Alyssa Stewart and the Scarlet Orb

Chapter One : The Darkness Inside

The night was dark as a bullet hole. Though it was the month of May, it was much colder as well. The night was even more silent, one of the most silent in suburb of Bristol, imaginable.
The night was a cloudy one, without any showers. Moderately thick fog had blurred the windows of the Stewart Manor, through one of which Alyssa inattentively gazed outside. She had nothing to view, for there was mist cover. Yet she gazed outside, staring at something invisible, unnoticeable.
She was not staring in the true sense, she was pondering over the news of death of Madame Courturier. On the desk before her, was lying The Daily Mirror of that day. On the lower portion of the front page the news is published. Captioned, "Another archaeologist murdered", it shocked her entire family,
Parting her strained eyes, that had begun aching, from the invisible object she was staring at, Alyssa once again picked up The Daily Mirror from the desk. She folded the paper at the middle and gazed with disbelieving eyes at the photo. Madame Courturier, merry and ever-jolly as she was, was still smiling from underneath the paper.
She had read the news several times since morning. Even The Guardian and Morning Star contain this news. Every other newspaper Alyssa could think of had published it. She had verified it even from the internet. She had also gone through the evening version of a local Bristol newspaper, The Evening Post. At last, Alyssa called Norman Butler, to verify if the news was true.
All possible sources that Alyssa had, informed that Madame Courturier had been murdered the previous night. Still she could not believe them, for even if she did, any logical reasoning could not explain it.
With more and more discomfort raising overtime in her heart, Alyssa once again started reading the news published in The Daily Mirror.
"Another Archaeologist murdered

Closely following the deaths of Dr. Saunders and Michael Harold, another archaeologist, Madame Courturier was found dead in her apartment in London in the afternoon. Police says that BLOOD MONEY might be involved.

Madame Courturier, a widely renowned archaeologist of the last two decades, resident, 12 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, was murdered at her own apartment in the previous afternoon. The culprit............a massive blood money creed murdering archaeologists one after the other,.....................Dr. Saunders was killed on the very Saturday, the previous week...........police is almost sure that this three murders have a common connection between them...............Madame Courturier, Michael Harold, and a few others went on an expedition as a team two months back................The murders may also be related to robbing of any artifacts, though this could not explain the fact none of the victims's houses were found ransacked..............the operation took no more than fifteen minutes...............Police is anxious that this serial killing might not end with the death of Madame Courturier.............might claim the lives of archaeologist closely connected with expedition to Mediterranean, along with Harold, Madame Courturier..............that this violent creed may target Fergus Davidson, Dr. Stewart or Norman Butler, any time soon..........."




Alyssa heaved a deep sigh in agony. She could, by no means, believe Madame Courturier's death. She was murdered, at London, that too in afternoon. How on earth that could have been!
Alyssa met her last night, hours after she died according to The Daily Mirror!
It simply did n't make sense.
But even to make the least possible sense out of it would need to rewind back to a Sunday afternoon, three weeks ago.
Alyssa tried to recall everything that happened since that day. She closed her eyes and leant back against her chair.




