Something Wicked: Requiem of A Dream 1, Page 2

  Blu set the letter down on my bedside table and continued, "Your great grandfather would like to extend to you an invitation to come live with him. As your last remaining, or at least last reputable relative, he hopes to become your legal guardian."

  Blu's words shocked me. My great grandfather had hardly been a passing thought for many years. I recalled that my mother had taken me to visit him when I was very young, but there had been a terrible fight, after which we never went back.

  To be honest, I was equally shocked to learn that he was still alive as I was to learn that he wanted me to come and live with him. I hardly knew what to say.

  "Think about it," Blu said, almost as if he had read my thoughts. "Just decide whether you would like to spend the rest of your adolescence as a bird in a cage, or if you would like to step through the door and seize an opportunity for greatness."

  Thinking back to that time, I remember perfectly how much I longed for family. No one could ever replace my mother of course, but the idea that I might not have to be so alone was too tempting for me to turn up. Poor blind fool! I didn't need the night to decide whether or not I wanted to spend my life institutionalized. I accepted the offer right away.

  Ah, misery.

  Chapter Five

  THE FIRST PINK fingers of dawn inched their way over the horizon, breaking apart the streaks of night that continued to linger and illuminate the soft, rolling mist that blanketed the ground.

  Tall, bare trees swayed overhead as the car driving me towards my great grandfather's manor crunched over the gravel. The branches reached out thin, groping fingers to snatch at the windows as we passed by.

  In the back of my mind, I'm sure I felt the nagging urge to leap from the moving vehicle and make a mad dash back to the nearest town. And yet, I ignored it. I was determined to find beauty in this barren estate no matter what the cost. Besides, I reasoned to myself, I'll only be here for a few more years before I'll be off to college.

  I rested my chin on my palm as I tried to make out the property that was about to become my home. Upstate New York was so different from the parts I was used to, it was almost like being in another country; a nearly obscured one.

  My eyelids drooped and I leaned my forehead against the cold window, watching as my breath made little puffs fog on the glass.

  "There's the gate." Blu's voice was oil on steel, luring me into alertness with a nasty stab of something to my gut. My lashes flickered and I saw the enormous iron-wrought gates looming over us.

  They were twisted, barred and spiked, with heavy chains securing them firmly in place. I wondered whether my great grandfather was trying to keep something in or out.

  The car rumbled to a stop and Blu stepped out, producing a large key ring he used to unlock the chains. The gates swung open at his touch, and the car rumbled into the round driveway.

  I couldn't help but give an audible murmur of astonishment as I stepped out of the car. My recollections of this place had not done it justice by any means. The mansion was enormous! A masterpiece made of brick with at least a hundred darkened windows and a plethora of ivy plants fighting for dominance over the walls.

  "Allow me to take your bags," Blu murmured as he stepped out of the car.

  "No, that's fine," I jumped in, grabbing my things before he could get to them. I didn't want to be parted from the only remnants of my old life I had left. Blu's mouth tightened but he didn't protest, instead he gestured towards the mansion and led the way to the front door.

  As we approached, it began to creak open slowly, startling me. I half wondered if it had done so of its own accord, but that ridiculous notion was dropped seconds later when a young maid stepped out from the other side.

  I hadn't had much experience with girls, my condition always made me shy and self-conscious. This girl was beautiful. I felt my cheeks burn when she looked at me with her soft brown eyes. Her own creamy skin took on a slight flush. I could see a few silky flaxen strands of her hair peeking out from under her cap and I quickly looked away, lest she caught me staring.

  "Master Judas, allow me to introduce the manor's housekeeper, Bast," Blu said mildly. "Say hello, my dear."

  Bast dropped her gaze and gave a quick, jerk bow, never once allowing her eyes to leave the ground. "Hello, Master Judas," she was barely audible.

  "Just Judas," I corrected. I could feel my ears reddening with embarrassment at the formal title. "It's nice to meet you, Bast." I extended my hand and she stared at it as though she had never seen anything quite like it. I withdrew it awkwardly and tried a different tact.

