Precious Anathema

by T. L. Manning

  “I do have a part to play, one that I have known since I was a child Freya and I never meant to betray you with this secret, I feel ashamed.” She smiled and tapped my leg.

  “That’s all I wanted to hear Xander, we don’t need secrets around here and now that I know you are someone I can count on let’s move on.” She didn’t want to know what I had to do. She never gave it another thought as she started flipping through a book at her feet. I was uncomfortable with the silence, why didn’t she want to know? She stood up with an open book in her hands, looking back at me with wide eyes. “I found it Xander, I know what’s going on with Selene and your father, but it can’t leave this room. There is only one reason I wouldn’t be able to read their thoughts.” She paused and then sat down on the couch next to me. “They have to possess a higher knowledge of the art in my craft then I do, and neither Selene nor Israel could ever do that, they are not themselves at all.” I wasn’t sure what to say as she crept into my head, staring at me she held her hand out. “I know this is scary right now, but we have to put it out of our minds until we understand everything more do you understand?” I nodded to agree but the voice in my head began to scream as he ran away.

  *

  “You got us all lost Brandon, I told you we should have turned left back there.” The voices got closer until I could see many men talking. The one voicing his concern looked to be about twenty five, dark hair and skin.

  “Stop talking down to me Scott, can’t you see that we are clearly going in the right direction now?” I watched as a man stopped by the tree I was clinging too, he was a tall man with dirty blonde hair and didn’t seem any older than the other man. I looked past him and saw a large group of men behind him; they were the tortured souls only they looked like any man that I had seen before today, nothing like they had looked in the basement at all.

  “You self-appointed yourself to be our leader Brandon and you have no idea where we are going or why, I think we should turn back before we can’t get out.” Many voices chimed in to agree with the dark haired man and then the argument became heated.

  “Scott, you have been trying to undermine me since we got here. The fact is that none of us know what we are doing in the woods, and until we can remember I think we need to keep going.” Many men were talking over one another and I thought about what they were saying, and about what Ailen had told me, it wasn’t that I would forget in the woods but that I would be forgotten. They had forgotten about me at least that was the hope as I jumped out, before thinking clearly from behind the tree.

  “Brandon, look out!” Before I could speak the men scattered from me, they were afraid and that’s when I realized that jumping out at spirits parading around as living men, living men who wanted nothing more than to see me die a painful and torturous death may have been a hasty choice. I outstretched my arms and held out my hands, open and face up with my eyes closed in case these would be my last words.

  “I am sorry I scared you, I am just happy to have some contact please come out I won’t hurt you.” I kept my eyes closed as I heard the bushes around me rustle from the movements of men.

  “Please don’t be afraid of us Ma’am, we don’t want to hurt anyone either. Like you we appear to have gotten lost.” I opened my eyes and a dark haired man with a sincere smile held his hand out to mine. They had no idea who I was, Tempest was right about this being my only chance with them, and apparently Ailen had been right as well as I seemed to have been forgotten, I never thought I would be so happy to find out that I was invisible after all. I spoke up before I lost my nerve.

  “What are you all doing out here?” I watched as dozens of men came out from behind the trees around me. I had no idea there had been so many of them around me in the maze of the basement, as I looked at all of their faces now so young and concerned for my safety out here, my heart became very heavy and sad at the thought of what had been done to them. The taller man that had been fighting spoke up before the sweet dark haired man could answer, making him roll his eyes and step out of the way.

  “Hello Madam, my name is Brandon and we are on a quest.” He looked back at the other men quickly before turning back to me to speak in a whisper. “It is a secret quest we cannot tell you about, but if you would like to accompany us to stay safe we welcome you.” I swallowed so hard that it hurt inside my chest just thinking about continuing beside them through the woods, knowing that at any moment they could remember who they are looking for and what they intended to do to her. I shook his outstretched hand and smiled.

  “Thank you so much, my name is Ella and I have lost my companions so I would be very happy to travel with you.” I hoped that using my nickname would help keep my secret without lying to them just long enough to find out how I would convince them to quit their quest and join me in mine.

