Dark Winter

by John Hennessy

  While I was thinking all this, she ad-libbed.

  “I struck down my boyfriend to cross the thresh-hold, you know.”

  I couldn’t imagine hurting Troy if he was my boyfriend. Toril was a special breed though. She did what she needed to do, in an unsentimental way. Part of me envied her so bad.

  “Alright Toril, you win. I will go with you.”

  “We’ve got to get your face seen to. Beth can help with that.”

  “I’m okay. It just hurts a little, you know.”

  “Still. It’s important. We’ve got to stay tight, Romilly. There’s a whole lot of crazy going on out there. We’ll need you against Dana if it comes down to it.”

  Christ. Dana. How can I possibly trap what can’t be trapped, or kill what can’t be killed?

  Toril helped me to my feet, and helped me find new clothes to wear. Rummaging about in her bag, she found some chocolate, and gave it to me.

  “No, Toril. Fattening.”

  “You have to have it for energy, you’re a bit weak right now.”

  Even my guard came down for chocolate. It tasted good, and I immediately felt a bit brighter.

  “Do you think you can stand now?”

  “I think so,” I said, but my legs were unsteady, like chocolate melting in the sun. I sank into my chair again. “Perhaps not just yet.”

  “Would you mind if I try something?” asked Toril.

  “Yeah, sure.”

  It didn’t matter if I said no. Toril would do it anyway.

  “What have you got in mind?”

  “Well, I need to get you out of here. A levitation spell.”

  I bristled at that. “What about you?”

  “I’ll come out straight after. You’d better hand me that Mirror of yours, you know, in case the spell wears off before you land and it breaks.”

  I couldn’t believe Toril was suggesting it. Even if there was danger in the woods, I still felt safer inside Rosewinter. I mean, I had won. I had defeated that Zeryth and even Alix, who wasn’t really himself, on my own, hadn’t I? I was keeping my own demon at bay, wasn’t I?

  “We’ll go outside together, Toril. Help me stand up.”

  “Deal.”

  On unsteady legs, I stood up. I was still bleeding a little, and the acid burns in my cheeks made the smallest movement difficult. My back and neck throbbed painfully from the battle with the demon. Still, Toril grabbed my arm, and helped me inch forward towards the thresh-hold.

  A shadow loomed outside.

  “Toril,” I asked, stopping dead in my tracks, “what the hell is that?”

  “I don’t know,” said Toril, “but it’s big and looks proper pissed off.”

  * * *

  Curie paced up and down the creaking floorboards of Redwood. Things had unravelled fast, and hadn’t turned out how he had planned. If only he had achieved the thirteen kills, Dana would have had to rescind her grip on him.

  There were supposed to be legions of the Zerytha bearing down on Gorswood, with Beth, Toril, Jacinta, Troy and of course, myself, the primary targets.

  With me dead, the Mirror broken, there were be no stopping Diabhal from well…doing whatever he wanted to do. His puppet, Curie, had wreaked havoc and stayed undetected by the authorities for years.

  But now, his time in the spotlight was by necessity, having to fade. That’s where control of the boy was critical, and now, that too, had failed.

  “That Winter girl has a charmed life,” muttered Curie as he bit his fingernails furiously. They tasted like, and had the texture of, rotten wallpaper which had seen better days.

  Darkness covered the dilapidated wood-cabin. A chill descended on Curie, and he knew what was coming.

  He didn’t have to turn around to see who was there.

  “It seems you have a charmed life too. I’m tired of you though.”

  Curie didn’t want to turn around. Instead, he fell to his knees and cowered.

  “Finally. Good! Just kill me and get it over with, will you? I won’t be your puppet anymore.”

  Removing a flick knife from his pocket, he slashed one wrist, then the other. Blood flowed freely from the gaping mouths in the arms.

  Even so, he still did not have the courage to turn around. Instead, he wept on the floor.

  The sinister figure spoke quietly, and yet the words rang loudly and terribly in Curie’s ears.

  “You are a pathetic fool. One boy has simply gone into the void. Another of the Zerythra are free. Our victory is at hand.”

  “No. I won’t do this anymore. Pinocchio has cut his strings!” he screamed.

  Curie watched in horror as his wrists healed up.

  “You will control the Other. You will deliver the Mirror to me.”

  “No.”

  “You have no choice.”

  “What about Dana? She is more powerful than you.”

  At that point, Curie found himself flying through the air and his body slammed hard into the side of the room, and he landed heavily on the floor. A goat’s head had been dislodged from the wall, and the hook that held it in place was exposed.

  Curie was sent once again into the air, and impaled through his back by the hook.

  He could see the hook protruding from his chest, and the weight of his body caused the hook to rip right through him, and his intestines gushed out onto the floor with a sickening splatter.

