The Weaver's Source

Chapter 21

I walked down the steps as slowly and as quietly as I could. The further down I went, the more potent the stench became, making me gag a little and my nose to burn. I placed a hand over my mouth in hopes it would help. It didn't. As I reached the end of the stairs, a narrow stone passage yawned before me. Two torches glowed but my eyes were fixed on the door that was ajar at the end of the passage. My ears also began to pick up sounds. Clacking and soft singing echoed from beyond the door. I swallowed thickly and warily pushed myself onwards down the corridor.

The singing became louder and recognisable as the door grew closer. It was Black Annis. She was behind the door, which meant Gerald was there too. I stood still, letting my hands brush the rough wood while I peered in through the gap. I couldn't see much but what I could see made me feel cold.

There was a hearth, much like the one upstairs, with a large cauldron hooked over it billowing heat and smoke and that bile-stirring stench of rot. Large bones littered the walls and skulls, jars of eyes, fingers, bugs, amphibians and bile lined the haphazard shelves . But what scared me was the table standing just beside the deep black cauldron. A knife was thrust into the wood, bloody and rusted. Beside it was an arm. A small arm, that of a child. It had bits of flesh missing and half of the bone was showing. That's when I picked up the sound of soft moans of pain.

The singing stopped abruptly. 

"Let this be a lesson to you. I told you before I would punish you, but you didn't listen. Kept on trying to ward people away. In all honesty I should just kill you but your mother is loyal. Can't have her wavering." I heard Annis say with a slight click of her tongue. Gerald whimpered. "Nearly done, Gerald. You'll be off home soon."

Gerald replied in a slightly delirious manner, repeating sorry over and over, begging for her to stop. My heart was beating fast and hard and my breathing had become difficult. Gerald was in trouble. Terrible trouble. I glanced about wildly in search of a weapon. The only thing I could find was the unlit torch. I shuffled over to it and pulled it out of its iron holder. I went back to the door, holding the torch like a club, and pushed the door open wider.

Annis was standing before another table, although this one was made of solid stone. She was working and blood dripped from the table to pool at her feet. There was a lot. I glanced at the small mangled arm on the table then back at where Gerald was lying. I swallowed thickly in fear as an awful sense of realisation filled me.

Pushing my fear aside and forcing my body to calm, I crept slowly into the room, sneaking my way towards the hunched back of Annis. I could feel myself wanting to turn and flee. My head became cloudy as whatever poison she had been feeding me screamed that she was innocent, a harmless old lady. Everything in here was a mistake. Logic was fighting back though. My gut told me things were wrong and I was in danger. Gerald was in danger. I needed to get him and run away from this monstrous old woman as fast and far as possible.

While I fought the drug's influence, I accidentally kicked a bucket that sat alone the floor. The bucket clunked away hard, alerting Annis instantly to my presence. She turned sharply, her strange bulging eye observing me with shock then rage.

"You! You're not meant to be here!" She screeched with spittle flying from her mouth.

I didn't think, just reacted in fright at seeing her ugly face bloody and her hands holding strange sharp instruments. With all my might, I struck out at her head with the torch with a shout. It hit her cheek hard, making her stumble. She was fazed for a moment before her rage returned.

"I should've eaten you sooner!" She yelled but fell silent when the torch made contact with side of her head sickeningly hard. She fell to the floor and didn't move.

I didn't check if she was still alive as my head whirled from panic and the drug fighting to take hold of me again, I simply dropped my weapon and turned to Gerald. My heart froze then. He was lying on his back, pale as a sheet, staring at me with cloudy dark eyes. Blood surrounded his shoulder as a meaty stump was all that remained. She had cut off his arm, I realised numbly. The wound was partially sewn. Apparently Annis didn't want him dead.

I ran to him, tapping his face to get him to focus on me. He did. His dull eyes squinted at me in earnest.

"Lyra." He murmured with some hope. "You can see now."

"I can see." I said thickly. "And I'm going to get out of here."

He nodded numbly and a smile struggled to take his mouth. I helped him to sit up and swung his legs over the side of the table. I took only a moment to find and snatch the cloak he had been wearing and I threw it over his shoulders, tying it tightly to ensure it kept him warm. At least I didn't have to worry about the wound bleeding out. Annis had fixed that for me. I just had to make sure it didn't get infected.

I turned and hooked my hands under his knees then pulled him onto my back. He was heavy, I'll admit, but determination to get him to safety was all the drive I needed to keep up my strength. Once he had hooked his only arm around my neck, I walked as quickly as possible from that bloodied room, leaving Annis sprawled out on the floor.

As soon as I had climbed the steps, whispering to Gerald all the while, I ran. I ran blindly into the darkened woods lit up only by moonlight, carrying the child who had tried to protect me. I didn't know where I was going and I didn't care.

All I cared was that I got myself and Gerald as far away as possible from the small horrifying hut.