Chaos Lives in Everything - 14. Chapter 14

In that strange flash of purple light Rebecca and the seer appeared like magician performing a stage trick-only Rebecca knew that it was knew it was no stage trick; it was real. She was overwhelmingly dizzy. Her legs almost crumpled beneath her. I think I'm going to faint, she thought. Her stomach cramped painfully. I might barf too. Oh God, please don't let me barf in front of the seer. I will die from embarrassment. But somehow she managed to stay standing. It took a moment or two for the wave of dizziness to recede.

"I apologize," the seer said in her faraway voice. "Teleportation can be overwhelming for someone who has never experienced it before."

"Yeah, I wish you would have warned me about that beforehand," Rebecca said breathlessly, hands braced against her knees. She straightened up and looked around , taking in their surroundings.

A cluster of clouds hovered over their heads. The sun peeked weakly through it and a nasty cold breeze ruffled Rebecca's pig tails. She pulled her hood up and stuff her hands in her pockets, sucking in a breath. She was glad that she'd decided to wear her Alice in Wonderland hoodie, the one that had Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter on the front. There was nothing but trees surrounding them. Behind her was a road that led to an intersection.

The seer and she stood before a tall wrought iron gate. The gate was completely open. The chains that had once kept it shut had been snapped in half; the padlock lay forgotten on the floor.

"Where is this place?" Rebecca asked.

"We are ten miles outside of the city," the seer said.

Rebecca could picture someone cutting through the chains with a powerful saw. Next to it was a sign that said ROC CITY ASYLUM FOR THE CRIMINALLY INSANE and below that EST. 1789. The sign was covered in grafitti. Someone had thought it important to write JAMES HAS A BIG DICK in green spray paint; another idiot had thought it amusing to draw a gigantic blue penis. Sitting on top of a large hill overgrown with grass and weeds was a tall seven-story brick building.

A cement sidewalk led from the front double doors of the building to the gate. A wall of poison ivy slithered up the front wall and through a shattered window. Many of the windows had been shattered. A cold chill ran up her spine. Goosebumps broke out along her shoulders and forearms. Rebecca did not know how much it had to do with the wind and how much of it was from the fact that she was quite literally freaked out. The asylum looked like something straight out of The House on Haunted Hill. It was quite obvious, just from where she stood, that the asylum had been abandoned for sometime.

"This is where Skold is?" Rebecca asked. She looked to her right but the seer was nowhere in sight. Great, Rebecca thought. She pulls another vanishing act just when I need her the most. And just what exactly am I supposed to do anyway, just strut in there like some bad ass heroine and demand that the bad guys let Skold go? I don't have any weapons. I have nothing to defend myself with. And even if I did it's not like I know how to use them.

She remembered what the seer had told her: ...Skold is in danger. He has saved your life now. Don't you want to return the favor?

If Skold was in trouble, then yes, Rebecca wanted to return the favor. The seer had led her here for a reason. Assuming that this wasn't some malicious trick then Rebecca could only assume that the seer had led her here for a reason. Surely she wouldn't have led her to this place if Rebecca was not able to succeed in saving Skold's life. Rebecca took a deep breath and gathered all of her courage and began making her way up the hill. She kept her eyes fixed on the asylum. She hated how quiet it was, the way the silence gathered around her. The dry husks of dead leaves scraped dry against the cracked, aged asphalt. The wind blew them off the ground making them dance gracefully around her.

It wasn't until she was at the front doors of the asylum that she noticed the armored van parked around the side of the building. Moving quickly and silently to avoid any chances of being seen by anyone inside she hurried over to the van. The back doors hung open, swaying in the breeze. Rebecca approached the van cautiously. Her stomach felt incredibly tight. She peeked around the corner, expecting some attacker to reach out and grab her. To her relief the van was empty. Gripping the iron bar on the side, Rebecca climbed inside, looking for any clues of Skold's presence. Up front she could see that the keys were still in the ignition.

Out of the corner of her eye Rebecca saw something on the floor: it was a rather large puddle of blood. Feeling dizzy all over again, Rebecca wondered if it was Skold's blood. What if they were torturing him? What if he was in excruciating pain? She tried to tell herself that Skold was okay, that he could handle himself, but she couldn't keep the terrible pictures from flooding her mind.

