Unveiled: The Chronicles of Luxor Everstone

by Jacklyn Daher

  “Kitty, aren’t you a surprise?” Luxor nuzzled its fur. “Why are you here?” Kitty licked her cheek and meowed.

  Luxor started her way home when a shuffling caught her attention. Across the Village Bowl Hunter's silhouette glided away in the shadows, bypassing meeting any lights.

  Luxor’s trusty intuition screamed he was up to no good. She paced back and forth and constructed a plan to find out answers, and deliberated on whether she should go through with it. Either she would have confirmation which proved Hunter was wicked, or she wouldn’t feel uneasy about enjoying the sensations she had whenever he was around.

  Luxor travelled alongside rows of shops, and past graffiti which covered the entire expanse of walls and windows. Joined alongside was a fierce montage of vibrant red flames with the numbers six six six and the signal of Baphomet, a five-pointed star. Emblazoned in blood red, and bold lettering was the main attraction, a quote.

  Come, let us choose wives, from among the children of men and beget us children

  Luxor kept herself three shops behind, not daring to lose sight of him. Following Hunter like a spy was a stupid thing to do, but the need for answers overrode any rationale. It was one thing to find answers, and another to swallow a stupidity pill and venture into a darkened alley. The further she followed him, the harder it was to see. After passing a few shops, he disappeared out of sight, and she had no clue where he could have gone.

  What am I doing? He is driving me insane.

  The first shop she noticed was The Blazin’ Bakery. The sign on the door indicated it was closed, but right now that didn’t mean anything. Intuition told Luxor this bakery held secrets. And it had nothing to do with the recipes of the delectable sweets. She twisted the glossy, bronze embossed handle, and flung her hand off immediately. A sharp, indentation had been pressed onto her palm. When she peered in close, she noticed the letters GEN 6:4.

  Luxor winced and bit her lip to smother a yelp. She rubbed her palm and was about to turn around when a smidge of light turned on. She tiptoed back, cupped her hands, and pressed her nose against the glass under the spray paint on the window.

  Crouched down, Hunter skimmed the bottom of the register. Luxor didn’t realise how close her face was until a flashlight shone in her direction. She ducked down flat against the pavement. Her heart thumped and caught in her throat. There was only one logical thing to do.

  Bolt the hell out of there.

  Luxor entered the pathway to the creek on high alert and had her eyes peeled, wanting nothing more than to run to get out of the open. The only problem was that attention would be on her, and as much as it scared her, slow and steady would have to win this warped race.

  The warmth provided no reprieve. The hairs at the back of her neck stood up, while in her arms Kitty squirmed, begging to be released. She held on tighter, the last thing she needed was to chase the damn kitten.

  The creek was still, and she could just make out the pathway, as no lights illuminated her journey. The moon glittered off the stream and it would have been beautiful if not for the nervousness in the pit of her stomach. A heavy darkness set inside her; cold and chilling. She lurched as a cramp formed, followed by a fiery knife-like stab her hip. She clawed at the birthmark until skin flakes lodged under her fingernails.

  It only meant one thing. She wasn't alone.

  From her vantage point, two trails lead to the bridge, spread out in a giant Y. Instead of choosing the shorter path where she would have to cross the bridge, she chose the longer route. Up ahead against a eucalyptus tree nearest the bridge, a shadow loomed ahead preventing her from passing. As usual, her instinct proved her right.

  Luxor cursed under her breath for walking all alone, she wanted to turn around and head back to the Village. Except it was too late. She halted when noticed the entrance had been blocked by an identical shadow, their breathing course and harsh. Running past would have been the easiest solution, but she wasn't stupid enough to approach anything, especially in the dark. She was trapped in a void of darkness.

  No, no, no

  The shadow closed the distance, its eyes fixated on Luxor, their outlines gave no clues. Were they male or female? Young or old? Or any distinct characteristics she could remember if she was jumped and somehow escaped. Her imagination ran away, envisioning the outcome. They would catch her, tie her up, torture her, and feed on her blood.

