Chapter one: A Night so Dark.
Sarah started at the bodies. Lumps of meat that had once been her family. Once. The knife had put an end to that. The one that lay at her feet, almost innocently saying "but I didn't do it. You made me do it." It was right where she might have dropped it, if she had slashed and hacked at the- bile forced it's way through her throat and she fell to her knees on the hard floor, her stomach emptying.
Did I do this?
Ruby red blood glittered on the floor, on the lumps, on her hand and on the knife. And the smell, oh god! The smell… Sweet metalic blood over laying shit. She let out a sob, a gasping, wrenching breath that didn't relieve her tension and just hurt her throat. "Karen? Dad? Toby? I didn't mean it..." But she did. The gun was still cold against her lower back where she had tucked it down her jeans. "You just made me so mad... and Linda too…Bitch…"
*
It had been raining that night. Raining her pain down on to the sidewalk. Since living in England Sarah had always made a point of calling the 'sidewalk' a 'sidewalk'. She'd returned home dripping having missed the bus. Her day had been one trail of being bullied for her American accent, her unfashionable clothes, her taste in books and just general 'I'm going to make her cry'. She hated her life. She really did.
Fine, so life wasn't fair. But did it have to be hell?
She stepped through the door, shivering and freezing. At least Karen wouldn't be in. The fashion plate, not happy with life in the country had moved to Newcastle with Toby and her third husband. Leaving her alone with her father. She was very grateful he wasn't in. He drank and looked right through her... She wrung out her hair, making a note to clear up and froze.
"Sarah."
What was Karen doing here? She was stood, impeccably dressed, her mouth a narrow, disapproving line, but her eyes filled with glee a they took in her appearance.
"Your father and I are back together." The voice was cold. No more was she pretending to try and care for Sarah. Sarah felt ice knot in her stomach. She couldn't live under the same roof as Karen again! Not after what she had done… Had Merlin shot when he was ill and had diarrhoea on Karen's precious carpet. Poisoned her fathers' mind against her. Taken Toby away... Why? Sarah felt the tears come at the memory… Why?
"And that means you are going." Ice, Sarah couldn't' remember Karen being like this... "And your precious Goblin King is getting it..." Karen held Sarah model of the doll over the flame. Sarah cried out as the hair and face started to melt. It only a doll. The real ones safe underground... that or she was dreaming.
During her daydream she'd missed Karen start to circle her. "I mean, look at you Sarah." Karen prodded her, none to gently. "You are a mess. Inside and out. Who could want you? There's something wrong with you..." Karen stopped her march, right in Sarah's face. "But maybe it means that you are your mothers daughter. Though I doubt you are your fathers. Though you've got his eyes..."
Sarah's mouth dropped open in shock. "What?" She couldn't splutter more out.
"I bet you're the same, a little whore. Mother like daughter. How many times do you make the boys want you-" Karen merely laughed as Sarah slapped her, her head not moving an inch nor a millimetre from the force of the blow. Sarah's hand stung. "And what a little girls slap."
With a half scream of pain Sarah ran out of the house.
Karen watched her go. It had been easier than she had expected to follow her Masters' orders.
"Mum!" Sarah yelled with relief as finally the phone was picked up.
"Sarah?"
"Mum!"
"What do you want?" It must be the distance, Sarah told herself that makes her voice sound so unwanting, so cold.
"Can I stay with you?"
"What? Has Karen finally realised what a looser you are?"
Sarah gasped, her eyes filling with tears. She could not believe it. She let the hand set fall to the ground, where it hung suspended, as the other end hung up. She looked at it and ran into the rain. Thunder boomed over head, lightening spotlighted. See how useless Sarah Williams is, they mocked. Trees shook their leaves at her and threw branches that hit and scraped her head.
Somewhere in the madness, she found reason. And that was the reason to get away from trees in a thunderstorm. To watch the trees uprooting from a safer spot. Numbly she jogged to town, not flinching as the tress fell to earth behind her. It showed how bad she was. Tears came again. It seemed she'd never stop crying.
Karen grinned in satisfaction. Her master would reward her greatly for that. She dumped a squalling Toby on the settee and poured herself some Champaign. Here's to getting rid of brat number one. Toby shuddered on the couch. His mothers smile was like a skull, grinning in the dirt of it's grave.
"Be quiet Toby." She told him, "You're four years old after all..."
That's when the pain hit her. Toby watched his mother claw at nothing, making strange gurgling sounds that let blood flow down her chin and pressed white blouse. She screamed soundlessly as invisible knives slashed at her.
This is what you deserve.
Toby ran into his father, who was snoring drunkenly on the kitchen floor. There was a voice in his head... "Daddy!" He slipped in the blood that was starting to form, as the same fate happened to his father. And Sarah had ran away from him... Toby watched in horror, his eyes popping, his mouth wide open emitting a shrill wail.
And you. You shall do nicely.
Sarah didn't know for how long she ran in the night. Her knees where weak, her legs jelly yet they still pumped on. She wasn't feeling her legs anymore... She collapsed to the ground and cried. Screamed and punched at the ground. Her hands bloodied and bruised on the tarmac and her nails snapped to ragged ends. What was she going to do? Did she care...?
"You know. You could just end it." The voice was cool and quiet, but easily heard above the wind and the rain. Sarah slowly raised herself to her knees and looked at the person, her breathing ragged, tearing from her chest. Black was the theme of the man standing in front of her.
"Suicide?" That seemed good...
"No. End those that have created your pain."
Sarah looked up at him. He seemed so beautiful, in the moonlight that was shining through the clouds that where crying rain.
"Here. It's loaded." She took the box, and slowly stood up and started walking. She started at the box. Like the man it was beautiful, in an alien way. The silver wire was twisted in strange ways. It was slightly menacing. Sarah opened it. There was a gun. Modern and sleek. Probably waterproof. It didn't take a genius to figure out where the trigger was, or where to aim it.
She remembered dropping the box, and placing the gun at her back, in her soaked jeans and under her wet, cold shirt. Then she was somehow home, and bodies where on the floor. What was she to do?
"You know," That same voice again, "when I said end them I didn't mean these people."
Oh. Sarah felt a fool.
"But no matter. I can see you need training. Would you like to come with me?"
"What kind of training?" Sarah whispered.
The man knelt in front of her. He had gold eyes she realised dazedly. "Training to be one of a kind…" He whispered. "If you change your mind you could always leave." He added, adding mentally to the police. He'd probably have to kill her. But right now, he needed her. He'd kill his enemy... Jareth
So, what do you think? Hope it's up to scratch people! Please review... :) And thank you for your kind reviews for the Prologue.
