Chapter 7 Time: I have no sense of it whatsoever. Maybe late in the afternoon? Also, I was sinking in and out of consciousness during this time period. I stumbled and tripped through the thick underbrush. Snarled roots and tangled branches grabbed at me, almost ensnaring me. Was it just me, or had I already passed that log for the sixth time? Yes, I admit that I was lost, but I was too stubborn and prideful to call for help. And that meant crying for Nathan. Again, I wouldn't do that, even to save my second life. Sighing, I sat myself at the base of a tree. Curling my knees to my chest, I continued to curse Nathan, necromancy, and everything else in the world. I'm a very hateful person, aren't I? Stupid Nathan. Stupid Davis. Stupid Keith! Necromancers have brought nothing but trouble, and I was determined to be done with them. Too bad the supreme deity up above had other plans. It happened so fast that I didn't see it coming. The forest floor opened up and swallowed me. I grappled for any handle, and found a large root. I held on, holding for dear life, but the force was dragging me in. I screamed, "Nathan!" But I was soon engulfed and darkness surrounded me. When I woke up, I was chained to a metal post. I was in a room with no windows and no light, but I could just barely make out my surroundings. There was nothing, save a few rats and the occasional bone here and there. I gagged and crawled as far as I could into a corner. I was scared and disgusted and I wished Nathan were here. I had no idea where I was, probably miles from where I was first taken. The room stank of decay and mold and waste. The odor made my eyes sting even more. I tried finding anything that could help me escape, but not even a door could be found. I silently cried. I was in deep ****. Too tired to think anything else, I drifted back to sleep. I woke up again, because I was just kicked in the gut. I shrieked, curling into a ball. The pain was nowhere near what I would have felt if I were living, but the force was enough to send my body hurdling against the wall. I felt a small ache in my head where I banged it. "It appears the little reaper has finally woken up." Keith Evelyn stood in front of me. I couldn't make out his features in the poor lighting, nor could I properly hear him with the ringing in my ears. But I knew it was him. A rectangle of light shone behind him, and I assumed that the door was only accessible from the outside. It was also too far for me to reach while being chained up. "You woke me up, you jackass! And you're a horrible, disgusting, and cruel person! A jerk! Oh, and you kidnapped me, which makes you even worse!" I wanted to scream, but all that came out was a series of groans and muddled sounds. "You're in one of my strongholds in the human world. Here, you are powerless and under my mercy, so we must best our behavior, right Little Miss Reaper?" he went on cheerily, as if he hadn't the slightest idea of how much I wanted to drag him underground and suffocate him just as he had done to me, without the suffocating part. "Here, everyone is treated with equality. Misbehavior and wrong actions will be dealt with accordingly. Usually, one would begin his or her work with standard living conditions, meaning a proper bed and three warm meals a day, if necessary, seeing as not all my subordinates are undead. You either work your way up or move down depending on your performance. But you are a special case, Little Miss Reaper, so you have special privileges. Isn't that nice?" I really wanted to rip his throat out. I wasn't really listening to him talk, either. But when the buff man came in and unchained me, I started thrashing and fighting. He was easily seven feet tall, if not more, and was insanely built like a body builder, except buffer. It was futile, of course, since the buff man easily restrained me and threw me over his shoulders like a burlap sack. I screamed in indignation. But I didn't struggle for long after that. To my surprise, the buff man had carried me to another room, much nicer than my prison cell. This was an actual bedroom, with windows and a bed and no rats. When he plopped me on the bed, he walked straight out, closing the door behind him. I was fast asleep already. Damn me, right? I'm in enemy territory and I was making use of their beds. I woke up again, fortunately not because someone kicked me. I felt better than ever, actually. I yawned and stretched, rubbing the sleepiness from my eyes. In my head, I'd like to think I was one of those girls in commercials who pretended to wake up all pretty and refreshed. But I knew that I was a mess. My clothes were stained and filthy, my hair a rat's nest, and my limbs battered and bruised. All in all, I looked horrible. For the first time, I surveyed the room. It was easily twice as big, perhaps thrice, as my own, and the floors were wooden and the walls white. All the furniture and adornments were frilly and girly. The pink, lacy curtains framed arched windows on either side of the bed where I sat, just like in the living room at home. There was a white bureau with pink accent against the opposite wall, and a matching full-length mirror beside it. A pair of chairs and a table sat to my left in the corner. Another corresponding wardrobe stood at the left side of the room, next to a door. There was another