by Amy Cross
She swallows hard. "Does it have to be someone I've met before?"
"I don't think so," I say. "The way I was told the story, all the ghosts fight among themselves, and the strongest gets to speak to you. Well, not the strongest necessarily, but the one who's most important to you". I smile. "It's said that in the old days, the vampire leaders would go to the room in order to speak to their predecessors. But really, Abigail, you must forget I said anything. There must be a good reason for Diana to keep that room hidden away from guests. I get the impression that she and Patrick were most keen to ensure you didn't learn about any of this. I should never have opened my big mouth".
Abigail stares at the window for a moment. "Is it possible that Sophie would be there?" she asks.
"It's possible," I reply, feeling the trap closing around my poor, doomed sister. I've found the one thing she wants, and I'm using it to lure her to her death.
"Show me," she says.
"Show you?"
"Show me the room," she says, her voice quivering slightly.
"Goodness, no!" I reply, acting as if it's the most astonishing suggestion in the world. I have to put up a fight, to resist for a while. "I could never do that! Diana has always told me never, ever to go near that room unless -"
"You've disobeyed Diana before," Abigail replies, interrupting me.
"And look how that ended," I say. "No, I can't possibly do it. If she caught us, she'd be so angry".
"Show me".
I shake my head.
"Gwendoline, please! If you're right about that room, it might be the only chance I ever get to speak to..." She pauses. "Please, at least tell me how to get there. Just show me the way, and I'll go alone".
I take a deep breath. As I expected, Abigail's desperation to see her mother's ghost is leading her to make foolish choices. She should know better than to trust me, but I've found the one thing that causes her passions to override her mind. "I don't know," I say, checking again that Diana is nowhere nearby. "There are no guarantees, Abigail. You can't know for certain whose ghost you'll see. It might be -"
"There's only one person it could be," she says firmly. "There's only one person who's ever died who means that much to me. It has to be my mother".
"You might not like what she says," I warn her. "You mustn't blame me if she says cruel things to you. I've heard rumors that the ghosts can be bitter at times, and angry".
"I need to see her," Abigail says, standing up. "If you won't show me, I'll go and find it myself".
"No!" I say. "I'll show you. I just need you to promise that you'll never, ever tell Diana that I've even told you of the room's existence. Promise me that".
"I promise".
Reaching out and taking her hand, I lead her away from the window. "We must be quick," I say. "If one of the maids sees us, she'll tell Diana and it'll be all over. She'll lock me in my room until you're gone. If there's -" Suddenly I hear voices ahead of us, and I pull Abigail to one side. Footsteps pass by in the next room. Fortunately, it's just two of the maids hurrying to the dining room. "Wait," I whisper to Abigail, my heart pounding as I listen to the maids getting further and further away. "Okay, come with me," I hiss, once again leading Abigail by the hand. I take her through the billiards room and around to one of the smaller sets of stairs.
"How long do I get to be in the room?" she asks as we run up, taking two steps at a time.
"Just a few minutes," I say. "The longer you wait, the more likely it'll be that Diana will start wondering where we are. I hope you appreciate the risk I'm taking for you". We run along one of the corridors; as soon as I see the door up ahead, I stop and turn to Abigail. "I have to ask you one more time," I say. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
She nods. There's clearly no doubt in her mind at all.
"And you do this willingly?" I continue. "You're not being pressured or forced in any way?"
"I have to see her," she says. For a moment, it's almost as if there are tears in her eyes. She must have longed to meet her mother all her life and now - finally - she's just moments away from the moment of truth. That's what she thinks, anyway.
"Follow me," I say, leading her along the corridor until we reach the door at the far end. She immediately reaches out for the handle, but I pull her arm away. "There are rules," I say. "You must follow them carefully, do you understand?" I pause for a moment. "You mustn't stay too long in there, or you're liable to get us both caught. Also, you mustn't anger the ghost. And finally..." I take her hands in mine. "And finally, dearest Abigail, you must try not to let your heart be broken. I know you've waited so long to meet your mother. This is a moment of destiny for both of you, I'm quite sure, but you mustn't be upset if you're met instead by another ghost".