  As he watched, the hook disappeared and he hit the floor, his whole body sodden with blood, bone and entrails from his body.

  He was then lifted up in the air and saw that the goat’s head was back in its place, and his body was healed again. Just before he was about to be thrown into the wall again, Diabhal said “If you want to know what your time would be like with me, it’s like this. You will be battered, bloodied, impaled, disembowelled, and you will know death. Then it will all start over again. For all eternity.”

  Curie knew he was between a rock and a hard place. Even if he had a hammer with which to burrow through the rock, it would probably be made of granite. He could do nothing else but comply.

  “Which Other, damn you?”

  “Troy Jackson. Do not fail. I won’t be so lenient next time.”

  With that, Diabhal disappeared.

  Troy Jackson would be much harder to control. Alix was a no-mark jock. Jackson used to be like him, before he got involved with the witch girl.

  “How the hell had he survived anyway? He was in a body bag, last time I checked. Maybe she had something to do with it.”

  He could no longer assume that Toril Withers was not a threat to him.

  Curie had had a rough day. It was only beginning.

  * * *

  Toril continued her walk towards the thresh-hold. “Troy, you idiot,” she said.

  The big hulking shadow of Troy Jackson blocked the doorway.

  “I guess I’m not supposed to cross over.”

  “You suppose correctly.”

  Troy looked at me. He was a bit dazed, and rather angry, but I sensed it was more about Toril striking him down with such apparent ease. If I had her skills, I’d be using them for some other purpose. She didn’t know how lucky she was, but with her growing telepathic abilities, it would be harder for me to hide just how rotten I felt.

  “Boy, Withers, are you in trouble. You cut me pretty deep you know.”

  Toril helped me step out of the house. “Come on Milly, we’ll help. It’ll be okay.”

  Toril looked non-plussed at Troy. “I can’t see anything.”

  “That’s because Beth…you know…healing hands and all that.”

  “So quit your whining and help me with Milly.”

  Beth ran over to us. “Milly, my God. Are you okay? Is it bad?”

  “I’m alright,” I said. “Just shook up a bit, that’s all.”

  “You’re bleeding a little. Let me help.”

  Beth placed her hands on my cheeks and I felt a real warmth pass through me. Suddenly the pain was gone and I would no longer be able to p
oke my tongue right through my cheek.

  “Alright, Rom?”

  “Yes, Troy, I’m okay.”

  “I’m going to take care of Romilly,” said Troy. “You three can go on together.”

  Beth and Toril looked at Jacinta.

  “So. Is she here yet, or just hiding in the bushes, waiting to get us? Jacinta, of all the stupid things you could do, this is the dumbest.”

  “It’s not,” said Jacinta confidently. “Dana kills for the person who summoned her, in this case, me. I will get her to kill the zombies.”

  “There’s a flaw in that plan,” said Beth. “What about when Dana is the last one standing? She’ll kill you, me, all of us.”

  “We can run.”

  “Where to?”

  Jacinta explained how we could go to her house. Of all of us, Curie, Diabhal, Dana, the Zerythra had come to where we live. All except Jacinta.

  “It makes perfect sense. They wouldn’t think to come to my place, you know.”

  Toril spoke morbidly. “If there’s one thing I have learned, it’s that the enemy is very unpredictable. Your plan to get Dana to face off against the zombies is not cool. We won’t know the outcome of that until it’s too late.”

  Beth added, “How do we even know that Dana will win? What’s the cost of her winning? Have you thought about that, Jacinta?”

  Jacinta admitted she hadn’t thought it all through, but it had to be a better plan than waiting around to be slaughtered.

  The girls could see me and Troy disappearing from view.

  “Where do you suppose he’s taking her?” asked Jacinta.

  “Somewhere none of us know about. It’s for the best. Romilly and the Mirror must be kept safe,” said Toril.

  “How can that work?” asked Beth. “Toril, with your abilities…how can he hide the Mirror’s whereabouts from you?”

  “I’m not really sure. But if I’m cornered, don’t worry, I won’t give them up, or any of you,” said Toril. “I suggest we leave. Now.”

  * * *

  Christ. Troy Jackson was strong. Here I was, in what should be dreamland for me. He was running at breakneck speed, carrying me in his arms, through the foliage of Gorswood Forest. I threw my arms around his neck, just for support. In school days long since past, I would have given anything to be in his arms, even if it meant being chased by teachers, my parents, or zombies. Me, Troy and the demon, living happily together.

  My dreamy thoughts were broken by a sharp voice.

  “Rom! For God’s sake answer me. Are you alright?”

  Troy was showing concern. How sweet.

  “I’m…I’m fine, just watch where you’re running. Can’t you slow down.”

