Crescent Bound (66 page)

Glaring up toward
the maniacal sky, something is above me, high above in the tree.  I strain my eyes to see upward.  In one of the
thick branches
above is a type of wooden platform. At first, I wonder if it
’
s a floor to an old tree-house, but my gut tells me it
’
s something entirely different.

Taking a step out from under it,
I
let the rain pound down on me. I can
’
t really make out what is on the platform,
and then
the shape becomes more visible.  Sitting on top of the wooden floor high above in the tree is a white, antique, claw footed tub, with blood overflowing from it.

Blood splashing down on me,
o
ut of complete shock I jump backwards locking my gaze on the bathtub, something is in it...a body. 
Its
head tilts back over the tub
’
s edge and an arm flails outward as crimson blood gushes down to the ground below.  I recognize the hair, the unforgettable red hair.  Naomi. Chills creep and embed al
l along my cold, blood drenched
body. 

Standing in the open I realize its not raining... water, its raining... blood.  I want to scream, and run, in that moment I want out.  Out of this mind whacked infesting world.  I
’
m so t
ir
ed of running.  I ache from my muscles into my very bones, and I am covered in blood.  I...
run.

I pass trees and underbrush, all of it has been incinerated.  I sense the gruesome blood storm has come to a stop.  A disturbing silence sweeps around and I no longer hear the roaring thunder or hair raising lightning, but I keep my pace up regardless.  My only thought is,
I don
’
t want to know any
more of her tormenting secrets
.

Being on a constant adrenaline rush, never releasing the fight or flight mode, never ending looks over my shoulder, my mind is about to fray apart as the threads of a rag being ripped. 

I make a hard right around a large redwood tree, pausing a moment to catch my breath.  Just to my right is a severely scorched vanity with a mirror, untouched. 
Must be my lucky day,
I think sarcastically,
something in here intact
.  Movement appears in the mirror and of course I jump and immediately scan the area behind me.  Somehow I know I
’
m more than alive with my heart racing like it is.

Nothing around so I take steps in an almost crouch like position, ready to bolt if I need to.
Out of the darkness I can hear voices, and
it
’
s
not
hers
.  Approaching wearily to the vanity I peer int
o the mirror,
as clear as day I see a beautiful snow covered forest, the trees are blanketed with glorious shimmering ice,
it
’
s
absolutely breathtaking.  

It is a
perfect winter wonderland,
and
then my sight finds the most mesmerizing man in all my life...Marc suddenly steps into the unreal scene in the enchanted forest.  Biting my lower lip nervously gripping the sides of the vanity, I watch in grave apprehension hoping nothing will happen to him.  He passes
through
the frozen woods quickly as if he is following something, or someone.

Chapter 42

Leaning closer, I observe his world from the other side, helplessly.  I hear faint voices.  It feels like watching a movie and the truly sad part is I can
’
t tell what
’
s real and what isn
’
t anymore.
  The voice I hear is my own...
calling out to him.

Marc barrels through trying to follow the beckoning.  One second he
’
s standing by a tree, and I hear her call out and then he shifts instantly to the next tree in seconds, searching.  Naomi is simply toying with
him;
her appearance is exactly identical to my own.  It makes my heart sink for him, wanting nothing more than to be right beside him.

She stands in front of a small lurid enclos
ure, t
he trees and vines tangle, weaving together making an
archway
. S
he looks up at me smiling
her demented
grin.  She knows I
’
m watching, and she
’
s playing us both.  I
’
m shivering hard now.  I wonder if perhaps Marc isn
’
t really here at all.  Maybe
it
’
s
just Naomi trying to crack my sanity.  Closing my eyes to hold back the burning tears I shake the twisting thoughts away and look back into the image.

Naomi uses my voice enchantingly, calling to him, making him come, as he turns and meets her eyes, he shifts to her.  She is quick and in a flicker of a radiant flame she
’
s gone down the unknown archway.

The mirror begins to coat with frost and I wipe it down.  The next view I can see is
a
snow overlaid ground, glistening ice encasing trees which outline a small stone wall area.  The whole picture seem
s so dreamlike.  Marc stands
just a few feet from her, he says something to her
, but
I can’
t hear his words. 

Snow drifts aimlessly by him as he takes another step towards her.  She moves just behind a frozen tree, then from behind the stone wall someone else approaches.  It appears to be David strolling out. My mouth falls open, as I gasp in confusion.  David now
stands
across from Marc leaving an ominous gap between them.  Fear drains into my heart and floods my very soul.

I remember this place, the oblivion pool of death, that
’
s what
in
-
between Marc and David.  My hands begin to shake in anger.  Naomi materializes now, still in the appearance of me, walking
casually
over to David.  Marc starts to yell out to her
, but
she ignores him.  David places his arms around her waist and leans in to kiss her.  She tiptoes up and wraps her arms around his neck, beckoning him.  I realize her intent in that instant.

