Malevolent Hall 1666AD (24 page)

“Tilly, my God, Tilly what did you do, what was it?”  Mike asked.  Shimmering down next to her, he pulled her into his arms and held her.

“Edward, it was Edward,” she mumbled.  Her little brother, her darling little Teddy had been turned into a demon and seeing him like that had almost destroyed her.

“Tilly, please come upstairs before it comes back,” Mike begged, urging her to her feet.  Limp in his arms she allowed him to take her back upstairs.  He slammed the door shut and bolted it, his eyes following her as she wandered aimlessly to the bed and sat down. Gathering a piece of fabric from her dress Matilda wiped her eyes.

“Teddy,” she sobbed, her sweet, innocent little brother should have been in heaven with the angels, not turned into a monstrous demon and it was all her bloody fault.

Mike sat and put his arm around her.

“I’m so sorry, Tilly,” he said.

“Eleven years ago I couldn’t save him, Mike, I just froze, I just sat there and let the fucking demon take him and turn him into that - that thing.”  She leaned into him, and he gave her a gentle squeeze.

“Matilda, it’s not your fault, there was nothing you could have done, you were only a kid yourself,” he assured.

“Mike, if I kill it, will it save him, will my brother go to heaven and be at peace,” she asked, looking up at him with hope.  He nodded.

“Yes, I’m sure he will.”

“Then I’m going to fucking kill that demon,” Matilda cursed.  “Even if it is the last thing I ever do.”

His hand lifted to her face, and he wiped her tears with his thumb.  Her heart lifted at the love she saw in his eyes for her.  His lips skimmed her face, and brushed her mouth, before settling on her lips.  As they kissed, she felt a wave of familiarity wash over her, as if they had done this before, as if they had been together before, many, many years ago.

She looked at the four-poster and saw red, velvet drapes, she glanced to the window, and there were red velvet curtains.  Her eyes turned to the panelling on the wall beside the door.

“Holy shit, I remember,” she yelled, making poor Mike jump.

“What, you remember what?” he asked.

“You, me, and Eric,” she replied.

“Oh no,” he groaned, with a shake of his head.  “Please don’t tell me we were a threesome, because I’m so not into that.”  She laughed back her tears and shoved him off her.

“No.  I mean, you are Eric now and then. I get what he means.  You are Eric reincarnated and I’m Tilly of the past.”

“Okay,” he said. “So Eric died, and I’m him reborn, is that what you mean?”

“Yes, your ghost from the past is trying to help us, trying to warn us about Richard.”

“So why don’t you have a ghost?” he asked.

“Well, I’m not sure, maybe it has something to do with the enchantment.”

“Who is Richard, this isn’t making any sense?”

“I know it isn’t.”  She turned to him, and lifted her hand to his cheek.

“Mike, the first time I met you all those years ago, I felt something, an incredible attraction that I fought so hard to ignore.” 

He went to speak but she placed her finger on his lips to silence him.

“Let me finish first.  We have been in this room together before today.  You thought you recognised it.”

He went to speak, but she shook her head, and pressed her finger harder on his lips.

“Tilly and Eric were lovers, but they were in a forbidden relationship, and he used to come here, to Tilly’s tower in secret.  How, you ask.”

“Well, I would if you took your finger off my mouth,” he mumbled sarcastically.

“Sorry,” she said, removing it.

“Okay, how?” he asked.  Matilda pointed to the left side of the door.  She got off the bed and walked over to it.

“Ready?” she asked, and he shimmied over the bed towards her and stood.

“Okay,” he said, joining her.

Matilda pushed on one of the panels and it clicked.  She pushed again and a secret door squealed open.

“Shit,” he mumbled, staring into the darkness beyond.

“Just then as we kissed, I saw it and the whole room was different, as it was in Tilly’s time.  I wanted to tell you the other day what I found out on my family tree,” she added.

“What?” he asked.

