Elisha made one final noise and spat blood into the air, some of it hitting my dress, but most coming back to land on his face. His final look of pain and horror froze in place and the heartbeat that I’d felt in the blade ceased. He was dead.
I hovered over him, my bloodied hand still holding the instrument of his demise, and I felt more power than I’d ever known before. Love was not real, but vengeance was. I had stopped this one evil man, but what of all the others? What of all the women who were not as strong, not as lucky as I? I would stand for them, I would protect them. My life had new purpose now.
Elisha was my first, but he was hardly my last. Every encounter with a man from that night forward was a secret test, and every man failed. Every one of them eventually proved their moral corruption. It was disgusting. I worked tirelessly to purge the world of their filth. Gaining trust, luring them in. It was a slow process at first, but I was patient, and dedicated, and in time, I was perfect. Nearly perfect. Until that ill-fated night when the witch had cast me into this cruel imprisonment. If she thought she could change me, she was wrong. Years of darkness, centuries of nothing but the memories of my kills to sustain me had not dulled my hunger, it had sharpened me, readied me. I knew something more was coming. Even in this state of sleep I could tell that my hands felt dry and cracked without the warmth of blood to cover them. I needed a new victim! I needed to wake up.
And then I did. In this new, unfamiliar place. The strangeness of it all was enough to distract me from that which I wanted so badly, but for how long?
Chapter 2
After I awoke, I sat in that field for the longest time, enjoying the warm sun on my skin and watching what I had finally decided must be some kind of airborne vessels. They launched themselves into the sky while others came back down to earth in an endless procession. One of the steely looking beasts had stopped out in the open and a strangely dressed man rolled stairs to its side. I watched, transfixed, as a door on the side swung outward, and a line of people disembarked. A fence separated me from them, and they were far too distant to bother calling out, so I sat and observed. There were more buildings in the opposite direction and horseless carriages moving about like ants in a colony, transporting people to and fro, going who knows where. Looking back, I should have been afraid, but as I lay there, staring out at the foreign land around me, I felt like I was in a dream. My mind accepted what I saw without question. I didn’t need to understand how, or why, I just needed to absorb the truth and move forward. I decided that I hadn’t been transported to some far away land; but instead, I’d been frozen in time.
How long I’d been trapped, bound away from the world as it moved on without me, I had no idea, but the breathtaking advancements in travel and structure left no doubt in my mind. Not just the scale and size, but the beauty and perfection. Buildings in the distance rose higher than any I’d ever seen, but more impressive than their height were the straight lines, like a razor’s edge that stretched up toward the sky. Windows were spaced evenly and aligned perfectly over vast distances that hardly seemed possible, but each building was the same. The sky carriages I’d been watching so closely were all shaped in the same, perfect angles. Their wings stretched out to the sides with even more symmetry than God had given the natural birds of the air. Every sight was a wonder to behold.
The sun had started to fall toward the horizon, preparing to vanish behind the wall of buildings in the distance and casting a deep orange glow across the sky. The air was already beginning to cool and I knew that I couldn’t stay out in the open much longer. I picked myself up and started walking toward the buildings in the distance, opposite the flying machines which had mesmerized me for so long.
As I drew closer to a road, I noticed that the horseless carriages were going much faster than it had seemed from a distance. They sped past me at spectacular speeds. As the evening grew darker, I also saw that the carriages lit up, brighter and more focused than any light I had ever seen. I was dazzled by the yellow and red beams. I had to wait for a space between them in order to cross to the other side of the road, only to be met with another, wider road with far more traffic. When I spied a break in the flow of carriages, I ran across the road as quickly as I could, but I still underestimated their speed. One of the carriages was suddenly bearing down upon me. I was frozen in the stream of its light, knowing that I would never get out of the way in time. At the last moment, it swerved around me, blasting the air with a sharp sound that finally startled me into movement, and I scurried to the other side of the road, collapsing in the grass.
When I recovered my breath, I saw that I now appeared to be in the outskirts of a town. I continued walking, careful to avoid the fast moving carriages, and for the longest time I did not encounter a single person who was travelling by foot. The evening grew steadily darker, but above me, an orange light flickered on. It stood atop a metal pole, and I noticed that similar lights lined the streets in all directions, illuminating pockets of the night. I heard a noise, and looked up to see a figure approaching in the distance.
“Excuse me,” I called as the man drew near enough for me to see him.
He did not respond to me, although I was certain he must have heard me.
“Excuse me, sir, but could you help me?” I asked again.
The man ignored me, and as he drew even nearer, I could see him looking me over from head to toe. Everything about him look told me exactly what he was doing. He was looking at me like a meal – just like all the others. All at once, my thoughts changed from trying to get help to deciding how I would end this cretin’s life. I had no weapon, but I was sure I could kill him with my hands if I needed to. Men always underestimated me; I was much stronger than I looked. Not enough to overpower them, but more than enough to surprise them, and that had proven to be all I needed many times before.
