Preys & Predators IV; Monster and Witches Chapter 10

 

10.

 

Rudolf did not approve of the brothers escorting them, but Lauren was insistent on that. He looked at his daughter and sighed. Obviously, she needed the company of the lads, while her last years were spent imprisoned at the mansion with only ghostly apparitions for company.

And of course, an old man who was her father.

Kane had convinced the elderly man of having extra protection.

“Sir, an extra …. Or two guards will give you that comfort.” Kane explained. “Abel and I… well, we are familiar with the demons.”

“Sir,” Abel cut in. “We are on the same route as you.”

“I did not state my direction to you.” Rudolf was not keen on having the lads with him. Lauren had tugged at the father’s right sleeve, but the elderly man ignored her.

“Sir, we are in the same direction as yourself. You were riding west, and so were we. I assumed you were going west.” Kane said, “Once you reach sight of yours, we will part ways.”

The discussion went between them, and finally Rudolf agreed. They took on the journey the next day, and Abel was told to follow at the rear, which he protested, but Kane made the call. There was no demon met on the ongoing journey, and Lauren was always leaning backwards to look at Abel.

“Father, why does Kane keep on telling his brother to do the tasks?”

“Well,” Rudolf looked at the riding lads ahead of the chaise. “Kane is the… elder, and naturally, he commands his brother.”

“You did that when you were in the army.” Lauren looked at the lads. “But some of them were older than you.”

“I was a senior officer. I held the rank that made me their superior officer, and they respected me.” Rudolf said. He had recalled those days when hundreds saluted him. It was the rank that marked the seniority.

“If only I had the brothers or sisters to instruct… or be told by them.” Lauren sighed. “I am all alone.”

“I am here. I am your father, and you must listen to me.” Rudolf looked towards her.

“Well, you are not my brother.” Lauren looked to the rear at Abel. “If you were my younger brother, I would not tell you how to do things.”

Rudolf looked on ahead. He knew what it was like when he was her age. It was all about meeting the other genders and having fun. Funny, he said to himself. Then at that age, it was all about getting the girls into the barn or the woods for the kisses and touches, but with Lauren at his side, he was all about judging what was right and wrong for her.

“I guess it is all about getting older.” Rudolf muttered to himself. He then saw the path that leads to the Frankenstein’s mansion before the creek. They took the turn and were approaching the creek where they had the last incident. He reached for the crossbow and made sure the iron peg was notched. The horse pulled at the reins, and Rudolf held taut at it.

“It is fine, my dear. We will ride through.” Rudolf reassured the horse and kept their direction on the path.

“Father, the creek,” Lauren called out.

“It is, but we are safe now.” Rudolf focused on the ride ahead. He spurred the horse to gallop on.

“Is that a man I saw there?” Lauren suddenly called out. “It was behind the tree.”

“Ignore it, Lauren,” Rudolf said. He was taken aback by his reference then. If Lauren said she saw a man, then his reply was to be him, but he said it. He had heard the rumours of the undead creature that roamed the woods. It was on the lips of the town dwellers and the woodsmen. He had dismissed it all as a fairy tale, and with his own encounters with the witches, he was not keen to be indulged in it.

“It may be a woodsman or hunter. They roam the woods for their works,” Rudolf added. “Please sit back and let us focus on the task ahead.”

It was then Abel rode towards Kane.

“I may be mistaken, but I think I saw someone in the woods. He is, I think, behind the trees.” Abel told his brother. “Shall I check?”

“No need. It may be a woodsman. Surely, you do not assume it was some forest nymphs there. They do congregate at the creek or streams.” Kane smiled.

“Hush your lewd thoughts, Kane. I am ……” Abel looked towards Lauren. “She could hear us.”

“Lauren? I doubt so.” Kane laughed. “The last nymph you met also made meat out of your heart.” Kane continued laughing.

“She is not one. I meant Lauren.” Abel snapped at his brother. “Anyway, I am going to check out that creek.”

Abel turned his horse to ride to the creek when Lauren called out to him.

“Do not go. I saw the …… woodsman. He is collecting… woods there.” Lauren told Abel. “Let us move on.”

“As you commanded, my lady.” Abel nodded to the lady and rode to the rear of the chaise.

“He addressed me as … a lady.” Lauren blushed. “I……”

“You are a lady now,” Rudolf said. He knew his daughter had grown to be a lovely lady.

Abel took to the rear, but curiosity got the better of him. He turned his horse and rode towards the creek. The natural, narrow stream fed water from the hills with its flow, characterized by the clear water, with the pebbled beds. The cool water has the small fishes there, with banks lined with vegetation like trees and wild plants; it gave the creek a tranquil, scenic environment for wildlife and reflection.

Abel led his horse to the stream and then dismounted. He squats next to the horse and washes his weary face with the water. He felt refreshed and then stood up. He looked across the stream and saw the figure there.

It was a lady, and yet she was un-ladylike.

Ugly may be the term to describe the lady.

The facial expression was a lady, but she was dressed in the men’s shirt and pants that reached below her knees and wore the worn-out boots. Her arms were not covered below the elbow, and there were scars on them.

She was not a nymph by the looks.

A witch, but they are, well, better looking or truly haggard.

“Who are you?” Abel asked.

The figure turned and ran into the woods. Abel was unsure of whether to pursue or remain there. He saw the figure disappear among the trees. He then heard his name called.

“What are you doing here?” It was Kane who rode towards Abel. “You’ve been missing for over an hour.”

“An hour? It cannot be. I just arrived here.” Abel looked at the trees. “I saw someone there. It was a lady. She ran just now.”

“Enough of your fantasy, Abel. The father and daughter have taken on their own route at the turning ahead. We are to meet Father on our own route. The town should be ahead.”

“Kane, I saw a lady there.” Abel wanted to explain himself. “She was alone.”

“Enough, Abel. You seem to me as though you were bewitched by …… the nymphs here.”

