bile in my throat.

  “You are not calling an ambulance Robert, don’t be ridiculous. They wouldn’t even know how to handle someone with my delicate condition,” she hissed, applying pressure to the wound on her leg with a slight groan of pain.

  “I’m pretty sure they’ve dealt with car accidents in North Carolina, Agnes. We’re not that far into left field,” I argued, grabbing my phone from my pocket. At least, I tried to, only to find it wasn’t there. I ventured a glance into the wrecked car, resisting the desire to cry out in frustration as I saw my phone lying shattered, face down in the backseat.

  “That’s not what I mean Abigail,” Agnes gritted out, using Robert’s aid to pull herself to her feet. She stood on wobbly legs, glancing in the direction that the van had gone. Tears sprang to her eyes, and I had the feeling it had very little to do with the gaping wound in her leg. “We can walk to the cemetery from here. It’s not that far. It’s not too late,” Agnes muttered, gripping Robert by the arm and making an attempt to step forward.

  “It’s too late, dear woman. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. It’s too late. You need to cling to health in what time you have left, and at least let me call a tow truck so we can go to the cabin and patch you up,” Robert said in hushed tones, only for Agnes to turn an angry glare upon him. Soon, her anger gave way to desperation, and she clutched his jacket as she buried her face in his chest, inconsolable sobs wracked her body. I stood off to the side, feeling extraordinarily awkward and dismayed. I didn’t quite know the whole story of why we needed to find the journal pages, and at this rate it seemed like I wouldn’t find out.

  “It’s not like you’re going to die tomorrow, right? The formula... there’s still time. We can bargain with Martin,” I said urgently, stepping towards the two. Agnes’ sobs gave way to borderline hysterical laughter as she allowed her legs to give out and fully collapse on the ground.

  “Martin won’t be doing me any favors. It’s not like the formula will be of any use without Isabella, in any case. She turned her back on us... on me—,” she paused, her body quaking with rage.

  “What does Isabella have to do with anything?” I demanded angrily, crouching in front of the despairing woman. Robert dropped to his knees at her other side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as much as she seemed to want to resist. “Just tell me what’s going on. Please. After all this time, I have a right to know,” I implored, taking Agnes by the hand.

  “The key was a crucial component to the formula. Flamel’s particular formula was orchestrated around his own lifeblood, and it would be useless with any other form of life essence. You can’t just take any blood and toss it in a vial, and become—” Robert gritted out, falling silent as Agnes leveled a glare upon him.

  “She is so much more than a key, you... you stupid man. Her purpose in the elixir wasn’t the only reason I took her in. I loved that wicked young woman. I’d never been able to conceive and... it was like having a piece of him with me,” Agnes muttered, burying her face in her hands.

  “Of who!?” I screamed, my voice going hoarse. “Nothing you’re saying is making any sense!” I pressed, grabbing Robert by the lapels in my frustration.

  “Flamel! Nicholas Flamel! It was like having a piece of Flamel with me. It’s been so long... so damned long. I missed him so terribly,” Agnes mumbled. I snorted in disbelief, sitting back on my haunches and staring at her as if she had lost her mind. As far as I was concerned, they both had. Everyone in this entire operation had seemed to have lost their ever loving minds.

  “Right, right, you miss Flamel. Next thing you’ll be telling me is that we’re searching for the formula for everlasting life,” I said scornfully, crossing my arms. The two exchanged a guilty look, and my heart dropped into my stomach. They had to be having some sort of laugh at my expense. It was such an elaborately executed hoax, but that’s what it had to be. That’s all it possibly could be.

  “Not quite...,” Agnes began, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Certainly they would tell me something that made sense, not just some fairy tale about Agnes being immortal or something equally impossible. “The formula was intended for everlasting life. It wasn’t quite perfected. It has worked for centuries, but the effect is wearing thin. If I don’t find a way of remaking the formula, or something akin to it, then... I’ll die,” she continued, staring at the wound on her leg. “There is so much more that I wanted to experience. I truly wanted to experience what it was like to have a family... to be a mother,” she murmured. I stared between them, waiting for the punchline. It didn’t seem to be forthcoming.

  “Agnes... you can’t be serious. This is the stuff out of fairy tales. This is fantasy. This isn’t reality. You can’t live forever,” I said urgently, reaching out to grab her by the shoulders. She looked me in the eye, her expression somewhat bitter as she too reached out, touching my cheek.

  “No. Not anymore.”

  Chapter Nine

  Agnes seemed resigned to her fate, and truth be told, Robert nor I knew what to do to comfort her. The tow truck had arrived some hours ago, and we’d called a cab to hitch a ride home. Agnes had blown off the concern of the expenses, making some mention of a gold spinning practice that she had perfected over the years. I was at the point where I felt somewhat numb to everything the older woman told me. After all, after learning that her life, which has spanned centuries, would be coming to an end due in part to my foolishness was a bitter pill to swallow. She would have told me not to blame myself, I’m sure, if she weren’t so wrapped up in her own misery. Robert continuously made an effort to make her see the beauty that remained in her life, but she wasn’t prepared to hear it. I wasn’t sure she ever would be.

