Naedra's Lair

Darkness. Those eyes torment me, lighting me with violet, then plunging me into blackness when they close. A figure appears before me in black clothes, his features obscured. I walk towards him, the violet light constantly illuminating him. Then blackness, and the eyes disappear. A dull red glow emanates from the figure, and I continue walking towards him as I grow steadily more unnerved. He turns away from me as if to leave, then I sprinted towards him, unwilling to lose my only light. Touching his should. As I do so he spins round and slashes open my stomach with a long, thin blade. The last thing I saw were his mocking features. Mine!

‘…we have arrived at Tokyo international airport, please depart the plane in an orderly manner.’ The voice on the intercom blasted me back to wakefulness, the nightmare fading like early morning mist. Shaking my head to clear it, I grabbed the small rucksack by my feet and go to the exit of the plane. It was only when I had cleared the check-in terminal and picked up my two suitcases that I wondered what had happened to the girl. I discarded a vague feeling of unease as the after-effects of my nightmare, and dismissed her as part of the same dream. I hailed a taxi and asked them to take me to the address my parents had given me, a second floor apartment on the outskirts of Tokyo University, a small place, but not cramped.

I left the taxi when I arrived outside in the gathering dark and paid the driver his fare, then entered the apartment through its unsteady door. I froze when I noticed a shadow in the room, yet it was not the shadow itself which made me freeze. It was the fact that there was nothing I could see that was casting it! a single candle, black with a reddish metal plate beneath it, sat on a low table in the middle of the room, the wax blown to one side as if a wind had torn through here. I switched on the lights, flooding the room with harsh artificial illumination and the shadow dissolved, but I jumped when the candle exploded, showering me with hot wax. I let out an involuntary yelp when the metal disc it rested on embedded itself in the plaster wall next to my face. Everything seemed to be fine now, the shadow was gone, admittedly damaging my nerves and part of my wall, so I sighed and lugged my suitcases into the bedroom to unpack.

Looking around, I saw that I had most of the furniture needed for a short stay, but not a prolonged one, which was what I was going to do while I studied. Shaking my head at the incompetence of parents, I shoved clothes into a wardrobe then unrolled a white futon onto the floor. I couldn’t be bothered to check the rest of the apartment, leaving that for tomorrow, so I stripped down to my boxers, slid between the covers of my futon and closed my eyes.

Again, the darkness. Again, those eyes. Again, the strange flickering illumination.

‘Do you?’

A soft voice echoed from behind me. Spinning round I saw it was the girl from the plane, standing next to a now-familiar black candle.

‘Do you?’ she repeated, the eyes winking out of existence, illumination now provided by the black candle. ‘Do I what?’ I asked, confusion spreading across my face.

‘Do you have what it takes to survive?’

‘What do I need to do so?’

‘Ruthlessness. Power. The willingness to disregard family, friends, everything and everyone you care about.’

‘How can I do that? I’m only human! I’m normal, as normal as they come!’

A smirk appeared on her unearthly face. ‘Ah, but you have the capacity to become more than human. Will you grasp opportunity when it beckons?’

Suddenly the floor fell away from me and I started to fall, my mouth open in a silent scream.

Her voice echoed once again. ‘Will you?'

I woke up by the window of my room, shuddering from the after-effects of having two such creepy dreams. What were they trying to tell me? Looking at the clock on the wall I saw I had a couple of hours until I had to leave for university, so I thought a shower would help me calm down, as well as to wash away the clammy sweat accumulated during the night. Stepping into the shower cubicle I twisted the dial for hot water and felt it pulse down onto my back., the mist gently rising around me. This is how it is, I thought, working the kinks out of my muscles. The perfect way to start… my voice trailed off as I saw the water around me turning viscous and a deep crimson. Panicking, I twiddled the dial to switch off the flow and it slowly switched down to a trickle, then off completely. I slowly brought a finger up to my mouth, not daring to think that what was water a few minutes ago had turned into…water? I blinked at this revelation, then looked at my body which was stained with…was not stained with the red liquid, only water running off my skin. I laughed manically, fear getting to me. Am I going insane? I asked myself, my body shaking from what I thought I had seen.

