Escape Vo'Arum

by Nicole MacDonald

  An awful time.

  The growing light caused a rush of hope. Mila hurried faster, seeing Addy’s swinging legs hanging into the manhole. She screamed when Mila popped up beside her.

  ‘Mila!’

  Mila jumped, hefting herself up and over the edge of the opening and wriggled, dragging herself out onto the floor.

  ‘Look!’ she tried to smile at Addy. ‘I found your ball.’

  Addy did look, staring at Mila in open mouthed shock.

  Mila looked down.

  The lovely black dress looked gray, with small clumps from when she’d vomited stuck to the bottom.

  ‘Mila,’ Addy stared still her pretty white eyes filling with tears. ‘What happened?’

  Mila opened her mouth to answer but stopped, staring back at Addy as shivers of cold ran down her spine.

  Unable to think, mind stumped over whether what she’d seen had even happened, Mila dropped the ball and snatched her shoes from Addy’s arms.

  With them firm in her grasp, she turned and fled. Over the sound of her damp stockinged feet padding against the wood floor, she could hear Addy shouting for her to stop.

  But Mila couldn’t.

  The sounds, all those awful, AWFUL sounds wouldn’t get out of her mind. Mila pushed herself, running harder and harder, Addy’s voice sounding distant.

  Nearing her family’s quarters, Mila rounded the corner, mind focused on the image of Nanny. All she wanted to do was collapse in her arms and sob the whole awful story – dream? Nightmare – out to her.

  Instead she ran smack bang into a set of pant clad legs.

  ‘Whoa, Mila slow down.’

  The laughing jovial voice paralyzed Mila with shock.

  Uncle Vidna seized her under the armpits and hauled her up with ease, settling her on his hip while smiling down at her. ‘What’s got you running like a ribdy?’

  Her mouth hung open, mind screaming as she gaped at him, legs limp with fear.

  A puffing and padding sound caught their attention, Uncle Vidna turning to smile on his daughter as she ran up, the brown leather ball jammed under her arm.

  ‘Addy, look who ran right into me!’

  Addy’s forehead wrinkled with a scowl of a frown.

  ‘Mila! Why’d you run away! I can’t lift that cover by my-,’ she broke off, eyes widening and mouth in an O shape.

  ‘What cover?’ Uncle Vidna looked surprised his voice sharp. He set Mila on her feet beside Addy. Mila leaned against Addy, her knees wobbly.

  ‘Addy, what cover?’

  At her Papa’s demand Addy dipped her head, looking up guiltily.

  ‘A manhole cover…’

  ‘Addy-’

  ‘But my ball went down the tunnel! Don’t be angry, Mila got it back! It’s okay, isn’t it Mila?’ Addy twisted to look at her.

  Mila nodded but her eyes did not leave his face. Uncle Vidna frowned, the resemblance between him and his daughter evident with the same quirk of a wrinkle over one brow.

  ‘You went into it, Mila?’

  She didn’t want to answer, and neither it seemed did her body, her throat immobilized as that awful scene replayed through her mind.

  ‘She did!’ Addy said in an earnest voice, wrapping her arms around Mila’s arm closest to her, hugging tight. ‘But it wasn’t her fault! Well, she lost the ball, but she wasn’t going to go in, she wasn’t! But I was SO upset, she offered! She did! I know I should have said-’

  ‘NO,’ Uncle Vidna’s raised voice and abrupt answer made both girls freeze. ‘You should have said NO! Addy,’ he pressed his lips together tight, eyes narrow as he regarded his daughter. ‘You lose the ball for a week. I should be able to trust you!’

  Though her friend sobbed beside her, Mila felt a sudden wave of relief. Uncle Vidna didn’t appear to have realized. Almost dizzy at the unexpected reprieve Mila turned, cuddling Addy as she cried.

  ‘It’s okay at least we got it back. Don’t cry, it’s okay.’

  ‘Give me the ball, Addy.’ Uncle Vidna held his hands out.

  Addy sniffed and hiccupped as she held it out to her Papa.

  The motion struck a chord in Mila’s brain.

  Uncle Vidna’s gift, the version she knew of it, allowed him to read items, to sense strong emotions associated with the item.

  Mila’s body stiffened as part of her mind screamed at her to smack it out of Addy’s hands while the other part screamed at her to RUN!

