Winds Of The Apocalypse

by Novak, Karina

  ”Look.” Casey said as he showed the box to Morgan.

  “What is that?” Morgan asked, taking the box into his hands and examining it with the same curiosity as Casey did.

  "Morgan, listen, it's a long story.” Jon came to sit on the other side of him, he too, making an effort to ignore the body and speak to Morgan’s soul directly.

  “But we need you to try and open this box. Ok?"

  "Why?” Morgan questioned.

  “It can bring you back.” Casey told him. “Please Morgan?"

  Morgan groaned and reached his weak hands to the silver lid of the box.

  He wasn't expecting anything of it but the moment he touched it, the lid just snapped open, revealing a broken bluish transparent crystal with an ancient yellow papyrus scroll lying next to it.

  “Huh…Does anyone else think this looks like a cliché seine from an ancient martial arts movie?” Colin murmured, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he said it.

  “Shut up Colin.” Casey growled as she took the box away from Morgan’s weak arms and set the silver box down on the bed. She took the scroll and carefully unwrapped it, reading allowed the second riddle.

  "The dirty ground is where I lei, this rotten corpse is here to stay."

  "What does that mean?" Colin asked.

  “Whoever wrote these things was seriously whacked.” Toby shook his head.

  “Yes, ok, can someone please explain to me what is going on here?” Morgan asked. “Later.” Casey made a face. "Well, this is just disgusting!" She stated, looking at the pretty writing bearing the morbid words.

  "What is?" Colin asked, confused. “Did you figure it out already?” Casey looked at him as if he was a moron.

  “Yes, I did.” She stated. "Can't you see it? It talks about a fucking grave!

  "The second shard is next to a bloody corpse!" Colin gagged. ”Who the hell was gross enough to think about that?”

  "What grave?! There are no graves here!" Morgan looked at the others; still only half understanding what was going on around him.

  “You are telling us that we are going to go dig up a corpse?” Colin walked up to the window. “I need to breath.”

  “But there are no graves here!” Morgan insisted.

  "There is one." May said a little too loudly and Colin turned to her sharply, his face a little too green.

  "There are graves here?!"

  May shrugged. "Just one…”

  “Fuck!” Colin whisked. ”Did you hear that?! Just one! As if one is ok!”

  “Who is buried there?” Toby asked, a little more calm then his astonished friend but he too did not like the idea that there were dead corpses in the grounds surrounding them, apart from the chamber of the children and Casey’s brother of course.

  ”Well…” May said with a little more confidence. “It’s the previous owner of the estate. Before he died he made it his final wish to be buried here, on this property. He was the only one to die a natural death, free from the monsters."

  Casey looked at her friends with a devilish grin.

  "Right… Good for him. So… Who is up to go check out the corpse?" She smiled.

  “My god!” Colin exclaimed. “You sound like you are actually going to enjoy that!” “Maybe I will.” Casey stated, looking back at the others. “So? Anyone going with?”

  She asked timidly, bringing her enthusiasm levels to as low as she could contain them. Then, when no one volunteered for the gruesome corpse hunt and Morgan stated that his is enough for him to deal with Casey frowned and stuck her tongue out at them.

  "Chickens!” She declared. “You don’t want to go?! You are ok with fighting monsters that can rip you to shreds but you are afraid of one little corpse that can't do anything to you?! Ok! Fine! I'll go myself, you big baby's. God, it's just a dead guy! He won't bite you!"

  “Are you sure about that?” Colin growled. "We've seen some fucked up shit this summer.

  "You can't be sure of anything anymore."

  "I'll go with you." May said in a strained low voice, half hopping that Casey wouldn't hear her.

  “Over your dead body!” Casey snapped.

  “Please…I can help you.”

  "I don't want you." Casey didn't even look at her when she spoke those words and then she got up and turned to the door, ready to leave.

  "But you need me!" May rasped out in an almost whisper. "My family used to work for him; I know where the grave is." Casey growled, she hated to be contradicted.