Making matters even easier for me, the man seemed to slow as he approached. I was not at all surprised to realize that he was planning to attack me somehow, likely wanting to take advantage of a beautiful woman all alone. I dipped my head downward and tried to shrink into myself; it was a practiced motion, I wanted him to think I felt vulnerable and afraid when in reality, I was seething. I could already feel my fingernails tearing into him as he cried out in shock and pain. Whatever the state of the world I’d found myself in, men were clearly no better than they’d been in the one I had departed. To find such deviancy so quickly made me wonder just how much worse it may have become.
I heard the man grunt and watched as he licked his lips as I pretended to try to dart around him, but just as he was about to make his move – his fatal mistake – a bright light appeared out of nowhere and a loud noise pierced the night. The man jumped and abruptly ran off into an alley.
Though I did not flee like the cowardly man, even I was startled by the sudden commotion. I turned to find two bright lights of a carriage come rolling to a stop very near me on the road. In the dark of the twilight, the light was blinding and I had to look away, unable to see anything for a moment.
“Are you alright?” I heard a woman’s voice call out.
I was disoriented. I could understand what the woman was saying, but her voice sounded strange to my ears. Before I could respond, a younger voice called out.
“Is she okay?”
“Norah!” the first woman scolded. “I told you to stay in the car!”
I squinted against the light and could make out the figure of a young girl approaching me from the closer side of the car. The girl stepped in front of the lights just as the woman reached her, placing a protective arm on her shoulder and preventing her from coming any nearer. As they stood there, blocking the light, I could see them a little better; it was clear that they were mother and daughter. They shared the same sweet eyes and petite features. The woman looked concerned, but reserved; the girl appeared very eager.
“Hi,” the girl chirped. “What’s your name?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but caught myself just in time. I h
ad nearly responded out of habit with ‘Queen Emlyn,’ but I thought better of it. Not knowing where I was, or who these people were, I decided it might not be advisable to announce that I was a queen.
Instead, I simply said, “You can call me Emlyn,” and hoped that was enough.
“That’s a pretty dress,” the girl said looking down at the long red dress I was wearing.
It wasn’t anything I’d ever seen before, its style and fit were different than I was used to, but when I examined the mother’s own outfit, it was clear that attire had changed quite a bit.
“Thank you, young lady,” I replied with a smile.
“Norah, what have I told you about talking to strangers?” the woman said pointedly as she looked down at the little girl.
“I’m so sorry,” she then said to me, looking me over from head to toe. “Are you okay out here? This isn’t a good place to be walking alone at night.”
“I told her you were lost,” Norah said.
I examined the pair critically, considering my options carefully. They seemed concerned, and more importantly, harmless, and the truth was that I did need help.
“I am a little lost,” I admitted. “I’m afraid I just woke up not too far from here, in a field, and I don’t have the faintest idea how I arrived or where exactly I am.”
“What do you mean?” the woman asked with a guarded expression. “You woke up in a field?”
Fortunately, my years of manipulating men had prepared me for this moment. I did not desire to trick or hurt these people in any way, but I needed them to believe me, and it would help if they felt a sense of pity for me.
I bit my lip and allowed tears to well in my eyes. “I’m sorry!” I cried, making a show of wiping the tears. “I know it must sound insane, but, yes… I woke up on the ground this morning, in the middle of a field. I don’t really remember anything. Just my name.”
I could see the woman wavering; I could tell that in spite of any misgivings she may have, she believed me.
“That’s terrible,” she whispered. “What did you say your name was?”
“Emily Lynn,” Norah replied before I could speak.
I was about to correct her, but I didn’t know if it was wise to give my real name. I had clearly been bewitched in some way, and it was possible that whoever had done it may try to find me. Emily Lynn it was for now.
“Do you go my Emily Lynn or just Emily?” the woman asked.
“Emily is fine,” I replied.
“Well, Emily, my name is Kate. Would you like a ride? I could take you to the hospital if you’d like,” she offered kindly.
I wondered what they would do for me at a hospital. I wasn’t sick, and memory loss hardly seemed like a condition that required such measures, but once more, I reminded myself that I didn’t really know the times.
“If you would be so kind, I would be forever in your debt,” I replied.
Kate gave me a funny look before saying, “I’m happy to help. Hop in.”
Norah took my hand and walked me over to her side of the carriage. She climbed into the back and I started to join her, but she said, “No silly! You get in the front with my mom.”
Norah pulled the door closed behind her with a loud click. I stepped forward to the front door on the same side, reaching to grab the handle. When I pulled on it, the handle seemed to release from the door, and I shrieked, afraid that I’d broken it, but it clicked into place and the door swung open. Both Norah and Kate were giving me a strange look as I sat down in my seat.
“Have you never been in a car before?” Kate asked, looking very perplexed as I gazed around at all the lights and instruments on the panel in front of her.
“I don’t know,” I lied. “It seems quite unfamiliar. How does it all work?” I asked.
“If I knew that, I could save myself a lot of money at the mechanic,” Kate laughed before her face sobered. “You really don’t remember anything, do you?”
There was sympathy in her tone and I realized that my unfamiliarity with modern devices would help sell the lie that I didn’t know who I was. “Nothing at all,” I replied sadly.
