Without A Heartbeat

It was dark and Scarlett was afraid.

The stench of rot was all around her; it forced its way into her nose and mouth. Every breath she took made her retch. Her head throbbed; she placed a hand to the back of her skull and groaned as she felt a lump the size of an egg. All around her was cold, stagnant water that reached right up to her waist. She tried to shift her position, but a shooting pain from her right ankle told her it was broken. I must have landed on it when he threw me in here. It was a miracle that she was still alive.

Biting her lip against the pain, she moved backwards through the water, dragging her wounded leg. Stretching out her arms, she felt around, trying to gain her bearings. Her hands touched damp walls, cold and slick with mildew. The sides were curved and it didn’t take Scarlett long to work out where she was; a realisation that pushed her towards hysteria.

I’m at the bottom of an abandoned well.

She didn’t have any idea of how long she had been in there. If the lump on the back of her head was any indicator, she had likely been unconscious for some time. All she knew for certain was that it was the middle of the night. Living in the countryside most of her life had given her a good appreciation for natural light and darkness. For as long as she could remember she had been able to mark the time simply by the length of the shadows or the thickness of the dark around her. There was no point in trying to climb out – at least not while it was still night. It would be more likely that she would break her neck during the attempt. So instead she called for help. She called as loudly as her lungs would allow.

No one came to rescue her.

After an hour of desperate screams, Scarlett stopped, her throat red raw and hoarse. Only then did she allow herself to cry, and only for a few minutes. Once she had calmed, she did the next best thing she could – she tried to make herself comfortable. She tore off a piece of her apron and tied it around her wounded ankle – the support made it a little easier to put pressure on it. Then she felt about until she discovered a lip built into the wall. She found that if she sat sideways and drew the knee of her good leg up to her chin, she could just about fit. Resting her head against the dank wall she closed her eyes and even though she shivered uncontrollably through cold and fear, she was surprised to feel sleep descend on her.

A halo of light poured down over Scarlett. She opened her eyes slowly, adjusting to her surroundings and with a sinking heart, remembered where she was.

“Hello, my sweet girl.”

A horrified gasp escaped her throat. The demon was inside the well with her. He stood up to his thighs in putrid water, a charred hand resting against the wall and a longing expression etched on his terribly wounded face. In the light of the morning, it was evident just how much damage her attack had caused. Much of the right side of his face was charred black, and part of his lower lip was missing. However, Scarlett could also see that patches of pink skin had appeared and were beginning to web themselves over the blackened patches. How can he be healing already? The demon stumbled forward a few steps, leaving a smear of blood and blackened skin on the wall of the well.

“I hope I didn’t startle you my dear, I was enjoying watching you sleep. You seemed so peaceful…like a lamb.” He glanced at her wounded leg and hung his head in shame. “I can only imagine that was my doing. Please accept my sincerest apologies. I was under a great deal of pressure and did not have much time to think through my actions.”

Scarlett drew into herself, trying to put as much distance between her and the demon as the walls would allow. “Who are you?” she asked.

“My name is not important. I am but a humble cog in a larger machine. One who was distracted from my divine mission by your innocence and beauty.” He gave a bow. “Although I am often referred to by those I take as the Silver-Eyed Man.”

“What are you?”

The Silver-Eyed Man gave a nod. “A better question my sweet girl, but not one for now. Once we are finished here, I shall return in three days to collect you and will be honoured to answer any questions you might have.” He paused. “If you have survived that is…which I pray you will.”

If I have survived? Scarlett swallowed, her throat feeling like it was coated in sand. “What do you mean to do to me?”

The Silver-Eyed Man moved towards her with speed, sending water sloshing around his legs and up the mildew coated walls. Scarlett tried to back away but there was nowhere to go. He placed a hand at the side of her face and she flinched at his touch. Taking a handful of her locks, he let each strand slide between his fingers. She could feel bits of his burned skin flaking off and clinging to her hair. “I already told you. I desire to give you the power to stop that evil man from hurting you.” His voice was soft, almost caring. “There is another reason, however, I do not feel you are ready to understand it yet.” He sighed. “I take no enjoyment in what I am about to do, although I must admit my actions are also somewhat selfish. In my efforts to avoid detection, I have neglected to drink for several days.” His eyes flashed with carnal desire. “I must take communion from you.”

