Within The Shadows

by Julieanne Lynch

  “Nikita?” I called her name. “Nikita, wake up.”

  She did not reply. The only sound was the rattling noise that came from the back of her throat. Her eyes slowly glazed over and rolled back, and it was then that I screamed.

  I ran to the other side of the room still screaming. Pulling at my hair, I started to sob. Tears flowed down my cheeks, and my stomach turned. I was sick on the red rug, and had no control over the retching that followed. Antoine burst into the room, and realised what had happened. He called for Mariella, who came running in with a team of men. She looked at me, and shook her head.

  “I told you she was too inexperienced to be left alone,” she hissed at Antoine.

  He looked over at me, pity in his eyes. “She was not to know. It happened. Deal with it.”

  He came over to my side, and handed me his handkerchief. I rubbed my mouth clean, and got to my feet. Still sobbing, I could not find the words to speak. I could only look at Nikita’s corpse with horror. I became aware of the fact that I was the one responsible for her death.

  I ran from the room, and down the long, dimly lit corridor until I came to the large oak door at the bottom of some steps. Pushing it open, I ran from the house. I kept going until I came to the edge of the makeshift road that led up to the house.

  I stood shivering in the cold night air as the rain pounded down hard on me. Without a second thought, I ripped the charmed necklace Antoine had given me from my throat, and threw it into the dirt. I cried uncontrollably as my eyes burned from the harsh wind that blew in my face. I fought through my anger and despair, and continued on. The further I ran, the more distant the house became. Breathless, I came to a halt at the shoreline.

  The wind howled as it strengthened, and squally snow hit against me, leaving me chilled to the bone. My damp clothes clung to me as I shivered. Looking around, I could hardly make out the cliffs behind me. The house was now a dot in the distance. Shock began to set in, and, giving up, I fell onto the muddy ground below me. I held onto myself, shaking and crying. I had no more strength to run back to safety, and now I accepted the fact that I would die out here, cold and alone.

  At first, I did not hear the whispers. I only heard the wind whistling in my ears. Then the noise became more distinctive, repeating the same thing over and over. I looked around me, trying to see who was there with me. Yet I stared into nothingness.

  Darkness.

  “Who’s there?” I called out.

  Nothing. Just the same incoherent voice calling me.

  “Giselle.”

  My name was called. Straining my eyes, I saw no one, only the small flecks of snow falling in front of me. Panic set in as I scrambled to my feet, falling twice as I tried to find my balance on the increasingly slippery ground.

  “Can you hear me?” The voice became louder and clearer.

  “Yes,” I answered, breathless.

  “Can you see me?” It spoke again.

  I struggled to try to see who it was. “No! I can’t.” I panicked.

  “You should. I’m right in front of you.”

  It was then that the glow of yellow eyes became clear in front of me. I could see nothing else but them. They began to multiply. All around me, shadows emerged from nowhere, their eyes glowering at me. I could feel hands pull and tug at me. Looking back towards the house, I saw it begin to fade. I screamed, but it was too late. The darkness had come for me, and it swallowed me whole. I stood in darkness, surrounded by shadows, each one screaming for my soul.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I FELT AS IT if I were floating through space. I had no control of my limbs, and my voice remained soundless. I could make no sense of where I was falling, but one thing I was sure of, I was not alone.

  They watched intently as I panicked. There was nothing for me to grab a hold of. Instead, I fell into what seemed like a bottomless pit.

  I found it hard to breathe. The air was stale, and the stench of death burned at the back of my throat. With a jolt, I found myself standing in the centre of a small room. A wooden bed was pressed up against a wall. Bars formed the shape of a door in front of me, and the echo of screams tormented me.

  I thought I was in Hell.

  I felt totally dejected.

  Would I be trapped here forever in this demonic existence?

  Sitting down on the bed, I waited for someone or something, but no one came. I have no idea how long I sat there, whether it was minutes, or hours, or even days. I lost all sense of time, and felt like I would finally lose my mind.

