Shadow Part 1, Genesis

Chapter 5

Aeliana gradually came to a halt as she slowly approached the stables. She stood numb, unable to feel her legs and her arms. Standing still while stars shaded her vision and her head became faint, she felt only pain slash through her heart.

"Mary?" she said, tearing and looking back to the market place. While smoke continued to fill the air above the centre of Marantine, and as the wood and belongings from Aeliana's house burned to ash, the harsh flames became smaller and less significant.

She was only human; she could only take so much pain. Her body was about to give in, but she couldn't, she wouldn't. Looking at the squealing babies she carried in her tiring arms, she turned the last bit of hope she had left, into anger and determination. Lifting her head, there was nothing but a look of disgust while capturing the image of what might have happened to her friend.

"Aeliana!"

Cato emerged from the market place, wine bottle in hand. Stumbling with his back hunched over, he began dashing towards her as he caught sight of his wife.

Thinking quickly, she took off in the direction of the barn, pushing her body to the limit of exhaustion. Passing the stables just behind the village's armoury and training houses, the noise of the babies' cries woke the horses, causing them to neigh in fright. Speedily making her way to the barn, she forcefully pushed her back against the left door, opening it gradually. As the door squeaked open, Aeliana made her way in. The large, spacious shelter held platforms and stages, holding pens full of chickens, racks of tools, and farming equipment and piles of hay throughout the bottom.

With the hens cackling in alarm, the moon shone through beams of light between the wooden gaps of the old broken down timber. Examining the area, she instinctively hurried through the barn, passing chicken feed and a table of farm equipment towards the back, she reached the last pile of hay at the end.

Carefully placing the baby boys down comfortably, their weeping grew from the shivering cold and now hunger. Taking a steady breath, Aeliana knew they weren't going to be able to hide. Kneeling down to comfort them, she suddenly realised the door to the barn was still open. Racing to the large door with her legs limping one after the other, she saw Cato's figure nearing the entrance. Rushing the fifty feet past the piles of hay to close the door, she grabbed a large timber tile lying beside a wooden beam and saw Cato only a couple of steps away. Attempting to slam the door, Cato simultaneously shoved his foot in between the wooden panels, keeping the door open and not allowing Aeliana to lock him out from the inside.

With her back against the door, pushing with every last bit of strength she had; she tried lodging the wooden tile into the spaced timber planks, where Cato forcefully began ravaging his way through, and the ground beneath her where she was fixed on. But with her body weakening, Cato only became more vicious as he slammed his shoulder against the worn-out door with all the power his drunken state summoned.

"I'm going to tear through this door and rip you apart!"

The fumes from his heavy breathing and grunting moans moved through the door. Giving off a sudden chill, the continuous surge of his overwhelming rage shook Aeliana repeatedly until she started to panic.

"Stop it Cato!" she screamed. "Stop it please!"

With no reply her arms began to loosen, her legs started to fall and the wooden tile slowly bent as Cato's force persisted. Unexpectedly, Cato pulled back swiftly. With his foot still wedged and gaining enough momentum to thrust the door open, he snapped the wooden tile in half and flung Aeliana meters from the entrance onto her stomach.

Coughing due to the hard fall, she caught her breath quickly as her white gown became covered in dirt and dust. Turning around, Cato's dark slouching figure slowly creeped through the barn's opening. While blood dripped down his hands and flowed along the smashed wine bottle in his left fist, he took sight of her helpless state and took his time moving forward.