door at the other wall. A knock sounded from the second door. A lady came in, heels clacking against the floor. She was quite pretty, with bouncy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She a collared shirt and pencil skirt like a secretary. "Miss Avant? The Master would like to see you." I tilted my head at her. Did she mean Evelyn? I decided to go along with it, since I had such a good sleep last night. "Can I clean myself up first?" "Yes, of course. The bathroom is through there," she pointed to the other door. "And extra apparel in there," she pointed at the wardrobe. "Thanks... err, what was your name?" I asked. "Valerie, Miss Avant." "Thanks, Valerie." She seemed pleased for her name to be called. "Would you like breakfast to be served while you prepare yourself, Miss Avant?" "No, I don't eat." Valerie looked at me in surprise, but didn't question. I guess she didn't know I was a zombie. "Okay, then. If you need anything else, Miss Avant, please call me," with that, she backed out of the room, closing the door behind her. I sighed and rolled out of bed, dragging my feet to the bathroom. Upon opening the door, I gasped. It was almost the same size as the bedroom, and was garnished with everything I needed. There was a stack of fluffy white towels on the shelf next the tub, and a shower stall next to that. There was a double sink with a few more towels at its side, with some combs and brushes, and other necessary toiletries. Stripping down, I stepped into the shower and scrubbed myself clean. I frowned as the grime went down the drain. I stayed in longer than I needed to, taking my time. Partly, to delay my meeting with Evelyn and hope to piss him off a little and partly because I wanted to enjoy having a proper shower again. It felt really nice. Finally, I shut off the water and stepped out. I dried myself off and combed out my wet hair. Brushing my teeth, I looked into the mirror and noticed that I appeared to be healthier, more alive. I could consider that a good thing, but I found it strange instead. I gargled and went back into the room. The beddings had magically been rearranged and despite my refusal for food, a tray of pancakes, waffles, and orange juice sat on the table. I looked at it for a second, imagining how the breakfast would taste, and turned and opened the wardrobe. There were lots of clothes. A few dresses and jackets hung on the side. There were drawers with shirts and trousers. I found some pajamas in the bottom one and undergarments in the second. There were even some shoes lining the bottom. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was more than enough for me. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a white V-neck. I decided to wear a pair of Converse to complete the ensemble. Everything fit perfectly, which again, I could consider a good thing but found strange instead. I brushed my wet hair into a pony tail and headed out. My room was at the end of a hallway in what seemed to be a very big place. I vaguely remember Evelyn saying that this was just one of his strongholds. This guy had to be loaded then, right? Just like at Marion, I got lost very easily. Valerie never told where I was supposed to go, either. I aimlessly wandered, randomly going up a stairwell and going back down a few. I even went through a few doors and ended up in a new corridor. Finally... I was still lost. But this hall was occupied. Several species milled around, talking and associating. There were pixies, fairies, trolls, and goblins. A mage stood off to one side, demonstrating some spell to a centaur. Zombies moved slowly through the crowd. I thought I even saw a ghost or two fade in. Brownies scuttled overhead along wooden beams. Three Cyclops huddled together in a corner, murmuring in gruff tones. Dwarves wrestled on the floor and a griffin soared above. I think the only thing missing from the scene was a dragon and a necromancer, whom I couldn't seem to find. Fortunately, I found Valerie in the horde of mythical creatures. She was in the middle of untangling three dwarves from a wrestling match. "Valerie!" I called. Instantly, a hush spread throughout the hall. All eyes turned to me, and whispers began resounding. I cautiously walked through to get to Valerie, who seemed as disturbed as I was at the attention. Once I was within proximity, she grabbed my hand and led me to the other side of the hall to another door. She pulled me through it. "I had begun to wonder where you had gone Miss Avant. When I returned to the room you had gone, and you hadn't touched the food either," she continued to lead me through the maze of the place. "The Master was also displeased that you had gotten lost. He had sent me to look for you, but as you can see, I became preoccupied with settling another dispute between the dwarves." "I do tend to get lost," I admitted. "How angry was Evelyn?" Valerie was still appalled at the way I addressed her Master. Technically, he was my master as well, but I refused to acknowledge him that way. He had no control over me. "He was angry, but I suppose he was more worried. Frustrated describes him better. He'll be relieved to find that you are safe and unharmed." We finally reached a pair of large double doors. They were entirely constructed out of a black stone material and decorated with the same emblem