“There is no nymph here!” Abel said. “I saw……”

“We need to ride on.” Kane pulled his horse from the stream. “Did you drink from there?”

“Yes, I did.” Abel looked at Kane. “Surely you do not ……”

“Yes, you were bewitched. They could have placed a spell on the water, and you were intoxicated by it. You should know of this by now.”

“Do not taunt me, Kane. I was very much in my own state. I saw that I did, and it was not any nymph.” Abel argued back. “Let us ride. I will speak to Father on this.”

Further up ahead on the path after the turning, Rudolf let the horse take its own pace while he looked at the familiar surroundings. He had walked the grounds there many years ago.

“Father, why did Kane ride off?”

“Well, we are to take different paths. He was to go to the town, but Abel was missing. So, he backtracked to find his brother.”

“Abel missing? I did not…….”

“No, Lauren. You were looking at the woods. It looked familiar to you.” Rudolf changed the subject matter.

“No, Father. When I was here, I hardly looked out. I was too frail.” Lauren sighed. “If it was not for……”

“Your aunt, …… Carmilla was ……. helpful,” Rudolf said. He was reluctant to talk about that period. When he first heard of Carmilla, he was concerned about Lauren. The events slowly unfolded with Frankenstein, and then the battle with Dracula.

“We shall be there.” Rudolf sighed. He was still wondering why he even took the trip with Lauren. All he wanted was the recovery for Lauren, and he ended up losing her to the coven, of which his lover, Lissa, was one of its sisters. He had tried to protect Lauren, but it was all destined.

Lauren was to be a witch.

The supreme one with the power of three; Carmilla said it.

But she was not there yet. Ten years have lapsed, and her adaptation to the power was incomplete.

Rudolf knew that she could not protect herself until the power was in her. Or should he let her be one. Lissa was a witch against his wishes, and he lost her early. He looked at his own hands; the wrinkles were more prevalent there then. Ever since he left the mansion, his skin and body seemed to have aged. He was protected in the mansion then.

“We must hurry, Lauren. Find the runes, and then we will leave.”

 

 

 

Preys & Predators IV; Monster and Witches Chapter 9

 

9.

 

Inspector Watson stood outside Muriel’s home. He was looking at the charms that he had placed around the house. It was ironic for him to care about the lady, but she is still his daughter.

Their reunion was not exactly family friendly. The Warlock had little choice but to search for his own kin, and the only link was the Muriel’s. He recalled his escape with the mother then.

“William, I am too tired to continue the run anymore.” Kathleen had taken the rest at the abandoned house in the woods. “We have to consider……”

“My dear, we are still in pursuit by them.” The man told the other. “Carmilla will not be merciful towards us. She and her sisters will terminate my existence.”

Inspector John Robert Watson, aka William Katt, sighed at the thought. The covens were battling each other over supremacy in their arts, and one of the coveted arts was the Power of Three. It was a powerful spell that will give the coven much power. He had battled the sisters for it and was defeated. He fled the scene but returned to get his love.

“Katheleen, it is safe for you to be here. Please leave with me.” William pleaded with his lover. He met her at the Muriel house.

“What happened there, William?” Kathleen asked. She knew of his battle with the sisters. She loved him but will not be part of his coven. It was a usual arrangement, but the path of the hearts ruled over the coven’s rules.

“I battled them and hurt Carmilla badly. Her sisters, Annabelle and Lissa, were not there when we battled last. The other sisters were with their own families, and Carmilla was to hold the coven by herself. She was hurt by me, and her life essence was taken by me. She will pursue me to get it back, but the delay will weaken her.”

“Return the life essence then.” Kathleen looked at the man she loved. “We can call a truce over the war.”

“I want to, but I lost it. It was at the mansion when the army intruded on our battle. I escaped with barely my life. I did see the officer there retrieve the jewel that contained the essence. He had kept it then. I am without the essence now. He was the lover of Annabelle.”

“Carmilla took hibernation to recover and was offered the mansion with Annabelle, where she can be protected. She cannot get the jewel to herself, for her physical form was damaged by me. She needs another to hold it.” William smiled. “Till then, the power of Three will not be acted on for now, but the other sisters are still formidable.”

“I could not pursue the sisters, for I was weakened. I had come back for you.” William looked at the love of his life. “I could not leave you here alone for fear the sisters threatened you.”

“I am with my family now.” Kathleen told the man. “I……”

“My love, they cannot protect you. I may be able to do so, but give me time. I need to rebuild my strength and power. Meantime, we take refuge with my friends. Other covens I knew of.”

It was a hard decision then for Katheleen. She finally gave in. Three years of travel to the faraway lands and holding shelter with other covens. They were in no danger from the sisters, but it was William who created conflicts with some of them; hence, they had to leave.

The moment when Katheleen told the lover that she was with a child.

“Katheleen, I cannot abandon my search for the ……” William had tried to explain his tasks. “It will be our salvation.”

“Your salvation, not mine. I must find a home for our child. I cannot be forever on the run. The sisters are no longer targeting you.” Kathleen looked at the man she loved. “You can pursue on, but I am going back. Let them come after me if they are to…….”

“I cannot, my love,” William confessed. “I need the power. I will be the Supreme Warlock.”

“Then leave me, William.” Kathleen looked at the man she loved. “Leave us be. Our child will be with me.”

“Why do you place such a choice towards me?” William sighed. “I love you.”

“I know you do, but your desire to be the supreme warlock is our obstacle. Let me go back home, and you go on. When you are ready to come…home, do it, whether physically or with your soul alone.”

William was unsure of his action. She held out the amulet towards him.

“Hold this amulet. It contained my love for you.” Kathleen smiled. “I……”

“No, you keep it, as our love. That amulet is our love, and if it is destroyed, I will… cease to exist. Hand it to our child. It can be my life essence. I will protect the one who holds it.”