  “We could still check the cemetery. Maybe they looked over the journal page,” I offered, rubbing the elder woman’s shoulder comfortingly. Agnes said nothing, staring straight ahead as if she’d not heard me in the first place.

  “It’s fruitless at this point, dear girl,” Robert murmured gently, looking as if he wanted nothing more than to take the older woman’s pain away.

  “We don’t know that. They could have overlooked something... or... or...,” I cut myself off with a soft sigh, realizing just how pointless the conversation was. They refused to hear me, refused to hear that there may be any measure of hope left in our time together. Perhaps I was being naive, but I was sure there was some piece of the puzzle that was still missing. I wasn’t sure what could possibly make this situation any more positive, but there had to be something—hadn’t there?

  “It’s alright Abigail. I appreciate your attempts to comfort me. I just have to accept that this last ditch effort was for naught. It is time for me to meet my maker, and perhaps I will finally be reunited with Flamel. One can dream, in any case. It’s a bit of a shame, though... your father was something of a looker himself, and I would have liked the opportunity to get to know him,” Agnes sighed, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag from it. Robert grimaced, but said nothing regarding the habit. I could only look on in disbelief as these two people who had been so confident and ready for adventure were simply casting aside any chance that we might solve this final mystery.

  “For the right amount of money, I’m sure you could buy a sample of the elixir off of Martin. Even if he doesn’t like you, I doubt he’d be willing to turn down the proper offer,” I said confidently, taking Agnes by the hands. “You can’t just give up like this. There’s so much left for all of us to explor
e together. Regardless of what Isabella did to us, there’s the opportunity to move forward from this. I’ll even set you up with my dad if it would cheer you up. He seemed pretty interested in you as well, if I’m being honest,” I said hurriedly, smiling up at her from my crouched position. She leaned back on the sofa in the cabin, turning her gaze towards the ceiling and exhaling a puff of smoke.

  “As much as I appreciate the offer, I can feel the life fading from my body with each passing day. It’s only a matter of time at this point, dear girl. I wouldn’t want to cause your father any heartache. I’m sorry enough to be causing you and Robert any sorrow,” she paused, taking another draw. “As far as paying Martin off... as betrayed as I feel by that nuisance of a young woman, I won’t be one of the many perpetuating her loss of life. I still care very deeply for Isabella, and I can only hope we will meet in the afterlife,” Agnes hummed. I squinted at her, not quite sure I was following the line of conversation.

  “Why would Isabella die? She’s going to be with her family, Martin has what he needs her for, what would he harm her for?” I pressed, drawing away as Agnes leveled a deadpan stare at me.

  “You honestly think Martin will refrain from bleeding her dry if it means more money in his pocket? Certainly, there’s enough life essence within her to produce a sizeable amount of elixir, but I doubt he will stop at one or two instances of the elixir. Until she is nothing but the dried out remains, he won’t stop,” Agnes said slowly. Her expression was dark, her hand tensing at her side.

  “She deserves as much for what she has done to us,” Robert said quietly, flinching away as Agnes lurched upright and slapped him across the face.

  “Shut your mouth, you ignorant swine,” she hissed, lurching away from the couch with as much strength as she could muster. We had wrapped the injury on her leg, and it was obvious that it was painful to put much pressure on it. It didn’t seem as if it would stop Agnes any time soon however.

  “You know I’m right, Agnes! We should have never trusted her!” He shouted, tensing his hand on his cane. I looked between them, gritting my teeth in frustration.

  “You’re both just happy to let this play out? Agnes, you’d rather die than try and win our friend back? You’d rather let her die than try to show her the light? And you, Robert! You’re willing to give up on Agnes when it’s obvious how much you care about her? You two... I can’t believe it’s come to this,” I shouted, throwing my hands up in aggravation.

  “Maybe in another life, things could be different,” Agnes whispered wistfully. I marched up to her, taking her by the arm and forcing her to look at me.

  “This is the life you’ve been given. You can actually look me in the eye and tell me you’re not going to try and go out with a bang?” I demanded. The older woman looked away from me for a moment, her brow furrowing as she seemed to consider my words. “If things are going to Hell from here, let’s at least give Martin one final run for his money,” I hissed. Agnes smiled faintly, glancing towards Robert who was listening to us with an uncertain expression.

  “You have a valid point, dear girl. A valid point, as always. I knew I had hired you for some reason,” Agnes chuckled, gripping my hand and striding towards the door. Robert trailed behind us, and I could feel the concern radiating from his being.

  “What exactly are you two planning to do?” He demanded, his voice softening as Agnes glanced over her shoulder at him. “You’re willing to throw away your final years in some wild scheme? Think of the life you have left, Agnes. Dear woman, you’re so much smarter than this,” he whispered. She considered him with a troubled expression, stepping towards him and taking him by the hands.

  “My life is not yours to live, Robert. If you love me, if you’ve ever cared about me... you’ll let me follow through with this last adventure,” she asserted. He frowned, averting his eyes and clearing his throat uncomfortably. I felt as if I were intruding on some sort of very private moment, but I couldn’t draw my eyes away.

