Chapter 8: A New Power
Alyssa's first instinct was to run back the way she came, knowing there was no way he could follow her across the boards. He was too heavy and too bulky to even attempt it, and she began sliding her foot backwards as she kept her eyes glued to the being still approaching her.
Big mistake; she felt the back of her foot hit the board, causing it to slip off the edge of the catwalk and fall to the stage below. The sound of it landing echoed through the otherwise silent room.
Her slip up was met with insane laughter. "Nice going," the killer cackled. "I think I'll send you down with it."
As he spoke, he jabbed the head of the hammer at her, forcing her to back up further or suffer from broken ribs. All at once her foot slipped off the slick metal and Alyssa felt herself drop into space.
Her arms thrust out automatically as she fell back, the need to save herself outweighing the need to escape the being still leering at her from above. Her scrambling fingers somehow grasped the edge of the catwalk, halting her fall.
Alyssa looked briefly down at the stage, so far away from her dangling feet, before lifting her head and looking up at her tormentor again. He had his hammer propped against his shoulder, and the insane grin grew even wilder as he drew closer to the edge.
She realized what he was about to do an instant before he did it, and was barely able to yank her hand out of the way before his massive foot crashed down on the mesh. The catwalk vibrated, causing the fingers of her other hand to slip a little. She tightened her grip desperately, but she knew she had no hope of holding on if...
Alyssa let out a shriek of pain as a heel as broad and heavy as a brick smashed down on the tips of her fingers. The throbbing digits jerked stiff on reflex and she plunged back into space. Her body flipped as she fell, putting her at an angle where she could see the hard wood of the stage rushing to greet her.
In one last desperate attempt to save herself, Alyssa threw out her good hand and grabbed wildly for the the stage curtain. Twice she felt the thick velvet brush her fingers before she was able to grab something substantial, but she managed to seize a handful and her fall jerked to a stop.
Above her, she heard a howl of outrage as she began slipping down the front of the curtain like a rope, using her injured hand as a guide despite the pain.
The instant her feet hit the floor, Alyssa took off running. She made a beeline for the front hall, not bothering to glance back as the howls continued.
Once she was through the front doors, she raced through the cold night, heading back across the bridge toward the tailor shop. She didn't pause to catch her breath until she was inside and standing in front of her final destination--the door that was wired shut.
Once there, Alyssa finally stopped running. Panting heavily, she withdrew the item she had taken from the toolbox out of her pocket; a pair of wire cutters.
With frequent glances over her shoulder, she went to work snipping the thick barbed wire, a job that was difficult and slow due to the thickness of the wire. As soon as the last piece was cut and the way through the door was open, Alyssa turned the knob and went inside.
She found herself in what looked like a cozy sitting room. There was a sofa, a bookshelf full of light reading, a covered table with a vase of dried flowers, and another fireplace in the corner. Like the one upstairs, there was a small fire burning, though there were no other signs that anyone had been here recently.
Directly across from the door was a small piano. Alyssa could easily picture young May sitting on the cushioned bench, practicing her heart out for the upcoming recital. She absently ran her hand across the lid before moving on.
Her other hand still ached, and she rubbed her tender fingertips as she looked carefully around the room. There didn't seem to be anything of interest hidden away, but Alyssa kept searching, feeling certain that the answer to May's problem was here somewhere.
Eventually she reached the fireplace. There was the traditional kind of clock usually found on a mantle, and next to it was a pretty wooden box. Her heart filling with hope, Alyssa quickly opened the lid.
Her guts instincts were finally paying off; resting at the bottom of the box was a large pocket watch, and Alyssa knew immediately that it was the same one May had described in her diary. She cupped it in her palm and carefully opened it with her good hand, and the melody May had been struggling to play for so long filled the room, as soft as the tune of a music box.
Alyssa was almost overwhelmed with relief. May could finish her song now, and hopefully bringing her peace would open the way home again.
As she was carefully placing the watch in her jacket pocket, Alyssa noticed there was a small photo propped in the corner of the box. Pictured in it was William Norton, and sitting on his lap was May.
Only it wasn't the tortured soul Alyssa knew; it was a little girl with a face full of joy. She was dressed in a white sweater and plaid skirt, and her shiny hair was the color of sunshine.
"Soon," Alyssa promised with a sniff. "You'll be able to rest soon."
She was about to close the box when she spied something else, something crumpled up and stuffed behind the photo. Curious, she pulled the paper out and unfolded it.
It was a newspaper article, and according to the date, it was from September 10th, 1941.
'We can all sleep a little easier tonight, thanks to the efforts of our local law enforcement. After weeks of relentless searching, serial killer Robert Morris has finally been captured and hung. Eye witnesses claim that Morris groaned and wailed in an almost inhuman way while thrashing like an animal even as he dangled from the rope. Later, spectators reportedly were passing out due to an incredible stench coming from the fresh corpse.
'Morris, 32, had been a mild-mannered factory worker, until one day he struck down and killed a fellow employee with a single blow from a hammer, without provocation. No one has been able to explain the extreme change in behavior, but Morris went on to slay 11 more unfortunate souls before his capture.'
