This is a continuation of the fanfiction on Clive Barker’s Undying. Read the previous parts here:
http://insatiableavi.com/2019/08/08/what-remains-of-the-covenants/
http://insatiableavi.com/2019/08/25/youngest-one-awoken/
Curse of The Undying ones
Aaron was struggling to see. The fact things were pitch dark except the area around the fallen torch was not helping either. His eyes were clouded due to that strange projectile shot at him by the creature in front of him. The creature was slowly crawling towards him. Aaron was sure his death is onto him again. He regretted the moment he landed his foot on the Covenant 9manor. He came to his senses when he heard the screaming head. The voice of which was now familiar, yet he still got chills in his spine whenever he hears it or sees the half-burnt half-dead face.
“Kill it before it kills you! There are 100s of them here.”
He could not think or see. His hands instinctively went to his revolver and he shot at the creature. He shot at it twice. The Scarrow flinched but didn’t stop.
“Idiot! Need silver!”
He didn’t had any silver bullets. It was not something he had foreseen. He knew death is now close to him. All he could do now to delay the inevitable. He fumbled his hands to find something in the room and got his hand on the axe he saw earlier. He grabbed the handle and swung at the scarrow with all his might.
“Yaaaaaaaaaaah!”
“Squishhhhh!”
“
“Thuddd!”
Loud sound came as the Scarrow’s body was split in half and fell on the floor. Aaron sighed with relief. He lifted the axe and saw the blood dripping from the blade. His heart was beating so hard that it could jump out of his chest. Suddenly, where the body fell, there was nothing visible. A black spot was visible, which disappeared in few seconds. His hand went tight on the axe. Although his eyes were saying that he was terrified to the core. He picked up the axe and made a run to pick up Ambrose’s decaying head. He didn’t try to look back, but he could hear the sound of scarrows crawling, this time from multiple places in the dark. He touched his Scrye tattoo and the room glowed purple. He could at least make out where the head and the door is. seeing everything was clear, he tried to make a run for head and then the exit.
Moments before he was about to exit, he remembered about that strange stone. He took it out, and he felt that the creatures are now shying away from him. Not knowing what this is about, he went out of the room, closed the door behind and took a breathe of relief.
“You could have warned me about that.” He complained.
“Where is the fun in that. Even though I hate these creations of Otto. Where are the stone and the head now?” Lizbeth’s head squealed.
“Who is Otto? And what is this stone? What was that beast? How did it come from past to future?”
“Too many questions! Too many! Let me see my beloved brother Ambrose and let’s go get the rest. Sooner you do, sooner you die. Later you do, sooner you die. Haaaaawwww!” She shrieked again in high pitch.
There were howling sounds somewhere close by now, responding to the shrieking sound of hers. Aaron knew that it could not be a coincidence. The howlers are nearby, the Scarrows are lurking everywhere in the mansion, he wondered what he has dragged himself into. He thought it’s best to keep the focus on being alive and get out as soon as possible. However, with the events happening now had piqued his curiosity around Aaron Covenant. Some part of him was now hoping to talk to him, even in the undead form.
“What now? What mortal task I need to do before I die?” He smirked.
“Grab the rest of the family and carry the heads on your belt”. Lizbeth replied in the same tone. “Now we go to my favorite after death space. The crypt rooms. Word of advice, you can give the stone to me. I will protect you. Auntie promise. Ha..Ha..Ha..”
Aaron sighed. He was getting used to the talking head. “Although, what if…”
He remembered how Ambrose fitted the stone in his axe. He took the axe in his left hand and took the stone in right. Suddenly he saw his Scrye glowing and the edges of axe were bright green with the reflection of green-emitting light on the edge.
“Haste but don’t haste in the need to get away,
Gel’ziabar carved this piece to boost strength anyway.
Wear the stone, the king is yet to dethrone,
See beyond you see, be beyond you be,
Demons held it close to be humans, humans held it to be away from them.”
He saw and the hound, which gave him the stone earlier while breaking the time barrier. He was perplexed on how to react. However, he could feel a stinging pain on his chest, as if some needle was piercing his chest. He opened the buttons of his shirt and saw another magical mark. It was like an eagle with spreading wings. However, the body was filled with a small green sand like material. He could touch and feel the coarseness around it. As soon as he touched it, he started to levitate.
“What in the name of devil, what is happening?” Aaron shouted with terror in his eyes. “Lizbeth!! Bring me down!!!”. He was back to the ground after a few seconds. “What witchcraft was that? How did I started to fly?”
“It wasn’t me.” Lizbeth’s head curtly replied. “Maybe you are more like Jeremiah instead of Aaron. The stone you used was with Jeremiah, then given to Pattrick. Who used it’s powers to reignite the family curse. The cycle has began. Hurry to the crypt now. Let’s get Aaron and Bethany’s remains.” Lizbeth’s head hurled out the same deafening scream. Aaron Jr. didn’t have many options, when howlers, scarrows and dead bodies are all around the manor. He asked for the directions to the crypts. He had the axe close to him now, even when it was heavier to carry. He got used to using the Scrye to look in dark areas. So had a hand free for not holding the torch.