William left Katheleen at Muriel’s home and took on his own journey. His learning was incomplete, and while sheltering with the other covens, he had not stopped his pursuit of learning. That earned him their ire upon his intrusion, and they evicted him. He was wandering the lands to look for new shelters or new covens. In that journey, he was able to secure new spells and arts that made him a formidable warlock. He used his acquired power to challenge the other covens and won most of the battles. Whenever he was defeated, he would flee the area and resume his quest.

Finally, he came across a coven that was formed by a single witch. There were also words that a living creature was there; unliving yet living, as it was alive, and due to the nature of its creation, it was undetected by the witches or demons. He had to see it to learn from it. It was at the town where he left Kathleen years ago. It had been over ten years when he did return there. He could not find himself to see Katheleen or his child; he knew not of her fate. Soon he was to know that his lover was dead, and her child lives with the aunt.

‘Katheleen, I am sorry. I should have been there.” William stood over her grave. “I hold the spell to resurrect you.”

William was to call on the spell that he learned on how to resurrect the dead when he heard the voice.

“Warlock, I will not do that. Your lover is long dead, and her physical ……”

“Who’s there?” William called out.

“Only myself. I am Beezer, the servant, or rather one of Beelzebub. I..." The voice said.

“Show yourself, demon.” William took on the defensive stance to defend himself. He had his battles with demons during his journey.

“Here I am.” The demon appeared before the warlock. Beezer the demon was a minion of the powerful demon, Beelzebub. It held the form of a child's frame with a huge head, puffed cheeks, and a pointed nose.

“Are you…” William stared at the demon.

“Many have mistaken me for my distant cousin, Rumpelstikin, but we are distant… far apart. That dwarf or goblin or whatever was supposedly a blimp in our lineage.”

“Dwarf…. He was …. I met him,” William uttered.

“You did? I am not surprised. He turns up at the worst moments of bad times. What did he tell you? Get my name right? Spun the wool for the golden threads… He knew not any skills of the seamstress…. Or was it three wishes, my dear master, when you polished the oil lamp? I hope you did not rub the oil lamp…… That is part of his rump; hence, his name was Rump. He has bad manners.”

“No, I …… Never mind all that. Why… did you say I cannot resurrect her? William looked at the demon. His dealings with the demons were… adventurous at most times. When the covens refused him shelter, he sought the errant demons or other hosts.

“Well, she has been dead for over… ten years. Her physical form has … extinguished. Your spell works on the recently dead, and added to that, her soul had moved on,” the demon said. “You could try, but the spell will fail. I will suggest that you find your daughter. She is involved with the errant son of Frankenstein.”  

“My daughter?” William was surprised.

“Elizabeth Muriel. She lives with her aunt, Spenser Ann Muriel. They lived in the town.” Beezer then chooses to state his goodbye. “I have to go; I have to find the creature.”

“Creature? Tell me, where is it?” William was excited to hear of it.

“Warlock, if I knew of its whereabouts, would I be talking to you? The creature is not mortal, yet it exists as an abomination creation. I cannot detect its presence at all.” Beezer replied. “Find it yourself.”

William went to look for Elizabeth. He returned to the town and assumed a new name and role.

“Constable John Robert Watson, Sir.” William stepped up to the Chief Inspector.

“Watson, huh. Nice name.” Chief Inspector Lestrade looked at the constable standing there. “By Jove, I needed all the help I could get. Search the land for the creature.”

The constable did that and soon after stayed on to become the inspector. He took on the role as Warlock to build his new coven.

When Elizabeth returned, he followed her at a distance, but he was never to meet her. He was not ready for her. He did see her with one other later known as Victor Frankenstein. He left it there and pursued the creature but found another.

“Warlock, how dare you intrude on my domain?” William was to be confronted by an old witch that was recruiting there at the edge of the town. She had accumulated some young ladies to her coven. They were reported to be missing by the authorities.

“Witch, whom are you affiliated with?’ William asked.

“I am Agathe of Eastwick. I sensed your presence for some time. We finally meet.” The old witch faced William, dressed in the barmaid's clothing, with a sagging bosom and haggard facial expression. The old witch held a long staff to support her posture.

“Willian Katt, Warlock of Creek Circle,” William declared himself. “I am ….”

“Do not impress upon me, Warlock of Creek Circle. I knew of your reign, and you were defeated by the sisters. The war left both sides weakened, and you left on your own soul recovery. Your trail of betrayal and deceit prevailed from those among us. You were banished by them too.”

“I did what was needed.” William defended his choice. “A warlock needed to be powerful, and that came not from alliance or victory but from ever-consuming learning of new spells, even by deceit.”

“And what do you want from me, Warlock? My coven?” The old witch snarled. “I am old, but the wise ways still reside in me. I will not battle you.”

“Leave here. This is my domain now.” William told the old witch. “Your recruitment has driven the town to be wary of the coven’s presence, and soon it will be exposed. Leave now, and I will remove all trace of it. The coven will be placed in limbo till the situation is cleared.”

“And if I resist?” The old witch smiled, revealing the missing teeth.

“Termination. I will absorb your soul and powers.” William replied.

“As you wished, warlock. I will move on, but heed my words, your second defeat will soon come. Not by the mortals but by the creature.” The old witch smiled. “I hold the spell of seeing the future. Yours is marked there. I will be back.”

“You will not.” William called on the fire spell to burn the witch, but she had fled the scene.

 

 

 

 

Preys & Predators IV; Monster and Witches Chapter 8

 

8.

 

The Inspector took a sip of the tea served by the servant when Elizabeth Muriel stepped in from the cellar while seated at the dining table. He was dressed in his country-friendly attire: the Norfolk jacket, a belted and pleated sporting jacket, usually made of heavy tweed in checked, plaid, or herringbone patterns, and the loose-fitting knee breeches (knickerbockers or "knickers") were worn, which allowed for greater freedom of movement. His headwear placed on the table was the deerstalker cap, also known as the "fore-and-aft" cap in reference to its front and rear bills.