I hate the sight of blood, she thought. She hopped out of the van and entered through the front doors into the asylum.

The smell of dust and rot was overwhelming. Even with daylight streaming through the windows she could barely see anything in front of her. Ominous shaped loomed out at her from the shadows. Rebecca pulled out her cell phone and turned on the flashlight app. The light from the little camera lense blinked on. It provided just enough light to be able to see what was in front of her. Before her was a large wooden desk where she could imagine a nurse in a white uniform and a white hat sitting at the chair. On top of the table was a neatly stacked pile of papers yellowed with age, a pencil sharpner, a tape dispenser and a phone.

Rebecca wondered how long this place had been closed exactly; the only signs that anyone had been here was the grafitti all over the walls that said ELLISON WAS HERE and THIS WAS WHERE ELLEN CLARKE LOST HER VIRGINITY, and forgotten beer bottles scattered around the floor. Why hadn't the city bothered to renovate the asylum or tear it down? And more importantly, why was the asylum closed in the first place. Rebecca shook the question from her head. I don't want to know. I need to stay focused.

Behind the desk was a set of double doors. She tiptoed towards it, standing on the tips of her toes. Despite the fact that she was trying to be as quiet as she could, dust and shattered bits of beer bottle crunched underneath her feet, making her cringe. Finally she reached the double doors. She pushed them open with her shoulder; they swung open easily enough, without making a sound. Now she stood in a long corridor where the paint had started to peel off the walls.

Suddenly she felt something grab her from behind and pull her into the shadows so fast that her phone fell from her hands. She opened her mouth to scream but before she could a massive hand clamped over her mouth.

"Rebecca, it's me."

Rebecca's eyes widened. The hand left her mouth. "Dom?" she whispered. She bent down, snatched her phone off the ground and shined the light on him. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he said. In his hands he held a Tactical 12 Guage. A large sword was strapped to his back. Rebecca thought distractedly of Arnold Schwartzeneggar from The Terminator. The only differences was that Schwartzeneggar did not run around with a sword and he was an android not an elf.

"That seer you talked about came to me. She told me to go to Skold's apartment. I did and then she took me here. I take it she came to you as well and told you where he was?"

"She did," Dom replied. "I am going to save him."

"I'm going with you."

"No you are not. You're staying here."

"To hell I am."

"It's too dangerous."

"I don't care. I'm a big girl, I can make big girl decisions."

Dom frowned, studying her. "Why do you care about what happens to him?"

"Not all human beings are heartless monstrocities," Rebecca said pointedly. "Some of us have a heart. Besides, Skold saved my life. Now I'm returning the favor."

She started to walk past him only to be pulled back again. "What's the big deal again?"

"Take this." He held a 9 mm. pistol out to her. "You need something to protect yourself with. And stay behind me. I do not want you to get hurt."

Rebecca blew a breath threw her teeth and took the gun reluctantly. "Fine. Let's just hurry up and get this over with. Take the lead."

They had just about reached the end of the corridor to another set of double doors when the doors opened and an elf came running out, firing his rifle directly at them. Before Rebecca could register what was happening Dom shoved her against the wall, directly out of line of fire. Bullets richocheted deafeningly of the walls, smashing the tiles beneath his feet. Rebecca watched as he hunkered to the ground, pumped the 12 Guage and pulled the trigger. The 12 Guage exploded. The other elf ducked behind a wall.

"Go find Skold," Dominyc said. "I will deal with him. Don't do anything stupid, not until I get there." Rebecca nodded and stood. Dominyc charged towards their adversary. Rebecca was amazed at how quickly he moved his bulk; it was like watching a bullet train crashing into a brick wall. With the other elf preoccupied, now was her chance to move. Just as Dom knocked the elf's rifle from his hand with a kick Rebecca burst through the doors at the end of the corridor. Before her was a stairway that led to the second floor. There was only one way to go and that was up. She started climb, taking them two at a time.

She came to a large square room. In the center of the room there was Skold, strapped to a metal table. His chest was covered in blood and wounds. His head leaned back against the table. His face was ashen, his eyes were glazed over. For a terrible second she thought he was dead. But he wasn't dead, in fact he was looking right at Rebecca. The elf's back was turned to him. Her head was bent so she did not see Rebecca. A number of torture devices laid on a metal gurney. All of them were covered in blood. She was reaching for another one.

