Chapter 48
1314words
Mary waited in the living room and shouted into the shadows "Night cross, Night cross I know you are here, answer me".
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and she didnʼt want to answer till she heard Walter's voice. "Martha open up, what are you about to do, please don't do anything stupid, open up!".
Her heart beat frantically, he was not supposed to be here, no he was not, she noticed Night cross from the darkness, not in his human form this time but in his demonic form, claws, horns and body filled with scales. He looked like a character from a horror movie but she knew this was not his true form, he simply masked, taking forms people believed the devil to look like but never revealing his true self.
His snake like tongue slithered as he spoke "let him in or i will do it for you", Mary felt tears pour down her face as she knew what he wanted.
The doors opened of their own accord and Walter rushed in. "What are you doing Mary, please lets leave, I can't imagine anything happening to you, I love you, talk to me about anything".
She didnʼt talk just let tears pour "you should not have come here Walters, why did you?, he is going to kill you".
Walters looked around confused "who will?, is someone after your life?", noticing her eyes dart behind him he turned to see Nightcross approach them. He froze as he took in the horrible image in fffront of him "Well Sir, you came at the right time he hissed, Mary, you know what to do, lets make this quick".
Mary pushed Walter behind her, "never, Iʼm never giving you his soul". His body lit ablaze, he looked grotesque and scary and even though she trembles looking at him, she was never going to say yes .
"Fine, then I'll take two of you", suddenly there was a wall of fire around them, the heat getting worse with each passing second. Mary pushed Walters out of the fire
"Martha!!" he screamed", she allowed the fire engulf her as she prayed, she believed, something she had never done before but she prayed for Walter's soul not for hers. Night cross stared at the pathetic man laying before him, he looked at Mary whose body was engulfed in flames, life slowly leaving her, she paid the price painfully.
As he walked up to the mortal, he noticed something was not right, looking down he saw he was disappearing, with every second he was leaving, and he understood, she had believed, she had prayed. Looking up he muttered a silent curse, "Damn you", looking down at Walter he whispered, "see you in hell".
He was gone, the house was in flames; Walter sat in the ambulance watching the fire fighters try to quench the flames. Martha was gone. Nothing would be the same. He had seen more horror than he could imagine. He knew he would never be the same. He had so many questions, why was that creature calling Martha by the name, Mary?…how did she get entangled with the devil?
"Mr Walters", looking up he saw the two police men staring at him. "I am detective Ferry and this is my partner Detective Shaw, here to talk to you about the fire that caused the death of Miss Martha Bernard". Walters looked up at them. How would they ever believe.
Epilogue
Philip smiled at the voice of the Children who ran towards him " Daddy Daddy"ʼthey shouted. As they got to him he scoped both of them from the ground into his arms, they giggled with delight.
He flung them over his shoulders and smiled at their squeals. Amy and Stephan, his children, his world. He knew they looked around for the pony he promised them and he directed the stable master to take another way to surprise them.
"Daddy did you buy our ponies?" Amy asked, at five she was the spitting image of her mother and his boy he saw himself in him.
"Well you both have to wait to see if i did", they smiled knowing that he did buy them and bounced in delight. On getting to the courtyard he set them down and the stables master came out with the ponies, their screams of delight filled the air and many in the house ran out to see what was happening.
They smiled when they saw what made them scream and all laughed when Amy cried at how pretty her pony was. "Uncle Micheal would be so impressed at our riding when he gets back" Philip stroked his sons head "yes he would, Stephan".
He had left Scotland for London, after his mother's demise. The death of her daughter had caused her so much pain. Taking Micheal and his family, the head cook and gardener with them, they were family and lived with them as such, and the kids referred to them as grandma and grandpa, which the older couple loved.
"Go get grandma and grandpa, we have to leave for the theater soon", Philip said sending them off , "what about mother?" Amy asked ,
"Iʼll get her soon" he replied.
Walking into the house he knew Mary would be ready and would know he was approaching, and he was right, she sat looking as beautiful as ever and as he approached she asked "Philip is that you", he smiled "yes my love, it is, you amaze me as to how you know anyone that approaches ".
She smiled, one that reached her eyes "benefits of being blind my love".
She lost her sight during childbirth, it was hard at first but once she got used to it nothing stopped her from living a full life.
"You bought the children the ponies, I could hear their screams from here, you spoil them too much " she laughed, "not as much as you spoil us" he smiled.
Martha had inherited the Winston's property being the only true Winston alive after Lady Winston died. It had been five years and every day was bliss. "Do you regret any of it?" he asked "losing your sight, being with me".
She held his hands and kissed it "never, if i had known losing it would bring me to this, true happiness, I would have lost it a long time ago, I would never change anything". He kissed her forehead, she was his love, his world.
*
*
The little girl stared at the painting in the art gallery, the artist's initials making her smile. She had once been Martha Bernard, from being Mary Winston. Now here she was, reincarnated into the body of a child, born into a loving family, and still named Martha, everything she couldnʼt get in her previous lives, she had it here.
Walter had done a fine job, she had made him trustee of everything she owned before that tragic night. All her proceeds going to charities and foundations; she was happy he kept her legacy running and would forever be grateful. He had undergone therapy and was better. She hoped he found someone who made him truly happy.
"Martha, come along" her mother called out, her parents always said she acted too mature for her age, and she knew why. She was grateful to whatever force gave her a third chance, and she would use this well.
THE END
