Chapter Three

Chapter Three: Memory lane

Some things never last.

Drae sighed as she finished off the last page of the romance she was reading, she’d finished Twilight the other day and had burned it in the bonfire that night. She hated rereading the same book twice but this one - this one here was the book she would keep until the day she died.

Though when Drae turned the page and closed the book, her peace was disrupted by the loud crash coming from the interior of the house. She clambered to her feet, knowing that something was wrong in the Rhoades household as there usually was.

I bet it’s father, she thought. He’s been cheating on mother for far too long now, maybe she’s found out?

The thought seemed too hopeful, but as she climbed the porch steps and pulled open the door she had to duck to avoid a flying plate. The glass ware hit the doorframe and shattered into an explosion of small shards. Drae hissed as they flew at her arms and neck before she moved over towards the couch.

“You lying, cheating bastard!” screamed her mother from the kitchen.

“Anne!” pleaded her father, unseen somewhere inside the dining room.

“No! Don’t use that pet name on me, Drew!” she cried, another glass plate flying through the door.

“Annabelle!” he tried instead, but her mother would hear nothing of what he had to say.

Annabelle came flying out of the kitchen, a large knife in hand and she waved it above her head, threatening any who come near her.

“Mama!” cried a shocked Nikko from behind Drae, his voice frightened at the sight of his mother wielding a weapon.

Her mother faltered, staring over a Nikko before shaking her head and advancing towards where their father hid behind the wall.

“You’ve very well enjoyed your last stay at that woman’s house.” she told him.

The man stayed where he was, surveying her with an air of cool indifference, “Go ahead then, Annabelle. Show our kids that love doesn’t exist.”

Drae felt as though time slowed, her mother’s fist held the knife tightly as she brought it down towards Drew’s chest. She watched, riveted as the knife sliced cleanly through his flesh and embedded itself in the man’s heart.

Drew’s hand flew to the knife handle that protruded from his chest and he looked over at she and Nikko. “There’s no such thing as love. Keep each other safe.” he had whispered, though she didn’t understand what she meant.

Annabelle watched in sick fascination as the blood ran in rivulets down his shirt, and then she smiled in wicked pleasure.

Nikko’s hand grasped as though it was a life preserver and she too held on to him. Knowing that they had to run from their mother, so that the woman would not take her rage on them as well.

Drae, however, didn’t run. No matter how hard Nikko tugged on her hand to urge her to move she couldn’t. Her mother held her riveted by a gaze of pure conflicting emotions.

Annabelle tilted her head to the side, as though waiting to see what she would do and that was when she saw it. The floating sphere of pure, radiant light that illuminated the room as though the sun itself bled through the walls.

The light rose from her father’s limp form and it swayed lightly, as though caught in a breeze that it couldn’t escape and so the words rose up, swelling in her throat.

She held back the words that she longed to spill, and watched. The soul shuddered, it’s light slowly dimming and it let out a piercing shree that made her released Nikko’s hand and slap both hands over her ears. The screams didn’t leave, the thing was dying. That soul, that soul was dying.

Drae finally opened her lips, and words - unknown to anyone - came forth in a tongue that spoke with an echo. “Sleew Vakas Enchios Olioros Deikata Ohnimert morto.”

The silver sphere shuddered once before long piercing rays of light erupted from it’s form and it skyrocketed upwards, vanishing through the ceiling and finally the screams halted.

She swayed on her feet, her lips still moving to the words before finally she tumbled backwards; landing on the floor unconscious.

It was only a moment before the blackness swallowed her that she heard her mother’s whisper, “My baby, my darling angel.” ***

Drae gripped the handle to her bedroom door, shocked by the sudden memory as she slowly began to slid to her knees. She crawled over to the wall next to the door and leaned back, holding her knees to her chest as she remembered the screams from the light and the knife within her father’s chest. She swallowed back the bile, the memory of blood making her sick.

She heard the telltale sound of footsteps climbing up the wooden stairs, and the swishing of fabric of a woman’s dress. She could feel the sadness as though it permeated the air with it’s tangible smell and taste but Drae was different. A girl who could never understand just exactly what was happening to her and so she ignored the feelings.

