The Escapist (22 page)

“The stench of Edmund!  He grows worse with every moment and I fear it will not be long before the others are corrupted.  We followed him along the tracks and now the path of his decay is showing again so we must be getting close.” Vergil explained.

“But why come all this way?  Why not just corrupt them at the Institute or in the town?” Oscar asked.

“I think this is where Edmund came from, this is the start of his own transformation to a Maere and he gets stronger revisiting this place.  He wishes to take others along a similar path.  Once their mind and souls are fully disengaged he can he poison them to become like him.”

“But time is running short” Vergil continued urgently.  “I fear some of them may have started to turn already.  We...” He looked down at the winged cat. “We sensed your coming, so I have scouted ahead.  The path is quite long though and it will be difficult.  Are you up to the challenge?” The rat looked at Oscar solemnly but the twinkle in his eye betrayed the relish with which he contemplated the new adventure.  Oscar smiled slowly.

“I’ll give it a go.”

United again as a three, Oscar, Vergil and Josie pushed on through the cemetery.  Weaving in and out of the headstones and mourning statues, they followed the freshly decayed path left by the black beast that was Edmund’s Itse.  But just as they were reaching the edge of the cemetery, Oscar heard a voice calling from afar

“You boy!  Yes, you.  Are you lost?” Oscar turned around in surprise, peering in the direction of the sound.  Just beyond the wall which encircled the cemetery, three strangers stood; a man, a woman and a child.  Yet strangely none of them had anything remarkable about them to suggest they were Itse.  They looked to all intents and purposes like ordinary people from Oscar's world.  They walked over, staring at Oscar searchingly as they grew closer. 

“He's not from the village, Tomas.” The woman said, huddling closer to the man.

“And why are the animals with him?” A young boy’s voice piped up.

“Never mind that, maybe some of the creatures took a liking to him.  The main thing is that he is one of us.  I mean, look how ordinary he is.”  The man replied.  It seemed his thoughts had echoed Oscar's own assessment of the company.  Oscar looked to Vergil questioningly and the rat obligingly whispered into his ear by way of explanation.

“They are minds whose bodies have passed.  But –for whatever reason- they had broken their connection with their Itse before death.  Without this link they are cursed to wander Etiainheim in search of them.  Of course, the horrors of war will do that to a person.  Sometimes it is easier to disconnect than to face such harsh realities.” Vergil paused in contemplation. “On a side note however, I have a theory that they are the cause of the ghosts encountered in Singeard.  You see, when they interact with an Itse it causes...”

“Shh. They’ll hear.” Oscar interrupted, keeping his voice low.  The three strangers had now reached their party.

“Young man, are you okay?” The skinny, middle aged man asked him in concern. Oscar nodded in confirmation.

“Yes, thank you Sir, but can I help you?”

“Ah, well I suppose…”   The man was quite taken back by the boy's nonchalance.  “Well.  Perhaps if you happen to know where we are?  One night I went to my bed as usual and yet the next day I somehow woke up here.  I thought for a while I was dreaming but.”  He trailed off, gazing around in disbelief.  After a moment he seemed to notice his company and continued.  “The other two,” he gestured to the woman and child. “had similar experiences.  They just showed up here.  This place seems familiar but it's nowhere any of us have ever visited.”

“And it's strange.” The woman added from her hiding place behind the man.  She seemed permanently on edge, clearly worried to approach anything or anyone in these strange surroundings.

The conversation stalled for a moment, at which point Vergil took the opportunity to speak aloud.  Upon seeing the rat speak, the three people jumped back slightly, clearly shocked.

“Unfortunately, you are dead.  Presumably some incident occurred during the night which ended your life.  I am truly sorry.”

“Those creatures, they can talk.” The little boy whispered to the woman, not taking on the full implication of what had been said.  But the woman ignored him, turning more boldly now to Vergil.

“You mean, this is it?  This is the afterlife?” she asked despairingly.