“Earl Grey, a black tea blends flavoured with oil from the rind of the bergamot orange, a citrus fruit. A distinctive floral and citrusy aroma and taste… named after Prime Minister Charles Grey.  Touché, my good man. You are named after an afternoon tea. Others may be after battleships, and well… once sunk or decommissioned, they are forgotten.”

“Ah, my dear. You are here. Do pass me the lemon. I prefer mine with my tea.” The inspector looked towards the lady. “Your maid evades me every time I am here.”

“Dolores has her tasks to do.” Elizabeth said.

“Would you…” Inspector Watson held out his right hand.

“I am not here to talk idle with you, Inspector.” Elizabeth Muriel snapped at the man.

“Is that still your attitude towards me?” The inspector glared at the lady. “I……”

“Our relationship is reciprocal. I aid you with the numbers, and you do the protection on the society’s committee.” The lady took her seat facing the Inspector. “It was mutually agreed upon.”

The Inspector had his right-hand fingers on the delicate teacup while facing the lady. It was by coincidence that they met; he was the warlock who had to flee the area when he was pursued by the other witches. And she needed protection from demons and a so-called creature.

“Elizabeth, I am ……” The Inspector could not find his words.

“Embarrassed? Or was it shame?” The lady looked at the man. “Would you like to tell me of William Katt? The many identities used by yourself? If only I had known earlier of that name.”

Elizabeth knew of William Katt from his adopted mother’s diaries and letters.

Her last entries explained it all.

‘I met William Katt years ago. He was a suave man who appeared in my life. I went out with him for afternoon tea; he impressed me with his charms and knowledge of God. It was then I fell in love with that man. It was a whirlwind of events, but one day he went missing.’

Did he know of my love, or was it I who was the one in love? I confessed my feelings for him to Katheleen, and she sided with me. My sister, Katheleen, was my ally as sisterly as we were, but unlike me, she was the wild one in the family. She left the family home at the tender age of thirteen and returned home two years later. Our parents were a strict, religious couple who punished their errant daughter for three years in the nunnery. When she was returned to us, she was a well-natured person.’

‘I shared a room with her then; I was aged fifteen. We learned to bond well, but there was a darker side to Katheleen. She was reading the books on the dark arts hidden below her bed. I asked her, but she told me it was for reading. I left it at that. That was my first regret.’

‘It was three years later, when I met Spencer. He was equally charming, and I, starved of love, fell for him. Love is a binding effect that blinds us from their real self. I wedded Spenser and adopted his name. We were happy for the initial years, but the real self-surfaced, and I was devastated.’

‘There is a saying that we are all actors in the first part of the relationship. The hours we had then were sparse, and during then, we were immaculate in our appearance and behaviour. It was only in the second phase that we displayed our true selves. Like the serpent, we shed our skin to become the real us.’

“Spenser was the serpent in our Eden.’

‘Spenser tried to take advantage of Katheleen, but she resisted him. She was lucky if I will term it as that. That event caused me distress when I confronted Spenser. He did not deny it and set the blame onto me. I had cheated him of my purity. He told me that he was seeing other ladies for the deprived acts.’

‘I cleared Spenser out of life but kept his name as my middle name. Yes, I was called Ms. Anne Spenser Muriel by name only. Spenser left me inflicted by some ailments, and I inherited his wealth. He died soon after.’

“Just when I thought all was to be fine, my parents died a year later, and Katheleen left home again. I was all alone till that night, when Katheleen returned to me three years later.”

‘With a man I once knew, and a baby I have not met yet, as it is unborn.’

‘William Kat had seduced my sister, and they shared a child to be named. He soon left my sister and the baby with me. He was pursued by others. I had taken in Katheleen and was revealed the truth on her missing years.”

‘William Katt, or whatever he calls himself, was a warlock, a male Witcher. He was in a battle with one of the covens and was inexperienced, and his lack of ability for the coveted power of Three. He was defeated and forced to run. He had taken Katheleen, then his lover, with him. During their run, Katheleen discovered that she was with a child. She returned alone with a rounded belly.’

‘I detested the man for inflicting the pain upon the both of us. But the child was our blessing. Elizabeth Muriel, named by me, gave us a new life, but it was a short one for the mother. Kathleen died soon after the birth of her daughter. I brought up Elizabeth without ever mentioning the identity of her father.’

‘I was protective of her and even embraced the life of self-sacrifice to God to give her guidance; I have Elizabeth in my care and could not commit myself to the nunnery. And I could not do it alone and formed the Theology Society. It was God’s vision to me. It was monitored by a group of learned people in the community. We formed to embrace God and its teachings to offer guidance to the younger ones. We protected the young ones.’

‘We also took the wrath of God upon the sinners. The right paths were planned, and one of them was to eradicate witches.’

‘Witches are abominations. I cannot let another William Katt into my life. Or to Elizabeth.” 

‘I brought up Elizabeth as my own. She was to inherit my role here.’

‘My last regret was her involvement with the Frankenstein. She should have listened when we were on the trip, but the heart does not follow the mind most times. I knew then and regretted it.’

That was the last entry in the diary.

Just when Elizabeth thought her past was behind her, William Katt revealed to her his new identity.

“Stay away from me, Inspector … William Katt.” Elizabeth had stepped back from the man who claimed to be her father. “You are not to be……”

“I am your father.” The Inspector held out his arms. “I am William Katt. You are Katheleen’s… our daughter.”

“Yes, John Robert Watson, or, if you prefer, William Katt. Your presumed father relationship with me does not exist. I am a Muriel’s child, and it remained that way. My relationship with you is mutual. As mentioned, you provide me the security protection, and I will do the needed support for you from the members. There is no reconciliation there.”

“Elementary, my dear. You do not hold your mothers’ forgiveness, my child. More of myself resides in you.” The Inspector smiled. “I am……”

“We hold no link anymore. May I remind you again that you are here for a reason?” Elizabeth reached for the amulet on the chain at her neck. “Seated before me is Inspector John Robert Watson and not William Katt. I want your services as that officer. Victor Frankenstein is back. I want to know of his movements here.” Elizabeth looked at the man. “He is to be looked at.”

