The Resurrection Of Amelia D. Taylor (4)
Chapter 8 Amelia walked down the stairs slowly. The air smelled like smoke again. Ever since the incident, the room felt small to her. Like the walls were caving in and all she could do was curl up on the floor and scream. She drifted across the floor, taking small, slow steps. She didn’t have the need to rush. She headed to the table in the center of the room that William had been messing with earlier. The table was piled with papers. Amelia looked at some of them. Most were newspaper articles from about three years ago. It was only about three years ago this happened. I lost absolutely everything that day. Amelia squinted at the mass of papers in front of her. She hastily rummaged through them and picked out a couple of papers with titles that caught her attention. Both of them, anything but pleasant. “A Murder Left Unexplained.” “From The Gurney The Grave” She read through them. Each one said almost the same thing. But neither really mentioned anything about Laura. “A Murder Left Unexplained.” 6/23 Two people were accounted as murdered as of today, both of which were a mystery to everyone. Professionals were called onto the scene to examine the scenario, but so far everyone came up empty handed. Without a culprit, a murderer is on the loose. Amelia set the article down and picked up the other piece of crumpled newspaper. As she read, she felt a sickening in her stomach. “From The Gurney To The Grave” 6/30 A young girl by the name of Carolina checked into a local hospital about a week ago. The whereabouts of her now are still to be discovered. Carolina was taken from the hospital later the night she had arrived. The girl had severe burns on her skin and the inside of her mouth. The child is presumed dead until found. Amelia set down the paper, staring at the small print in distraught. So she didn’t die in the hospital. Or They don’t think she did. It all seemed so confusing, and no one know what happened. All they know is that two people have been erased from existence. Amelia lifted her eyes from the table and thought. Something popped into her head just then. The books William had shoved onto the cases. They could hold something. A secret. Anything. She tapped her fingers on the desk, thinking hard. The lamp over by the bureau flickered dimly in the already lit room. She looked up at the stairs. She paced over to them and then headed into the main room. She swung open the door and immediately started going through the books on the case to her right. They were almost all red or black and had a fine gold print on the spine. She looked over all the books on the first row, but one kept grabbing her attention. One of the larger books. It was laying against another book, and it appeared to be all by itself. She grabbed the book out of it’s place on the shelf and scanned over the title. “R-E-S…” She started, “U-R-R-E-C-T-I-O-N.” She mouthed the word over and over until she thought she had a good pronunciation of the word. “Resurrection,” she said. The word was unknown to her. She opened up the cover and started skimming the front page. She flipped through random pages, scanning over words she couldn’t read. “What?” she whispered to herself. The book was in another language she couldn’t understand. Amelia tucked the book under her arm and kept looking for other sources. She figured she would get something out of it later. After a whiles searching, she noticed that all the books William had written himself were in another language. Probably to keep anything the books hid a secret. Nothing looked like it might help her anymore than the book she already found. That’s where her search came to a halt. She looked over the book she had under her arm once more, turning it this way and that. Amelia walked to the table in the dining area of the house. She flipped open the book and started looking through it for any English. None. It made her feel so uncomfortable, looking at all this. Having these thoughts. Thoughts that William was a murderer. It seemed so probable at this point. What made her more uncomfortable is how he just drew her in. He lured her. But she didn’t have anywhere to go. She couldn’t go back to her home, because it wasn’t hers anymore. And even if she could go back, she didn’t feel like putting up with the conflicts that were bound to happen. Amelia sniffed the air. She noticed a change in the smoky scented air. It had been overcome with a metallic smell that reminded her of a hospital. She got up and followed the scent around. It got weaker or stronger, and more unbearable with every step. Where it led her, was a cabinet that was part of a set. She slowly opened the cabinet and poked her head inside. She had to cover her mouth from the smell---which was almost easy to identify. Amelia took out a small box that was filled with clear jars. The jars were either half empty or half full with a liquid. Amelia knew she wasn’t the smartest person in the world when it came to medicine, but she knew this smell. She’d Smelt it before, when doctors had come to her house and preformed a procedure on her mother after she passed. Formaldehyde. The smell was unbearable and strong. Unmistakable. She took one of the jars and carried it over to the table. She looked back over to the cabinet and rushed back over, almost slamming it shut and stepping away from it. She took in a deep breath of air. The metallic smell disappeared some, but not completely. And of course, the curiosity of what the smell was became replaced by the curiosity of what it had been used for. But judging by everything she’s been learning, she doubted it was anything of good use. Amelia snatched up the things she had laying on the table in front of her. She pushed her chair in and rushed back down the stairs into the dimly lit basement. She walked over and set the things in her arms down onto Carolina’s bed. Just to be safe, she threw the comforter over the items to keep them as well hidden as she could. She walked over to the bureau