“Not quite.  And yes, in answer to the young lad’s comment, I can talk.  But most of the creatures here can’t -at least not to you.  This is a world of the souls, a mirror to your own.  When you die your presences in each world come together.  However, unfortunately your souls are lost so you have not been able to meet with them and go on.  If you want peace then you will have to find them, otherwise you will wander here forever.  I realise this is hard to hear, but it is the truth.”

The boy cried out at this, looking concerned and the woman began to weep.  They hugged each other, seeking comfort in their shared plight but the man took a step forwards, looking angry. 

“So we are dead then?”
he said, expressions of shock and disbelief competing on his face.  When he spoke again, his tone was earnest, almost pleading. “Well, where can I find my soul?  Tell me.  You can’t just leave me like this.  Please help me, I can’t wander here forever.  Please…”

“I do not know.” Vergil sighed, looking at the man with pity.  “You can only search and even then you may not find it.  I sincerely hope that is not your fate, for I would not wish it on anyone.  Come on Oscar, we must go.  There is little we can do for these people.  Again I am sorry.”  With a nod at the man, the rat leapt from Oscar’s shoulder and made to leave.   The three strangers stared after him in disbelief, the enormity of their situation slowly dawning on them.

“Vergil, wait a moment.” Oscar said as he turned back to the man. “Sir I'm sorry for your pain, I’m sorry we can’t help more.  But, if you ever feel an ache inside that won't relent, pay attention - no matter how tiny it feels.  Try to head towards it, so that it wanes.  Maybe that might help you find your soul.”  The man looked up through glassy despairing eyes, slowly nodding in recognition of the little assistance that was being offered.  Having said his piece Oscar finally turned away and they left the three strangers standing shell-shocked amongst the cemetery graves.  Only once they had left the hanging gloom of the church grounds did Vergil turn to Oscar, a searching look in his eyes.

“Oscar, from what you just said, well, I must conclude you have discovered something, have you not?” Vergil looked quizzically at the boy, a slight sadness flitting briefly across his face.

“Well I err... I found my soul.” Oscar replied, cautious as to how Vergil might react.  After all, the rat had previously warned him against doing such a thing.  But his fears were unfounded for the rat now beamed at him.

“I thought you might. When we spoke before, I saw the curiosity burning in your eyes, a curiosity common among young men that is hard to quench.  Somehow I did not think you would be able to heed my advice” The rat smiled, before continuing.  “Though didn’t it seem rather convenient that your friend Piggy had found your soul, and even knew which way Edmund had headed?”  The rat was positively radiating an air of smugness now and Oscar stared at him incredulously.

“Did you, how could you know?” Oscar said, before bursting into bemused laughter.

“Well, that is neither here nor there.  Either way, the fact that you and your soul are now united means it was a successful strategy that unfolded – naturally or otherwise.  Well, do I have to beg?  Do make with the introductions!”

Obligingly, Oscar removed the key from his pocket and placed it on the ground.  In a series of intricate transformation, the key unfolded; layer upon layer of metal sliding into place to construct the mechanical boy, a younger version of Oscar himself.  He wanted to reach out to the boy but resisted, instead watching as his Itse circled curiously around Vergil before moving off towards the cat.  It was funny to watch the two Itse interact, a fitting reflection of their experiences in the real world: the cat flying eagerly around in an excited blur whilst the mechanical boy strolled casually after her, exploring the surroundings.

“I imagine it is hard to resist?”  Vergil said, in an unexpectedly serious tone. “You certainly have a strong character, not to succumb to the easy option.  Thank you for staying.”

“Yes, it was hard, it still is.  But I don't think my soul would let me pass either way.”

“Well, hopefully we will be stronger for having it.”  Vergil said.  “But we cannot linger and play all day, we should get going!” 

Nodding in agreement, Oscar retrieved his soul.  The Itse folded back to its key form intuitively and the now familiar sense of relief and security washed over Oscar as he tucked it into his pocket once again.

Chapter 20

The three pressed on once again, following Vergil's nose and the decayed path.  The world around them grew colder and darker until it was difficult to distinguish night from day and everything lingered in a twilight haze.  The ground had begun to lose its colour and vitality altogether, their surroundings a fusion of faded shades that approached a dreary monochrome.  It even became difficult to tell whether the path of decay was a result of Edmund’s passage or just the deteriorating environment, but Vergil reassured them by forging ahead.

