Malus lay on his soft bed lying face up with his eyes shut. Malus lay in a shroud of darkness. His eyes saw nothing but the purest black. In that blackness there flickered brief images. Places, people, and smells that Malus had never seen before except when he closed his eyes. But he also saw dark things. Sometimes when he closed his eyes, all he would see is red. Malus did not like that color of red but the voice said that he was being childish.
"But am I not a child?"
NO! You are more than that.
Malus remembered the voice was not always so angry with him. Before it seemed quite sad. When he was a baby, he remembered the voice calling out to someone. Lisa he thought it was. But as Malus grew older, the voice seemed to forget about that name. If Malus would say the name then the voice would make him see bad things. Malus the heard the door of his room open slightly. He did not open his eyes because he immediately sensed that the voice did not want him to. Malus knew it was his mother.
She is afraid of you.
"No she's not! She's justembarrassed. I look different from other children. She doesn't want them to say bad things about me."
She fears you. That's good.
"Why would she fear me?"
She knows you won't do anything to her, but she fears what you might do to the world. She knows what you truly are.
"You're lying." Even though Malus could only hear a voice, he knew that the voice was somehow smiling.
I told her what you truly are. Before you were born I was whispering in her ear.
"Why'd you do that. I won't do anything to anyone. Promise!"
Foolish boy.
Malus' mother stared at her precious child. When she heard the footsteps of her husband she quickly closed the door and moved on. Over the years she has had many close calls. Many times she has wanted to tell her husband of her fears. Yet something always stopped her. Was she afraid of her little Malus? Perhaps she was. She pondered on the memories of nightmares eight years past. Behind her she did not notice Malus' father standing at Malus' door.
He stood at the door like a proud father. But looking at his wife walk away he felt like a sad husband. Although she seemed happy enough, he knew better. The birth of a child is normally a peak of happiness in any marriage. But eight years ago his wife was a different woman. Her eyes were alive. She smiled and laughed but whenever he looked into her eyes he felt like crying. It seemed as though some horrific image had been nailed to her eyes. Not even today did she seem like her old self. But then again, today of all days she should be worse. Today is Malus' birthday, his eighth. The blue hair and blue eyed child that lay asleep was born at sunset this very day. He tried to look upon that day as a happy day but it had been far from it. They had been lost in the woods for several days. During those days it almost continually rained. The nightmares that his wife had been having did not make things easier. Close to the birth she suddenly became preoccupied with whether or not their child would be a good boy. Then there was the fact that she was sure it was a boy. She was so afraid that he would grow up "a wicked child" she said. Finally when Malus had been born she seemed to calm somewhat. But the he knew that the events of that day still haunted her. He has done his best to give his son the best, given the circumstances. Before he was old enough to speak Malus had been treated with indifference. People were somewhat paranoid about odd things in this area. Malus' blue hair did not help things. As a result he and his wife have tried very hard to keep Malus kept away from prying eyes that might not look favorably upon him.
After several hours of letting him sleep, Malus' parents woke him up. Malus woke happy and more alive than usual. Malus sprung from his bed and hugged his mother exclaiming loudly, "I love you, mother." His mother looked into his bright blue eyes and smiled. Malus' father looked into his wife's eyes saw that they too seemed alive. Then for a very long time they stayed huddled together hugging as a family for the first timeand the last. Malus held back tears as the words that the voice had said to him rang in his ears.
Today, your eighth birthday, you will be free of me.
Carrie watched the sky once again as the sun seemed to be preparing to set. The light it emitted painted the clouds orange and yellow. It was a beautiful end to a good day. Carrie had once again taken care of the children who today were on their best behavior. Now she walked hand in hand with her mother and headed home.
"Beautiful day isn't?" Henrietta commented. Carrie nodded in agreement but kept her eyes fixed on the clouds. She watched their golden color fade suddenly. Her beautiful golden colors suddenly turned to rust. Whereas before Carrie had to squint her eyes to keep looking upwards, now she look up perfectly. Henrietta clutched to Carrie's hand tightly as the whole world seemed to go dark.
After a fabulous dinner Malus' parents had decided to give Malus his present. It was wrapped in a dark red paper with a blue bow on top. His mother had wrapped in red unconsciously. The decision seemed not to bother Malus who in the wonderful silence in his head had totally forgotten about the terrible images of his youth. Malus held his present for a few moments and looked at his parents as though waiting for permission to open it. A smile from both mother and father told him that he could. He quickly tore the paper away from his gift. The wrapping fell to the floor and Malus now held in his hands a wooden box. Malus opened the box and inside was a beautifully crafted violin.
"Go ahead son. Play yourself a birthday tune."
