Deadly Silent

 

 

Monday April 17^th 1950 12:00PM

 

Deadly Silent

 

I walked down the small path twiddling a cigar between my fingers.  I stole a glance at Catlin Herriot.  Her thick brown hair was done up in something they called victory rolls.  They emphasised her pale heart shaped face and she was wearing the reddest lip paint I had ever seen, unlike in are time it was worn by everyone.  She was wearing a bright yellow dress with short capped sleeves.  The dress came in at the waist mimicking the corsets of our time.  The fabric hung underneath it like a bell flower and abruptly ended at her knees.  I must admit it made me uncomfortable to know that just anyone could see her legs thru the sheer fabric they called panty hose.  Even more so to know I could.  But she seemed to have adapted just fine.  I myself refused to change my look and continued to wear tailored Benjamin[1], Benjy[2], white shirt, trousers, and my leather crabshells[3], although I have given up on my top hat as it draws too much unwanted attention.

“It must have been a ghost.”  She said in a cheerful British accent and hopping over a log.

“Now we can’t be sure Catlin.”  I said tousling my brown hair, and wondering what might have done this.

“Wait so you’re telling me you believe in time travel, magic and creatures but not in ghosts?”  Catlin said leaping over a log and walking towards me.

”I only half believe in ghosts, for when you truly start to believe. You’ll find they become a bit unmanageable.” I replied before looking up at the large Stone building.  Though I to play it safe I should tell you  a man by the name George Cornock got stuck on a moll from the mob working here.  Josephine Herriot was the name if my memories hold.

“I see and shall I assume the poor lad was killed and the body never found and what of the girl?”  She asked rocking on her heels.

“From what I’ve heard she goes by the name Josephine Cornock now and lives on a small farm with her husband keeping the towns men from following the Hoppy lanterns.  You see right as the mob boss was just about to take care of him, a banshee appeared and her screech rang out which in turn caused the chandelier about his head to crash down onto him.  The boss being a drunkard had spilt some of this moon booze on him earlier that evening and so when the candles hit it he lit up like a field of dead flowers and the whole place burned down.  Luckily George and Josephine got out fine.”

“Well then I suppose we should take a look.  She said smiling at me before making her way over to the empty door frame.

“Yes I suppose we should.”  I smiled after her.

 

Looking around didn’t take long, there wasn’t much other then burnt wood and the stone walls of the house, there was no roof left.  There were a few remnants of furniture.  I heard Catlin gasp and followed her in to what looked like the main room.  I looked down to see the marble floor blackened by the licks of fire.  Except for a patch of white in the middle.  I felt Catlin shudder beside me and instinctively I put my hand upon her shoulders.

“That looks more like the works of dark magic than spilt Ale.  Dark magic.  I don’t suppose he is any closer to finding a way to get us home.  Although he doesn’t look to be in a fine fettle.  And his poor wife she must be so distraught.”  Catlin looked thoughtfully at the scorch marks before turning to look at me.

“Dear Catlin, you do seem to take an interest in conversation in this time, why do you not at home?”  I asked searching face.

“Alden it is not the place of a woman to converse at home.”  Catlin said stepping in to a curtsey and pivoting to walk towards the remnants of what looked like a book shelf.  “Oh, I simply adore this book.”  She ran a finger down the spine of a very dirty looking_____.

“Catlin.”  I said trying to sound as serious as possible.  Walking over to her I gentle took her hand in mine.  “You know we can stay here?  We don’t have to return.” 

 “Nonsense!  We must return home, the company must be running amuck by now.  And there’s Marylyn to think about.”  Catlin said looking at me with steady green eyes.  She walked over to the side of the staircase.  “I think there’s something here.  Look at these markings.”  She said pointing to slight carvings in the rock as I move closer they formed into an image, A coat of arms shield with two feathered wings outstretched on the shield was a leaf with

“With the flight of an angel and the silence of a leaf, with a single drop your life taken.”  I said somberly touching the carving.  “The Blood Angels, a group of assassins, but I thought they had died out before even our time.”

“Well, there must be a switch here somewhere to open this.”  Catlin said pressing her fingers into the wall.  I quickly caught her hand. “Yes but the switch will no doubt be booby-trapped.”  I quickly added looking around.  I found a fairly big rock and picked it up.  “Catlin care to move off to the side.”  I asked and she complied, with effort I swung the rock in to the wall and heard a crack.  Backing up I started again and the crack widened.  This time I ran at the wall and threw the rock letting go, and diving out of the way as it plunged thru the wall.  It returned fire with a burst of arrows impaling the book shelf.  I looked up at Catlin from the floor to see her staring at me with amused eyes. 