"Time for you as come to an end my dear young brother," said the elf, turning back to face Skold.

No it hasn't, Rebecca thought. Sorry Dom, I know you said not to do anything stupid but something has to be done. She raised the gun that Dom had given her, aimed it at the elf's back and pulled the trigger.

The bullet hit Candestine in the back. It was a very well-placed shot, Skold thought, for someone who had only fired a gun once before. For the second time Skold found that he was very impressed with Rebecca. Though it was a good shot it would not be enough to stop Candestine. With a snarl Candestine whirled around and rounded on Rebecca like a wild animal. Smartly Rebecca turned and ran back down the hallway. Candestine sprinted after her, leaving Skold by himself.

Skold knew that he had to do something, that he had to get out of these restraints. Rebecca could not possibly stand a chance against his sister. Rebecca had put herself in the greatest danger yet. Skold felt incredibly weak and was in incredible agony. But he was not dead, not yet. He had enough hand moment that he was able to wrap his fingers around the cuffs. His eyes closed in focus, Skold began to chant in a low voice. His lips moved rapidly.

After several second his hands glowed into the air. Smoke rose into the hair. Even the simple task of summoning fire was agonizing but it had to be done. He knew that it was the only thing that would work. At long last the cuffs fell away. His arms were free. Once his legs were free Skold fell to the ground, landing on his hands and knees.

It took a concentrated amount of effort to get to his feet. He had to lean against the table to do so. He leaned on it for a second longer and breathed deeply, gathering his strength. After several more seconds he straightened up, ignored the pain that pulsed through his entire body, and stumbled after Candestine and Rebecca.

Rebecca tore down the steps as fast as she could. She could hear Candestine chasing after her, shrieking in rage. Rebecca reached the bottom of the steps. Dom and the other elf were nowhere in sight-where they had gone Rebecca did not know, did not have time to think about it. Candestine was flying towards her and would be on her any second now.

Like a heavensent miracle, Rebecca saw Dom's shotgun lying on the ground. Without thinking, Rebecca picked it up and faced Candestine. Candestine stood at the bottom of the steps and regarded her with burning eyes.

"That's far enough, bitch," Rebecca said. "One more step and I swear I will pull the trigger."

"Make sure you shoot to kill, human girl," Candestine shot back. "Because if not I'm going to rip you to pieces."

Rebecca pumped the 12 Guage and pulled the trigger...only to hear a dry click. Her stomach dropped. Fuck, she thought. Of course it's empty, just my luck. I'm dead meat.

Just when Rebecca was sure she was about to die an agonizing death, Skold came out of nowhere, wrapping the chains of the cuff that had restrained him to the table around Candestine's throat and tightened them. She struggled against them, trying to pull them away with her hands but to no avail.

"I can't hold on all day," Skold grunted at Rebecca.

Coming to her senses, Rebecca gripped the 12 Guage and started bashing Candestine in the face with it as hard as she could. Hitting Candestine was like hitting a brick wall. Rebecca doubted that she was doing much damage but it was the only thing that she could think of to do.

Suddenly Candestine kicked out with both feet. Her feet planted squarely into Rebecca's stomach and sent her flying back several feet. Rebecca hit the floor, the breath crushed from her body.

Her head slammed into the ground and everything went black.

As Rebecca lost conciousness Candestine flipped gracefully over Skold and lashed out. Her knee sunk painfully into the small of his back and sent him stumbling forward.

Skold managed to maintain his balance only to feel the chain slam against the side of his head. Candestine was whipping him relentlessly with it, the blows raining down against the back of his head and in between his shoulder blades. Skold fell to his knees trying to protect his head with both arms. Each blow was pure agony. In that moment, he could feel the wall of ice within him melting. The same hate that he'd felt towards his father, the anger that he had tucked away so long ago rose inside of him, reawakened, resurrected. Only this time it was directed at his sister, his sister who had become just as evil and malicious as Kane.

The hate and anger provided him with new strength, new energy, a new will to kill. Standing once more he knocked the chain from her hands and lashed out with a flurry of punches that crashed into her belly and fist. He drove her back against the wall. Before he could land another blow to her face she ducked; his fist went through tile and plaster.