"It has to be her," she replies. "I can..." There are definitely tears in her eyes now. "I can sense her. She's close".
For a moment, I almost feel sorry for poor dear Abigail. She's so certain that this is the moment she'll meet Sophie, she's managed to trick herself into believing that she can feel her mother's spirit close by. Again, a vampire would never be so easily fooled, but humans are capable of deceiving themselves with remarkable vehemence. She might have many qualities of a vampire, but at heart Abigail remains controlled by her human side.
"Good luck," I say. "You can enter the room when you're ready. Just... please remember to only stay in there for a few minutes".
She stares at the door, almost as if she's scared to make the move. She looks absolutely terrified.
"It's okay," I continue. "Look". Reaching down, I turn the handle and push the door open, revealing the dark interior of the room. "The ghost won't appear until you're inside," I tell her. "Don't be scared. Nothing in there can hurt you".
Taking a deep breath, she steps forward, entering the gloomy interior. "I don't see anything," she says, her voice sounding so tense and scared.
"Go a little further," I say. "I'll pull the door shut. Perhaps nothing will happen until you're alone". I gently pull the door closed. It's almost impossible to believe that, finally, my dark little plan is coming to fruition. After a moment, I reach into my pocket and pull out one of the keys I liberated from Diana's collection earlier. Slipping the key into the keyhole, I lock the door and stand back. My heart is pounding, but I've finally done it. Abigail is locked in there forever, and not even Patrick will be able to get her out. I hurry over to the window, pulling it open before throwing the key out into the darkness. An icy wind blows in before I pull the window shut. I imagine the key tumbling to the ground and becoming lost in the darkness. A smile crosses my lips, and it's at that moment that I realize there's someone standing behind me.
"Very clever," Diana says.
I turn and stare at her. "It's too late to get her out now," I say, panicking slightly at the thought that Diana might be about to undo all my good work. "The key is gone, there's nothing you can do -"
"So I saw," she replies. "I was hoping you'd have a change of heart at the last minute, but now I see that your little heart is blackened and withered beyond redemption".
"Don't talk to me like that," I reply, barely able to contain my rage. "She was a fool. She walked straight into my trap. She allowed her hopes and desires to cloud her judgment. Any intelligent person would have seen through all the things I told her, but I used her biggest weakness against her: she's half human. When all is said and done, she could never have been a true vampire. She'd always have had that human voice in her soul, holding her back". I turn to look at the door. I can't imagine what's happening to Abigail in that room, but fortunately I never have to find out. There are ghosts in there, but they don't like letting people leave and with the key gone, the door will surely stay closed forever.
"You exploited her desperate need to meet her mother," Diana says. "That's not something of which I'd be proud, if I were you".
"If I hadn't done it, someone else would have," I reply. "It was only a matter of time. It was a fault in her character".
"You see it as a fault," Diana says, smiling. "Others might see it as a strength".
"She's in the room, isn't she?" I say. "She's in there, and I'm not. Has anyone ever made it out of there alive?"
"They have not," Diana says. "Not in my time at Gothos, anyway". She sighs. "I suppose I shall have to keep a closer eye on my keys".
"It doesn't matter," I tell her. "Daddy's going to have to take me with him now, so you'll be all alone".
She nods sadly. "I suppose Mr. Wormwood will visit occasionally..."
"You could have stopped me," I point out. "If you wanted Abigail to live, you could have stopped me from doing all of this. But you didn't, which means you wanted her to die as well".
She shakes her head. "I don't think I could. This was always going to happen. Only one person can stop you, and he's too weak". She pauses. "What are you waiting for, Gwendoline? You've won. Go and claim your prize. Your father is waiting for you. Go and tell him what you've done and see how he reacts". She smiles. "I hope your reward is sweet".
Patrick
"You're looking rather pasty, old man," says Wormwood, wandering over as I sit by the window. He's been keeping something of a distance since dinner, but apparently he believes it's now appropriate for him to come and start a conversation. I wish he'd just stay away from me. As I stare out into the darkness that surrounds Gothos, I can't help feeling that something - somewhere - is very wrong. I can no longer sense Abigail's presence in the house.
"Funny old night," Wormwood continues, lighting a cigarette. "You don't mind if I smoke, do you? I'm afraid I'm terribly addicted".