  “Nice to meet you Ella, if it is ok with you I think we should rest here for a while before continuing, and this way you can get to know all of us a little better as well.” I nodded and sat down on a stump as he began to delegate to the other men for wood and berries. They all appeared annoyed by him, but he kept on giving orders seemingly unaware. I started to question more than the fact that they seemed oblivious to the idea that they should at least try to remember what they were doing in the woods; I heard one of the men yell out as he ran through a brush full of thorns. They seemed to have no knowledge that they were dead, no memory of their rare and somewhat transparent existence at all. I thought that if I were going to win them, I had to understand them better, with the fire burning bright from dead limbs and dried up leaves everyone settled around the warmth and I started to ask the obvious questions.

  “So many of you, Brandon how do you all know one another?” Both Brandon and Scott looked at me, puzzled as in cooperation tried to give me an answer and at the same time they looked around the fire at all the other men. Realizing that we sat in awkward silence Scott began to tell me the made up tale behind the group.

  “We are all hunters, and we met some time ago during a quest deciding that as a pack we are mightier than alone.” Brandon actually coughed up a berry and threw it at Scott; I didn’t want to laugh and give away my secret but smiled in spite of myself at his reaction. They acted like any other men I knew, they all told made up stories, laughed at bad jokes and each one tried to be the alpha among the others. I started to think of them more as men, than of tortured spirits. I started knowing each one not only by his appearance, but as his name. Casey, Keith, Jeremiah, Aaron, Eric, Jeff, Bryan, Conrad, Gabriel, Leo, Marc, Chadwick, and Kevin just to name a few of them, this insight would prove to be the ace I held in my pocket to ensure all of us getting out of the woods somewhat alive and together. Scott realized late in the afternoon that I had been the one asking all the questions, and shifted the weight of the world back to me.

  “Ella you never did tell us how or why you ended up lost in the thick wood, tell us a little about yourself.” Here was my chance to play my damsel in distress card, as much as I hated the idea I knew it would work on the chivalrous nature in each of them.

  “I was traveling with my family and longtime friend to get home when my family and I became separated as we entered the forest and then my male companion went to find help and never returned, I am not sure that any of them are alive and fear my own death if I am left to face what lies beyond the woods alone.” I shed a few tears for affect, and curled up in a fetal position to show fear. I had no idea what I was doing, but one by one watched the men actually sit up taller like a protector and one by one they began telling me that they would postpone their quest to ensure my safe return home. I had them all eating out of my hands, I had done it. I had won over the savage souls and would see the real world again. It was then I became aware of someone else near us. I heard another set of hands, not from my head but from behind me, clapping, slowly and getting louder. I heard the low laugh and turned with a smile as my heart came out of my chest at the sight before me, then I heard the words that crushed my soul.
/>   “You stupid little girl, did you really think I was going to let you get out of here?”

  TWENTY THREE

  The sun was suddenly covered by a large black cloud, the birds began to fly from the woods in large groups and the temperature dropped what felt like ten degrees in a moment as Freya threw her book on the floor and ran out of the room without a word.

  “Freya, what’s wrong please stop!” I screamed as I chased her threw the hall. “What is going on?” I caught up with her at the top of the staircase and watched as the light that had been filtering through the Estate became darker as we ran to the stairs. A big storm was coming, that was clear but why it was affecting Freya this way was not. We reached the entry way and she began yelling, voice shaking and panicked.

  “Kali, Carna come now!” She took off into the study and stopped long enough to put her arm out stopping me in my tracks. “Xander, say nothing about our conversation because hell is about to be upon us and I will need you.” She left me in the large room, with the light almost gone as if hours had just past us by. Kali and Carna ran by me into the study and I was afraid to move as I felt the temperature drop again. I sat on the floor by the doorway so I could listen to them as they lowered their voices.

  “It’s opening early and I don’t know why.” Freya sounded as if she would cry; I couldn’t see her but heard her chin quiver as the words came out. Carna spoke anxiously to her mother.

