The Broken IV: Vengeance

by A. L. Frances

  Walking through the front door, she kicks off her boots and hurries up to her room. She places Honey inside her crib, dashes back to the door and locks it. Eve rests her head against the wood and slumps to the ground. She groans in utter shock and dismay.

  “She’s adorable,” Thomas says, leaning on the edge of the crib.

  “How can this be true?” Eve sobs.

  “I’m so sorry to have to be the one to tell you.”

  “Tell me. Tell me,” Eve says angrily. “Why didn’t you come to me sooner?”

  “I can’t just make myself seen. It takes time. It takes something drastic. The powers that be knew this was going too far. And then when we heard you second guessing your existence as soon as Honey was born and you became aware that she was pure in her entirety, we knew we had leverage to try and come forth with the truth.”

  “We?”

  “Yes, I am not alone. There is an abundance of spirits up there with me living through the command of God. But the we I’m particularly referring to is myself and our mother.”

  “We have a mother on the other side with you?”

  “Yes, unfortunately, we do.”

  “Why didn’t she come to my rescue?”

  “Too painful for her. She is broken-hearted, Eve. She came to you once during an entrapment, but it was too difficult for her to process and see you again. She wouldn’t have been able to complete the mission successfully. It’s all too raw for her. Whereas I only know you from afar, and you do not know me at all, so it felt more appropriate that this came from me and not our mother.”

  “I suppose that makes sense. Nothing else does, though. How can I be human, Thomas?”

  “You have been tricked, just like everyone else who lives within this house of evil and all the other homes you’re about to take over across the world.”

  “How can I not remember anything, though? Lewis remembers his mother. He just chooses not to discuss it.”

  “Lewis’s memory is enhanced by yours. Alice was your first trophy, so to speak, you were never going to forget her and so neither will he. You were the first to be taken. You have no recollection because she will never give that memory back to you. The Dark Empress is one of the most sadistic entities out there. And unluckily for you and our family, our fate was sealed the moment father bought mother the silver locket before we were born. Their first-born child was never going to belong to them. And she was always going to make sure they would only have one child.”

  As the words ‘silver locket’ radiate through Eve’s mind, she gets a swelling pain in her head. Curling up into a ball, Eve moans out loud. Images are flashing in her mind like a movie.

  A beautiful, glowing, woman is smiling and giggling as she’s swinging her round in the air on a beach. It’s a stunning, sunny day and the air is clear.

  This woman is familiar. She’s seen that smile before. Connecting the dots once more, Eve realises that she’s also from the pictures inside the bedroom from her dream.

  Positioned around the woman’s neck, shimmering away in all its glory in the sunlight, is a necklace with the silver locket dangling from it. As Eve looks back up at the woman from the images, she sees her mouth, “Mummy loves you, Evelyn Jade.”

  The flashback fades, only to be replaced by another.

  It’s the man who is claiming to be her father, Matthew Honey. He’s standing directly in front of her with a smile on his face. And although he might be smiling, Eve can see the sadness in his eyes as he’s cupping the locket which is now hanging around her neck. As he drops the delicate-looking silver heart, he quickly grabs her and holds her tight. He sobs in her ear, and Eve hears him whisper, “This belongs to you now.”

  Snapping out of her flashbacks, Eve begins to shiver from head to toe. Holding out her shaking hands and staring at them, she’s trying to work out what and who she is…

  “Eve, I’m sorry you had to find out like this, but father will soon be on his way for you and Honey, and if you don’t snap out of her control, he is going to die, and she’s going to take over, and that is not a good thing for any of you. Just think of all the innocent children in the world. Think of Honey. Do you really want this evil entity to possess this beautiful baby girl you love so dearly and have her absorb her innocence?”

  “Of course, I don’t,” Eve snaps. “Just give me a minute to process what you’ve just said.”

  “Eve…”

  Tucking her head into her lap, she says, “Please just stop speaking.”