and started going through the drawers. She pulled out a few clothes---a small dress, a pair of shoes, two button down shirts, and a red silk skirt. She had gotten through almost everything when she found a black cloak-like garment. She draped it over her shoulders and stood up, gathering the clothes she threw onto the floor and shoving them back into the drawer. She slammed the drawer shut and walked back up the stairs, shutting off the light as she walked out. Amelia walked out of the house. She didn’t know exactly where she was going, but wherever it was, she would get help. She would find answers. Anything to calm herself down is what she needed right now. She could feel the absurd anger and confusion building up inside of her, piling up on the amount of curiosity stashed away already. She walked down the gravel walkway to the barren sidewalk. The walk into town from William‘s house was barren. The lonesome street looked like death roe compared to the bustling sidewalks of the inner town. The eerie silence compiled her thoughts, and she beckoned for herself not to forget her reason for coming out here in the first place. “Resurrection,” she thought, “resurrection…” Chapter 9 William looked around at the crowd of people in the small town. All around him were conversations or high waged gambles, people being persuaded into spending their riches on worthless knick-knacks. He walked along, not paying attention to the looks he got from strangers. He pushed them aside, keeping his eyes set for his destination ahead. The black tent behind the mass of carts and small shops stayed well hidden in the background of everything. A man stood at the entrance way of the tent with his hands behind his back. William knew he was hiding a dagger behind him. He approached the tent and the man stopped him. His face was hidden, and he didn’t look at William, but straight ahead. “State you’re business here,” he said in a deep voice. William cleared his throat and kept his eyes away from the man beside him. “I request the guidance of Damien Unvic.” The man nodded and pulled back the flap of the tent entrance. William walked inside and almost immediately, the dizzying smell of incense flooded his senses. The inside of the tent was dark, but cool, and was minimally decorated with pieces of furniture. William stood in a spot and squinted. The lack of light inside made it hard to see. “Damien,” he whispered, “Come out, come out wherever you are.” “I’m out,” said a soft voice. William looked around and saw a tall figure standing against a tent support. He was smiling at William in a devious way. “William, so nice to see you again,” he said coolly. “I wish I could say the same about you.” “Why be so cross, William. You don’t care anymore for an old time friend?” “You mean a murderer? No, thank you.” “Aw, come now. I didn’t murder anyone.” “Just my daughter and my wife.” Damien’s smiles just got wider. He chuckled slightly and made his way out of the shadowed corner of the tent. He walked over and stood in front of William, who grimaced venomously at him. “You’re wife was an insane demon from hell and you’re daughter was nothing better.” “Shut you’re mouth,” William spat at him. “What can you possibly do to make me, William? Kill me? Get you’re revenge?” He smiled even brighter and chuckled again. “Revenge can be sweet…Oh so sweet. But it isn’t quite so sweet when you lose your life as well.” “What are you talking about?” “William, William…If you even dared to lay a hand on me one of my men would easily have you executed. But enough sweet talk, what did you come here for?” Williams fists were clenched tight. He hates how Damien was so utterly powerful, and he couldn’t do anything about anything he did. But he was a smart man. A brilliance in the making, and he was the only help William would ever get. “This girl, Amelia Diane Taylor. She knows about Laura, Carolina. She’ll soon find out about everything you’ve done.” Damien raised his hands to his face and looked them over, turning them this way and that. “I’m sorry, I don’t follow. I don’t believe that the task I had given you required me to get my hands dirty.” “You told me all to do. You---” “Didn’t perform the operation. William, start using that bright mind a gave to you.” “You made me who I am. I’m your responsibility.” “I didn’t make you. I revived you. Had it not been for me and my skill, you would be dead. So start showing me a bit more respect.” “I shall show you nothing, Damien.” “Oh, that hurt. And to think I thought we could work everything out.” William sighed. He knew he couldn’t win. He owed more than a few lives to Damien. He owed every last thing that he could call his. “How do I keep her from finding out anything more?” he asked. Damien crossed his arms and paced back and forth. He was thinking. Not hard, but just letting his mind wander over all of the possibilities, searching for the most simple escape out of a serious epidemic. “William, tell me what you did with her body.” William had to think for a moment. At first, he was confused whether he was talking about Amelia or Carolina. “I hid it.” “I understand that, but where?” “In the wall.” Damien nodded. William could understand that he was skeptical about literally hiding it inside the walls. “Is it visible to see at which it is hidden?” “No.” “That’s fine then. If she’s like all the rest she won’t notice a thing.” “But she’s already seen her.” Damien looked at him. “The body?” “No. You saw her. She saw her like you did.” Damien nodded once more. The moment he had seen Carolina after death was probably the most terrifying moment of his life. Science couldn’t explain it. Hysteria wasn’t the cause. The effect had been dramatic. “Keep an eye on this one,” said Damien. William nodded and Damien walked back away into the shadows. He watched him disappear, and then he turned around and walked out of the tent. The man that had been standing in front of the tent watched him as he walked off, back into the crowd. Damien appeared once again, beside