Preys and Predator Part II; the monster and witches' Chapter 42

 

42.

Elizabeth saw the mob dispersed there, and Victor was walking back to the mansion. He left Sven to stand guard there. It was the servant’s task. She heard the roar of one among the mob.

“Monster!”

Elizabeth sighed. Are we not monsters when we judged another one. Do they see themselves in the mirror? Their reflection will tell them more of themselves. In her studies. a monster; they covered that definition many times, an animal or plant of abnormal form or structure, or a strange or horrible creature and unusually large, or the extremely wicked or cruel person. If these were definitive, then all of them falls in either one or more of those perceptions.

“It is nihilism with a chaser of unwelcome pessimism.” One student once said in the class. The professor who was a staunch believer in God and member of the Theology Society invited the student into an hour long of debate, and thus ended with this remark from the student.

“Human consciousness, is a tragic misstep in evolution. Our consciousness became too self-aware; like we are apart from our first creation. We had evolved to the level where we are the creatures that should not exist by natural law.”

“Monster you meant?” The professor had interjected in many syllables said by the student. After all, he was the learned one.

“No, that was not what I meant. Human unlike other living creatures labour under the illusion of having a self; an accretion of sensory, experience and feeling, programmed with total assurance that we are each somebody, when in fact everybody is truly ……. Nobody but a frame of blood and flesh. If we shed those away, we could …… honourably re-invent our programming, stop reproducing, walk hand in hand into extinction, one last dusk, brothers and sisters opting out of a raw deal. Our extinction may end the existence of the monster.” The student looked to the others. “The world needs good and bad people but among them monster lived. We cannot keep the other bad men from them but if we cease to exist., we may.”

“You are a nihilist …… no, a monster yourself.” The professor had his voice raised. “You …….”

"I realize that in my life, we love, we hate, we hold those memory, the pain included with the happiness. If we step above that, it is all a dream. A dream that we cannot return to, and thus it remained inside here.” The student motioned to his head. “A locked room. The dream or memories to many, and in there, exists monsters. Ours.”

"Son, you are one demented child. You must be ready to ………” The professor looked at the student.

“No, Sir. I am not a son. Medically, I am a she. My dressing and looks eluded your vision of me.” The student sporting the short hair hidden by the cap, and loose garb for dressing did hide her body dimension. “I hold a cunt than a prick like you. And Professor, you elude more of the nature of the monster in your teaching.”

(Borrowed and adapted the lines from the character Rust Cohle, True Detective Season 1, 2014). (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2356777/quotes/)

“Good day, Professor. May the humankind end soon. More generations may not have to fell to the obvious violence and degradation then."

That day, the professor lost half his student but Elizabeth stayed on. She must support the Theology Society existence; monster they may be but she is one.

“They are leaving. They said there is a monster at the forest.” Victor stepped into the library. “I need to go there.”

“Why, Victor?” Elizabeth asked.

“I ……. If it is truly a monster, I want to see ……. if it killed William and……”

“Ernest too? You told the Chief Constable, Ernest died from the fight with the maid.” Elizabeth confronted him.

“No, I did not. I did not say anything. It was Spielsdorf. He told the Chief Constable. I did not say……”

“Ans you were there. Youi saw what happened and chose to remain silent. Why?” Elizabeth asked.

“I……” Victor found himself at a loss of words.

“You are expressing deniability, Victor. I could tell.” Elizabeth pressed on. “What happened there?”

“I am not. Nothing that happened ……” Victor stormed off leaving Elizabeth with grief.

Grief was the expression on the Chief Constable mind. He saw the gathered there at the church ground, men, and women with only one thought in their mind.

Monster.

If all his years of doing the task of enforcement, the only monster he knew was in existence of another human, with demented emotions.  He recalled the case of Frederick and Marie Manning conspired to kill Patrick; her ex-lover for financial gain. they lured him round for dinner, shot him in the back of the head, buried him under their kitchen floor and fled with his money. His body was eventually discovered, and Marie and Frederick were apprehended in Edinburgh and Jersey respectively.