I was too shaken by my experience to go back in, so after towelling myself off I dressed myself in a faded pair of blue jeans, green shirt and brown trainers. I needed the pale colours to calm my nerves. I decided to go for a long walk, ending at Tokyo Uni a few minutes early, in order to sign in. I locked the apartment, then went down the steps, and let my feet take me as they will. This is one of my great joys in life, watching the sunrise. I got to the end of the road and turned east, the long street giving me a view of the horizon, the sun slowly rising, spilling its light along darkened alleys. As I walked I felt vaguely uneasy, partly from the dream, partly from my ‘shower experience’, but also, I felt as though I was being followed, even though no-one was behind me. I focussed on the sun, trying to shake the feeling, but even the soft gold of the sunrise couldn’t dispel this nagging feeling that something wasn’t right. I went along a market street, Japanese shopkeepers opening their stores with the dawn. I smiled at a couple of them, and was drawn to the smell of someone cooking yakisoba-pan. (Noodles, pork, sauce and vegetables in a roll. It’s surprisingly good!)

Paying 250 yen bought me a couple of them, contentment spreading throughout my body as they filled my stomach, even managing to dispel the cloud hanging over me, if only for a few minutes. Turning right at the end of the street I saw the university campus. One 4-storey grey-stone building dominated the centre of the area, a clock tower jutting out from one corner. The rest of the campus was grassland and a sports track, cherry-trees dropping their blossom in the early morning breeze. I breathed deeply the scent of those blossoms, and walked across the grass to the entrance to the building. The door was unlocked so I entered, a man in the reception stopping me from going further into the building. ‘Who are you?’ he demanded. ‘You can’t be one of the students; they don’t arrive for another half-hour. What is your purpose here?’

‘Umm, I’m a transfer student from Hokkaido’, I replied, feeling a little weirded-out by his reaction to me.

‘Hmm, ok, that makes sense’, he conceded. ‘What’s your name?’

‘Shiki Kametaro’, I replied, following him as he turned and walked towards the offices computer terminal.

‘Shiki Kametaro, is it? Any relation to the famous poet?’

Yeah, I forgot to mention. I share my name with a well-known haikuist, yes, I know a lot about him, no I do not like him and yes, I would love to change my surname.

‘No relation, just a coincidence’, I replied, trying to control my feelings of frustration. Why do people always assume things about a name? Pity the English child who gets named after Shakespeare…

Tapping a couple of keys, he brought up the list of transfer students. ‘Sorry,’ he said, shaking his head slightly, ‘but we have no record of a Shiki Kametaro transferring in. I am going to have to ask you to leave the grounds.’

‘But wait,’ I pleaded, as he started to push me towards the door. ‘Surely there is some mistake, did you use the right characters for my name? Only…’ My voice trailed off as I saw that this was gong nowhere. His face was in the implacable pose of those who believe they have been tricked, and don’t much care for it. I felt tears of disappointment and anger start to well up in the corners of my eyes, and I made myself run out of there before I could embarrass myself. I charged back to my apartment, hot tears bubbling up from my eyes. A hot flush of anger spread throughout my body. My parents sorted this months ago, I thought, starting to shake with the anger, I know they did. They said they did… with a start I realised I was outside my apartment, the door still as unsteady as ever.

I felt slightly calmer as I walked up the steps, panting from the exertion of running all the way back. I got my key out to open the door, but when I pressed against it, the door swung open. It was unlocked. But I locked it, I told myself, as I crept warily into the front room. There, on the table, was a black candle, red plate, and the ever-present shadow, flickering slightly in the firelight. Two tendrils spread out from the shadow, thickening and shaping themselves into arms, each ending with a taloned, three-fingered hand. Suddenly, they shot towards me across the floor, erupting through and into reality half-way towards me. Faced with these flying at me, I ran back out the door and into the street, the appendages slamming into the door. A deep boom threw me down the steps, my door fragmenting and sending a foot-long splinter through the flesh part or my chest, lodging itself between two of my ribs.

Hacking and coughing, I dragged myself up the steps, while blood dripped steadily from my wound and a crowd of people drew around to stare. I was grateful to one old man, he ended up calling an ambulance. I got to the top of my steps to survey the damage. The candle had destroyed my walls, soot charring the plaster. As I fell into unconsciousness, I thought I saw the shape of the malignant shadow flee through the shattered window, a judgmental finger pointing down at me. Oblivion took me.

Falling in and out of consciousness is not a good thing. I saw darkness. Paramedics. Darkness. Ambulance. Darkness. Surgical green of a hospital. Darkness…

‘It’s your own fault you know,’ came the familiar voice from behind me. Turning slowly, she came into view, still a vision of perfection. Her face was petulant, as if she was scolding a naughty child. I sighed, then relaxed, facing her to speak gently.