“In 1666 an Eric Tovenaar was hung by his brother, Richard for the murder of Richard’s bride to be, Matilda Rhiamon.”

“You’re not serious?” he said, and he frowned.

“I am, it’s true, and Richard went onto marry Matilda’s sister and they had a Toveneer son and a Rhiamon daughter. I’m sure your line of Tovenners connects to the son and mine to the daughter.”

“So we’re related?”

“Well, yes but hundreds of years ago, like a lot of people are.”

“So where does this go?” he asked.

“To the chamber we found.  He must have come through the secret entrance in the fireplace.  The story written says that Eric killed Matilda but I don’t think that’s true.  I believe they placed a protective shield on this room to stop someone, or something from finding out what they were doing.”

“Richard,” he said, and she replied with a nod.

“Richard must have found out about their affair and killed her, but he couldn’t kill Eric as they are blood related somehow and blood can’t kill blood.  I still don’t know what this enchantment is, but it is something to go on.”  She glanced down at the floor and saw blood.

“Mike is that coming from you?” she asked, and she pointed to the floor. 

He looked down.

“Shit,” he mumbled, pulling up his trouser leg.  Blood ran down his calf, across his ankles and onto the wooden floor.  “That fucking thing got me,” he cursed.   Then he admonished himself, that thing was her brother.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

“It’s okay, you’re right it is a thing, it’s not my brother anymore.  You’d better take those off and let me have a look.”

Mike slipped off his trousers and lay face down on the bed.

“It looks like claws, and they have gone deep into your calves.  I will need to put something on it,” she said, and she walked over to her chest.  Opening it, she took out a number of different vials, a small mixing bowl, and a bandage. 

Mike sat up and watched her as she mixed a concoction into a paste.

“Tilly,” he said her name in a whisper.  She glanced up at him.

“Yes.”

“I’m feeling just a tad scared,” he admitted.  She smiled at him, stood, and walked to him.

“Mike, I’m fucking shitting my pants, but I don’t know what else to do.  I can’t run away, and, well I understand if you want to leave.”  He pulled her down on to the bed.

“Tilly, I would never leave you.  I know we have to fight this demon. It has something to do with both of us, and well, like you I need to know but it doesn’t stop me feeling scared.  I’m not scared at what may happen to me, I’m scared he’s going to take you away from me, Tilly.”

“Never,” she whispered, and as his lips met hers, she knew she had found her soul mate in Mike.  They were destined to be together no matter what, and no demon was going to part them.

Mike pulled back and listened.

“What is it?” she asked.

“It’s Parker, he’s barking,” he said.  Matilda looked towards the door.

“You don’t think - another demon maybe?”

“I should go down and check on him,” he said.  She nodded and they stood together.  Mike unlocked the door and cautiously headed downstairs.

As Matilda put away her lotions and herbs, she could hear Parker through the open door, and he sounded like he was going crazy.

“Tilly, go quickly he needs you,”
a ghostly voice whispered in her ear.  She glanced over her shoulder, but there was no one there.  A sudden shiver rippled through her body, a bad feeling, an unnerving vibe. 

“Mike,” she yelled and she ran down the stairs after him.

Mike opened the door to the kitchen and Parker stood growling.

“Parker, what’s up boy?” he asked, and he crouched down to fuss him.  As he did, the dog launched itself at him.  Mike screeched as he fell backwards and Parker’s teeth bore down on him.  Mike lifted his arms to protect his face as the dog tore into him.

“Parker, stop, get off!  What the fuck are you doing?” he screamed as he wrestled against his dog, his teeth snapping at him. He was going berserk; froth poured from his mouth, his eyes were red and he seemed to Mike that he was double his usual size.

On hearing Mike scream, Matilda increased her speed down the stairs and she shot across the foyer.  She screamed as she saw Mike on the floor, blood pouring from his arms as Parker savaged him.

“Mike!” she screamed.

