The Woman's Game - 16. Part Two: The Book of Revelations IV

Chapter Four

 

Blank. The room was blank. A haze of white and a glistening light from above where she was laid. She had begun to awake from what felt like a months’ worth of sleep. She was unsure where she was. Immediately checking her wrist for her heartbeat, she took a breath of relief. Death had evaded the situation. Alive…

 

The walls were tiled with black lining.

 

Then, an image appeared before her eyes.

 

‘You…’

 

‘Yes it is me.’ The man laughed and looked down upon her.

 

‘What am I doing here?’

 

‘You were found in a coal pit in the middle of south Wales. We brought you in. You are safe now.’

 

‘Why? Why am I here?’

 

She tried to rise from the bed and tried to invoke her shroud but she was too weak. Far too weak.

 

Rest was required. ‘Leave me. I need to rest.’ She laid her head on her pillow and turned away from the man.

 

‘I will be back in an hour.’ The man spoke with a husky tone and it carried a sense of authority.

 

The Shrouded One tried to rest as she worried about her fate after that eventful encounter…

 

**

 

Society had fallen. The attacks had become more regular and anyone that went against the social code was infected with the face. That Never-Ending face that went through the bodies of so many innocent people. Those that it was unsuccessful on, were left for dead. Left for the rats to eat and the stragglers of the vampires to convert. Then, after death or conversion, they will always follow the rules.

 

Such a society to live in. Utopia was the place of perfection and everyone was in a constant state of joy and if they were not, they were simply eliminated. Society when run by a communist is incredibly dangerous. The population was decreasing at an alarming rate, but the world was becoming more sustainable in the long term.

 

Was Utopia perfect? Or was it just a dream of some sick twisted individuals?

 

The Vampires had been decreased in number but they were still just as strong. The Shrouded One had no idea of their existence. She was clueless so there would be no more pain on the Cult. The blood of many was spilt on the lawn of the academy and they didn’t want that again. The Leader of The Cult may be destroyed but it will always survive throughout time… But they were guided by a higher power. A power much beyond pure reality. They were guided by The Company.

 

The group of individuals that have watched and influenced everybody in every way. The internet was truly a wonderful resource…

 

Only when the time was right would the vampires crawl out of the woodwork again. They will only strike when their numbers have increased and when they have converted enough people and when enough people were ready to feed. The new religious order was to come. The Cult would become international, possibly even global in this world.

 

The Cult had been minimalized but not defeated and they would grow. They had several enemies now. The Shrouded One and now, the Rats. The Rats, however, were too spread out. They were not able to group and win any war. They were simply too misguided.

 

However, nothing would stop their armies from growing.

 

But they were too thin on the ground, too spread out. They would never win…

 

Would they?

 

**

 

‘We made the decision for the good of your life.’ The Leader of the People said as he entered the chamber where The Shrouded One was being kept.

 

‘So you kept me in here… Like an animal.’

 

‘It was for the good of society. You had done too much damage.’ The Leader of The People cleared his throat. ‘You were put into stasis in secret. The world is under the belief that you perished in your own darkness. The landmass had changed on that date, the bombs you set were too powerful. You destroyed most of Canada and not to mention France is with the fishes now. Utopia is now ready.’

 

The Shrouded One attempted to stand and brushed back her blood stained hair. ‘You don’t understand do you?’

 

‘Understand what?’

 

‘I’m above you. I always have been. The Company brought me to this world to cause pain and misery and that is exactly what I’m going to do.’

 

‘We shall make an agreement. We know the infection is spreading.’

 

‘Infection?’

 

‘Something you must not know about. We have an agreement with the creatures that you shall remain unaware of their situation. We shall call them V.’

 

The Leader of The People raised his hand and clicked a button on his phone. A table appeared from under the chamber The Shrouded One was being kept in. A map upon the table. The Leader of The People took a pen and passed it to The Shrouded One. ‘It is your choice. Where shall we contain the vermin?’

 

‘Australia. It was a prison years ago; it again can be a prison.’ The Shrouded One laughed as she placed her pen upon the paper, as the area around her pen turned into a murky red colour; wiping the entirety of what Australia once was off the planet.

 

‘I will send word to the workers to herd the infected in that direction. It’s mostly one land mass now. Amusingly enough, Australia is separate from the mainland, we will send our worst out there. No more prisons. Only an island of suffering. We are agreed?’ The Leader of The People held out his hand and The Shrouded One went to shake it.

 

Then, as she touched him, the body of The Leader of The People disappeared into dust and her phone dropped to the floor and the screen cracked.

 

The Shrouded One had been blessed with a new power and she liked it…

 

But she could never love anything. She never learnt to love and that is what would bring her downfall…

 

The Downfall was coming…

 

**

 

They landed in what appeared to be a graveyard. The Mental Patient arose, dazed and confused and read a gravestone. ‘Ash. Aged 14.’ He gasped and put his back against the gravestone before Ash awoke.

 

A figure arose out of the darkness. ‘Yes I know.’ The figures blackened wings flew him over to where he needed to be.

 

‘Who… what are you?’ The Mental Patient cowered in fear.

 

‘A fleeting image that has lost its way in the eternal darkness.’

 

Ash awoke and turned to see the tall creature and scurried to behind a gravestone. ‘What in hell are you?’

