by Andy Tilley
‘It’s time Ruby, time to leave all this behind.’
‘But I don’t want to die Cristian. Can’t I stay here with Rose?’
‘You’re not going to die Ruby, only leave this place. Come with me and we’ll go to find her together. I promise.’
So much more is expressed and felt in this short exchange that by the time these words have gone no doubt lingers. With a trusting smile Ruby Steven’s finally let’s go of her torrid life and joins me. I am swelled by her, my energy amplified to the point of bursting this bubble! Not at her expense though for she is not devoured, merely collected. Ruby’s entity endures and as I leave this human vessel behind I no longer feel like the murderer that I once believed I would become. Rapunzel is finally rescued from her tower.
Chapter 30
It’s been eight hours since Thomas Chevalier watched Cristian ascend. Consumed by grief and guilt then, Thomas hadn’t the fortitude or composure to acknowledge his son’s triumph or for that matter the hand which was laid reassuringly on his shoulder as Cristian had walked to join Keltz at the boat. Thomas regrets this deeply, this missed opportunity to reaffirm his promise, but the sun is finally rising and its distant glow lightens his mood, blesses him with the hope that a new day often brings to the hopeless. He will remember this night as being the longest and saddest of his life. It’s the second day of December 2010, the day after Thomas Chevalier traded his son for a box of blue eyes. Never has such a self-assured man been so unsure of what he’s done. Were it not for the comforting wisdom of his daughter this distraught father might still be slumped at the base of the lighthouse, thrashing himself with remorse. It was she who reminded him to send the text that would bring them a boat to take them home. It was she who stumbled around alone, slowly packing away her things for over an hour before dad finally picked himself up enough to help. It was she that silently reminded him he still has a daughter to care for.
It’s been six hours since May’s body was discarded. Thomas hated May for such a long time during the years whilst the silkie inhabited her that he’d forgotten how much he had once loved his sister in law. Empty and dead, that husk of May was more than enough to remind him of his loss, one so heartfelt that Thomas wept constantly as he bundled and bent her body into a cloth sack. When finally loaded with May and ballasting pebbles he had been in too much of a hurry to unburden himself, dragging the bag to the sea, unaware that the hasty knot he had tied would fail twice on the way across the rocks; the first time releasing a scrawny grey hand, the second an errant elbow that scraped across barnacles until it bled. The words he spat at the sea as he rolled her corpse into the surf were sharp and expressed only his sorrow for what had happened and his pledge to avenge her.
It’s been three hours since Thomas collected the eyes. Years spent training under the supervision of Dr Hill had prepared Chevalier to execute this clinical yet gruesome procedure perfectly and without thinking. In fact, so many pig heads had been bought by Hill and practiced on over the years that, unbeknown to the doctor, he had earned himself a nickname in Hartford. Kermit the farmers called him, a jibe raucously blurted out one night in the Black Swan when Billy Cartwright, snorting beer through his nose, recounted how Hill gets more pig head from his farm than Kermit does from Miss Piggy. But neither Hill nor Chevalier are muppets and their hours of practice paid off, the student expertly applying his skills when called upon; popping eyeballs, severing optic nerves, plopping his prize into saline filled Tupperware. That had been the easy part, the bit Thomas had been ready for. He had not been ready however, for the sick thud a heavy corpse makes as it slaps on flat rock fifty feet below. That was only once he had struggled to lever it over the handrail of the lighthouse balcony of course. Truth is, and as abhorrent as this act was to him, Ruby’s dead weight had been simply too much for one tired, middle aged man to hump back down the spiral. The seagulls had been glad of their chance though, flocking to scrape a meal whilst Chevalier had dallied during his descent. But at least Ruby was with May now and ultimately that was all that mattered.
It’s been fifteen minutes since the boat left Sule Skerry.
‘When will we be at the laboratory daddy? Tonight?’
‘Well no actually. I thought that we deserved something a bit special after all this time so I’ve arranged for us to stay in a hotel tonight princess. What do you think about that eh? Nice warm bath and as much coke as you can drink’
‘Oh that will be brilliant! But will my eyes be okay?’
‘Absolutely fine. Jeremy says that there’s no real hurry, as long as we get them to him within a few days. They are lovely aren’t they but I think I should look after them now for a while.’
There’s something a little too discomforting about watching his daughter caress Ruby’s eyes through the transparent plastic like this. He’s even noticed her shaking them gently occasionally to try and spin them in their suspension, as if to get a better look so to speak. No, not pleasant at all and so dad decides that enough is enough.
‘Give them to me now Christine and you can go and have a rest down the stairs. Just over there behind you, there’s little door under where the captain is standing. Six steps and the last one is a little bigger than the others so take care now and don’t rush. I think there’s some milk in the fridge too.’