Skold and Candestine fought viciously back and forth in the middle of the hallway with the intent to kill. It no longer mattered that they were sibilings, that they had the same blood. Whatever small amount of mercy that Skold had reserved for Candestine had been pissed away by his older sister. Now she was just another problem, another complication that had to be dealt with.

He would kill her gladly. Soon she would join the grave just as their mother and father had.

Rebecca was cold for a few seconds. She came to, sure that something was broken in her body-or many things. Her ached profusely. Somehow she managed to turn her head and take in the battle happening before her.

Skold and Candestine were moving so fast that she could barely tell who was who. The only way that she could keep track was the fact that Candestine was fully dressed and Skold was butt ass naked. Their eyes glowed with a predatory light; to Rebecca they looked like demons. She had to get away from them. She had to get away from the fight. She had to get out of the asylum. I'm going to die if I don't, she thought.

She crawled away like a young infant who has not yet learned how to walk yet. She couldn't bring herself to stand up. There was something wrong with her ankle. She didn't know if it was broken, or just sprained. Don't let it be broken, please don't let it be broken-

The salty taste of her own tears interrupted her thoughts. She realized that once again she was frightened for her own life; once again she was fighting to stay alive. She thought, How many near death experiences can you have before you luck just runs out and you die for good?

Somewhere she could hear the roar of an engine. She stopped and listened. It was close and getting closer. But where? Where was it coming from? Her eyes widened. Suddenly she was on her feet and running just a few seconds before the armored van crashed through the wall of the asylum.

Again Rebecca glanced over her shoulder. She had made it far enough in just enough time to keep from getting flattened by the van. The engine of the van rumbled like a beast. The back doors hung open. Dominyc sat in the front seat. "Get in!" he hollared.

Rebecca did not have to be told twice.

Skold both felt and heard the impact of the van tearing through the wall of the asylum. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Rebecca climbing safely into the back.

He decided that the fight had gone on long enough; he wanted to leave this asylum. He wanted to go home. Whether or not he killed his sister was of no importance. He darted for the van only to have Candestine leap onto his back. She wrapped her legs, wrapping her legs around him. She clawed at him with her razor-sharp nails, tearing at his flesh.

He spun, trying to throw her off of him. Eash slash she made with her nails drew blood. He heard Rebecca scream his name, saw her throw something towards him. It was a sword. He caught in his hands and threw his head back. The back of his skull slammed into Candestine's face hard enough to knock her to the floor.

He drew the sword back about to plunge the blade through her chest. She looked up at him, surprised.

"This is it, isn't it?" Candestine asked.

"It is," Skold confirmed.

"Do it," she said. "Finish me."

For a second, just a second Skold hesitated. Then he plunged the blade through her belly to the hilt. When she no longer moved, her eyes closed, he climbed into the van and closed doors behind him.

"Drive," Skold said.

Dom stepped on the gas pedal. He pulled around the side of the building and down the hill, through the black wrough iron gates. Skold watched the asylum disappear behind the trees. Now Dom was heading back in the direction of the city.

"Are you alright?" Rebecca asked from the front.

"I'll live," he told her.

She gave him a tired smile. "I will too. Even though she tried to kill me I'm sorry that you had toll your sister. She was a real bitch."

"Yes," said. "Yes, she was."

Skold barely noticed that his apartment had been vandalized. Rebecca and Dom were gone. Dom was taking Rebecca home. Skold had refused to let them into his apartment. He didn't care if he died; all he wanted was to be left alone, to be left in peace. He stumbled into the bathroom.

Candestine had ripped his back and chest to shreds. Flesh hung off of him in tatters. How he was still alive he did not know yet. With the final reserve of his energy he got the shower going and climbed inside. The water seared his back, his mangled flesh. He had to clench his teeth to keep from screaming.

Blood seeped from his wounds and swirled down the drain in a steady stream; mixed in with the blood was whatever chemical agent that Candestine had drugged him with. Once the last of it left his body, his wounds slowly started to close up. Two hours later when the water had gone cold, he stepped out, went into his bedroom, and collapsed into the bed, lying on his stomach. The wounds on his back and stomach had healed completely.

He was asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.