‘How is it my fault? I didn’t do anything!’

‘That,’ she said triumphantly, a finger pointed at me, ‘is exactly the point! You haven’t done anything!’

‘What do you mean?’ I asked angrily. ‘I don’t know what I should have done! I don’t know what is happening to me, or why!’

She maintained a calm tone which infuriated me. ‘You remember last time we met? I asked you a question, but you never decided. That is what you should have done.’

I started to protest about how was I meant to know this, about the unfairness of this, but all I could say was, ‘what the…’ my voice coming out as a stunned whisper.

‘So’, she said, walking up to me, her hands clasped in front of her demurely, ‘will you choose?’

‘What if I don’t want to choose?’ I asked quietly, ‘what if I let things continue as they are?’

‘Then you will be dead within the week!’ she yelled, rage contorting her features. She quickly calmed, and continued. ‘I take it you don’t want that to happen, so please, choose.’ ‘But…’ I started to protest, but she silenced me with a wave.

‘Listen. Not choosing is also a choice, and down that road leads your utter destruction. Neither of us wants that, so take my hand.’ She held out her pale hand to me, palm faced up.

‘How can I do this?’ I asked, ‘how can I forsake those I care for?’

A sad smile spread across her face. ‘You will be surprised at how far you will go to survive, when it’s all you have left.’

‘I am going to regret this, but I may as well go with you, if only to stop that shadow chasing me.’ I took her hand, marveling at how soft, yet cold it was.

‘Done’, was her only reply, her features brightening. ‘Now, to prepare…’

‘Wake up.’

I muttered, and rolled over.

‘Shiki, wake up’

Opening my eyes, I saw her standing there, as perfect as she was inside my mind. She smiled, then grasped me by the shoulders, her eyes staring into mine. Feebly I tried to resist, but my wound didn’t allow me to resist. I slipped back into the clutches of unconsciousness, my last image that of her lips forming the words,

‘I’m sorry it was you.’

I am running. Calls rise from reeds to either side of me. I am in a marsh, a black moon shedding no light. A figure steps onto the path ahead of me, forcing me to a stop.

‘You chose.’

His voice was like mine, rich and mellow, yet with a darker overtone that spoke of forbidden pacts.

‘What is it to you?’ I asked of him, acting braver than I felt.

‘Because, we are going to get to know one another now, Shiki, and you can’t run from me, no matter how fast you are.

‘Why not? Why can’t I run?’

‘Because’, he said flitting to my side and seizing my throat, ‘we are the same!’

My features appeared on his face, fixing themselves in my mind as he plunged his hand into my chest, and tore my heart from its gory hollow.

‘I go by many names.’

‘Like what?’ I said loudly, almost yelling in my fear

‘To the Celts, we were known as Dearg-Dues. To the Romanians, Strigoiul. And to the Romans, Lamia. Finally to the Japanese, who I took you for, you would have known us as Yasha. However, I see you are English. You would know us as…’

‘Vampires…’ I whispered.

‘Very good,’ came the soft, sibilant reply. Her soft lips curled upwards into a mocking smile, those same lips that earlier laughed with me. Or had it been an act? ‘But, that’s impossible!’ I blurted out, confusion freeing my voice from the icy grip of terror, ‘Vampires aren’t real, they can’t be! We would know!’

‘Are you so sure, little human?’ she commented, an amused look in her eyes. ‘Think about what I did to you on the plane. That is a simple trick; do you think I cannot toy with your memories?’ I’m inside your head now, and you can’t get away!

The last sentence echoed around inside my mind, making chills shiver up and down my body, while she lightly tapped her fingers lightly on the bars of my cell. At her touch, they slid back into recesses in the roof, leaving no trace that they had ever existed. Walking forwards, she leant down so her face was only inches away from mine, a soft smile on her perfect features.

‘Now that we have the pleasantries dispensed with, would you please follow me?’

Her breath has sweet, yet with a metallic undertone, probably from the blood she had drunk earlier. My mind froze at such a thought.

‘Or would you like me to force you to come?’ she said harshly and suddenly stood up; the movement making me jump and bang my skull against the wall. Through the pain in my head I heard myself say that I would go, on the condition she stays out of my head! I added mentally. She giggled, and seemed to revert to a different person. ‘Well then, let’s go!’ she said excitedly, ‘lets go, let’s go let’s go!’