“There is a lady with him? I am recruiting……”

“Do not lay your hand on her, Warlock. It will be hell to pay if you ever get at her.” Elizabeth snapped out, and her right hand clasped at the amulet. “I will destroy the amulet.”

The inspector held up his arms at the lady.

“Do not …… It is your mother’s. Her parting gift for us.”

“It may be her gift, but I will not hesitate to do it. I loathe you more than my love for my mother, whom I hardly know. She gave me this amulet to preserve ……. Not our love but your love. I do not need it.”

“Please do not threaten me, Elizabeth. That amulet is ……. Her gift was given by me. Please take care of it. I will not harm my own kin.” The inspector turned to leave before he turned to face the lady. “You may hold dear to me, but the level of kinship may be ….”

“Threshold reaching its limitation? I am aware.” Elizabeth held fast to the amulet. “Our… mutual cooperation was to be limited… on my terms.”

“Do not look for me when you are pursued by the …… creature. I hold no influence or power over it.” The inspector reminded the lady. “I am maybe a warlock, but the creature is neither of the living nor the unliving. It is……"

“My concern, Warlock. I will handle it on my own terms. Just take care of the other issues.” Elizabeth turned to leave. “Take your tea and leave.”

 

 

 

 

Preys & Predators IV; Monster and Witches Chapter 7

 

 7.

 

“You do not look well, Doctor Edward, despite your early retirement. Do not despair. Your existence for so long was due to the nutrients provided.” Elizabeth smiled. “You are a doctor, and preserving life is your work. Well, I am providing you the elixir of life. Oh, was I repeating myself here?”

“Pardon me, Doctor. It must be age catching up.” The lady of the house looked at the guest. “How are you today?”

The figure there, kept behind the metal bars of the cage, looked up.

“Better? I trust you are, Doctor.” Elizabeth approached the metal-barred enclosure.

“Are you getting bored? It is unfortunate that Doctor Landis could not wait for my hospitality, or you would have company. Her heart failed her at her older age. Wallace took his own life rather suddenly. If only I could have gotten to them in time. The elixir would have saved them. Aha, death has its own deadline.”

“Ms. Landis would have been a good companion? She is a depraved virgin. Oh, yes. You will savour that.” Elizabeth said. “If I had known that you and my …… adopted mother were lovers earlier …… Is my aunt with you …… Did she? Laughable but ironic for me to know so much later. You are a naughty man there. Your speeches on morality and being filial. Imagine it then if the hidden knowledge was known to the Society. It will be sacrilegious to them, and probably both of you would have been staked and burned.”

“But… it was not disclosed. Those are the letters you wrote to my aunt. Imagine my horror when I discovered all the letters you wrote to the bitch. How explicit could you ……. Pen down those lines.” Elizabeth laughed. “I had to take several baths to clean myself after the reading. You outshone what I did.”

“Shameful” may not be the word to say it. I was pale in details to your …… defiance on the act of love.” Elizabeth smiled. “Or was it … real sex? Yet, my aunt talks about purity……. Yet illicit sex?”

“Oh, it is very unfortunate, Esquire Irwin Wallace… sinful retributions will never be known. He shot himself in the head. We will never know of his fetish. He, as I was told, is interned in Hell now along with Ms. Landis.”

“Let me…die…please. Why did you make me…?” The figure there pleaded. “Sent me to Hell.”

“Hell, Doctor, Hell will be like Heaven compared to here,” Elizabeth said. “I am not the same… not the lady you peeked at when I was eight in the bathroom nor the silly teenager who hugged you at Christmas. I am no more that anymore. I am now Elizabeth Muriel. Thanks to my strength, I am alive once more. I want to see you suffer. All three of you but two were unreached by me except you.”

“Liz, you are mad.” The figure shouted. “You are as crazy as your …… aunt.”

“Presumably, I am, but you will endure the pain here. Am I not right, Beezer?” Elizabeth looked to the far corner of the cellar.

“Yes, Mistress.” The demon appeared from the dark corner. “He will suffer.”

“Have you done our task, slave?” Elizabeth asked.

“I was to……” Beezer replied.

“Now induce on the guest here. He needs to be fed.”

“Mother of God, stop!” The doctor screamed when the demon approached it. It slipped through the metal bars as if they were not there and approached the figure.

“Your daily feed is here.” Beezer with his right hand grabbed the figure by the jaw and pried open the mouth. His left hand then produced the slugs that were dropped into the mouth.

“Replenish your soul now.” Beezer saw the slugs get swallowed into the doctor. The slugs worked their way into the body, and then excoriating pain coursed through it. The doctor screamed out, but there was no sound from the voice. It was screaming inside its soul. The slugs have reached the soil. It will feed on there and give sustenance to the body to survive. With the body fed, the lifeform will remain intact.

The demon will torment the doctor further on his own time. He regretted his banishment there by his master, Beelzebub, for failing to extort the exchange from Ernest Frankenstein. When Ernest died, Beezer went for the next soul he was to exchange with, but the lady was a witch. Her sisters were together and defied the demons’ wrath. It was the intervention of his master, who snatched one of the sisters away. And laid siege to the mansion.

“We will battle them all.” Beelzebub made the call. “No one reneges on the exchange.”

The master of the demons then looked at Beezer.

“You are banished for your failure and will never return to the realm. Never call me Master ever.”  The pleading of the demon was not heeded.

“Beezer, I will hear no more.” It was a move that was then ten mortal years ago.  

“You failed, Beezer.” Beelzebub told the demon. “But the coven is weakened. We will battle the coven when they are weakened and take victory then.”

A siege was laid, but victory eluded them.

Beezer looked to the lady departing the cellar, and it smiled. It offered his servitude to the mistress in exchange for the protection there. She was no ordinary mortal lady; she was the daughter of a warlock.

The rival to the sisters.

And she is mad.

 

 

 

Preys & Predators IV; Monster and Witches Chapter 6

 

6.