  “Opening, what do you mean opening? I thought only Delilah came out, not that I would open and allow anything else out.” I heard Carna sit on the couch hard as Kali gasped.

  “That is what Tempest meant by helping Ella after she was through the woods isn’t it? We are opening hell to earth if we want to get her out aren’t we Freya?” I felt my heart race as I looked out the window, it was only four in the afternoon but the sky looked more like it was almost nine. I had a quick thought; if it was open then we could get inside. I jumped up from the floor and started running to the door, when something stopped me. I felt my feet come off the ground and saw the wall and then the ceiling as my back was pulled violently to the ground.

  “Xander, where do you think you are going?” I opened my eyes, but everything was a haze from the lack of air I could take into my lungs. “You should not have been listening to us, and attempting to go inside that spell would kill you.” I felt hands around my arms and as my vision improved I could see Freya, and the aunts were helping me to my feet.

  “I have to try to help her Freya, I can’t leave her alone. She needs to know that I didn’t betray her!” Freya walked closer to me and smiled.

  “The anger she feels in her heart for you right now may be the only fighting chance she has to get out alive, you can’t go to her. All any of us can do is prepare for what is coming.” Behind her I heard footsteps, it was Eris and she was looking out the window with fear in her eyes.

  “Mom, what is coming?” Everyone backed away and watched as Eris put her hands up to her face and began to cry. Carna put her arms around her daughter to comfort her as Freya and Kali looked at one another, it was as if they were speaking but no one could hear, then Kali put her head down to look at the floor and raised her head with fire in her eyes. I looked to Freya as Kali began screaming for her daughter. We were all silent as we waited to hear footsteps, but none came, Selene was gone.

  *

  “What are you doing here, like this?” My knees trembled as I looked into his eyes; I thought I would fall down crying at the sight of someone so close to my real world and as I realized what it meant for him to be here, to get in here. He stepped closer and looked me in the eye, bringing his hand up to brush my tangled hair out of my face and smiled.

  “It seems that beyond all obstacles you are almost home, and we can’t have that.” We, why was he talking to me like this?

  “Israel, how did you get in here, I need to know so we can get out please!” He raised his finger and pressed it against my lips as he shook his head.

  “You don’t seem to understand me little girl, you are not leaving here ever.” Brandon walked up to stand next to me and looked Israel up and down with a cold stare before looking at me with a smile.

  “Are you ok Ella?” I wasn’t sure if I were ok or not. This was Xander’s father, not some stranger to me and yet I didn’t recognize his tone or expressions.

  “Israel, is that you?” His sideways smirk told me more than his words as he laughed and raised an eyebrow at my question.

  “Trust me you pint-sized princess it’s a good thing I’m not Israel. He plans to have you killed, all I want to do is keep you here but I can kill you if that’s what it takes.” Israel plans to have me killed? I started to open my mouth when two dozen men came into my peripheral vision, we were surrounded by angry tortured spirits and they looked like they wanted ‘whoever’ this was for lunch. He looked a bit panicked as they moved in.

  “Back off all of you, what is the big idea, you work for me!” They worked for him? Was this Emma right in front of me, taking the form of a man? A female voice I recognized caused me to turn and look behind the trees.

  “No, that’s not Emma but I am Bitch!” Selene stepped out from the dark thicket and I couldn’t speak, couldn’t move just felt closed in as all the men created a shield around me.

  “Selene, I know that’s not true. You are stronger than this; I know that you are, just try to fight her out of you!” I heard her laugh getting closer but couldn’t see anything passed the large bodies of men. A soft male voice began to speak into my ear from inside the wall.

  “Ella, I don’t know who these people are but we won’t let them get to you.” I turned my head to see Scott start whispering his plan to the other men; I thought about how sad it would be when they figure out that they want to kill me, these amazing men who did nothing wrong in life, trapped and tortured by the woman who stood between freedom and death to us all. I couldn’t tell them who she was, I couldn’t let them hurt Selene and I knew that’s why she came to me like this. I couldn’t hurt her without it hurting someone I love. I still couldn’t figure out how they got in, and got ahead of us. I ran a few scenarios through my head listening to Israel verbally fight with them. They had to come in from the exit, we must be close to it, and if they got in that meant it had to be open and maybe I could use some of my magic. I closed my eyes and felt my ears turn red when I heard a clap of thunder roll through the sky and shake the ground we stood on. Selene reached for a branch to steady herself and I stepped away from the wall of men.

