The Phoenix Chronicles_Alone in the Light

by M. K. Williams

  Jonathon laughed half-heartedly. He had gone over the passages of the diaries many times in the vain hope that the text would leap out at him and reveal all he wanted to know.

  “It merely points out that Alexander Surich once killed a vampire who bore the symbol, and as the vampire was dying he uttered the words ‘Long live the Defier of Death, long live the Quartet. Long live Sola…’ He also had the symbol on his chest, the exact same symbol,” Jonathon recited, remembering he had spoken the words to Brendan many times before.

  “Well his own investigation into the symbol was just as fruitless as ours. Maybe we should bring in others; someone might know what Sola means?” said Brendan, as Jonathon’s voice initiated memories within Brendan to play out.

  Jonathon cut Brendan off suddenly and stood up, “Yes, his investigation was not only into the symbol but also into the vampire’s dying words. There is no record of Sola; personally I believe he died before he could finish his last, defiant sentence, but I have run searches on the Quartet, Sola, the defier of death, but nothing definitive has come…”

  No more than a second later, the chime on the grand clock chimed six times and the doors to the conference room opened and in walked a mass of people. Kieran was first, followed by Jean and Sam, and behind them, Rachel and Kristian.

  “Well according to Penny, the hole is huge and it’s going to cost a bomb to fix,” said Rachel.

  “Cost a bomb,” laughed Jean, “you’d think it would be expected really, it is a training room!”

  “Yes, I suppose. So are you planning to destroy any other walls in the building, Kristian?” Kieran shouted back.

  Before he could respond, Brendan was already in front of them speaking, “Interesting conversation. I do hope you spent more time going over your mission notes and meeting deadlines than partaking in idle chit-chat, no matter how engrossing it is.”

  All five of them stopped dead in their tracks and stared at Brendan; none of them said a word. As they started for their seats, they exchanged looks, which clearly said, ‘What a git’.

  As Kristian made his way to move past Brendan, Brendan grabbed Kristian’s arm and whispered into his ear, “Good luck with the mission, please try not to screw up.” Kristian tried to ignore the malice in his voice but was tempted to do a replay of his earlier run-in with Yi-Mao.

  “Well,” continued Brendan, this time to the whole group, “I have to catch a plane. I don’t see why Rachel could not just teleport Amar and myself there to be honest, Jonathon, surely it would be so much easier, and more cost-effective?” Laughing at his own sarcastic wit, Brendan turned on his heels and left the room. Kristian glared after him until the doors closed.

  “Please take your seats,” Jonathon sounded impatient and exasperated. “We have a lot to get through.”

  Kristian was lost in thought, chilled by Brendan’s words; ‘Try not to screw up’.

  “Kristian, please take your seat,” shouted Jonathon, annoyed at his distraction, whatever it was.

  Kristian walked around the table and took his place next to Kieran.

  “Right,” continued Jonathon, “Yi-Mao was singing your praises Kristian, and Brendan tells me that Sam, Jean and Rachel are all prepared to leave?”

  “Yes sir,” they all spoke at once in the same monotone voice that echoed around the room. None of them were in the mood for this meeting, they wanted to get out there and get started. It carried on like this for half an hour, with every response to every question being answered in the same dry, emotionless, collective way.

  …

  - Chapter Seven -

  Echoes

  Rachel strained her eyes as she looked to see if anyone else was around. The ward was extremely dim; the only light source came from two bedside lamps, one near Rachel and the other halfway down the room. The familiar face of Dr. Gambon was somewhat far away; she was lying on her back on one of the many beds, directly in the middle of the ward. She was clearly fast asleep.

  An open book rested on the doctor’s chest, it moved ever so slightly up and down with every breath that she took in her sleep. Rachel turned her attention away and looked towards the other lamp. Turning her head Rachel saw a face glaring over at her from the closer bed. Staring at her, awake and wide-eyed, was the very pale face of Tanya Morgan.

  Rachel knew many things about this woman, due to her efforts of trying to locate her family. She took a deep breath, gulped and then walked slowly towards the bed. Tanya did not move, she did not flinch or even blink, her eyes were drawn back into her skull, her complexion pasty and her lips were a blue-grey colour.