* * *


Henrieto Stewart was alone in his study. In front of him, on the desk, many books remained scattered. Their riffling sound hardly bothered Henrieto. He was closely observing a locket with silver chains and a emerald spherical crystal dangling from them.
Henrieto stared at the locket without a blink. The mysterious crystal was emitting a strange fluroscense from its surface.
Someone knocked the door, followed by Alyssa's voice,"Dad, may I come in?"
"Come in, of course." Henrieto lowered the locket and gently placed it on the table.
The door opened and Alyssa came in, with a piece of paper dangling from his fingers.
"Sorry to disturb you, were you busy?"
"Not much, so, what brought you here?"
"Can you please sign this form," Alyssa placed the piece of paper on the table.
"O, what's this, anyway?" her Dad asked her.
"School stuff, we are taken to the museum for an exhibition on rare artifacts, we gotta get the form signed by a guardian..."
"Oh I see, dear." said Henrieto. Picking up the pen from the desk he signed the form. "Here you go!"
"What's that?" asked Alyssa, pointing towards the locket her Dad was observing.
Henrieto handed over the form to Alyssa. Alyssa said, "Thanks Dad." , still staring at the locket.
"This," said her dad,"is the Wanderer's Charm."
"Beautiful, is n't it?" said Alyssa.
"Beautiful, attractive, and being a charm, it's charming as well. But, it might lead one......NO NO NO....."
Alyssa paused, she was about to touch the crystal in the locket when her Dad started bellowing.
"Do NOT touch that. Not even the chains, it's too risky." said he.
"O, too risky then, huh."
"No jokes, dear. I am serious. This little piece of ornament is no ordinary one. Remember what I said, it is the Wanderer's Charm. It is said that this charm carries a curse in it. A deadly curse, that the Wanderer, to whom the locket belonged might inflict. It might not have any effect if you touch it but who knows what it might usher upon. So, it would be better if you step away."
And she did step aside, far away from the "so-called-deadly" charm.
"Where did you procure it from"? she asked.
" I am not supposed to tell you that." said Henrieto in an extremely bold voice.
Alyssa was bewildered at this reply. She blindly looked into her father's eyes which were gradually being filled with agony. He said to her, "The Wanderer( he will not tell who's he!) infused his locket with a curse. Legend has it, that, anyone unrightfully wearing this charm shall lose all psychological conscience and bigotedly set out for an unknown destination, rather..."
"The curse----" Alyssa spoke.
"Yeah", replied Henrieto,"awful, won't it be? If I set out for an unknown destination for indefinite time. This curse will surely lead one to his doom, and possibly death."
"Then, what are you doing with that?"
"Observing, dear. You need n't worry. Even in one's darkest despair, he will not part with The Wanderer's Charm, unless of course, he's unaware of the curse. Now off you go." said he, laughing.
"Well, see you at dinner then." Alyssa said as she went out through the door, out of her father's study. Then, out of curiosity she turned back. From a small gap left between the door and the wall, she noticed her Dad, holding the charm too close to his chest, tightly clutched within his palm. Alyssa heard his weak, slow voice," I won't do it, but I can't help. Forgive me, Alyssa. Someday, you will realise, if you ever are to be in my shoes."



