by Amy Cross
“What's wrong?” Luke asks as he comes to the doorway.
“I can't find Alice.”
“She's a kid. She probably just wandered away and -”
“Are you serious?” I hiss, hurrying past him and heading to the far end of the building. Looking around the corner, I try to spot some sign of the little girl, but she's absolutely nowhere to be found. “Come on, Alice,” I whisper, “don't do this.”
“She was supposed to go to the machine and come straight back,” Luke points out as he comes over to join me, and now there's a hint of fear in his voice. “She's not an idiot. She knew she wasn't allowed to wander off.”
“It's only been a few minutes,” I point out,” and there really aren't so many places she could have gone.”
Hurrying past the entrance to the parking lot, I make my way to the edge of the street and look both ways. There's a lot of traffic, but I still can't see any sign of Alice, which at least means that she doesn't seem to have been steered toward the most immediate danger. If Chanciechaunie wanted to take control of her mind and kill her quickly, he'd have undoubtedly brought her to the busy street, although I guess there's also a chance that he wants to try something more inventive.
Looking around, I see that there's no-one on the roof of any nearby buildings.
“Alice!” I shout, although I doubt she could hear me even if she was only a few hundred meters away. There's simply too much noise here on the edge of town. “Where the hell are you?”
“Let's not panic,” Luke says as he comes over to join me. “We don't know that he's taken her.”
“We should never have spent so long here,” I mutter, still looking around for some sign of the girl. “It's my fault. I should have insisted that we keep moving. We should have gone straight to Malmarbor instead of wasting time in some dusty old archive!”
“Emily -”
“We have to split up. We have to cover as much ground as possible and find her!”
I hurry to the street corner, but after a moment I notice a police car at the side of the road. My first instinct is to go over and ask if he's seen a little girl, although I hold back when I realize that he's already spotted me. He's speaking into a radio, and I can't shake the fear that maybe I've been recognized. After all, Craig has some powerful friends and he's probably managed to get the word out that I'm missing.
I turn to Luke.
“If you were Alice right now, where would you go?”
“I'd have come back to the room.”
“Alright, and if you were this Chanciechaunie creature and you wanted to do something to her, where would you lead her?”
“I don't know. Here, maybe? The road?”
“There must be somewhere else. Maybe some kind of -”
Suddenly I pause as I hear another train in the distance.
“The rail-road,” I whisper, feeling a growing sense of panic in my gut. “It can't be far. What if he's taken her there?”
I hurry back past the parking lot, with Luke keeping pace.
“Let's not assume the worst,” he says, a little breathlessly. “In the past, Chanciechaunie has always taken the easiest route, right? He puts kids in traffic, or drowns them in the lake. At the hospital, he just got Marvin to drink bleach, which isn't the most creative way to die.”
“Sure, but -”
As I reach the corner of the hotel building, I stop for a moment, and then I turn back to Luke.
“So what I'm saying,” he continues, “is that there's a good chance Alice really did just wander off. I mean, children can be absent-minded sometimes, can't they?”
I stare at him for a moment.
“What?” he asks. “Emily, you're starting to freak me out.”
“Marvin...” I whisper.
“What about him?”
“How do you know about him?”
“You told me.”
“No,” I reply, “I didn't. I never got around to it.”
“Didn't you?” He pauses, and then slowly a faint smile starts to cross his lips. “Ah, well... In that case, I guess I might've finally slipped up.”
Chapter Forty-Three
“Stop!” I shout, but it's too late. Luke slams me into the wall and presses an arm against my throat. I try to call out, but he's pushing too hard and I can barely even breathe.
“Don't worry,” he sneers. “I'm not going to drink bleach again, although that was a nice little spectacle, don't you think? The world won't miss men like Marvin. Frankly, I think I should be given a medal for getting rid of him!”
“What do you want?” I gasp, trying but failing to push him away. “Where's Alice?”
“Oh, she's fine,” he replies. “For now, anyway. I set her on auto-pilot.”
I try again to get free, but after a moment he starts laughing.
“You're very persistent,” he continues, “but that's not what attracted my attention. I've had persistent people come after me before, and they always die or give up eventually. But you, Emily, you're different. They did something to your head in that hospital, something that changed the way your brain works. And that means I'm not quiet sure how to deal with you.”
He leans closer.
“In fact,” he whispers, “I'm starting to think you could be very useful.”
“This isn't real,” I stammer. “Please -”
“I know the stories about me,” he continues. “Don't you think I've read them all? None of them are even close to the truth, so don't think for one moment that you know anything about me! You don't even know where I live! Do you think that stupid little cottage is my home? Hell, no. I just followed you in there because I wanted to play with your head. You don't have a hope of tracking me down, so I'm going to warn you right now... Stop!”
“Where's Alice?” I hiss, although he immediately pushes harder against my throat.
In the distance, there's the sound of another train passing.
“Please,” I continue, “just let her go! Do anything you want to me, but don't hurt Alice!”
“Or what?” he asks. “What exactly do you think you can do to stop me?”