  In less than ten average-sized steps, Rachel found herself standing directly by Tanya’s bedside. Her mind clouded over as she felt the urge to say something, but no words left her lips. She soon found herself whispering, “Hi, I’m Rachel. What’s your name?”

  Tanya’s eyes opened as wide as they could and in a skeptical tone replied, “My name? Surely you must know my name?”

  Rachel was a little taken aback. Of course, she knew her name, but in that moment there wasn’t anything else she felt she could have said. She cursed herself for asking such an idiotic question, and then racked her brain for a suitable response. However, before she could continue, Tanya spoke again.

  “Rachel? The Rachel who found me?”

  “Yes, that’s me. I’m sorry I asked you for your name, that was really dumb of me; I just didn’t know what else to say to you. I’m so terribly sorry about what has happened to you,” replied Rachel, again in a whisper making an effort not to wake Dr. Gambon.

  “There’s no need to apologise, I’m glad to have the opportunity to thank you,” Tanya’s voice was croaky and rather grating.

  “Well, I cannot take all the credit, my friend Sam was also with me that night and it was he who found you, I simply brought you back here. I happened just to be there.”

  “I’m sure that’s not true,” said Tanya as she reached out and clutched Rachel’s hand. Rachel was surprised at the firmness of her grip.

  “Thank you again and please thank Sam for me, that is unless I see him first!” Tanya managed a small smile as she spoke.

  Rachel returned the smile; her eyes showed the empathy she felt for the woman, “I’ll have a word with him, he’s very busy at the moment but I’m sure he would wish to see you and to make sure you are okay.”

  Tanya nodded her head in recognition watching Rachel closely. How kind and caring she appeared, Tanya thought to herself.

  “Be honest, how are you feeling now?” Rachel asked.

  Tanya spluttered a small laugh, which quickly turned into a cough.

  “Well, mainly I feel tired. Very, very tired. Also confused, I guess. Shocked. Surprised. I just can’t get my head around this whole thing.”

  “That’s totally understandable and expected, I guess. What have you been told about the attack?” Rachel asked tentatively

  Again, Tanya let a snicker escape, “They’ve told me a lot. How much of it I actually believe I’m not sure. But some of it does fit I suppose,” as she spoke, she moved her hand away from Rachel’s and placed it upon the bandage around her neck.

  “Dr. Gambon is the best, Tanya, I’m sure she is doing everything she can to help you. Whatever she has told you will be spot on and she will have you out of here and back to your life in no time,” Rachel attempted a smile but could not quite manage it; a strange, contorted smirk emerged on her face instead.

  Tanya must have noticed because she suddenly looked uncomfortable and Rachel tried, with great effort, to force her face back to its normal contours.

  “Well, I hope so, but you can understand why I’m skeptical, right?” Tanya’s voice suddenly seemed less croaky but more determined and strong.

  “Yes, of course I can.” It was Rachel’s turn to feel uncomfortable. “I understand what you mean, obviously I cannot completely relate to it. However, I believe that the younger you are when you first hear it, the easier it is to take in. I was brought into
this organisation when I was very young. I had just turned ten when I came here. I remember feeling excited and special. But I was also fearful of never seeing my family again. There are things I’ve seen, some of them are unbelievable, but they’re second nature to me now. It’s gonna take time but you will come to terms with what happened to you.”

  Rachel’s words, although meant to be comforting, seemed to stir Tanya’s fears. Her eyes filled with tears, and tiny droplets began to fall, forming rivulets, running down on her cheeks. As they fell down her face, they seemed to thin out and evaporate before they reached her neck.

  “I wonder if I’ll ever see George again?” Tanya managed to utter.

