The Mark (Weeping Willow Book 2)

by Steven Evans

  I didn’t try to hide. Hell, these people wouldn’t have known the difference, anyway! I walked up to the first people I saw; they were inconsequential. Their only purpose was walking the street.

  I yelled, “Remember me?”

  Neither the man nor the woman turned their head to acknowledge me. I ran my hand down my leg and into my back pocket. They just kept walking. I reached out and grabbed the woman by her bonnet and yanked backwards. Her feet flew up, and as her heels shot past her chin, I swung the machete with all my might. She didn’t have a chance to even scream, but I saw the blade shining in her eyes.

  Damn! That felt good! A warm fuzzy feeling crawled up my spine and settled behind my ears. I was enjoying this! Now my attention turned to the man walking with her. He had been so shocked that he hadn’t tried to run. Even now, he was stuck motionless, not able to utter a single word. I could sense the energy building in my shoulders and moving down to my forearms. My grip on the crimson covered Alabama toothpick was tightening.

  “You’re one helluva man! You just stood there and watched as I made two pieces of your woman. Guess she was worthless in the sack, huh? Tell me why I should show you any mercy!”

  His mouth parted, and his lips tried to form a word, but before any sound escaped, my blade pierced his skull, splitting it in half. I watched eagerly as it slowly began to separate and slide haphazardly to the dirty street it had walked for so many centuries.

  As his body followed suit, I felt power-- a power I’d never known before. It was addicting, and I loved it! I wanted more and more…and MORE! I loved this feeling. Holding someone’s life in my hands, picking who would live and die…it was intoxicating! Now I just needed to figure out how to make Willow come stop me.

  There were two less dinner buffets Willow had to dine on, and yet she didn’t seem to care. She didn’t show up! So, I focused on the next target. I was determined to follow through with my plan. One way or the other, Willow would eventually have to interfere. Wouldn’t she? I mean, I was thinning out her herd of cattle, and that put a severe damper on her lifespan.

  You would expect everyone to run away, hysterically screaming and throwing their arms in the air, trying to draw attention to the machete wielding madman slicing and dicing his way through town. At least you’d think they’d be trying to warn the others, but, no, they just carried on like it was nothing.

  Nobodies… they were nobodies! I knew what I needed to do now. What time was it? Yes! I saw the ancient bitch now! She was unlocking the doors just like every day before. If Willow had no affection for the regular people of the town, maybe the death of someone who held a little higher stature might get her attention. Killing the person who guarded her Newbies might cause her to take notice.

  I wasn’t hiding or being quiet as I tromped my way up behind her.

  I yelled, “Gertrude!”

  As she turned, the sharp edge of steel met her neck. Her glasses stayed firmly on her face as her head fell heavily to the porch. It was like a bowling ball rolling down, hitting each step before resting on the ground. Her eyes were still frozen open, and the same strict glare was looking up at me. Blood was steadily squirting from the distinct hole left in her neck as I walked by and shoved the relic out of my way. With no time to react, the lifeless body gingerly fell to its knees and ended up lying by its freshly severed head.

  “Willow! Willow, come to me! I’ll slash your entire menu into oblivion! Willow! You bitch, come to me!”

  I stood there, as the blood dripped down my face, screaming for her to show up, but she never did. I must’ve been there for hours, and yet, she never came.

  Feeling defeated by her noncompliance to appear, I dropped the machete. I collapsed on the library steps and began to cry. When no more tears would leave my eyes, I stood to begin my way home. I looked down as I reached the bottom step and watched as Gertrude’s body and head just seemed to evaporate into nothingness. I ran down the street to my first victims, and the same thing happened as I reached them. They both disappeared.

  As I continued walking, I heard, “You thought they meant something to me! Hahaha! You are still pathetic! I must say, though, I’m impressed with your rage.”

  “I’ll show you impressed, you bitch! Stop hiding from me and show your face!”