Thomas accepts the container from Christine and can’t help smiling as she waves goodbye to the grisly orbs before turning to do as she’s been told. He watches as her probing hands lead her to the hatch and holds his breath as her foot searches for the first step. Once this is found and taken she descends confidently. When his daughter’s head is safely tucked away through the door Chevalier returns his attention to the back of the boat and continues to watch the lighthouse dissolving into a thickening fog. He’s concentrating hard, willing that accusing structure to take with it into the mist the secrets that it’s witnessed. He’s concentrating so hard that he doesn’t notice a circle of ripples on the sea where a small brown mound has surfaced and began tracking the boat. Although close by and well within his line of sight, Chevalier’s focused stare is oblivious to the fierce red eyes that are sliding out of black water there. Too late Chevalier sees the teeth, launched high above the guard rail, ripping into his hands and tearing the plastic container from them. The strike leaves Chevalier hardly enough time to breath never mind protest and as quickly as it raided the seal is gone, leaving it’s victim open mouthed and staring at the water. Staring at the exact spot where the animal submerged, understanding immediately who did this and hoping beyond hope that Setantii’s sharp fangs will slip their grip.
‘Drop it drop it drop it you bastard!’
Over and over he repeats his desperate mantra until incredibly it’s answered and the container reappears. Thomas punches the air but his moment of elation lasts no longer than the adrenalin pumped to his arm for the container isn’t bobbing freely. Held high, taunting him from the slicing jaws of a seal, the box’s ragged form is torn and empty of those precious eyes. The box stays there only long enough for Setantii to be certain that her enemy has seen it.
‘Damn you Setantii! We had a deal you double crossing…’
Thomas’s accusation is cut short as it boomerangs and knocks the venom from his belly for he knows that he too intended to break their decade long pact. Gripping the handrail tightly he screams at the sea then drops to his knees with head lowered. Grief, denial, acceptance all completed in a flash and now anger reaches in and grabs the phone from his jacket pocket.
‘How the hell did you know eh?’
Mumbling this question to himself he scrolls through his address book and is about to hit the call button when he notices the unread texts from Hill. Once opened the fog lifts.
‘Oh John, how the hell could you do this to us? It would have worked out fine if only you’d just have trusted me. Oh you bloody fool John!’
In the time it takes for a new text window to load Chevalier has formulated his next move. What had five minutes ago b
een a trap poised to spring has now become a deadly game of chess and so he must prepare, set the pieces in place even if he isn’t fully certain about how he will eventually use them. What he does feel in his gut though is this; that previously a pawn, somehow Rose is now queen. Never one to ignore his instincts, Thomas taps his instructions to Hill. That done and it’s time to set his defence. They are a long way from the lab, too far to dash and simply pray that Setantii won’t find them (for she surely will). No, he needs to make a measured retreat if Christine is to be kept safe and for that he will need help. Taking a deep, anxious breath Thomas calls the only person on the planet who understands the danger that lies ahead for him and his daughter. Mercifully, two rings are all it takes for the phone to be answered.
‘Thank god you picked up. Yes, I’m fine thanks, for the moment at least but listen, Setantii knows everything and Christine and I are in big trouble. I’m going to need your help.’
Chapter 31
‘But you can’t be absolutely certain that it’s been inside his head can you? I mean, any one of us could have a tumour couldn’t we? Come on Jeremy, you’re the bloody doctor! You should know all this shit. Damn it! Don’t you think you’re jumping to conclusions here?’
The agitated man sat on the end of my bed (on my foot actually you flabby sod!) is definitely Tom and he’s beginning to babble on a bit. I‘ve been listening to him clutch at this particular straw for over five minutes now and yet still he’s refusing to accept what Dr Hill is telling him. What that is exactly, I’m not quite sure because I missed the start of the conversation. I think I was asleep when they came in. Imagine that, me in a coma, in bed all day and still napping! Weird. Anyway, I think the general point is that whatever plan they had hatched last time they were at my bedside has gone out of the window. Something to do with Uncle John spilling the beans? Frankly I find this a little hard to believe. Admittedly, I didn’t know him all that well but he was unmistakably warm and genuine and gave me the impression that he could be trusted. And let’s face it, when it came down to it, he was the only one who stepped in to be my hero! I‘ll kind of miss him visiting, keeping an eye on me every so often and checking that my diamond eyes are still in place. But beggars can’t be choosers and having Tom and Jeremy here is still a huge comfort. Ahhhh, finally my foot is released. Just wish I could wiggle it a bit to reset my toes. So frustrating this, having the sensations slowly dribble back into my extremities but still not able to move a bloody muscle! Oooh, now there’s a nice noise, sharp and tinkling. I think someone’s just thrown his toys out of the pram and kicked my wash bowl over.
‘Oh well that’s just bloody marvellous Tom! How the hell is that going to help? Kicking Sleeping Beauties piss pot across the room!’
