wm1

Widow Maker
from the lonely travels of eponoko.

"You think living would be less complicated after you die, not if you are me."

She heard the voice ,saw the smile a reflection in a puddle of moon light.The eyes large and bright as they always were winked as the wind picked up scattering the stars in tiny clusters across the wet pavement. Another night in hell she sighed as the door clicked behind her.lightning split the sky in two,the pigeons on the roof took flight circled the parking lot and returned to roost chased by the rool of thunder in the distance.
   She sees him more often now.The man she thought she loved, Erik ,dark haired fair skined tall and hansome with "a smile that could melt the ice caps" they joked.Three years.She knew they were there befiore she felt them,the hot tears cutting a path down her chilled cheeks.
"save your tears for when i die.I hate seing you cry love."
She turned and stared deeply into the debths of her back seat.She didnt expect to see him there but she knew he would be.That reflection of him from a time he used to be.She started the car ignoring the ghost behind her.Her hands so used to the rutine guided the car through the tiny streets of Tendsdell. She was heading for the mountains.
   "where do we go when we die ?" he asked from the back seat .She smilled remembering the conversation.
"to hel and back " had been her clever reply as they pulled into the long spiraling drive of Helscate Estate.He smiled and laughed at her sinister jokenot realising the truth behind her words.
The old house had lots of secrets many common knowledge like,hidden doors and passage ways between the walls that led to empty chambers.Or the fact that the Widow Helscates body was never laid to rest but still sits in the place of honor at her private dinner table.Such things were unheard of in Tendsdell but this was Hels and Nai 'edine inherited it. Erik moved in with her after graduation.It was lonely in the big house ,espacially after the house servants left.And even worst when the summer guests fled claiming a corpse was in their rooms.
The strom finaly broke dropping bullet sized rain drops into Nai's windshield.It was slow going up the path into the flooded drive,but at least it was something to get her mind off the memory of erik for a while at least.

She rounded the bend at the Pitmenn estate one dull light shone from behind the hedges.So far away it seemed.
the shoulder of the highway dipped and turned once more .

"five thousand miles .my own true love..." Eriks voice floated from the backseat angelicly.

She felt the burn again.Her heart swelled as he sang on. The rain picked up and pounded down on the car trying to break in and chill her.She reached down into her purse for a tissue.None.He sang on his voice rising and swelling along withthe painb in her heart .She couldnt take it.She couldnt bear the painany more!

"What the hell do you want from me !" she bellowed into the night.Slamming her hands into the steering wheel she blastedfoff a note on her horn ,it sounded weak and insignicant in the beat of the rain.The back seat was empty sept for the last notes of the haunting song. Sobbing ,Nai struggled to regain control of her self as well as the car which slid ont he sleet covered roads. She lpeered through the wind blown rain pouring in torents over the windshield.She couldnt see where she was.Terrified she tried to break but there was no traction to stop her, far below the Blaeston river rushed on into the sea.

     Nai awoke in pitch darkness screaming in her nightmares.A warm arm closed around her in the bed a voice al to familiar whisper in her ear.
"hush honey there is nothing to worry about.We are safe.They will not find us here "

As the words were spoken she was over taken by a strong wave of heart ache and frustration.She fought against the voice in the sheets kicking wildly she volted from the bed and crashed head long into a wall which shuddered with the impact.Suddenly the voice was above her hissing at her to be quite .A hand over her mouth .Flailing she lashed out with tooth and nail fighting against her assailiant.
"Eponoke! stop or we shall be found out !" the mans voice demanded in a harshed whisper.sprawing with spittle in hiis frustration.
She stopped fighting as she heard the loud harsh voices from outside.They came from the left ,behind her .the right then suddenly a loud resounding boom was heard ten screaming and crashings from outside their shelter brought her trimbling to her feet.
A flash of red light illuminated the room for an instant then faded out then another closer to her face showed her who it was standing before her.She knew shebwas crying but didnt care she reached out towards the light and warmth of him.Erick embrased her for one lfinal time before lifting a hatch in the wallbehind then.Pressing a lantern into her hand he ushered her into the hole in the wall .
"follow the passage way to the river run all night until you reach the three sisters.dont look back!"
with that he shut the latch and sealed her in the darkness with her unlit lantern and a large sulpher match.

a smal shaft of light reached her from a crack in the wood wall.she knew he had opened the door ,she heard his voice then that of another harsher angry evil.She presssed her facr to the boards an strainedto see the man in the darkness.Ericks body was between the man and her hiding place but she could se the profile of the other manas he turned sword in hand .Erick s own sword was drawn but sahe knew he would be no match for this man with the devils eyes and the mark of satan across the left side of his face.

   She heard the clashing of swords the slight tinkle of broken shards as Ericks sword was shattered by the other mans more powerful blade.The sickening swack as the man hacked away at her man. Nai turned in the passageway and crawled forward in the darkness to afraid to light the lamp.

Nai could feel the lightness of water in tthe air as she mover further away from the sounds of death.The passage angled down and she slid head first into darkness.She could feel the moisture around her as she fell.She could see slight vegatation in the darkness and she landed sideways in the mudd on the bank of a river.
She stood int the muck cold and confused.Her head working a million thoughts a minuet .The moon began to rise over the forest and she ould see the reflection in the water.
Cold and afraid she began to walk towards the moon.following it until she couldnt go any further,Then she sat and lit the lamp she carried.The forest was darker than before.Her one beacon seemed to call to every preadetor in the world she heard voices foot steps snarls.A sweet sad song carried by the wind.She didnt know she was running until she stopped. before her in the gloom of early morning was mounted figure.The steed pounded a hoof against the dewy turf and whined in her direction.The figure dismounted and strode towards her his chainmail rattling all the way.She could see the blood stains on his soiled linen garments.The hilt of his sword proturded from beneath his cloak.
   She turned to run but he was already apon her snatching her long thick hair and spinning her around to face him.He was large ,she barely reached his shoulders.But she thrashed trying to escape his grasp but he held her firmly against his heaving chest and squesed. She could feel the darkness closing in.
He through her limp body across his hores mounted behind her and rode off.
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