* * *


Alyssa was in her bedroom , studying her textbook, when she heard the clamering noise. It was not bothering her much at first. But, it was gradually breaking the dead silence of the cloudy night. It was too loud to bear in no time and the intensity still went on increasing.
It took Alyssa ten minutes to reckon where the noise was coming from, but only one second more for the reason behind it.
Sure enough it was a quarrel. And, it came from nowhere but downstairs, from the manor itself.
"Mom and Dad, o'course." she muttered in frustration.
Loud, dull, and with rhythmic troughs and crests, the noise (quarrel, of course) now began to seriously annoying her.
" Oh goddamn!" she exclaimed when she heard the clanking noise, no doubt, something heavy had tumbled upon the ground. "Gotta stop them."
And then she ran downstairs in great hurry. As she descended down the staircase, the noise became louder and LOUDER, and at the third floor, she reckoned what it was all about.
"I won't come back. You can't hold me back forever." it was Henrieto's voice, which was almost like that of a drunk.
"What the-----" exclaimed her Mom, "you are with me or that lunatic?" She clearly stressed on the last word.
"I don't know, Ma'am. I am just a-------" Alyssa heard the voice of Uncle Castle, the butler of their Manor.
"Get me my trunk." roared her father's voice.
"Oh you shut up. Help me take him in" her mom bellowed,"now what, what's holding you up now? GET HIM, before ......."
"I don't-----"
"Don't you DARE. Castle, heed my word, you'll get me my trunk or........" and there was a LOUD BANG and another clanking of heavy object falling on the ground.
"I don't------"
"Hell with you! I will go myself then......"
"Come back here, you can not just go away like that." her mom's voice grew desperate.
"You won't be stopping me. I shall.....I must.....I must leave....and I am."
"NO, YOU ARE NOT." Alyssa bellowed at the zenith of her voice, running down the stairs.
"Alyssa, you don't understand...." her father said.
" I need n't. Just come BACK." she roared.
"Don't listen to them, Castle, just bring me my trunk." ordered his Dad.
"I don't.... I WON'T" even Castle shouted now.
"Very well then, bid you farewell. I will be off....I must reach before the satan resurface....."
"But Sir, you must n't....."
"Your Dad has n't gone mad, has he?" exclaimed Alyssa's mother.
And then, Alyssa noticed an emerald fluroscent crystalline sphere, adhered to the chain around Henrieto's neck, camouflaging over the dark green overcoat (overcoat, that too in mid-summer!) and she bellowed at the top of her voice,"MOM, IT IS THE WANDERER'S CHARM. DAD'S INFLICTED WITH THE WANDERER'S CURSE."
"Dare not reprimand the Wanderer in front of me." roared her father.
"Take that charm out. It will kill you."
" Dare not insult the holy!"
"Take the charm out, Dad, please..."
" I can't withstand the dishonour of the Wanderer in front of me."
" You are.... Uncle Castle..please make him take that charm out...Mom..please"
And then Henrieto did something absolutely unexpected. "I will not take out this locket..." he yelled, and ran out through the door, onto the lawn, over the causeway, across the fountain, towards the main gate of the Stewart Manor. Alyssa without wasting a moment on thinking what to do now ran after her father. Near the exit, where her father stopped, realising that the gate was locked, Alyssa pounced on him from behind. Moments later, both of them were rolling over the pebbles of the causeway, practically wrestling with each other. Like a belligerant predator, Alyssa embroiled Henrieto at the waist, who, in turn, full of aversion, struggled to avert his daughter. Alyssa frantically moved her arms like fetters to keep her father entangled as long as she could. And then, her one arm still buckled round her Dad, the other swooped down upon the locket. With a sudden tug, the chain snapped, and the crystal sphere broke out from it into Alyssa palm. And then there was a BANG, LOUDEST among all other that had previously occurred. The sphere bursted out into an unbearably ultrasonic screech, that almost made Alyssa faint. The blast wave from the locket had threw both her Dad and her eight feet apart. Alyssa was lying on the grassy lawn near the fountain , while Henrieto sat, leant on the concrete wall, towards the periphery of the manor.
Soon the screech gave in to absolute silence. The sphere slowly slipped out of Alyssa's fatigued arm, onto the lawn, rolling over the grass for a few inches and then it disappeared into the thin air. Alyssa was in no shape to search for the sphere, or find out where and why did it disappear. She was too draggled for anything else but to lie flat.
"Castle," a female voice yelled, "go and fetch me some water."
"As you wish, Ma'am." replied the butler.
And then Alyssa felt she was slowly being lifted up and caressed, probably by her Mom. She heard her whisper into her ears,"Brave girl, very brave, brave indeed."
"Here, Ma'am, water." Castle came with a jug .
"Wake up dear, wake up." Alyssa felt splashes of water on her eyes and cheeks.
"That water was for splashing, Ma'am?" Castle asked foolishly.
Alyssa slowly opened her eyes. The dark was slowly disintegrating and, out of it emerged one by one, her Mom, Uncle Castle, the fountain, the lawn, the Manor, and on the farthest corner, a figure leaning against the wall, her Dad, with whom she had struggled for so long.
"I thought you asked drinking water." said Castle, more fooilsh than ever.
"You could have used the fountain water, it's a foot's distance." muttered Alyssa, in a very feeble voice.
"How do you feel?" Castle aked.
"Better, thanks." she replied in the same feeble tone.
Her mother embraced her in her arms. "Where's Dad, go and wake him back, Mom." Alyssa pleaded.
"I am fine," spoke a feeble male voice, from a distance, " what are we all doing on the lawn, anyway?"
"You gave us all a heart attack." Alyssa bawled, no more in a feeble but bold voice.
"Where's the charm?"
"GONE!"
"Where?" he exclaimed.
"It disappeared."
"O" he murmered, "AUTODEFENDOTELETRANSPONANCY."
Alyssa hardly realised what it was. She said,"Even in one's darkest despair, he will not part with The Wanderer's Charm,
that's what you had told me Dad, didn't ya?"
"Believe me dear , I wouldn't have wore it, but, it was involuntary. I could n't control myself, the chains, strangled around my neck by themselves, and then the locket..." Henrieto mumbled.
"Then you could have asked for help, it was n't difficult to get the charm off you(it knocked me eight feet back!)."
"The curse, it jumbled my mind, I was such a bigot."
"Did it break off completely?" asked Alyssa apprehensively.
"Yes." nodded her Dad.
"We would better walk into the manor then." said Nancy, Alyssa's mother.
Henrieto strolled towards the manor with very small, slow steps. All the way till he was inside, he muttered within himself, "I must go. I can't help, I need to get there, or the circle would fail, the OJO won't stop untill our kind PERISH TO THE LAST MAN."
All that Alyssa knew from that day, was that she needed to be vigilant about her dad's whereabouts. Or who knows what trouble he might cook up another day.