  Okay Luxor, no more vampire shows for you.

  Her heart pounded loudly in her chest and she pressed a hand to subdue the erratic beats. Quickly glancing around to see if anybody was nearby, she surveyed the surroundings. It had come to a standstill. No wind from the trees, the stream was idling along, even the traffic from the Village had been muted. All she needed was the slightest movement from the shadows, and their gender would be revealed which would be handy in identifying them to the police.

  All entrances and exits were blocked off leading to only one option. To go under. The grassy slope that led down to the stream was not steep. Less than ten metres Luxor estimated.

  Instead of concentrating on getting home safely, Luxor's thoughts flickered to Hunter and his ability to confuse and scramble her mind. His assumptions about who she truly was set her nerves on edge, and scared her, as it highlighted the fact that the truth indeed hurt. When she thought he was about to kiss her the butterflies in her stomach stirred up, fluttering as if doused in caffeine. Relief swept over her when he backed off, only for the nervousness to return when he brought her coffee, and borrowed the book. But when he called her babe, she fumed.

  He was certifiably insufferable.

  Why was there an urge to be near him? Electricity surged through each fibre of her being, sparking a flame which had been long extinguished.

  Would he really follow me home?

  Luxor neared the halfway mark and reached the middle of the embankment, and by now her hip was ablaze to the point where it crippled her. Synchronized whistling came from the right. She raised her head and noticed another shadow. She was completely surrounded and going under would mean she would have to wade as far as she could until she lost them. The shadow closest to her crossed its arms across its chest and chuckled low and deep.

  Luxor cursed and clutched onto the book tighter and focused ahead careful not to make eye contact that would expose her fear. “What are you supposed to be?”

  The shadow tilted his chin up, a flash of red projecting from underneath its hood and waved the others over.

  “Cool trick Hunter, you can tell your posse to back down,” her voice quivered. “You know what? Your jerkiness has been severely ramped up, cut it out!” she bellowed and moved closer. She refused to be intimidated, especially after how his stint in the library.

  “Oh, little girl, how naïve you are,” the shadow said in a dark and sinister tone.

  Luxor froze mid-step and scuttled back. Part of her wanted to believe Hunter was playing an elaborate prank by using a voice changer and concealing himself, but even she wasn’t that naïve. In a few strides, she would be squished between four with nowhere to run. The deathly quiet exposed the bubbling water underneath. An opportunity arose even though it wasn’t ideal, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

  The others chuckled, the boom boom of their steel cap boots pounding against the wood before jumping onto the pavement. The shadow on the other side leaped right across the embankment and joined the other one, slinking closer in a uniformed order.

  Her focus sharpened as her pupils enlarged, brightening up the creek and exposing the shadows. Dirty and ratty clothes covered the lank frames of the shadows, their limbs equating to those of a human. Pale faces tinged with grey resembled death. But their eyes. Blood infused and lifeless.

  Luxor shuddered, their true faces being one out of nightmares. Left with no other choice, she hugged the book to create a stronger barrier and she barrelled forth. The shadows stilled and exchanged glances, providing time for Luxor to squeeze on but the contact of their arms paralysed he
r and she almost dropped the book. She hurried over the bridge and focused on getting home. When she was almost at the half-way mark two pairs of boots boomed and blocked the bridge. One of the shadows had done a repeat performance and regained its position.

  “What do you want?” Luxor said, her heart thrashing behind her ribs.

  The shadows snickered. “We’re having fun,” one of them said.

  “Go play a board game.”

  “Not as fun,” the other replied. “We can’t hurt you.”

  Luxor eyed them both. They kept a respectable distance intent of providing fear. “I call bullshit.” She straddled the bannister and held on with her back faced. She didn’t have a clue how deep or shallow the water was or if rocks littered underneath. She could very likely snap her legs in half. Crouching down she was on the verge of removing her hands from the bannister when a harrowing howl came from the side. Just as she turned her head, she noticed the two shadows rolling on the ground, seemingly being attacked by a barely visible force. Orange mixed with red beams of light. She squinted and teetered on the edge but before she could get to a safe ground, she toppled forwards into the creek with a splash.