I've known Wormwood for many years. He has a tendency to show up when things are difficult, though he never tries to help. He styles himself as an observer, even going so far as to align himself with the Watchers from time to time. He loiters at the fringes, passing comment on the actions of others and generally refraining from taking any decisive actions himself. If it were up to me, his head would have been separated from his body long ago, but Wormwood has friends in high places and it's therefore wise to just tolerate his brief interruptions and wait for him to move on.
"I must say," he continues, "I'm very impressed by young Abigail. The more I see of her, the more I realize she's absolutely top-notch. She has a real spark about her, but I'm worried she might be a little vulnerable. She has certain human qualities, and I think they could cause problems. Obviously I understand that you had to take a human mate, given that all the other vampires are long gone, but I still think there are going to be some complications".
Taking a deep breath, I wait for him to leave. Everything he says is true, but I hardly need to hear it repeated to me over and over again. I know that Abigail retains certain qualities of Sophie's character, and I know that this is a weakness. At the same time, I also know that she has my strength and my determination. Gwendoline was a mistake, but Abigail is the perfect daughter. As for Wormwood, his opinions aren't worth worrying about too much, and I'm happy to just let his words wash over me as I wait for him to leave. I've never paid much attention to Wormwood, so why should I start listening to him now?
"You have a problem," Wormwood says after a moment. "A big problem, and sitting here staring out the window won't fix it, old chap. Your two daughters are at one another's throats. The green-eyed monster has risen its ugly head, and jealousy is running wild. You need to keep an eye on that Gwendoline girl. She's not what she seems". He takes a sip from his glass. "If I were you, I'd grab young Abigail and get her as far away from here as possible. This isn't the place for her at all". He turns as footsteps echo in the next room. "That'll be one of them now," he says. "Good luck, old man. I'll be in the shadows if you need me. Try not to end up with two dead daughters, though. If you lose the one you prefer, you'll just have to make do with the one that's left".
He's right. I can sense that something has happened; Gwendoline has made a move against Abigail, and it's now up to Abigail to fight her way free. I had hoped it would not come to this, but Abigail is going to have to kill her sister if she's to ever leave this place, and I'm going to have to see my children at war.
Gwendoline
When I find him, Patrick is sitting by the window, staring out at the darkness. I stop by the door, filled with a momentary sense of satisfaction: sometimes I also like to sit and stare out the window, which means Patrick and I are similar. I watch him for a moment. He seems so still and calm, as if he barely has the energy to move. I hate to see him like this, approaching the end of his life not with vigor and determination, but with weakness. I always thought he'd die a glorious death, probably in the heat of battle, but now I see that he's going to die quietly. Hundreds and hundreds, maybe even thousands, of years of life, all dwindling to an end in such a pathetic manner, like a candle slowly burning out.
"Good evening, Daddy," I say, walking across to join him. He barely acknowledges me. "I hope you enjoyed dinner," I continue, standing next to his chair. "The chefs did their best, though in truth we'd have produced a grander feast if you'd forewarned us of your arrival".
Still no response. He's just staring out into the darkness. I wish I could get through to him; I wish I could get him to talk again. When I was a child, he used to speak occasionally. An encouraging word here, or an admonishment there. It was only when the war came that he was forced to fall silent, but I don't understand why he doesn't speak again now that the end is near. Surely, after all this time, he wants to say a few words to me? After all, we've had our differences but I'm still his daughter. I'm his flesh and blood. If he hates me so much, why hasn't he just killed me?
"Anyway," I say, deciding it's too soon to give up, "I thought dinner was scrumptious. They might be common folk, but those chefs certainly know what to do with a dead pig, don't they?" I look over at the piano. "Oh Daddy, shall I sing you a song?" Hurrying across the room, I take a seat. I don't have many skills, but I'm a damn fine pianist and I have a pleasing voice. The last time Patrick was here, I was still learning the instrument; now I've become something of a maestro, even if I say so myself. "Something jaunty?" I ask, starting to play an old ditty from nineteenth century England. "This was all the rage when the Great Exhibition was on," I tell him. "I expect you know all about that, though. I certainly would have liked to have gone, but there's plenty of time to explore later".