  Uncle Vidna seized the ball from Addy’s hands.

  He jolted.

  Uncle Vidna stared at the ball as if he didn’t recognize it, and lifted his gaze.

  Those light almost white eyes settled on her, all traces of joviality gone.

  Uncle Vidna looked at her the way he’d looked at Uncle Jeran.

  Limbs stiff and unresponsive, Mila forced one foot back then the other.

  ‘Mila,’ Uncle Vidna said in that growly voice like in the tunnel. ‘Where do you think you-’

  Before he could finish the sentence Mila twisted, shoes forgotten on the floor, and broke out into a sprint.

  ‘MILA!’

  The shout rang in her ears, making her flinch but not slow.

  Two more corners and she’d be safe.

  Mila skidded around the first corner, slowing before she pushed off the far wall, feet padding a desperate pace. The second corner loomed down the end of a corridor, suddenly the longest corridor of her life. Behind, gaining on her, a heavy tread echoed.

  Arms pumping as she shifted, running on the balls of her feet, Mila focused on that corner. Her ears full of the sound of her dress skirts flapping around her knees, Mila shrieked when a hand grabbed her by the shoulder, spinning her around.

  Uncle Vidna’s grip didn’t budge as Mila’s legs went out from under her. He bent with her, face getting closer to hers.

  ‘Mila. You and I need to have a talk.’

  He lifted her by the shoulder. Mila cried out as his fingers dug into her collarbone.

  ‘Now, now, none of that. You’ve been a very naughty girl.’

  He turned her back the way they’d come, half carrying her as she stumbled, legs no longer wanting to support her. They approached the corner she’d only just cleared.

  Mila sobbed, twisting, catching glimpses of the corner behind them, the corner that would lead her back to safety. She struggled against the biting hold he had on her.

  ‘Stop that, Mila,’ Uncle Vidna snapped, pausing to give her a shake. ‘You and I need to have a –’

  ‘Vidna. What are you doing with my Mila?’

  The tight grip on her shoulder vanished, Mila hit the floor hard. Pain shot through her knees, but she didn’t care, scrambling to her feet to fling her arms around the woman before her.

  ‘Nanny!’

  ‘Mila,’ Nanny said, leaning down, her lovely gold green eyes creased as she looked Mila over. ‘What in the name of the goddess have you been doing? Look at your dress!’

  The horrified question stopped Mila from blurting everything out. Looking down at the filthy gown and stockings wet with pee Mila lost her voice.

  Uncle Vidna didn’t hesitate. ‘She’s been down a manhole!’

  ‘What?’ Nanny straightened up, detaching Mila’s arms from her waist and held her by the arm, her gaze firm. ‘Mila, is this true?’

  Staring into Nanny’s face, Mila couldn’t lie. She stuttered. ‘Ye-s-s, but-but-’

  ‘Mila,’ Nanny said it in that voice, that voice that made Mila drop her head, cheeks flushing hot with shame.

  ‘But Uncle! Poor Uncle,’ Mila wailed, everything piling up and overwhelming her. Her legs wobbled and finally gave up. She sank to the floor, tears flooding down her cheeks, breath hiccupping giant sobs out her chest.

  ‘Oh dear,’ Nanny tsked. Mila heard her mutter something to Uncle Vidna before she scooped Mila up, cradling her. ‘Put your arms around my neck, lovey, let’s get you cleaned up and off to bed. Someone’s a tired miss.’

  Head lolling on Nanny’s shoulder, Mi
la found herself barely able to keep her eyes open. In her vanishing vision she caught glimpse of Uncle Vidna standing there in the corridor, watching them leave.

  Chapter Five

  Safe in their quarters, Nanny set to stripping Mila’s dress and stockings off and with a frown stripped off her knickers too.

  ‘Quick, quick, into the shower with you.’

  She caught Mila’s hand, guiding her toward the bathroom.

  ‘But, Nanny,’ Mila tried to protest, voice rising and falling with her exhaustion. ‘Uncle, Nanny, Uncle.’

  ‘Come on lovey, let’s get you into the shower. There’s nothing to be done, Great Uncle Ilder had been unwell for a long time. You remember that. He needed to pass on, to be reborn again strong and new. Stop crying now that’s enough.’ As she spoke Nanny pulled the cord to the bulbous shower head, starting the flow of water. She held Mila’s hand tight, keeping her back from the scalding water that always came out first.