  "All right, come on.” She agreed, still not turning back to look at her. “But know that this is not a social trip May! It’s just business and for the record, I still hate your guts and would love to see them hanging of a tree. Now c'mon."

  May sniffed and slowly got up from the floor she was sitting on and then she walked out after Casey leaving the others to finally explain the whole ordeal to her twin.

  May led Casey almost to the end of the property.

  Away from the lake that spread by the front gate and through the thick un kept tall grass that spread for miles to another concrete structure that stood amongst the overgrown trees. It looked similar to the winter seller but was a little bigger with a huge metal door on the front of it and a bunch of ancient symbols decorating its sides.

  "He is in there.” May said, pointing at the structure that stood in front of them.

  “No shit.” Casey growled. "Stay here." She ordered to the annoying girl as she stepped up to the crypt and pulled the heavy door open, coughing at the sudden musky air that emerged from it and then, glancing back for a moment Casey stepped into the tomb.

  Chapter seventeen: The chamber of lost souls

  “Ehh…Gross…” Casey mumbled as a stray normal cockroach ran from one wall to another, leaving behind it a little cloud of dusk.

  “Bleh…” Casey swept at the cobwebs that decorated the entrance to the mausoleum as she quickly stepped up to the stone sarcophagus that stood in the place of honor in the middle of the dark room.

  Casey glanced at the lid; an engraving of a young bearded man was carved into the stone. ‘Probably the image of the last land owner when he was still alive.’ Casey thought to herself and then she leaned over the stone lid, pushing it off with visible difficulty, almost falling into the tomb as the stone suddenly slid open, and her eyes wide as she came face to face with the corpse.

  “Oh my god…”Casey gagged as she pushed herself away from the decaying skin and visible white bones.

  “Dude…You stink…” Casey mumbled as she reached into the tomb with disgust and, removing the ripped up clothes that the corpse was wearing grabbed the little silver box that lei inside the dead mans' rib cage.

  “Yes…” Casey breathed out, turned and hurried to the doorway.

  ”Aagh!” Casey screamed in horror at the sight of the many cockroaches that seemed to have gathered to block her path out.

  The door slammed in her face and she was thrown into semi darkness.

  “What the hell…?” Casey turned back, just to see them filing up the dead man’s sarcophagus.

  ”May!” Casey screamed. “May! Help me!” For a moment she thought that May had lead her into a trap and left her alone, burring her in this mount of cockroaches but then a burst of light shone from under the doorway and the metal door was suddenly pushed open.

  Casey looked up astonished to see May, carrying a big stick as the later began whacking the cockroaches that blocked the doorway, clearing the path for Casey to go through.

  ”C’mon!” May screamed, grabbing at Casey’s arm and pulling her back outside, slamming the metal door shot the second she was safely out of the cockroach filled sepulcher.

  “Oh…” Casey crouched to her knees, taking in the fresh air with relieve. “Thank you…” she said to May, not raising her eyes from the ground.

  “Do you have it?” May asked.

  “Yes.” Casey straightened up. “Yes, I got it." She raised her eyebrow at May.

  "What was that l
ight?" She asked and May gulped, involuntarily raising her hand to grab the amulet she had hung on her neck. Casey didn’t even notice it before she touched it.

  "What's that?" Casey pointed and May, startled took a step back.

  "It's…" May looked down at the amulet. "It's protection, from them." She confessed.

  "Who gave it to you?" Casey questioned.

  "They did." May answered. Casey smirked.

  "They gave you something that can be used against them? Why?" May shrugged.

  "They didn’t exactly want for me to have it. They didn’t really have a choice, I summoned them."

  Casey crossed her arms over her chest.

  "Explain."

  May sigh again. She turned and gestured for Casey to follow her. The other girl huffed but didn't say anything; she waited for May to tell her tale.

  "Five years ago," May began as they climbed the path that led them back to the mansion.