  The wind picked up and nearly forced me to the other side of the road.

  “Why? Tell me why I should do as you demand!”

  “Because I’m the Alpha and Omega; it begins and ends with me!”

  “James has no clue what he speaks of. He means well, but then, you know what they say about good intentions!”

  “What did you do to him? What happened to James?”

  Again, the wind drove me to the other side of the road.

  “Hahaha! You believe you are my equal! That I somehow have to answer to you! Silly man, I answer to no one!”

  Trying to provoke her to react, I said, “Why hide from what you’re not afraid of? If you have nothing to fear, why draw this out any longer?”

  “Lover, how quickly you forget. Everything has a time and a place, and, well, it’s just not time for you to know yet!”

  I feverishly swung the machete around in the air, yelling and screaming like a banshee. I heard her laughing. The sound was maddening. Burrowing deep within my ears and clawing its way to my brain, her voice penetrated every piece of my being. I dropped to the ground, covering my ears and felt blood seep from my eyes.

  “See, Lover, you’re not ready! You should hone your skills a while longer. The student is definitely not ready to challenge the master.”

  Wallowing in the intense pain coursing through my body, I suddenly levitated to my feet and sent a glaring leer of indignation her way.

  My lips never moved as I said, “This student has no master!”

  She was visibly shaken by this turn of events. The utter look of confusion was etched on her withered face.

  She moaned, “No, this can’t be!”

  I sneered, “You smug bitch! You allowed me to murder innocent people! You didn’t think there’d be any repercussions from that? There is something you weren’t aware of: the power is in the blood, but the blood can’t discern between darkness and light.”

  Finally, I had shut the evil bitch up! She didn’t know whether to dissipate into the safety of her shadows, or to stay and try to figure out how this could’ve happened. I was floating there, laughing and mocking her inability to act. I knew this wouldn’t last long. I knew she would figure it out. Yet I couldn’t escape how much I enjoyed the small amount of power I now held over her.

  Suddenly, the air swirled and night fell. There was a slight mist falling from the sky, and nature itself seemed to release a huge sigh. Willow was gone again, but now she was nervous. I had confused her. I knew it was more than she had believed I would be able to figure out by this point. I guess she never counted on James giving full disclosure, but…damn, I could still feel the exhilaration of power flowing through my veins! She knew, and I now knew that I could fight back!

  Chapter Eighteen

  Willow Unhinged

  I awoke more refreshed than ever. I felt like a new man. I had matched wits with the all-powerful, all-evil, and all-knowing Willow, and she was afraid. She had tasted a sample of my rage, and it scared her! She was afraid of me! She hadn’t bargained for ‘The Mark’ to betray her, and now she had to rethink her strategy. While I knew this feeling of power wouldn’t last much longer, I couldn’t help but relish the moment.

  Days passed. I sat there on my couch waiting for Willow to respond. Anxiety eating me up, I wondered if I’d made a mistake. I mean, James had said that it wasn’t time for the answers, and even though I had been grateful for his help, he had warned me not to confront the people. He had been right about everything so far, but I couldn’t just let Willow play out her little game.

  Anxiety soon became fear, and that fear led to paranoia. I was pacing the floors, constantly stepping out onto the porch, and almost longing
for her to appear. I wanted this to end, however that end had to happen. I needed it to be over once and for all. I guess in the back of my mind, I knew… I just knew… that I had to make this end!

  Days turned into weeks, and there was still no sign of Willow. Should I take a chance and venture back into town? Or, should I just wait? Why don’t the people know what’s going on around them? Where is James? Where do the bodies go when they vanish? Am I losing my mind? There were too many questions, and I had answers to none of them.

  There was never silence in my head. It was always full of questions and of things I couldn’t begin to understand. The voices wouldn’t leave me alone! I swear, I heard them all whispering at times, and at other times there was so much commotion that I couldn’t think straight. There was a constant pain wreaking havoc on my soul… could it be the remnants of good being purged from my system? Had I lost my humanity when I decided to take those lives in town? Had the mark actually begun to shine brighter when I entered the darkness of her level? When I gave in to the rage and stood up to her, had I given her what she wanted? I fear… that was an end I would have to face before this all came to an end.