Communion? It took Scarlett a moment to understand what he meant. Oh my god, he’s going to drink my blood. Scarlett grabbed the cross on her neck and held it out towards him. “Get away from me!” she growled. The Silver-Eyed Man looked amused. He leaned forward and stroked a finger down the cross. “A very pretty trinket, although God does not hide in such paltry things.” Scarlett let her arm drop to her side as the last remnants of hope and faith fade.

The demon stepped forward and let his gums slide backwards over his teeth. Two incisors slipped down, glinting with saliva. He looked into Scarlett’s eyes and held her gaze.

“The pain is the crucible. Through the rite of fire you shall be reborn anew.”

Before she could react, he was upon her, encircling her body within his deadly embrace. Scarlett felt a sensation akin to a searing poker ripping through the flesh of her neck. It was followed by a wave of numbness - a deliciously cool pain that bordered on pleasure. A chill swept through her body, seeming to wrap itself around all of her organs and she let out a low moan as her body convulsed in a series of orgasmic waves. Her lungs constricted and her shallow breathing was accompanied by the sensation of inhaling ice vapour.

Then the real pain started.

It was a second wave that swept over the first, blanketing the pleasure. It rushed through her body, igniting every inch in a sea of flames. It was like someone had poured hot fat into her veins. She wanted to cry out, but her body was no longer her own. It belonged to the Silver-Eyed Man. She was his puppet and he would play with her until he was done. Only when this realisation dawned on her, did she allow herself to be fully consumed by the pain. Scarlett let her grip go slack and her arms dropped to her sides. She could feel the blood pumping from her system as he stole from her.

I’m dying!

Scarlett knew this as certainly as she knew her own name. She had been spared death at Master Clarke’s hands only to die in a forgotten well where no one would ever find her. She wanted to cry, but the time for tears was over. There was nothing left to do except accept death, it was the only remaining option. Scarlett’s eyes rolled up into the back of her head as deadly venom seeped into her body, replacing the blood he stole.

And then he was gone.

She felt him slip away like a shadow. The absence of his presence was palpable like the stalling of her troubled heartbeat. Scarlett tried to move, to speak, but her body would not respond. She had become a cocoon – a static creature waiting to be transformed.

Darkness spilled in from the edges and everything faded to black.

Scarlett opened her eyes.

She lay naked in the foetal position, framed by a ring of light within a sea of darkness. Creatures stared from within the shadows that surrounded her. Creatures whose forms shifted like oil. Creatures with acid for claws and fire for mouths. They circled her…waiting.

She stood up, and then she saw them for the first time.

Screaming with the hysterical fear of one who knows death is near, she ran. She ran as fast as she could, rushing through a gap in the darkness and away from the threat.

It made no difference.

Everywhere she ran led her back to the same spot. A circle of flaming light in a sea of blackness. With the prowling creatures.

When they finally struck, they attacked with hideous howls, ripping and gnawing at her flesh with ceaseless energy. The pain was unlike anything Scarlett had ever felt. It hit like a tidal wave and grew by the second. It didn’t lull. It didn’t give her a moment’s respite. It grew and grew, as the creatures tore her open and filled her with fire.

No stop! Oh God please stop!

They injected flaming acid into her veins. It ran through her body scorching every inch of her.

God save me from this agony, I beg of you!

Her innards were wrenched out - a mass of scorched rope. They burst into flames and disintegrated into dust. She watched as her organs slipped over the sides of her open chest into the waiting, hungry mouths of the shifting beasts.

PLLLEEEAASSSEE!

Her screams were beyond anything human. They tore at the black skies above, as she once more prayed for her God to come and save her. For anyone to come.

THIS HELL. I’M IN HELL, I’M IN HELL. HEAVENLY FATHER, I’M SORRY I RENOUNCED YOU. PLEASE FORGIVE ME. PLEASE GRANT ME SALVATION FROM THIS TORTURE.

Scarlett’s agony lasted for an eternity. Every part of her body was being consumed in a torrent of burning hellfire. The only consolation came when eventually the beasts slowed.

There was barely anything left for them to feed on.

Black ink poured into her vision and her mind began to waver. One of the beasts moved around to her face, muzzle dripping searing hot flames onto her cheek. It opened its jaws wide and bore down on her.

Yes, thank you. Oh God, thank you.

She closed her eyes and waited for oblivion…

…Scarlett opened her eyes.

She lay naked in a foetal position, bathed in the glow from a ring of light. The horizon in all directions sank into a sea of darkness. Creatures glared from within the blackness that surrounded her. Creatures whose shapes morphed and shifted like liquid. Creatures with acid for claws and fire for mouths.

They circled her…waiting.