Suddenly he felt an eerie quiteness around him. The wind blowing inside the tight corridor was the only sound he could hear. There were some distant howling but he choose to ignore them. He was scared and now he had two heads hanging onto him, and at least one of them talking. He had an axe now to defend himself, but it was heavy to carry. He suddenly had an idea when one of the curtains blocked him on the corridor. He pulled a couple of them out and tore it into pieces. He then made about six nooses and a big loop across his shoulder. He kept Lizbeth’s and Ambrose’s head in two of them across his chest. He adjusted the axe in the middle hooked noose at his back.
“Clever style. Your heartbeats are making me hungry. How about I eat your heart out.” Lizbeth snarled.
“Please do, and then let your minion howlers finish the job. You need me alive for some reasons I may not know yet. That is clear. Now which way to the crypts?”
“How about you finish the Scarrows and I shall let you live. Crypts are via the kitchen. Get the heads in the game. HA..HA..HA.”, another deafening laugh which Aaron was now getting used to. He then went towards the kitchen.
“Creeeeeeeeek!!!”
There was a loud sound of the heavy door opening up. He almost instantly jumped away from the door. There was a sharp knife thrown at him from somewhere. “Anyone here?” He shouted. In his response, another butcher’s knife, which was left unattended on one of the racks started to float. Within a split second it shot at his face, he barely reacted to it. But the knife grazed through his cheek and blood poured out.
“Jesus! What was that? This house has poltergeists too?”. He pressed the wound with his shirt sleeve. Luckily it wasn’t too deep. “It used to be brother Aaron’s work usually. Wonder if you see his head flying around too. That will be fun.” Lizbeth’s head laughed. Ignoring her remarks, he went ahead and saw another big door. He pushed it, but it was locked. “Need keys here?” The head mocked Aaron. Making a habit of ignoring now, he pulled out his revolver and shot the lock twice. The door sprung open and few stairs were visible until the darkness took them towards oblivion. Aaron touched his Scrye symbol to have some light for his eyes. The spiral stairs were still half visible. He went inside, hands gripping tightly to his axe.
“Ssssssssssslooooowwwwww”
“WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM,” Aaron shouted at Lizbeth.
“Ha..ha..haaaaa. it’s fun.”
Moments after he took his eyes from the head. He sensed a movement. The effect of Scrye was gone now. And it would take some time to get back. He suddenly remembered the other power he had just acquired to glide. He touched his chest and started to levitate. He glided over the stairs and reached at the bottom in no time. There was another door, left ajar. He pushed the heavy door with all his might. The room smelled of dead and rotten. And the constant darkness was not supporting the scene either.
“Uggghhh!!!!”
“Yummm!!!”
“What the hell? Oh, l forgot I have a talking hungry head ghost.” Aaron retorted. He had one hand on his nose trying to block the stench. He sensed something moved again behind him. This time his eyes were adjusted to the dark and he saw about 3 Scarrows at about a distance of few feets. He was immediately alerted this time and he took the big axe in his hands. He ran with full speed and jumped at one of them, trying to avoid their venom spit. He came close to swinging range to one of them and swung the axe with all his might.
In a split second the Scarrow’s body was now in half. Blood spurting out and making the floor red around it.
“Never going to be used to this.” He sighed. He ran towards the other two and swung at them with all his might again. In a second, both Scarrows were on ground in pieces. Blood oozing out of the bodies. Suddenly, all three creatures were surrounded by a crystal like material and they disappeared on the ground.
“Before you ask, they have gone back to Oneiros! The country of lost dreams, that is in another reality.”
“Well, I don’t care as long as I am alive. Let’s get what we came here for and get out of here.” He went in the next room. The room structure was different. It was circular and had torches attached to the pillars. There were hooks next to those torches, which seems to had few loops from broken chains. There were signs of a fight as their were dried blood spilled at multiple places. He followed the trail while keeping his Scrye vision. He saw a headless body, naked whose hands and legs had chains attached. The flesh on the body was still bright red as if there’s blood being pumped throughout the body. And there were no signs of blood being pumped towards the head. At the neck, there was a clean-cut indicating decapitation with a heavy and sharp object. He then saw a bloody trail towards aside. That is when he froze. There lied Aaron’s head, had multiple scars on the otherwise handsome face. The eyes soaked with dried blood and the jaw hanging out from one end of the mouth. There were torture marks visible on the torso which ran deep a few centimetres.
“You all are sick! Were sick! Doesn’t matter, you still are. Who torchures someone of your own like this.”
“Haaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!”
“If only I knew about Bethany and Otto’s work when I was alive. I love it! It would be fun if he starts to walk and kill you.”