“I guess you were right Alden.”  She said carefully ducking under what was left of the rocks.  “Catlin, do be careful there may be more traps.”  I called ducking in after her.  The tunnel led to a very narrow flight of stairs.”  How peculiar. I thought looking at small torches leading down the stair.  “It must have been years since anyone has tread in here and yet it appears someone’s left the lights on.”  I said to Catlin before grabbing the nearest torch.   I pulled it down and waved my hand thru the flame.  “Alden!  Not everything is magic, what if you had burned your hand?”  Catlin tried to say in a stern voice.  “Then it would have healed.”  I mumbled, receiving a silly look from her. “It’s not hot.” I said and started walking down the staircase. 

When I reached the bottom it opened out in to a small room, which I was shocked to see had freshly painted bright yellow walls, a rather worn looking chair, and one of the strange picture boxes.  “Stay behind me.”  I said before realizing Catlin was already heading towards the picture box.  “Catlin!  What are you doing?”  Without even looking at me she said. “Aren’t these just fascinating?”  She smacked the side of box.  I crossed the room and grabbed her wrist.  “Catlin.”  I said softly my eye wandering to a rather larger Rottweiler stalked up.  “What a beautiful dog!”  Catlin exclaimed reaching out to pet it.  I grabbed her wrist and pulled her back, as I did this the dog let out a threating wine.  “Connor!  I told you to leave the pesky wood mice alone!”  A young voice called out from a door way.  “If they want my peanut butter they’ll have to bring me that fairy dust first!”

“Aatxe?”  I said speaking barely more than a whisper.  A young man appeared with hair redder than the fires of hell, he wore a black jacket fixed with dozens of pockets it had the same insignia that was on the wall, only this time it was sewn in red string.  “You joined the Blood Angels?”  I said trying to fill my voice with menace. 

“Oh! Catlin Ashdown?  I haven’t seen you in years, how are you darling, come to think about it I haven’t seen you in well, over a century.”  A shocked look came over his face. “How is it your looking as spiffy as-you’re not a vampire now are you?”  He continued.  My Catlin looked at him amusement playing at her eyes.  “Aatxe we-.“  He stalked up to her and grabbed her hand before interrupting. “Tell me you didn’t go kissing any fairy’s-or wait!  Someone didn’t feed you mermaid did they!”  He let go of her hand and started pacing his left hand attached to his right elbow, his other hands palm attached to his right cheek.  “No, I did not eat any mermaid.”  Catlin said making a rather disgusted looking face.  Fearing this could take a while I wandered over the seat and sat down, still unnoticed by Aatxe. 

“No I suppose you wouldn’t like the taste, I’ve heard it’s rather salty.  Now wait a minute if you are immortal then why have I not seen you since the Great War?  You couldn’t even come to visit?”  He said walking over to the chair I was on and tried to sit down. “Arh!” He immediately stood up looking appalled.  “Alden!  What are you doing in my seat?”  He looked genuinely confused before looking over to Catlin, a sort of realization dawned on his face.  “Ah ha!  Only took you two love birds what a hundred years to finally go steady?”

“Going steady?”  I asked rubbing my eyes I looked at Catlin for assistance, since coming her she had managed to pick up on most of the slang they use.  My gaze was greeted by a red faced Catlin.  She walked up to Aatxe and held her hands out palm down; he took them in his and stared excitedly at her with his pitch black eyes; if he had a tail it would be wagging out of control by now.  “Aatxe, neither I nor Alden are immortal and where certainly not going steady.”  She flicked her eyes to quickly look at me. 

“The reason why we don’t look any different is because well we traveled her from 1937.”  I butted in impatiently.  “See Catlin’s great, great, great, great grandson was poking around with dark magic and-.“  I started before he interrupted me.

“I see, must you trail on, always taking your time getting to the point…  No wonder you and Catlin aren’t together.”  He said releasing Catlin’s hands and walking thru the door way.  Leaning back in he asked.  “Anyways why are you in my house?  I thought you lived in London-wait there hasn’t been some kind of time rift and now this is-”

“Aatxe!”  Catlin shouted causing both Aatxe and me to jump.  Honestly I couldn’t think of anything scarier than Catlin angry, and I think me and him were possible they only two that had first-hand accounts.

“We were dragged back in time and are waiting for My Very Great Grandson to figure out a way back.”  She said walking up to the picture box again.  “How does this work?  Are there little puppets inside?”

Aatxe walked over to the box and turned a piece in at the bottom.  It made a slight popping sound and a two people flashed on the screen.  Sound starting coming out of the box.  “Strange”  I commented walking around the box.

---

[1] Benjamin: coat

[2] Benjy: waistcoat

[3] Crabshells shoes

 

 

 

Author's Note

Let me know what you think! :)

Reviews

[Hatchling]

Awesome :D

[AWickedMoon]

Thank you! :)

[Hatchling]

You're welcome

[IndigoChild]

The story seems fascinating keep going

[AWickedMoon]

Thank you. :)

[Calibaster]

This is good, but what does it have to do with the previous chapter? I cannot find out how you went from there to here! Great job! ;)