The Fractured Fallen (A Dark Fantasy Horror): The Edge of Reflection Book 4

by Carver Pike

  “Everything changed,” Oddity’s voice called out. “The one world was suddenly split into two…and the Lord had been let down.”

  Eve looked down and realized what she was doing with her hand. She looked at Adam, who had his head tilted back, enjoying himself. She yanked her hand away with disgust and stood up. She walked to the dark side and tried to reach through, but her hand hit solid air. Her knuckles rapped against what was now a wall of what looked like glass.

  The dark Eve was still riding the dark Adam on the other side, both of them laughing wickedly as they had sex with the ferocious wind howling around them. Eve stood only a few feet away, on the other side, watching with fascination. Her image reached out and slapped the glass, causing her to jump back.

  Gabe watched on as six jewels dropped from the sky. The jewels stopped a few feet from the ground, half on the dark side of the mirror and half on the normal side. The jewels glowed with a fiery intensity, making the dark version of Eve slide off of the dark Adam. They both stood, just like Adam and Eve on the other side, all four watching these bright, amazing jewels. One blue, one red, one yellow, one white, one green, and one black.

  “The Lord presented them with the six Jewels of Eden, created from the earth of the original garden. These would serve as the six keys that would bring the two worlds back together as one.” Oddity informed Gabe.

  As Gabe watched on, the good Adam reached out to touch one of the jewels, but as his fingers were within an inch of grasping it, the jewels rose up out of his reach and scattered, as if God’s hand had shaken them up like a handful of dice and tossed them out into the world. The red, yellow, and black jewels flew into the dark side, high into the air, out to parts unknown. The blue, white, and green were flung across the light side.

  Gabe’s eyes opened, and he was lying back on the floor. He shook himself from his stupor, and sat up to see Hawks in the same condition. Ayana and Tact were standing over them.

  “That was intense,” Gabe said, rubbing at his temples, where his headache seemed to have worsened.

  “Did you see what I saw?” Hawks asked.

  “You were both there, just in different space,” Oddity informed them. “You both saw it as it happened.”

  “The jewels were scattered throughout both worlds and only two people are meant to collect them,” Oddity informed them.

  “Vision and Vincent,” Gabe replied.

  Oddity nodded his head.

  “Exactly. Once the jewels are found and returned to the original location of the Garden of Eden, the world will be rejoined, reconnected, and all will either be good…or all will be evil.”

  “Depending on which of the boys finds them,” Hawks added.

  Oddity nodded.

  “So,” Ayana stepped in. “You’re a seer, right? Tell us, who will find them? Who will win?”

  Oddity sat back in his seat and laughed to himself.

  “My dear, there are some things that even I can’t see.”

  Chapter 15 - It's a Party, Y’all!

  Haylay sat on the hood of Hollis’ car watching the darkness fade. The sun hadn’t come up yet, but it was that time in between, when the black sky looked navy blue and it was only twenty minutes or so before the sun would make its appearance. He hadn’t had the chance to admire this time of morning. He’d had a short stint in the sun, right after its first appearance on the dark side, but he hadn’t had the opportunity to truly experience all phases of the new night, dawn, and dusk.

  At some point he’d have to head back to Hollis’ house. He wanted to say goodbye to Heather and make sure she knew that he hadn’t gone through with the killings. He needed her to understand that.

  Plus, it was important that she understand what Hollis might be going through when he returned. She might be able to help him settle down and not go completely insane. He could only imagine what Hollis had experienced on the other side. Hell, he’d be lucky if he even survived so long on the dark side.

  That’s when it hit Haylay that there was a chance he hadn’t survived at all. What if Hollis had been murdered on the other side by the army of road warriors that had been on his trail the night before he left? Or what if another one of those beasts attacked? What if he fell off a damned cliff and hit his head on some rocks? The thoughts came at Haylay like rapid fire.

  He was nervous and felt a strong desire to rush back to the dark side before it was too late. As much as he liked the lazy, happy, and carefree life on this side of the mirror, it wasn’t his home, and he could never leave Hollis stranded on the dark side.

  He felt extremely close to Heather in such a short time, but Gabe and Lisa were his real family. He needed to get back to them and help protect the two little ones. He wondered if they even knew about the army tracking them down. Maybe they’d somehow avoided them altogether, and if that were the case, he needed to get to them quickly and warn them before it was too late.

  Haylay hopped into the car, started it up, and sped down the street. He’d been waiting for a later hour when Hollis’ father would be long gone on his way to work, but he no longer cared if he ran into the crusty old bastard. Hollis would have to deal with him soon anyway, might as well be now.

  Haylay had learned a lot about the softer side of humanity, as much as one could learn in a couple of days, but law enforcement was something he hadn’t encountered. The red and blue flashing lights didn’t make him think to stop, but instead, reminded him of the wild street parties that often took place in the Slums of York. The colors flashing across the rearview mirror were like party lights.