“Why..?”
Aaron could not finish his scentence when he spotted a howler at the door, holding something.
“Aaron, keep the head near the body and arrange the jaw. Else my howler is going to eat your head. Mind you, there are more if you want to try something smart.”
Aaron Jr was confused, but he did what he was told to. He saw from the corner of his eyes that the howler was closing in, awaiting some instructions from it’s master. But then he saw it making a move. The howler had another head, of a lady this time. The face also had scars, however, the skin was pale white, as if there was never any blood. The howler kept it in front of the body. Aaron also had adjusted his father’s corpse with the mutilated head. Now he waited to see what happens next. There was complete silence, Aaron could hear his heartbeats, and also the breathing of the howler. Then Lizbeth broke the silence.
“I am going to give my brother a chance of revenge. Let’s see what he does to Bethany’s ugly face. Maybe then I will ask the king to spare him.” Then she spoke some enchantment.
The next moment, Aaron’s head got connected with his torso. The jaw still hanging, the corpse moved. It’s hand attached to broken chains. The corpse of Aaron dragged itself on the floor and spotted Bethany’s head. It growled and let out a devil’s cry. The head was a few steps from him. The corpse spotted the howler next to him. In a flash, the chains were around the howler and it goes dragged by Aaron’s corpse. The corpse then took his chained hand inside howlers mouth and dragged out its inner organs one by one. First the tongue, then lungs and finally the heart. The corpse took the heart and smashed it with bare hands. It then poured the blood on Bethany’s lifeless head. It was evident how much hate was between the twins for the sake of power. Then it kicked it out of the way and saw Lizbeth’s head hanging on Aaron’s chest. For a split second the corpse was surprised by the resemblance of him and living Aaron. Then it attacked him with his chains. The chains hit an unprepared Aaron on his chest and he fell due to the force. However, he picked himself up. This time much aware, he pressed the flight emblem on his chest and glide himself away from Aaron’s corpse.
“Any intelligent ideas to talk my father down? Or are you enjoying the show?”
“Oh! Pretty much enjoying it. Tip is the same. Go for decapitation. We Covenants love it when someone removes our head from body. Ha..ha..ha..ha..!!”
Aaron couldn’t comprehend the scenario. In his mind, he always wanted to talk to his father and ask questions. Here he was in front of his lifelong dream, unsure of how to deal with his questions with a dead body. But sure of how to get rid of the moving dead dad body. He saw the green mark back to normal and he glided away again from the charging corpse. However, this time,the chains got stuck on his hands and he lost the flight. He was on his knees when he took the axe out, now ready to parry the next attack.
Aaron’s corpse now was hovering, and the image of him was flickering between his undead and revenant form. Aaron Jr can see his father in green suit,just like the portrait he saw earlier. The next second, he was back in his deadly form.
“Behead when he is most vulnerable.” Screamed Lizbeth.
He shook his head. He never had any choice now. It was not the way he thought he would find his answers. He ran towards the corpse building momentum. Once he was close, he swung the axe with all his might. However, his axe was caught by revenant Aaron.
“Not again.” It growled and hit him hard to bring him down on his feet. Aaron’s corpse had unnatural powers despite the fragile body. Aaron Jr was down on his feet again. The corpse now was berserk. It activated it’s poltergeist capabilities and threw the torches at him. Aaron Jr was now quick enough to use his flight capability to dodge. He enabled Scrye to help him see in the dark. The spell outlined the corpse’s shape and highlighted the joints between his heart and neck. Aaron knew the spot he had to target.
He swung his axe while gliding towards the deadly ghost and hit it at the heart. Blood splurged out like a big fountain and the corpse stopped moving.
“Nooooooo!” Shouted the corpse as Aaron swung his axe again to decapitate his father’s corpse once again. Aaron Jr. was panting now after the adrenaline drifted away. He saw the consequences of his actions as another decapitated bloodied body. He picked up his father’s head along with Bethany’s. He then tied them to the curtain cloth. A small tear came out of his eyes. He never imagined his encounter with his father like this. Much like fighting a remnant version of him. He was relieved to have avoided his own demise, but had remorse of what he has done.
“Four done, last stop The standing stones. Then you are free.” Lizbeth said in a monotone voice.
“You don’t care do you? You are just a power hungry monster.”
“A young child thrown into the power fantasy of forces she doesn’t even understand. Losing the mother and being blamed for that. Being dead and come back as a remnant. Yes I don’t see a reason to care. Now, if you be kind enough to get a boat and head for the last destination, that would be great.”
There was no other option left for Aaron Jr. now. He wanted to finish this journey he started. Thus he left out of the room without a word and started to head towards the final destination, where the curse of Covenants had started. Secretly he wished if there’s a way to remove this curse so that he may get another chance with his long dead father.
《Contd.》
http://insatiableavi.com/2019/12/13/the-long-standing-curse/
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