  "So have you both worked for my great grandfather long? I don't remember you from when I was a child. I remember there were a lot of servants back then. Is Isadora still here? She was so kind to me."

  "Isadora?" There was the smallest hint of amusement in Blu's voice as he tongued the name. "No, she isn't employed here any longer. In fact, none of them are. Bast and I are the only servants the house needs."

  "What? Just the two of you?!" I gasped in astonishment at his casual statement. The manor was bigger than any I had ever seen, and I was convinced that it was ludicrous to imagine it being managed properly by only two people.

  Even then I remember being struck by the sheer oddness of not just my situation, but the entire scenario. It was so fragmented from reality that it was almost like the events were happening not to me, but to someone else and that I was merely an observer of my own existence.

  Meekly, I followed my great grandfather's servants into the manor, and I was struck with the overwhelming feeling of childhood nostalgia. Nothing had changed.

  The foyer was exactly as it had been years ago with its rich oxblood upholstery and matching mahogany furnishings that probably dated back several generations.

  As I walked down the hallway behind Bast and Blu, I felt my consciousness blurring and my entire body going numb. I was a child again, keeping close to my mother, clutching her skirts as we were led inside by a very different pair of servants: a plump, smiling Spanish woman named Isadora and the short, shriveled, ancient butler named Logan who had been at my great grandfather's side since they were boys.

  "Your grandfather is expecting you, Miss Ella. Why don't you leave your son with me? I have something he'll enjoy in the kitchen, I think!"

  "Thank you Isadora, I'm sure he'll be thrilled!"

  The scene broke, and as it melted away, I could almost feel my mother's warm hand guiding me to Isadora, and once again my heart broke.

  "Master Judas?" Blu's voice brought me snapping back to the present. "Here is your room."

  My eyes widened as I entered through the massive double doors. Never in my life had I seen such an extravagant room, though it was severely outdated. The bed the tripled the size of any I had ever seen, and was surrounded by black velvet curtains.

  There was an enormous bay window overlooking the courtyard and a collection of nautical equipment, no doubt collected by my great grandfather from his traveling years. The ceiling of the room was not flat, as one would expect of a ceiling but instead was curved like a dome. I watched as Blu set down my bags and I instantly moved closer to them.

  "Where is my great grandfather? I want to see him."

  Seemingly startled at my forwardness, the butler stepped back and pivoted his gaunt body towards me. His face was completely void of expression but his eyes snapped maliciously.

  In the shadows of the room, I almost imagined that they flickered from ice blue to deep red, but when I blinked, they had returned to their normal, piercing selves.

  "Your relative is not available at the moment," Blu informed me curtly. "He is currently...indisposed."

  I had no idea what that meant but I had a sneaking suspicion that he was mocking me in some unknown way. I felt a spark of fury in my chest.

  "Why can't I see him?" I demanded.

  Once more, Blu's face was unreadable but he offered a low bow and stepped artfully backwards, both hands resting on the
handles of the double doors. "Bast will bring you your dinner shortly. Rest now, Master Judas, you must be very tired after your experiences today. Tomorrow you will be renewed."

  "Just Judas!" I tried to correct him, but before the words even left my lips the heavy double doors had been slammed shut and I was alone in the room. Well, almost alone. I slowly relaxed my aching body against the bed and closed my eyes, concentrating on evening out my breathing with slow, even measures. It was a trick taught to me by my mother when I was just a child and used to suffer from severe attacks of anxiety.

  Chapter Six

  "MY CHILD, MY child, my ruined baby..."

  My eyes popped open and I spun about the room, looking for the source of the heartbreakingly familiar voice. Against the misted glass of the window I could see my mother's corpse clutching herself as though she was dying of cold.

  Was it me or had something changed in her? Even in death, her flowing hair had always floated around her shoulders like a halo and her skin a flawless marble. Now her hair appeared snarled and ragged and I could see gashes on her protruding cheeks that bubbled and frothed with maggots.