  “Haaaaay!” he called out as he raised his right hand and twirled it around as he danced in his seat.

  “Pull the car over!” came the loud mechanical voice of the police officer behind him.

  “What the hell?” Haylay asked aloud, not expecting an answer.

  It took him a moment to pull the car to the side of the road. He hadn’t realized he was supposed to until the grouchy voice over the loud speaker insisted on it. In fact, he rarely drove a car at all on the dark side. For a very short time he’d driven a passway. That was a car used on the city streets to move people from one area to another. They had to pay you for the ride. Some drivers accepted goods, favors, or even coral. Haylay had always insisted on royce. He drove the passway for a few short months before someone smacked his head with a metal pipe and left him in an alley for dead. Somehow being a prostitute seemed safer, so he went back to walking the streets.

  Finally, Haylay realized that he was probably safe pulling the car over since it was rare, or rarer, that anyone would try to hurt him on this side of the mirror. A few seconds after he stopped, he heard a soft rap at his window. He rolled it down and looked up into the bright flashlight of a patrolman.

  “Where you goin’ in such a rush this early in the mornin’?” the patrolman asked.

  “Home,” Haylay replied.

  “Comin’ from a bar? Had a few drinks?”

  “No. Was waitin’ for the sun to come up,” Haylay said, proud of himself for controlling his usual bad attitude. “I got tired so I decided to go home.”

  “You was watchin’ the sun come up? Dressed like that?”

  Uh oh. Haylay sensed this was about to go downhill rather quickly. He had to think of something and fast. What would work on the dark side? Over there he’d probably just threaten the guy, or offer him somethin’ nasty. He wondered if the cop swung that way.

  “Ha,” Haylay laughed. “You ain’t gonna believe me when I tell you this, but I forgot I was even wearin’ this. I’m in a stage production downtown. You ever seen the show...” he racked his brain for something, and then remembered one of the posters on Hollis’ wall. “…Cabaret? I’m starring in that one and they have me wear this ridiculous getup. I got so used to wearin’ this thang that I just wear it home most of the time and change there.”

  The patrolman just stared at him for a moment.

  “Can I see your license and registration?”

&n
bsp; This was going to be another tricky situation. He didn’t have a license and he wasn’t even sure what registration was.

  “Of course,” he answered.

  He looked all around, trying to think where he might dig them up. He checked under his seat, under the seat next to him, in the glove compartment. There, there was the registration. He pulled out the piece of paper and handed it to the patrolman.

  “And your license?”

  Haylay shrugged his shoulders.

  “It’s really late. I had a rough night practicing for this stupid show and I left my license in my wallet in my jeans. Like I said, I just stormed out of there in this stupid outfit…”

  “You really expect me to buy this story? You look pretty darned comfortable in that flashy outfit and wig and…and breasts.”

  That was it. It was like a switch was flipped and the behaved Haylay was no longer able to contain the foul mouthed one.

  “You know what? Fuck you!” Haylay announced. “You got some motherfuckin’ nerve, arguin’ with me. If Miss Haylay tells you he left his fuckin’ license in his jeans, who you thank you is challenging? I oughtta kick your motherfuckin’ ass!”

  “Step out of the car, sir.”

  Haylay opened the door and stepped out, his mouth running the entire time.

  “You’re fuckin’ right I’m gonna step outta the car. I’m gonna step outta this car and shove my motherfuckin’ foot up your…”

  The blast of cold but amazingly hot liquid hit him right in the eyes, and it blinded him immediately. He tried to open his eyes, but it stung. It burned badly, and not only that, but he felt like he couldn’t breathe.

  “What the fuck did…why did…well, hell!” Haylay cried as he fell to his knees.

  He heard the growling and grunts and curses of the patrolman, but his face stung too badly to make out his words. He just knew that his hands were being cuffed behind him and he was extremely uncomfortable. He knew what this kind of treatment could lead to on the dark side of the mirror, but he had no idea what was coming in this strange world. This was the most violence he’d encountered so far. What was this world coming to? And boy, was Hollis’ preacher father going to be embarrassed about this one.

  As Haylay squinted his eyes, trying to fight the burn, he saw the blue jewel shining through the fabric of his pocket and he wondered how the hell he would manage to get home with it now.

  Chapter 16 - Didn’t See That One Coming

  Gabe sat on the couch while Oddity relaxed close by. He'd considered going to the guest room with Lisa and the boys, but knew he might wake them, and they needed their rest. They'd been through so much.

  He watched Hawks resting on the floor, his hands clasped together behind his head. Ayana rested against his chest, breathing softly in deep sleep.

  Gabe could feel the fatigue in his bones, like a dull ache, and his eyelids felt heavy, but memories of all that had come to pass kept him awake. He focused on the window and the sound of the rain slamming against it, just barely drowning out the sound of Tact's snoring from the opposite couch. Memories didn't seem to bother the prizefighter. Gabe leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

  "So, these jewels," he said. "How will we know how to find them?"