But they did not wait for another cursed day for anything bad to happen. It happened every other day that followed, only it became worser and worser over time.
Henrieto became even more obsessed about something which he called the OJO, and often muttered about hiding something from the world. It had become a daily task for Alyssa to ask, "What's the OJO? Or who's it?" She did not ever received any reply other than, "Go away, my head's aching. " or "Stop bothering me to death."
Alyssa reckoned that it would not be possible for her to extract any info from a half-mad bigot, and she gave up asking. Instead she tried to watch every step of her Dad. She started to keep a note on every book that he read from that day. Henrieto never knew that he was being overwatched by her vigilant daughter. He gave up roaming the lawns or going outside. His entire world converged to his studyroom, and all he did converged to fidgeting all the time. Restless fidgeting always muttering the same words:"I have to find the OJO. I have to destroy the OJO." Alyssa knew that better than anyone else.
Little did she imagine, that the worst was yet to come.
On another cursed Sunday, three weeks later, Henrieto decided to go out of the manor after a long time.
"Where?" Alyssa asked in apprehension.
"Don't worry, I will be back by supper." her Dad replied in a very calm voice.
"But where are you going?"
"Don't worry, I will be back by supper." he foolishly repeated in the same calm voice.
Alyssa was in no shape to believe that he was going to come back by supper, not after all he had done earlier....
"Off I go, then." Henrieto spoke, as he finished tucking in his shirt.
"Where?"
"You won't believe if I tell you." he shrugged.
And, at this, Alyssa knew that something bad was to happen again.
Henrieto waved at her and stepped out of his room, descending down the marble staircase, followed by Alyssa.
She kept silence, for it would mean no good to pressurize him about disclosing where he was heading.
They finally landed on the ground floor, and she followed her Dad into the living room. Nancy, Alyssa's mother hopped up from the revolving chair, in front of the table, where she was busy working on her journalism papers, as Henrieto came in.
"Farewell," he spoke, "Nancy.....", as Alyssa gulped.
"Where's he going now?" Nancy scowled at her daughter. Alyssa shrugged in reply.
"Bid me farewell." he spoke, "I should be off now. The funeral would be starting at seven." and strode out of the room. Alyssa and her mother followed.
"So you are to attend a funeral," Nancy said in an anxious voice,"WHOSE?"
"MINE!!!" Henrieto replied in an as extremely soft voice, as extremely thunderstruck her wife and daughter looked.
Henrieto pulled the front door open and walked out into the causeway.
"Should we stop him?" asked Alyssa. She did not receive any reply from her mother. Then she heard a sound, that is made when someone tries to sob in a chocked throat.
Nancy Stewart was weeping, which gradually changed to a death sob. It made Alyssa lose all the willpower she was left with to hope for something good, something that was not dark, something that could push them towards the light.
Alyssa tried to contain her mother, saying, "It will all be over one day. He will be back amonst us. Please, Mom..." but she did not receive any response from her mother, who went on sobbing frantically. At last she spoke in a choked throat, "I had loved that man, for his charisma, for his courage, for his wisdom,..." she sobbed."All those virtues are lost, he's becoming a coward, whom I'd have hated all life."
"Virtues are never lost," Alyssa said like a prefect," none of the virtues you spoke of can save one from the fear of DEATH. He lives in a constant fear of something he calls the OJO." her throat choked.
"I had advised him not to play with evil artifacts," said her mother, "Haven't I ?"
"Mom, can you please self manage yourself," Alyssa suddenly said.
"Now where are you going? After that mad Dad of yours?" her mother frowned.
"You can't call him mad, at least, as long as he's not." Alyssa retorted. She pulled the door open, and stepped outwards, into a windy night. The door of the manor closed with a bang behind her.