“
No, no
, no
, no!
”
  I begin screaming and yelling in outrage, hoping Marc can hear me, hear my desperate calls to him.  Marc tenses up, his fists are clenched, and the anger rolls off of him.

I
n a split
second he runs full force towards them.  That
’
s when her precise deceiving plan plays out.  I
’
m still screaming for him to stop, but he can
’
t hear me.  I
’
m only a viewer watching a horrible and vile film.  Shaking the vanity uncontrollably to pieces I watch Marc move like a furious freight train flying off the rail as he charges forward, not seeing the iced over pool below him.  Once his feet graze the thawing, evil-lurking waters, a bloody hand quickly reaches up grabbing both of his legs and jerks him down into the forever abyss.

Marc had no time to even struggle, no time to shift to the other side, he has no chance at all.  We are in Naomi
’
s sick, deranged, mirror land and nobody
’
s going to walk away alive from here.  Naomi switches back to her true self, blowing a kiss to the fake David as his image fades completely out of sight. Turning b
ack to me in a swift and chirpy
expression
she waves her hand in a goodbye manner.  I understand her message without any words, it is my turn now.

My fists slam harder and harder, left, then a furious right swinging into the mirror with absolutely no effect, but I rip the drawers out of the vanity, smashing, and kicking them.  I
’
m shaking, not in fear, but in pure white rage, screamin
g up to the hideous night,
“
Why…
WHY
,
w
hy Marc, when she h
as me here to do as she pleases?”
 
Why isn
’
t it enough
?
  The vanity lays scattered into broken bits and pieces all around me.  I
’
m finally able to rip off the vanity mirror and throw it as far as I possibly can
off
into the woods.  Collapsing down to my knees, and burying my face in my slovenly, blood-stained hands I let the tears consume me.

Left with only the anguish of losing him, I
’
m lost in total despair.  My elements are stripped from me and unable to shift, I have no way of saving him even if I were able to reach him somehow.  I have become utterly useless with no idea of how to even save myself.  All my magick is drained, but yet Naomi still possesses her own, in the worst ways possible.
Leaning back
against a redwood tree, I begin rocking myself as I wait for her to come.  We are both imprisoned in her insane world, Naomi
’
s world, from burning down bridges, twisting nursery rhymes, incinerating cars, to the land of mirrors and even drenched in a raining bloodstorm.  The last tether of string unravels as I lose my own sanity, and without Marc...I no longer feel the will to go on.

Rocking back and forth in a steady rhythm I soon feel the need for sleep crawl into me.  Closing my eyes to the insane riddling forest I leave my cares to the silent darkness.

Stretching out I hear the rustling of the dried leaves beneath me, sitting up, groaning from absolute discomfort.  I can
’
t seem to comprehend if I am asleep or in some trance state when I rest.  Am I in a nightmare within a nightmare, layered continually, that I no longer know where one begins or where one ends?  As I sit there questioning my thoughts something scurries about directly in front
of
me.

White and tiny, my eyes
squint
for a better view, half of me with fear and the other curious to what creature would be lured here.  It races madly about from one tree to the
next;
it doesn
’
t sound human or as a witch would travel across the forest floor.

My conclusion
comes;
it
’
s
some type of animal, small rustling noises from the old dead leaves move about.  Then it stops, utter silence shortly follows, then suddenly a flash of white soars by, behind another tree.  I wonder what kind of animal will be out here romping around as if it has no cares. Unless it
’
s mad and diabolical just like Naomi, perhaps it was once an experimental pet.

Watching around the tree, I stare at a pair of beaming eyes peering back out to me.  They are cat eyes.  A pure white cat paces a few steps away and turns its back as if
it
’
s waiting for me to get up.

Standing up, I move towards the cat, but before I can reach down to touch its white illumining fur it runs off.  I
roll my eyes at myself as I chase
after the cat, with no inclinations of where or why I
’
m following.  Since I use to run in my other life I remember how to tell my distance, I figure we
’
re about at a two mile point when we make a sharp turn and stop.  The forest is more alive and brighter here, glancing up to see the beautiful full moon shining down upon us.  I can almost feel the radiance of energy pour into me.  Quickly turning around, I trail behind the white cat to an enormous ash tree.
             

I
’
m standing in front of the tree, admiring something so lush which I never thought I could ever find here.  The cat pauses for a moment and sits down on its hunches staring up at me.

A brilliant white light flashes, instantly covering my eyes.  I
’
m motionless, waiting for something evil to come and devour me.  That
’
s not what
happens;
a cajoling voice rings in my ears. Uncovering my eyes I see a male with yellow skin and slanted dark eyes, h
e
’
s not much taller than I am.

He is wearing an immaculate white robe, and barefoot.  Somehow I know deep down and understand clearly that he is the cat that brought me here. 
And
h
ere
feels safer than another part of the forest, I
’
m not quite sure how he found me or even why, but either way I am smiling inside to finally have a second or two, of insurmountable peace.