Elizabeth lay atop the the bloody willow tree. The clouds moved over and blackened like the night sky. The rain came fast and heavy to begin the cleansing. The fires gave way and the smoke faded. It was supposed to end now. She thought about how long it may take before she knew.

If Alius had failed then impaled on this Willow is where she will spend the rest of eternity. The birds stopped singing and the wind no longer blew. The forest shrank beneath a thick layer of mist.

She began to sob. Her tears were lost in the rain and her cries rang silent. The remains of the fire-damaged buildings began to decay. Time dragged them through eternity and melted them down like gold. The grass died and retreated into the mud. Mist surrounded Elizabeth until she could not see her hand before her face. The sound of her breath faded. She spoke but could not hear the words. All sensations left her body. She thought of how many times Alius had led the village to this moment.

Now she resided in the ultimate nothingness, waiting for the man she had betrayed to save her or fail. There was no greater sorrow, and never had she felt so powerless.

***

Mr Potter roused from the armchair. A noise from the kitchen had awoken him. He pushed himself up and cleared his chest before lighting a candle to explore. The kitchen was clear but the back door was knocking. “Bloody thing.” he pushed an old crate in front of it.

He went into the cobbler workshop and found his hammer and a tack. “If you want a vampire, I’ll give you one, Alius.” A knocking at the workshop door gave him a small fright. It didn’t help he was already on edge. “By the lord.” He set his hammer down and opened the door. “Jimethy.”

“Hello, Mr Potter.” He said shakily.

“What do you want?”

“Daniel is here.”

“Where?”

Jimethy waved Daniel towards him. The man came round the corner.

“Get in, you might get caught.”

“Aye, had to be careful, Alius is out on the prowl. He’s got his fat friend with him as usual.”

Mr Potter tutted. “How did you know I was in here?”

“Candlelight, Mr Potter.”

Daniel nodded and closed the workshop door behind him. “So what’s this theory you have about my wife?”

“Tell him.” Jimethy nodded.

Mr Potter looked between the two men and kept his voice low. “I shall tell you. Tis Alius and Jarrod.”

“What is?”

He hushed Daniel, “My wife is asleep, she’ll get grumpy if you wake her.”

Daniel frowned and apologised.

“Elizabeth was the first to die. By his hand no doubt.”

“Jarrod said she died naturally.”

“Of course he did, Daniel,” Mr Potter shook his head and grumbled, “They're both in on it.”

“In on what?”

“Killing our women folk.”

Daniel crossed his arms. “Awfully strong levy against them. I vowed to kill the man who did this to my Angela.”

“Yes, well, I’ve seen Alius sneaking about my house a few times.” Said Potter, “I confronted him once and he said he was just patrolling.”

“Sure. Makes sense.” Daniel nodded. “Ain’t proof they did something like this though.”

“Well, keep your eye out for them at least.” Mr Potter nodded at Jimethy. “Lest you believe his nonsense vampire story.”

Daniel gritted his teeth, “If he makes me do one more stupid thing I shall tell him what for.”

“Indeed, Daniel. Now. The pair of you. Piss off. I need to sleep.”

Jim chuckled. “Still sleeping on the chair?”

“Yes.”

Daniel cocked his head inquisitively.

Mr Potter smiled at Daniel, “My snoring keeps her awake.”

“Right you are.” Daniel chuckled.

The men left. Mr Potter gently closed the door behind them and pressed his head to the wood. He was glad of the small intrusion. It would delay what he must do. No, this wasn’t a must. It was a want. If he desired Elizabeth and the captaincy then Esmeralda had to be removed from the picture. It saddened him that she had his child in her belly. He wished Elizabeth was the mother. He wished he could save it but there would be time to make another with Elizabeth. Sacrifice. That’s what ambition requires.

He hoped that he had sewn enough seeds in people's minds. For the past month or so he had been planting the idea in the heads of the villagers that Alius had become mad. Alius had helped this along with his stories of vampires and the outlandish instructions. Mr Potter would make his final play.

“I wait for you.”

Mr Potter looked at the workshop wall where the voice came from. It was Elizabeth. He pressed his ear to it and spoke back. “I’m coming.”

“Kill her tonight.” Her voice was haunting and beautiful.

“I shall.”

“We shall be together.”

“We shall.”

“I am in the walls. Free me in the morrow.”

