Desolace Omnibus Edition

by Lucian Barnes

  ***

  Hearing the sound of footsteps on the wooden planks outside, Edward raised his head slightly and looked toward the door. His jaw dropped open in disbelief. It can't be! This has to be a hallucination, or a mirage of some sort! In the dim light of the doorway he could make out Katie and an older woman in what appeared to be a nightgown. "Mother?"

  Cemetery Hill

  Chapter 1

  The blaring of an air horn as a semi blew past the driveway startled the Black Knight for a moment as he hid in the shadows of the forest near the road across the street from a rambling farmhouse. As he watched, a younger version of his once faithful servant, George, picked up a rolled paper from the grass.

  The young man mounted the steps of his porch and walked through the front door, allowing the screen to slam shut behind him. I need to find a way to convince him to come back to Desolace with me, but I don't want to frighten him away with my appearance. I need a disguise. He grinned, thoughtfully scratching his chin.

  As the Black Knight considered crossing the street to peer through a window to study the younger version of his wayward disciple, a small child burst through the front door, running into the yard. The screen swung open a few seconds later and an attractive, dark-haired woman stepped onto the porch. The child immediately dove into the tall grass as if playing hide-and-seek. "Cassie," the woman yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth. When the child didn't come out of hiding, the woman put her fingers to her lips and let out a shrill, ear-piercing whistle. "Come inside, Cassie. It's time for dinner!"

  Reluctantly, the small girl stood up. "Do I gotta? I wanna play for a little bit," she whined.

  "Well, if you want to go trick or treating when it gets dark you need to come inside and eat," her mother chided. As if she had uttered the magic words, Cassie skipped clumsily toward the house with a big grin on her face.

  "I really get to go this year?" she asked excitedly.

  Her mom laughed. "After dinner."

  "Yay!" Cassie quickly disappeared back into the house.

  "Make sure you wash your hands," the woman shouted after her.

  Tearing through the hallway downstairs, Cassie nearly plowed George over as he carried a plate of burgers from the kitchen to the dining room. "Whoa! Slow down," he scolded, barely managing to keep the tray of food from spilling all over the floor.

  ***

  Impatiently, the Black Knight waited at the edge of the forest across the street from the house, hoping with nightfall he would be able to get closer to the home without drawing attention to himself.

  As the sun sank behind the trees, casting long shadows across the lawn in front of the house, he began to hear the voices of small children heading his way. Shrinking back into the woods, he peered around the trunk of a maple to see a group of approximately ten kids, all wearing masks and costumes of one sort or another, stop at the end of George's driveway with pillowcases clutched in their hands.

  "That guy is creepy," one of the children dressed like a clown told the others. "I say we keep going."

  "Brady's a chicken, Brady's a chicken," a little girl wearing a fairy costume teased.

  "I wanna go up there and see if Cassie can come with us," another girl, painted up by her parents to look like a porcelain doll, pleaded.

  All of them except for Brady agreed with her, responding to the plea with an emphatic, "Let's get some candyyyy!"

  The girl in the fairy costume took one last look at Brady, who wasn't budging, and chased after her friends.

  Kicking at the gravel alongside the road, he looked at the kids who always seemed to tease him about one thing or another and silently wished something would happen to them. It would serve them right if that guy chopped them into tiny pieces and ate them. They are all poopheads anyway!

  "Brady," a voice whispered from somewhere nearby in the shadows.

  "Who ... who's there?" Brady whimpered, looking nervously around him and suddenly wishing he'd stayed with the other children. With no streetlights in the area, the only light came from the porch where all the other kids were clustered awaiting their treats.

  "Brady," the voice beckoned to him again, this time sounding closer.

  "D-d-don't come any closer," he stammered as his bladder let go, releasing a warm flood of urine down his leg. "I'll scream."

  "I don't think you'll have time for that," the Black Knight hissed, his hot, foul breath caressing the boy's face. He could hear the child's teeth chattering in fear as he reached out with one clawed hand, picking the boy up by his throat. Snapping his neck like it were nothing more than a twig, the Black Knight sunk his long teeth into Brady's throat as his head lolled to one side and drank his fill of the warm blood.

  Taking the costume off of the boy's limp body, the Black Knight set it aside before heaving the tiny corpse into the woods where he'd been hiding. Shrinking himself down to a suitable size, he donned the costume and approached the house, pretending to be Brady. By the time he made it to the steps leading onto the porch the other children were walking away. Giggles and whispers passed among them. "Look! The little chicken decided to grow a pair after all."

  Playing the part, the Black Knight watched the other children scamper off on their way to the next house, leaving who they thought to be Brady alone once again. Turning toward the screen door, he held out the pillowcase to the woman, seeing his target wandering down the hallway behind her.

  "Do you need to use the bathroom?" she inquired as politely as she could manage, wrinkling her nose at the smell of urine coming from the child.

  "Yes, please," the Black Knight replied, mimicking Brady's voice.

  Opening the door, the woman stepped aside. "It's right down the hall," she pointed. "George! Can you show this little boy where the bathroom is, please? I need to go upstairs and see if Cassie is ready."