  My apparition was changing. Impossible, I knew, she was merely the figure of my own corrupt imagination.

  "Judas, my wretched son, how could you do this to me?" She sobbed quietly and I turned away from her, unable to bear what she had become.

  "I'm sorry Mom," I whispered. I unzipped the pocket of my biggest bag and withdrew a framed photograph my mother and I, taken on our first trip to Coney Island when I was about ten.

  It was my favorite picture and even now, when I concentrated hard enough, the image was enough to bring back the faintest whispers of laughter, the smell of hot dogs, and the thrill of the roller coaster....

  Chapter Seven

  I HADN'T REALIZED I had fallen asleep until I woke up.

  The cobwebs of my drowsiness heavily clung to me as I squinted in confusion at the darkened room, recognizing nothing. Silver splashed over everything, let in through the bay window, and I slowly recalled my transfer into my great grandfather's estate. There was no sign of my mother's corpse.

  As I sat up in my bed, I could feel my heart thudding painfully against my ribs. Something had roused me from my sleep, but I couldn't remember what. The heat in my body was unbearable and I moved to get off the bed. My muscles screamed in protest, causing me to gasp in shock.

  My entire body felt as though it had been mercilessly beaten with bags of sand. I took a moment to massage my legs before standing and limping over to the window to press my sweating forehead against the frosted glass. The cold felt incredible.

  Almost as soon as I had cooled myself down, I was hit with a pang of ravenous hunger. I had eaten only sporadically the past few days and now I felt my stomach growling in desperation. I limped over to the double doors and opened them, relieved to see that, Bast had left a covered tray on a little stand just outside.

  I brought it into my room and removed the cover to reveal a steaming bowl of soup, a plate of assorted cheeses and crackers, and a piece of mousse cake. Ravenously, I tore into the food, tasting nothing in my desperation. Nothing had ever been so satisfying to me.

  "Ju -- das!"

  The disembodied voice echoed throughout the room, swirling into every nook and cranny, swelling in volume. The fork clattered onto my plate, and I raised my hands to my ears, my body twisting horribly with discomfort.

  The voice grew louder and louder in my ears until it was no longer a voice but a powerful, clangor of enormous bells.

  "Ahhhgg!" The scream ripped from my throat and I threw myself backwards onto the bed. "Stop, stop, stop!" I shouted, but my voice was drowned out by the unbearable racket. I was sure my head was splitting open. I bit my lip until I tasted blood.

  Then it stopped. The horrible ringing ceased just as quickly as it began, leaving behind a void of deafening silence.

  Shaken, I opened my eyes and looked around in confusion.

  "Mother?" I whispered hesitantly, half-hoping that she would respond.

  More silence. I stood to grope the wall for a light, but as I got to my feet, they curved under me like jelly and I crashed to the floor.

  "What the..." I tried to stand again but my legs refused to cooperate. The room was spinning and I blinked furiously, trying to clear my head. I managed to drag myself up but it was all I could do to wobble back to the bed, which seemed miles away. It was almost impossible to string two coherent thoughts together.

  Only one notion stuck with me: Had I been drugged?

  It sounded crazy just to imagine it. Who would want to drug me? I had no money. I had nothing of value on me at all that anyone would want to steal. Nothing made any sense.

  I couldn't entertain these alarming ideas anymore for I was then drowning in a deep sea of silk sheets. The following passage of time might have been as long as a lifetime or as short as a few minutes. The exact amount, I shall never be certain.

  My mind drifted in and out of coherency and my thoughts and nightmares became garbled with my reality.

  Chapter Eight

  STRANGE FACES WITH red eyes and large, unnatural smiles blinked and chattered at me from the darkness. High-pitched and exceptionally low voices bickered at impossible speeds in singsong voices ranging from nearly inaudible whispers to deafening roars.

  "Judas!" The distant voice was not threatening this time, but faint and gentle. It drew me steadily from my feverish delirium and guided me to the window where a glimmering light bobbed up and down in the courtyard.

  I squinted at the dancing light and realized that it wasn't a light at all, but a brilliantly white gown worn by a girl.

