Death Starts It All

Chapter 3

Caroline (San Francisco, 1851)

Lust.

Pure, unadulterated lust.

It's one of the most basic human emotions. It's also the emotion that my particular profession requires me to elicit out of drunken miners.

I'm a saloon girl. I'm also one of the best that performs at Farley's Tavern.

I'm so good in fact that I don't have to sell myself like some of the other girls. All I do is dance and sing. But with my wavy auburn hair, creamy complexion, and hazel eyes I could make a very lucrative career out of being a prostitute if I needed to. I’m just lucky I didn’t have to go down that path.

Though it's not like I really wanted to become a performer either. It's not the life I dreamed of while in the orphanage growing up, but I guess life has a way of destroying all your childish hopes and dreams.

Anyways, let's not dwell on the past. Focusing on the present is a much more productive use of time.

At present, I am giving my final performance of the night. Singing 'By the Sad Sea Waves' in my natural soprano voice.

In the glorious summer season ev'rybody takes a trip

To the seaside for enjoyment, on the sands they gaily skip;

Married men with wives and children, single johnnies on the mash,

Pretty girls who seek for husbands who have pockets full of cash.

By the sad sea waves, where the ladies are so charming,

By the sad sea waves, in the glorious summer time;

With their fetching smiles and dresses, rosy lips and golden tresses,

Shady nooks and sly caresses, by the sad sea waves.

At a boarding-house in Newport, Percy Vere met Gladys Gray,

Soon he showed his fond affection, took her driving ev'ry day;

By his tone he seemed a marquis, she had jewels in galore,

So they formed a love engagement, as they strolled along the shore.

By the sad sea waves, every night he took her strolling,

By the sad sea waves, he would swear his heart was gone;

She's the only girl he sings to, she's the girl he says nice things to,

Promised lovely diamond rings to, by the sad sea waves.

When their holidays were over, and they had to say adieu,

He to join his yacht at Brighton, she to join her papa, too;

They agreed to write each other billet cloudlets ev'ry day,

And when he'd his mansion ready, they'd be married right away.

From the sad sea waves back to bus'ness in the morning,

From the sad sea waves to his humble "five a week; "

In a cook-shop he goes dashing, who should bring his plate of hash in

But the girl he had been mashing by the sad sea waves.

After the final note is sung, the patrons of the tavern give applause, though it is rather weak considering they are all sufficiently plowed.

I then get off the stage and start making my way towards the back staircase so I can get to my room and gets some much needed rest.

Unfortunately, on my way to the heaven that was my bed, I'm suddenly grabbed by the arm by one of the patrons of the fine establishment that I work in.

Ugh, why must all of the new customers always assume that I'm one of the soiled doves working here? All of the regulars understand that I'm not for sale.

What is so hard to understand about that?

I turn around to see yet another one of the men who have obviously come into new money. You know the type; the one that is trying so very hard to seem like they have some class when they really don’t. He’s got an expensive new top hat, fob watch, and cane but is still wearing an old pair of ratty trousers and a dirty shirt. He looks completely ridiculous.

It doesn’t help that he is so tall and thin that he looks so gaunt and emaciated that he might fall over any second.  His graying beard is long and knotted and his skin is wrinkled and pallid. He looks like he might keel over dead any second, and with the way his eyes are shifting all over the place it’s like he’s expecting death to be just around the corner.

Just as I was about to tell him to let go of my arm because I wasn’t for sale, he instead says in a giggling voice that almost sounds like it was coming out of a member of the insane “What a marvelous voice you have. So enthralling. You my dear are special, very special indeed. Would you like to know how special you are?”

I am at a loss for words while he stares at me expectantly.  This man is causing me to feel such unease.

When I’m finally able to form a coherent sentence I say “Sir, you need to let go of my arm and if you would like a special lady I can get one of the girls for you”.

“Oh no, that’s not what I meant by special, dear girl. No, I’m talking about your voice. I have been searching all over for you, you know. You’re very important. So important.” He says again in that giggly voice.

I start to dart my eyes around, searching for Tom, the owner of the place, to come help get this man away from me. Where the hell is he?

“And how am I important?” I ask him in order to humor his delusions and stall for time while I looking for Tom.

“Why because of your voice. Weren’t you paying attention earlier? The better question to ask would be how special are you.” He says still in his disturbing voice.

“So then how special am I?” I ask.

 “You’re the lost one. The enthraller. One of the water. There are so many things that make you special, but the one that makes you the most special is the fact that you’re one of the champions.” He says. Ugh, why must he giggle everything?

“What do you mean by one of the champions?” I ask.

“You are one of eight who are going to have to try to save the world, dear girl.” He then gets a far away look and says, “Unfortunately, this isn’t the time period for when it will happen. I guess I’ll just have to fix that”.

“What do you mean?” I ask, completely confused by what he is talking about now.

“I mean that I’m going to have to send you to the correct time. Now take a deep breath, dear girl, you’re going to be sent about 160 years into the future.” He says and then starts to hum sort of melody I’ve never heard before.

I stare at him completely dumbfounded and say, “That’s impos-“ and then suddenly I’m screaming as bright colorful lights start flashing around us until I can make out the shapes of people. They all seem to be moving incredibly fast. And their manner of dress keeps changing. I also see the buildings in the background change and grow. I gasp as I see how time itself is changing before my eyes.

The colors and moving shapes start to slow down until they are suddenly gone and I look around to see that we are indeed in a time that is completely different. The clothes people are wearing astound me, especially the women. They are all showing so much skin!

“Well that went smoother than expected. Oh but this isn’t the right place. Hold on, dear girl, you’ve got another ride coming.” He says, he then proceeds to let go of my arm and hum again. Then some unseen force yanks me forwards.

And I realize, I have no idea where I’m going.

And I’m all alone.

This chapter is dedicated to DouglasAllanSteel because he helped me create my wizard character. It’s not exactly what he suggested but I took his suggestion and somehow ended up creating this, which I’m really happy with.