The top stair creaked and Drae’s head whipped around, her blond locks flying into her face as she peered a the woman who stood there.

“Oh, De-ray.” crowed the woman, her cropped brown hair in disarray. “What is it you’re doing huddled on the floor there, dear?”

Drae said nothing, she simply gazed up at the woman with her grey eyes. She hated being treated like a child, but she could do nothing to change the thoughts in the woman’s head, especially considering she herself was no better than a child. Misunderstood and still an orphan.

“Come now, dear. Get up off the floor and we’ll go in your room to finish up some homework..?” she suggested, her blue eyes sparkling kindly.

“No, thank you, Mrs. Hellene. I do appreciate the offer though. I just - had a ‘bout of flashbacks.” she sighed, slowly crawling to her feet and meeting Mrs. Hellene’s plastered on smile.

Hellene nodded towards the door, “Well, if you need to talk about these ‘flashbacks’ then you come find me, De-ray.” she chattered before moving on towards the next row of rooms and entering the furthest one to the back.

Drae watched her leave with a frown on her face, she had repeated her name a dozen times but that woman never caught on. She heaved a sigh and turned the knob, pushing it open to reveal the disorder and spillage that covered the floor of her room.

Scattered pieces of paper fluttered about the room in the low breeze that whisked through the open window, the bed sheets were rumpled and thrown, drawers were hanging open and her jewellery boxes hung open on their hinges, some chipped and broken.

Her eyes narrowed as she manoeuvred about the mess and closed the window, knowing that she herself had not created the mayhem that lay within this room. It had been someone else - someone else that she would soon find.

She reached down and grabbed one of her jewellery boxes, one that had specifically held something dear to her, and she pulled the small string that was attached to the bottom of the box; attached to the felt bottom. The thick felt piece was pulled free revealing nothing, nothing at all and that was when Drae realized that the person who had entered her room was someone from the orphanage.

Drae threw the box at the floor, the slam of wood on wood making a commotion downstairs. She grit her teeth and clomped out of the room, reaching only just before exiting to grab the sharp wooden staff that rested against the doorframe.

Someone was going to pay.

Her mind yelled at her, telling her she was overreacting, but there was nothing she could do to stop herself now. She had had this happen before; she was not in control of herself. What was she to do but follow along with the plans that screamed inside her head, overriding the nuisance of a conscience she had.

A smile misted onto her face once more, and she spun as someone exited their chambers. “Drae?” asked the small child, a young girl with wide doe-like eyes and a mane of blonde hair. She stared at the staff, before taking a step back.

“Liana.” she replied, “I need to know; did you take a small item from my room?” the question was forcefully pushed from between her gritted teeth, she didn’t care who it was they were going to die.

Liana shook her head vigorously, “I don’t enter no ones room without permission!” she said quietly.

“Alright, go back to your room, Liana. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

The child stepped away and backed into her room, closing the door a little too quickly in the process. Drae tapped the butt of her staff to the ground and stood still in the hallway; the silence humming in her ears.

The small creak of a floorboard emanated from her bedroom and she slipped towards her doorway, the spear aimed and weighing in her slick palms. The smell of something sickly sweet wafted from the door, and she wrinkled her nose before she lunged into the room. The sharp gland of her staff embedded itself in someone’s flesh, her closed eyes not seeing whom.

A wet gurgle escaped the lips of the culprit and she finally pried open her eyes, only to see that before her; a spear in her chest, was Mrs. Hellene.

She glanced up at Drae, a smile on her lips as blood dribbled down her chin.

“They’re coming for you, little angel,” the woman slumped to the ground with a sickening thud. Dead.

The sickening smell of sewer rot permeated the air around her, she was three years old. Not old enough to understand her precarious position but old enough to understand some of what the large men spoke of.

Her mind raced at the thought of these men being a danger to her, but she otherwise concentrated on the small black box that rested in her hand. She liked to perform the magic trick; squishing the box until it was as flat as paper and then brushing a hand over the top to make it stand up again.

