All the Wicked Things

Chapter 6

The sun beamed through the window and onto my face. For a moment I thought I was back in my room in the Thurgood home, but I quickly gained my bearing when I lifted my arm that was still chained to the pole—another night of wishful thinking.

Thankfully, Elric was gone again before I woke. The only sign of life I saw all day was the little Wood Nymph that brought in my food, never speaking, only curtsying and smiling. I told myself I'd ask her name next time.

I wasted the day away looking through Constant's journal, hoping and praying I would find something that would help me locate the compass rose again and get me back home. I felt fairly certain I could find it if only I had a reference for the Revenant's territory. But page after page, I only found more disparaging notes about the 'monsters' that lived in the woods—their weaknesses and strengths, and the wicked deeds they supposedly committed against humans. I'd been in the company of these so-called monsters for two days now, and so far, no one had tried to drink my blood or make a stew with my intestines. While I wasn't completely convinced of their innocence, I wasn't consumed with finding them guilty either. They either were or they weren't as far as I was concerned, and I imagined their true nature would reveal itself in time.

But the day drug on in a tediously slow manner as I contemplated all that was and was not to be. At one point I was so bored I took a nap. I hadn't taken a nap since kindergarten. My only company the entire day was the Wood Nymph, who did finally return with lunch and dinner. When she came back in to bring dinner, a couple pieces of ham and some potatoes, I meant to ask her name, but she was much quicker than I was and darted out the door before I could protest.

The sun had set and I wondered if Elric would come back at all. I hoped he wouldn't, the arrogant jerk. His room was much more inviting without him in it. Though, I admit, I was a little starved for conversation. It was an oddity for me, seeing as how I enjoyed the silence or at least was used to it, but that isolation was usually through my own volition. This—this was a prison, and I was in solitary. I grabbed the blanket and pillow off the couch and curled up onto the floor. Maybe tonight my sleep wouldn't be so restless.

Sometime in the middle of the night I awoke. Someone or something was in here with me. The room was dark, but I could hear someone banging around, running into the walls and hitting furniture. I heard the snap of fingers and on command the candles in the room lit themselves and revealed Elric, leaning against the long dresser. His battle leathers were torn to shreds and he was covered in blood. He appeared weak and badly wounded.

"What happened to you?" I asked, genuinely concerned.

"It's just a scratch," he managed to say, but he winced at the pain of speaking.

"Of course, a scratch," the sarcasm oozing from my words. "Release me," I said holding up my arm, "I can help."

"You? Help me?"

"I'm serious," I said, reiterating my demand by holding up the chain again. "I used to take care of my mother after she had—she had a tragic accident. I helped change her bandages and care for her wounds. I-I could do the same for you."

After a long period of silence and him eyeing me up and down, trying to gage whether or not I was telling the truth, he said, "Alright, but don't try anything."

A challenge.

He lifted his finger and the cuff fell from my hand; instinctively, I rubbed my wrist and looked at him.

"I need a needle and thread," I said to him as I walked into the bathroom to collect a damp cloth and some bandages. Surprisingly, all the materials I needed were in the cupboard and I wondered if there was some magic in this room, in this castle that I didn't understand.