 

Elizabeth Muriel; she took back her maiden name when she returned eight years ago to the home where she was brought up. The place had prospered well in the last ten years; it was already a rare event to have a Uni’s there when it was a small town, but now that town has grown significantly, the Uni’s is seen as a part of it, rather than the main venue there. The expanded town housed new establishments that included churches and other houses of worship, which also drove in many new tenants. They all arrived with the sincere intent of ‘salvation is near’ calls.

Elizabeth, upon her return, had stayed at the home of the Muriel’s and resumed the role of the head of the Theology Society as its chairman; gender does not rule in the chairmanship. The committee members had not changed then; the members had increased in number.

“Elizabeth, we valued your return.” That was Ms. Landis, professor of the subject of living science and then the acting chairman, not even hiding her scorn for the lady. “We have been holding the society position well. However, with your return, I am …….”

“Ever obliged, Ms. Landis. I will resume my aunt’s works.” Elizabeth declared then. “With your blessing.”

“Naturally.” Ms. Landis’ tone was bitter.

“In the last two years, we have……” Ms. Landis was cut off by the younger lady.

“I have here the letter from my aunt, Ms. Anne Muriel, that upon her death or retirement, I was to assume the post as Chairman of the Society from the acting Chairman, who may be there in the event of her death.” Elizabeth handed the letter to Mr. Irwin Wallace, the legal expert. “Mr. Wallace can attest to the writing and signature of my aunt.”

It was confirmed, and Elizabeth was declared the chairman. However, Ms. Landis and Mr. Wallace resigned.

The return of Elizabeth Muriel was soon on the lips of everyone in the town. Everyone in town knew from spoken rumours that Elizabeth had left town with the last Frankenstein’s son, leaving a horrific scandal of a monster behind. It was to be taken over that the creature was never caught or killed, giving the town an aura of mystery. The town was once more filled with visitors, including hunters who were looking to gain fame. The influx also gave the Theology Society much publicity, and their cause soon influenced more members.

“Have you read these books? The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole (1764), or Vathek by William Beckford (1786). Or The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe (1794). They all dwell on the…topic of the unreal…the supernatural.” Elizabeth was a sharp critic of the new genre of interest then. “These novels used elements like ghosts, vampires, witches, and haunted castles to create atmospheres of terror and suspense.”

“Demons and creatures. Once we were plagued by it, but ……. Unfounded in the true sense.” Elizabeth's speeches were fierce in deliverance. “Enough of these ……. Plagiarism of horror. I called upon all of you to stay on the real direction of life. Be alive and not walking dead.”

Within three years of her leadership, she added in new members to the committee and went on an expansion plan with the membership with her talks on the moral decadence in the society. New funders are soon to join Elizabeth in the committee, like Lady Alice Burnett, a socialite from the big city in her fifties, a divorcee, and a philanthropist. And previously a movie star. She holds huge wealth and placed it under the trustee of the Society. The legality of the Society is handled by another lady named Lydia Poem, a spinster and advocate for unequal rights, women first.

The membership expanded into the thousands, mostly women, spread into the cities and towns, with more notable names and generous contributions. That same period, the euphoria of the monster had died down, but her speeches on moral decadence took precedence.

"Proverbs 14:34: Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people." Elizabeth’s words stoke the listeners and soon-to-be followers.

“My town was once … the garden of Eden, but the serpent made its appearance here. The serpent poisoned the orchards, which were thus fed to the young ones. The poison soon invokes ungodly practices, and we were extended to the realm of the fallen.”

“Witchcraft sprouted its seeds here. I called for society to reject such evils.”

The words became the movement and law, but not everyone was to accept her words. There were some who rebelled against her, and violence was to take root. She was called the wolf.

“Marcos 7:15, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”

Some hurled that accusation at her, but skilfully Elizabeth turned the tables onto them.

“They claimed I am the false teacher, yet I lost my family to such evils and my town to creatures; Nephilim I will name them. Among us they appeared as harmless but held destructive intentions, and society should recognize them by their actions and teachings rather than their deceptive outward appearance.”

“The rotten apple shall be removed from the orchard at Eden.” Elizabeth was powerful in her words, but violence held no regard for the victim.

Enforcement of protection for the Society was needed. There were threats by mischievous groups that threatened the Society, and hence Elizabeth called on them for protection.

The protection came from Inspector John Robert Watson of the local constabulary, an officer with over ten years of enforcement experience; a firm build in the physical frame at over six feet; and a sizable shoe size of twelve. They named him Big Foot, and he joined shortly. He was there during the earlier search for the creature.

The wronged parties were expelled, and soon the town took on the model role of the rightful society. With the Society protected, Elizabeth continued her legacy.

Every morning, Elizabeth woke herself up to that legacy.

“I am awake, adopted mother….” The tone of her voice snarled with sarcasm while she dressed up for the day. Her usual routine of wearing the darker shades in the "New Woman" style—the tight-waisted blouse and bonnet complemented by the skirt with pleats and slits for easier movement when cycling. Her attire was completed with the ankle-high leather boots. Elizabeth is not a cyclist, but she does the distance by walking.

“Do not be a bore, adopted mother.” The lady placed it on the bonnet. “I will be fine.”

“And do not think that the Theology Society will continue on with your idea alone, my dear aunt.” Elizabeth Muriel looked at herself in the mirror.

“It thrives on my poetic deliverance. I gave them …… hope.” Elizabeth laughed again. “Lambs to the slaughter they all are.”

“Aunt, for news, I am to officiate a new faculty today at the Uni’s. It is to research on the works of human anatomy.” Elizabeth laughed to herself. “Maybe we will build another creature. Victor will be proud.”

“No, I am not calling it Frankenstein’s works.” Elizabeth sighed. “Yes, it is called Muriel’s lab. The bastard, Victor, does not exist in my life anymore.”

One topic Elizabeth evaded was her so-called marriage.

“I was a member of the Frankenstein. I was never wedded to Victor Frankenstein, nor do I have a child with him. The so-named child is his alone.” That denial was protected by the legal counsel of the Society.