  “Eve, we don’t have time. You must know now, and you must take action now! You must be told this information, or it could become too late. She has changed her plan and brought this forward. We don’t have time. The fate of the world lies with you and your father, Eve.”

  “Do you even hear yourself when you speak? Can you not process how huge this is? Really? You just expect me to jump up, clap my hands together and say, ‘Oh jolly good, let’s get started then?’”

  “No, not at all. I know how huge this is, but I have seen the world both ways, and I am certain the way where you find out and stop evil from taking over, is an outcome that you would prefer.”

  “So just tell me, then?”

  “I’m trying to tell you.” Thomas steps away from the crib and makes his way to Eve. Kneeling by her side he continues. “She is too powerful for our father to fight alone. She will kill him. We need you to help defeat her. We need you to work this from the inside for the mission to be successful.”

  “Not a chance, she’ll kill me in a heartbeat.”

  “Eve, you can do this. We know you can. We have seen you already. You are brave. The combination of you and father can end this but first a sacrifice has to be made. Eve, please, you have to do this, it’s the right thing to do.”

  “And what if I say no? Huh, what happens then?”

  “Then the world as we know it ceases to exist and father will join me and mother on the other side. He will be killed, as will Lewis’s father…

  “Well, that’s where you’re wrong because Lewis’s father’s already dead.”

  “No, he isn’t, sister dearest.”

  “Don’t call me that,” Eve says with a very stern expression. All this information is getting far too overwhelming, and she is losing her patience.

  “Look, I’m sorry, I know this is a lot to take in, but we just really don’t have much time left.” Looking Eve in the eye, he says, “Please, you must trust me. Lewis’s father, Phil, might be considered a disgrace, but he’s very much alive. He faked his own death. He was watching Alice and the children the whole time. He was even watching you and Jesse when you guys arrived. He was watching the house day and night, he just didn’t know how to come home. And as soon as he saw all the commotion at the house the night you persuaded Alice to hang herself, he came out of hiding.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “What will I get from lying, really?”

  Eve doesn’t have an answer to that question.

  “Phil, Lewis’s father, has been hunting this entity with our father for almost two years now. He was only a few steps behind you all at the orphanage. And this time you’ve been found again! Our father and Phil will be arriving soon, and they won’t be alone. Your friend, Sister Alannah, is alive and lives not far from you.”

  “Sister Alannah?”

  “Oh yes, she’s very much alive. Didn’t notice that one, did you, with all your mass destruction of death and kidnapping. She will soon be here, too.”

  “How did she—”

  “Look, Eve,” Thomas interrupts. “That isn’t what’s important right now. What is important is that the Dark Empress knows they’re coming. And she hasn’t told you for a reason. She has moved her plans forward and time is of the essence. She is going to strike in less than forty-eight hours. It all lies on you and father to take her down.”

 
“Wait… I… that’s just way too…”

  “Eve, don’t try and make sense of it.”

  “I don’t know if I can—”

  Eve jumps as someone attempts to pull the door handle to open the door. Then there’s a knock and Lewis’s voice bellows through the door, “Eve, are you in there?”

  “Just think about it. And quickly,” Thomas whispers as he disappears.

  “Eve, are you in there?”

  “Erm, yeah, sorry,” Eve says as she lifts her body from off the ground and composes herself to answer the door.

  As Eve unlocks it, she has a fake smile plastered across her face.

  “Why’s the door locked?” Lewis asks as he walks into the room.

  “Oh, nothing, I was just comforting Honey and didn’t want to be disturbed.”

  Looking at Eve, Lewis has an expression of confusion. “Are you okay?”

  Coughing to clear her throat, Eve swallows to hold back the tears. “Yeah, I’m all good. Why, what’s wrong?”

  “You just look like you’re about to cry at any minute. Are you sure everything’s okay?”