that Evelyn wore: a worm curled around baby's breath. Valerie lightly touched her palm to the middle of the entryway, and the doors swung open. We stepped into what was an even bigger hall than the last, and it was definitely much more extravagant. The floors and walls were of marble, with colorful tapestries hanging down from them. A long red carpet ran through the middle of the room. Columns held up the roof, and intricate statues of death scenes stood between them. What a strange sense of style. I wondered who his interior decorator was. The ceiling was glass, and I saw the sun for the first time in what seemed like days. It illuminated the whole room with its light. At the other end of the room sat Evelyn, on a throne made of the same stone as the doors. He was wearing a suit and tie, appearing right in place with the grand setting. He looked smug. I strode forward casually with my hands in my pockets. Valerie bowed when we approached him. I stared blatantly at the necromancer, "Well, what do you want?" Valerie tensed up beside me. Evelyn simply smiled. "Not many have the courage to speak to me that way, Miss Reaper, especially since I'm your superior." "Cut the crap with the Miss Reaper calling. I'm not a grim reaper. I'm a zombie, and that was against my will." I glared at him. "As a matter of fact, I didn't plan on dying, either," I added. "I know. I killed you," he said, as if he were stating the time. "What?" "You heard me. I killed you. Not actually, but I planned your death. I hired someone to murder you in the street. I don't approve of how he did it, though. He was a stupid human, really. Shot you in broad daylight. Don't worry though; he's in jail for his crime." Of course, I was already shaking with anger by now. I swore I felt fumes coming out from my ears. "And just what did you have to gain by taking my life?" I gritted out. "I wanted you to use your power for my uses, naturally. You know, I'd thought you'd be thankful that I revived you. After all, I gave you the chance to live again." He seemed convinced that he saved me from death. So everything was his fault. I didn't know if I should have laughed or cried. I wanted to scream. I really wanted to die right then. But I had no methods of suicide available at the moment, so I decided to attack Evelyn. I jumped on him and dragged him to the floor. I delivered a few punches to his face and resorted to trying to pull his head off. Keyword: trying. He easily pushed me off, and I was immediately restrained by two zombies. I smiled when I saw that I had bruised his left eye, and his lip was cut and bleeding. His expensive suit was ripped in places and stained with red. The damage I had caused in less than a minute. Evelyn merely looked irritated at my violence. But that still did not extinguish my rage in the least. I struggled, clawing and trying to get at him once more. I finally screamed; a horrible, bloodcurdling sound that I never thought I could make before. Evelyn slapped me, tired of my behavior. I whimpered and cried, and then realized that he was in close proximity again. I lunged out and chomped on his hand. This time, he did scream; a high-pitched scream. He punched me several times before I released his hand. It was bloody, but so was my mouth. Necromancers did not taste good. He cradled his hand and nodded to one of the zombies behind me. Then I felt someone hit the back of my head and I was out again. I woke up again in the same room as before, only now there were bolts and padlocks on the windows and door. I stretched and winced at my sore muscles. I was still in the bloody clothes. Evelyn had only gotten a taste of what was to come. He was going to receive a terrible revenge ten times over, because that was what he deserved. I promised myself. I wouldn't kill him. Sending him to the Spirit Realm as a soul was letting him off easy. I would justify his actions by making him suffer. I shook my head, waving these thoughts away. When had I become so malicious and evil? I took another shower. This one was cold. I guess I was trying to douse my anger, because I still felt furious at what happened. It didn't work, because I was still having mean thoughts. I changed into some sweats and a hoodie. Going back into the room I jumped on the bed and sighed. What was I going to do? I was planning to take revenge on someone in his stronghold. I was a prisoner and I had no allies and no means of even getting within vicinity. Unless I was planning to attack Evelyn every time I saw him, which was probably never going to work again. Then I realized there was someone in the bed with me. I turned and saw a guy my age, propped up on his elbow. He looked at me curiously. "I think a normal person would have noticed me before they got into bed." Before I could scream, he clamped his hand over my mouth with a bandana. Was he trying to drug me to sleep? It wouldn't work, since I was already dead. I struggled and thrashed, but before long I was feeling tired and woozy. Perhaps the drug had worked after all. For what seemed liked the hundredth time in two days, I was knocked out. When I came around this time, I was in another room, this one simpler and plainer than before. There was one window to the right and a door to the left. Both were barred. All I could think was, ****. I've been kidnapped a second time.