Chapter 14 – Trauma

1/29/2020 --:--

Robert, Ryan, Emma, and Lucy arrived at Fort Stalwart’s gates just as the sun was beginning to set. Hustling inside the gate with his group, Robert waved to one of the guards in greeting. “Hey Robert, welcome back!” The guard called out.

“Hi Ian how are you, any Eviscerator activity while I have been gone?”

Ian hustled down from the wall. He was a young man around Robert’s age. Hazel eyes peered out from beneath a full head of curly black hair. “No, and that has us worried, normally we would have been attacked by now.”

“Well, keep an eye out. I have to get these people settled in.” Robert said, motioning to Lucy and Emma.

“Okay, do you want me to cover your shift again?”

“That would probably be best, do you mind?”

“Anything for you Rob.” Ian said, slapping Robert on the shoulder and running back up to the top of the wall.

“Who was that?” Ryan asked Robert.

“That was my captain Ian.” We have been best friends for a long time.

“Ah,” Ryan replied.

At the sound of the front door opening, Julia came out of the kitchen. “Hi, I’m Julia Brightling.” She said, seeing her new guests.

“I’m Emma, and this is Lucy Davis. It’s very nice to meet you.” Emma said coming up and taking Julia’s proffered hand.

“Hi” Lucy said shyly to Julia while holding her hands behind her back.

“Dinner is almost ready, so why don’t you guys all seat yourselves in the kitchen?” As Robert passed her, Julia pulled him aside. “So, how did it go?”

“It went fairly well, and as you can see, we found Ryan’s sister.”

“But who is the older woman, and why are Ryan and Lucy wounded?”

“The older woman is the person who saved Lucy, and we ran into some Eviscerator trouble on the way home, Ryan and Lucy killed one of them and Lucy is still kind of scarred by it.”

“Wow, those kids killed and Eviscerator?” Julia exclaimed. They must be made of stronger stuff then I thought mused Julia.

“I will let you ask Ryan all about it.” Robert chuckled, seeing the surprised look on Julia’s face.

“Well I suppose I should serve dinner now.” With that, Julia strode into the kitchen with Robert following her.

The dinner table was very quiet that night. Trying to start conversation, Julia said to Ryan, “I heard you and Lucy killed and Eviscerator.”

“Actually, Lucy was the one who killed it.” Ryan replied. Lucy merely coughed as she poked at her stew.

“How big was it?” Julia asked.

“I’m not sure” Ryan hesitated.

“It was about nine feet tall.” Robert interjected.

“Wow!” Julia exclaimed. “I’m very impressed and it was your first kill too!” Julia said to Lucy and Ryan.

“Ryan helped a lot.” Lucy mumbled, barely audible.

Emma, seeing Lucy wanted to change the subject, suddenly said, “When can we start Lucy and Ryan in training?”

“We could probably start tomorrow.” Robert replied.

“Can someone show me where Lucy and I will sleep?” Emma asked, seeing that Lucy was done eating.

“I will.” Said Julia as she stood up and motioned for Emma and Lucy to follow her. Leading them down the hall, she opened a door at the end of the hall on their left. “This is the guest room.” She said, showing them a room with two beds in it. “Please unpack and make yourselves comfortable.”

By the time Lucy and Emma were all settled in, they heard a knock at their door. Opening it, Emma found Julia standing there. “Hey,” Julia said, “I was just letting you know you guys might want to be getting to sleep. We are going to be getting up early in the morning to train, goodnight.” Julia closed the door behind her.

Late that night, after everyone else was asleep, Lucy finally managed to get some shut eye. Suddenly, Lucy woke up in her bed back in her home in the normal world. Everything was quiet, eerily quiet. Lucy quickly got up, and finding herself dressed in her daytime clothes and noticing it was the middle of the day, she hurried downstairs.

“Hello?” is anyone home?” Lucy asked, her voice seeming loud in the stillness. Without knowing why, Lucy decided to check the backyard. She stepped outside and what she saw made her heart stop. She saw a toddler’s body floating face down on the water of their pool, its long black hair spread around its head.

Slowly, the body floated over to her as Lucy was unable to look away. Already knowing what she would see, Lucy rolled the body over. The face seemed to stare at her out of its glazed, dead hazel eyes in a babyish face framed by long wet black hair. “Izzy!” Lucy gasped, her throat choking her as her heart beat hard, every pulse making her stomach seem to clench as tears began to fill her eyes.

“So glad you remember.” The toddler suddenly said, climbing out of the pool and fixing Lucy in her glazed, insane gaze. “Hello Lucy.” The corpse said with a malevolent grin on her face.

“It was so long ago. I forgot about the accident. It can’t bother me now.” Lucy said in a weak, scared, pleading voice.

“Oh you don’t know how long something can bother you stupid cur!” The child spat out, chuckling with sadistic glee as a crazy grin spread on her face, her hazel eyes staring through her.

“Please, I am so sorry. I just want to move on!” Lucy choked out as she heaved sobs, curling into a ball in fear and sorrow.

“YOU WILL NEVER FORGET YOU DUMB COW!!!” The child bellowed in rage, her face turning purple with the dead eyes snapping out fire as she launched a savage kick at Lucy’s exposed back.

Lucy cried out in pain and terror. “Please, please go away, just leave me alone!” Lucy moaned, tears streaming down her face. She had developed a pounding headache by now, ribbons of color streamed before her eyes making it hard to see. Her brain hurt all over the front lobe, as it felt like someone was squeezing it with a fist. Any noise or movement made the headache hurt worse. Lucy’s body was drenched in a cold sweat of pure terror.

“No, it is you who will go away. YOU WILL GO AWAY AND DIE!!!” Lucy’s tormentor screamed, shoving her into the pool.

Frantically trying to swim her way to the surface, Lucy panicked as she saw Izzy pull the pool cover over her. Lucy Struck at the pool cover, but was unable to lift it. Lucy began to wail, “Please let me out! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Please don’t kill me! Please don’t let me drown! I’m sorry! OH GOSH PLEASE SAVE ME!! I’M SORRY!”

Lucy tried to scream, as she inhaled and choked on the water as it filled her lungs. As her banging grew weaker and weaker, Lucy sobbed out her plea one more time with the last bit of air in her lungs. “I’m sorry!” She choked as everything went black.

“I’m sorry Izzy. Please don’t kill me.” Lucy cried as she woke up drenched in cold sweat and her tears. For a while, Lucy just laid there and wept as the memories resurfaced. Finally, she got up quietly, and went out to the kitchen. Once out there, she tried to sort out her emotions, but just started sobbing again.