Wings of Sorrow (A horror fantasy novel) (5 page)

When Scarlet made it through the front door of the Little Treasures Emporium, she was a mess. Her jean pocket was hanging down, her cheeks were stained with tears and mascara, and she was about to keel over from exhaustion.

Indy moved from behind the counter right away. “Hey, Scar, what the hell? Are you okay?”

She shoved past him, not wanting to be on display. “I need to call the police,” she shouted. “I’ve been attacked.”

Indy chased her into the back area. “Frakkin’ hell! You want me to go out and get the guy? He didn’t… you know?”

Scarlet slumped against the table and looked at him. “Didn’t what? You mean… Eww, No. Someone just grabbed me, but another man saved me, and now I have to call the police and make sure he’s okay.”

Mr Chester stormed out of his office. “What on earth is going on out here? Indy, why have you left the shop floor?”

“Scarlet’s been attacked.”

Mr Chester glanced at Scarlet and his face fell. “My word, are you okay? Sit down, sit down.”

She collapsed into a chair and felt like she would never get up again. She was still panting heavily and could feel her cheeks glistening with tears. “He… I… This psycho just came at me by the lake. He grabbed my arm and… and…” She glanced down at her wrist, where the blond man had grabbed her. There was the blistered imprint of a large hand. “He burned me. Look! He burned me just by touching me.”

Indy looked at her, deep creases in his forehead despite his youth. “Who was he, Scar?”

“I have no freakin’ idea, but someone saved me. I need to call the police.”

Mr Chester bent low so he was looking directly in her eyes. “Somebody saved you? Do you know who it was?”

She shook her head, but then rethought and nodded. “I met a man last night by the lake. He was… It doesn’t matter, but he was the one who saved me. He was right there when I needed him.”

Indy was shaking his head. “I’m struggling to understand, Scar. You met a man by the lake last night and today he saved you from another man by the lake who attacked you? Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure! Look at my goddamn arm.”

Mr Chester took off his spectacles and gave one of the rubber temple tips an anxious nibble. “Did this man—the man who attacked you—say anything?”

“No… Wait, yes. He said I was… The Spark, and that he was going to extinguish me. Crazy, huh?”

“Yes, crazy indeed.” Mr Chester turned and wandered to the rear of the room with his back to them.

“I’ll go call the police,” said Indy. “Should I close up the shop, Mr Chester?”

“What? Oh, yes, I suppose you should.”

Indy raced off to the shop floor while Mr Chester turned around to face Scarlet again. “Are you okay? Can I do anything?”

She shook her head. “It’s just the shock of it, that’s all. I’m okay, except for my arm.”

“Of course, let me deal with that.” He went into the office and returned with a green plastic First Aid box. When he opened it, he pulled out a bandage and sat down beside Scarlet. He began wrapping her wound.

She winced.

“Sorry, I’ll try to be careful,” he said. “Such a strange thing to happen, all this. You’re only sixteen years old.”

She looked at him. “So?”

“Oh, I just meant that you’re a child. Why would somebody attack you?”

“I’m not a child.”

“No, of course not. I just meant that you are innocent. Only a real monster would attack an innocent girl.”

Scarlet thought back to the incident, because something had occurred to her. “Monster? I called the man who attacked me a monster, but he said that
he
was not the monster. I’m not sure what he meant.”

“Like you say, he was probably crazy, or perhaps inebriated—best not to try and make sense of it. At least your friend was there to protect you.” He raised his voice at the end of that last sentence, as if he wished for her to elaborate.

“He’s not my friend. I don’t even know his name—well, not his real one, anyway. I was walking home last night and found him by the lake with no clothes on. I think he almost drowned. Lucky I was there.”

Mr Chester rubbed his chin. “He came out of the lake?”

“No, not
out
of the lake. I found him on the bank next to the water. I took him home and gave him some clothes, but then he disappeared—until he came out of nowhere to save me today, that is.”

“I think, maybe, he was a part of what happened, Scarlet.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, he was probably part of some scam. You took him to your home, yes? Perhaps he looked around, then arranged for his partner to kidnap or rob you. I’m not sure on the details—I lack a ruffian’s mind—but it’s too much of a coincidence, wouldn’t you agree?”

Scarlett thought about Sorrow and struggled to accuse him. There was something about him—a gentleness—that told her he was genuine. Insane, but genuine. “Maybe you’re right,” she said, “but then why did he save me when I was attacked? What was he hoping to gain?”

“Your trust? Perhaps playing hero is part of his plan. You should be careful, Scarlet. If you see either man again, you should come get me right away, or go to your father. In the meantime, we shall inform the police of everything you have told me.”

She sighed. “Yeah, okay.”

Why did it feel like she was betraying Sorrow by telling the police about him?

Mr Chester looked at her sadly. “We’ll get things sorted out, Scarlet. I prom-”

“Eh, guys?” Indy shouted from the shop floor.

Mr Chester stood up. “Yes, what is it?”

“There’s a guy here, and he isn’t wearing any shoes.”

Scarlet leapt up. “That’s Sorrow!”

Mr Chester frowned. “Who?”

“The man who saved me. Come on!”

She raced out onto the shop floor where she did indeed find Sorrow. He was hunched over a shelving display at the side of the store. It was stacked with glass trinkets that all teetered back and forth precariously. When he spotted Scarlet, his face lit up, and she wondered if hers did the same.

She felt butterflies in her stomach.

“Scarlet! You are safe.” He pushed himself away from the shelving and was able to stand upright on his own, but he didn’t look comfortable.

“How did you know to find me here?”

“I sensed you were here.” He collapsed onto his knees and spotted the floor with blood. “I am…
unwell
.”

Scarlet ran to his aid.

Indy came to help her. “What the hell is going on, Scar?” he asked, obviously flummoxed.