It was the news then.

“Monster and Witch, they were.” The headlines screamed then.

“Down with their heads.” The mobs called out, though they were never to know the dead or the accused, but who cares. It was to bring out the monster inside them. Wives were bellowing that mistresses kills.

The accused were tried and sentenced to death. (https://www.historyhit.com/the-most-notorious-murders-in-victorian-england/)

Senior Constable Lestrade, he was not promoted then, indirectly involved in the case; he lent his legs to patrol the city but it was not solved by him. He did meet a good man, Charles Dickens whom he shared a drink at the taverns.

“It was a sight so inconceivably awful as the wickedness and levity of the immense crowd collected at that execution this morning could be imagined by no man.” Charles; they were good friends then, told Lestrade. “It shudders me to the bones.”

“Ripped your innards, huh?” Lestrade had commented. “One day, someone will.”

“Ripper huh? That will made the news then.” Charles had smiled.

“Chief Constable, Sir. Do we partake in the search, Sir?” It was the Sergeant who asked the Chief Constable. The later saw the gleam of the hunt in the other. He nodded then.

“Leave the guard detail at the Frankenstein’s mansion. Just in case, someone sneaks back.”

“Yes, Sir.” Sergeant O’Reilly commanded the others to follow him. 

Spielsdorf met Sven in the corridor. The later had abandoned his post.

“Why are you here?’ Spielsdorf asked.

“I am to get my extra gun. They are off to the forest to hunt for a monster. My worry is that it may be Sven.” The man was concerned on his son. “They are mad. They may shoot before they check.”

“Mother of God ……… please go. You must find Henry.” Spielsdorf was to stop the man but changed his mind. The concern of the son was more important. He had seen deserters who left their post for home. It was punishment by the regiment, but when it was a valid reason, how do you prevent them from their families. The threat to their families may be considered as trivial to the regiment but the emotion of the men must be maintained. If words get out that they were prevented from going home, then the others may revolt. It was also the other matter if all were to be left to their emotions, the discipline of the regiment was at stake.

Spielsdorf was not a capable Общий for that. His officers had taken the task not to inform him of the desertion if any, and took their own action.

“Общий, permission to leave?” Sven asked. The ranking Общий nodded.

“I will take the rear gate. The main gate is still guarded by the Infantry group.” Sven said. “Take care, Общий. I will …… I may return or if I do not, please take care of Master Victor.”

“You will return, Sven. That is an order.” Spielsdorf pulled rank. The later saluted and took off.

Spielsdorf looked to the doorway of his daughter’s chamber. He knew it was reckless to take Lauren there to Carmilla’s mansion, but in him, he knew that was the final push to the war he had waged. Lissa told him to go to the lab, but it had brought him more hardship. He had a glimpse of the carnage done by the …… creation as described by Victor on the demon.

“This is a world where nothing gets solved.” Spielsdorf sighed. (Another line borrowed from True Detective.) “Unless sacrifices are made. Amen.”

Spielsdorf knew then, he had to leave with Lauren.

So was Elizabeth, her mind made. My sanctuary is with my aunt, Elizabeth told herself. Victor was an illusion.

As for Victor, he knew that the monster was his creation. He had to protect it, or suffered another setback to his tasks.

“Sire, where are you going?” It was Silvus. He was there because he had no place to go, and without the coins, he was lonely.

“Why are you here? Get out.”

“Nowhere to go, Sir. I have nothing. I heard of the monster calling. Maybe I can help.” Silvus offered his help. I can divert them when we find ……”

“Silvus, I do not need you. I can. ……” Victor had a change of mind. Silvus knew too much of nothing, and yet his babbling could implicate Victor.

“Follow me. You will be …… my aide.”

“Do I get paid?”

“Yes.” Victor nodded. “After we find the creation.”