She cackled out loud as she dusted herself off.
The Men in Black turned to face her.
Miriam stood before them cackling.
Her shoulders were hunched. Her head was hung low. Her clothes hung loose on her body as if they were rags, but her eyes were alive with a fury I had never seen before.
“Did you think it would be so easy?” Miriam asked in an unholy voice. “Did you think you could kill one of the twelve so easily?”
The Men in Black did not reply. Their faces remained impassive. Yet, all of them had drawn their weapons. All of them began to fire on the witch. Yes, that is what she was. My sweet loving Miriam, had transformed herself into something different, and even though she frightened me, I once again screamed out when they tried to harm her.
I was wasting my worry meter.
The witch simply froze the bullets in the air with a wave of her hand. Then she took a mighty breath before doubling over forward. I heard a loud cracking sound come from her body, but she proved herself unharmed when she stood back up and expanded her throat like a bullfrog. Except, unlike a natural creature, there was something moving and wriggling under her skin, I thought I was losing my mind. I backed up against the nearest wall and slid to my butt.
Then Miriam roared.
A million locusts flew out of her mouth. They swarmed the room. I could barely see through their tiny bodies but I heard the screams. I knew what was happening. The bugs were devouring the Men in Black.
I fell to my side. I covered my face and head, but the locusts had no interest in me. Their attention was only upon the Men in Black.
A figure approached me through the cloud of bugs. A cold hand with fingers like tree branches grabbed me by the arm and yanked me to my feet.
“Time to go,” the witch laughed as she pulled me behind her.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Down,” the witch answered. “Down, down, and down. I seek the place where the cold ones sleep their eternal slumber. An army against an army: so shall it be.”
I had no idea what she was talking about, but I knew the four Men in Black were not alone. I had seen the amount of people that exited the SUVs. I had a pretty good idea where one army was coming from. I just didn’t know how Miriam was planning to raise up an army in our defense.
We were in an elevator when I finally managed to face my friend and look her in the eyes.
“Miriam,” I said. “I’m scared. What are we doing?”
The witch laughed.
“We’re killing them all,” she answered. “Every single one of them. We accept no traitors in this business. We bury our dead. We fight the fight. We continue the war, but we will never suffer a traitor. I mean to set an example.”
“What about Javie and Georgie,” I asked. “They are in danger. They need us.”
“They are touched by the Guardian’s power,” Miriam said. “Mere mortals cannot hope to survive an encounter with those that are touched by the Guardian’s power. They will be fine. Your friends have no idea what they are truly capable of doing. It’s about time they found out. Meanwhile, we will see about earning the respect of our enemies.”
“You’re scaring me,” I said. “Miriam, you’re really scaring me.”
Finally, I saw a flicker of humanity in her green hued face.
“Forgive me, my dear,” Miriam said. “I used the darkest of magic and have merely revealed my true nature. As frightening as my appearance may have become, I am old and out of practice. Saving Skie took too much out of me. I’m tired. I need help. Just pray that I am strong enough to control what I unleash.”
I was quiet after her explanation. I had nothing left to say. I was along for the ride, because in truth, I was merely just a human girl surrounded by terrifying things I really didn’t understand.
The elevator stopped.
We were in the basement. Miriam dragged me down yet another hallway. I noticed for the first time that the fingernails on her hands had turned black. Her head, with its shaggy mane of black hair darted left and right as she searched for what she was looking for.
Finally, she found it.
“Ah,” Miriam said. “Here we are.”
She then dragged me into the morgue. The fluorescent lights began to flicker as soon as she entered. The walls were covered in sickly green tiles. The floor was a grey concrete with drain holes spaced every ten feet or so. I could see the stainless steel doors of a walk in freezer at the far end, but I paid it no attention. No, my attention was focused on what filled the large, cold room. Tables upon tables upon tables, and on top of each rectangular slab of a table rested a body from the awards banquet. I wished they had been covered with sheets like the movies always depicted, but they weren’t. I recognized many of the faces.
“Did we lose so many?” I asked.
“Save your tears, Ivana,” Miriam said. “The dead are at rest. The shells are empty.”
“What about Skie?” I asked. “We just left her.”
“Skie is the safest person in the world right now,” Miriam cackled. “Your fears are misplaced.”
“Who was that girl that you summoned?” I demanded. “Was she a…demon?”
“Sally Scissorcut is close enough to a demon but not quite,” Miriam answered. “She has the power of a demon. Yet, she isn’t necessarily evil.”
“Could have fooled me,” I said.
“That wasn’t evil, child,” Miriam said. “That was just Sally being angry with me.”
“Why is she angry with you?” I asked.
Miriam stopped looking at all the many bodies in the room and stared at me.
“You ask difficult questions,” Miriam said. “You’ll hate me if I answer.”
“Do it anyway,” I said bravely.
“I was a young girl once,” Miriam said. “If you can believe it. My abilities were just beginning to develop. In a moment of great despair after my grandmother died, I accidentally called upon an entity: a very powerful entity. Instead of just killing me outright, this entity took pity on me. She became my friend. She taught me how to use my abilities.”
“How did you get your abilities?” I asked.
