The Lost Soul

Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT 

As Gwynethea took Jack's hands in hers, Zalea sat quietly to his side by the softly glowing orange flames of the fire in the centre of the room. 

"It's dark, there is nothing but blackness all around you. You can see nothing. You can hear nothing. Just the sounds of your breathing. Your breath is quick and short. You are afraid. You try to stand 

but you are being held against your will. There are chains around your ankles and wrists. You cannot move. The pain. There is pain all around you. Oh," Gwynethea recoiled from Jack, temporarily dropping his hands. When she opened her eyes, they are not her eyes that Jack and Zalea saw. Her eyes were no longer blue but bright green, like a cat's eyes. Jack jumped and Zalea screamed. 

"Gwynethea!" 

Suddenly, she closed her eyes once more and when she re-opened them, the old lady's blue eyes had returned. 

"I am fine, young one. This is nothing but a memory. It might flash in my eyes, but fear not, it is just a memory. Come, we must return. Jack must remember." 

Taking his hands, she reverted back into the trance. 

"You are not alone. There are others chained like you. You can hear them but you cannot see them. There is a light in the distance, it is coming closer and closer. It is a torch. It is being carried by someone. Wait, you gulp back the fear. It feels like it's stuck in the back of your throat. It comes closer and closer. It is not human. It is... Nephilim." 

Suddenly, Jack let out a low groan and a sob, "I remember the beast," he whispered," I remember. No.....no," he sobs. 

"That's enough, Gwynethea!" yelled Zalea, jumping up and trying to unlock their hands. 

When Gwynethea opened her eyes and looked around, she released Jack's hands. 

"You were with the Nephilim, Jack. I am amazed you survived." 

"But who are they?" asked Zalea, rubbing away a falling tear from her cheek. "Who are the Nephilim? Did they take my sister?" 

"My dear, Sheharazalea. We are here to recall Jack's memories. I cannot tell you if they have your sister. But for now, we need to concentrate on what he has blocked from his mind, okay?" she said soothingly as Zalea nodded and returned to her seat by the side of the fire. 

"I'm sorry," she said. 

"It's all right, my dear. You are clearly anguished. We will get to the bottom of this. Now we must speak of the Nephilim." 

"Nephilim," whispered Jack quietly, "who are they?" 

"They are demons, my dear, demons. And they live not far from Argentumalea." 

"There are demons close to us? Why do we not know about this? We cannot live near to demons," screeched Zalea. 

"Shhh child. The Nephilim and the Faeries have lived close to each other for thousands of years. It is just the way it is. No doubt you have all been told not to venture far from home. Well, the Nephilim are one reason why. But they can never come close to your home. They are trapped, you see." 

"But how did they get Jack?" she whispered. 

"I'm not sure. To discover that, we will need to go back to the trance, to remember." 

"Then we must. I need to remember everything," said Jack. 

"Then take my hands and we will return. We will try to go further back in time." 

As Jack took hold of the old woman's hands once again, a shiver went down his spine as he recalled that awful dark, damp place where he had almost perished. 

"The beast is close. He is looking for something, someone. He makes his choice and releases the chains of someone close to you. It is a man, an old man. He yells for help. All you can hear are his sobs as the Nephilim carries him out of the cave in which you are trapped. Your face feels wet. You are crying. Another memory is coming through. You are in a dark place. You are alone. There are no chains but you are trapped in a dark room, a black room. There is no way out. You are drained, so drained and so weak. Suddenly you see a light in the room, it's like water, no... a....a vortex. You step into it. You know it's the only way you can escape this room. Then there is nothing, just a whirling and you fall right into the hands of the Nephilim. You try to run, you are surrounded by the beasts. You are too weak. You fall to the ground. You feel like you are falling to sleep." 

Zalea watched the rapid eye movement of Jack's eyeballs beneath his closed lids, but she knew she must let them continue, knowing it was the only way for him to remember himself and what happened to him. How he came to be in Argentumalea in the first place. She wondered if he might have any memory of her lost sister, Tiffanimelicomelea.  

"You wake up. You are in a small cage surrounded by many others trapped in similar cages. When you turn your head to look around, you find a female Nephilim watching you. She hungers for you, you can tell by her eyes. You ask her what she wants. She says nothing. You shout and she stands, laughing at you. She moves closer to you, so close you can feel her breath on your face through the bars. You yell obscenities at her. You feel disgusted. But she does nothing but laughs a cruel, evil laugh. But wait, that laugh, it reminds you of something. You remember someone. A beautiful woman who has harmed you in some way. Who is she, Jack? Remember her. Focus on this beautiful woman." 

Jack winces and speaks, "Vivian. I remember now. I know who I am."