“Have you eaten?” she asked me.
“No,” I replied. “Now that you mention it, I am quite famished.”
“Why don’t you come home with us and get some dinner, then we can get you to the hospital?”
“No, I don’t want to be a burden to you,” I said, looking down at my hands.
“Please,” Kate said lightly, “Norah and I were just about to eat anyway. It’s no trouble.”
“You are too kind,” I said with a smile. “Thank you.”
Kate pressed something in front of her and the vehicle hummed to life underneath us. She adjusted some levers, and we began to roll forward. I tried not to show my astonishment as we quickly picked up speed, but I did jump when strange music began playing from a source I couldn’t locate.
“Too loud?” Kate asked. I didn’t see her do anything, but the music immediately grew softer. My eyes must have been wide, or my face pale, because she then said, “do you need some air? You can roll the window down if you like.”
I turned to the window but couldn’t fathom how it might roll. I decided it was best not to draw any more attention to myself or they might decide I was insane. “I think I will just enjoy the sights,” I said, and kept my face turned away from her.
Seeing so many buildings so close together had been astounding when I first opened my eyes in this new world, but as we drove between them, and further into what I imagined had to be the biggest city on earth, I was even more amazed. There were so many lights coming from every direction that even though it was fully night now, it was not dark. Even the sky had a strange orange haze. Eventually, we seemed to be leaving the center mass of the city and moving off into something else.
The scale of everything had suddenly decreased. The roads were narrower and quieter, there were less lights, and the great, towering structures had dwindled in size. The buildings we passed now were smaller and more humble. I guessed they were homes, although they were clustered together with no land at all between them.
“What’s it like not to remember anything?” Norah asked from behind my seat as we traveled.
“I – I don’t know,” I replied, not sure how to answer the question.
“Norah,” Kate said in a scolding voice once more, “don’t bother Emily. We don’t know what she’s been through.”
“It’s quite alright,” I insisted. “I’m not feeling too anxious about anything – it’s just very strange.”
Kate looked at me with surprise, and said, “I’d be feeling anxious after that encounter on the side of the road. Did you realize that you were in danger? It looked like that man was about to grab you when we pulled up.”
Without intending to, I sneered a little as I said, “I could tell he was planning something, but I was ready.”
Kate’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open as she stared at me in surprise. I felt the car begin to veer to the right. Kate quickly returned her attention to the road and turned the wheel to correct our path. Her eyes flicked up toward a mirror that was hanging from the roof and I could tell that she was checking on her daughter in the back seat. When she spoke, she sounded nervous.
“What were you going to do?” she asked.
I hesitated for a moment. I had obviously scared her. I didn’t want her to think that I was dangerous to them; I had to be more cautious when I spoke. “I don’t really know… I just know I wasn’t scared.” I shrugged my shoulders and smiled, “maybe I’m a fast runner!”
“You really weren’t scared?” Kate asked in disbelief. “What if he had a knife?”
The truth is, it would have been glorious if the fool had brandished a knife. I would’ve taken it from him and used it to carve that leering smile right off his face. I’d done it before – killed a man with his own weapon – men are so quick to think they’ve won; it makes them surprisingly easy to disarm. I smiled at t
he fresh rush of memories, but when I answered Kate, I made sure not to sound arrogant.
“I guess I didn’t think about that,” I said, as if the thought were just occurring to me, “I can’t quite explain it, but I feel like I’m a fighter. I think men always underestimate women, and the truth is, I think we underestimate ourselves too. But we’re strong! Look at you, you stopped to help me… you couldn’t have known he would run away, but you did what you thought was right, that’s strength!”
“Am I strong too?” Norah asked from behind us.
I twisted in my seat to face her. “You were right there alongside your mother to help me, weren’t you? That makes you the bravest young lady I’ve ever met.”
Norah beamed at me.
“But,” I continued, “a very important part of being brave and strong is being smart, and staying safe. You know how you can do that?”
“Listening to my mom?” she asked.
“I knew you were smart!” I exclaimed.
As I turned back to the front of the car, Kate gave me an appreciative smile. “You are quite the mystery,” she said, shaking her head from side to side as she pulled off the main road onto a smaller one. “This is our neighborhood.”
I looked around with more interest. I had taken an instant liking to Kate and Norah, and I was curious to see how they lived, but I couldn’t help feeling that the neighborhood had an unnatural feeling to it. The road was extraordinarily straight and flat, and was lined on each side by equally straight and flat walkways. There were people out walking, some with dogs and some without, but no one seemed to be interacting with anyone else. The homes that lined the street were evenly spaced and all strikingly similar. They all had their own patches of grass, but even that had been tamed into perfect, sharp-cornered squares. It was all too clean.
The road we were on branched off into endless little drives, each one leading straight up to a different house. We turned onto one of them and drove straight toward a house that was nearly indistinguishable from the rest on the street. I watched in amazement as Kate pressed a button, and the whole front of the house opened before us. Kate guided the car straight inside and the house closed behind us once more.
Evil Unbound- Death's Mistress Returns Page 3