Time In My Hands: Elizabeth

She was beautiful; her hair long and red. It curled in what seemed like thousands of corkscrews, bouncing about her as she played with the puppy Zane and I had gifted her.

“Happy birthday, baby doll.” Her father, the High Lord I was working for, said as he picked her up. His hold was strong and loving, and he too reminded me of my former master. I wondered if I would ever truly meet someone closer to him than Zane. We both stood slightly apart, as the Lord has asked that we showed no affection before Elizabeth. He had given us a room in the castle, away from the servants and bustle of workers upon Zane’s own birthday; we spent our alone time there.

“Tama!” She cried giddily after being set down, and she held her arms open to be picked up. She was now six, and getting a little too big for me to be lifting, but I did so anyway. “Thank you, Tama and Zane!” She said, happily pulling Zane over to her as well so she could hug us both at once.

“You’re welcome, Elizabeth.” We both said, chuckling. Both of us had come to love her as a daughter of our own, and we often spoke of perhaps adopting a child. The High Lord was willing to help us out, but we first would have to take it up with our Lord.

“Come, Elizabeth. We must go see your family.” Her father stated, moving to take her back. “Go rest, both of you.” He smiled at us. “We will be back later, and I will send someone to wake you.” He said, nodding his head politely.

“Yes, My Lord.” I said, and Zane bowed politely in return. We returned to our room, and did sleep, but not until we had a passionate long session of love making. When we stopped, it was only because neither of us had the energy to go another round.

We lay tangled together, sticky and sweaty. When we woke, it was far later than expected. There was a loud boom that made the walls tremble around us, shaking us fully awake in our bed. At first, in the beginning groggy state we were in, we assumed it was the fireworks. I thought it strange though that no one had woken us.

My eyes were wide when I heard gunfire. It was constant; one of those automatics I’d heard about, but never actually seen. “Zane, get up!” I cried, jumping from the bed. I pulled on a summer dress before running out in sandals.

“Tama! Wait, Tama!” Zane yelled after me, quickly dressing and grabbing his own firearms before following me.

The area just down the hall was in shambles. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Walls were caving in, drapes were on fire and blood was everywhere. The gunfire was past us now, as they’d moved the other direction to cause more havoc. As Zane and I searched the rubble, we saw the carnage. There were bodies skewered on poles that the explosion had sent flying. The first body we saw though was that of a young servant. He had most likely been the one coming to fetch us when it happened.

“Elizabeth!” I cried, searching for her. The castle was under attack, and the only things left were the carcasses of those unfortunate souls attending the birthday bash. Zane was following me closely behind, checking now and then on someone who just might be alive, but to no avail.

Servants were pinned; dead. They were strewn everywhere, and it reminded me of the kitchen with my master. That family that lost their lives before our passionate coupling. It nearly made me feel ill. As we got deeper into the carnage, were it looked like the explosion had started, Zane began finding live ones. They were so mangled though, and they didn’t even know it. Crushed by the ceiling, or only half of them left; even some with their innards scattered about them struck up an almost friendly conversation with us. And each time, Zane smiled at them as I murmured a gentle prayer to guide them before my lover shot them dead. It was for the best, as they’d never have survived should we try to fix them. Technology was not that advanced.

I was the one to find Elizabeth, and hour after our search began. She lay by the remains of her father. He’s been blown up, but she didn’t seem to realize it. She was still fully conscious, in a shock that kept her from realizing the reality, I thought. The puppy lay dead in her arms, and I suddenly choked as I burst into a flood of tears. I’d been holding them back, but now I couldn’t.

Even Zane looked ill now. This was a horrid sight for sure. Elizabeth seemed fine, until you looked down from her face and realized she too only had half of her body. Her intestines were strewn out with her beloved puppies, and I tried not to throw up. My tears still fell and I moved to pick her up, making sure she saw only myself and Zane. “Oh, Elizabeth, Baby.” I whispered, holding her mangled body in my arms and the blood poured over me.

Zane reloaded his gun, and I knew what he had to do. He was allowing me to say goodbye first, however. “It will be okay, Elizabeth. We’ll get you somewhere better. Somewhere you can be with your father and family forever.”

“What about you, Tama? And Zane?” She asked, and my soft smile quivered.

“We will join you one of these days, baby.” I whispered, though I wasn’t sure I could keep my side of the promise. I would first have to find a way to die.

“I love you, Tama…” She whispered and I stifled a sob. I knew now that she was ready and knew what would happen.

“I love you too, Elizabeth. Remember me on the other side.” And with that, Zane leaned me back enough to fire his gun. The bullet went right through her head clean, and if we covered the wound and the rest of her body, it looked like she were asleep. I burst into tears, and Zane held me close, even as I still clutched to the child I’d held so dearly.

“She’s somewhere better now; you know that.” He whispered solemnly.

“W-we must get them all a proper burial. Zane, send word to our Lord.” The explosions had stopped and now it was eerily quiet. He stood, leaving me a gun and a few magazines before he ran off. It started to pour as he did, the dark clouds rolling in abnormally quickly, and there was a loud crackle and boom as lightning flashed overhead. I was not happy.

