Strange events at the Dead Man's House

Disclaimer: Again, I still do not own Abarat...sighs

Chapter 1

''Is that the way you want your life to end, Candy? You, who could have been so much ?'', Carrion shouted at this cursed girl ahead of him, her shape blurred by the constant falling of the snow.

He waited for some kind of confirmation that she had understood what he had said, but it was the just the same as it had been before: She simply continued to set her face against the storm, neither looking in his direction nor answering him.

It angered him even more and stirred up the emotions that were racing inside him as well as the nightmares in his collar: He wanted to make her pay for her rejection, to kill her in revenge for his suffering, but some part of him deep inside his dark soul refused to believe that he had lost her...

This part also cursed him for this crucial mistake that had apparently sealed her decision against him; if he had not let his blinding fury take control of him after she had pulled her hand away, he would not have to chase her over the roofs of his own house right now...

Before, there still had been signs for hope: The obvious flickers of compassion and even sympathy on her face, though she had tried to conceal them. But after her discovering his true self those feelings had vanished immediately, and so he'd better forget his hopes and finish her off...

While all this confusing thoughts were wandering around in his mind, he had continued to pursue her through the labyrinth of the roofs and now, as she still showed no sign of giving up, he decided that he had to intervene in a particular way to put this exhausting chase to an end.

So far, he had given her the opportunity to capitulate herself , mostly because he wanted to luxuriate in her despair the moment she realized there was indeed nowhere left to run, but she was- also in physical conditions- definetely stronger than he had expected her to be.

Concentrating on the forlorn figure that now hurried across a small platform, the Lord of Midnight slowly stretched out a mental finger towards her until he had reached her mind. Immediately, she began to struggle to free herself from his grip, but even in his momentarily weakened state, he was still powerful...

Just as Candy had reached a tiny platform between two steep roofs, she at once felt a strange sensation that had nothing to do with her current state of exhaustion and fear:

Somebody, most likely her pursuer , was apparently poking at her mind with burning needles, trying to get inside. Desperately, she tried to fend Carrion's attack at her brain despite the fact there was almost no strength left, but he quickly broke through her defenses. Completely overwhelmed by those actions, she finally lost consciousness and fell deep into the embracing arms of darkness... At some point, she felt a dull sense of pain in the back of her head, but she didn't care anymore...

From the distance, Carrion had watched her struggling with grim satisfaction until she suddenly disappeared from sight and their connection broke away. Alarmed, he strode forward as quick as possible and he hoped she had not fallen to the ice-hardened ground deep below- in the first place, he had wanted to kill her himself, and the emotional part of his soul still wasn't sure about her...

But as he reached the spot where Candy's lifeless body laid sprawled in the snow, her eyes closed, all his rage and murderous feelings were gone from him for some strange reasons. Instead he felt a sudden pang of guilt, as though he had irreversibly destroyed something very precious...

He knelt down beside her and lifted her up into his arms, and again she reminded him of someone he had known long before, the other one who could have saved him but –like this girl- had turned him down. In fury and lovesickness, he had ordered the dragon to kill his princess, and later had regretted it a tousand times...

He'd never let a murder out of love happen again, he decided as he slowly carried the unconscious girl towards the door and back into the house. After all, Candy had probably acted under extreme pressure; just like a hunted down animal, and had therefore said things she hadn't really meant in her heart, he tried to convince himself. He would try to talk to her a second time and give her the chance to make up a well thought out decision, and if she still rejected him...well, he'll come back to this later.

At least, he wouldn't bring her to an end until he had found out why he was so fascinated by her... there was something in her eyes that made him feel hurted and vulnerable inside, and he still couldn't put his finger on the source of those irritating feelings... he knew inside he had to solve this mystery...

Carrion carefully laid her down into a bed in the nearest room and it suddenly struck him how weird his behaviour was: The Prince of Darkness saved a girl from death he tried to murder! It had been, of course, the presence of this girl who had turned his whole life upside-down that was having such an effect on him...

He continued to ponder over all this, standing in the dark beside the bed for maybe half an hour, then carefully retreated out of the tiny room.

There was a deep darkness around Candy, and she felt cold, ice-to-the-marrow cold... then a ray of silvery light appeared out of the shadows, and she saw a person walking toward her out of the light. First, she was unable to recognize her, but soon she realized that it was Diamanda who had come to her... she tried to say Hello, but for some reasons, she couldn't utter a word.

Instead, the wise woman spoke to her :

" Do not fear, Candy... someday, there will be the moment you'll have to go, but that moment hasn't come yet. You 'll go back again after we've met... Be strong, because your way won't be easy and you'll have to fight. But believe me, there's always some hope though you may not see the light in your present situation ...I'm sorry I'll have to go again, but I'm afraid we haven't got time to speak properly- there's so much to tell you... This moment will also come, and it too hasn't arrived today. So, Candy, please remember my words in times you may think there's no sense in continuing to struggle, that all has come to an end- there's always a reason to go on..."

Speaking this words, Diamanda seemed to fade away just as the stream of moonlight diminished, too and finally, both had disappeared into the night. Frantically , Candy tried to make her understand that she needed the Sister of the Fantomaya, that she wanted her to stay by her side, to give advice and comfort, but her attempts were in vain.

So she finally turned around and walked into the endless gloominess, not knowing where to go. This whole situation reminded her of the last time she'd wandered in complete night:

The murderous Fugit brothers had come, trying to kill her...could something similar happen this time, too? She stopped and listened carefully, but there were not footfalls behind here. Instead, there was something else: A dull grumble under her feet, grewing louder... Panicked, she tried to escape, but it was too late: With a roaring din, the ground beneath her simply parted and drifted aside, and she fell, fell...