“I have no idea, but he helped me, so I want to help
him
.”

Mr Chester hurried over to the front door and turned the latch. Then he twiddled the dial on the blinds to shut the world out. “This is ridiculous,” he shouted, glaring at his uninvited visitor, bleeding on his floor. “Who is this man? Indy, when will the police get here?”

Indy shook his head. “I never made the call, boss. This guy was hanging around outside and, when I opened the door to see what his deal was, he collapsed on top of me. Why isn’t he wearing any shoes?”

Mr Chester clenched his fists. “You didn’t call them? Damn it, Indy, if you want something done right…”

Sorrow moaned loudly, and slumped forwards onto his knees. A ragged scorch mark lined his stomach, and it was weeping blood. He struggled to raise a hand, and reached out to Scarlet. “If I could sense you were here, then so will he.”

Scarlet bent down and put her head under his arm. “Who? The man who attacked me?”

“Yes, he called himself The Saint. Told me I was-”

The sound of the phone slamming down on its cradle made them flinch and look towards the counter. Mr Chester was standing there, his face fallen like wax beside a flame. “It can’t be,” he spoke slowly, softly, in tones of disbelief. “It simply cannot be.”

Scarlet paused a beat, then asked, “What is it?”

Her boss seemed to be growing paler by the second. He slipped from behind the counter and came and grabbed Sorrow by one of his arms. “Indy, grab his other side. Scarlet, stay away, you’re in danger. We all are.”

Indy was shaking his head desperately. “Please, don’t tell me this guy has herpes or something.”

Scarlet ignored Indy and looked at Mr Chester. “What are you talking about? What do you know?”

“Just help me get this creature in the back,” he said. “I’ll explain everything.”

***

Two minutes later, they eased Sorrow down into a chair. Scarlet was stroking his cheek, trying to keep him from passing out, but she seemed to be losing the battle. He was hurt bad, but whenever she suggested calling an ambulance, Mr Chester wouldn’t allow it. “He doesn’t need a doctor,” he would say. Eventually, he slipped into his office and returned a moment later with something in his hand. When Scarlet saw that it was a crucifix, she was confused.

Sorrow hissed like a snake and threw up his hands to shield his face. All Mr Chester had done was hold the cross up in front of him.

“Stop it,” Scarlet shouted. “What are you doing?”

“Damn it! He’s a stinky vampire,” Indy shouted, but then he seemed to reconsider. “He was outside in the sun, though. Plus, he’s bleeding. Vampires’ hearts don’t beat, and they don’t get injured. Maybe he’s a—”

“He’s a demon,” Mr Chester snarled, still holding up the crucifix. “A creature from the bottomless pits.”

Sorrow lashed out and whipped the crucifix out of his face. “You speak lies!”

“I do not. You are a minion of darkness, sent here to see that the Great Turmoil takes place.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Scarlet demanded.

“
Hell
is exactly what I am talking about, dear girl. This creature before us is pure evil.”

“No, he’s not. He saved me. You’re acting crazier than he is.”

Mr Chester seemed to lose some of his anger to confusion, and when he studied Scarlet, he said nothing. Eventually, he put his head in his hands and just moaned. Gently, he muttered: “This doesn’t make any sense. No sense at all.”

In the corner of the room, Indy had frozen like a statue. Every now and then he mumbled something, but not loud enough to hear clearly. The last comment sounded like something about his mum.

“What is happening?” Scarlet yelled. “Why is everybody insane? Or is it me?”

“Yes,” Mr Chester snapped. “This is all because of you. I can’t believe you were right under my bloody nose this whole time!”

Scarlet was lost for words, but Indy had some. “Boss, you seem to have some kind of an issue with Scar. Did she do something to you?”

“It’s not about what she’s done. It’s about what she’s going to do.”

Scarlet found her voice again, but it was a fearful croak, and she realised she was crying for the second time that day. “Please, just tell me what’s going on.”

Mr Chester gave her a hard stare, but he seemed conflicted and allowed himself to soften, eventually sighing. “Okay, I’ll explain, but first things first.” He went into the small kitchenette and made them all cups of tea, bringing over a rattling tray a moment later. His nerves were obviously bad, but when Scarlet took one of the mugs, she realised her hands were shaking too.

Mr Chester sat down and rested his mug in his lap. He sighed before he started talking. “The man who attacked you, Scarlet—The Saint—is an Agent of Light. He is a defender of all that is good and pure.”

Scarlet almost laughed then. “And he wants to hurt
me
?”

“Not hurt you, Scarlet. Kill you.”

“Shit, that’s heavy,” said Indy.

“Why does he want to
kill
me?

“Because you are The Spark.”

“What the hell does that even mean?”

“The Spark is a being prophesied to destroy existence—this world and many others.”

Indy’s mouth dropped open. He lifted his hand and pointed at Scarlet. “Scar, are you like Patient Zero or something? Are we all going to get a disease that makes our skin peel off?”

Mr Chester waved his hand. “She isn’t infectious, Indy—at least not with any sort of disease. The Spark is a cursed entity, destined to reignite the Great Flame and begin the Great Turmoil.”

There was silence in the room as both Scarlet and Indy looked dumbfounded. Sorrow remained hunched over and bleeding.

“Magic,” Mr Chester went on. “The Spark will bring magic back to the world.”

“So what,” said Indy. “Magic is cool. Life would be a lot cooler with a little bit of D&D rules thrown in.”

“Magic is not
cool
, Indy. It is evil. There are ancient creatures in this world, all of them currently powerless, but when the Great Flame is reignited, these creatures will regain their black talents and resume their sinister intents. The world will become a cesspit of misery.”

“Because of me?” said Scarlet. “I think I want to go home now. You’re upsetting me. Why are you trying to upset me?”