  George poked his head back into the hallway to see the boy dressed as a clown walking toward him as his wife, Jen, disappeared up the stairs. "Right here, little man." He grinned, opening the door for the youngster.

  As the boy went inside, George waved a hand in front of his face then returned to the dining room to clear the dinner plates. Someone needs to give that kid a bath, he stinks! Bad!

  Just as he finished cleaning up the dishes, George heard footsteps on the staircase. Peeking his head around the corner he saw Jen and Cassie entering the hallway coming toward him.

  "Don't you look adorable?" He grinned, seeing his daughter in her princess costume carrying a small plastic pumpkin in one hand and a glittery wand in the other.

  "Are you gonna come too, Daddy?" Cassie ran to him and hugged George tightly, her bright blue eyes looking up at his face and pleading with him.

  "Sorry, honey. I have a lot of stuff to get done tonight," he apologized, giving her a fake, pouty face. He hated to make up excuses like that, but ever since he blew out his knee on a construction site his joints had given him grief every time the weather changed. Spring and fall always seemed to be the worst seasons for him.

  It was amazing how quickly children forgot disappointment. Cassie pecked him on the cheek and ran back down the hall to her mom. "I'm ready," she announced excitedly. "Let's go, let's go!"

  "We'll be back in a little bit," Jen hollered over her shoulder.

  "Bring me back some candy," he shouted at their backs as they walked through the door.

  Once they were gone, George looked curiously at the bathroom, wondering if the little boy was still in there. Walking over to the closed door, he knocked lightly. "Are you still in there, buddy?" Putting his ear to the wood, he couldn't hear any sound coming from the other side. Softly, he rapped again. "Are you okay? Do you need some help getting your costume back on?"

  When only silence greeted his questions, George decided to open the door. Turning the knob, it creaked loudly. As the panel swung open it revealed an empty room. Poking his head inside to make sure the boy wasn't hiding, he clicked off the light. I don't remember seeing him come out, he thought, scr
atching his head.

  Now that Jen and Cassie were gone, he wandered to the living room, which he considered to be his study, still pondering the disappearance of the young boy. Strolling over to the elaborate floor to ceiling bookshelf he had created during the summer before he met Jen, George reached for one of the books and tilted it backward. The panel slid to the side noiselessly, revealing a stone staircase he'd added during a flurry of home modifications intended to keep his dark side a secret from the outside world.

  Stepping into the space behind the bookcase, he flicked a switch on the wall to turn on the lights and send the shelf back to its original position. Jen would freak the fuck out if she knew about this place, he thought, grinning as he made his way to the basement.

  Arriving at the bottom of the stairs, he opened the heavy steel door in front of him, which he had installed to eliminate any sound from reaching other parts of the house. As he stepped onto the concrete floor of the secret chamber, he flipped the switch set into the wall, turning on a single, bare light bulb dangling from the ceiling.

  Muffled cries escaped the nude woman, chained in place to a ring bolted into the floor, who resembled a girl that had rejected him in high school as dim light filtered through her blindfold. Walking closer, George appraised her body by running his rough hands over her naked flesh, causing her bladder to release as she trembled in fear.

  "Don't worry, my dear," he whispered softly into her ear. "It will all be over soon."

  "George," a voice hissed from behind him.

  Startled, he spun around to locate the owner of the voice, angered that someone had dared violate his private place. "Who's there?" he shouted, not seeing anyone at first.

  "I have a special job for you." Stepping partially out of the darkened corner was a tall, shadowy shape wearing a clown mask on its face. It kind of resembled the rubber thing he'd seen the boy wearing earlier, but was different somehow, more elongated, as if it were stretched over a larger face.

  "That still doesn't tell me who you are!" he growled, his face growing hot as he quickly strode across the room as if he intended to kill the intruder for his trespass.

  When George got to within a few feet of the Black Knight, the eyes within the mask began to emanate a fierce, yellow glow. The face of the clown stretched further, and long, jagged teeth became visible through the mouth hole of the mask, causing George to freeze in terror. "What the fuck are you, man?"

  The Black Knight cackled with insane laughter. "If you decide to obey my will I could be your best friend," he cooed, "but if you defy me ... well, let's just say it wouldn't be a wise decision on your part."

  "Obey your will? What do you want from me?"

  "In time I will show you what your purpose will be, but for now you have to do something for me to show you will be loyal and do what I command." The Black Knight's eyes gleamed with new hope.

  "And what might that be?" George inquired nervously.

  "History has a way of repeating itself, does it not? You've done this before and for us to move forward you must do it again. Kill your family."

  Chapter 2

  Shaking his head as if he were trying to dispel an illusion, Edward glanced up at the female silhouette standing in the doorway. “Mother?” He couldn’t begin to comprehend why she would be here, provided it was truly her and not a hallucination of the most comforting image he could conjure up. The light of the dying fire outside gave off just enough light for him to see Katie’s shadowed figure standing next to the older woman.

  “Edward? Is that really you?” Her voice crackled unsteadily as she spoke. George drifted just beneath the surface of Victoria’s consciousness, allowing the woman to come forward, knowing it would make the exchange of pleasantries more believable. He didn’t give up complete control, however, paranoid that she would warn Edward of his intrusion.

