He stood there for a long time looking at the spot where the blue box had disappeared. All manner of confusing thoughts assailed him. Finally he looked towards the pyramids in the distance. He desperately wanted to wake up from this nightmare and yet he was all too aware that it was no dream. He could hear the beating of his own heart if he chose to focus on it. He willed it to stop and it did. He didn't fall over and he could move at will. (This is insane.) He felt for his pulse and found none. He willed that his heart begin beating again and his pulse returned. (What do I do now?)
***
"What do we do now?" Nigel had asked Elizabeth.
"I feel that we should continue our studies and see where that leaves us." She had replied.
"I'm not sure that I can do that." He said. It had been a week since the kiss that left him with a sore jaw. He still wanted her more than he had wanted anything in his life.
"Nigel, it would be a lie for me to say that I did not care for you but I'm not sure how I feel. It will take some time for me to sort these things out."
He felt ashamed for trying to pressure her and several minutes of silence passed before he spoke again.
"Elizabeth I am in love with you and I cannot help that. I don't want to fall out of love with you. I can wait for you if that is what it takes." He said.
"Thank you Nigel."
***
He began to walk towards the pyramids. Amazing structures that they were and he should feel excitement to see them. All he felt now was a sense of loss and fear. (Nigel Brown is dead. I don't know who or what I am now.) He paused and looked back to the spot where the blue box had stood. There was no blue box. He thought that he saw someone there. He turned and hurried back to the spot. He discovered a man digging in the sand. The man had been unaware of his presence. Upon approaching this man he was amazed to find that he could hear his heartbeat. He was sensing something else. He closed his eyes and could see in his mind that the man was searching for treasure. It came to him. This man was a grave robber. The man suddenly became aware of his presence and stood and turned to look at him. He could see himself through the other mans eyes and felt an enormous amount of fear. He opened his own eyes and looked upon the man. He could see fear mirrored in his face.
"Xxx xxx xxxx xx xx xxxx" the man said.
"I don't understand you." He had said in return.
"Xxx xxxx xx xxxx xx xxx." The man said as he gestured wildly in another direction.
"What are you trying to tell me?" he said.
"Xxxx xxx xxxx xx!" the man yelled as he turned and ran.
He watched him go and knew that he could easily overtake him if he wanted to. (To what point would I do that?) He finally sat down in the sand to contemplate.
***
Several months had passed and Elizabeth and Nigel had grown closer. They had developed a deep friendship. It was obvious that she had affection for him. They had taken the day off from studying and had spent the afternoon together in the countryside. They were holding hands and watching the sun set.
"Elizabeth?" he asked.
"Yes Nigel."
"I think that I am going to kiss you." He said looking steadily at her.
"What if I slap you again?"
"Then I will have a sore jaw again."
"What if I don't want you to kiss me?" she asked, her voice small.
"Do you not want me to? I won't if you tell me not to."
"I don't know Nigel, I…" she began to say as she was interrupted by his kiss.
She tensed up and for a moment, Nigel thought that she was going to slap him and storm off again. She surprised him by pulling back and looking at him.
"Elizabeth, I …" was all that he was able to say as she returned the kiss. For several sweet moments they held the kiss and then it ended. He was elated at that and he could feel the racing of his heart. He was shocked to see that she had began crying.
"Elizabeth what's wrong?"
"Nigel I need you to promise me something."
"Anything." He said.
"I want you to promise that you will never leave me."
"As long as I live, Elizabeth I will love you. For as long as I live."
***
As he sat there in the sand, he could feel the tears running down his cheeks at the memory. (I still love you Elizabeth even though I no longer live.)
{Does it amaze you that love even transcends death?}
"What?" he exclaimed as he leapt to his feet. There was a figure standing behind him.
{The love of a woman is indeed special but that is behind you now. You have started a new reality.}
"Who are you?" he asked with a wild look in his eyes. The man was speaking inside his head as if he could read his thoughts.
