The Legacies of Salem: A Year on the Edge of Fate
Chapter 1- The Last January
One, two..You know it’s true
Three, four…He’s Ready for War
Five, six…Across the River Styx
Seven, eight…Open the Gate
Nine, ten….He will Rise Again…
The sweat poured off Tina’s freezing skin. Three Sixteen in the morning, yet again. Third or fourth time in the last week isn’t it? The sheets sticking to her skin or freezing to it? Least this time she had not pissed herself, small favors. What the hell had that dream been? The words they were strange, disturbing, almost demonic feeling but the imagery, oh God, the imagery that accompanied them, that was were the terror truly was.
One, two…You know it’s true
A dark shadow standing over Tina and her friends whom are all walking away from each other. While the context of the image is unknown to her the obvious pain and suffering in everyone’s body language is hard to ignore. Tina can not make out who everyone is but can see five or six people all walking away from her.
Three, four…He’s ready for War.
That same shadow that had overlooked her group, it was now turned over looking what at first appeared a devastated battlefield, World War II style devastation, but after she looked a little harder Tina could see it wasn’t a battlefield, it was Walpole High School, her school, completely lain to waste. She could not tell what had happened, but whatever it was, there were not many if any survivors.
Five, six…Across the River Styx
Tina was transported to the Skiff of Charon, she overlooks the River Styx, seeing the souls of the lost that did not make it to the other side. The fear, the despair, the longing for anything other than the continued existence they have in the eyes of the fallen, it was a chill that Tina would never forget, at least it was until she noticed her sister Nancy among the souls, as she grabbed her to pull her into the River Styx. She is yanked from the Skiff and into the freezing water, the at least hundreds of hands grabbing at her, pulling her down, the repugnant water filling her lungs with both freezing and burning sensations simultaneously, she struggled against the forces trying to bring her down.
Seven, eight…Open the Gate
As she began to succumb to the depths of the River Styx, she is now instead standing before a Altar. Upon the Altar sits a book, both unidentified and yet still familiar to her. Tina tried to make out something, anything from it, try o find something to start with, something to grasp onto, but she did so in vain because before she could decipher even the slightest clue she was somehow now in the basement of the school, looking directly at the entrance to the IT room, which was now glowing in an indescribable kaleidoscope of colors from every crack around it.
Nine, ten…He will rise again.
The door opened with that statement and the shadow that had overlooked her personal tragedy and what ever will lead to the destruction of Walpole High was now facing her in the kaleidoscope, coming towards her at a high rate, but just as it would step into the light, just as it was about to reveal itself, Tina shocked awake.
What did any of that mean? Why would she and her friends turn their backs on each other? Who or what was the Dark Shadow that was hanging over them? What the fuck happened to Walpole High? Why was she shown this? What did any of this have to do with The River Styx and why did the vision show her half sister Nancy in the River when she was alive and well and sleeping two doors down the hall? Nancy would never pull you down, Tina knows that, her sister might be a bit of a bitch but she would do anything to watch out for Tina, same as Tina would for her.
That book. Tina still could not shake the feeling she knew it from somewhere, that it was something she should know, like it should be second nature to her as much as The Gospel itself is, It should be but it wasn’t, how does that work? Where was that altar at? Was that what was behind the door to the IT room? Why in the fuck is she dreaming about part of the school she’s never been in? The Dark Shadow, he has to be the key, he was there for most of the dream and seems to be there when it gets started and when it ends. As a matter of fact the only time hes not around is the River Styx.
Three Twenty. I need to go back to sleep, we have a long day tomorrow, got to go Christmas shopping with Nancy and TJ. Just hope I can sleep another few hours. Tomorrow Ill have to ask Nancy bout River Styx and see if it means anything to her.
Two doors down the hall…
Three twenty-four. “Fucking hell.” Nancy awoken with the words coming out of her mouth before the lids could unveil the night’s darkness to her eyes.
Why would Tina push me off? Bitch is my sister, no way she would ever hurt me, she knows we have each others back, no matter what. The damn Dark Shadow can fuck off with his bullshit. Why am I fucking dreaming about Olympus anyway? Man I need a hobby. These fucking dreams are killing me, like the fifth time this damn month, shits getting more regular than Dad after his muffins. And that damn song. Fuck numbers shouldn’t be able to be creepy, but here we are.
I need to ask Tina bout it when we shopping tomorrow. Three twenty-eight. Wonder if TJ is up still? Douche bag probably watching porn or playing Nintendo. I could check but then he might think I care and I do not know if I can handle that tonight, so screw that. Going to try to get some sleep see if I can avoid the damn Dark Shadow a few more hours.
A few miles or a world away depending on how you measure…
Three thirty-two.
TJ awoke screaming, his voice echoing throughout the empty house. If anyone had been there to be frightened they sure as hell would have been.
By Nate Walton