Alyssa set the article down with a puzzled frown. She was positive that the man executed was the same one she had been running from all night, but according to the date he had been hung over a year before May's death.
She had known it all along, deep down, but now she was truly faced with indisputable evidence that she wasn't being chased by a man, but by some undead monster.
Though the thought made her shudder, she turned and headed for the door with firm resolve. She was going to save May, no matter what.
When she stepped outside again, the night was still and silent. No sound drifted from the concert hall, and the snow had stopped falling, too. Alyssa walked back to the hall with growing apprehension.
As she entered the courtyard again, she quickened her pace. Her hand slipped into her pocket and clutched the watch tightly as her heart pounded. Soon, she repeated to herself.
Alyssa was passing the fountain when wicked laughter made her look up. Sitting on the edge of the roof over the entrance to the concert hall was the late hammer-killer Morris, grinning at her with sadistic glee.
Alyssa quickly scurried back as he jumped down from his perch. Though he held his hammer like he were ready to smash her to pieces, she didn't feel afraid anymore.
"You can't stop me from saving her, Robert," she said boldly.
Hearing his own name made him laugh again, but he didn't sound as jovial as he had a moment ago. "So, you've figured me out, have you? Clever girl."
He lunged at her as he spoke, but Alyssa dodged and darted around the other side of the fountain, trying to keep the object between them.
It didn't work as well as she would have liked; still agile for his size, the undead killer vaulted up onto the upper part of the fountain, splashed through the basin and dove for her. Alyssa scrambled out of the way, noting that despite the grin on his face their was something much more sinister in his actions now.
"May was only one of many, you know," he went on as he chased after her.
"But why did you kill her?" asked Alyssa, practically tripping as she ducked out of the way of his swinging hammer.
Her question was answered with another fit of maniacal laughter. "You're next," the killer announced with glee. He held his hammer high above his head a moment before he charged after her again.
Alyssa raced to the other side of the fountain again, her mind reeling. "But I thought you said you weren't going to kill me," she said desperately.
She had had her doubts about this promise from the start, but she wondered why he had suddenly changed his mind.
"He'll be mad," the killer declared, without a scrap of concern in his voice. "But I can't let you bring that to her. I'll tear you to pieces before I'll let you do a thing like that."
He doesn't want me to give May the watch, Alyssa realized.
She didn't understand why, but it was so important to him that May didn't see it he was willing to go against his orders and kill her to prevent it. Alyssa backed away and looked around desperately, but she knew there was no place left to run. She had to stand and fight, but with what?
Her hand reached down and gripped the bottle hanging from her belt, but she didn't pull it out. Flinging water would only slow him down. The time had come for her to end his killing spree once and for all.
As soon as the thought entered her head, the massive killer paused his approach. Alyssa couldn't imagine what he was hesitating about, and followed his gaze to where it was now pointing at her feet.
On the ground was a circle of light that was slowly tracing the spot where she stood. The light was both faint and clear, and it was drawing a line filled with strange, arcane symbols within it. As each symbol appeared, Alyssa felt her body grow warm and relaxed, and her hand seemed to raise up on its own.
In her hand was the glass bottle, only it wasn't a bottle anymore. As the light finished its work and faded as quickly as it had appeared, the bottle grew and changed in shape, until it had become thin and curved.
Alyssa was now holding a bow that looked like hand blown glass, and though it looked delicate it felt stronger than iron as she gripped it with her fingers.
Her other hand raised up and fell into place where the bowstring and arrow would be, though there appeared to be nothing more than air between her fingertips. But as she held them there, she felt something draw out of herself, and a volley of light shot into the sky.
Alyssa watched, enchanted, as the arrow of light streaked through the air like a star and faded from sight. Like so many things she had done this night, she had no idea how she was wielding this power, but she had stopped asking questions.
When the light faded, so did the mesmerizing affects the spell seemed to have on her attacker, and he advanced on her again with a furious roar.
Alyssa turned and ran, putting what she hoped was enough distance between them before she turned and unleashed another arrow born from her own energy.
The small point of light merely grazed his shoulder, but the affect on him was worse than the water had ever been. He howled with pain and clutched the wound for a moment before he charged at her with more hate and resolve than ever. Alyssa took to her heels again before she fired another shot.
She hadn't time to move very far, and it was difficult to aim when he was running at her so hard and fast. She kept nicking him, or missing him altogether. As the battle went on, however, she began to notice that the longer she called up the hidden wellspring of power she possessed, the larger and brighter the arrow of light became.
Exhilarated, Alyssa dove behind one of the courtyard trees and rolled into a crouch. From there she held the bow at the ready as she waited patiently for her mark to draw closer, even though the longer she waited the more danger she put herself in.
But her attacker never seemed to learn his lesson, and charged at her with ever increasing force with each shot she fired. He came barreling around the tree, hammer hoisted above his head and teeth clenched. Alyssa waited until a moment before the hammer came crashing down upon her head before unleashing a pulsing arrow of light squarely at his chest.