  Rachel, realising her error, moved closer to Tanya, took the seat next to the bed and reached into her pocket, pulled out a handkerchief and offered it to her. Tanya took it and began to dab at her eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” Rachel said, feeling tearful herself, “I really didn’t mean to upset you, I was just…”

  “Oh, it’s not your fault,” said Tanya through her obvious misery, “I just, I just want to see, to see my boy. That’s all. He’s so young you see and I—” as she attempted to finish her sentence she was suddenly overcome by emotion and began to sob more loudly, her shoulders shuddering with every breath she drew in. Crying without tears seemed to upset and frustrate her more as her eyes began to dry out. Rachel, not knowing whether to hug her or not, watched the poor woman weep into her hands and then no longer able to control her own emotions, she too began to sob.

  The tears fell thick and fast. The two women sat there in the dark, dingy ward and let emotion overwhelm them. It was a sorry sight, and would have evoked tender sentiments in the coldest of hearts.

  Rachel eventually managed to compose herself and sat up straight. As she stifled the last of her tears, she placed a hand on Tanya and said reassuringly, “Come on now, don’t cry. We’ve located your son and he’s fine. He is with your father at the moment. They’re both obviously concerned about you, but they’re both okay. They just want to know where you are, which at the moment is a rather tricky question to answer.”

  Tanya sat upright suddenly and gripped Rachel tightly, “My George? You’ve seen my boy?” her voice was more powerful this time and filled with hope, “Well, would I—” unable to form a structured sentence, Tanya’s mind raced with thoughts of seeing her son. “Well, I need to see him. Could he come here? Can I go to him?” Tanya pleaded aloud, not purposefully directed towards Rachel.

  “He would have to come here, I am afraid,” said Rachel. “It would not be possible for you to leave here at the moment, not with your current state of health.”

  “My current state?” Tanya’s words were laced with bitterness and sarcasm. “Yes, I suppose you’re right, I haven’t left this bed for what feels like weeks, so I know I can’t go home. He’ll have to come here,” as Tanya spoke these words aloud, her heart froze as the reality hit her. She held back more tears. Tears that were triggered not from the physical and emotional pain she felt, or by the thought of seeing George again, but by the thought of having him come to the hospital and for him to see her like this.

  “I can’t let him come here; he mustn’t be allowed to see me in this state. And this place is so strange; he would ask too many questions. And he can’t know, he mustn’t know what has happened to me. You haven’t told him have you?” Tanya asked sharply.

  “No, I haven’t personally made any contact with him or your father,” Rachel reassured her, “I merely checked up on him to ensure he was safe.”

  “Good. Thank you!” Tanya breathed out a long sigh as she contemplated the situation.

  “No, no, I do not want him to come here, how could I explain this to him, a fourteen-year-old boy? How do you tell your child that you have been bitten by a vampire and may be turning into one? I don’t want him to experience this alien world. No, it’s for the best,” her words were resolute but her tone was not. She sounded as though she was trying to convince herself that it was the best thing to do, although deep down, she knew that she wanted to see George, to hold him and kiss him and tell him that his mummy was going to be okay.

  Rachel looked down upon her with immense pity, trying hard to imagine the pain Tanya was most likely feeling.

  “I understand what you are thinking, and I do not know what I’d do if I was in your position. But everyone here is doing their best for you and to be brutally honest, I’m afraid you may never get the chance again to see your son,” as Rachel said this, her eyes, yet again, filled up with tears.

  “I’ve started to realise that might be the case of course,” Tanya snapped back immediately. She looked down at her hands; the colour of her skin was fading away, and the grey-blue colour was getting darker. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to freak out, Rachel. But if I had him brought here to me, it would be for me. For the selfish reason that I want to see him one more time, not because it’s in George’s best interests. If he saw me now, I’m not sure how it would affect him.”

  “I know,” said Rachel almost in a whisper, “but if my mother was dying, I think I would like the chance to say goodbye.”

  Tanya looked at Rachel and shook her head slowly, “I did say goodbye to my mother when she was dying. I was eighteen. She was in bed for months before she passed away. I avoided going to see her; I was scared of what I would see. Then, two days before she died, I mustered up the courage to go and see her. When I walked into her room, she was rambling about chickens! Her pale skin was clinging to her bones as though gripping on for its life. Her eyes fell upon me, but they looked right through me. I knew that it was too late to say a proper goodbye. My own mother could not even see me,” Tanya paused and stared into space as though remembering the moment. “I did say goodbye, I even kissed her on the cheek, but the only words that left her lips were, ‘don’t let the chickens out’. I ran out of that room as fast as I could. I didn’t return. I didn’t even go to the funeral.”