the man. “He’s a strange one, Sir,” said the man in front of the tent entrance. Damien nodded and watched William. “If he comes back,” he began. Damien turned back around to walk away, “Slit his throat.” Chapter 10 Amelia kept her head down. She stared at the ground as she walked. She brushed smoothly passed the people in the crowed around her, and ignored all of the people trying to scold her for not watching for where she was going. She didn’t have a reason to. She knew exactly where she was going. It was so loud, all around her. The peculiar smells of incense and foods, mixed with the musky scent of the fall air. Amelia was not distracted, though her mind had wandered off slightly. She knew what she was after, and she knew William was somewhere in the crowd. Her plan was to simply keep her distance, if she could manage that. She tilted her head up, squinting her eyes from the sun. I could use a breeze. Amelia gently waved her coat to cool herself off. The black coat she was wearing hid her entire body, like she wanted, but also provided unwanted heat. It was also about six inches longer than Amelia, and she constantly stepped on the end of it. She looked over to her left. The small shack she would need to go to was around here somewhere. It was easy enough to see---Black beads in the entrance way, and the slight odor of decaying flesh. William paced himself, taking brisk steps. The fastest possible way to get away from Damien. He had so many thoughts running through his head at one time he wasn’t sure if he could handle it. Resurrection, Resurrection. I revived you. Had it not been for me you’d be dead. He had saved him. For nothing. William was a stranger at the time and had no clue at all what was happening, or bound to happen. The night of that changed him, and now it was all coming back to him in a new form. He walked steadily, staring straight ahead. The glare from the sun blinded him slightly, but he could see his way. The mass of people around him chattered. Ladies in intricate dresses looked at him and smiled. He didn’t pay any attention to them, just kept moving. Amelia looked off to the side, looking for the shack. She realized it might be slightly harder to see because of all of the people around her, and the displays going on around the outskirts of the crowd. Ahead of Amelia was a woman wearing flashy jewelry, that made it hard not to stare. Unfortunately, as she stared at the opal medallion around the woman’s neck the sun reflected off of the precious jewel and blinded her. She stopped dead in her tracks and covered her eyes, rubbing them as if she had just woken up. As she started walking forward, she felt a rough nudge on her shoulder and stopped again. She took her hands down from her eyes and looked at the ground. The person she had bumped into stood next to her and grunted slightly. “It would be wise of you to pay attention to where you are going.” Amelia nodded and waited until the man standing behind her started walking away. As he did so, she looked back at him and smiled keenly to herself. You’re really that distracted, William? Chapter 11 Amelia pushed past the black beads hanging over the entrance of the little shack. The floor boards creaked as she walked across them. Her eyes drifted over every little thing she passed. Real attention grabbers, in her opinion. Jars and cases. Cages and boxes. All stacked in messy little piles. She walked over to one of the shelves that some of the boxes were stacked. She picked the first one up that she could get to and opened it. A small red bag was inside. Amelia read the label on the bag. ‘Magic sands’. She couldn’t help but smile. Amelia walked to the back of the little store and knocked on the wood plank in front of the wall opening, which she guessed was a door. She heard a rough voice call in response to her. “Come! Come! Let me see who you are…” Amelia started walking toward the voice. A smallish woman sat in a large chair made of, what seemed, nothing but sticks and rope. The woman stuck her hand up and waved it back and forth. She could see the wrinkled skin on the woman’s hands. “Don’t tell me your name,” she said in a low, crackly voice. She picked up a red bag, similar to the one with the ‘magic sand’ in it and emptied it into her lap. Small bird bones---which Amelia figured were dove bones---fell into her lap. She laid her thin, wrinkled hands over the bones. “Amelia! Is that really you?” Amelia smiled wide. “You always know when it’s me, Matilda.” The old woman turned around to face her. The skin on her face was creased severely. Amelia guessed she had to be at least sixty. She had known Matilda since she was little, coming to the woman with her mother. She always came home from the shack with some little trinket or another. Matilda smiled wide. Her minimal-toothed smile was brighter than ever. “I haven’t seen you in so long, Amelia. It’s so pleasant to see you.” “It’s nice to see you, too.” The woman pulled her chair around so she was now facing a table laid before her and Amelia. Amelia looked at the table with great interest. A crystal ball, Skulls, Shredded pieces of paper, and viles of dark and light fluids and sands. Matilda looked at her. “You don’t remember any of these things?” she asked. Amelia shook her head. “Vaguely,” she replied. Matilda nodded and fumbled her long thumbs. “What is it you have come to me for, child?” Amelia took a deep breath and looked at her. The breath came out in an overdramatic sigh. “I need…a reference,” she smiled, “and you’re the only one I can understand.” Matilda nodded and smiled back at her, the smile seeming to strain the skin of her face. “Then tell me what you need to know.” Amelia paced back and forth in generally the same spot. “I’m not sure exactly,” she paused, “if I’m saying it correctly.” “Try, and I will correct you.” Amelia nodded. “Resurrection,” She said. Matilda folded her hands and looked at her. “That’s right. But what do you need to know about this?”
Copyright © 2007 Jacqueline P Ervine |