Her hair had stopped writhing like a basket of snakes, and her eyes now reverted back to their deep amethyst shade, but I breathed a sigh of relief when her fangs slid up into her mouth. Needless to say they, unnerved, me. She turned into the corridor outside the cell and left, forcing me to scramble hastily after her. I fell into step next to her as we walked down a dry stone tunnel. I was sure it couldn’t be natural; the walls were too smooth and straight to have been carved by a river. You’re right; she said speaking inside my head, then continued normally in her soft voice. ‘This tunnel was carved by me over a long period of time, and no, I’m not going to tell you how long. I may not be human, but I still have a bit of vanity!’

She smiled to show she was joking, then grabbed my hand and started to run, dragging me along behind her. She stopped in front of an old wooden door inset into the wall, a flaming torch held in a wall bracket to either side of its hinges. It was an oak door, dark from age, with a bronze door-handle. She held the handle loosely and spun to face me, back to the door, hair fanning out behind her. ‘Are you sure you wish to walk this road?’ was her question, her face looking up at mine. ‘We have a long way to go.’

‘Its not like I have a choice is it?’ came my curt reply.

‘You’re right, you don’t.’ Her voice suddenly went harsh and cruel as she said that, then went back to her normal softness. ‘Well then, let’s go in.’

Pushing the handle down, she turned to the door and swung it open, revealing a dark room, dimly lit by the smoldering coals of a forge that resided at one end. She took my arm and pulled me gently in, shutting the door behind her, cutting out the light that emanated from the corridor. As my eyes grew accustomed to the gloom I saw the shape of the room, an oval, a forge at one end, surrounded by what I guessed were the tools used for it, and the other end was incredibly dark, like a black fog obscured my view of its contents. She saw me looking and voiced a question in my head. Wondering what’s down that end?

‘Actually, yes, and I asked you before to stay out of my head!’ I said, my voice having more than a touch of irritation. She giggled, though whether it was at my irritation or the fact I couldn’t see what was down there was beyond me, then walked slowly to that end, beckoning with one hand for me to follow. I did so, and felt something filmy drape itself over my face and arms. Quickly I back-pedalled, thinking spiders or worse, considering this was the dwelling of a creature I thought was a legend until a few minutes ago, but stopped when I heard her giggling. She was standing, one hand covering her mouth as she shook uncontrollably. ‘What?’ I said loudly, anger getting the better of me.

She gasped for air. ‘Oh nothing, nothing, its just you are scared of a little bit of silk!’

SILK?? I put out a hand in front of me and yes, it was silk, long strips of it hanging from the cavernous ceiling. My face flushed from embarrassment, and I turned towards the door to suffer my humiliation alone. ‘Oh don’t be like that,’ she said, running to me and hanging off my shoulder. ‘I’m sorry I laughed at you, but anyway, shall we forget this and let me show you what’s down there?’ I calmed down, then motioned for her to continue while I followed, still nursing my wounded ego. Getting past the veil of silk I saw what it was there to hide. A dim chandelier hung from the ceiling, rubies hanging off it filling the area with a deep, bloody light. Illuminated by this was a sumptuous four-poster bed carved from ebony, with crimson covers and canopy, raised up on a small dais, accessed by a set of granite steps.

She sat on one corner of the bed looking coy, and patted the covers next to her, an open invitation by anyone’s standards. I sat myself down one the opposite side, uncomfortable with her familiarity, but it made no difference as she moved over to be next to me. ‘So,’ she said eyes downcast. ‘Do you want to know what is going on? The reason for your coming here?’

‘No, of course not.’ I said sarcastically. ‘I just want to live in ignorance for the rest of my life.’

‘There’s no need to be like that,’ she said huffily, her arms crossed in front of her. ‘I’ll tell you, but considering you are human, this may be had for you. Your species is so delicate…’ she stared into the distance, her eyes unfocussed, incomparable loss reflected within. She snapped out of her daze and jumped down off the bed, running towards the other end of the room as I slowly trudged after her.

She stopped before the forge, the firelight dancing in her eyes. ‘Just remember,’ she warned, her face stern, ‘You asked for this.’ She motioned with a hand for me to move close to the flames, moving out of my way so I could get close. ‘What am I meant to be doing?’ I questioned her, the heat of the forge bathing my face in warmth.

