Enclose Me

Chapter - 4

Gretchen let out a frustrated scream before running back down the steps. She stood before me, her slim figure hunched with stress. “Glorie, talk to me. Tell me what you see. What you feel. I need to know everything. Right now!” her voice was shaky and weak. Was she on the verge of a breakdown?

“I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Were you upstairs last night?”

“No,” I whispered. “I wasn’t.”

“If that is the truth then where did this come from,” she asked, motioning to a silver knife.

“I didn’t. I’ve never… I wouldn’t. Gretchen, you have to believe me. Doctor Iniquity came here last night after you left. He forced me to look in the mirror, he demanded I help him.”

“Demanded you do what, exactly?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“I’m getting tired of this, Glorie. You can’t or you won’t?”

“I can’t tell you, because I don’t know. He was very vague. He only told me that I was the only person that could help him.”

“Get up. I want to show you something. Come.”

Gretchen started toward the stairs.

“No. I can’t.” Fear boiled inside me. How could she even think I could leave the basement? I felt glued to the wall.

“Get up. Now! There is something you need to see,” she sighed, loudly almost exasperated.

Shaking my head, I could feel tears streak down my cheeks. “Glorie, I know you can do it. Stand up, slide your body along the wall as you go.”

“I’m not sure…”

“Come on, now. You need to see this. It’s important.”

With shaky legs I started to stand. Loud sobs bellowed from my frozen lips until I felt Gretchen’s hand clasping mine, spreading warmth through my body.

“I’m here for you,” she whispered.

The kitchen was brightly lit, sun scattered around the room. I squinted, allowing my eyes to adjust. Gretchen grabbed a chair and sat it against the wall. “Sit,” she ordered. Hesitantly, I lowered myself down. “I’ll be right back. You’ll be okay here. I’ll just be a second, okay.”

She walked away, looking back several times. Worry and fear masked her face. Was her expression meant to ease my fear? I sat there knees knocking loudly against each other, while my breath huffed out in exhausted waves. My eyes were so blurry, I could hardly see. There were too many tears clouding my vision. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, desperately trying to calm myself. It was no use. When I opened my eyes panic rushed through my body.

Dr. Iniquity’s eyes bored into mine. An evil, sinister smile spread across his features. He looked like the devil. He raised his right hand motioning for me to follow him. Shaking my head, I forced my body tighter to the chair, and prayed for the basement to appear around me. I needed my wall. He pressed a long bony finger to his blood red lips, signaling my silence. His words screamed through my head. I studied his face as his words ate through me. He repeated “This is our secret, Glorie. You mustn’t tell that vile Gretchen anything. She’ll never understand. She’s evil. Do not trust her…” I focused on Gretchen’s name. Her face lingered in my mind the longer I thought of her. I saw her drenched in blood. It rolled down her chin. Her eyes were pools of blackened abysses.

“Listen to me, Glorie. Gretchen is only to hurt you. Find your way to the basement. You need to get out of here RIGHT NOW!” His rusted voice splintered inside my head. It pressed against my skull, threatening to break through.

“Glorie,” Gretchen called from the other room. The need to escape overcame me, and I started to stand. “That’s right, my dear. She can’t hurt you if you’re in the cellar. Go… NOW!!”

I flung myself down the stairwell. With clumsy legs, I tumbled down, landing in a crumpled mess at the bottom of the stairs. Behind me Gretchen’s heels clacked on the first step. I scrambled to the wall, scarping my knee on the cement.

“Glorie, my God. What are you doing?”

“Stay away from me,” I cried.

She started toward me, “It’s okay, Glorie. Let me help you.”

“Don’t come any closer.”

“What happened, Glorie? You were just fine a second ago. Did something happen while I was in the other room?”

“No,” I stuttered.

“Are you being honest? You know I can’t help you if you aren’t truthful.”

“Tell her to leave,” Dr. Iniquity spoke slowly, controlled, and calmly.

Hesitation slurred my words, “Nothing… nothing happened. Please leave, Gretchen. I’m not in the mood for you to be here.”

“Glorie…”

“Get out of here,” I screamed, anger boiling through me.

“Calm down… please!” Pools of tears fell from her tired eyes.

“Leave. Right. Now.”

“I don’t think I should leave you here alone, right now.”

“Just go,” I spat.

Gretchen’s face fell. A look of sadness crossed her soft ragged features. Her hair fell over eyes, conveniently covering a crystal tear trailing down her face. Momentarily, I felt ashamed. It was a terrible feeling that lasted but a second.

A slow sob escaped her quivering lips, and anger burned through me. Hatred gnawed inside me. My body was tight. Demons surrounded me, engulfing me in fire. I could hear Gretchen’s hoarse scream, “Glorie…” Her words trailed after me.

***

The air was crisp. A slight breeze swirled across the yard making its way toward me. Limp as a ragdoll, my body collapsed to the sparse grass covered ground. It had been years since I’d been outside. With hellfire burning through me and fear was miles away, I was invincible. Nothing could hurt me. I loved this new feeling, I felt emancipated, exhilarated, but mostly I felt free.

Far away I could hear Gretchen’s cries. She screamed my name over and over. A thick mist bellowed to life before me, Dr. Iniquity stepped from the cloud of murky fog, and made his way toward me. There was a cruel smile distorting his aged features. Fire sparked from his fingertips as he reached for me. He wrapped his thin talon-like hands around my arms and carried me into the lung crushing smog.

“Hold on, dear Glorie,” Dr. Iniquity whispered.

Tortured screams scattered among the wind and were nearly drowned out by the fire coursing around my body. It took several long seconds before I realized the retched screams were coming from me.

I tried to shield my eyes from the flames clawing at my face, but I couldn’t move. Dr. Iniquity’s laughter rang through my ears. “Embrace it, Glorie. There is nothing you can do now.”

“Glorie,” Gretchen screamed, desperately. Her voice so small echoed around me.

I tried to talk, to call out to her. But the fire had consumed my lips. “It won’t be long now, Glorie.”

“Hold on!” Gretchen called out.

“There is nothing you can do for her, Gretchen,” he spat. His words were like poison.

Darkness crept from the far edges of my mind, slowly taking me over. Two heartbeats passed before I was no longer anything. I was nothing. I was a silver gossamer shimmer floating His wicked laughter reverberated through me.

A bright light pierced my eyes; my heart beat so rapidly I couldn’t breathe. Pain erupted inside me, it felt as if my blood was being pulled from my veins and the life sucked away.