Beyond the Veil

Chapter 12

Alphonse muttered something under his breath about nutty ghosts and the world coming to complete crazy stand still, but I ignored him. The lab assistant who had performed the autopsy had pulled out the tray with the young woman’s body on it. I lightly traced the arch of one eyebrow as I searched for any trace of a lingering or trapped soul. There was nothing.

What in the world? Carefully I let energy slide down my arm into the body, to see if there was any soul left to react to it.

Her eyelid twitched an instant before they opened; revealing black eyes the color of the abyss and just as empty. “Al?”

He was studying a magazine he had found on a lab table, “Hmmm?”

“Problem.” The woman sat up, her head lolling to one side, I backed up, something was definitely wrong.

His magazine snapped shut, “What? Oh.” He reached for his gun, “Do we kill this thing the same way as the thing from last night?”

The woman’s legs swing over the edge of the metal platform and she fell to the floor, collapsing for a moment, but then quickly pulling herself to her feet. She regarded us both for a moment, her blank eyes lingering on me.

What’s going on? That body should not be moving, there’s no soul attached to it. As if it sensed my thoughts the monster began shuffling towards me, the blood encrusted wounds on its torso reopening to allow a black fluid to flow down its front.

“Lacy! What do we do?” I jumped, I’d forgotten Al was here, “I don’t know. This…this isn’t something I’ve seen before, there’s no soul what so ever.”

Al, cursing violently opened fire, the bullets releasing sprays of the black liquid, but did little to stop the creature. It still ambled slowly towards me.

It was within arm’s reach now, I could smell the decay that lingered around the body, making me want to gag, its fingers were reaching forward when suddenly there was a gigantic mass between us, shielding me from the monsters touch.

Al looked over his shoulder at me, “What are you doing? If you’re not going to help leave!” He doubled over as the monster elbowed him in the gut.

Al’s right I have to do something, but what? Having acquired a new target the monster bared black teeth, and hovered over Alphonse’s exposed back. She’s going to kill him…

The light bulbs overhead began to swing viciously, the lighting flickering on and off. The stored energy I had kept with me and added to all day came out in a massive electromagnetic explosion, knocking the monster back, away from Al. It pushed Al to his knees.

The power still sizzled through my body as I approached the creature, I held my hand out, one more should do it.

There was a burst of blinding light, forcing me to cover my eyes and give up my intended action.

I blinked until the black spots that clouded my vision faded. The gasp that escaped from my throat was almost inaudible.

Before me stood a gentleman, I could tell that’s what he was right away; he had long black hair pulled back onto an elegant pony-tail, and wore a black tail coat suit. A white cane the only blatant burst of color to be found on his person.

He tipped his top hat to me and bowed, “I am sorry, my dear lady, for any problems that I have caused. I will assure you though that it was an indirect action on my part.” His voice was silken, smooth and articulate.

“What in the he-“

“Language, there is a lady present!” the newcomer tapped Al on the head with his white cane.