  "After the great fire and the death of the previous owner my dad took me up here to help him pack up the last owners belonging and distribute them according to the charities he specified in his will." May bit her lip.

  "He let me roam free and this place looked like a castle," She laughed. "Eventually I got a little lost and ended up in the dead man's bedroom where I found strange markings on the floor." She looked down as if remembering the path she took, as if she was reliving it right there, through the eyes of her eleven year old body.

  "They led me to a side corner, and there under the floor I found writings in old English and Italian. It took me years to decipher them."

  May bit her nails nervously. "They talked about beings with vast power, creatures from another world that had given the dead man's family their fortune." She looked at Casey guiltily; waiting for her to say something but Casey just stared at her in silence so May swallowed and continued.

  "My dad had just lost his job again. For years he was the care taker of this place but after the government purchased this place he wasn't needed anymore. It was a tough time and I, not really believing the writings about the creatures decided to give it a try."

  Her eyes glazed over as her thoughts took her back to that night by the lake where she summoned the creatures.

  "The writings said that I have to use the marks I found on the dead man's bedroom floor.

  By that time, the renovations were already complete and they were erased but I remembered them perfectly. My room was too small to draw them all so I came out here." She looked down the hill at the lake. "I drew them in the sand. I had just met Morgan that day for the first time, saw him with you." She laughed bitterly. "At first I didn't know you were twins… Oh how I envied you…"

  May shook her head, she was so stupid. She remembered the moment she finished drawing the marks in the sand, the water rose from the lake, swirling around her ankles, the wind picked up and rain began to fall and through the mist that came down on the water she heard a terrifying voice ordering her to state her cravings and swear her loyalty.

  "I was so scared; I couldn’t believe that it was real. And then the air cleared, and the water erased the marks as if they were never there and in front of me stood Utopia. She gave me the amulet to protect me, to be able to remain in their presents without it hurting me. I was a fool." She admitted sadly.

  Casey stared at her for a moment longer and then she smirked.

  "No arguments there." She muttered and then she turned away from the lake, heading back to her brothers.

  ---

  "So which one of us is supposed to open this one?" Casey asked the others after she and May returned to her room. She decided on the way that she will not share her near burial by cockroaches and warned May not to say anything cuss she knew that her brothers will beat themselves up for it.

  'I'll just tell them when it's all over.' She decided to herself.

  ‘If I’m still alive.’

  "I think I am." May whispered almost inaudibly.

  "The hell you are." Casey growled, looking down at the box. It didn't matter to her that mere minutes ago the girl had rescued her from what would have been a gruesome death, she still half believed that May was the cause of it and she refused to trust her.

  "C'mon Casey, let her try." Colin encouraged.

  "Are you still taking her side you idiot? There is no way in hell that I am letting her near this!" Casey looked at her friends. "You first." She said stubbornly, offering the box to Colin to try but as expected all of his and then the others tries were utterly useless.

  "Casey. It might be our only chance. Let May try." Morgan said faintly after he too failed to open the lid of the silver oriented box.

  "Great. This is so fucking great." Casey mumbled, handing the box to May unwillingly. "Well?" She snapped at the frightened girl. "Do it already."

  May smiled almost apologetically and easily pulled open the lid of the silver box.

  Casey snatched the box away from May as soon as the lid popped open and grabbed the bluish shard that was inside without even a simple 'thank you'. She connected the little piece to the first one which they already had.

  The two little pieces glowed in a faint blue light as the two became instantly one, merging on their own in Casey's shaky hands.

  "What is the last riddle?" Jon and Morgan asked almost in unison.

  "One second." Casey said as she let out a little laugh and, handing the reattached pieces to Morgan she extracted the old scroll out of the box, unfolding it carefully as she did to the first one and reading out loud the words that spread over the second ancient note.

  "The color of rain, priceless possession, you need the tear but it is under protection."

  Casey paused.