 

‘I expect a better introduction to you than that young Sir.’ The creature with the wings that looked like they were constantly burnt retorted. ‘Now, shall we walk? Or do I destroy you now?’

 

Both of the boys rose and walked behind The Creature. ‘What are you?’ Ash asked.

 

‘I was once an angel. I once was among the many highly exalted. Then I fell. I was tempted and here I am. Then the master overtook me and I now have the constant burning sensation. Why won’t it stop?’

 

‘But why?’

 

‘Because Death made me his bitch. Are you happy now?’ The Creature raised its arm to point towards a cloud like image. It began to replay images of The Resistance.

 

‘Am I dead?’ The Mental Patient asked.

 

‘No. Just waiting and wondering.’

 

‘What for?’

 

‘For a question.’

 

‘But what if we already have the answer.’ Ash sort of understood what the foreboding creature was getting at.

 

‘Then there is no use for me being here and you will die slowly in brimstone and fire. Would you like that? I thought not.’ The Creature chuckled to himself.

 

‘I guess we call you Death?’

 

‘Don’t ever call me that. I was once an angel… The greatest. Semyaza but no longer. My love can no longer know me as that. I must be non-existent. I am The Burned Being and I shall stay that way.’

 

Now they knew his name they could continue to question him directly. ‘So, Burned Being.’ The Mental Patient asked. ‘What is that?’

 

‘Images from your present. They have invaded the place that was once abandoned. Well, not abandoned; contained. They, as you can see, took the skulls and now have most of the skulls that are available. This war will never end if all you humans depend on is the next greatest weapon.’

 

‘War?’ Ash was confused.

 

‘This was has been going since the Egyptian times. The formation of the skulls and the escape of the spirit in the last few decades. It’s been building. This was what they wanted.’

 

‘Who? Who are they?’

 

‘The Company. They have always been here. They created me, they created you. They created man. They created animal. They are The Designers. There are those that are special with exceptions to the rule. Myself, An old friend that calls himself The Page Turner, the master of us all The White Knight; a representation of God for you low people and the creature you call The Shrouded One.’

 

‘But she is dead…’ The Mental Patient was getting even more confused than Ash…

 

‘No she isn’t you stupid little boy. She just wants you to think that. She is coming back and she is going to be more powerful than ever.’

 

‘But…’ Ash began.

 

‘No buts. I have far too much to show you before I lose my time. The Vampires are still alive. Utopia had been formed and they were going to be herded into Australia. But that was a big enough landscape for their war to be waged. The Vampires versus the Rats. The rats had the same ideas as the vampires but they were too spread out. Spread out too thinly. Far too thinly to be taken as a serious threat.’

 

‘You seriously expect us to believe there are rats that will take over the world?’

 

‘The question and answer is always your choice. Believe me or not; it is going to happen. They do not have the gift of speech though. Speech is such a wonderful thing.’

 

‘I need to know. How can we…’ The Mental Patient started, like Ash.

 

‘No Wait.’ The Burned Being launched himself forward covering the face of The Mental Patient with his wing. ‘You must hear the rest before you ask the question.’

 

‘You must know how to control your abilities. I will show you. The Blue Dragon and Fiendfyre. Show me them.’ They both extracted the Dragons from out of their bodies and showed them to The Burned Being.

 

He began to mutter an incantation and threw his body into the air and a pool of darkness began to shoot down towards the ground and merge itself with the two dragons. They began to form together…

 

A perfect dance of the light and the dark…

 

From out of the mist created by the dark pool, erupted a new being. It was golden and its head was dragon like, with nostrils covering most of its face. But it created its own light and at its feet a pool of great darkness. It was the perfect combination of the dark and light fused together.

 

The Burned Being collapsed to the ground and hit it with a mighty thud. The Dragon that was created flew over, dragging its two masters along with him.

 

They landed gently and surrounded The Burned Being.

 

‘I am weak. You must go. The question you were going to ask is about to be answered and that is when my time is up. Hurry. The pairing has now been brought back, brought back together for the first time in hundreds of years. It is your responsibility to change things. Make them what they once were and make the world a better place. People are dying at the wrong time. People are building up the body count and it is becoming impossible to handle. Help me by helping yourselves.’

 

The Mental Patient was the first to speak again. ‘What is this creature?’

 

The Dragon turned its head on his master and sent a psychic message. ‘I am The Element Dragon. Controller of light, fire, water and darkness. I am the ultimate weapon, there is nothing stronger than I in the world of The Game. I beg you ask the question…’

 

Ash figured the question and knew there was nothing else that could be done. ‘How can we stop her.’

 

The Burned Being smiled from its weakened position on the ground. ‘You now have your answer.’

 

The Burned Being disappeared from view into the ground and he had been transported to his church.

 

The boys looked up at the mighty beast and felt another message being passed into them. ‘You know where we must go.’ The light and fire disappeared and entered Ash’s body just as the darkness and the blue light of water entered the body of The Mental Patient. The Element Dragon faded and they continued on their way.

 

The Church was bare when The Burned Being had landed. He had done his duty. He travelled inside of the church and moved towards the font.

 

He looks at his reflection in the water and all he could see was the face…

 

The face was haunting them all and there was only one way to stop it…

 

But they had to wait for the lady to do her duty in terms of the change. The Lady was about to discover what it was they had been hiding from the world…