Читать книгу The First Darkness - Mitchell Boone's Gibson - Страница 11

Melvina awoke on the bed that Salva had made for her in the back of the hut. Her eyes hurt with a deep pain that penetrated to the core of her being. Her vision was fuzzy and when she tried to focus, she became nauseated. Salva held a hot cup of broth next to Melvina’s lips and asked her to drink.

“What happened?” Melvina asked.

“You fainted.”

Melvina drank the warm broth slowly. The taste was rich and delicious, unlike anything she had ever tasted. The more she drank, the stronger she became. Soon, she felt her old strength return and she sat up easily. She stared at Salva for several long moments, took a deep breath, and sank slowly back onto the bed.

“We have to leave this place, sister,” Melvina said.

“Why? Where would we go? We died, remember?”

“I remember. But this place makes me uneasy. There is something wrong about the old man. We have to leave here.”

“But if we leave, where would we go? He has been kind to us.”

“Listen to me, sister. Today, I saw something...something that I can’t explain right now. I want you to trust me on this. He is not as he appears...there is something—”

Before Melvina could complete her statement, the old man walked into the room. Two of the dogs from the pack stood passively by his side.

“I am happy to see you are well. I was worried. If you are up to it, please walk with me.”

The old man extended his hand and motioned for Melvina to come with him.

“Shall I come as well?” Salva asked.

“If you don’t mind, I would like to speak with your sister alone.”

Melvina rose quietly from the bed and took the old man’s hand. They walked through the back door of the hut and slowly approached the dirt trail that ran adjacent to the stream.

Salva ran to the door to watch the two of them walk away. The two dogs lagged a few feet behind, pacing silently.

The old man did not speak until they had lost sight of the hut.

“She will not believe you, and she will ignore your fears. She feels safe here with me.”

“My sister is young and impressionable. I know better. You are not as you appear.”

“You would do well to remember who I am. I have given you certain freedoms upon your return in exchange for the service that you have provided. Your sister will make a fine addition to my collection. Perhaps I shall even keep her as my slave.”

Melvina looked at the old man and violently wrenched her hand from his.

“You do not own me. I am not your servant. My sister is not your plaything.”

“Perhaps I should remind you of the true nature of things, my dear.”

The old man stopped and picked up a smooth gray pebble from the path. He spit on the rock and spoke softly over the stone as he rubbed the spittle onto its surface. He then set the rock gently upon the path once again.

In a few moments, the rock began to glow and sparkle. Red and orange smoke rose from its surface and clouded the entire stone. As the smoke cleared, Melvina saw a small rabbit arise from the stone. Amazingly, the rabbit grew to full, robust, adult size in seconds.

The old man picked the rabbit up, stroked its ears gingerly, and kissed it on the nose. He looked at Melvina, smiled, and threw the rabbit to the dogs. The rabbit tried to hop away, but the dogs were upon it in seconds. They tore the animal in half almost immediately, spewing blood and tissue over a wide circle. Even torn in half, the rabbit managed to breathe an unearthly scream.

Melvina watched in horror. She was speechless.

“You see, you are one of my creations. You have a special purpose, unlike the rabbit that you saw. Would you like to know what you were before I gave you this form?”

Melvina felt the broth begin to broil within her stomach. A few seconds later, she bent over near a large boulder and threw up.

“Yes, I believe you understand now.”

“"Wh-whyyyy...are you...doinggggg...this to me?” Melvina stammered as she struggled to wipe her mouth.

“You gather souls for me, my dear. That is what you have always done.”

“What do you mean ‘gather souls’?”

“I collect the souls of humans for a very special purpose. For reasons that I cannot explain to you, I am unable to do this myself. However, you, my creation, are able to circumvent certain rules. You have been rather useful in that regard.”

Melvina felt her stomach begin to boil and rumble once again. She grabbed her sides and bent over. This time, she could only manage dry heaves.

“How long have I been doing this for you?”

“Not quite long enough, I’m afraid. Which brings me to the reason for our chat. It is time for you to return to Earth.”

“I’m not going anywhere without my sister!”

“I am afraid you have no choice in the matter.”

“I won’t do it. I’ll run away, and I’ll take my sister with me.”

“And go where?”

“Away from you!”

“That will be rather difficult, considering that in a very short while you will be reborn.”

“What do you mean?”

“The broth you drank...the vomiting...the dizziness you are about to feel...all part of my plan for your rebirth.”

Melvina began to feel her mind spin and reel again. Her senses refused to focus on the path or on the old man’s grinning form. She barely managed to force herself to speak.

“Rebirth plan?”

“That is the only way to send you back into the world, my dear.”

Melvina fell to her knees. Her insides began to boil and churn anew. She felt a strange, squeezing sensation grip her head, shoulders, and chest area. Without meaning to, she closed her eyes and lay down in a curled-up, fetal position. Slowly, her body began to glow and sparkle.

Within moments, she felt her body begin to shrink. She wanted to cry but her voice could only create a feeble whimper. She tried to open her eyes, but she could not. The intensity of the squeezing sensation increased around her head and chest. She wanted to scream, but her desire was once again met with tiny, feeble whimpers. Her mind continued to reel and spin as her senses refused to lock onto her surroundings.

She felt her body shrink further. As the pressure from the squeezing grew stronger, her urge to scream became greater and greater—but she could not.

Soon, she felt the sensation of something like hands touching her body. Suddenly, she felt the odd sensation of a sticky, cold fluid surrounding her. The squeezing intensified until it was almost unbearable. She felt as if her head were about to burst from the pressure. Suddenly, just as she felt that she could bear no more, the pressure subsided.

She felt a warm liquid flowing over her body. She heard voices. They seemed to be those of women, but she did not recognize any of them. The sensation of the liquid was soon replaced by the slightly warm but rough touch of what felt like a blanket.

Melvina mustered as much willpower as she could. She forced her eyes to open. She saw the face of an old woman whose skin was wizened by too many days in the sun. She wore a thick shawl that was covered with a strange and elaborate design. The woman smiled as she looked at Melvina.

The old woman spoke and the words crashed onto the shores of Melvina’s consciousness like a ship lost in a storm.

“It is a boy, my lord.”

Melvina began to scream.

“He is very healthy,” the old woman said.

Melvina’s cries were quickly drowned out by the cheers and songs of praise that surrounded her new parents. Lord Evans and his third wife Linda were the proud parents of a new baby boy.