As he walked, Oscar could not help but notice the strange formation of some of the clouds layered high up above them.  The bottom layer was nothing out of the ordinary, being grey misted clouds of the usual type.  However, where these parted he could see beyond them to hazy patches of mist, too far out of view to distinguish more clearly.  What caught his eye was their movement; they shifted unceasingly, too fast to be purely at the mercy of the winds and each in different directions.  There were tens, perhaps hundreds, of distant blurs all drifting and spiralling up far beyond the clouds.

“Vergil, those clouds…why do they move like that?” The boy enquired pointing towards the stream of distant mist.

“They are not clouds, Oscar.  No, I believe they are those who have passed; souls and minds together exiting this world.”

“But there are so many.” said Oscar, in disbelief.

“Alas, such are the casualties of war.  Why do you think the land is so polluted?  I once strayed close to this way, many years ago.  Little has changed.  Borders shift, but that is all.  The cause will not be won or lost and all who suffer will not be given the chance to rise above it.  It hangs in the balance, never ending, never prompting decisive action and never allowing anything to change.  It will all stagnate if they believe there is nothing worth fighting for.”  The rat winced slightly, and in that rare moment of vulnerability the figure of a young soldier flickered into existence in the very spot where Vergil had stood, embedding itself clearly in Oscar’s brain.  Oscar stared, perplexed, for in a moment it was gone and the rat stood once again before him as though he had noticed nothing out of the ordinary. 

“What is it Oscar?” the rat asked sharply, but the boy just shook his head.  Now was not the time, even if he could believe his eyes. 

“Let’s keep going then.”  Vergil said briskly.

They continued to hike, trekking laboriously through innumerable fields of boggy marshland.  Small, coloured orbs hung in the air all around, the souls of the creatures in Singeard.  Oscar trudged along with Vergil, taking the opportunity to fill him in on the events that had occurred in his absence.  He skirted briefly over his escape from the Institute and the assistance he had received from Tapie, before broaching the subject of their last confrontation with the Maere; specifically, the shadowed silhouette he had glimpsed through Edmund’s eyes during their fight.  Vergil frowned, gazing in to the distance for several long moments before he spoke.

“I believe Tapie is right, there are much older, darker Maere in this world.  They roam unceasingly, never satiated and forever searching to devour other souls.  In contacting Edmund, you may have seen past the Maere’s defences to catch a glimpse of Edmund’s most deep set memories both in Etiainheim and Singeard.  What you saw may well have been the moment of his corruption, the point when he could no longer fight it.  Although a lot of Maere die out with time, the most vile and sinister hang on, living off the misery of others.”

“Is that what will happen to Edmund?” Oscar said, for the first time feeling a touch of compassion for the boy he had always viewed as his enemy.

“I do not know.  There is much to learn of this world Oscar.  I have yet to think as to how we might best Edmund at our next encounter.  Though at least this time we are better equipped.”  The rat eyed Oscar's pocket where the key still resided.

The boggy marsh was a trial to be endured, though only really for Oscar.  While the cat flew above the terrain and Vergil rode on his shoulder, Oscar had to plough through the sludge of mud and clay.  It pulled inexorably at his feet, reducing his energy with every sinking step.

“This is too much!” The boy gasped eventually, the mud now reaching almost to his knees. “I keep on sinking.”  Vergil glanced down at him, apparently only just realising the effort the boy had been putting into every step.

“Well, why not try a different approach?” The rat disappeared in a puff of smoke, reappearing on the mud.  Though he was not quite the same rat he had been just a moment before, for now he sported wide, flat paws that looked more like flippers.  The span of them was so great that he did not sink into the bog at all, instead carelessly padding across the marsh by way of demonstration.

“I didn't know you could do that?” Said Oscar, amazed to see the rat mutate.

“Really?” Vergil replied in disbelief, vanishing and reappearing on his shoulder once more his normal rat self. “Yes, well, I suppose vanishing was my greatest trick - once I mastered that I needed little else.  Though vanishing completely does take a great deal more time to learn.  Mind you, at the rate you’re going, you may be able to develop it one day too.”