  The words are on the tip of her tongue, but she can’t spit them out. She wants to scream from the rooftop and tell Lewis that his father is alive! And not only that, but that she has a father too. She’s desperate to tell her husband that she is human and that they have a real shot at being a happy family together in a normal world. Her eyes are welling up with tears. And, that’s not even the best bit – their daughter’s soul will be saved, and they won’t be forced to hand her over to evil. Unable to speak the words, Eve’s torn inside. She has no clue how Lewis will react to the sacrifice they have to make in order to be free. Going against their loyalty to the Dark Empress seems so far-fetched. But, if that’s the sacrifice that has to be made in order to live a life of happiness with her little family, Eve knows what must be done. She must be defeated.

  “Hello…”

  Snapping out of her whirling thoughts, Eve zones back in and sees Lewis stood in front of her, waving his hands in her face.

  “Earth to Eve.”

  “Sorry. Yes,” she says in a fluster. “Yes. Erm, I just need to lie down.” Eve makes her way to the bed.

  A concerned looking Lewis joins her. “Come here. What’s wrong?”

  Feeling brave, she spits out, “What if all this is a lie?”

  Sighing, Lewis responds in a less than accommodating tone, “What now?”

  Quickly realising that the support of her husband is something she is not going to receive with this subject, Eve decides to shut her mouth. “Oh, nothing. Sorry, I’m just tired. Didn’t sleep much last night.”

  “Well, why don’t you nap now? I’ll watch over Honey,” Lewis says as he kisses her on her head and squeezes her tight.

  Judging from his knee-jerk reaction, Eve has decided she cannot tell Lewis anything. She must do this alone. He would freak out if he knew what she was up to, and she’s certain that Lewis would spill all if he was placed under pressure by Jezebel. To finally live the happy ending she so desperately craves, Eve realises that she must be strong for her family. She will just have to complete this mission alone.

  Chapter Twenty

  “They’ve Been Found.”

  “Matthew, Matthew, can you hear me? It’s Phil.”

  Phil’s distant voice echoes inside Matthew’s mind. Feeling as if he’s floating in outer space, he struggles to rouse himself. Alongside Phil’s voice, he can hear the beeping of machinery and various other voices mumbling in the background.

  “Phil,” he moans.

  “He’s waking up! He’s waking up!” Phil shouts.

  “Hello, Matthew, can you hear me?” says another voice with a strong accent.

  Matthew grunts.

  “Okay, Matthew, I’m Dr Mizrahi. You’ve been involved in an accident and you’re in the hospital.”

  Matthew desperately tries to open his eyes, but fails. He can’t summon the strength to speak, so he slowly moves his head from side to side in disbelief at the words he’s just heard. Surely, he’s dreaming.

  “Matthew, I need you to try and wake up for me.”

  Resisting against the heaviness of his eyelids, Matthew slowly opens his eyes. His sight is hazy, but he can see an extremely worried looking Phil standing right by his side. He manages to force a slight smile. At the bottom of the bed is a tall muscular man in a white jacket, whom he assumes is Dr Mizrahi. Matthew is covered in wires attached to various machines. He is overwhelmed by the number of bodies inside the room. There are nurses all over the place who appear to be working extremely hard.

  A petite blonde nurse with a clipboard appears and says, “His observations are stabilising, doctor.”

  “Fantastic. Matthew, you had us scared for a moment then. We thought we were going to lose you.”

  “Can’t get rid of you that easy, can we mate?” Phil jokes.

  Matthew laughs gently, then coughs as pain bolts through his chest.

  “Okay, just take it easy. You’ve got a slight fracture to your left ribcage, and you’ve inhaled a large amount of dust particles, which have lodged inside your lungs. Whilst you were under sedation, we have completed what we call a whole lung lavage. This is a procedure where we use a saline solution to wash out your lungs. We have attempted to remove as many of the particles as possible, and we’ve also given you some pain relief intravenously to ease the discomfort.”

  As he’s taking in Dr Mizrahi’s words, Matthew sees Hermon walking through the door with two polystyrene coffee cups in his hand.