"Carrie stay close to me!" Henrietta screamed loudly. Carrie felt as that she might suffocate from how tightly Henrietta held onto her. Screams erupted from all directions of the town. Together Carrie and her mother nestled into a corner and watched as, literally, all of hell broke loose. Carrie shuddered as a man flying out of a window and flying into another across the street. A green light came shining out of the window that he had come from and from that window a ghostly apparition floated out. It was a hooded figure without legs. It was transparent and yet glowed with a spectral green light. It turned towards Carrie and Henrietta and removed its hood. Henrietta screamed as a floating skull floated slowly towards them. The specter smiled happily. Although Henrietta did not know, the ghost was listening to the pleasant sound of a violin. A somber tune rode the winds of the night and drowned out the sound of people screaming.
Malus played on happily, oblivious to the sounds of chaos outside his home. His mother and father watched him, mesmerized. The violin seemed to sound louder than it should but they did not notice. Even when the sound of an invisible piano joining Malus they merely clapped joyfully as though it were a natural event. Soon they were not watching Malus standing in the middle of their living room, but a mature Malus standing in the center of a concerto grosso. Their dreams of Malus overcoming the prejudices of his appearance were suddenly fulfilled. The final moments of Malus' parent were one of joy. It did not matter that it was all an illusion. Malus played on, unable to stop. In his head he felt the return of the voice.
It is my time now.
"No!"
The door to their house was thrown inward. Through the doorway the ensuing chaos was quite visible. Skeletal warriors had risen up from the ground and had begun to round up villagers. Through the doorway stepped in a large figure that had to bend down slightly in order to walk in. It wore a long gray coat with a sash going from his shoulder to his waist. His face was scarred and ancient. To a select few, his face would be unmistakably that of Vlad Dracula III. He towered over Malus and smiled as the sweet sound of music touched his ears. He gave Malus' parents a passing glance and faced Malus. Dracula looked Malus in the eyes. Malus' face did not change. Dracula's left arm raised and pointed in the direction of Malus' parents. A stream of flames erupted from his open fist and engulfed Malus' parents. Never breaking away from his gaze, Dracula watched as tears rolled down from Malus' cheeks. Malus continued to play as the voice erupted into a loud clamor in his head.
Burn1 Burn! Oh delightful freedom is almost at hand. Burn!
Carrie broke away from her mother suddenly as she saw a huge figure emerge from a burning house. Accompanying the large man was Malus. She watched as Malus walked almost as though he was in a trance. Carrie began to run towards them on instinct. Henrietta screamed as she ran after her. Carrie dodged Skull warriors that stood in her way and waved her hand through spirits which seemed to be disturbed when you shoved a hand through them. Henrietta managed to keep up with Carrie but suddenly saw something that Carrie did not, a skull warrior with a sword poised to chop Carrie in half. Henrietta found the strength within her to leap into the air and receive the full effect of the blow. Henrietta felt as the rusty old sword cut across her back. Her now limp body pushed Carrie to the ground. Carrie turned over and stared at her hands. They were filled with blood. Tears came streaming down her cheeks as she grasped on tightly to Henrietta's body. The blood from her back poured onto Carrie's dress and for her, the world turned red. Henrietta's hand lifted up slightly and touched Carrie's face. Carrie tried to speak but could not find the words.
"Shhh.go."
"No! I won't leave you."
Henrietta almost smiled as she looked around to see that Skull warriors were surrounding them. She looked back to Carrie. "Go now. Beforenever told youname." Carrie cried even more when she could not understand what she was saying. Henrieta's eyes closed but she uttered one last word.
"Fernandez"
Carrie looked around her. Flames surrounded her. Her mother lay dead in her arms. The name Fernandez rebounded in her head. It echoed over and over until something clicked inside her. She felt anger swell up inside her as reality meshed with memories long since buried. Two familiar faces screamed in agony as flames engulfed them. The houses around her were themselves on fire. Carrie stood up and spread her bloodstained hands for all the skull warriors to see. Carrie then felt something rising up inside her. First it was hot, then cold, and finally it was like lightening. Her hands glowed with her own green light and an orb formed around her hands. The orb grew larger and larger until they became so large that they released themselves and circled around her rapidly. As they circled they struck all of the Skull warriors and each one fell to pieces. In the darkness, Dracula along with two other figures, a man and a woman, slowly faded into a cloud of mist. Behind their disappearing forms, Skull warriors marched men, women, and children from the village though the road. They march to the castle, among them, a boy with blue hair and blue eyes.
Before the three figures disappeared, the woman muttered something. Waves of green light seemed to pour out of the small girl. "Interesting she said muttered quietly. At the center of the waves of magical energy they came a saddened cry of pain.
"Mother!"
Chapter 22:
A Gathering of Forces