“Chanciechaunie,” I gasp. “Is that your name?”
His smile broadens. “No,” he says after a moment. “I'm not Chanciechaunie. Do you really not understand? Are you so completely clueless about what's going on here? I'm just his latest servant!”
I try again to force him back, but he's too strong.
“I don't give a damn what people call me,” he continues. “I don't give a damn about the stories, either. How many children are there in this world, Emily? And how many of them do I take? Believe me, I want them all, but I'm careful to restrict myself. Just one here and there, now and again, when the hunger gets too strong. It eats me up, Emily, but I hold back for as long as possible. And then when I kill them, at least I take care of their souls when I'm done! I don't just let them fade into the darkness! I put them somewhere very beautiful. But my name, my real name, is -”
Suddenly I manage to push his arm away, and I slip free. Gasping for air, I stumble toward the edge of the parking lot, before tripping and dropping to my knees.
“This is your final warning,” he continues, stepping around me. “I've let you fool around long enough. I need you, Emily.”
“What about Alice?” I ask.
“Oh, I'm taking Alice,” he replies, stopping in front of me. “I chose her a long time ago. Luke Knight has to pay for hounding me like this, so I'm taking his daughter and turning her into my final offering. I'm sure my master will be pleased. And then I'm going to kill Luke, and then I will make you kneel before your new master!”
Spotting a fire extinguisher nearby, I back away from Luke as he approaches.
“I'm warning you!” he hisses. “Stop getting in my way! Come back to Malmarbor, Emily. I should've taken you while I had the chance, but you weren't so useful back then.”
“That's the part I still don't understand,” I tell him. “If you're so powerful and
strong, and if you're in control, then why are you bothering to warn me? Why don't you just kill me?”
“Because you amuse me, Emily. And because I need you for something.”
“Right,” I continue, “but... I'm sorry, I don't buy that. I think you're scared.”
I wait for him to reply, but I swear I can see a flicker of fear in his eyes. Before he has a chance to come for me again, I grab the fire extinguisher and pull it free.
“Stop!” he shouts, lunging at me.
Swinging the extinguisher, I slam it as hard as I can manage into his leg. He stumbles back and drops down onto one knee, and I quickly drop the extinguisher and start running, hurrying away from the parking lot.
“Come back!” he yells. “Emily, I'm warning you!”
***
It takes a few minutes before I find the fence that marks the edge of the rail-road, but finally I start clambering over the top. I throw myself over to the other side, and I land awkwardly on my ankle. Getting to my feet, I glance back and see Luke stumbling after me, although he's limping heavily and it's clear that I caused some serious damage when I hit his leg.
Good.
I needed to slow him down.
Turning, I start hurrying through the forest, stumbling several times as I spot the lights of the track up ahead. After a moment, however, a passenger train rushes past, and its lights race through the forest. For a fraction of a second, I spot the outline of a figure between the trees, and I realize I was right.
“Alice!” I shout. “Get back here!”
I keep going, forcing my way through the undergrowth. I can already hear another train rumbling closer, and when it roars past I see Alice's silhouette once again. She's almost at the tracks now, and I have no doubt that Chanciechaunie is planning to collect another soul.
“Stop!” I yell. “Alice, it's me! Come back!”
I slip and fall in the mud, but I get back up and keep going. The forest is pitch-black, so I simply have to aim for the orange glow of the train-line in the distance, and finally I burst out into a cleared corridor that allows the trains to run past the forest and toward the heart of the city. I look both ways, and I quickly spot Alice about a hundred meters toward the curve. Horrified, I see that she's stepping onto the tracks.
“Stop!” I scream, running toward her. “Alice, get away from there! It's not safe!”
I can already feel the ground starting to rumble beneath my feet, which means another train is about to come rushing around the bend. The driver will have no chance of stopping in time, and Alice is simply standing on the tracks as if she's waiting to die. I know Chanciechaunie is in her head, and I know there's no chance he'll show mercy. As I see the lights of an approaching train in the distance, I stumble slightly and almost fall, but somehow I manage to keep going.
“Alice, move!” I shout. “Alice, get out of the way!”
She turns to me, but her eyes seem somehow blank, as if she's incapable of putting any thoughts together. Behind her, the lights of the train are rushing closer.
“Alice, run!”
I can see the train now, rushing straight toward her. Racing along the tracks, I reach out and grab her shoulder, and then I throw her out of the way just in time. Before I can follow, however, my foot catches against the rail, slowing me. I see Alice tumbling to safety, but suddenly the air around me is punched away. The last thing I feel is the immense rush of the train as it plows straight through the left side of my body, bursting me apart like a sack of meat.
Chapter Forty-Four
I hear it more than feel it. A heavy thumping sound, filling the darkness. Pain courses through my body, rippling toward my brain but not getting there in time. So really it's just the thump, that's the main impression. Like someone punching a heavy bag. Not even that hard, either. Just... THUMP!
