Of Night and Dark Obscurity

“You aren’t superior. You’re inferior. You can’t feel or love. You’re an abomination of a man.”

“Stop stalling.” He said.

She took a step inside the maze and then another. She looked back and she saw him watching her. She could see his cruelty and inhumanity, which had always been hidden before but was now on the surface.

“How far of a lead should I give you?” He called out. “Ten seconds? Twenty?”

She closed her eyes and when she opened them, she started to run. She put her right hand out to touch the foliage as she tried to navigate through.

“Have you left the maze yet Caroline? I’m coming for you.”

Her heart was beating fast as she heard his voice echoing over the rain and thunder. His voice sounded so loud. He sounded as if he was so near. She looked back and lost her footing stumbling in the mud.

She picked herself up again and stuck her right hand out. Touching the maze wall, she whirled around the bushes until she thought she might be sick. She wondered what she would do when she exited. She would run but where? Her head pounded and when the hand touched her shoulder she shuddered.

“Not fast enough,” he whispered as he pulled her to face him.

Caroline looked up into his face just as another voice spoke.

“Step away from her.” Came the cold words.

Caroline turned to see the handsome face of Val holding a Lancaster pistol.

“Val,” she said with relief.

The rain was drizzling now and the three people stood inside the maze staring at each other.

“I can’t believe it,” Val said shaking his head as he stared at the man who had killed Irene Derry and wanted to kill Caroline.

“What can’t you believe baby brother? That I’m a monster?” Rowland smiled.

“Why Rowland? Just tell me why. That’s all I want to know. And what in god’s name were you, father, Uncle Edgar and Charles Lyttleton up to.”

“You want it to be simple. In a way it is. We formed an association. An association to see how far we could go.”

“See how far you could go in doing what?”

Rowland licked his lips. “We each had to contribute to join the group. In return, we would help each other in business transactions and accumulate wealth and prestige.”

“What was your contribution?”

“We each had to prove our worth.”

“How did you achieve that?”

“By shared sins.”

The rain fell silently as Caroline and Val stared at Rowland.

“What sins?” Val asked dreading the answer.

“Uncle Edgar’s contribution was Effie Whitson and Prudence Finch. Our father contributed Bessie Turner. Our dear doctor Odean Barton was much like Charles. Wanted the prestige but couldn’t deliver.”

“And you Rowland? What did you contribute?”

Rowland smiled then. “Irene Derry and Aida Harris.”

Val felt himself grow cold in that moment. “Irene. You were the Lord. Not Charles. You were the one she was seeing.”