  Sliding his chair backwards and attempting to stand, Edward wobbled like a drunk for a few seconds then crumpled to the floor in a heap before Katie could cross the room to help prevent his fall. His embarrassment was temporarily masked by the grimace of pain etched across his face as Edward looked up to see Katie rushing toward him.

  “Something isn’t right,” Brian announced, suddenly appearing in the doorway behind Victoria as Katie helped Edward to regain his feet. It was difficult to tell if there was any reaction at all to his announcement, the darkened interior of the inn masking the features of everyone inside. “Even though the threat of the tiny, demonic creatures seems to have passed, I can still sense something evil lurking very nearby,” he began again when no one responded to his first proclamation.

  Startled by the voice behind him, George turned Victoria’s head to regard Brian, trying to assess if the red-haired man was aware of his presence. Moving forward briefly to take control, unwilling to risk the old woman betraying him, George caused her body to tremble slightly to give the impression of fear when he locked eyes with the shaman. “What is wrong with your eyes, young man?” Waiting for Brian to respond, a shaky hand touched Victoria’s shoulder.

  “Don’t be alarmed, Mother,” Edward whispered reassuringly. “Though it may seem unusual, maybe even terrifying, his eyes glazing over like that is the closest thing we have to an early warning system. More often than not, it serves to alert us of potential danger.”

  Turning her head toward the sound of her son’s voice, she attempted a weak smile. Her quivering lips made it obvious that his words did nothing to soothe her fear. Seeing her son up close for the first time in a week didn’t help to quell her nervousness either. “You look like death,” she gasped.

  After everything he had been through today, Edward was surprised he had managed to survive. “I’ve had better days.” He chuckled, bending down to plant a kiss on her cheek. “If it weren’t for the amazing friends I have surrounded myself with, I may have perished in battle.”

  Following the brief conversation, her eyes flitting between Edward, his mother, and Brian, Katie began to get the vibe that something wasn’t as it should be. There appeared to be something just beyond her grasp going on, like an unformed word resting on the tip of her tongue. Suddenly, it came to her, like a blinking neon sign. “I hate to interrupt, but something is really bothering me and I need to ask.” Turning her penetrating gaze toward Victoria, Katie spoke her mind. “Why are you out here in no-man’s land instead of resting safely behind the castle walls of Elysia?”

  The question shocked Edward. In his delirious state, he hadn’t even considered why his mother was here. Briefly, he recalled a conversation with Jonas regarding his mom. The elder had been concerned about her mental health, citing incidences which occurred recently where Victoria hadn’t seemed to be herself. When the initial confusion passed, he turned back to face the old woman. “She has a point, Mother. You should be tucked away in your bed in the safety of the castle, not wandering through the countryside unescorted. The world outside of Elysia is a very dangerous place, and not someplace you should be traveling by yourself,” Edward scolded vehemently.

  “It’s safer outside the city,” Victoria retorted angrily. “After you left, legions of mechanical creatures assaulted Elysia. The town is nothing more than a gigantic pile of rubble now. Every person who called Elysia their home has fled to outlying areas.” Victoria paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before going on. “If I were to venture a guess, I would say at least half of them didn’t make it out of the city alive!”

  Katie’s tenuous grip on Edward wasn’t enough to keep him upright after his mother’s words struck home. He sank to the floor as if he had been sucker punched in the gut, his mouth gaping open in disbelief. After leaving Elysia and encountering the large force of cyborgs, Edward thought they had thwarted the impending attack on his home town. However, if what his mother said was true, there must have been a contingent that flanked them in the darkness. He didn’t want to think his opponent had outwitted him, but her words were evidence that his supposed victory a few nights ago had likely been nothing
more than a diversion. “I think I am going to be sick,” he mumbled sadly.

  Gathering her resolve, Katie wiped the tears from her eyes and crouched down beside Edward. Throwing her arms around him in what she hoped would be a comforting hug, she whispered in his ear, “I’m sure that nothing I say at this point will help to ease your pain, but you had to know something like this could happen. Why else would Jonas have summoned you back to Elysia and sent you on this mission?”

  Turning to face her, his own tears threatening to spill down his cheeks, he nodded. “You’re probably right. Jonas had a vision of the downfall of Elysia. I’m sure a combination of that vision, and the small incursion afterward, was what prompted him to summon me. I just don’t understand why he stayed behind if he knew it would mean his death.”

  “I’m sure he had his reasons, Edward. He was probably just trying to keep you focused on the mission, likely he knew you would be worried and distracted if he told you everything he saw in his vision.”

  Edward remained quiet for a moment, silently contemplating how much more he could endure. “I don’t think I should be the one to lead us anymore,” he blurted, his voice hitching with emotion.

  After his declaration, the entire inn seemed to gasp. “Have you lost your mind? There is no one better suited to the task,” Katie murmured, her crouched legs buckling beneath the enormity of Edward’s confession and causing her to sink to the floor completely.

  Turning Victoria’s head to the side, George grinned with delight. This is going to be like taking candy from a baby, he thought.