Spirit of the Ashes: A Nyssara story

Chapter 4

Sara's POV

Thunder rumbles, I look out the window of the Fraider. Waves lash against the boat, causing me to think about the Queen's Gambit. I shiver, remembering.

A knock comes at my door and I get up to answer it. Ivo bursts through the door, panting. "New prisoner, I need your help," He says.

I nod and follow him. He leads me to a cell, I start to laugh. A little girl, no older the 10, restrained by chains. "Is this what you needed my help with Ivo?" I ask him, grinning.

He doesn't laugh, "We found her in the sea... kind of like how I found you." He adds with a grimace. "Once we got her dried off, she started to attack us. Clawing at our eyes and biting. Her strength didn't seem human. She knocked two of my men unconscious."

I look at him confused, "What do you want me to do?"
"Try to reach her, if not..." he slides his hand across his throat.

I grimace but nod. He leaves and shuts the door behind him. I flinch at the noise. Slowly, I open the door of the cell, the girl sees me and looks up. She smirks. I try not to gasp, her eyes are completely black, trapping all color inside of them. She stands up and drunkenly starts to walk towards me. She reaches the end of the chains and starts to shriek and howl, conceiving unearthly sounds.

I scramble away in fright, hesitant on how to proceed. Eventually, she falls silent. I sit cross-legged on the floor, far enough away that she can't reach me. The girl looks at me in frustration, she starts to pace in her intoxicated fashion.

I wait patiently, she notices this and stops, she sits down and stares back at me. I smile at her, and she smiles back. Hoping that this is progress, I move closer, she stays perfectly still. I get about one foot away of her and stop. Her vision flickers and her gaze shifts. She stares passed me, looking at a broken light. It swings gently as the boat moves.

Very softly she starts to sing.

"Come little children, come with me

Safe and happy, you will be

Away from home, now let us run

With hypno, you'll have so much fun

Oh, little children, please don't cry

Hypno wouldn't hurt a fly

Be free to frolic, be free to play

Come with me to my cave to stay" She smiles, I hope that this is helping her. She continues to sing.

"Oh, little children, please don't squirm

Those ropes, I know, will hold you firm

Now look to me, the pendant calls

Back and forth your eyelids fall

Oh, little children, you can not leave

For you your families will grieve

Minds unraveling at the seams

Allowing me to haunt their dreams."

Goosebumps rise up my arms, she stops singing and draws her hand through her throat. I gasp in horror as her hand goes directly through her skin, as though nothing is there. She grins at me. Chains fall through her hands, clattering to the floor.

I jump to my feet and run over to the door. I try to open it. Ivo locked it and left a handgun outside. I curse in frustration. Turning around, I see the girl standing a few feet away from me, a devilish grin is plaster to her face.

Slowly, I pick up the gun. Her grins grows bigger. She spreads her arms out, as if waiting for me to take the shot. My hands tremble. I drop the gun on the ground, not willing to shoot her. She frowns and very slowly, her eyes start to bleed. Fat scarlet tears ran down the sides of her face. She starts to giggle, the blood leaving thin crimson lines down her cheeks.

"Do not wail and do not weep,

It is time for you to go to sleep

Little children, you were not clever

Now you will stay with me forever."

She slowly starts to glide towards me. I start to bang on the door. Hoping someone will come to save me. No one comes. I turn around, she is staring at me.

She smiles and looks down at her hands. I follow her gaze, she tightly grips the gun in her little hands.

She laughs and points the gun up at her head. She pulls the trigger.

*****************************************************************************

I wake up with a gasp. Wildly I look around, trying to get a grip of my surroundings. I realize that I'm not on the island and my memories flood back into me. I look around for the girl, only to realize that she is gone.

Sighing, I slowly sit up. I wince as my arm hits the bedpost. The door opens and the girl walks back in. She looks at me in surprised, but quickly covers it.

"You're awake. Good." She says moving towards me.

I quickly move away from her. "Who are you and where am I?" I look around, scared.

She looks me in the eyes, "I am Nyssa al Ghul, and you are in Nanda Parbat."