“I am late, Aunt. Die painfully, please.” Elizabeth took leave of the chamber. She met her house servant there at the dining area and sat at the table.

“Mistress, we have words of the return of one named Victor Frankenstein. He is here in the town with a young lady.” The servant, Dolores met the lady of the house at the dining area, served tea. The lady of the house seated there was holding the cup of tea at her lips and held her action there. She looked at the swirling tea broth in the cup.

“A complexity of life,” Elizabeth murmured. “We had agreed. Man cannot be trusted.”

“Call on the Inspector to see me.” The lady of the house instructed the servant.

“Is the guest comfortable?” The lady of the house placed down the cup and then got up to walk to the rear of the house. She stepped into the cellar of the house, which once housed the wine and dried foods but then was improvised to be housed differently.

The solitary figure there in the metal-barred cell, emancipated by the physical look and dishevelled in their appearance.

“Good morning. I am late today. Complicated matters held me up.” Elizabeth smiled.

 

 

Preys & Predators IV; Monster and Witches Chapter 5

 5.

 

“Abel, take the rear. I will lead the ride.” The rider named Kane called out and galloped the horse he was on to the front of the chaise.

Rudolph dropped the crossbow and reached for the reins from Lauren to manage the horse. He had control of the reins and rode on without sighting the demon.

“There is a hut in front. We will stop there.” Abel had ridden next to the chaise and called out to Lauren. “We can fight……”

The other young man, similarly dressed and holding the same design crossbow, did a low bow to the lady.

“I will tell Kane.”

The hut was off the path, and they took refuge in there. It was bare of furnishings, but it held a roof over their heads and four walls to offer protection. The father and daughter took them inside, and the brothers followed suit. Lauren was then able to study the two gentlemen who aided them. They were similarly dressed dark shirt and pants with knee high boots and the half-length cloak on their shoulders; no hats. and held the crossbow with the quiver of arrows over their back. They have on their waist the short sword on the left side with the pistol tucked in their waist belt. The brothers looked like twins, but Kane was with the short beard, while Abel was clean-shaven. They stood tall, just over the height of Lauren’s father, and were stoutly built.

Lauren’s father was, however, cautious and held onto his crossbow in his hands.

“We meant no harm to you, Sir. And to you, young lady.” The one named Kane spoke. “I am Kane Helsing and… my… younger brother, Abel Helsing. We were born apart on the same day. You could say we are twins, but I prefer to be called the elder one.”

Kane Helsing rubbed his beard.

“Rudolf Spielsdorf, and my daughter Lauren. I am pleased for the assistance.” The man studied the two young lads. “How did you…”

“We are the Helsing family, and we had travelled ……. You are pretty, my dear.” Abel was to explain their presence but was overwhelmed by the appearance of Lauren.

“Held no thoughts of that. I am military trained and know how to handle the weapon in my hand.” The older man levelled the bow at Abel.

“Dear sir. Please excuse my brother’s …… behaviour.” Kane stepped to stand beside the brother. “He is… not that wise in the head… at times.”

“Pardon me!” Abel glared at the brother. “I am……”

It was then Lauren let out a laugh. The father was cautious and came to her side with his bow still levelled at the brothers.

“Father, I do not……”

“Sir, please allow us to formally introduce ourselves… again.” Kane took a step forward. “I am Kane Helsing, and he is Abel Helsing. We are on-route to meet our father, Abraham Helsing …… Doctor Helsing, in the town… some distance ahead. The Helsing family …… Well, we are ……. Paranormal hunters. We have been doing it for several generations.”

“What Kane was to tell you, we are not your normal family. We are ……. Rather, we hunt demons and vampires.” Abel cut in. “Our inheritance.”

“The Helsing is …… cursed with the urge to hunt these abominations. Our ancestors are given that task by the Angels to do it.” Kane took back the introduction. “I know it may sound absurd to be told that, but that was how we were told then by our forefathers. As of now, we are the last few of the Helsing lineage, alongside my father, who is a learned academic of sorts and does these talks in the universities.”

“We were riding on the same path and saw the demon pursuing your…carriage. We took chase and arrived in time. Whatever that was, it was Hell-spawn.”

“What Kane was to tell you is that we are here to help you. Hunting the demon is our skill.” Abel stepped towards Lauren, but the father had pulled the lady closer towards him.

“Whatever, and I am grateful for your assistance. I think we need to be on our way.” Lauren’s father nodded towards the brothers. “I……”

“We need to……” Abel was about to speak when Kane cut him off.

“Please allow Abel here to ride and check the demon that was pursuing you. It may still be around. Our iron arrows may have hurt it, but its termination will require more than that.”

“Abel, do the needed check of the nearby woods.” Kane turned to his brother. “No delays there.”

Abel in protest took off, while Kane offered the older man and the young lady some comforts: ‘Would you like some tea? Earl Grey?”

 

 

Preys & Predators IV; Monster and Witches Chapter 4

 4.

 

The younger lady had taken her leave then. Lauren stepped back into the hall and saw Carmilla with Annabelle.

“I know what is needed,” Lauen said. “It was Mother’s gift.”

“Your mother’s gift?” Carmilla asked.

“You mentioned runes. I recalled now that Mother gave me a necklace of tiny stones. She told me to hide it. I did, and it is in the mansion.”

“Stones…. Maybe you are right. Those may be the runes that belonged to your mother.” Carmilla said. “I should have known it. I felt the power drawing me towards Lauren then.”

“Lauren is gifted. She could hold all the power of three in herself, but she needs to be complete. Lissa’s runes held the spells, the last learning she needed. It may be there at the mansion. They could have brought it there when they were staying there.”

“There was a small case that one belonged to her. She told me to hold it for her.” Lauren recalled, “I hid it in the room. I know where it is hidden.”

“We can go and get it.” Lauren was excited.

“We cannot go with you. We are needed here to protect the mansion here. You need to …….” Carmilla paused there.