“I shall, I shall.” Mr Potter closed his eyes and ran his hand over the wall slowly. The voice of the woman he loved had been the instructor of his actions. She let him murder Angela. It felt good when she praised him for his work. He kissed the wall. “Soon.”

“In the morrow.”

“In the morrow my love.” Mr Potter took up his hammer and the tack.

He stalked through the dark house quietly and entered the room of Esmeralda. There she slept so peacefully, laying perfectly on her back for him. He set the hammer and tack on the bedside table. “She offers me a better future than you can, Esmeralda.” He said to her. She groaned a little and wiggled in the bed. He stroked her hair softly and nodded.

He ripped the pillow from under Esmeralda’s head. Her eyes shot open in surprise but all she saw was the fabric pressed over her. She writhed, kicking and releasing a muffled moan. Mr Potter had straddled her and kept her pressed flat to the mattress.

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“Shhh.”

“Yes, yes kill her!” The walls moaned in pleasure as he did its will.

“I shall kill her for you!”

Esmeralda’s fear was churned with sadness when she learned her husband was her killer. She struck at his arms and dug her nails in. She pulled his shirt, but it was no use. Her consciousness slipped away. Her struggle became feeble and she went limp.

Mr Potter held the pillow there for another minute or so before peeling it away. His suffocated wife lay still. “I have done it.”

“You are my beloved. You do great things.”

“Thank you.” Mr Potter almost felt guilty, but the voice in the walls soothed him and ironed out the creases in his conscience.

He proceeded to make wounds in her neck using the hammer and tack. He nailed two small holes in her neck. “Alius’ madness will be ignited by this.”

“Indeed.” The walls cooed back.

He returned the pillow under her head and neatened her hair. “This was the only way,” he whispered and kissed his dead wife on her forehead.

He made a cup of tea and paced about the halls to release the pent-up stress from his most recent kill. The act invigorated him. Finally, he sat on the chair and did his best to sleep. In the morning he would call for the Captain.

Morning came slowly for he did not sleep. The sun rose and he considered when best to fetch the captain. He asked himself when would be a natural time for him to realise.

He settled on seven. Before leaving the house he prepared himself, he wanted to look most surprised and worried. He took a deep breath and opened his door before charging out towards the manor. Villagers looked at him most perplexed. He called out: “Captain! Captain!” When he reached the manor house, Alius had already come outside due to the racket he had caused.

“What is the matter, Mr Potter?” Alius closed his door behind him and went out to meet him in the garden.

“It’s my wife, Captain. She’s…she’s dead!”

Alius nodded. “I shall come by right away, let me fetch Jarrod.”

“Right.”

Alius arrived shortly after with Jarrod. “Show me the body.”

Mr Potter let them both in. “I was sleeping on the chair, an account of my snoring.”

Jarrod nodded.

“I checked her room to see if she wanted a cup of tea, and, well…” he pointed them to the bedroom door.

Jarrod moved up in front and opened the door, looking back. “This one?”

Mr Potter nodded and headed towards him, holding the door open to let Jarrod in.

The portly man looked over her and called through to Alius who was checking not far behind in the hall. “Captain!” He leaned in. “She’s been proper’ killed.”

Alius eased by the grieving Husband and went to inspect the woman. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the blue ribbon. He noted that Esmeralda often wore her hair up in blue or red ribbons.

“What’s the matter, Captain?”

“Nothing…would you give me a moment with her please?”

Mr Potter folded his arms, wary that Alius might see through his ruse. “What for?”

“Jarrod, make Mr Potter and I a cup of tea.”

“Aye, sir.” He led Mr Potter out of the room and closed the door behind him.

Alius ran his fingers over the wounds in Esmeralda’s neck and frowned. He tried to remain focused on her but was pulled away by the oddness of the ribbon tied around the handle of the bedside dresser drawer. He submitted to temptation and slid it open. A note inside. He opened and it read:

Forgiveness is something we offer ourselves through the glory of God. It is what we offer to those who fall from his glory too. Forgiveness is all we have. Mr David Potter must see himself in the mirror and you must forgive him, lest the curse take hold and we be led away from His gift. Mr Potter owns hands that kill. Those hands are not his. Forgive.