  “Slow down? Slow down?” Troy was going from abrupt to sarcastic. “Sure thing. There’s only three or four zombies after us, and maybe that Dana as well, you want me to slow down. Really, Romilly?”

  “Okay, okay.”

  He continued to run, and somehow, I managed to stay silent, with my arms around his neck, and the Mirror, bobbing gently in a bag at my side.

  We had arrived. I had no idea where we were though. For the moment, we were safe.

  Troy had blindfolded me though, so I couldn’t see a thing. When I removed the blindfold, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

  “Well hello Miss Winter,” said Curie. “Fancy seeing you here.”

  Tears of an Angel

  Toril, Beth and Jacinta watched from a distance as four zombies surrounded a confused looking Dana.

  “Four of them, can you believe this?” said Jacinta. “This is going to be one hell of a show.”

  “Toril,” said Beth, nudging her in the ribs, “do you think Troy made it to safety? Are he and Romilly safe?”

  “I hope so. He’s faster than us three put together. He’ll make sure no harm comes to Milly, that’s for certain.”

  Beth said nothing, but hoped Toril was right in her assertion.

  Toril grabbed me and Jacinta by the arm and ushered us to go.

  “Can’t we stay?” said Jacinta, pleadingly. “I’d love to see Dana take out some zombies.”

  “No Jacinta, it’s not a good idea to stay. If she wins, we’ll know soon enough,” said Beth. “Toril is right. We should go. Let it all play out the way it is meant to. Then we’ll go find Romilly and Troy and bury that damn Mirror as deep as we can in the ground.”

  “Sounds a plan,” said Toril. Inwardly, she knew it would be much more complicated than that. Keep the Mirror, it’s a problem. Destroy the Mirror, it’s a different problem.

  The three girls ran into the night. The screams of the zombies howled after them in the night air.

  * * *

  “No!” I screamed. I turned to run, but I was yanked back by Troy.

  “Get your meathooks off me, damn you. How could you? How could you?”

  Try as I might, I couldn’t get out of Troy’s vice-like grip. Where was that demon’s strength now?

  “Get her inside, Jackson,” said Curie.

  “Come on Rom. Don’t fight me now.”

  I wanted to kill Troy. I physically wanted to kill him, and a rage I had never felt welled up within me. How could he betray me, Toril, all of us? How did Curie keep cropping up like a bad penny, and why was Troy helping him? None of this made sense.

  “Don’t call me Rom,” I screamed. “You don’t have the right.”

  The back of my heels banged against the steps as Troy dragged me in. I was in no condition to fight anyone. But if I could lift a hand to slap him with, I would do it.

  As my energy left me, I kicked out wildly once more, and it seemed Troy’s grip wasn’t as secure as he thought. Curie grabbed my legs and I foamed at the mouth as his greasy fingers smeared my knees.

  “Be still, damn you,” he said coldly.

  But I refused. I writhed around like a bag of snakes, and in the end, Curie said to Troy, “This is ridiculous. Everyone will hear this and I’ll have to dig some more holes in ground after this one. Drop her, Jackson.”

  The nice boy formerly known as Troy dutifully did as he was told, and I hit the small of my back as I landed awkwardly on the floor.

  Not giving me any chance to recover and make a run for it, Curie grabbed me by the throat and pinned me to the ground. He had a curved flick knife placed right in front of my right eye.

  “See this? Keep moving, and I will rip your eyes from their sockets. You just try me. Now - are you going to stop your wriggling?”

  I flailed about for a bit, but any energy I had soon left me.

  I was hurting, physically and emotionally. I simply could not understand Troy’s betrayal. Toril trusted him to deliver me safely. Didn’t she?

  Or did she plan for Troy to take me here all along?

  Stop it Romilly, the demon’s messing with you, that’s all.

  I really wanted to figure it all out, and hatch a plan of escape. It seemed curious to me that so far, neither Curie or Troy had relieved me of the Mirror.

  I offered no further resistance as Troy and Curie lifted me onto a table made of marble. I could see restraints, similar to the ones used in America when they would execute some criminal by lethal injection.

  “Strap her in,” Curie ordered Troy.

  Troy carefully strapped my limbs in one by one. I couldn’t move even a little, and Curie kept a sick smile on his face the entire time. Troy moved like he was in some kind of trance.

  “You’ve done well, my boy,” said Curie to Troy. As I lay there, they ignored me completely. “Very well indeed.”

  Above me, I could see some writing on the ceiling. It was in a language I did not understand.

  Turning back for an instant, Troy said, “She wants to know what the writing means. Shall we tell her?”

  Curie was all too happy to recite it.

  “You can’t read it, girl, can you? You are trapped, helpless, ugly, and illiterate.”

  Ooh – attacking my reading skills. Who knows what this garbage is anyway? Who cares?

>   “Care to take a guess at what it is?”