The Outlaw II
Matthew Ryan Fischer
Selena had worked for years in the manor for Lord and Lady Winston
as their housemaid. In her private time though she had met Dr. Manning and fallen
in love with him, not that he would know that. He did pay her special attention
insomuch as it fit into his need for special access to certain homes and certain
locked rooms. It bothered her on and off, but over the years he had begun to
reveal town secrets to her, and she took that an he had some small affection
for her, even if it wasn’t what she most hoped for.
She found Brother Janus and the woman in the study, as they
rummaged through a series of old books. Selena had prepared herself to deal
with the woman, knowing she was a close ally of Doctor Manning, but she hadn’t
realized a man of God was part of this. She wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad
thing. It seemed a shame to corrupt such a man into taking part in their unholy
duty, but at the same time, perhaps his prayers and proximity to such deities
might be handy.
“The doctor wanted you to see this…”
The woman turned just as Selena opened her mouth to speak. I must
have made a noise, Selena thoughts. Gods, that woman is quick. She could have
killed me in an instant if I had been any closer.
Selena extended her hand and held out a book.
“A bible?” questioned Janus.
A celestial book of some sort, thought Selena, but no bible. No,
this was far darker and would have been written by something far sinister.
“No bible I’ve ever seen,” answered Selena. “An unholy read, full
of magic, murder and false prophecy. But the doctor said you would find what
you needed inside.”
The woman reached out and took the book. She began to flip through
the pages. Janus edged closer to her and glanced at the pages.
“What language is this? Did the doctor say anything further? Like
how we might find it?”
“No sir, only that you should destroy it before you let it fall
into the wrong hands.”
“There are pages missing,” said the woman.
“I don’t know nothing about that. I just did as the doctor asked.”
Janus grew nervous.
“We should go, but not the way we came. The walls… the walls of
blood. Why were they bleeding?”
He turned to Selena as if she could give an answer.
“How do we get out?” he asked.
There was a sudden groan and a loud thump. The three turned to
find Doctor Manning, dead, his body thrown to the ground, a broken lump.
Selena screamed and could feel her eyes grow moist.
The room began to smell a foul sick smell of rot and puss.
The woman pulled a hatchet and pushed Selena behind her.
In the doorway were the Lord and Lady Winston, but they were no
longer Lord or Lady. They were rotting flesh, propped up through some magic,
lumbering forward, moaning as if in pain. Dead but undead. Alive enough to
strike and kill.
“Are they…” Janus was in a state of shock, not sure what to say.
“Take Selena’s hand and don’t lose her. Follow close, we’re
getting out of here.”
The woman swung the hatchet as she charged the evil corpses. She
pushed the Lady aside and opened a path to the door. Janus wasn’t so lucky as
the Lord was more aggressive. Rotting and broken teeth sank into flesh and
Janus began to scream. Selena let go of Janus and screamed in fear.
The Lady approached. Selena was certain she would be killed.
The hatchet swung down and split the Lady’s skull.
“Come on!” screamed the woman.
A hand reached out and pulled Selena along. Selena couldn’t think,
tears streamed down her face. Janus was dead. Manning was dead. This woman she
hated because Manning favored her had saved her. It was too much. She couldn’t think
straight, all she could do was follow.
Selena looked back, and caught a glimpse of Doctor Manning and
Brother Janus, standing again, alive but not alive, dead but undead. Something
else. Something evil. They began to lumber along, following the women.
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