  “Well. If one of us is going out in a blaze of glory, I’d dare not miss the show,” he smiled. Agnes grinned, pulling him in for a tight embrace before drawing away and looking back towards me.

  “First things first. How are we going to find them?” Agnes asked, looking to me for direction. I wasn’t sure how to reply, initially, not used to being in control of our situation. I hesitated, tapping my foot nervously. The obvious clue would be following the direction Martin had retreated from the tobacco store. If we went to the cemetery, perhaps we could find some sort of... tracks. Something leading towards the man’s secret base, be it from burned rubber or... as much as I hated to consider it—the blood he was spilling from the woman I considered my friend. Agnes seemed to catch on to my thoughts immediately, her face twisting in something akin to pain. She touched my cheek to get my attention, and I felt as it my heart would cease beating from the intensity in her eyes.

  “The cemetery... there has to be something there,” I managed to get out, meeting her gaze and holding it.

  “If it comes to it, Abigail, and I’m sure it will. Save those who have yet to live their lives,” she said quietly. My eyes widened in disbelief, and I briefly drew away.

  “I’m not quite sure I know what you mean,” I murmured.

  “I know exactly what she means. She means for her life to be thrown away for the sake of that... that—,” Robert sputtered angrily, his face turning nearly beet red. I’d never seen him so angry in my life, granted I’d not know him long. He’d never seemed the sort to lose his composure, but I suppose we were all reflecting new sides of ourselves.

  “I would thank you to not insult Isabella any more in my company, Robert. Betrayal or not... she does not deserve to die,” Agnes angrily insisted. I looked between them, realizing with a start that it seemed an almost certainty that someone would lose their life in this last hurrah. As much as I wanted to hate Isabella for turning her back on us, I couldn’t bring myself to wish death upon her. Just the same, I couldn’t bring myself around to the idea of sacrificing Agnes either. I tried to remain steely, watching as the two elders of our group glared daggers at each other. “She’s my family, Robert. I love her. You may not understand, and I can’t expect you to. Ours was not the conventional relationship between mother and daughter. Maybe it’s impossible for you to believe that I could feel so strongly for her in such a short time. I can only tell you this, my dear friend—she is the closest thing to kin I could have ever dreamed of,” Agnes ranted heatedly, turning her back on Robert and grabbing her cell phone. I watched her dial the now-familiar number of the local taxi company, looking around the immediate area for something that we could use as some sort of weapon. Anything with which we could protect ourselves would do just fine, though it seemed we were dreadfully ill equipped. I glanced upon the walking stick that lay beside the door, the one Isabella had left behind. I approached it, gripping it in my hands and pulling on the end handle. Much to my shock, a sword unsheathed itself from inside the walking stick. I stared at Agnes with a confused expression, and she simply smiled.

  “I suppose she did not think she would need to protect herself,” Robert said coolly, falling into step beside me as Agnes and I strode out the door of the cabin. The cab would be there in short order, and from there it was only a matter of putting together the final pieces of the puzzle. I slid the blade back into the hilt of what I had assumed was only a walking stick, offering it to Agnes. She raised a brow, and I could only smile bitterly as I gestured to her leg.

  “Looks like you may need it—and I can’t imagine anyone else wielding it as well as you,” I said grimly. Agnes nodded, applying weight to the walking stick as we waited in the driveway. When the cab pulled in, Agnes hesitated a moment longer, glancing at the cabin behind us before smiling and striding towards the car.

  “No matter what happens, Miss Bean... see that the estate is taken care of.”

  With that, we were off.

  Chapter Ten

  The number of police cars c
ircling the cemetery sent a jolt of fear straight into my heart as we drew nearer. Agnes turned even more pale than I could have imagined, and the taxi driver came to a stop a short distance away.

  “Are you sure this is where you wanna get out?” He asked politely, and Agnes waved him off as she lurched out of the car. Robert and I followed, and I grimaced at the sight of police tape surrounding the gates. I trailed behind Agnes as she approached an officer, and as he caught sight of us, his expression hardened.

  “Sorry, no one is allowed on the scene. This is a death site,” he said coldly. My blood turned to ice, and I looked to the others for some sort of indication as to what we should do. I had my ideas of who may have been lying in a pool of their own blood within the cemetery, but I dared not voice them. Agnes seemed to have much the same idea. She pushed past the officer, caring very little as he shouted after her. Robert took a moment to explain the situation to the officer, at least, as much as he was able. I hesitated, staring in the direction Agnes had gone before inhaling a quaking breath and giving chase. I could hear the sound of thunder rolling in the distance, the storm all too appropriate giving the tumultuous situation. I strode through the cemetery, shivering at the sight of blood spatters on the occasional tombstone. It stank of fear in the graveyard, and moreover, it smelled of death. I didn’t want Agnes to be the only one to deal with the heartbreak she would be suffering, so I began jogging through the graveyard until I spied the older woman in the distance. She was frozen, and as I stepped up beside her, I could see why she was so stricken. Laying in the open grave before us was an achingly familiar face—though not the one we’d expected.