Henrieto felt strange after coming out from the manor after a long time. The wind that was cutting across from the south west made him feel even more desolate. Grosvenor Road, where the Stewart Manor stood, was almost lonely and deserted. The wind was so sharp, that, Henrieto could feel the the splashing of moisture coming from the sea on his face. And then he gleed back at the manor for a second. And then he stroded away, towards the east, in the direction of sharp wind. He walked straight down the lane untill he reached the St. Nicholas road. He turned onto St. Nicholas and headed southwards.
St. Nicholas was a busier road, particularly at this time of the day. There are a number of small pubs and food courts here and there. These would stay open even on the coldest nights, till late night. Some pubs were even open throughout the night. Mild notes of old guitar playback records from the pubs lingered in the air, distorted by the wind.
None of which had been noticed by Henrieto. He just walked across every shop, every man he came across, as if they were not there. He just walked with heavy fast footsteps, absentminded.
"I have to find the OJO. If my assumption is correct, he will come to witness 'my' funeral. And I will have him within my clutch,...." he talked within himself, facing the ground.
"Daaaad!", he heard a voice, which he recognised to be her daughter's. Was Alyssa following him?
He turned about, and saw her, pacing towards him.
"You have come to take me back, haven't you?" he frowned at her.
What would she had said? There was no use of saying Yes, for she did not want to create a scene in a street full of pubs and restaurants. It was a matter of time before, the bartender, and waiters, and the customers will all bang outside, to see what had happened, which Alyssa never wanted.
"No, no." she said panting for breath,"I thought I would come with you."
"Don't tell me lies." said her father in a very stern voice.
" I am not." trying to keep her voice calm, she said,"See, I just thought that I would accompany you to wherever you are going. I wouldn't poke my nose in any of your business, promise."
"Then come with me." he heaved a sigh.
"Where?"
"To my funeral."
Alyssa felt the shockwave once more descending down her spine.
She gulped and tuttered,"W-wh-where?"
"St. Paul's, should start at seven." said he, stretching his arm towards Alyssa.
And off they went, arm in arm, Alyssa swallowing now and then.
'This', Alyssa thought, 'is even worse.' She did not have any idea what she was doing, or why at all she was going to the funeral of his father, who was very much alive and walking just beside her. More and more she thought, her head became more and more dizzy.
And, as they turned to the left, towards St. Paul's square, Alyssa felt that she might collapse of confusion, any moment.
"Dad, have you ever been to someone's funeral who's alive and walking beside you?" Alyssa asked desperately.
"No." was his short reply.
"Then how am I?" she retorted.
"Have you ever faced the AK....." he chewed the word back in. He gave a frightened sort of expression, gleeing at his daughter, and heaved a deep sigh.
Very soon, they were at the church gate, hymn notes were flirting in the air, coming from the church. Alyssa once again swallowed.
"Dr. Stewart." Alyssa turned her head as swiftly as did Henrieto, and saw a Lady, who had called him.
"Madame Courturier, you're in Bristol?" said Henrieto.
Madame Courturier was a Parisian by birth but used to stay at London, and was a part-time lecturer in ENCHANTING OF ARTIFACTS, at the University of London. She was wearing an ultramarine coat, that stretched down to her knees, a floral designed hat, and a scarlet shawl around her shoulder, looking odd with the deep blue coat. Their were a number of black marks of healed wounds on her cheeks, which came from expeditions she took part in. A small, showy, leather bag dangled from her one arm, and the other arm was clutching the wrist of that arm.
"Da-Dr.- Stewart, I came to Bristol for an friend's invitation to attend. I thought I might go see you--"
Alyssa opened her mouth to say something, couldn't think of anything to say and closed it again.
"Our Manor," her Dad spoke,"Is in the opposite direction."
"That's where I was headed." she replied," I saw you and your daughter......," she gave Alyssa such a strange look, which she could never forget, for a reason that can not be disclosed now.
"....and followed." said she.
Alyssa once again tried to say something but couldn't.