  I was lying there in bed, squirming around and trying to get comfortable, when a thick, heavy, and musky fog filled the room. I knew it was her, but I was paralyzed. My body screamed to move, but I couldn’t react. Only my eyes remained active. As an icy breeze gently kissed my cheek, I wondered which form of Willow was visiting.

  “Lover…oh, Lover! Did you miss me?”

  The more I tried to answer, the more tightly clenched my jaws became.

  “Did you really think your transgressions would go unpunished? Did you really believe I hadn’t seen this before you ever contemplated your actions?”

  I struggled to move, but to no avail. I somehow flopped off the bed.

  “Oh, Lover, don’t harm your sweet little self. That’s my job. Hahaha! Let me help you!”

  She glided through the air and hovered directly above me. With a flick of her wrist, I was able to talk.

  “I knew you’d be here. I scared you before, and you didn’t have an answer.”

  As she wiggled her finger, I was thrown across the room. Crashing into the wall and falling like a sack of potatoes hurled to the floor, my thoughts returned to our first encounter. How she always wanted me to change places with her and how she needed me to take blame in their deaths. “Lover, there’s no need to think of them. They can’t help you. That little bitch of yours is long gone! It’s only you and me now.”

  “I don’t need any help for you! I have the power now!”

  She smirked, “You have the power? Then why are you the one flying across the room? Why am I the one in charge? If you have the power, then why are you still at my mercy?”

  Her eyes methodically blinked, and we were instantly on the porch.

  “Remember how this porch once served as one of your epic failures, when you were attempting to find answers that you weren’t ready for yet?”

  “You say failure; I say learning experience.”

  “You must enjoy your lessons. I think it’s time for another one, don’t you?”

  “You bitch! I can handle whatever you throw at me!”

  “We’ll see,” she snickered. “It’s time!”

  She had me by the throat, and was slinging me from one post to the other. I heard bones cracking and popping each time my body landed. Her desire to make me suffer was remarkable. She released me, and I fell helplessly to the floor. As I lay there, I hoped she’d had enough fun and would stop. But I soon realized that her delight was just beginning.

  I was hurled through the railing onto the ground. I knew that blood was leaking from every orifice and piece of ripped flesh in my battered body. Mockingly, she stood over me.

  “Not feeling the power now, are you, Lover?”

  I couldn’t respond, and that only amplified her laughter.

  “I said no one from town could harm you, but I am the town! I am your god! You will bow down to me!”

  “Never…” I managed to moan. “I will never give in to you!”

  “Oh, but, Lover, this time I’m not asking! This time I’m just helping myself!”

  Indignantly, I yelled, “Then get it over with, you demon bitch!”

  “When I am ready! Everything has a time and a place. Now I’m just going to enjoy watching you writhe in agony, trying to be strong and denying your heart’s desire to cry out to me, and I’m going to watch as your life force abandons you. Your soul is mine! I placed upon you my mark, and we are connected forever. You can never be rid of me unless I deem it so!”

  My ribs were caving in under her constant stomping. I could feel the fractures as they formed and spread and then transformed into full blown breaks. I was gagging on the metallic taste that was filling my mouth and running into my lungs.

  She tenderly kissed my lips and said, “That’s it, Lover, rely on their memories. Draw on the strength your families’ memories still retain. When you feel strong enough, just nod, and I’ll release you to defend yourself…unless, you just want to quit now!”

  I couldn’t be sure if my head was actually moving or not, but all my concentration was focused on shaking it ‘no’. The pleasure she received from torturing me was replenishing her strength. The more she kicked, the more the mark on my chest weakly flickered. The connection was strongest when she held power over me.

