Ben: Right, I'M taking over this story for toady. I am the better writer, but let's get going before Sych77 hears me saying this….
Sych77: Too late!
Ben: *Gulp* Aaaah *runs through dark sewers.*
Sych77: Possibly my favourite chapter right here. It's like a prologue. Well, hope you enjoy it! Reviewer responses below!
The story of Arben Reeves' daughter.
Arben Reeves Manor exists now as an old gray-stone building with majestic architecture, statues and magnificent gardens in the forests of the mind.
In the mid-nineteen century (Author Note: that's the 1800s, remember?), it was in Eons Forest. It had a twin in Raccoon City, which would come to be known as the Spencer Estate. Both were owned by the prestigious Arben Reeves family, and had been for many generations.
At this time, the present Arben Reeves was a middle-aged gentleman, Christopher. Unlike his predecessors, Christopher was a kind genial man who was involved in and respected by the Brideswell community. He was educated in science, political science and calculus at an esteemed university in England. His beautiful wife Sophitia was also of aristocratic birth. They were the closest to a celebrity couple as you got in Brideswell.
Christopher and Sophitia Arben Reeves had two children. The eldest, an eighteen-year-old son, William, was brilliant at sports and physical activities. He was seldom indoors, despite his high-grade study results, and society was fond of the exuberant fun-loving boy. He was raised to a high standard, educated in honour and duty. William wanted the most of all to be a good person.
His sixteen year-old sister Victoria was different all together. She was a solitary child and made no attempt at establishing a friendship with the town kids. Her only friend, or rather, associate, was a cousin called Veronica. She disregarded the town games and sports. Instead, she spent long hours revising complex scientific and mathematical theories or strolling through the forest. She was thought of throughout the town as a charming dedicated young girl.
She was as pretty as her mother, blonde hair and emerald eyes with a dainty figure. It pained her parents that she was so anti-social; even with her family the relationship was anything but close.
She was late for dinner. This would see her punished as in her parents' eyes punctuality was a measure of respect, and respect was required of children to their elders. Usually a servant would have been sent to find her, but this night, her brother was.
"William, dear, please find your sister," Sophitia reclined in her chair and asked in a soft voice. She never needed to raise her voice above a whisper in the domains of her own house.
Christopher barely glanced at his son from the head of the table. His gaze scrutinized once more the silverware in front of him. Christopher was convinced the servants were stealing some. All William saw was surly expression and dark brown hair as his father gestured for him to leave.
Thinking uncharitable thoughts, William hastened to find his sister. In the realm of Eons Forest, skirting the unmarked but abandoned mine shafts, he knew he would find her. Despite it being only half-past six, already the sky was darkening, due to the overcast day. It was both unwise and unsafe to venture out in the darkness, so he quickened his pace.
After ten minutes of hurried searching he found Victoria. She was with another girl of her age, a very unusual occurrence. William watched from a distance unsure whether to approach.
Victoria did not notice him. She seemed intent on find something within the depths of her deep red gown and leather briefcase.
The other girl had chocolate brown hair, olive skin and large eyes like molasses. William recognized her from town. Cathy. The friendly one. If Victoria was to make friends is was natural to begin with some one like Cathy. Cathy was always kind and gentle. More often than not, Cathy was organizing a charity event on behalf of the Brideswell Missionary Circle.
In fact, William couldn't remember a time Cathy hadn't been doing something for someone else. And now, here she was, talking to his loner sister. Cathy felt sorry for Victoria, being so isolated. Out of kindness she had come to visit her, although a walk in a semi-dark forest was not quite what she had anticipated. Curiously Cathy surveyed the area.
It was an area that had once been a beautiful courtyard, like something from a fairytale. Now the forest had begun to reclaim it. Vines and weeds choked the plants. Moss covered a series of marble steps that led into a gaping hole, the result of small-scale mining. Cathy would have dearly liked to restored the area to its former glory.
Victoria found a vial in her briefcase. It contained a violet liquid. Deftly, she attached a syringe and approached the unsuspecting girl. The other girl, Cathy, had no idea what was about to happen.
William watched in horror the effects of his sister's vial. Cathy's face twisted into a hideous mask of pain. She frothed crimson bubbles at the mouth and constantly hacked up globules of blood.
Her limbs writhed and settled in grotesque positions. The once graceful and flattering sapphire dress hung in filthy rags among her mutated body: the unblemished skin was now mottled and deformed.
