Inside Evil

Chapter 12 - Part IV

"GET OUT OF MY WAY," Roberta screamed as she bolted like thunder across the patch of earth, punched Vanessa to the ground with a single blow and made it into the trees on the other side. The glow of the moths lit up the descending slope a few metres ahead of her and Roberta was given the slight hope that she might actually make it. Behind her she heard another scream as the mist obviously caught up with Vanessa, and within a few seconds the metallic air spilled through the trees and came pouring down the slope towards Roberta. The mirror glinted in the glowing light ahead of her, but it was too far away, she'd never make it with the speed that the mist was flowing.

With the glittering vapour lapping at her heels Roberta, with a final urge of strength and quite literally a leap of faith, threw herself off of the ground and towards the mirror. The mist crashed into the bottom of the frame as Roberta's body sailed through the silvery glass and slammed into Mrs Peacock who was waiting anxiously on the other side.

"You made it!" the old woman cried with joy as she and Roberta crashed to the floor, bringing down pots and bottles all around them. Roberta brushed herself down and helped the old lady to her feet. She was beaming with admiration. "I didn't think you were going to get back! When you collapsed in the living room, I thought it was the end. You must hurry Roberta, come quickly."

Leaving the mess behind them, Mrs Peacock pulled Roberta through the curtain and into the living room where she saw that Sam was leaning over her motionless body which was lying on the floor.

"Am I?"

"Oh no dear, you just fainted. Quickly, lie down on top of your body and you'll be immersed back into her. I'll do the same. See you a minute." She smiled with an excited grin.

"Wait, you said it was only safe to talk in this form. I have so many questions."

"We haven't time Roberta, you must get back to yourself."

Mrs Peacock scuttled across the room as fast as her wobbling frame would allow, and dropped down into the plush red armchair. Roberta did the same, creeping over to the body which Sam was still shaking and pleading to wake up. She gently lay down on top of herself, trying to put herself in the same position as the body which was stretched out on the floor. She closed her eyes and waited a few seconds, before reopening them, lifting her arm and seeing that she was intact once again.

"Oh thank God," Sam said as Roberta saw his anxious face hovering above hers, "Are you ok? What happened?" He carefully put a wiry arm around her waist and helped her to her feet.

Roberta glanced over to Mrs Peacock who was also pushing herself up.

"It must be the heat in here," the old lady said in a thin voice. "I'm so sorry. I just get so cold in the winters that I turn my heating up and forget that young souls such as yourselves can find it unbearable."

"Sam, we should go," Roberta said, finding her feet before looking around the room. She noticed that the mantelpiece did indeed hold the Ammokra Arbor, but the casual eye would not necessarily pick it up. The curtain to the room that Mrs Peacock had led her too was also apparent now that she knew it was there, but both items seemed to fade away when surrounded with other everyday objects so that they were almost invisible.

"Shouldn't you rest?" Sam asked, not loosening his hand on her waist. "We can have another cuppa."

"No Sam," Roberta snapped, almost immediately regretting her tone. "I'm sorry, we've taken up enough of Mrs Peacock's time. We should be leaving before the snow's too thick."

"If you're sure," Sam replied as he looked into her eyes and brushed a mop of hair away from his glasses. She felt his hand slide from her waist as he retrieved the large leather book which was on the coffee table. Thanking Mrs Peacock, the pair of them moved towards the door.

"Oh, Roberta..." Mrs Peacock shuffled into the curtained room and returned with a piece of burned parchment in her hand. "Haven't you forgotten something?"

Roberta reached out and placed her hand on the woman's warm fingers as she took the piece of paper. She noticed that there were already blisters forming on the melted skin of her palm and realised that Mrs Peacock's warning was correct; whatever had wounded her on that precipice had also wounded her body here.

Roberta made to move her hand away but the elderly lady gripped her fingers tightly, waiting until Sam had passed through the door before whispering quietly.

"Now dear, you know what you must do?"

"Yes," Roberta replied in just as hushed a tone. "But I read the riddle. It really doesn't seem to help at all. It doesn't explain the path that I'm supposed to take."

Mrs Peacock's eyes flicked about the room before they finally rested upon Roberta's face. "I wish I could help, but I just can't, it's too dangerous for me to cross the boundaries that I'm set. Roberta, just use the riddle and what you saw tonight to get to the gates. You've seen your tree, you know what time you have. Roberta, please make it, please." She ushered Roberta towards the door. "You won't see me again dear, I've done all that I can."

"But what if I need you?" Roberta asked, "You're the only one who knows what's going on? Sam's imagination can only be pushed so far."

"Trust your friends dear, they have a funny way of understanding the most unexplainable of things. I cannot help you anymore for fear of putting myself in danger." She smiled sweetly, her face becoming complacent. "Good bye and good luck dear, I truly hope you make it."

*I will be posting one or two scenes a week as the story builds. However, if you can't wait that long, Inside Evil is available on Amazon, Kobo, B&N, Smashwords and iBooks.

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