He closed placed the note down and frowned. “Mirror?” he looked over at the standing mirror in the corner. It was the wrong way and something was etched into it. Curious, he walked over and read the inscription. Matthew 25:41. He mouthed the verse to himself. “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”

The door rattled. “What’s going on in there?” Mr Potter called through.

Alius thought about asking Jarrod to restrain him, instead he invited him in.

Mr Potter entered and looked around. “What’s going on, why are you looking at the mirror?”

“Why is this mirror turned away?”

“I don’t know.” Mr Potter shrugged, finding it odd himself. “Matthew 25:41…what is that?”

“It’s a bible verse.”

“I know that Captain, but what is the verse?”

Alius ignored the question and lifted the mirror to turn it around.

***

The vampire crashed through the roof and the upper floor of the manor house, landing in the living room. The abyss had threatened to freeze him in time, but Simon's hard work had revealed the pathway into the walls. The bleak emptiness of eternity would chase him through the walls, but he would break out into another realm. One outside of this forsaken village. There he could reign supreme.

He slipped into the blackness and was caught off guard by the vastness of the dark space. The walls held infinite possibilities, all of which were his to explore. A light in the distance attracted it. It glinted with a subtle attraction that drew him in. His yellow gaze narrowed and he cautiously approached.

He looked through the square pain and saw before him two men. Alius and himself, his old self, staring back. He bore his fangs and licked his lips. “I shall enjoy killing you Alius.” He backed off and prepared to charge.

Alius narrowed his eyes and peered deeply into the mirror. Mr Potter was standing behind him and looking quite out of sorts. “I forgive you, Mr Potter.”

Mr Potter looked into Alius’ eyes through the mirror, standing off and to the left. “Forgive me for what?”

“For murdering her.”

“Excuse me!”

“For having an affair with Elizabeth.”

“What?”

“You killed Angela too didn’t you?”

“No!”

“And you are a liar.” Alius closed his eyes and listened. He stepped to one side just in time.

The vampire that was once David crashed through the glass and tackled Mr Potter. In a feracious and thirsty frenzy, he gorged, draining Mr Potter until his skin went porcelain white. He pulled his fangs out and raised his head. In the heat of the moment, he had feasted upon himself. Furious he turned to Alius. “Time for you to die, Alius.”

“Indeed.”

He leapt on Alius and bore his fangs deep.

Alius placed his hand on the back of the vampire's head. “I forgive you, David.”

The vampire's jaw weakened. His claws retracted. He fell back. He had reverted to his old self.

“It’s over, David.”

“What’s happening to me?”

“You are being set free.”

A great mist descended and Alius passed out in the bedroom.

Alius awoke in the middle of the forest. He clambered to his feet and looked around. The birds sang, the breeze blew warmly and the trees bristled happily. He looked down over himself to see he was dressed in a plain white robe.

Before him was a precession of people who walked towards him in a line, all dressed in plain white robes like himself. Each one was a villager. They smiled at him and kissed his cheek as they walked past. Alius looked behind him and saw they passed through a great iron gate that left the forest.

The faces of the folks nodded softly, smiled, kiss him. Jimethy, Terrence, Daniel, Hannah, Jarrod, Greg, Sylvester, Esmeralda. Then David. He was not smiling. He approached and placed his hands on Alius’ shoulders. “I am sorry.”

Alius held back tears of joy. “We all are.”

“It took me.”

“It took us all.” Alius placed his hands on David’s side. “I let it through the walls.”

“I did unspeakable things.”

“Then do not speak them. Go.”

David looked past Alius and then back into his eyes, “Thank you for your forgiveness.”

“Forgive me.”

“I do.” He walked through the gates.

The last person approached. Elizabeth. “Alius.”

“Say nothing, my wife.” He embraced her and kissed her softly.

Elizabeth took him the hand to lead him away, but he didn’t move. She looked back at Alius. “It’s time for us to leave, Alius.”

Alius shook his head. “It’s time for you to leave.”

“You must come.”

“No.”

“You are forgiven.”

“I do not forgive myself. I failed you.”

Elizabeth tried to pull.

Alius reluctantly let her hand go.

“You cannot stay here.”

“I shall. Go, before the gates close.”

Elizabeth’s eyes watered, “Please.”

Mist began to cover the forest. “Go, Elizabeth.”

She kissed him once more and walked through the gates, looking back once before passing through. Alius disappeared in the mist. Alone. The gates closed behind the precession.