***
The world is swinging and swaying around me as I stumble through the darkness. All my thoughts seem to be rushing from my mind, but somehow I'm able to pull them closer until I drop to my knees and let out a faint gasp. Something is trying to lift me up by my shoulders, but I reach down and dig my fingers into the muddy ground, anchoring myself until the lifting sensation passes.
***
After a couple of minutes, the dizziness subsides and I finally manage to look up.
***
The train has stopped a couple of hundred meters further along the track, and I can see a man clambering down from the cab at the front.
There are voices shouting, and shocked faces staring out from the train's windows.
***
Cellphones flashing.
***
When I start getting to my feet, I immediately feel the ground starting to sway again. I stagger back, struggling to stay up, but after a moment I manage to steady myself. This time I stay completely still until I'm sure that I'm a little more sure-footed, and then I stumble forward, making my way along the side of the stationary train. I look up at the windows and see faces trying to peer along the tracks, as if they want to see what's happening. None of them seem to have noticed me at all.
Up ahead, Luke has his arms around Alice, holding her tight.
“Where's Emily?” she sobs.
“Just focus on me,” he stammers.
“Where is she? I saw her, and now she's gone!”
“I'm right here!” I call out, heading toward them. After a moment, however, I see that the side of the train has streaks of blood running along the metal and covering some of the windows. Some of the blood has collected in a groove on the train's door and has begun to drip down to the ground.
“What the hell's going on here?” the train driver shouts as he gets closer. “What were you doing on the line?”
“I was saving her!” I tell him. “I had to -”
“Pair of idiots!” he yells, as if he hasn't heard my voice. “This is the third hit I've had this year. They're gonna start thinking I do it on purpose!”
“She saved you,” Luke continues, his voice trembling with shock as he continues to hold his daughter tight. “She saved you, Alice, but she...”
He pauses for a moment, before squeezing his eyes shut and pulling her closer.
“I hit her,” the driver continues. “I didn't have a chance! She was right there on the track!”
“Daddy, where's Emily?” Alice asks again. “Is she okay?”
“I'm fine,” I tell her, stepping closer as the driver heads back to his cab. “Alice, I'm right here.”
She pauses, before turning and looking at me.
“See?” I continue with a faint smile, trying to hide the fact that I feel dizzy and nauseous. “I'm fine, I... I must have got out of the way just in time and -”
Suddenly I remember the impact of the train slamming into my body. I try to push the memory out of my mind, but it's so clear and so distinct. After a moment, I turn and look at the smeared blood on the side of the nearest carriage. For a moment, everything becomes blurred and doubled, and I have to wait a few seconds before I can see properly again.
“There she is!” Alice stammers.
“Don't look!” Luke hisses.
“She's right there!”
Turning, I see that Alice is pointing at me. Luke follows her gaze, but he looks around for a moment before glancing back at her.
“Can't you see her?” Alice continues. “She's not very clear, but she's here!”
She slips away from him and runs toward me, although she stops at the last moment, staring up at me with a hint of wonder in her eyes.
“Are you okay?” she asks.
“I don't know,” I reply, feeling a hint of panic rising through my chest. “I got you off the track, but then...”
“I think the train hit you,” she whispers. “How are you okay if the train hit you?”
Luke steps up behind Alice and puts his hands on her shoulders. “We have to get out of here,” he tells her. “Emily saved your life. If she was still here, she'd want us to keep running. If we st
art talking to the police, they'll want an explanation, and I don't even know where to begin. If Emily was with us, she's tell us to run!”
“I am here!” I tell him. “You're the one who isn't here! You're not Luke!”
I reach out and grab Alice's arm, but she immediately flinches and pulls back.
“What's wrong?” Luke asks her.
“She's cold,” Alice replies, still staring up at me. “Daddy, I think she's dead.”
In the distance, sirens are getting closer.
“I'm not dead!” I say firmly, still trying not to panic. “What are you talking about? Why are you saying that?”
“He was in my head,” Luke continues, suddenly scooping Alice up into his arms and starting to carry her away from the tracks, back into the forest. “I couldn't stop him, he was in my head and he was making me do things. We have to get away from here!”
“Wait for Emily!” Alice shouts, reaching toward me.
Ignoring her, Luke takes her further into the forest as flashing lights head this way.
“Why are we leaving her behind?” Alice sobs, trying to struggle free from his grip. “Daddy, Emily's right behind us!”
Luke turns and looks back this way, but I can already tell he can't see me.
“This is my fault,” he stammers. “I shouldn't have let that creature into my head. If I'd kept him out and looked after you, Emily would never have had to go on the tracks and...”
His voice trails off as he stares past me. Turning, I see that he's looking toward the lights of the train, and for a moment I can't help staring at the flashing red and blue lights that are getting closer. There are a couple of silhouetted figures at the front of the train, and after a few seconds one of them crouches down and seems to be peering at something beneath the driver's cab. It's almost as if some kind of object is trapped in the wheels.
“Daddy, wait!” Alice screams suddenly.
Looking over my shoulder, I see that Luke is once again carrying her away.