  "Ok…" She reread the riddle. ”Yeah…No…I'm lost."

  "I'm not." Morgan chirped happily. "Hand me my bag." He said, pointing at its general direction by the table.

  Casey frowned but did as she was told anyway. She reached for the ratted bag and handed it over to Morgan with great confusion, searching the answers to Morgan’s weird actions in her brother’s gaze.

  Morgan groaned as he pulled himself up to a sitting position, pulling the bag over to himself and thoughtfully roaming through it.

  "Aha!" He declared triumphed as he pulled out one of Mrs. Kafka's little prized glass figurines.

  “Here.” Morgan smiled brightly as he presented it to Casey. "Transparent as rain and looks like a tear." He repeated the riddle, sounding utterly proud of himself.

  Casey's eyes widened in shock as she understood exactly what she was holding.

  “How did you….?” She looked up at Morgan. "Fuck Morgan! How did you get it?!"

  She demanded and Morgan smirked.

  "Well, I initially took it as a souvenir before she chased me, at the beginning of the year when I broke one, remember?"

  Colin laughed.

  "Now that's what I call 'dump luck'! Who ever knew that your kleptomania will come in handy?"

  “This is not kleptomania!” Morgan said, offended. “This is just settling the score with the old hag.”

  “And apparently saving all of our lives in the process.” Casey said almost to herself as she took the crystal from Morgan and examined it.

  “But why would Kafka have it though?” She shook her head. “What does she have to do with the apocalypse?”

  “Maybe she got it in the auction?” May suggested.

  “What auction?” Casey stared at her.

  “Of the last owners estate…You know…After he died. For charity reasons.”

  Casey shook her head, they were truly lucky.

  She looked back at the crystal statue, it really did look like a tear drop, semi round with a little tip at the top, it was quit pretty.

  ”It does seem to be what the riddle is talking about. “ She said carefully. “But how can a box be inside? “ She asked the others, frustrated. “It’s too small, isn’t it?"

  "I have a thought.” Morgan said, reaching for the crystal. “Hand it ov
er.”

  "Oh no. We are in trouble now, Morgan is thinking again.” Casey laughed, handing the crystal back to Morgan.

  "Funny."

  Morgan raised his hand and threw the tear drop on the floor, smashing it to a million pisses. ”Oh! Morgan!” Casey screamed but a mere second later the glass shard had vanished from the floor and in their place another silver box stood before them, it’s ruby sides almost glowing in the bedrooms semi dark light.

  "Good job buddy!" Colin cheered the really proud looking Morgan; he practically puffed his chest out with pride.

  ”Yes, yes, don’t let it go up to your head.” Casey said as she crouched down to pick up the box, her gaze seems somehow puzzled.

  “Casey?” Morgan asked, Casey looked in deep thought for a moment and then she turned to him.

  "It just accord to me…Don’t you think that it's a little weird that the riddles seemed to be written for us? Or really about us?" She asked no one in particular.

  "I mean, why would Utopia want us to be the ones with the power to find it? Let alone make us the ones meant to open the boxes…Really…Why would she make a weapon for us to use to destroy her? Why did she make the crystals?"

  "She didn't.” May piped up and all eyes were turned to her blushing slightly frightened face expression.

  ”What?” Casey asked.

  ”She didn't make them." May said more bluntly. "And she didn't make out the riddles ether. She stole them after she killed its previous guardian."

  "I knew it!" Casey declared triumph, glaring at May. "Why didn't you tell us that before?" May blushed. "I didn't know if I could trust you." Casey's mouth practically fell open.

  "You couldn't trust us?!" she let out outraged but before May could answer Jon stepped forward.

  "So who created them if not Utopia?" Jon asked, it was new information for him too, he never knew that there were natural enemies to the apocalypse but him and his siblings. And he didn't want Casey to kill May before he could get some answers.

  May shrugged.

  "No one really knows, they were created centuries ago and just like you were born into the prophesy you were meant to find them."