  Tears again flowed down Rachel’s cheeks. I’m so rubbish at this, she thought, why do I keep crying, I’m the healthy one here, I should be offering support, not crying every two seconds.

  “I’m so sorry,” Rachel said to Tanya as she wiped her tears away, “but surely it’s better that you did say goodbye? Your son deserves the same, doesn’t he? You’re not crazy, you’re awake and you are sane, he would not leave here thinking that you had looked right through him, or didn’t understand him. It wouldn’t just be him saying goodbye to you, it would be you getting that chance to say goodbye to him,” Rachel spoke slowly and her tone was soft and non-confrontational.

  “No, it’s not. The memory haunts me and I don’t want the memories of me to haunt him like that forever. I would prefer to leave him with the memories he already has,” Tanya finished, feeling confortable with her decision.

  Rachel could see what Tanya was saying, but to her the two situations were very different.

  “Besides,” Tanya continued, “I might even get better. I know the diagnosis is gloomy and the doctors haven’t exactly been positive, but I have hope. I have my faith.”

  Rising to her feet, Rachel couldn’t look Tanya in the eyes. She thought that when a victim was as far gone as Tanya, they never came back. Though, if a full recovery were given to those who truly deserved it, then this woman would have every chance of getting better. And Tanya had the strongest motivation to: a mother wanting to return to her son.

  “I should be leaving now,” said Rachel.

  “Will you come and visit me again?” Tanya asked tentatively.

  Rachel contemplated it for a second, she didn’t really want to witness this poor woman’s continuing deterioration, but she knew that Tanya had no one else. She reluctantly agreed, “Of course I will,” she said with a smile. “Would you like me to bring you anything?”

  “Perhaps a magazine, something to distract me, with some juicy gossip in it. It might help me to take my mind off things,” Tanya attempted a smile.

  Rachel
moved in and kissed Tanya on the cheek, “I will see what I can do,” Rachel began to move towards the middle of the ward.

  “Thank you again,” murmured Tanya.

  Rachel turned and mouthed ‘You’re welcome’; she continued walking towards the centre of the ward to the bed where Dr. Gambon lay. Standing above her, Rachel envied how peaceful she looked, and decided not to wake her, but as she turned to leave, Dr. Gambon suddenly sat bolt upright, throwing the book which had been on her chest onto the floor.

  “Morning, Doctor,” Rachel said with a grin.

  Susan’s face was filled with confusion, her mind still embroiled in the dreams she had been having. Squinting her eyes to determine who was next to her, she recognised Rachel by her glasses.

  “Good morning, Rachel. Sorry, I was just having a power nap. Been on my feet for hours.” Rachel smiled as she watched the doctor attempt to shake off the sleep and make coherent sentences.

  “How is she doing? Honestly?” Rachel wasted no more time with pleasantries, she jumped straight in with the reason she had come down there.

  “Well,” said Susan, still rubbing her eyes and gathering her composure, “for vampire bite victims, there’s something called the vampyric-infection rate, it’s a calculation we do. It takes into account chemical and biological changes and gives a score, usually a percentage. We’ve worked out Tanya’s level, and so far we’ve got it down to fifty-three point seven per cent.”

  “That’s good isn’t it?” Rachel said, radiating hope. “The level is dropping, that’s a good thing surely?”

  “Well, usually it is a good sign,” Susan replied, “but I’m afraid that the rate at which the infection is dropping has plateaued, and that, unfortunately, is not good at all! We are going to try mixing up the cocktail, but she is already on the strongest dose of a number of the drugs we have. Obviously it’s a good sign that the rate of infection hasn’t begun to rise again, although I would say that it’s only a matter of time,” she glanced over Rachel’s shoulder in the direction of Tanya.