  Out of nowhere, it appeared in front of me like a cloud of darkness, only this was in the shape of a man. His eyes glowed a frightening shade of yellow, and immediately, I closed my eyes, trying to avert my gaze. I did not want to stare into the abyss any longer.

  “We have been patient,” it slurred. “Now, the time has come for you to complete your phase.”

  Confused, my eyes burst open. More eyes stared at me, their features non-existent. “What do you want from me?” I asked, trying not to let fear fill my words.

  “You and the child,” it hissed.

  “Me? My . . . child? I don’t have a child.”

  Laughing, the glowing eyes came close to my face, and I could feel its hand rest on my abdomen. “Mmm, only time will tell.” He looked down from my face, and rested his eyes on my chest. Looking back up at me, he sneered. “But of course, we have ways of finding out, and, believe me, chosen one or not, you will wish death rather than have one of my minions have his way with you.”

  Their laughter bellowed through my ears. I screamed, and continued doing so until my voice was raw. I was left alone in their world with no one else to turn to. I begged Lilith to bring me some kind of peace. She owed me that much. If I was to die here, I wanted it to be at her hands, and not at the hands of the creatures of the damned.

  “Goddess Lilith, I beg of you, please, open the channels, and set my soul free. If I am to die, be it your will. Open the gates, and carry me home!” I chanted over and over.

  “Your words will do you no good, you know!” A voice came from beyond the barred door.

  Walking up to the doorway, I peered out into the darkness. There was nothing there. I stood there for a few moments, holding my breath, trying to make out noises, or anything that gave me a clue as to where it was.

  “It’s scary, isn’t it? The darkness?” the voice spoke again.

  “Who are you?” I whispered.

  “I am nothing. I am just an echo from the past, and a dot in the future.”

  The words scared me. “Don’t say that. I think I’m depressed enough.”

  “The darkness will drink you up. Every last bit of you will succumb to it. Of course, that will only happen once you have given birth.”

  Shaking my head in protest, I shouted, “I won’t be having a kid, okay! Not here, not ever!”

  “I beg to differ. I believe the hands of fate have already begun to work.”

  He slowly appeared before me. My eyes widened as I stared at Afanas.

  “What the . . . ? Oh, my God . . . How?” I yelled at him, astonished by his presence.

  “Questions, questions, questions. My dearest Giselle, must you always be so impertinent?” he asked through gritted teeth. “You should be thanking me.”

  “What? Are you serious?” I bellowed.

  “They wanted to kill you straight away, but as always, I used my powers to great effect. I managed to put your execution on hold. For the time being, anyway.” He raised an eyebrow, clearly delighted with himself.

  “But why, Afanas? I thought you were my friend, someone I could count on,” I cried.

  “Who is to say that I am not?” he questioned.

  “But this place . . .”

  “Ah, yes. This isn’t the standard you are accustomed to, but, rest assured, things will change.”

  My legs finally gave in, and I fell onto the cold, damp floor. “I just don’t get it. Why are you even here?”

  “Because it wa
s I who summoned the shadows to take you, to infect you with their darkness, hence the increasing mark on your breast. Unfortunately, I misunderstood the importance of you and your newly found powers. I cannot say for sure that my plan to save you will work, but I can promise you this, you will not bring your child into this world.”

  “But I’m not pregnant!” I began.

  “Dear sweet Princess, the seed has been planted. I can smell the scent of new life growing within you.” He paused, and looked at me, his eyes a deep crimson. “Of course, we don’t want ‘them’ to discover this just yet. However, you will not be able to disguise your growing body for much longer.”

  “No, this cannot be happening. I had my period, and, well, me and Leonid, you know, only did it the once.” I was embarrassed by my revelation, and I could see the surprise on Afanas’s face.

  “Ah, so it is true. Your union was consummated. Never-the-less, you are with child. That is something you cannot deny, and, given time, your body will allow you the luxury of feeling that life grow within you.” He was serious.

  “What about Alex? He’s going to be pretty pissed with us both,” I said as I held onto the bars of my cell.