Her quarry recoiled again, his unholy flesh steaming and melting as it weakened helplessly against her assault. With her head held high, Alyssa ran to the concert hall steps before she turned again.
The killer was weak, his movements had grown sluggish, and Alyssa knew it was the final shot as she readied another arrow.
It flew across the courtyard with a radiant glow, and when it hit its mark her undead enemy fell to his knees and let out a final cry that would have had a grown man cowering in fear.
But Alyssa only felt joy and relief; it was finally over.
The killer's body dissolved like smoke and dissipated into the night sky. Alyssa slowly came down from the stairs, a sense of wonder at what she had just done welling up inside her. She looked down at where her enemy had once stood; there was only a puff of ash left, and the gentle winter breeze was slowly spiriting it away.
When she heard a soft rustle, Alyssa frowned and quickly bent to snatch it up. It wasn't ash at all, but a dirty scrap of newspaper that was crumpled into a tiny ball. Alyssa tried to untangle the mess carefully, but she tore it a little as she spread it open again.
There was no visible date, so she had no idea when the message she read had first been printed. She knew why the killer had kept it, though. He wanted to keep it from May.
'William Norton, a soldier positioned in France, was among the dozens who were killed during an attack on...'
The page was badly torn, and the rest of the message had been lost. Alyssa slipped the small scrap into her pocket next to the watch, her heart growing heavy. But there was a bright side to it, she realized. Once May was free, she and her father would be together again.
She was about to hurry inside when she spied something glittering on the ground at her feet, right next to where the newspaper had been.
Alyssa felt more puzzled than ever as she picked up the object she found lying on the stone path. It was silver and shaped like a heart, and there was a tiny emerald sparkling on one side. "What on earth was that thing doing with this?"
Just another question she had no answer for. But the theories that came to mind as to why an undead murderer would be carrying a piece of her mother's pendant were far from pleasant.
Wanting to get home again worse than ever, Alyssa placed the fragment of jewelry into her pocket and hurried back into the concert hall.
When she reached the auditorium, she found May sitting on the piano bench again. She paused her playing and sobbed as Alyssa quietly mounted the stairs. The older girl's heart was full of compassion as she approached, the pocket watch cupped in her hands.
May didn't look up from her endless playing as Alyssa drew near. Knowing that nothing except finishing her piece would make her stop, she opened the watch and gently set it on top of the piano. The music box tune filled the room, so much softer than the frantic playing May's desperation had caused her to play.
May's fingers halted, though not at the point they usually did. Her eyes slowly left the keys and rested on the watch. Alyssa quietly placed the newspaper article beside it.
"I'm sorry, May," she said softly. "Your father died on the battlefield. There was a..."
She trailed off as May hid her bloody face in her hands, her eyes full of tears for a different reason. Alyssa quickly stepped behind her and gently placed her hands on the smaller girl's shoulders, trying to comfort her.
"I never even knew my father," she said sadly, "but I know just how you feel. I know how painful it is to be separated from someone who means so much to you. But do you know," she hurried on as May began to sniffle, "you can still play for him. He can hear you where he is now, and if you finish your song for him, I'm sure it'll make him happy. You'll play for him, won't you?"
Though she didn't say a word, May slowly dried her eyes and nodded. Alyssa let go and stepped back, and May put her fingers to the keys. And then she began playing in perfect harmony with the gentle tune of the watch, with no evidence she had ever made a mistake in the precious song.
Alyssa took another step back and clasped her hands as happiness and contentment swept over her; though her visage was still one of death, a look of peace had crept into May's stained features. Alyssa knew she would be all right now.
"May!"
Startled, Alyssa spun around and saw a young man standing on the stage with them. He had the sunniest of smiles on his face, and his arms were reaching out towards May.
"Daddy!"
May got up from the bench and ran to her father, though she looked nothing like the little girl who had been sitting there a moment ago. She looked like the girl from the photo, so full of life and color. She ran to her father's arms and was quickly locked in his embrace.
"I've been searching for you all this time," said William. Alyssa knew his voice must have been sad until now, but there was no longer room for anything but joy for either of them. "I kept searching, but it wasn't until I heard your beautiful playing was I able to find you. You helped draw me out of the darkness and straight to you, my darling."
There was no trace of tears on May's face as she clung to her father. "It was all I ever wanted," she laughed. "I wanted to play for you so you would be proud of me."
Her father laughed in turn, and held her even closer. "I am, May. I am."
William then lifted his head, his eyes meeting Alyssa's. May let go and smiled at her. "I can't thank you enough for helping me get my daughter back," said William. "We'll never forget your kindness."
They were waving at her, and they seemed to be stepping back from her, though their legs weren't moving. Alyssa could see the red curtain through their bodies.
"Goodbye," she called quickly.
The pair continued to wave until they had faded from sight. Though they were gone, Alyssa thought she could hear their laughter lingering in the air.
Alyssa was happy, but she was also tired. Very tired; her body suddenly felt like it was made of lead. She tried to turn away from the now empty stage, but her legs buckled beneath her. She felt herself falling, and her awareness of the world faded into darkness.