Her mother had taught her that when she was troubled she should simply work the magic box and her troubles would go away but as Drae looked up to see the men still standing there, eyeing her, she knew that the box wasn’t working.

She closed her eyes, holding the box to her chest as she listened to the men begin to move; towards her they came and she couldn’t suppress the whimper that escaped her parted lips.

“Mmmm, a young one she is,” muttered the taller of the two men, his face hidden in shadow.

“Young, maybe but she is useful to us if we can get her to understand what she is,” answered the second, his face cast in the dim lighting.

Drae looked at him, his rugged face was scarred, his chin covered in a misting of stubble and his eyes; his eyes were what frightened her the most. Their dark brown depths were endless, a maze without an exit and she felt herself sway at the sight of such eyes.

“She’s afraid of us,” murmured the one with the terrifying brown eyes.

“If you were in her position, wouldn’t you be as well?” asked the other, his voice holding a grim smirk.

“Maybe,” answered the male who leaned towards her with an extended hand.

She bit her lip and took a step back, shaking her head to get rid of the hair in her face. She needed to see, her eyes needed to examine these men. A sudden overpowering sense of hatred spilled over her, but she had not felt hatred a moment before. Only a profound sadness for she knew what her mother would do when she found Drae missing from her bunk bed.

“C’mon. We’re not going to hurt you, doll,” purred the man before he spotted the box in her hand. He straightened, standing at full height and towering over her with a scowl.

“Joseph, leave her alone,” sighed Joseph’s companion loudly.

“Oh, come on Marley! You of all people know that she is dangerous, why not give her a scare? It’ll make sure she don’t try nothing,” he huffed.

Marley squatted down in front of her, his kind blue eyes searched hers and finally he put a hand to his hip and smiled at her. It wasn’t a comforting smile; it wasn’t a smile of his intention. His eyes landed on the box she held, the same as the other man, Joseph, had noticed.

He held out his other hand, “Can I take a look at that?” he asked her kindly.

Drae peered up at him through the curtain of blonde hair covering her face before she held out her hand, placing the black box in his large palm.

He smiled again, trying to reassure her.

“Marley! What in God’s name do you think you’re doing? Takin’ the angels toy is nothing but a death wish!” he growled.

Marley ignored his partner, turning the box this way and that until Drae finally felt a stirring of something uncomfortable in her gut. It twisted her stomach in knots, making her hand press hard against her abdomen to try and quell the pain.

Joseph’s eyes darted towards her movement and he noticed her hand pressed against her stomach, “Marley,” he hissed, an urgency in his voice.

“Ugh, I don’t feel good!” she squeaked in her childish voice, the high pitched cry loud and echoed in the darkness.

Marley’s eyes raised towards Drae, and he frowned as he peered at her. “What’s wrong, ange- I mean doll?” he asked.

Drae didn’t realize then that their reference to angel had meant something more than what she had thought. She ignored the mistake, and the pet name as she answered him with a grimace.

“My tummy hurts.” she whined, pressing her hand harder against her abdomen before finally she felt the twisting subside.

Joseph and Marley stared at her, before shrugging. “Ain’t nothing we can do, doll,” said Joseph without even bothering to be kind.

Marley smacked Joseph’s thigh before turning back to the box; it was only when he brushed his hand against the top and began to carefully pry open the top that he made a fatal mistake.

While his hand had brushed against the top, his hand had touched a nearly invisible symbol, a symbol of ancient meaning; something her mother had told that meant something very important.

At the time his hand slid against the symbol there was another twinge in her gut before an agonizing pain at her shoulder blades, the pain sliced through her flesh like knives and she collapsed to her knees.

Marley dropped the box with a cry of pain, the flare of sparks erupted from the small container. Joseph stared at her, mouth agape with disbelief and he hauled Marley up by his elbow and pointed at her as she cried in agony.

There was a loud whooshing of wind from behind her, and Marley finally noticed something that he hadn’t before and that was when his eyes went round, like Father’s belly after eating a Christmas dinner.

The friendly man turned and fled into the darkness of the tunnel while Joseph smiled and laughed in delight.

“You’re going to be very valuable when your older, little angel.