  “Indeed, his Lordship will be most angry. And I dare say, he will figure it out. He will find you, Giselle, but until then, I shall try to keep you safe.” He turned to leave.

  “Afanas, one last thing,” I called after him.

  “Yes?”

  “Why did the shadows want to kill me?” I asked him yet again.

  “For you to be reborn. You are to be their queen, Giselle.” He disappeared, and left me pondering on what he had just revealed.

  I was not ready for any of it. I paced in my cell, thinking, making plans of escape, anything to occupy my mind, and forget about what Afanas had told me. I could not be pregnant. I felt no different, and if I was, who was the father?

  Holy crap! I suddenly remembered my one and only time with the love of my life, Marc. We had not used any protection at all. I know it sounds stupid, but I did not think I could fall pregnant after my failed attempt with Alex.

  A warm feeling travelled through me as I thought of the prospect of having Marc’s baby. I know it was probably a naive thing to do, but it filled me with hope, hope I had not felt in a while. Just thinking that my baby would have a chance at a normal life gave me a sense of relief. With that thought, I lay down on the bed, and fell asleep.

  * * *

  My dreams were filled with so much craziness. One minute, I was back in my childhood, playing on the swings with my brothers. The next, I was in a fever, screaming and pushing at people that surrounded my bed. My voice echoed as I struggled to make sense of what I was saying.

  Spooked, I woke up, and felt disgusting. Sweat had saturated me so much so that my clothes stuck to my skin. I craved the warmth of a hot bath. My stomach ached from hunger, and, most of all, the sorrow I felt over the death of Nikita haunted me.

  The touch of a hand startled me from my contemplation. It rested on my back as I lay still, frozen in my sleeping position, too afraid to turn around. I pretended to sleep as the hand rubbed along the base of my spine. Goosebumps spread across my flesh as I fought hard to remain still and lifeless.

  I shuddered at the touch, and then a voice spoke to me. “We have waited so long for you. The excitement is almost too much to bear,” the voice slurred.

  Turning round, its eyes were fixed on me, wide and golden. “I want to go home,” I whispered. “Please.”

  “But you are home, Giselle.”

  “No! I don’t belong here . . . in this . . . this other world. I belong with my family,” I pleaded.

  “You belong with us. We are your family now.” His face began to emerge before me.

  A middle-aged man resembling Afanas sat by my side. His back was hunched over. His expression was serious, and his face was long. His eyes glowed like the sun setting, a burnt orange shade. He looked human, yet I knew he was anything but. I could sense something menacing about him, and I did not trust a word he said.

  “Of course, you already know that, don’t you? You knew you would come home one day. You wear the mark firmly on your soul.” He placed his hand between my breasts. “You have always walked with darkness, and now it is time to embrace it. Let it fill your heart, and you will be at one with us, your most reverent servants.”

  “I . . . refuse. Okay? I don’t want to be a part of this nonsense,” I shouted as I tried to push him away from me.

  “It has already begun. You will be our Queen.” He held me by my throat up against the bars of my cell.

  Gasping, I fought back. “I . . . will . . . not!”

  I drew in my breath sharply, choking as I fell to the floor. Dizziness came first, and then the unconscious world claimed me as I lay in a heap on the cold, wet ground of my cell.

  Incoherent noises pulsated through my head as I struggled to regain consciousness. Screams and sounds of torture resounded as I wandered the corridors. It was like entering a labyrinth, an endless maze of tunnels that left me confused. I never seemed to get far from where I started, and then suddenly, I was back at the start, only each time my outward direction had changed.

  From behind the walls, I could hear the desperate cries of women as they pleaded for their lives. Other staccato sounds pierced my head, making me scream as the deafening pitch seemed to burst my eardrums. I stood in silence, unable to hear my own voice. Everything had become muffled, but one voice I could hear, and recognized quite clearly.

  Nikita.

  She pleaded, as their laughter drowned out her cries. “I shouldn’t be here. Please, please . . . No . . .” Her bloodcurdling scream echoed from the walls.