  I laid there trying to bolster up my strength and regain some semblance of life. All the while, in the back of my mind, I was praying that my daughter would hear my silent pleas and come to my rescue once again. I knew that her light had been used up when she saved me before, but if evil could regain strength, then why couldn’t good? Why couldn’t my daughter?

  Willow, noticing my recent resurgence in attitude, doled out a shoulder block, and I was sent head first into the tree. I nearly lost consciousness, but she wasn’t ready for that to happen. After I’d had a few rapid face to face meetings with the thick trunk of the weeping willow, she tossed me toward the water.

  I flew head over heels, landing at the water’s edge. No chance to breathe, Willow was on top of me, forcing my head into the dirt and clay bank. My ears were filled with her sadistic laughing as I sensed the cool liquid nearing my face.

  “Trial number… oh, Hell, it doesn’t matter! You will experience all my tears! You will know firsthand my betrayal! You will taste my love!”

  Her words soaked the inside of my head as the cold spring entered my mouth. Little frozen glass-like shards were piercing the tender and sensitive meat inside the walls of my throat as I coughed and tried to spit the water out. I was too weak to fight, too weak to even try.

  “How does it taste, my love?” she whispered softly. “Still think you have the power? The power’s in the blood, and, well, right now the blood is abandoning you. You are as pathetic as you ever were! Only this time, Daddy’s Little Angel can’t help you! No one can help you!”

  She dragged me further into the deepest part of the spring. Her laughter filled the night air and was carried throughout the countryside.

  “You can’t save me! You couldn’t save your family! You won’t save yourself! Your only choice, your only way out, is giving in to the pain. Allow the pain to guide you, and release your spirit to me. Are you ready to play nice, my love?”

  My head was freely bobbing up and down with the ripples cascading clear to the banks on each side of the spring. Willow plunged it deeper and deeper in the water. I could feel my life floating away from me, and as I sank beneath the waters that were now murky from my head being used as a plunger, I knew she was no longer playing her game. She had suddenly become serious about my agony. Then I remembered James’ words. He had said that I was the beginning and the end. The power was in the blood. He had said that nothing here was real: “it is, but it isn’t.” That weird kid had been leading me in the right direction the whole time, and I just never saw it. He was now serving as my saving grace, though his sou
l was already damned. He had always been helping me. He had been leading me to the proper path. He had known that I wasn’t quite ready, but he hadn’t been allowed to come clean.

  All I remember was my head sinking below the surface of the water. I could feel the cool daggers sticking inside my mouth, causing a burning sensation with each new forced gulp. I knew Willow never stopped her demented cackling, but somehow I ended up back in my bed.

  I was deathly afraid that these events would happen each night until Willow grew tired of playing with her food. What more could she have in store for me?

  Chapter Nineteen

  Soul Food and Heartburn

  They had said that she disappeared when the storms rolled away. If they were right, I should have plenty of time to figure out my next move. So far, James had been dead-on with everything he told me. I needed to find him. I needed to know if he was alright. I owed him that much!

  James had tried to help me, and look where it had gotten him! Willow snatched him up, and his simple ways vanished into the night. Was she merely preventing him from disclosing secrets she didn’t want revealed, or was she feeding on him? Or could that simple-minded buffoon be the source of her power?

  The storms had slumbered off to rest before exacting its final round of violence on this incapacitated town. Weeks had passed and Willow had remained absent. Was she really gone? The mark hadn’t whined; there had been no chatter resonating from my chest, and the low-grade glow had subsided. She must be gone! I would feel her if she were close, wouldn’t I?

  The madness I had tapped into had grown mute. The intense satisfaction delivered with each blow of the machete had already lost its luster. The power, stolen from their blood, now drained from my body and left me exhausted. I felt like an addict needing a fix, but my drug was death. Yet I knew that if Willow was to be defeated, I must gouge that needle clear to my bone marrow and suck that delicious energy dry.