  No, not a girl, it was Bast. She seemed to float along the grounds like a ghost. Her face lifted to the window and she stretched out her pale hands towards me, beckoning.

  Without thinking, I tore myself away from the window and stumbled down the hall. To this day, I have no idea how I found my way to the correct door. Instinct, I suppose. The night air caressed my skin but I had no time to enjoy it, so entranced was I by my desire to find the maid.

  "Judas!" Her voice sounded like tiny tinkling bells, beautiful and serene to my ears. As I pushed open the gates to the courtyard, I found myself face to face with her and she took my hand in hers.

  She looked radiant in the moonlight with her nut brown hair flowing freely around her shoulders and her bejeweled gown billowing around her slim form. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen.

  "What are you doing out here?" I asked her.

  She smiled and squeezed my wrists, pulling me across the courtyard to a small, bolted door. "Come!" she whispered encouragingly, drawing me through the door and into a magnificent hidden garden.

  The moon was huge and hung in the sky like a swollen balloon, shedding a silver light over everything. The garden was flooded with shimmering crystal water bedazzled with blooming lunar flowers and lily-pads that clung to our legs as we waded through to a tree of golden apples.

  I had never seen anything so tranquil before and as I gazed up at that magnificent tree, I was almost ashamed to be such an ungainly creature as a human. I reached out to touch one of the shining fruits but Bast laid out a hand to stop me.

  She pointed up into the branches and I saw an enormous black serpent coiled around the trunk, glaring at me with wicked ruby eyes. I pulled back with a cry and felt Bast's hands slipping over my eyes, blinding me.

  "Have no fear, Little Master. He won't harm you." Her lyrical voice was instantly soothing to me, but I could not shake away the fear of that serpent. I felt her lips against the shell of my ear, leaving burning marks in their wake. When her hands came down, she was standing before me, a visionary angel in white.

  "No fears," she repeated, smiling up at me. Slowly, nervously, I reached out to brush back some of the silky hairs that clung to her cheek, but a rustling from the darkness distracted me. From within the black shadows of the tree, a tall figure
unfolded itself from the ground and the towering frame of the butler loomed over us both.

  A warning scream trembled and died in my throat as I saw him lurch forward jerkily like some gangling puppet. His face was deathly white and his eyes were bloodshot.

  Blue veins crisscrossed over his face and he seemed to swallow Bast's white form into his own, spreading his arms wider and wider until they folded her up.

  "Bast!" I made a grab for her but my fingers clutched only air. The white dress vanished into the folds of black, and the butler, or demon, or whatever he was thrust his distorted face into mine, paralyzing me with terror.

  His breath coiled with mine, and I breathed in the rank scent of death and decay. His white skin bubbled and burst with maggots and flies as they chewed their way through his rotting flesh.

  I stared into the inhuman eyes of the devil and he cackled at me, a shrieking, howling laugh that turned my blood to ice. My breath froze in my lungs, and I felt the ground giving way beneath my feet. The garden melted around me, sending my body plunging into the freezing water. Instinctively, I kicked out my legs but the vines of the lily-pads ensnared them.

  Panic filled my brain. I thrashed desperately trying to free myself, yet the harder I struggled, the more tightly the vines held. My eyesight grew dimmer and dimmer as the water filled up my nose, mouth, and lungs...suffocating me, ushering me into cold, jellied oblivion.

  The last thing I saw before the jellied blackness took me was the horrific grin of the demonic butler.

  Chapter Nine

  I WOKE TO the tightening of silken sheets at my throat and the sharp taste of bile on my tongue. My stomach churned painfully, and I rolled off the bed just in time to vomit all over the floor. My body trembled violently and my skin was so drenched in icy sweat that my clothes clung to me.

  Every breath I drew burned, and the events of the previous night permeated my being, stretching my nerves to their limit. Even the bright sunshine was menacing to me.

  With every ounce of my strength, I forced myself up and made a dash to the window, half convinced that I would find the landscape some sort of gate to Hell.