Soon she was barely human, and whimpered in pain as convulsions racked her body. The only recognizable feature was the dark doe-eyes which bulged in agony and terror. With a pathetic whine of desperation, the eyes focused on William and silently begged for his help.
Victoria had been watching with a dispassionate sneer. Cruelty radiated from her face as she approached the convulsing girl. With no apparent moral scruples, she retrieved a scalpel from the briefcase and dug deep into the body of the still conscious Cathy.
Cathy issued an incoherent scream, which transformed into a gurgle as more blood escaped her lips. Blood stained the dress and Victoria's hands and sprayed her face. Victoria tilted her head in bliss. Her eyes widened in ecstasy as she took callous pleasure in the defenseless girl's torture.
Victoria withdrew the scalpel. It shone bloodily in the half-light. Victoria collected a small sample of the blood from the blade and put in a sealed container. She raised the scalpel to Cathy's eye. Cathy struggled for all she was worth but the potion's effect had turned once graceful limbs into awkward sticks. Slowly, behind that eye, the very humane and gentle soul that had been Cathy flicked and dimmed. Satisfied, Victoria sat back on her haunches. She prepared to gouge out a skin sample for further experimentation.
Frantically William jumped to his feet but he fell, tripped by a gnarled tree root. He scrambled to reach Cathy.
Hearing the commotion, Victoria deftly drew the scarlet scalpel across the parody of what had once been a beautiful girl's slender neck. Victoria slid the scalpel into the leather briefcase and arranged a sorrowful expression on her blood-spattered features.
She watched as William approached. His movements were heavy with shock and he trembled. Victoria put on the performance of her life.
"Oh Will! It was terrible! Poor Cathy… she was allergic to pollen and I didn't realize! I gave her some flowers and she started having convulsions! I tried to calm her down but she didn't notice. She encountered the remains of the fencing of the mineshaft down the steps and it cut her! It cut her so badly… I don't know if she's still alive." Victoria sunk to the mossy paving stone floor. Her shoulders racked with sobs. It was a very convincing act.
William willed himself to believe her. He wanted his sister to be a quiet but sweet girl. Her tale was believable enough, her act credible. He would have believed her tale if it was not for one minor detail. Cathy's blood still covered her face, and her eyes still contained the joy of a sadistic killer.
Cautiously William approached the mutated Cathy. She was not human in death. Could Victoria have been jealous, or wanted revenge for something? William needed to find a reason for his sister's cruelty. He resigned himself to the fact that no, this was a murder. His baby sister was a heartless demon. The words cruel, heartless and demon hardly did her any justice.
With a heavy and disturbed heart, William gently rolled the deformed corpse down the seven steps into the mineshaft. It would not do to sully the Arben Reeve's name with news that the youngest daughter was a murderess.
Sickened by his actions he turned to Victoria. She had watched dispassionately as he rid them of the body and know watched with idle curiosity to see his next move.
"You slaughtered her," he said quietly. He did not accuse or condemn, praise or abuse. He merely stated.
She regarded him evenly. "Yes. For research."
"How could you do that? Kill someone in the name of science?"
A small smirk crept over Victoria's face. "Easily."
Waves of nausea rose inside William. Easily? Cathy was friendly and cheerful, not a friend as such but certainly a welcome presence. That Victoria could butcher this innocent girl with no qualms was…. SICK. William needed to invent a whole new vocabulary to express his emotions.
He stood and his back on what his was ashamed to call his sister. She too rose with a fleeting glance of apprehension.
"What are you going to do know?"
"I don't know!" he raged. "What can I do?"
"Nothing," she replied with maddening calm. "It's already done."
With a nauseating jolt William realized a new truth about his sister. This may not have been her first murder but it certainly would not be her last. Desperation settled in a corner of William's mind. He knew what had to be done.
In the event of a murder trial, Victoria would never be convicted. Her sweet-girl ruse was seamless, and it was doubtful his allegations would ever be taking seriously. If she was rejected from the family, she would meet up with this Veronica and who knows what they would do. If left, Victoria would become even more of a monster.
His shoulders sagged. He stared down into where Cathy's body now lay. How could this happen? How did Victoria become such a heartless creature? Was she always that way? William could remember when she was a young happy cherub. Did lack of friends make her bipolar? Was she evil even as a child? Thoughts chased themselves around his mind.
