Weirdbook Annual: Zombies!

THE MEDDLER, by Matthew John-3

Wasting no more time, she grabbed the dagger and pulled it from the cabinet. It seemed almost weightless and warm to the touch. She strode back to the iron door and gripped the handle. A deep breath. A firm tug.

And the door swung open.

At the other end of the hall the thing stood like the work of some deranged sculptor— crooked and contorted in ways no man should bend. The wasps seemed to mark her presence before the host, and a dreadful hum filled the chamber. It turned to face her, smiling, swarms of insects billowing from its mouth like smoke. She pulled out the axe and simultaneously raised the dagger with her right hand.

Then, as if lightning suddenly struck the hallway, it lit up in flash. A loud crack followed and the dagger sent a single pulse through her hand. For a moment she saw only white light. As her eyes adjusted, at the other end of the corridor she saw nothing but smoke. Stunned, she looked to the dagger. It seemed to glow a little brighter than it had, and seconds later, it faded to a dull luminescence.

Despite her circumstances, she found herself smiling, for what foe could stand against this weapon? But the grin melted as she considered her next move. Freeing her brother was all that mattered, but how best to do it? Perhaps in the meddler’s study she’d find nothing but a trap.

What if he’d already gotten what he wanted?

* * * *

During the journey home, she spotted more of the infested wretches, but the wind and chalk allowed her to slip by without notice. The morning sun crept above the hills to the east and painted her home in golden light. No signs of life could be glimpsed from the exterior, no sounds heard above the wind. She blew out a deep breath and told herself Cam would be alive and well, and that the meddler would have no knowledge of her discovery. She strode to the front door and knocked three times.

A moment later, she heard footsteps and the meddler spoke. “Is it you, girl?”

Shel knew he’d already seen her coming when the door popped open and his strange eyes stared down at her.

“Yes, it’s me. Where’s Cam?”

“Did you retrieve what I asked?”

“No…I could not. They were everywhere. I couldn’t make it inside.”

The meddler, still barring the door, peered at her for an uncomfortable moment, his expression impossible to read. At last he said, “It is regrettable,” and stepped back, pulling open the door. “We will have to go about this another way, then. Come, your brother sleeps.”

Shel tried to maintain her composure. She knew desperation would lead to suspicion, so she entered the room casually and approached her sleeping brother. He lay on the floor by the fireplace, his old blanket wrapped tightly around him, his chest swelling and sinking with the breathing of deep sleep. Careful not to startle him, she kneeled, and as she was about to give him a soft nudge—

“Girl,” the meddler said, his tone darkening, “you must not wake him.”

Shel craned her neck and saw his stature had changed. No longer did he have the aspect of a feeble old man. He was taller, bigger, and his eyes blazed like torches.

“You won’t like what you see,” he warned. “Your failure means we must do this another way. I don’t need you, but your brother is mine.”

Shel’s heart pounded, her fingers fluttering in anticipation. She had to be patient, had to get this right.

“Shel—Shella.” Cam’s voice was faint, barely audible. She knew it would be a mistake to take her eyes from the meddler, but—

She turned to see Cam floating above the floor, drifting, as if on an unseen current, toward the meddler. Her brother’s eyes snapped open and she was almost sick at the sight. No longer were they a familiar shining blue; they were the eyes of the meddler, black and riddled with strange lights.

“Life is the ingredient for most spells, I’m afraid.” His aged voice boomed now, as if five men spoke in unison. “My work is more important than that of mere farmers—more important than that of kings! I must persist!”

“Shella, I can’t see!” What’s happening?” Her brother’s voice quivered as his limp form sailed closer to the meddler.

It was time to act.

Shel rose and charged toward the fiend. She bellowed and raised the axe above her head. The ruse worked. With his concentration broken, the old man’s eyes dimmed and Cam’s body dipped toward the floor. But it was only temporary. The meddler raised an arm, and though she remained out of reach, an unseen force ripped the axe from her hand. As it sailed above his head and lodged into the wall, he swung his arm as if to punch an invisible foe. The air burst from her lungs as a phantom force knocked her into the table. Dishes crashed. Chairs scattered. She whooped and coughed, trying to catch her breath. Reaching to her belt, she loosened the green scarf she’d tied there. The old man grinned as Cam drifted within reach, but the smile sank when he saw the dagger in her hand.

A flash. The crackle of thunder.

Smoke and silence.

Cam groaned. She saw him rocking gently on the floor and ran to him.

“Cam!” she shrieked. “Baby brother, are you alright?” She winced as he turned to face her, then nearly burst into tears when she saw his familiar blue eyes.

“What happened, Shella? Where is the meddler?” Her brother rubbed his eyes and scanned the room. Clearly, he remembered little of what had happened.

“He’s gone, Cam. And now we too must go. It isn’t safe here,” she paused and smiled, “but I think we’ll be alright.” She raised the glowing dagger, and her brother’s eyes widened. “I told you I’d bring you a meddler’s trinket.”

“Can I touch it?” he said, as if she held a puppy.

“Not now, brother.” She tousled his hair. “We must hurry. Pack your things as if we were off for a hunting trip.”

After a few moments they had all they needed. Shel peeked through the shutters and saw nothing stirred, save for the fields of golden wheat. As they took a last look at their home, she leaned over and tied the green scarf around Cam’s neck. Then she drew the red one from inside her tunic and wrapped it around her own. Finally, she pulled the axe from the wall and handed it to Cam.

“Now, baby brother, let’s try this again.”