‘Just look into the heart of the coals, and you must not look away,’ was her cryptic reply.

I sat in front of the forge and stared deep into it, waves of heat roiling across my face, my eyes drying up. I was about to turn away and say nothing was happening when a flicker of movement caught my eye. Glancing back saw a dark stain in the middle of a flame, flickering in time with its fiery companion’s movement. I scrutinised it, watching in amazement as the stain detached itself from the flame and coalesced into a miniature figurine of myself.

As I sat stunned by this, he, me, whatever, it walked to the edge of the forge and sat itself on the edge, firelight reflecting off its body. It smiled up at me, and motioned for me to bring my head closer. The heat was intense but I pushed through, immediately yelling as the image of me reached up and grabbed my ear. Its touch was that of a thousand cinders, giving the feeling that my flesh was blackening and burning off. Its head pressed close to mine, it whispered tome in a voice of flame, dry and crackly, spitting out the words. ‘You shall know what happened,’ it said, the pain spreading across my face as he gripped harder, ‘You shall see what is happening and what will happen.’ He le go of my ear giving me a brief respite, but not long enough, as he pushed his hand against my forehead. This time the pain was real, his hand pushing into my skin, the smell of my own roasting flesh filling my nostrils. I went to jerk my head away but an inhumanly strong grip kept me held fast, helpless as the other me pushed further towards my brain. I screamed in agony as his searing touch scorched the surface of my brain. My mind could take no more. This time, I welcomed the blackness that came with unconsciousness. Maybe I wont wake up, I thought hazily, my last thought before oblivion.

‘You’ve really done it this time.’

I was awake and apparently unharmed, but looking around I saw I was in a black room, with a low table and candle. Oh great, I thought, inwardly groaning, I’m back in my head. Well, at least this proves I’m not dead, just mildly delusional. With that thought I looked at the figure leaning against the opposite wall, his black coat lending him a look of insubstantiality. And yes, I knew it was a him, he had turned to face me, showing me that I would be talking to myself again. Sighing, I looked at him squarely and asked, ‘Ok, what’s the deal. I know you are in some way a reflection of me, but how? Why?’

‘Ten points to you, well done!’ he said mockingly, standing up straight to return my look. ‘I could just say you are completely insane, but that would impact on me. As you have correctly guessed,’ he said, walking to and kneeling at the table, ‘yes, I am you. But,’ he warned, wagging a finger at me, ‘I am not you. At least, not you in the sense you understand. Come, join me.’

He motioned for me to take a seat and I did so warily, my eyes alert for any sudden movement of his. Please understand my caution, the last two times I had met him he had killed me, it wasn’t something I enjoyed doing, even though this is a dream. ‘Now we are both comfortable, well, not comfortable but seated,’ he said, glancing at my wary body, ‘maybe I can answer a few of your questions.’

‘Ok, how’s this for a starter,’ I said, pointing a finger at him, ‘What the hell is going on here? ‘

He shrugged. ‘Why do you assume I know?’

‘Because you yourself said you’re not me, so you should know!’ I yelled, frustration getting the better of me.

‘Another ten points to the rookie!’ he exclaimed, getting up and pointing at me. ‘You’re right,’ he conceded, ‘I do know what’s happening. I guess I wont get onto any of the juicier questions until you know, so we may as well relax.’

I did as he bid me, the tension leaving my muscles. ‘So anyway, are you going to elaborate on what’s happening?’ I asked him calmly, ‘Even a basic explanation would do.’

‘You want basic?’ he whispered, hands clenched in front of his chest. ‘OK, here you go. Your life was given up so your family could live well, and I was implanted into your mind. Simple enough?’

He grinned maliciously as my face froze into a mask of shock, my eyes fixed on his fists, my ears trying to discredit what I had just heard. He continued on. ‘Your eyes are asking why. I’ll tell you, if only to see you break down. They sold you as a deal in order to be rich and successful. The price was you. They accepted.’

He continued explaining to me, how because of this my mother ran a global magazine, my father was CEO of a legal firm, and that now I was gone my twin brother could enter a prestigious university. I heard all this, yet didn’t, because deep inside me I refused to believe this. He caught the look on my face and laughed. ‘Silly little Shiki, always wanting to believe the best in people, now watches his perfect world crumble before him. Poor baby,’ he added patronizingly, jumping back to avoid the fist I lashed out at him.