Thea

Chapter 2. The gypsy woman

Thea barely got to sleep the night before. The black liquid always showed up in her minds eye. Her dreams were full of death and suffering. Thea had asked the creature many nights before it told her that it was visions of what the world should be. How humans were unforgiving forces of evil. That they were dangerous. That Thea was the one to end the suffering.

That morning Thea went to Uncle Herbert's library, it was her favourite place in the whole mansion. She could read anything in there. But she loved stories of adventure, romance and horror. Shakespeare in particular. She loved imagining the gory fates of the characters. How a man got gouged out and bled to death. She loved it. But she wasn't reading Shakespeare this morning. Ever since the creature had come a month ago. She wouldn't dare tell her Uncle. Otherwise he'd put her in a mad house, like her father.

She was looking for books with paranormal texts, and hopefully answers. Answers to why all of this was happening to her. She found books about witches, but they were stories meant to frighten small children. She decided to investigate and go into town. There was a crazy gypsy woman who was always offering her "potions and charms and warning people about the end of the world.

"Theodora! You need to get dressed." It was Sophia, her personal maid. Personal maids were expensive. Herbert could afford him. He inherited the family fortune. When her mother was alive, they could never afford such things. But with money comes work. Herbert was constantly working. The only times Thea saw Herbert were when he came back to the home and drank something out of the wine cabinet. Or when he is hosting lavish parties and flirting with married women. He wasn't married, but my mother always said he would. He was young and handsome. But no woman had caught his fancy. His money and his work was the only thing he ever loved.

"I'm coming Sophia!" Said Thea as she ran up the staircase.

"You shouldn't be poking around down there, young ladies are meant to be out to balls. It's only a matter of year Miss. That you should be married."

Marriage. The words made Thea feel sick. She had always read about marriage being the defining moment of a woman's life. She hated the thought of it. She should marry rich anyway. It was the only way she would earn money for herself.

Sophia pulled the laces on the corset tight. Thea felt like she was about to faint. Thea always felt that the dresses she wore were sucking the life out of her. They were tight and heavy. Uncle Herbert only bought expensive dresses for her. They were frilly and covered with decorations. She thought she looked ridiculous. But Sophia insisted she wore it if any young rich men were to ever notice her and that she looked "absolutely ravishing" and that "men fancy young women." Thea was only 14, at age 16 she would most likely be married.

Thea made her way to the carriage. She picked up a small bag on the way out of the house. The carriage man Horace always knew where to go. It was so regular that Thea noticed every small detail of the road on the trip there. Eventually the carriage stopped outside of the bookstore.

"Thank You very much Horace. If you could come get me here around 1 o'clock? I would like to get some shopping done before I return."

"Of course my lady." Horace tilted his hand and a wide smile reached his plump rosy cheeks. The carriage took off and Thea walked towards the dark alley where all of the "unusual shops" were. This is where the old gypsy woman was.

The alley was dark and grim. With mould growing on the edges of once busy shops. It was now a hollow shell of what it once was. The gypsy woman lived in a tent. It was embroided with many colours, which looked rather faded. As if it was an ancient artefact. The smell of inscents wafted from her tent, which slowly invited Thea in. She peeked in the tent. A small pig in a cage rested on the small table. The woman was standing in the centre of the tent, holding a unusual looking knife. A black lace veil was covering her face. Her hair was long and greasy and it touched the ground.

The woman looked up at Thea. She gasped and ran towards her. She placed both her hands on either side of her face.

"My child. I look into your eyes and I see..." She paused and backed away, as if disgusted by her.

"I wanted to ask you some questions about-"

"Ah my child, but with knowledge of the spectral plane, comes a price." She placed an open palm forward. Thea placed 5 gold coins in her hand. The woman looked up at her.

"Sit down at the table, I was expecting you Theodora."

Thea's eyes opened wide.

"H-how did you know my name?" She asked in horror.

"Sit down at the table. Then we shall begin. You shall receive answers."

Thea walked to the table. A small whisper spoke into her ear.

It was the creature. But she couldn't see it.

"You don't give me and answers, you just scare me."

Thea sat down. The piglet was squealing as the woman took it out of its cage. She tied its legs and placed it back onto the table. She picked up the knife. Thea's blood ran cold. She wanted to cry, but she held her tears and told herself to be strong. The woman held the blade high. Thea closed her eyes, she could still hear the pigs screams...then silence. She opened her eyes. The woman had stabbed the pig in the chest and was beginning to cut it open. Thea wanted to throw up. The woman reached inside the pig and covered her hand in blood.

"Blood, is a gateway my child. It is so we can see who you really are my dear."

She walked towards Thea and placed a bloody hand on her forehead.

"Now child. Close your eyes and clear your mind." She said as she held both of Thea's hands. Then she started to see things. She saw a symbol. Then fire. Blood-curdling screams from women and men alike filled her mind. They were being slaughtered by these grotesque beasts. But it wasn't the fun gore she liked to imagine when she was reading. This was real. Then a figure flying in the sky was raining down fire and the same black substance that oozed from the piano the night before. The studied the figure closely, its eyes were glowing red. It's hair flowed upwards like a flame. Then she realised. It was her.