Chapter 19 The Evil’s Seed Germinates
1717words
"I warned you not to double-cross me and now you have given me the right. From now on I'll always be with you. It is destiny. We are going to need each other in the execution of our duties in the service of light and darkness. In time you will understand my words, but we are now going back in time to the persons that explained the script to you."
All of a sudden they stand in front of Vyasa and Michael's place and Michael comes out just as before. They relive every moment as if a three dimensional DVD player turned back the time. Everything is unnaturally clear and they also see and hear things in the finest detail. Again they are together with Michael in his wooden home and then they go to Vyasa and when they say goodbye, they awake out of their trance.
Shocked they see that the wizard has disappeared. The middle-aged, white man, the first visitor after Kadin this morning, looks at Kadin with interest when he passes them quickly on his way out.
They are still holding hands when Kadin looks somberly at Billy.
"What has happened just now?"
Evenly baffled Billy looked at her: "He tricked and bewitched us; that is what happened. I don't want to believe it, but he really is a powerful wizard. Was this reality? Have you heard all the strange things he said? Were we really back in time at Vyasa and Michael?"
Kadin replies despondently. "We were. I had the same experience. We were there together, weren't we?"
"Everything was so clear."
"Come on, we must get you at home to take care of you. I can see you have much pain. My mother will be at home already and she is trained in nursing and will help me."
They exit the library and Kadin sees Billy doesn't carry his school bag over his shoulder but in his hand while he tries to walk erect and she wonders worriedly what his back looks like. The way in which he moves with difficulty, worries her. There is no sign of the wizard when they leave the library and walk into bright daylight and Kadin is so thankful that Billy is at her side. The middle-aged man is now standing motionless in front of Queen Victoria's statue and stares absentmindedly in a dream world of his own in their direction when they come out.
Kadin scrutinizes the surroundings but there is no trace of Vipracitti or his cronies and she pulls on Billy's arm: "Come, I see no sign of the devils. I must get you to our house as soon as possible and we now have to go up the steep Western Street. This will be the last hurdle before we reach home. I hope you will be strong enough."
~*~*~
Rene is putting dirty laundry in the washing machine when the front doorbell rings urgently and without stopping. She hastily leaves the washing and runs for the door afraid that the bell will awake Jack that is sleeping back in their main bedroom. He came home utterly exhausted after his twelve-hour shift and as usual, he hit the bed with the curtains closed to adequately darken the room.
Rene opens the door quickly and looks right into Kadin's bewildered face.
"Kadin, why do you ring the bell so continuously? You will awaken your father!" Then she sees that something is terribly wrong.
Rene is upset. "Kadin, this is Billy here with you? Why are you not at school? What is wrong with you, Billy? It looks as if you are in severe pain. Kadin, why do you cry? What is going on, my child?"
Kadin grabs Rene and hugs her tightly and starts to cry hysterically while she tries to speak. "They hurt him, Mother, but he refused to tell them where the booklet was because he wanted to protect me! We must help him! They tortured him. His back and wrist look ugly."
"What are you talking about, Kadin? Which booklet? Last night you left because of a book and now you confuse me totally. Who hurt Billy and when? Where are you coming from now? Has he been in a fight at school, or what?"
Then she decides it would be best to see for herself what Kadin is talking about."
"Come in and show me where you have hurt Billy."
"His wrists and his back, Mother. It looks terrible. They hit him with something awful on his back!"
Rene freezes. "Good heavens! Let me see. Come let me help you to get rid of your school blazer. I can see you are struggling."
Rene helps him cautiously and they manage to lift his blazer a little and shocked she pulls her breath in sharply. His white school shirt at the back is full of wet and dry blood stains. She is afraid to see what his back really looks like. She helps him to take off his blazer.
"Come, we must immediately get rid of the shirt. It looks serious."
She unbuttons his shirt in front and then tries to lift his shirt from his back but it clings on his back where the dry blood made scabs. "Help me, Kadin, we must lift it very slowly and cautiously."
Billy's face is distorted from pain when they pull on the places where the dried blood lets the material cling. And then the two women pull in their breath shocked.
"This is terrible, Kadin! Who tortured him like this? They had to assault him with something horrific all over the old wounds. It must have been intolerable torture! When and where did this happen and why?"
"They abducted him yesterday and tortured him in a desolate warehouse somewhere. Look how the ropes bit into his wrists. He told them nothing at all because he wanted to protect me and his mother at all costs. It is awful, Mother. He must have suffered immensely right through the night."
Rene is startled when she sees the deep cuts in his wrists and she pulls Billy hastily on his arm to the bathroom.
"Come, Billy, I must get you in the bath immediately. That will be the best. I'm going to fill the bath to the top with lukewarm water and empty a whole bottle of Savlon antiseptic in it. You must undress and throw out all your clothes and float in the water on your back while I wash your clothes and prepare something to eat and drink to restore your body's energy. We have a few of these strong, blue pain tablets that you must swallow after you have eaten somewhat. Come!"
"They forced poison into his mouth, Mother, and he had to swallow the antidote to vomit it out of his stomach. He still has that horrid taste in his mouth. We are in a hurry because he is hungry and thirsty and weak."
"What? Good heavens! Who the heck are these people? Unbelievable! Billy, we have an extra toothbrush for guests."
Rene gets the toothbrush from the bathroom cabinet and hands it to Billy.
"Billy, there is the toothpaste. Brush your teeth lightly and rinse out your mouth properly. Take care to brush gently. We don't want the poison to penetrate through your gums into your bloodstream. Kadin, in the meantime, please bring a glass of the pure orange juice in the fridge. Just put a teaspoon of table salt in the bottom of the glass, and be quick."
Billy submissively brushes his teeth and thankfully rinses his mouth while Rene prepares the bath with lukewarm Savlon water.
"Here is a towel. Get rid of your clothes now and throw them out when I close the door. I will pick it up and wash it. When the brunch is ready, I shall call you and then we will all eat at the table in the kitchen. Wrap this towel around you and come to the kitchen. Are your buttocks okay, or did they had a go at them too?"
"No, luckily they only focused on my back, Aunty."
"Good, so you see these handles. Lower yourself slowly into the water and float on your back so that the Savlon can disinfect thoroughly all over while we are busy in the kitchen, okay?"
"Will do, Aunty, sorry for all the trouble."
Rene smiles tenderly while she takes his shoulder softly and gently.
"Right. The bath is ready. I shall give your orange juice around the door before you get into the bath when Kadin brings it."
Billy smiles embarrassed: "Thank you once again and sorry for this nonsense."
"Where is your mom, Billy? I must phone her right away to tell her."
"At this moment she is in England for her work and will only be at home next week. I don't want to upset her unnecessarily."
"And your dad, can I phone him?"
"He died when I was 14, Aunty."
Kadin appears with the orange juice and eagerly he takes it and swallows it with one quaff. He hands her the empty glass.
"Wow, thanks. I was properly dehydrated and dead thirsty and my mouth taste better now. Thank you so much, Aunty."
Rene smiles satisfied: "We are going to fix you. Don't worry. I'm now closing and you pass the rest of your clothes. I'm going to rinse all your clothes thoroughly in cold water. When you rinse bloodstains in cold water, it is likely that you get out all the stains. Then you wash it in the washing machine. I think I shall probably salvage your clothes by doing this."
Rene closes the door and moments later Billy gives the rest of his clothes around the door.
"Come on, Kadin. You are going to help me. We are going to make a nice brunch for the three of us while you tell me everything …"
