The Monk and the Maid: Part Three

The White Lady
So there I was, bloody and cold lying helpless in front of the old willow tree. Unconscious and completely oblivious to what was going on in front of me. I woke up after a while and froze. I closed my eyes again to give the illusion that I was still out of it in order to avoid what I saw. The white light was right in front of me, hovering as if studying me and analyzing what could be done with me. I was terrified, sweating and shaking. I drew a sharp breath as if it were to be my last and opened my eyes but saw nothing but the dark of the forest. I had so many questions swirling in my head but I couldn't answer them now as the blood from the zombie's bite poured from my shoulder.

I gathered all the strength I could muster and proceeded on a pathway through the forest until I had reached the familiar Mill Beck road. As I limped toward the end of the pathway I covered my wound with the torn layers of my clothing and went into Tesco to buy bandages. Not to my surprise I had people staring at me either in fear or with great surprise, still with a taste of shock as I dragged myself to the checkout, my right arm stuffed with bandages, painkillers and other various assortments. It wasn't surprising that I looked like a walking medical kit. I took my apparatus outside and patched myself up to an adequate standard, realizing that my brief time at St John Ambulance Cadets wasn't as wasted as I thought it was. I gathered the remains of my kit and placed them carefully back in the bag. I could feel the numbing cream take effect, losing feeling in my shoulder but still feeling a lot of burning and stinging. I wanted to go back to the forest and investigate what happened there but I listened to my better judgement and recognised that it would be suicide to attempt any kind of venture in my condition.

I obviously expected an outside voice, verbal slaughtering from my dad for being out all night from 6pm to 5am. I told him I was at a sleepover with Kieran and he calmed down, but the wound was much more difficult to explain. I remembered that my motorbike was at Kieran's place since his dad repaired it for me so I said that I had foolishly took it for a spin despite his dad warning me it wasn't ready and then my Dad was satisfied. Thankfully I was home on a Saturday so I spent most of the morning in bed. I was haunted by a nightmare in which I was being slowly eaten alive by that ghoul while the light I saw was screaming in pain, blood flowing out of it but not from any observed cut or gouge, more as if from thin air. I had a terrible morning, needless to say but it only got that little bit worse when I went to the bathroom.

After a relaxing, warm shower which made me feel more serene than I had in a long time, despite the burning of my shoulder and losing a little more blood, I proceeded to brush my teeth and comb my hair. I looked in disgust in the mirror. The dirt and blood from my face had gone but I still looked like a caveman that had been dragged out of a skip. After refreshing myself, combing my hair back to its neat and natural jet black and seeing my mighty goatee back on top form I actually felt good about myself again. I looked back up in the mirror and all hairs were on end once again as I fell back and landed on my back on the cold bathroom floor. The demon that bit my shoulder was in the mirror laughing at me. As I tried to cover my ears I heard it in my head screaming in the most distorted voice, it was more inhuman than anything I had ever heard.

It continued to taunt and threaten me. "You'll never be safe", "You will be devoured", "The Mistress' veil will capture you as well", "After you're gone your loved ones will follow". All these phrases repeated over and over in my head accompanied with the unearthly, distorted laughter. My ears rang and my shoulder burned whilst beginning to bleed again. My stitches ripped open and a combination of blood and flesh fell to the floor, staining the bright, sea blue bathroom tiles. It was too much for me to handle, and I'd had enough. With all my might I let out a scream, demanding that the monster leave my head and raised my fist to the mirror where the demon stood. I struck the dead center of the mirror causing it to shatter on the floor. My dad rushed into the bathroom and inspected the scene. Broken glass, the mirror on the floor and a still lake of blood and meaty chunks on the floor. I didn't say anything as my assumption proved correct, he thought the mirror fell and shattered on me, causing my wound to rip open. Dad generously offered to clean up the bathroom and repair my wound properly as long as I went to bed to rest.

I accepted his deal but knew that I wouldn't stay in bed for too long. I had to go back to the forest and finish what had been set in motion, and Kieran had to come with me. The White Lady wouldn't leave me until I had met her myself, and her demon lackey had to go. He had to die. I knew what was going to lie ahead and it wasn't going to be easy but it was the only way I could get this demon to leave. I had to murder him. But what about the White Lady? How do I kill something that's already dead?