  “Watch your back little girl, we’ll always be watching,” the shadow spewed out before evaporating.

  Luxor crawled to the edge on her knees, with the book raised above her head to keep it safe, wincing as sharp rocks grazed her knees. Reaching up she dug her nails into the riverbed and unsteadily attempted to move upwards. Her shoulder burned from doing it one handed. Losing her footing, she slid back down into the stream at a rapid rate desperately grasping onto sticks and mud and landing halfway down the slope.

  “God-damnit,” she swore under her breath.

  Luxor attempted again with a fierce determination, careful not to grab onto less than stable sticks. It worked and she was able to climb onto the pavement with minimal effort.

  She travelled blind, the stars no longer supplying any source of light only guided by the silhouette of the decrepit barn. Arriving at the door she fumbled for her keys, frantically trying to find the correct one to open. With each wrong key, her anxiety level rose. The keys slipped out of Luxor's hands, her palms clammy and hot. On her hands and knees, she ran her fingers around the concrete floor.

  Where are they?

  The idea of knocking on the door entered her mind but she quickly abolished it. For all she knew Meredith was dead to the world after a long day, and presumed she was in bed already.

  Luxor's fingers roamed around the bush beside the door until she found a metal ring and pulled them out of the dirt. With a quick prayer, she turned the key and said a silent thank you as a click sounded. Slow and steady she tiptoed inside, her main aim to not bump into anything.

  Luxor didn't have to worry.

  A light flickered on, and Meredith was at the table, a deep scowl across her face.

  I'm totally screwed

  "Where have you been?" Meredith's tone was flat, as she rose from the kitchen table to flick the switch on the kettle. Her back was turned against Luxor, tapping away on the bench. The only time she was like that was when she had an organised speech.

  Luxor dumped her backpack by the door and the borrowed book on the table and slumped back in the chair. She cocked her head back and covering her palms across her face, and braced for what was to come.

  And it wouldn’t be pretty.

  Meredith appeared frazzled, her hair unruly, and the green nurse's uniform, now crumpled with brown patches and splatters.

  Meredith placed a tea in front of herself, and a hot chocolate for Luxor.

  Oh, no it's a long speech.

  “I know you said I had to come straight home but—”

  Meredith raised her hand and ordered her to be silent, apparent she was clearly not interested in an explanation. She furrowed her brows and pinched the bridge of her nose. "First day here and again you've decided to disobey my orders. What else do I have to do so you'll get the message?" Her hands reddened from the heat of the mug, mirroring her face. Her eyes squinted shut, the worry lines more evident.

  "I wouldn't have disobeyed your orders if I could have called you. Oh, wait a minute, you've barred my phone!" Luxor knew she could have called but the unsurety of Meredith’s reaction held her back.

  Luxor dragged back her chair, all she wanted was to go up to her room and not deal with this right now. Today was the most horrendous day she had ever experienced, and it wasn't going to end.

  "Sit down now," Meredith barked out, a far cry from her impassiveness. "You just don't get it, do you? I'm trying my hardest and time after time you prove to me, I can't trust you."

  "It was for a good reason. I was at the library, see?" Luxor pushed the book forward. "I have to do a family tree. Can you help with that?" There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice but she didn't care. This time she wasn't in the wrong.

  “Yes, because libraries have you looking like you’ve had a mud bath.” Meredith picked up the book silently flipped through the first few pages, then returned it to the table. "Do you want me to talk to your teacher to get an exemption?" She reverted to her monotone voice, twisting the wedding band she refused to remove.

  “No,” Luxor said, pouring the contents of the mug down the sink. She needed answers, not for it to be swept under the carpet, never to be dealt with. "I'll figure something out. But you can help."

  She stopped twisting her wedding ring. Luxor had her attention now. "How?"