  ‘No, Nanny, Uncle Jeran. Poor Uncle Jeran.’

  Nanny at last looked down at Mila, her eyes wide. She laughed.

  ‘Silly girl! Uncle Jeran isn’t due back for a couple more days, but he’s fine. You know he’s fine. We’d all have felt it otherwise.’ Nanny pushed Mila under the water. ‘Go on now, there’s a good girl. A proper wash, I’ll get a warm towel.’ She turned, her long plait of white streaked brown hair swinging out as she left the room.

  Beneath the soothing warm spray, Mila swayed and began to nod off then jerked awake, heart leaping.

  The images of that room were there, right behind her eyelids.

  Mila shivered at the memory and crouched down, staring at the water swirling around the drain hole before it vanished.

  Must tell them, she thought. Must. Uncle Vidna wants to kill me.

  ‘Mila! You hurry up in there!’

  Nanny’s shout snapped Mila out of the encroaching heaviness of sleep. She pushed to standing and seized the pot of soft brown soap, scooping out a handful and smearing it all over. It didn’t take long to wash, but the effort felt enormous. A yawn so big it made her jaw creak sent Mila tottering out as she stepped on the raised tile area, straight into a towel held wide by Nanny.

  ‘Oooooo.’

  Nanny laughed at Mila. ‘Nothing better than a warm towel after a shower. Come now, I have a hot mug of milk for you. Then off to bed sleepy miss.’

  With the towel clutched close, Mila made her way to the kitchen table and slumped into her seat. The cup of warm milk was spiced with cinnamon, the fragrance tickling her nose and the back of her throat as she sipped.

  Nanny came into the room from the bedrooms wing, carrying Mila’s favorite nightgown with the embroidered water dragons in green and blue on a yellow background. She set it on the table and sat in the seat next to Mila’s, watching her drink.

  ‘Better?’ she asked as Mila finished, smiling at her nod. ‘Good, now, let’s get this on and off to bed with you.’

  Mila struggled to get her arms in, sleepily trying to tell Nanny why she’d gone down the manhole, and what she’d seen.

  ‘Oh hush now, we can talk about it later, come on.’

  She lead Mila into the short corridor that led to both hers and her parents rooms. Nanny slept in the second bed in Mila’s room.

  The climb into the soft sheets and cushy green coverlet embroidered with entwined flowers made the awful part of the day seem like a bad dream.

  Perhaps it had been.

  Mila thanked Nanny as she closed the door, wishing Mila a good sleep.

  Moments later she jolted awake body tense and mind alert, heart in her mouth.

  ‘NANNY!’

  The shriek brought the older woman rushing door flung open an instant before she had Mila in her arms.

  ‘Oh lovey! Shush now, darling, shush.’ Nanny held her tight, rocking back and forth where she sat on the bed. ‘What’s got you scared?’

  ‘So dark,’ Mila sobbed it out with jerks of breath, trying her best to explain. ‘Nasty sound, hurts head. They killed him! They did! Poor Uncle Jeran.’

  ‘Oh lovey,’ Nanny hummed while rocking her. ‘Just a nightmare, darling, just a nightmare.’

  But it wasn’t, Mila cried the words out in her mind, wishing she could make her see. It wasn’t a nightmare, they really did kill him!

  ‘Here now, have a sip of this. Let’s get those nasty dreams gone. Remember the day at the farm? When you got to meet the baby awafs, how tiny they were?’ Nanny held the bottle for Mila to sip from. The sleep potion worked fast.

  ‘Hmmm,’ Mila mumbled. ‘Little..sssooo little…cute.’

  Only vaguely aware of Nanny laying her back down, tucking the covers around her, Mila followed the tiny little awaf in her mind, giggling as she chased the creature across the sweet smelling meadow.

  Mila woke disorientated, unable to discern if a little or a lot of time had passed. She sweltered under the extra blankets Nanny had piled on, her dreams gone from chasing to being chased, the sound of heavy footsteps getting closer and closer.