  Her voice was all around me, and its anguish buried itself inside me. I was unsure from which direction it had come, but I followed my gut instinct, and headed towards a secluded tunnel. Dimly lit torches flickered as I walked in the direction of Nikita’s increasing screams. Beneath my bare feet, rats rushed past. My feet sank down into the mucky ground, and its putrid smell repulsed me. The closer I came to the source of the screams, the harder it was to walk through the increasingly thick muck. I could feel warm liquid ooze over my toes as I neared the end of the tunnel.

  Feeling confident, I lifted my foot, and tried to climb over some barbed wire that had come loose from the wall. I fell, and cut my heel. I struggled over the rest of the wire, and sat on the dusty soil inspecting my foot. Maggots and worms wriggled, and fell to the ground from my legs and ankles. Screaming, I frantically tried to brush them off, squashing some into the dirt with my hands.

  I was back on my feet, and I continued to follow Nikita’s now deafening cries. Her wailing sent a shiver through me. It was harrowing. There was a hollow wall to the left of me, and I walked into a room that looked like a medieval torture chamber with hooks, chains, and a chair with spikes covering the seat, back and arm, leg and footrests. A triangular shaped seat was in the corner of the room, its tip covered in bloodstains.

  My eyes felt as though they were bursting out of my head when I saw Nikita. Her arms were bound behind her back. A rope had been tied around her wrists, and was attached to some kind of winch. She was hanging by her arms, and weights had been tied to her feet. Her flesh had been ripped open. It was a horrific sight. It made me sick. I lost all sense of reality as I tried to get to her to free her, but some kind of force field held me back. I could not get any closer. I was a mere spectator.

  Lifting her head, she looked around the room. When she saw me, her eyes fixed on me, and she screamed, “You did this! You condemned me! You are darkness!” Her voice broke. Slowly, her breathing became laboured, and, just as I had witnessed before, she died.

  In front of me, four sets of glowing eyes appeared, each one making incomprehensible noises. They moved closer to me, breaking through the force field. I screamed as I was pulled further into the room.

  A hand held my head back as it spoke into ear. “Do you see why you belong here? You bring deat
h. You are death!”

  * * *

  Screaming, I awoke on the ground within my cell. I was cold and wet, and I trembled from the shock of what I had dreamt. It felt so real, and for a moment, I was convinced it was. The guilt I felt after seeing Nikita again took me further into depression. It had been bad enough the first time, but seeing her die a second time made me condemn myself even more. She was right. I was to blame. The darkness that had possessed me was the reason. I was tainted, and no amount of goodness was going to erase the shadow from my soul.

  Time passed before I saw anyone again. I was left cold, dirty, hungry, and alone. The sickness was the worst. It came in waves of dizziness, and with it came bouts of vomiting. I honestly thought I was going to die.

  I had just about given up when the door of my cell was unlocked. It swung open, and in walked an old man carrying a tray. Avoiding eye contact, he set the tray beside me, stepped backwards, and left. The door remained open, and I thought for a split second about making a run for it. Yet I stayed. I had no energy for battle, and I was not ready to meet what lay beyond my cell.

  I inspected the tray. Some toast and fresh fruit had been prepared for me. There was also a goblet, full and warm, and instantly, I knew what was in it. Without giving it a second thought, I grabbed the goblet, and drank the warm, thick liquid, feeling it slip down the back of my throat until it was empty. I savoured the taste. It was not like Alex or Leonid, but it sure was good. It satisfied the increasing thirst I had tried hard to ignore. Tucking into the fruit and toast, I did not pay much attention to the spectator that had taken up a permanent residence at the end of my bed.

  “Are you hungry, too?” I asked, throwing a piece of toast in the direction of the dark brown mouse.

  It did not hesitate. It picked up the piece of food, and started to nibble on it. It made me smile. I was not alone, after all. A short time later, Afanas returned, and brought with him some clothes and basic essentials. He paused, looking at me.