  "Tell me about her," Luxor asked with desperation. Meredith rubbed her temples as if she regretted asking the question. "Please." She begged, watching Meredith's lips. She anticipated an answer, anything would be better than a no.

  "Ellie—"

  "Please stop calling me that, that's not my name," she pleaded.

  Every time she called her that name, it was a slap of betrayal. How could the only name Luxor knew feel like an arrow piercing her heart, before being twisted, and re-inserted? The repulsion was strong to the point where bile rose in her mouth.

  "You will always be my Ellie." Her eyes softened but remained on her wedding band, continuing to twist as if she was trying to remove it.

  Is it my imagination or does she sound sincere?

  "I was never, and will never be yours," Luxor spat.

  Meredith's face strained and her lips pinched together.

  Luxor instantly regretted her tone, and despite being the truth, better tact could have been used.

  "Luxor, please I'm tired."

  And there it was the answer Luxor always received. They had this exact conversation over and over again, and each time she hoped she'd give her a sliver of what her mother was like.

  "Forget about it. Like I said I will figure it out." Luxor managed a few steps to the stairs before looking over her shoulder. "You're never going to tell me about her, are you?"

  Meredith padded over to the sink, and as still as a statue, stared out in the darkness.

  It was clear Luxor wasn't going to get any answers, it was up to her alone to find out the truth. Exhaustion had well and truly taken over and she didn't have the strength to pursue the conversation any longer. With the last ounce of energy, she carried her legs up to her room, the weight of them feeling like she had just run a marathon.

  A multitude of emotions overcame Luxor as the grief crippled her and she collapsed into bed, not caring that she was caked in mud. Burying her face into the pillow, she unleashed a torrent as the dams broke, and howled with tears for the first time since the accident.

  Buzz

  Buzz

  Buzz

  The alarm clock jolted Luxor awake and her eyes flashed open. Before her ribs her heart palpitated wildly, as if a stampede of raging bulls trampled over her chest at the sight of a red flag.

  Luxor hardly slept a wink as she and tossed and turned in the chair in a chair. She had set the telescope up on the balcony to spot any oncoming lurkers, and had wedged a knife blade down ways into the side of the chair. Too petrified
to have a shower to rid herself of the dirt and grime, she dressed straight into her pyjamas despite her disgust.

  After what happened in the paddock, the slightest noise—creaking on the floorboards, and the whistling of the winds as the tree branches scrapped against the window—kept her on edge.

  Luxor shuddered at the memory of the shadows as many questions entered the forefront of her fragile mind. Who were those shadows guarding the bridge? How did they disappear into thin air? Were the shadows a figment of my imagination?

  Luxor yawned loudly, groaned, and buried her head underneath the pillow. She contemplated spending the rest of eternity under the blanket. Her first day in and already she would have to watch her step, and all because of a certain busty brunette.

  Even worse was witnessing Hunter breaking into the Blazin’ Bakery. Stealing confirmed he was dangerous, not that she didn’t sense it beforehand anyway. For a fleeting second, she contemplated calling the police surely, they considered breaking and entering as well as theft a high priority crime that would result in jail time. It would be a civic duty to protect others. But Luxor held back. She had an urge to get not get involved and let karma serve him right without her assistance. But she couldn’t. His downfall would lay heavily on her mind and she didn’t have the energy for guilt.

  Adding to her insomnia was the accumulations of her nightmares and past, causing an an asteroid sized boulder to weigh on her brain.

  New visions within her nightmare had extended longer, haunting her weakened mind as the hooded man exposed more of the environment. Scorching petals of lilies burnt the souls of her feet, and numerous times she almost slipped on mushy apples as she tried to escape.

  Once again, the hooded man uttered no words, as he circled the forest, leaving a downfall of crisp and blackened leaves, while the ground became covered in blood and ashes. This time there was an outline, its posture always wore one of superiority, chin up and cloaked from head to toe in a buttoned up black, floor-length cape. An aura of death oozed from him, but an ethereal light shone from behind and created a halo effect, encapsulating his very existence.