  Face flushed, Mila yanked and kicked the covers back, wiping the sweat from her brow. Her throat ached with thirst. Leaving the covers strewn back, she climbed out of the bed and padded across the floor to the door. She seized the large round handle, turned and dragged the heavy door back then slipped out into the corridor. Her parents’ voices carried from the living area of their quarters. A favorite room of Mila’s with wide platform seats covered with firm but comfortable squabs. It was great fun to play in.

  Hand out to push the kitchen door wide, Mila froze when a different voice joined the conversation. Though she didn’t hear the words she knew the voice.

  She’d know that voice anywhere.

  The rush of memories from this morning made her stomach ache. Holding her breath, Mila pushed the kitchen door open an inch.

  Because of where the living area was situated she wasn’t able to see into it, but with the door open she could hear the voices clearer.

  ‘Addy’s been punished for this. I expect you’ll do the same with Mila.’

  Uncle Vidna’s voice sounded warm despite the subject. Too warm. The tone made a shudder run down Mila’s spine. She let the door close and fled back to the bedroom, scrambling up into bed.

  Huddled with her knees pulled up, Mila considered her options. Her throat seemed to grow drier and scratchier by the second.

  That decided her dash to the bathroom, even though it meant the risk of bumping into someone. Along the dark corridor she crept, a hand skimming the wall to guide her. Mila didn’t risk turning the glow lamps up. Instead she snuck around in the half light, making her way to the bowl-like basin. Its width made it awkward to lean across but she was able to reach the stream of water with her mouth. Gulping the cool liquid down, Mila tensed when the murmur of voices seemed to move.

  Faster than an eharie sprite she darted back the way she’d come, hands extended at waist height to help navigate the way. Just as she zipped around the door to her and Nanny’s bedroom she heard the ‘woosh’ of the kitchen door being pulled wide. Resisting the urge to slam the door, Mila pushed it ever so slow till it closed. The sound of the footsteps entering the corridor made all the tiny hairs on her body prickle up, she shivered.

  The kitchen door closed.

  Mila crouched to the floor, putting her ear near the skinny gap at the bottom.

  The footsteps sounded odd.

  Making the sudden connection Mila leaped to her feet and seized the bolt to lock the door, sliding it across. The small pieces of wadding jammed around to guide the bolt home stopped any loud noises, just the softest sliding noise. She dropped back down, wincing when her knees cracked and put her ear to the gap again.

  Slow with deliberate placing of each foot, Uncle Vidna made his way toward this room.

  Mila jerked away from the gap, scrambling to her feet while she twisted eyes frantic as she searched for something, for anything that would catch her parents’ attention. The soft firm steps got clos
er, making Mila’s throat feel so tight she didn’t think she’d be able to scream. Eyes set on the door handle Mila backed away and eased herself beneath Nanny’s bed, it seeming somehow safer than hers. With the low valance trimming the base, she could peek out from beneath.

  A tiny soft noise caught her attention. Like that time in the tunnel black spots swam before her vision.

  The bolt began a slow slide out of the lock.

  Noise filled Mila’s ears, a frantic drumming, the spots growing to splodges as the bolt slid open.

  With a tiny metallic creak, the door handle turned.

  ‘Vidna!’ Nanny’s sharp whisper from the kitchen made the door handle turn back. ‘Other end of the corridor, dear. That’s Mila’s room.’

  Head spinning, Mila slumped in relief, breathing hard while her mind seemed to throb. She stayed there, safe and hidden, until she heard the distant farewells of her parents to Uncle Vidna.

  With a whimper at the stiffness in her limbs from waiting, Mila dragged herself out from under the bed, sneezing and coughing at the dust she stirred up.

  ‘Mila? Are you awake still?’

  The surprised question from her mama propelled Mila into her own bed, yanking the covers up as she dropped flat back.

  The door creaked, handle turning with the normal business-like tone Mama used when she thought Mila was up to something.

  Mila snapped her eyes shut and forced her body to relax.

  ‘Oh!’ Mama gave a surprised whisper. ‘No, she’s still asleep, you must have heard something else, Nanny.’

  Listening to the two of them, Mila relaxed properly, the covers warming her chilled limbs until she slipped off to sleep.

  Chapter Six

  Noises, thuds and murmuring voices, pulled Mila from her sleep. She peered through half-open eyes around the bedroom, noting Nanny snoring away in bed. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, making pretty patterns on the wood floor.

  With a yawn Mila climbed out the bed, her head felt like it was full of pillow stuffing.