In the absence of any kind of reply, I decide to simply play and sing. It's a light song, really rather throwaway, but I feel it might lighten the mood a little. Besides, I'm sure he'll be impressed when he realizes how good I've become of late. I spend all day, every day practicing and practicing, sometimes until my fingers bleed. I've long dreamed of impressing Patrick; of showing him that I'm good at something, even if it's not a skill he particularly admires. As I get to the end of the song, I wait for him to react, or at least to respond. Instead, he just continues to stare out the window. It's as if he hasn't heard me at all, even though my playing was absolutely perfect.
"You're dying, Daddy," I say, still sitting at the piano. "You don't have much longer left. Couldn't you speak to me one final time? I'd so love to hear your voice. It's been far too long, you know".
Slowly, he turns to look at me. There's no hint of love or compassion in his eyes; just cold, bitter fury. I'd hoped that our time apart might have changed his attitude to me, and that he'd be able to see how much I've changed. It's clear, though, that he finds me utterly repellant. Getting up from the piano stool and walking back over to him, I kneel next to his chair and look up into his eyes. Despite everything that's happened, at heart I still love my father. It's time to make him see the truth.
"What's wrong, Daddy?" I ask, making certain that he can't hear the sorrow in my voice. "Don't you like what you see when you look at me? Do you still think I'm too weak to take your place?" I pause for a moment. "I suppose you think dear little Abigail is a better prospect. Are you hoping to knock her into shape and make her become your shadow?" I smile, knowing he has no idea what I've done. "There's a
problem, though," I continue after a moment. "I understand why you brought her here. She needed to be at Gothos while she changed, otherwise her body would have ripped itself apart. But you should never have left her alone with me. You over-estimated her, and you under-estimated me. You thought your two daughters would play nice, but we didn't. Well, I didn't. And now guess where Abigail has ended up".
He stares at me, and I recognize a flash of anger in his expression. I've finally got his attention. Sitting up, I lean closer to his face, and suddenly I decide that there's no point trying to placate him. I need to just tell him the truth and let him suffer, the way he forced me to suffer for so many years.
"Abigail went into the room to talk to a ghost," I say. "Unfortunately, the door got locked and someone dropped the key out into the darkness. Even if you could get her out of there, you're too late. She'll have been driven completely mad by now. She thought she was going to see the ghost of her mother, and I'm afraid I did nothing to disabuse her of that notion". I start to giggle. I know it's mean of me to take pleasure from someone else's misfortune, but Abigail was such a huge problem in my life and it feels good to have finally got rid of her. "Oh Daddy, do you want to know a terrible secret? It was me! I was the one who locked her in there, and I was the one who threw the key outside. Aren't I a terrible person? But it's not my fault. Remember?"
I wait for him to show some kind of reaction, but still he does nothing but stare at me. He must be blanking everything out on purpose; I know that deep down, he must be filled with the most extreme rage, burning through him. Why, I half expect him to reach out and wring my neck at any moment. Poor old Daddy.
Finally, realizing I have to show him what I mean, I decide to go a step further. I slip the fingers of my left hand into my mouth, reaching further and further down until first my hand, and then my wrist disappear down my throat. Feeling around inside my chest, I feel my dead heart and put my fingers firmly around it, feeling it beat for a moment before pulling it slowly back up until it's hanging out of my mouth. After a moment, I give it an extra tug and I feel it come loose; I pull a little harder, hearing the muscle tear, and finally I hold the bloodied organ out for Patrick to see. "There," I say. "I never needed it anyway. It's been so long since it beat with any real force. At least now, you can see that I'm not the lily-livered little scaredy-cat you always took me to be". With blood pouring from my mouth, I place my heart in Patrick's hand and then force him to clench his fist, squeezing the heart until it bursts; chunks of bloody muscle slip down to the floor. "Are you happy now?" I ask him. "How much more do you want from me? Abigail's gone! You have to choose me! Take me back with you. Teach me. Train me. Show me how to be like you. I'm weak, but I can learn. Please don't push me away again, Daddy. You've got no choice. If you want a child to take your place, it has to be me, and I won't let you down! I promise!"