Rising to the challenge, Oscar tried his hardest to vanish as Vergil had but the effort consumed him without showing any sign of progress toward his goal: he did not even manage to turn transparent, let alone actually disappear.  Somewhat deflated in his attempts, Oscar settled for Vergil's original idea.

It took a while to create a passable imitation of the wide feet and identify the best way to use them.  The enormous paddle-like extremities made it difficult to walk, so that Oscar found himself adopting something between a waddle and a jog in order to move efficiently.  It wasn’t the most graceful of gaits but it was easy enough to maintain and they passed the miles of boggy marsh in good time.  Buoyed up by the success, Oscar made a mental note to try and adapt to his surroundings more often. 

Oscar felt like they had been on the move for hours.  It was difficult to track the sun’s trajectory through the hazy atmosphere, the effect of which illuminated the sky with an eerie glow.  Moorland still stretched beyond them in all directions making him feel incredibly isolated despite his two companions. 

Gradually, the glow ebbed from the sky until night was most darkly upon them.  The haze had descended, morphing into a thick blanket of fog that lay upon the moors and rolled across the hills with incredible rapidity.  For Oscar it was discomforting not to see the stars overhead.  Even the weak moonlight struggled to make its presence known and the three travellers huddled close together, relying heavily upon Vergil's senses.  In an attempt to provide some light for them, the cat began to burn, first a low smouldering glow, then in more vibrant flame.  Despite her efforts, Oscar struggled to see his hand in front of his face and found himself constantly tripping over.  Even though he had returned his feet to their regular form, he still kept falling into ditches and shallow cracks in the landscape.  It was hard going to the point that he thought longingly of the bogs he had previously traversed but just as Oscar was ready to give up, he was afforded a reprieve.  A gently breeze had begun to stir, and in doing so had started to disperse some of the fog.

“Finally” The boy panted to Vergil. “Now I can just about see.”

“Yes, the landscape has been quite unforgiving.  Not a place to linger in for too long.”

Oscar looked around to see where they were but he could not tell.  If it were not for Vergil the boy would consider himself well and truly lost.  Yet scanning his surroundings for a second time he began to make out a vague outline of something far off in the fog.  Appearing initially as a blurred shadowy column in the mist, it became clearer as it approached, soon easily perceptible as the silhouette of a man.

“Vergil.” Called Oscar.  “I think there’s someone over there in the mist.  Maybe it’s another mind, another ghost who can’t find his Itse?” As he spoke he moved closer to get a better view.   The rat sniffed the air.

“Oscar, stop!” Vergil cried urgently, his tone implying imminent danger.  “I do not think that is a friend.  Far from it in fact; we must get going.  Follow me!”  But the warning was not necessary.  To Oscar it had already been made clear the moment the silhouetted figure stepped from the fog.  The shape of the man was emphasised by the white mist behind him and yet his features remained in shadow; all but two glowing bright eyes.  Oscar took a tentative step back in shock.  It was the man from Edmund’s memories.  The Maere; the Kurjus.

“Come on, Oscar.  Quickly!”  Vergil’s voice spurred him to action, and Oscar finally turned and ran.  The three fled at full speed, the cat flying just behind Vergil to provide a torch for the boy lest the landscape trip him up again.  The wind had grown in intensity and a strong headwind seemed to lie against them whichever way they ran.  It was as though even the weather in this land opposed their very presence, whipping at their faces with ferocity.  As they moved, Oscar threw glances back over his shoulder only to see the two glaring eyes slowly following after them.  No matter how fast they moved, they could not outrun the pursuit. 

In an attempt to hide and avoid the blasting winds the three ducked in to the sheltered alcove of a giant Tor which thrust upward from the landscape.  Protruding like a stone splinter or the spine of a large subterranean creature, the large rocky outcrop looked out of place across the moors.

“Is it after my Itse?” Whispered Oscar through gritted teeth.  As he spoke his hand clenched protectively over the key in his pocket.