“Lauren, do listen. When you are outside of here, you must not use your spells or anything that you learned here. You are not ready. If you do it, the others will detect you.  They will come for you.”

“The demons?” Lauren asked.

“Not only them but also the other covens. You need to restrain yourself.” Carmilla said. “As I did when I was with you then. We must bide our time till we are ready.”

“I can ride with Father. He will protect me.” Lauren said.

It was decided, and the plan was put into place.

“Rudolf, take Lauren with you. Ride out and head east. Ride without looking back. I and Carmilla will divert the demons off your path. We will draw them to the west of here.”

“I will get my guns.” The man said.

“Your bullets do not work on them.” Carmilla looked towards Annabelle.

“Then give me something to fight them off.” Rudolf looked at Annabelle.

“Iron with silver inside pegs.” Annabelle handed over the items. “They are designed like arrows. Latched them on the crossbow. It will act as arrows, and aim it at the demons. The demons react to iron, as it will burn into their soul.”

“Madness!” Rudolf said. “Bullets are made with iron too.”

“Unmatched to my iron pegs, they are not ……bewitched. I have no other madness you can use.” Annabelle said. “Use it or face the run without the means to defend yourself.”

Rudolf relented to the offer and then went to the stable to retrieve his old horse.

“We have been through many battles. Now we are into another. Ride hard, my dear.” Rudolf had hitched on the horse from the stable to the chaise, the two-seater carriage. He shields the sight of the horse to only look forward.

It was dusk when they took the route past the main gates and then on their journey to the mansion. The demons were distracted by Annabelle’s shield, which she created over the chaise to be intangible to the demons. The spell worked for only a distance, but by then, the carriage should be at a safer distance.

“Father, are we safe?” Lauren asked. She was seated next to her father on the riding seat. She was dressed in the light blue blouse and darker jacket with the skirt over her knee nigh boots. She wore a bonnet over her hair.

“I think so. Your …… Carmilla may have held the demons from our path.” Her father looked around for the sight of the demons.

Lauren remembered the memories there on her previous rides. It was all about evading the pursuers; she was too young to know about it and had remained hidden inside the carriage. Her father was at the reins, and with his left hand, he was holding the gun to repel any pursuers. On the one ride when their chaise overturned, Lauren felt a slight pain in her chest before she faded out. She recalled next being on the soft bedding at the Frankenstein’s mansion.

And then the nocturnal visits by Carmilla.

After so many years, Lauten felt love and warmth then. She never understood then, but eventually with the return to her mother’s mansion, it all began to form in her mind: the roles of her mother and the sisters. And their final wish upon her.

“Guide the coven to bigger accomplishments.”

Lauren had spent a decade with the sisters, both in the astral form, while learning to be a witch and battling the demons. She knew that was the course of action to bring back her own mother, taken by mistake by the demons, she assumed. They did not only want Annabelle but all three sisters. They held the ability to harness the power of three, but without Lissa, the sisters were unable to do it. Lauren was their option, but she lacked some skills inside of her.

“I need to find the runes.” Lauren told herself.

The chaise pulled by the horse was swift in its path, with the passing scenery flashing fast by them. The father was armed with the crossbow and the quiver of iron and silver pegs.

“Madness…” The father mumbled to himself while his hands held onto the reins. It was then he felt the sudden drop in the air conditioning. He looked to the side and saw the demon keeping pace with the chaise.

“Hello, mortal.” The demon floating at the left side smiled. It was a small frame with an unusually large head, with the red eyes and puffed cheeks.

“You almost evaded us. These witches are good at their arts, but I am the crafty one. I went the other way when I knew we were led away. The sphere of shield influence by the witch has weakened, and I was to track your whereabouts.”

“Demon!” Rudolf called out.

“Let us be personal in names. I am Tareek. You may have met the other, Beezer. He is out of the league now.”

“I do not care for your name, demon.” Rudolf handed the reins to the lady. “Hold this.”

Rudolf then grabbed the crossbow. He levelled it at the demon and released the iron peg. The iron peg impacted on the demon in the head, and it swung away screeching in pain. Rudolf was not taking any chances and had latched onto another iron peg.

“Keep the horse galloping. I will guard for more demons.” Rudolf looked to the sides of the chaise. He saw none of the demon but was surprised when Lauren cried out.

“It is in front,” Lauren called out.

“You hurt me.” Tareek the demon appeared there ahead of the chaise on the left, and the iron peg was seen embedded in its forehead, but it was not stopping the demon. Lauren was to pull the reins, but the father stopped her.

“Ride at it,” Rudolf called out. He called out to his horse. “Ride hard, my dear. We defeated them before.”

The horse pulling the chaise towards the demon swerved further out. Rudolf got to his feet and held his balance there while he levelled the crossbow at the demon. He released the second iron peg at it.

It missed Tareek, the demon’s head, and impacted the left shoulder.

“It hurts, mortal. A little lower and you will hit my… heart.” The demon cried out and then pulled out the iron ped from the left shoulder while laughing. “Do we have a heart? I doubt it.”

The demon turned its path towards the chaise on the left. Rudolf moved to get the third iron peg onto the crossbow. He was not used to the iron bow as a weapon and fumbled at it.

“Moronic weapon!” Rudolf cursed when he pulled the string back to latch the iron peg. “Never trust a lady witch again.”

The demon flew at Lauren, who by instinct raised her left hand at it. The demon missed her, or rather, it was impacted off course. The demon was flung to the front of the chaise and then run over by the chaise.

“Who? How?” Lauren was surprised at the act.

“Abel, you scared the lady.” The rider rode parallel to the chaise. “Pardon my brother, but he is a poor marksman with the bow.”

The rider was a young man dressed in the dark shades of the dark hood and cloak, and the crossbow was in his left hand. He held the reins on the dark horse and then approached the chaise.

“Kane Helsing at your service, my dear sir.” The man introduced himself to the man on the chaise. “We will hold off the demon for you.”