He felt her presence behind him, and guessed she was also staring into the void. "It's no a bad thing, death. It's sweet to kill. Seductive. Besides, without sacrifices, progress can never be made. Execution of others in the name of advancement is no shameful activity. And as an added bonus, it's fun."
William turned slowly towards her. Despite her appearance, Victoria was less soulless and human than the remains of Cathy. William took her by surprise and grabbed her delicate wrists. Forcefully he pushed her in the direction of the gaping hole.
Victoria struggled desperately, but her heavy dress and fragile form impeded her. Gradually, she edged closer to the shaft. First step... second step… her dainty shoes slipped on the mossy marble. Third step… she pleaded with William… fourth step… promised to abandon her work and forgo murder… fifth step…sixth step…. cursed her brother's weakness to see the necessity of sacrifice even though she was crying in fear and remorse…
Seventh step… William looked into her eyes. He saw sorrow and regret, and obviously fear. William felt his resolve fail him. He was not a murderer like his sister… he did not think he had the authority to decide who lives and dies… A flicker of his younger sister, before she was so evil showed in her face. It was so tender and troubled he knew he could not hurt her, despite all her faults.
He pulled her towards him, to get her to safety. All the force that had been acting against her survival still tried to push her off. In surprise, Victoria jerked back from him. He held to her hand tightly. Her shoes slid on the moss and she fell into the mine, leaving William behind.
William stared after her in horror.
What happened next at the Arben Reeves manor is a mystery. An air of depression fell over the house. A year after this incident, William Arben Reeves committed suicide. Eighteen months after that Sophitia did from illness, and Christopher disappeared.
The manor fell to ruin. In was inherited by Victoria's cousin Veronica. Though the Brideswell Manor was beyond repair, the one in Raccoon City was still in good condition. The name Arben Reeves died out, and was replaced by Sophitita's maiden name of 'Ashford'.
It was rumoured that the fall- of about thirty feet- did not kill Victoria, and also that she did not die in the labyrinth of sewers and mines. The liquid in the vial is said to be some sort of elixir that when perfected would sustain life and add extra strength and quick reflexes.
The incident and rumours became part of a dark past for Brideswell. They were forgotten by all but a mayor of a couple of years ago, and the children.
The children of course, disregarded warnings in order to find out the truth of these myths. All that was left of the Arben Reeves family was a myth about vampires, a deadly secret under the city, and a childhood game.
"Deep in Eons Forest are steps mossy, marble and green
Leading to a mysterious underworld no living man has seen.
On those seven steps an evil murderess died
To pay for all her evil crimes that she attempted to hide.
Her body may but gone but her spirit lives on strong,
Mustering an army to attack the town she wronged.
Her army lives on elixir that gives immortal blood,
A great reward for selling your soul and living in the mud.
Find them, descend them; you'll go straight to hell or heaven,
One- two- three- four- five- six- seven!"
Some childhood rhymes are based in legend or fact, but are often exaggerated or largely distorted. This is one of the few that doesn't do either.
***
So didja like it? Why not tell me in a review? *very subtle*
RamenKitty: Wow! You actually reviewed AND sent me an email?! You deserve a cookie for that *gives a cookie shaped like a handbag* *notices everyone staring at the said cookie* Ah, come on guys, I got hungry last night and ate all the zombie ones. It's not my fault, honest….I'm very interested in this idea about Wesker's family. As for Hulk…
Sena: O_o
Sych77:*snigger*
(sounds of fighting are heard.)
Sych77:*dazed look* What am I doing here?
Sena: Umm… thanks for the offer. If I survive, I'll think about it some more, okay?
Zarbok: Hi! I had no idea you were reading my story. *Beams* Hope this is a fast enough update!
Shady777: Glad you liked your last cookie! I got Wesker to make it for me, he's such a whiz with foods.
Wesker: You're ruining my street cred here.
Sorry sir. Ahyways, *gives cake like a particularly spooky mansion.* Enjoy. I nicked this cake off him when he got lost in the sewers. Dumb-ass..
Wesker:…..
Btw, Alexia showed up anyway. At two-thirty actually. In the morning. That's why this is updated so quickly. *glances over shoulder at Alexia* Could you get her to leave me alone now please?? It's a little scary having her around. PLEASE??? I send her to you so you have incentive to update your story. ;D
Righto, review time! Come on, please?!