Evading Darkness

Chapter 6

After a breakfast of strawberry waffles with syrup, the children gathered in the living room to watch their Sunday morning cartoons, while Victoria and I remained in the kitchen to clean the dishes and talk.

"I started remembering," I tell her as I hand her a plate. She drops it into the soapy water with a smile on her face. "Last night," I add, before she has time to respond, "while you slept."

"That's great, Cas," she enthuses, placing a hand gently on my cheek. "What do you remember?"

I tell her of the campsite we met at, of the grand garden that is home to most of my memories with her, I tell her everything and anything I can remember, not sparing a single detail.

"Do you remember dying?" she asks. And no sooner than the words escaped her mouth, did images of that night dance in my head. From Xero, to my brother, to the blade that pierced me. The glass I had used for orange juice this morning slips from my fingers and shatters against the hardwood floor. The memories were more real than I was ready to handle. I could feel everything, as if I were reliving it, all over.

"Oh my god, Cas," Victoria exclaims as she rushes to my side.

"I'm fine," I assure her with a forced smile. "That last memory hit me a little hard, is all." She wraps her arms around me and lays her head on my shoulder.

"That scared the shit outta me," she whispers gently. "I only just got you back."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere, at least for a while," I promise her, and place my lips gently against hers.

"Why don't you go take a shower?" she suggests. "You've had a long night."

"And you?" I inquire.

"I'll stay down here with the kids," she replies, and kisses me again.

I agree and slug up the stairs and into the bathroom. Behind the closed door, I strip myself of my clothes and climb into the shower. As the warm water flows down my head, face, and body, more images begin to flash through my mind. These ones dark and terrifying glimpses of screaming, running, fire, people dying before me. I look down at the hands that caused so much death. What kind of a monster had I been, before? Feeling my anger rise, I clench my fists tightly at my sides.

A gentle knock on the door pulls me from my thoughts. "Are you okay, Cas?" Victoria's voice calls from the other side of the door. It's soft and gently. I can tell she was feeling my anguish. I exit the shower and pull her gently into the bathroom, with me.

I tell her of the images, and ask if she knows where they come from. With sadness in her eyes, she helps me redress, and pulls me into the bedroom. She lays with me on the bed, the door open to hear the children, downstairs and tells me of my past. My grandfather, my parents, what became of my once prosperous people. My heart sinks deeper and deeper as she tells the story exactly as I had told it to her, all those years ago. And the more she talks, the more I remember. After finishing her story, we both just lay there for several moments, neither one of us moving a muscle, or making a sound.

Just as I open my mouth to speak, I hear the sound of the front door open. Without hesitation, I move out of the bed, into the hall, and down the stairs, before Victoria had time to realize I left. A man stood at the door, as familiar to me as he was a stranger.

"So it's true," are the only words he speaks as he looks me over.

"Dad?" Victoria's voice calls from the top of the stairs. The tone in her voice and curve in her eyebrow suggests she's just as surprised to see him as he was to see me.

"Grandpa!" the children call, running from the family room.

"Hey, kiddos," Patrick greets as he bends over to hug his grandchildren.

"What are you doing here?" Victoria demands, now at my side. I wrap my arm around her waist.

"When I heard Casmiere, here, was back, I had to see it for myself," he replies, not once taking his eyes off me. "I'd like to speak with you, alone, for a moment, if that's alright." He looks to Victoria who simply nods and leads the children back into the family room.

"Now," he begins, once we are alone, "let's take a walk." He opens the door, and leaves the house. With a sigh of annoyance, not wanting to leave my wife and children alone, I follow behind him, being sure to close the door behind me.

"Where have you been?" Patrick asks me as we walk down the sidewalk.

"I wish I could tell you," I respond honestly. "The only things I remember are bits and pieces from my past."

His eyes look down the street, toward the setting Sun, on the distant horizon. "And of the most recent years?" he inquires, lifting his left eyebrow. "Have you any recollection of where you've been?"

I try to force any memory of the last couple of years, only to succeed in giving myself a slight migraine. "No," I respond, finally, releasing a breath. "I don't."

"Interesting," he mutters under his breath. "How did you know to come here?"

"Just a feeling," is the only way I can think to describe it. "It was like something was tugging at my soul, pulling me to Victoria. All I did was let it lead me."

Patrick nodded gently. "A result of the Alligatio, no doubt. Tell me, Casmiere-" his voice fades as another migraine strikes me. This one worse than the last.

I begin to feel slightly woozy, as a familiar voice fills my head. The voice is no more than a faint whisper, saying only my name. I suddenly feel as though gravity is shifting under my feet, as my knees begin to buckle beneath me. I can't help but to feel week and helpless. I fall to one knee as the migraine grows stronger, my eyes closing tight. The voice whispers my name, once again, though this time, not from my own mind, but directly in front of me. I force my eyes open to see the skeletal creature I had the liberty of encountering, just the previous night. It reaches toward me and places it's hand on my neck. As it makes contact, darkness falls on me as I feel my consciousness slowly subside, and my legs fail to support me. My entire body goes numb as I collapse onto my hands and knees, before falling to my side and rolling onto my back. Everything around me begins to shine with bright, unbearable light. The quickly growing light becomes so intense, it feels as if it were burning my eyes out, through the back of my skull. The light soon fade, as my eyes begin to close. I'm barely able to think as the world turns dark, around me.

I try to talk, to ask what's happening, but I feel only incoherent murmurs, to low for even me to hear escape my lips. As I feel myself slip slower into the darkness, what I can only describe as a wave of relief washes away the pain that once drenched my every muscle. As my eyes open, I find myself laying on my back, on hard, cold stone, my eyes skyward. I immediately realize I'm no longer home. The would-be sky is dark red with thick, black clouds that seem to protrude in spirals from the dark, red sun. I lift myself slowly from the grey stone, painted red from the light of the sky, and turn in slow circles, taking in my surroundings. A familiar energy lingers in the dense air, nipping at the back of my neck. I have been here, before. A low growl sounds from behind me. Its clear I'm not alone.