Hey, that isn’t wee! Is it? Oh, you know I think it might be. The nurse is pretty diligent about…., well let’s just say she likes to drain me regularly. My god how embarrassing! I never thought I’d be glad of being in a coma but god forbid I should wake before that stinky mess has been mopped up. Imagine! Opening my eyes slowly for the first time. Sitting up and smiling prettily, stretching elegantly, inviting the world to welcome me back, tears of joy as they rush to hold me then Doctor Jeremy Hill slipping, rolling about in a pool of my piss. Yep, even if I could come round right now I think I’d probably fake my coma for a little while longer. Still, he did call me Sleeping Beauty which is kind of nice.
‘I know, I know. Look I’m sorry, but it’s just so, so….oh I don’t know Jeremy, I guess when it all boils down to it, that friggin’ silkie just scares the hell out of me. Pass me a handful of that paper towel would you?’
The dispensing mechanism next to my head is rattling as Hill takes a bundle of paper from it. My head is rattling too. I hate that word and the thing that calls itself by it. I’ve had it close enough to me to know that Tom should indeed be scared. We all should be. My dark just got a whole lot darker.
‘But if you think about it Tom, and assuming the worst here, even if the silkie does know everything about Chevalier’s plan, the one thing that it doesn’t know is that we know it knows, if you get my meaning? Under the chair there, you’ve missed a bit.’
‘What, so you’re thinking that we could still have the element of surprise if we handle things right yeah? Hey, and here’s another thought! Let’s suppose that it did know we were plotting to kill it, save the Chevalier kids and all that. Surely it would have tried to protect itself by now wouldn’t it? How long did you say John had the cancer, twelve months at least? Plenty of time for it to try and take us down wouldn’t you say? Yeah, thinking about this again, maybe it doesn’t know a bloody thing about us after all.’
Oh people, please! Not all this denial crap again. Wake up! Of course it knows about you. But does that mean it feels threatened by a fat copper and a dodgy doctor? I’d say about as much as you’re threatened by the fluff in your chubby little belly button Tom. That’s all you are to it, fluff! This thing is ancient and evil. It has the knowledge of a million devoured souls and you think it’s going to stop what it’s doing, put its own master plan at risk and bother it’s primordial ass with a lump of blue fluff? Uh uh boys, think again. It knows about you, trust me and it probably has you pencilled in for some special soul sucking attention right after it’s finished doing whatever it’s busy doing at the moment. No lads, sorry to tell you this but I‘m afraid you’re doomed.
‘Well about time too.’
‘What? Is that a text from Thomas?’
‘It is yes. But it isn’t good news. I was right, the silkie is on to us. He wants us to get underground as soon as possible and wait for him there.’
Well, I’m not one to say I told you so, but I bloody well did! Having my knights in shining armour turned into marked men by a single text like this is not cool. In fact, far from being a comfort now these two are definitely a liability, and a lethal one at that. That thing could be looking for them now! And imagine if it found them here, with me, unfinished business that I am. No no, this is definitely crap!
‘So come on then! What the hell we waiting for?’
Exactly! What the hell are you waiting for! Go on, run. Run as fast and as far away from me as your fat little legs will carry you!
‘Okay Tom, now don’t panic. There’s something else he needs us to do first. A slight change of plan. You go and find a wheel chair and I’ll go and sort the paper work out.’
‘What? You can’t be bloody serious! He wants us to….’
‘Exactly. We’ve to take Rose down to the lab tonight and start to get things ready. He’ll meet us there as soon as he can.’
Oh well that’s just bloody marvellous!
Chapter 32
‘My name is Kingdom and you need not fear me.’
Keltz doesn’t look impressed. He’s not even trying to hide his disappointment either; patting the seat, beckoning me to join him back on the bench. Once I’m sat down he shuffles closer, still stinking of stale whisky from the train journey to Blackpool. Why here to this brazen hussy of a town I have no idea but I do know that I have to pull back a little as his face contorts in search of tact.
‘I like the name, really I do but somehow it feels kind of weird in this context. Thing is it’s all still a bit, oh I don’t know, stiff don’t you think? Sure, it would have been fine maybe a hundred years ago but now-a-days, well people just don’t talk like that do they? Unless you’re going for Prince Charles that is but hey, as we discussed, stay away from those high profile heads remember. Go on, have another go, but drop the Kingdom bit and all the pretentious crap this time yeah?’
Keltz leans back and returns his elbows to the top rung of the bench, hanging them loosely over it. This is my cue to stand and take my position again on the path in front of him. To be honest I’m getting more confused by every attempt and I’m not all together happy at being told to drop my silkie name. Kingdom was suggested and talked about a lot on the boat and we’d agreed how good it was then so what’s the problem all of a s
udden? We’ve been at this for almost thirty minutes now, sat in the park practicing my introduction (or the ‘Booh!’ as silkies affectionately call it). Keltz says that it’s the most critical point in any feeding session, that moment when the occupied mind first realises that something alien has entered it and questions what’s happening. The Booh! can either settle or panic and if panic sets in then Keltz reckons it’s a terrible experience for everyone. I suppose I should try something at the other end of the spectrum, perhaps something a bit more street and see how that works.