  “What was that you were you saying Bitch?” I smiled as she looked up at Israel, neither of them expected this. I knew I couldn’t hurt them or hurt people I cared about, but I could keep them far enough away to give us a head start. She glared at me, eyes on fire with fear and anger.

  “I created this world little girl, don’t think your meek parlor tricks are going to save you.” I didn’t know what Emma could do, but I knew what Selene could, and it was time to test her. I raised my hands never taking my eyes off her, the ground shook as I put the vision of her mouth on Xander’s in my mind. My hands rose higher and the sky became dark as I saw her looking at him naked. I raised my hands above my head and the lightning came when I thought of his hands on her naked body. I walked towards her as the rain was coming down on us like a sheet; I never took my eyes off her as she raised her eyebrows at me.

  “You don’t know who you are messing with do you?” She gave me a crooked smile and raised her arms to the sky screaming in a language I couldn’t understand. The ground began to move, and I braced myself as I saw a whole open up between us, she laughed as I held on to the men behind me. Israel had stayed quiet until now.

  “Our powers are too great for you; we have been using and perfecting them for over a century where you have had five minutes.” Scott and Brandon stepped in between us as he walked closer. Scott put his hand out to Israel’s chest and stopped him as Israel looked at his hand with disgust.

  “Listen old man, I don’
t know what is going on here and when I wake up from this messed up dream I will forget you, but for now I think you need to back up.” Israel picked up Scott’s finger and I heard him start to scream in pain as he dropped to the ground beside me.

  “I am no ordinary old man, I am the great sorcerer Balthazar and you will bow to me.” He looked at me with a smile as he let go of the poor tortured soul and bowed. “I am pleased we can finally meet Granddaughter.” I thought I would puke, this was my Dad, Justin’s evil father, and he wasn’t lying to me in the basement. I stood up straight, knees shaking under me. “You see Delilah, if it weren’t for me you wouldn’t be here today, so you’re welcome.” I looked back to the body of Selene, trying to think about what connection could be between Emma and Balthazar before I felt a pain in my ribs that rippled through my chest, falling over I saw the opening of the great void before closing my eyes and screaming for Kali in my head. I needed help.

  “Delilah, get up right now do you hear me?” I could see her standing by me in my head.

  “Kali, I can’t do this. Israel and Selene have been taken over by Emma and an evil sorcerer, Balthazar. I don’t know what to do Kali please help me!” I cried and she put her arms around me.

  “Delilah, you are the chosen one, not them. You can do this, take a breath get pissed and ruin them.” Kali lifted my chin and kissed my forehead. “The curse has begun to open so you just need to make it out and we can close them in do you understand me?” I nodded, knowing what I had to do. “Don’t stand here fighting, just run and keep them away, throw everything you have at them and we will worry about saving Selene and Israel after that.” I opened my eyes and no time had passed, I took Scott’s hand and helped him to his feet. Checking my surroundings I decided to try some of my new found gifts. Thinking of Eris I reached out to touch Israel, hoping it would work. He looked at me and then over to Selene obviously confused, this was our chance. I grabbed Brandon and screamed to run, as we made our way through the small path I knew they weren’t far behind. The ground shook around; tree’s coming down in front and behind us. I had to think of something fast but I had no idea if we were even going in the right direction. I thought of something happy and the sky lit up above us, shining down on the path. I could see a fork ahead and as we were about to take the path on the right I crashed face to face with something hard. I fell to the ground, as did the others. I looked up to see what stopped me but saw nothing. This must be the way out, I started to bang on the invisible wall blocking our way out. They had us trapped, and now it was time to be the chosen one. I told the men to get behind me as I stood in place, waiting for them to come to me.