“I am descended from a long line of powerful witches,” Miriam said. “Gypsies are full of witches but none of them were nearly as powerful as I was. None of them had been taught by Sally. I quickly surpassed my mother and grandmother. I brought down fortune on my entire family. I was loved. I was admired. I had Sally to thank for all of it.”
“Okay,” I said.
“She was my friend,” Miriam said. “I confided in her. I loved her. As I grew into a young woman, she was there for me. On my wedding day, I felt her watching over me. When my first child was born, I named her Sally. I was happy. I was truly happy. I loved my daughter. She was beautiful. She was vibrant. She was the sweetest little girl; she never had a bad thing to say about anyone.”
“Did Sally hurt your daughter?” I asked.
“Of course not,” Miriam answered. “But youth doesn’t last forever. My daughter eventually grew into a young woman. She was very beautiful. You remind me of her just a little bit. So does Skie. Skie has her beauty. You have her attitude.”
“What happened to her?” I asked.
“A traveling caravan came to visit our village one summer,” Miriam said. “They weren’t familiar to my clan but people of gypsy ancestry tend to welcome others of their kind. My daughter was old enough to venture out on her own. One night she met a boy from this traveling caravan. I thought nothing of it. She was a good girl. I didn’t have to worry about her. She wanted to go to the lake with him, and I granted her request immediately. Sally appeared before me the moment she left. Sally was angry. She didn’t trust the boy. There was a foul air about him in her opinion.”
Things were beginning to fall into place. I didn’t like what I was hearing but regardless of that, I needed to hear it.
“What happened when she went to the lake with the boy?” I asked.
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“He raped her,” Miriam answered. “After that, he slit her throat. When my daughter never came home, I searched for her. When I couldn’t find her, I called upon Sally. Sally found her immediately. She brought my daughter’s lifeless body to me. I flew into a rage. The plates and glasses in my cottage flew from the shelves and shattered against the floor in my anger.”
“You had a right to be angry,” I said.
“It wasn’t just anger,” Miriam said. “I wanted revenge. Sally stood before me as I made my way to the door. She asked what I planned on doing. I told her that I planned on killing the one responsible. Sally had another idea. Instead of just taking my revenge out upon the one responsible, she advised me to take my revenge out upon the entire family. Let all of them suffer. Sally could show me how to do it.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“What did you do Miriam?” I asked.
“I cursed the family,” Miriam said. “I cursed them with the most powerful curse Sally could teach me. It was a curse so horrible, it has claimed thousands upon thousands of lives. It was a curse that I have regretted ever since. Once it started…once the first zombie rose up and spread its vileness, I tried to stop it. Yet, this type of curse cannot be stopped. I begged Sally to put an end to it but she refused. She wanted the boy’s entire family to suffer. She loved my daughter. She loved her so much that even when I cursed her name, even when I cast her away from me, she would not reverse the curse.”
“You were the one that started everything weren’t you?” I asked. “You created the curse that took over El Paso.”
“Clara,” Miriam said. “That’s her name. She is a descendant of the family I cursed. Her pain is due to me. The people of El Paso that have suffered did so because I cast a curse that I couldn’t control. In the end, it was a Guardian that came and put an end to things. It was a Guardian that righted my wrongs. Ever since then, I have aided the Guardians.”
“How sad,” I said as I watched the tears fall from Miriam’s eyes.
“I lost my husband,” Miriam said. “I lost everyone I loved in that initial outbreak. I never spoke to Sally again until today.”
“I’m sorry,” I said stupidly. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through, but what the Hell are we doing here?
“My dear,” Miriam said as she stroked my chin with her black nails. “I’m about to make the very same mistake once again. Let’s just hope I’ve learned a few things.”
Miriam began to cackle.
I backed away from her as fast as I could. I was afraid. I have no shame in admitting my fear. I never try to be tough. If something scares the crap out of me, I have no problems admitting it, and Miriam was scaring the crap out of me.
She started chanting. She started waving her arms around. Her voice was shrill, and horrible to hear. From pockets in her clothes she drew powders that she flung on the many victims from Jaxon’s banquet party. Finally, she cut her wrist once again. A drop of blood was placed upon the foreheads of seven corpses.
Then Miriam looked at me.
“Hold my hand,” she said. “If you let go, they will eat you.”
Despite my fear, I ran forward and grasped her cold hand. The seven corpses began to shake on their slabs. They began to twist and moan.
I started to cry.
“Miriam,” I said. “What have you done?”
“Fear not, child,” Miriam laughed. “I have better control now.”
The zombies rose off their cold metal slabs. Their steps were shaky at first but they soon grew accustomed to their new condition. Immediately, they focused on Miriam and me. I panicked. I tried to run but Miriam held me fast.
“Heed my words, girl,” Miriam shouted. “Heed my commands.”
I stayed where I was. The zombies approached. They looked us over. They smelled us from toe to head but Miriam didn’t move an inch. I cried when the zombie closest to me began to smell my neck. I cringed but Miriam held onto me.
“I called you forth for a reason,” Miriam shouted. “I called you forth to strike down my enemies. Go now and do your duty.”
