by Paul Simpson
Chapter 5
1645 AD - Hell’s Welcome
Jodie walked alone through the woods at night, the full moon her only companion on the hunt. Dressed in modern clothes with a change of hair colour, she wore them as a disguise in much the same way a superhero would in a comic, to give a sense of empowerment and also to protect her identity. It also served as a comfort to her as a reminder of the life she clung to and so dearly wanted back. Holding the revolver she had brought with her from the future, she powered it up in preparation of the encounter she could feel approaching.
With a snap of a twig, Jodie’s senses went wild. Over the years of being in the village, her powers had developed and she had even picked up a few new tricks in the process. A rustle of twigs and leaves surrounded her as the prey became the hunter, or so it thought.
Jodie waited and listened in the silence. Light fled the forest as a large cloud rolled over the moon, dropping her into darkness. Slowly, she stepped forward in her search, her breath was the loudest noise to be heard as she surveyed the twisted, crooked trees that bore down on her with clawed-fingered branches as if ready to strike. With another rustle, she quickly spun round as a low thud of running feet sped past the nearby trees.
The wind now carried away the cloud cover, bringing back the shafts of moonlight through the trees, causing Jodie to look up at the large moon overhead. With an angry snarl, the figure of a werewolf crashed through the trees behind her within feet of where she was standing in the light. Jodie gave a gentle swing of her arm and lifted the revolver behind her not even looking back and fired a blast between the eyes of the creature. With a thud the creature dropped dead to the floor.
Jodie looked back at the beast and cast another spell in her free hand. A green ball of flame hovered in her hand and she threw it at the creature’s carcass, engulfing it in the magic heat as it disposed of the body, except for a small mark upon the ground where it had lain. With the forest safe again, Jodie headed back to the village where she was met by another creature she wished she could get rid of, Jack.
Jodie drew her gun on Jack. He was dangerous and as she had come to realise the cause for all the supernatural happenings around the village was thanks to the mansion he had built. He and it were a magnet for all things not entirely human.
“Isn’t it time you did us all a favour and die?” She questioned.
Jack leered at Jodie. “You have been a thorn in my side since you arrived, WITCH, but not for much longer. I have already sent for a means to rid myself of you. I did wonder if you could be of use to me alive but it seems like death will be the least troublesome method.”
Jodie shrugged off his comment. “Why wait? We’re both here.”
Jack’s face changed to anger. “Indeed so, then why not?” He lurched forward with a bolt of energy erupting from his hand toward Jodie, who ducked down low to avoid it. Rolling to the side to regain her balance, Jodie retaliated with several blasts from the revolver. One of the shots skimmed past Jack’s arm, grazing his skin. Jack winced in pain as he ran straight toward Jodie, drawing back his long, spindly arm, ready to strike at her.
“What’s the matter, Jack? You lacking in the magic department?” She fired off a few more shots at her target. Jack dodged the volley thanks to his rather skeletal torso.
“As you will see, witch, I have enough in me to take you down!” He stomped heavily on the floor, causing the ground to shake in a loud rumble, knocking Jodie off balance as he drew closer. Jodie struggled to get her footing but kept calm under the situation, moving in time to avoid the blow from Jack as he punched the ground where she lay. With a roll across the grass Jodie turned ready to take aim, only to be hit by another strike from Jack, which knocked the weapon from her hand.
Jack smiled. “Let’s see how well you do without it, shall we?” He continued to punch out at Jodie as she did all she could to make her way over to the gun lying in the grass. Jack could see what she was up to and moved between them, blocking her path to the weapon. Jodie turned and ran back toward the tree line. As she ran, she pressed against each tree, infusing energy into the trunks causing them to glow. Jack followed after her, thinking he had the upper hand as he pursued her. Jodie ran full circle and stood at the centre of the glowing tree line as Jack approached.
“What a nice trick you have there. All this light makes it easier to find you!” He smiled as he broke off a large branch from a tree and held it ready as a club to attack her with.
“Maybe so,” came the reply, “but that’s not what it’s for.” She concentrated as Jack turned in horror to see each of the trees beginning to explode. Jodie protected herself in a shield of magic as the splinters of wood flew through the air into the centre of the circle, covering Jack. As the air cleared, Jodie lowered her guard to see if Jack was still standing and to her horror he was right in front of her. His bony knuckles fell upon her face, sending her flying to the floor. Jodie once again got to her feet and began to run back to the clearing in search of the gun. Jack walked on behind her, his body covered in splinters and scratches. As he went after her, he fell to the floor in pain thanks to a larger splint sticking through his thigh.
