Chapter III: „Lies and Revelations"

=== In the cabin ===

The fire was burning and yellow-orange light flickered over the two persons sitting on the floor. Outside the old cabin, the storm gained intensity, branches cracked and were thrown against the windows, which remarkably enough held out. Tessa's thoughts circled possibilities for escape; Stephan's thoughts the question of what he should do with this girl. For today, no search party would arrive even near his refuge. Nevertheless, there was tomorrow! The storm would settle…

Should he bring her next to the village and simply ask her not to tell about him? Could he trust her? He turned slightly and watched her. She seemed to notice it but did not react. She was … strange, different! Not only her weird haircut and the piercing, which let her look very unfeminine. Yes… she was a girl almost looking like a boy… He turned away again, now staring into the fire. It was confusing. The flames formed her face. Full of fear. The face of his love, his angel ... his last victim?!

...

This can't be! You are dead! Nelson has killed you!" The woman with the long black hair winced back as far as she could until her back touched the wall. She was alone.

"The ambulance had a traffic incident and I escaped. I hid in the old cabin of my parents. I almost died… I lay there, on the floor, and there was only pain, for days... I was sure to die from blood poisoning and fever. I dreamt you would be with me, touch me ... and heal me. The thought of you was all that kept me alive. I knew, I had to find you."

„And now, you have. What... will you do? You'll try to kill me again?"

She was so beautiful, enchanting. And full of fear. Making him lose his mind. He kissed the tears from her face… "You're the first woman I can touch this way... You are special... you will redeem me."

"Please let me go."

...

Stephan squeezed his eyes. They were aching from the motionless stare and the smoke from the fire. His memory was shaky and blurred, like the surface of the sea in heavy rain. One moment he was sure he had not killed her, the other he saw it clearly in his mind… It was… just his nature. He did not know anything else… The moment when they did their last breath - it was the only moment when he came at least close to the sensation of ecstasy. They, the women with the handcuffs and red devil's lips, had stolen everything else from him. Stolen even the love and life with her… his angel of redemption.

„Do you believe in redemption?"

Surprised by the sudden question, after they were sitting there for an eternity, the girl shrugged. „Do you mean the bullshit the church-pals babble about? 'Course not. I'm no baby! It's just some shit they made up to squeeze money out of someone and terrorize people." Then, after a moment, she turned around and looked at her odd companion. „Do you? It's why you live out here, like a hermit?" The same instant, she got angry at herself for asking at all. She did not really want to talk to him! What if he now started dumping any kind of religious crap over her? Like her last foster parents from the Methodist Church?

Fortunately, the freak rested silent. He just sat there, arms folded around his knees, and head bowed down on the arms. He did not move nor speak anymore. Could people die in this position, Tessa mused. The fire had nearly burnt down. She slowly moved back into the farthest corner of the room and wrapped herself in the blanket.

At some point, the constant rain against the windows lulled her to sleep. She dreamt nightmarish scenes of being chased through a dark forest and being confined to a lightless tunnel with frightening sounds. When she woke up screaming, it was early morning, the storm had settled, and it looked as if she was alone! She peered upstairs – no sound either. Wherever her 'host' might be, Tessa decided to act quickly and to leave. She fastened her ripped boot around the foot with a piece of old rope, grabbed her little bag, and hurried to the door. It was locked – of course, what else! She hadn't been that an idiot to believe he had left it open, had she? However, the window could be used for an escape, too, and it was easily opened. The girl climbed outside. But she had only walked a few steps when the shrubs in front of her cracked and Stephan showed up.

Fuck it! Tessa prepared for the worst.

„Where did you think you go? Get lost again?" He asked, stepping closer. When he stood next to her, he continued. „An avalanche has covered the road through the valley, I saw it from above. No one will get up here until this is removed. It could take some days…"

Tessa shivered involuntarily. Means I'm stuck here with you creep till doomsday?

„…But maybe they'll send a helicopter patrol after you."

They'll never spot this house! It looks just like any rotten wood everywhere! Bullshit!

„Come inside! I search for something to eat. I have not much left, though."

No reprimand, no shouting? Tessa found this yet more troubling. Her fingers touched again the old hook she had concealed under her jacket.

On the one hand, Stephan was relieved no search party could arrive all too soon. This gave him some time to think – however he did not see any way out! On the other hand, the presence of this girl unsettled him more and more. He could not sleep, and his mind was playing tricks on him. The past had found a new level of torture. He was not really hungry and took some cornflakes with water. In the corner of the sideboard, he found a package with instant Mexican soup. In looking at the package he remembered, he had bought this by mistake; it had some ingredients intolerable for his system. So, the girl could have it completely! And a few rusks…

=== Some hours later ===

O no…Stephan stared down from upstairs. His mind seemed to collapse in a speedy twist of past and present.

... He reached out to touch her face. "Help me!"

She froze, eyes large like a trapped animal. "What for?"

"The pursuit! The pursuit of redemption!... Touch me and heal me." ...

O no… His guest lay on the floor.

Death…Blood… Redemption…

He grasped the handrail. Everything was blurred. What have I done yesterday?

He saw himself reaching out for the tiny blade, while his other hand closed her mouth. But the features of the woman dying at his feet were not Muriel's. He breathed deeply, tried to break through the haze of his memories. The figure on the kitchen floor moaned and moved. No, she was not dead! Stephan ran down the steps, at her side. And no, there was no blood on her!

„Muriel? Do you hear me? … What happened?"

„Don't know…" came her weak voice. „Feel sick… „ She pressed her hands against her stomach. „And… can't breathe."

„Stay with me!" Stephan was panicking. He clearly had not hurt her. What was going on? This looked like… like some sort of allergic shock! „Muriel? Did you eat something strange? ... Listen to me! Have you had this before? Do you have any medicine? … MURIEL!"

Her head fell back. Her face was from a bluish, deadly white.

No! NO!

Stephan hurried to get the small bag the girl had over her shoulder when he found her. Perhaps she had any meds with her? He emptied the content on the table. A cream, a lipstick, tissues… Then his eyes got caught by the lines on the DMV-card.

+Tessa Lauren Keece+ could he read, and despite the situation, he stared at the name. Keece… like… 'Nelson Keece'?And the birthday! November the 12th 1997! However, nothing that looked even remotely like medicine!

He glanced desperately around and his eyes got caught by the trash bin. There at the top lay the crumpled rest of the instant Mexican soup she had last evening. A thought flashed through his mind. Could it be, she had the same… ?

No time to ponder about it now! Frantically, he began bustling through the drawers and compartments of the sideboard. Where the hell was it? There, finally! He grabbed the small box, shook one of the pills out, and kneeled again next to the girl. No, perhaps a full dose was too much! He bit the little pallet in two, spit one half out and shove the other in Tessa's mouth. „Come on! Down with it!"

The action let her wake up again, and she tried to resist. „No… no drugs!"

„Swallow it! It's medicine. You'll feel better soon! Come on!" He held her until her breathing had almost normalized. Then, he carried her upstairs into the bed.