The dead obeyed.
They ran out of the room. Miriam and I followed them. The elevator doors opened at the end of the hallway. Six of the Men in Black stepped forth, and the shamblers fell upon them instantly.
Miriam watched as the dead devoured the living. She smiled when they were finished.
“Let’s go collect Georgie and Javie,” Miriam said.
She then led me to the elevator. The zombies came with us. I can’t even begin to tell how it felt to be trapped in an elevator with seven naked living corpses. I was terrified. If it wasn’t for the steel-like grasp of Miriam’s black nailed hand, I’m sure I would have freaked out and been devoured.
I could feel their eyes upon me. I could feel their hunger. Miriam’s control over them was tenuous at best. I could see the beads of sweat on her brow from the strain.
“Are you okay?” I asked her.
“You will most certainly know if I’m not,” the witch smiled.
The ride seemed to last an eternity. When the elevator doors finally opened, my salvation wasn’t waiting beyond. The hallway had turned into a warzone. I immediately saw the bodies of several nurses and many Men in Black.
I made an effort to run to my friends. Miriam nearly yanked my arm out of the socket.
“What did I tell you?” Miriam asked.
“But Javie and Georgie…” I started.
“They are Regulators,” Miriam said. “Perhaps you incapable of understanding what that means.”
The smell of blood excited the zombies. They charged out of the elevators. They ran down the hallway and rounded the corridor. I heard the shrieks of the Men in Black but that didn’t stop me from pulling Miriam behind me as I ran to Javie and Georgie’s room.
When I came to the doorway, I had to step over corpses.
“Javie,” I called out. “Don’t shoot. It’s Ivana and Miriam.”
“Get in,” Georgie said. “Get in and get down. These fuckers are trying to kill us.”
“They’re the Men in Black,” I said.
“Like in the movie?” Georgie asked.
“Do I need to answer that?” I asked.
“Why are they trying to kill us?” Javie interrupted.
By this time, I had stepped into the room. I saw seven bodies. The boys had been busy. They were using firearms stolen from the corpses at their feet. This, by the way, is one of the many mental images I’ll never get out of my head. In a million years, I could never picture Javie and Georgie capable of such violence. It was a shock to see what they could unleash. It was a shock to see the blood on their hands.
The world around me had certainly changed. Out of the entire group, those two were the least likely to ever hurt anyone. The Guardian power had made them all killers.
“It’s a long story,” I answered. “Miriam will explain everything later. Right now, we need to get out of here.”
The moans of the dead began to echo up and down the hallway outside the room.
“Oh fuck me,” Georgie said. “Are those zombies? Has there been an outbreak here?”
“Get behind us,” Javie ordered. “Where’s Miriam?”
“This is Miriam,” I said.
Javie did a double take. I saw his mouth working as he attempted to figure out why her appearance had so drastically changed.
“We won’t be cowering in a corner, boy,” Miriam laughed. “Now is the time to flee. Our allies will soon become our enemies.”
“You need to trust us,” I added. “Don’t let go of my hand. No matter what, don’t let go of my hand.
It took it took a bit more convincing than that, but eventually Javie grabbed my hand and Georgie grabbed his. We left the room. As soon as we entered the hallway, we were rushed by three zombies.
Georgie raised his gun. Miriam told them to be still. The zombies smelled all of us but Miriam. Then they passed us by. We slowly continu
ed on our way. Several corpses began following us. Georgie kept his weapon in a ready position. I gripped Javie’s hand tighter.
“Don’t let go,” I said. “If you do they will kill you.”
Javie nodded that he understood. Yet, I could tell that he’d rather rely on a weapon than holding my hand. At the elevator, the dead crowded around us. Miriam allowed five of them to enter.
“How are you doing this?” Georgie asked.
“Magic,” Miriam answered.
“What about all the innocent people that get in their way?” Georgie asked.
“They will be fine if I can retain control,” Miriam answered. “They are currently only attracted to those near me and those threatening me.”
“What happens if you lose control?” Javie asked. “How bad will it be?”
“How bad was El Paso?” Miriam countered.
As we rode the elevator to the first floor, Miriam began to sweat profusely. Her chest also began to bulge and shudder. A large lump began growing underneath her ribcage. It looked as if she were about to explode. I could hear her bones pop in an effort to make room for it.
I tried to talk to her. I tried to ask her if she was okay, but she ignored my questions and began to chant quietly under her breath.
The elevator doors opened once again.
The world erupted around us. Gunshots blazed from all corners of the room. Georgie returned fire. The zombies ran out to devour our attackers.
Miriam strode forward without a care in the world. A bullet hit my wrist. My hand was knocked away from Miriam’s grasp. I had lost her protection but I still had the Regulators.
I cried out, and clutched my bleeding wrist. Javie took a position over me. He returned fire on the Men in Black, but they were everywhere, and they had been waiting for us. The only reason we weren’t already dead were the zombies. Our attackers weren’t expecting to be charged by the living dead.
“Zombie,” Georgie shouted to Javie.
Javie immediately spun around and put a bullet hole in the head of the shambler headed our way.
Broken (Book 3 of The Guardian Interviews) Page 22