"We can go to your house, perhaps. There're things I got to tell you."
Alyssa braced herself to listen to those words--"My FUNERAL" again, but she was relieved beyond measure when her father agreed and said that they would together walk back to Grosvenor.
And then they walked, northwards. The wind showed no sign of ceasing, only it grew stronger overtime, making them shiver to some extent(Not Madame Courturier, she was wearing her shawl).
"You'ren't afraid of death still now, are you?" asked Madame Courturier.
"I can't help it, it tears me up."
"You will feel better if you have this." she placed a dull, rusty burnt sienna charm into his palm."It's enchanted. It should keep away the curse."
"Your own cure for the curse, is it?" he asked.
"Not exactly mine. But I contributed in enchanting it." she said.
And a few moments later Alyssa saw the dull rusty charm dangling from her father's neck.
After a few minutes of walk, they finally stepped back into the vicinity of Grosvenor, and could see from afar, the Stewart Manor, full uncountable dark windows and a very few with light, mostly in the first and second floors.
"Courturier," Henrieto spoke suddenly,"I have found a secure place for the core."
Alyssa looked at them in confusion.
Courturier asked,"Perhaps you can show that to me, tonight."
"How did you guess that it is an object I have at the manor and not some faraway place?" Henrieto asked her with wrinkled eyebrows.
"Wild guess." she replied,"I know you for a long time, long enough to be able to make such guesses."
"Sure." he said,"Just come to my studyroom. I will show you what I have got."
No sooner had Henrieto spoken these words, than they were at the large, iron front gates of the manor. They walked up the causeway, across the lawn, climbed the three marble stairs in front of the door and Alyssa rung the door bell.
Uncle Castle opened the door, with a gloomy face, but a broad grin appeared on his dull, wrinkled face at the sight of Henrieto.
Alyssa and Madame Courturier helped Henrieto climbed up to his bedroom, where they laid him on his bed. Alyssa left, and went downstairs to bring his supper. And as soon as she did, Nancy banged into the room.
About an hour later, after having his supper, Henrieto finally went to sleep, and at last Alyssa could heave a sigh of relief.
"Perhaps you should put up at our house for the night." she proposed Madmae Courturier.
"Thank you so much, but, I have a motel reserved. I would be away," said she.
Then suddenly Alyssa saw in astonishment, that tears were running down Madame Courturier's cheeks.
"Take care of m-your father." she spoke softly in a choked throat,"It will all be over, perhaps in a month or two. How bad it might be, painfull to bear, but at least it will be over."
Madame Courturier frantically embraced Alyssa in her arms and whispered in her ears,"Be a brave girl. I-you have so much to do, so many things counts on you(Alyssa started to wonder if she was growing mad)."
"One day.." she continued,"You will realise why I came here, if you ever were in my shoes you will." She finally let Alyssa lose out of her arms. She turned about and walked towards the front door, and Alyssa followed her. She descended down the stairs before the front door, walked over the causeway, and ultimately disappeared into the DARKNESS of the night.
Alyssa walked back to the living room, where she found a crescent moon-shaped shard lying on the tea table. Alyssa picked it up carefully, and glanced at the scrap of paper tied to the shard. It read,"KEEP IT SAFE." Alyssa sighed, thinking about the complicated attitude of Madame Courturier, strangest lady she had ever met, towards her.

* * *


'And I woke up the next morning to know that she was dead long before she helped me bring Dad back to home.' Alyssa's thought started to give herself strangest combination of fear and wonder.
Tired of reading the same news again and again, she put her head down upon the table. The glittering crescent moon shard was still inside the drawer below her desk. She could think no use of it, and that made her more and more dizzy.
'Better if I get some sleep." she thought and got up from her chair.
She stacked all the newspapers she had collected throughout the day on a small, round table beside her bed. Then, she leant against the pillow, and pulled the blanket up to her throat. With a tug on the bed switch, the light put out. It was dark, and as she closed her eyes, a high cold, voice echoed inside her head: .....PERISH TO THE LAST MAN.