  “Hermon, he’s awake!” Phil shouts enthusiastically.

  “Oh my goodness, Matthew, you’re awake,” says Hermon.

  “Okay, Matthew, we’re going to leave you alone for a little while now that you’re stable. I’ll be back shortly to check in on you.” Dr Mizrahi leaves the room, and the nurses follow, closing the door behind them.

  “The scroll,” Matthew says hoarsely.

  “We’ve got it, mate, don’t worry. It’s safe. Here, show him, Hermon.”

  “Yes, of course,” Hermon replies as he places the coffee cups down and retrieves his backpack. Taking the scroll out of his bag, Hermon flashes it to Matthew.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah.” Matthew pauses. “It tells us how to defeat her?”

  “Yes, I believe so. I haven’t worked it out just yet but from the gist of what I’ve seen… Here, look,” Hermon says as he points to the emblem engraved at the top. “This appears to be an important part of the puzzle.”

  “How?” Matthew asks.

  “Underneath it says Circum Vertere, which means ‘Turn Around’,” Hermon explains. “At first, I didn’t quite understand why this would be written there, but when I turned the scroll upside down, it’s clear. Your perception of the emblem changes. If you look now, you’ll see an eye shape, with a heart in the middle and a cross in the middle of that. I believe this is the key to defeating the Dark Empress. Gents, I think we need some sort of crucifix, and her heart has to be stabbed with it.”

  “What?” Phil shouts.

  “I mean, I have to take another look at it, but at first glance, this is my understanding of such a symbol,” Hermon says.

  “Well, you better get reading.” Looking to Matthew, Phil says, “Mate, I ain’t stabbing anyone’s heart. I’ll throw up, for sure.”

  Matthew rolls his eyes and a slight chuckle escapes. “Pussy.”

  “Aye, leave it out. I’ve got a weak stomach.”

  “Phil, it’s okay. I’m joking. You’re in the clear, I think I’m meant to do it.” He raises his head and glances around the room. “Where are my trousers?”

  “Oh, they’re here, mate.” Phil retrieves them from the chair and places them on Matthew’s lap.

  Matthew struggles to get to his
pocket without pulling the wires out of his hand.

  “Do you need a hand?”

  “No, I’ve got it, thanks.” Matthew holds the crucifix in his hand. “Will this one do?” he says to Hermon.

  Hermon jumps up from his seat. “Where did you get that from?”

  “A very dear Reverend gave it to me in my time of need a couple of years ago. He told me to hold onto it and that I would need it one day.” The memories come flooding back. He takes a deep breath and continues. “It’s funny you should suggest that as the way to defeat her as I vividly recall him mumbling to me about stabbing a heart or something with it.”

  “I don’t believe it,” Hermon says. “Look, the patterns on the emblem match the engravings on the crucifix. This is it. Oh my goodness, I can’t believe it. I can’t believe you’ve had that in your pocket this whole time.”

  “Holy crap,” Phil says, his eyes wide.

  “You and me both, lads.” Matthew coughs again. “Oh, consider it done. You put her in front of me and I’ll quite happily stab the ugly bitch in the heart.”

  “Braver than me, mate.”

  “So, is that it, then? I just have to stab her heart? I don’t have to chant any voodoo lifting curse?” Matthew says.

  Hermon looks down at the scroll. “I’m not sure, to be honest. I’ll have to read the rest to find that out.”

  “I can’t believe it. This whole time you’ve been walking around with that in your pocket,” Phil says.

  “I know,” Matthew replies.

  Phil huffs. “That’s just crazy.”

  As he lifts himself up, Matthew says, “Does anyone know where my phone is?”

  Phil passes it to him, and Matthew switches it on. Almost instantly he hears multiple bleeps. He scrolls through the notifications and sees a voicemail from Alannah. Pressing play, he puts the phone to his ear.

  “Matthew, I’ve found them! Call me, please, you have to call me.”