{I can read your thoughts and you will have that ability as well.}
This was too much. He turned around and ran as fast as he could. He was running faster than any normal man could and he turned to look behind himself when he tripped and fell to the ground. He stood to his feet and the there he was right beside him. He looked at the man beside him and he was dressed in furs and animal hides. He was taller than Nigel but more slender.
{Come now we need to talk with the others, as you are the fifth and final.}
He turned to run again when the other reached out and grabbed his arm.
{My patience has limits and I will not chase you. Come with me now.}
With that, they both rose into the air and flew rapidly to the north.
***
As they landed, he felt great to be back on solid ground once again. He was aware of the others. There were two other men and a woman.
{This is Nooroo} He pointed to one of the men dressed in robes that one would expect to see in the desert.
{This is Death} He pointed to the other man who was dressed in leather and was armed with a long curved blade.
{This is Austriel} He pointed to the woman.
Is this another one of your creations? Her voice entered his head as she looked at him. It was unnerving to have her gaze upon him but there was something familiar about it as well. She took a step towards him and he shrank away.
{He is the fifth.}
I have been searching for that for six hundred years! She was livid. There was hatred on her face.
{We now can consolidate our selves and move forward. We will call him Emetrius.}
[Why is it that you name us?] Nooroo asked.
"I don't understand!" shouted Emetrius who had been Nigel.
{Because I tamed Death.}
Emetrius had never experienced such fear as this. Although he knew he was no longer alive, this fear made it seem as though he was.
I will have him. I will take what he took from me and I will lead us forward.
{You will keep your place Austriel.} He said as he regarded her.
She launched herself at Emetrius as she emitted as blood curdling shriek. Emetrius was completely overcome with horror as he realized that this was the same creature that drove him into the blue box and began this nightmare. Without a second thought he fled into the night. As he ran, Austriel overtook him and violently threw him to the ground. He instinctively curled up into a fetal position as she hammered him with blow after blow. She grabbed him by the throat and turned his face towards hers. She had a feral look on her face when the de facto leader of this group caught up with them. He closed his fist and hit Austriel with such force that she was thrown several feet away. They began to grapple with one another.
"XXX XXXX XXXX XXXXX!" he cried at her.
Her only reply was another blood curdling shriek.
Emetrius once again fled into the night as childhood images of the stories of the wail of a banshee came to his mind unbidden and tormented him.
***
"Nigel, I think that you would make an excellent father." Elizabeth said.
"Elizabeth what brought that on?" Nigel asked. They were just finishing up with afternoon tea.
She didn't answer him at first as she looked out the window at a gentle falling snow.
"When we get married, if we get married I want to have lots of children."
Now it was his turn to be quiet. He might not have spoken at all if she hadn't taken his hands in hers.
"I love you Elizabeth." He said as tears fell down her face. "I love you more than words can convey."
He marveled at the way that she could be so happy and yet cry. It was just one of the mysteries that…
***
When I catch you I'm going to kill you.
Emetrius had stopped running as the memory overtook him. With tears streaming down his own face he ran on. He ran for what seemed like hours and he could see the eastern sky brightening.
{Emetrius.} The voice said in his head.
"Why won't you leave me alone." He cried in anguish.
{You should seek shelter. Tell me where you are and I can help you.}
Emetrius did not answer. He longed for the daylight so that maybe this nightmare would vanish and he would find himself with Elizabeth. Despite the horror of the moment, he smiled at her memory. As the sky brightened with the oncoming dawn, he was getting more and more uneasy. In fact he was on the verge of panic once again. It had been hours since the encounter with Austriel. He stopped and looked towards the east.
{Emetrius! Take shelter now!}
He ignored the voice and looked to the east as the sun's first rays broke over the eastern horizon. He could have not been less prepared for what happened next. He felt as if his body had been placed in a blacksmith's furnace and heated up with the bellows. He fell to the ground and began to shriek and writhe with agony. The pain was unbearable and he screamed and screamed. He opened his eyes and that was the worst. He felt as if liquid fire had been poured into his skull and now he burned inside as well. He screamed one final time and lost consciousness.