  It took a moment for Oddity to answer, so Gabe looked over to see if the strange seer was still awake. He was. He just seemed to be milling over the question.

  "One of them has already been found," Oddity finally replied.

  "Someone found one already? But who? Where?"

  "Gabe," Bronc suddenly said, stepping out of his room. "We need to talk.”

  He approached the couch and sat down.

  "Emma and I must go," he continued.

  "Go where?" Gabe asked.

  "Back to Sanctuary. Our home. This all too much for my Emma."

  He looked down into his lap, as if ashamed.

  "Bronc, the sacrifices you've made for me, for Lisa, and for my boys..."

  "I wish could stay, but Gabe, I almost lose her." Bronc looked up and his eyes were moist.

  Gabe had never seen the man in so much pain before.

  "I don't know what I do without her. She is everything."

  Gabe slapped him on the shoulder.

  "I understand."

  "You may go," Oddity said. "And I will see that you go with guards wherever you wish to go, but know this, if you go home, you will find only death and an empty village."

  "What do you mean?" Gabe asked.

  "Death?" Bronc asked.

  "Your Sanctuary has been destroyed by the soldiers of Colossus. You have met them, yes?"

  "The army that attacked the gypsy camp?" Gabe asked with a voice so loud he was surprised Tact hadn't jumped up from the couch.

  He didn't budge though. Hawks, however, did, and with him, Ayana. They sat up from their spots on the floor near the window.

  "I'm afraid to say that army destroyed everything and killed everyone," Oddity added.

  "Segundo and his family?" Bronc asked.

  "Twig?" Hawks asked.

  "Haylay?" Gabe added.

  "Everyone," Oddity said. "As far as I can see. The camp is lifeless."

  "Oh God, no." Gabe buried his face in his hands.

  "Our people," Bronc said in a muffled tone, as the world seemed to spin out of control.

  It was happening again. Gabe was leading everyone to their deaths. All for a cause he didn't understand. Why was it necessary for so much death to occur? Why?

  "I don't believe it," Hawks said. "We have to go back and see for ourselves."

  "I go back. With Emma," Bronc announced. "I see for self. If what he say true, I rebuild and make home again. Tomorrow we go. Let Emma rest tonight, then we go."

  Gabe didn't know what to say. How could he argue with the man? He wanted his friends close, but Bronc and Emma were good images trying to make decent lives for themselves. Who was he to shatter that dream? Gabe nodded his head and agreed.

  "I'm sorry," was all he could think to say.

  "Gabe, you should go be with Lisa. You need to rest," Ayana said. "At some point we will need to leave this place. And when we do, you'll need your strength. The sun will be coming up soon. Go be with your family."

  He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. Not with so many thoughts still plaguing him. Now, he had more to contend with. Visions of Twig and Tania holding hands, Segundo playing his guitar by the fire, and Haylay telling one of his crazy jokes and laughing out loud. These were the things that would prevent him from resting. If what Oddity said was true, he'd see none of them again.

  ***

  Lisa slept fitfully on a large bed, as horrible dreams tormented her. A black horse rode through Sanctuary, a faceless rider swinging a mace over his head, the spiked ball making a swooshing sound as it whipped through the air. The iron ball planted itself in Twig’s face and was ripped out with a sickening sound.

  "Mommy," a sweet voice said, floating through the shadows and smoke of her dream world.

  The mace swung around again, high above the faceless rider's head, and then smashed down into Tania’s back, who'd been trying to run away.

  "Mommy? Mommy, wake up." The voice cut through her dream and dragged her out of it, rescuing her.

  Lisa's eyes fluttered open and she realized it had been a dream.

  "Mommy?" she heard again.

  The voice had not been part of the dream. Lisa gasped, sat up, and rubbed at her eyes. She saw a small boy, standing at the window, his back to her, only his silhouette visible. The boy had to be around the age of six or seven.

  "I'm glad you woke up. You needed to see this," the boy said, his voice sweet and young, yet somehow old and wise at the same time.

  He turned to look at her, and she knew immediately that it was Vincent. His hair was long and jet black, hanging down just below his ears. His face was mostly covered by the shadows, and what she could see in the faint light made him look oddly wicked. He took a couple of steps closer to her. His skin was pale, his e
yes dark, his grin crooked. He wore a black tunic. Where he'd gotten the clothes she had no idea, but it, combined with his devious face, made her heart pound.

  "Don't let him scare you," came a second voice, this one softer and much more pleasant.

  She looked behind her to where Vision had been sleeping on the bed, and there he was, in the same spot she'd left him, but aged by six years or more. She fumbled around and found a small lamp on the bedside table. She switched it on and looked over at the son lying on the bed next to her. Vision stared up into her face with an angelic-like expression.