Pulling it out with a cackling scream, Jack rose up from the floor and staggered after her again. He reached the open field, only to see nothing. He quickly searched to his left and right to try and find Jodie’s hiding place screaming, “WHERE ARE YOU? COME OUT AND FIGHT ME!”
Jack’s expression dropped as he heard the rustle of feet on grass stop behind him. In a whisper he heard, “I’m right behind you!”
Jack turned to see Jodie holding the gun at him again as she struggled to catch her breath. Before he could even speak a word, the blast echoed out across the surrounding area. Jack looked down at the bleeding hole in his chest and stumbled slightly to keep upright. Jodie just stared at him, covered in dirt and bloody scratches. As the anger at what she had done grew within him, he lashed out with his fist, smacking Jodie across her face and knocking her to one side. This gave him the chance to make his escape into the dark veil of the night, as his words surrounded her.
“He’s coming for you, witch. The General will finish you and it will be me who returns to dance upon your grave and your family’s bones.” Jack clenched his rotten teeth in pain as he mustered the last of the stolen power he had acquired from the devil in his many dealings, to cover the wound in an attempt to heal himself.
Jack staggered back to his mansion in the village, his wounds from the fight had left his body beyond any help. After all these years there was no doubt in his mind that this would be the night he finally died.
With a bang of the front door, he entered the building, his silhouette striking and sharp within the dark doorway, with the moonlight behind him. His power had all but faded as he slid past the front door, his hand streaking blood across the wooden surface from holding his wound. With weakened legs he made his way upstairs and into his room. With a click of his fingers, the fireplace ignited, giving the room a glow of burning like hell’s gates opening up to greet him.
Jack lay on his bed, his breath catching shorter as each moment passed.
“Hello my friend,” he wheezed into the darkness, “don’t be shy after all this time, step into the light so that I might see that smile upon your face.”
From the shadows a cloaked ghostly figure approached, its yellow eyes upon Jack’s withered body as it stood and waited for Jack to die. Jack clenched at his wound until the pain passed like a wave through his body. He turned again to look at the figure, pointing his bony finger toward it.
“You! You set this up, didn’t you? You couldn’t take me yourself unless I died so you brought her here, didn’t you? You brought that witch here to finish me off once and for all. Clever, very clever, my friend.
What’s the matter? Nothing to say for yourself or have you learned to keep your mouth shut, save that I ask you for one last request, ha ha ha?” The figure stood over Jack, unresponsive to his words a
s little by little Jack succumbed to his wounds and finally died.
Meanwhile, heeding Jack’s words, Jodie had made her way back to the water mill and was scrambling around looking for something, the light from her necklace illuminating the entire room so she could see.
“Finally, found one.” Jodie picked up a box and made her way out of the mill in a hurry, with a wave of her hand the door slammed shut behind her and locked itself. Covered in dirt and blood she made her way over the bridge toward the standing stones on the hillside. Now was the time to make her own anchor out of her own hell, whenever that might be, but she wasn’t going to take Jack’s word lightly.
Under the cover of night she slipped an item of her choosing into the box to be her anchor as she reached the pillar of stones. Using her magic she peeled back the layers of grass and dirt at the centre of the circle, and placed the mysterious box within the earth. Covering it back up again, Jodie pressed her hands to the floor and infused it with her power. The energy from her flowed across the floor, starting at her hands and moving slowly outward, killing the grass and plants it touched as it travelled to the standing stones' edges. There it stopped at the base of each pillar before the light faded and died, leaving her at the mercy of the night’s encompassing darkness.
Standing at the centre of the stone circle, Jodie lit her way with the necklace’s glow and looked at the ground. Nothing grew there anymore, it had all died. Slowly, she lifted her head to see further along the hillside; the home where her family would be waiting for her. Ffion would be sleeping and it looked like John had lit a fire as the windows and chimney smoke were lit up in a red glow, the ash and embers rising up the chimney like glittery orange sparkles in the night air, as the heat and light breeze carried them away. Jodie felt a wave of calm wash over her and magically changed her clothes and hair back to blend in with the history she lived within. With the welcoming sight of her home before her, she made her way back into the loving arms of her family.
From the darkness, two glowing yellow specks like eyes watched her walk off and the low murmur of a voice spoke to her subconscious on the breeze of the wind.
“Thank you, witch, for all your help. In return I will grant one gift to your family, but that is for another time. Until then I have a new tenant I wish to torment.”
If the shadow could have been seen at that point, he would have been smiling as he faded off into the cover of night.