“Get out, Tilly, he’s gone crazy,” Mike screamed back at her.  Her eyes darted around the kitchen; she shot forward, grabbed her rolling pin off the kitchen worktop, and whacked Parker across the head.  The dog merely stopped snapping at Mike, and turned to look at her.

“Fucking hell, what it is?” she screamed.  The dog’s face was distorted and full of menace.  It growled and turned its attention back to Mike, bearing down on him again trying to get to his throat.

“Get off him!” she screamed, and she whacked at it in a frenzy with the rolling pin.

His lips pulled back over his teeth as he turned towards her, his eyes glowering at her.  Leaping off Mike, Parker flew at her.  Matilda screamed and bringing the rolling pin up in defence, she hit the dog with such force that he ricocheted backwards and hit the wall.  Parker dropped to the floor and whimpered.  Mike scrambled to his feet.

“Mike,” she cried running to him.  He swept her in his bloody arms and held her.  Tears poured from his eyes as he looked at Parker.  Now back to his normal self, the dog lay, still.

“Mike, I’m sorry, but I had to stop him,” Matilda wept.

“It’s okay, I know.  I don’t understand what happened,” Mike sobbed.  Releasing Matilda, he ventured towards his dog.  He crouched down and touched him.  He was dead.

“Parker, oh God,” he wept, pulling his hand to his mouth as tears streamed down his face.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Matilda cried, throwing the bloodied rolling pin to the floor.  “I thought he was going to kill you.”

“He was,” Mike juddered, trying to swallow, but he felt as if he were going to be sick.

“Parker, what the hell happened to you, boy?” he mumbled tearfully, toying with the dog’s ear.

Matilda stood watching and she didn’t know what to do.  She was so afraid Mike would hate her for killing his dog.

Mike looked over his shoulder at her.  She was sobbing and shaking, his blood covering her.  He stood, and walked to her.

“It’s okay, I don’t blame you.  He would have killed me, Tilly you did the right thing, it wasn’t Parker I think he must have been possessed by one of those demons.”  She fell in to his chest and held him tight.

“We should take you to the hospital,” she said, glancing up at him.  He shook his head.

“No.  I would have to tell them what happened, and we can’t let anyone know what’s going on in here.”

“Mike, Eric - Eric said that Sam was dead.”

“What!” he said, pulling her back to face him.  She sniffled.

“He said, Richard’s demons killed him and took him back to his time.  They are using him in some ritual so that Richard can come here and get me.”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier, how long have you known?”

“Only this afternoon, I was going to tell you, and then there was that demon on the roof, and well dinner and, and with everything I forgot.  I’m sorry,” she cried.  He hugged her close.

“It’s okay, shush,” he hushed affectionately.  Mike wiped his hand across his bloodied face and he looked across at his dog.  His head dropped into her hair, his heart broken.  Parker had been with him since his dad died, he was his best friend.  He took a deep, calming breath as there was far worse coming of this he was certain.

“Tilly, let me take Parker outside and bury him.  If you can make something herbal for my injuries that will do for now, okay?” he asked.  She wiped her eyes and nodded.

“Yes, I can do that,” she agreed.  He kissed her and wiped her eye with his thumb.

“We’ll be okay, Tilly.  I promise.”  She smiled at him and then watched sadly, as he walked to Parker and picked him up.  With tears running down his cheeks, Mike carried him to the back door.  Matilda opened it, giving a gentle sob as Mike carried him outside.

Matilda picked up the bloody rolling-pin and threw it in the bin.  Grabbing a bucket from under the sink, she mopped up the blood from the kitchen floor.  Ten minutes past and he still hadn’t returned, so she hurried upstairs and opened her chest.  Pulling out various concoctions of herbs and ointments, she began to make a lotion for Mike.

“It’s just me,” Mike called as he reached the top of the stairs.  She glanced up as he walked into the bedroom.

“Are you okay,” she asked, and she stood.  He nodded, and held his arms open.  She ran to him and as he held her, the love he felt for her comforted his broken heart.