“I expect so.  Or perhaps the cat.  Either way we need to get rid of it.” The rat responded, looking worried.  They both peered out from behind the rocky gulf in which they had hidden but no sign of the Kurjus could be seen.  The slope leading up to their hiding place was deserted and the two glowing eyes that had been seeking them had vanished.

“I will go and look around.  Keep hidden.”  Vergil said.  “Try to cover the cat and your Itse, the Maere might find it harder to sense them if they are hidden by your mind.” Vergil disappeared in a puff, leaving Oscar to figure out the intricacies of the advice.  With nothing else to go on, Oscar picked up the cat and held her close.  Reaching in to his pocket Oscar spoke to his soul and to Josie's.

“We are scared, hide us.”
The cat communicated, looking at him with her green, gemstone eyes.

“Do not worry, I will protect you both.  I know.”

Vergil had been gone for a long time and Oscar wondered how long he should wait.  The rocky outcrop blocked the wind in such a way that he could not tell if it had stopped altogether.  The calm air circulated freely in this area and the moon, no longer hidden by the fog, beamed down brightly.

In the drawn silence Oscar heard a yell, one that could well have belonged to Vergil.  Not content to wait there wondering any longer, he peered back around the rocky barrier ready to run to Vergil’s aid if need be.  The sight that met him caused him to recoil in shock.  There, not ten paces in front of him, stood the shadowed figure, its eyes blazing as it stared straight at him. 

The thrill of the fear in that moment highly tuned his senses.  His blood pumped loudly in his ears as an adrenaline like strength coursed through his body.  Boldly, Oscar placed the cat behind him and held his hands aloft in front of the shadow figure, transforming his fists into stone.  He was ready to make his stand.

The pitch black figure strode menacingly forward, eyes burning white fire.  It raised its hand as though it were a tool of the vilest and darkest manifestation.  Impending dread swept over Oscar, a fear that he had never felt so intensely.  He could not withstand this, it was beyond him.  He watched in horror as the stone fists he had so surely held out in front of him disintegrated into dust, his feeble human hands all that now stood between them.  The shadow figure drew closer, just inches away, and Oscar knew he would be able to do nothing to withstand it.

The Kurjus stopped suddenly, a jarring break in its advance.  It jerked for a moment, as though it were trying to tug forward but was inexplicably being held back, then turned to look around.  Oscar could clearly see the cause of his reprieve; a tendril of blue mist was entwined around the Kurjus as though it had been lassoed. 

“Run!” Vergil cried “I cannot hold it for long.” But the voice did not issue from the rat; it came from a young soldier.  It was the same soldier Oscar had seen before when Vergil was downed by Edmund and in a moment of Vergil’s weakness.  Dirty blonde hair flopped down over a lean face, pointed but handsome and his blue eyes carried a sadness of someone three times his years.  But now the face was contorted with the effort of holding the Kurjus.  More tendrils of blue mist emerged from his body, holding back the black shadow who thrashed ceaselessly but it was clear Vergil was struggling to contain the beast. 

“Run Oscar, take the cat.  I will find you.”

Overcoming his shock the boy darted across the Tor, jumping over stone gullies and scrambling over granite boulders.  His feet thumped hard against the ground.  The last image he saw looking back was of the young man fighting off the shadowed figure with tendril whips.  He was worried for Vergil but equally worried that if that thing got near him again, it would destroy his soul.  And though reluctant to desert his comrade, Oscar knew he must think of Josie as well – he had to put some distance between them and the Kurjus.  

Oscar cradled the panic-stricken cat in his arms and ran as though his energy could never fail but he was wrong.  He soon grew tired and his resolve weakened until he staggered a few times, tripped and landed on his chest with a whack.  He looked around dazed, seeing only a boulder nearby.  It wasn’t much, but it was all he could manage.  With his last ounce of strength he crawled to it, cowering under its massive stature for safety.  Breathing hard Oscar closed his eyes, his mind unable to even begin to overcome his exhaustion, let alone reconcile the mental impact of what had happened.  As inescapably as if being sucked down a whirl pool, the boy was drawn into the warm depths of sleep.