I picked up the weapon left for me as I heard the enemy approaching again. They laughed as they walked into my view, finding it amusing to see a woman there armed and bloody. I shot three down before they could blink. “…”

They scattered, making it harder for me to take so many down at a time. I hissed as a bullet grazed my cheek, leaving a nasty gash. I still returned fire, using the rubble as my shelters from them. My current shelter was a fallen pillar in the great hall. I crouched down, holding my arm. It was so painful; a burning searing through my arm. I’d been shot in my upper arm, but I still used it. I needed to, or I’d die. Leaning over the pillar, I took another three down, panting. There were more than I’d expected. I’d been here for hours, and I started worrying about Zane. Had he made it out? I prayed that he did.

***

Zane rushed himself, stealing a horse from the stables between the chaos of the servants still living. He was to a messenger just hours later, giving a message for his Lord, and it took off as he started back.

When he returned, I was still fighting, but it had dwindled to a trickle of fighters now. A few servants and guards who’d survived pitched in as well. We were all growing weary, though. He found me quickly, and I nearly shot him in surprise. “Don’t scare me!” I cried, hugging onto him close. He noticed my wound immediately, however.

“Tama, are you alright? You’ve been shot!” He hugged me back and I nodded.

“I’m fine, Zane. It just stings now, and I can still use it. Is he coming?”

“The message was just sent a few hours ago. He should be here within the night.” He replied, reloading his gun as he leaned over the shelter, firing a few times at some unsuspecting men. I moved to join him but he stopped me. “Rest, Tama. I’ll take it for a while. Where were you getting more ammo? You had to have run out by now.”

“The armory is just a few feet away; that room.” I pointed to a door partially blocked by a fallen pillar. The space to crawl through was small, but I managed each time. “I have to get through it. You’ll be too big.” I stated, smiling a bit as he leaned down to give my lips a gentle kiss.

“Hurry and get me more then. Match this magazine.” He handed me an empty magazine, and I crouched low and moved quickly to squirm through the space. When I came out, I heard Zane yell at me to get back in. I only had a second to shift before a bullet tore through my shoulder. I heard another fired shot and a sniper fell from his hiding place before Zane reached me. I was sobbing, racked with pain as I bled out. I handed him the magazine and managed to slither back out of the space and lean against the pillar as Zane tore some drapes to bandage me. “Tama…”

“I’m fine.” I murmured, grabbing my gun again and the magazine I’d brought for myself as well. “I’m moving now. We need to split up. There are a few servants and guards helping, try not to shoot them, Zane.” I ran off quickly, opening fire upon a man as he tried to aim for me. I perked and paused at a high pitched noise, trying to identify it. “Shit.” I cursed under my breath, waving my arm with the gun as I stood. “Find cover!” I yelled, and ran by Zane to grasp him, pulling along. We tumbled down some stairs with a few other people as a bomb struck.

My body ached, the pain searing through my shoulder and down my back from the bullet wounds. Nonetheless, I stood along with Zane. He was holding me up and we tended to those who survived the blast. It was hard to believe that the enemy had just blown up their own men just to take down a few of us. It was so… So heartless. It made me wish I could turn back time, but my godly powers were not that great. We weren’t up but ten or so minutes before I heard that noise again. “Oh gods.. no. Take cover!!” I cried once more, pulling Zane along with me as I dove hastily for some sort of protection. We managed such just in time. As we slid down under a fallen wall and pillar, another bomb fell. I closed my eyes, my body snuggled in against Zane’s as he held me protectively. No longer could I watch the carnage, and I wished I could block out their screams as more ceiling caved around us.

Luckily, the shelter of ours held. We waited a long while before we dared to move again, Zane crawling out first. He pulled me out, keeping me quiet even though I was being torn apart by the pain. We didn’t want to attract the enemy’s attention should they be about still. Standing there, we came to the realization that we were alone. We now were the last survivors. The enemy was beginning their rejoice, and we could hear their fruitful cheers. Zane and I slipped back under our hideout when they started to look for survivors, and anyone that showed any sign of life; be it a twitch, or the rubble shifting to cause them to move, the men blew their brains out.

Eventually, I could hear that they were literally over us, and all Zane and I could do was pray that it would hold. We were well hidden, and it did not look like anyone could fit under the rubble, thus the enemy did not bother to check. They didn’t get much further into the ruins before their rejoicing turned to pained cries and panicked orders. They were being fired on, and as the rampage of bullets took them down, I heard a familiar voice calling for us. Our Lord.

It all only lasted a few minutes before they were all dead, and we’d only lost a few more men. The Lord that so kindly had taken me in, seemed to be giving up on finding us. We hadn’t made ourselves present, or made a noise. I smiled against the pain and we both began to move. I knew it would startle the lord, and when Zane got out, he had a gun on him in seconds.

“My Lord…” He breathed out and smiled lopsidedly as the lord recognized him. Zane shifted to pull me out as carefully as he could, pulling me up into his arms so he could carry me. “He needs medical attention. Fast.” I heard, but I had my eyes closed. I was in pain and tired, but still very alert.

I murmured a reminded to Zane about the burials, and he did tell the lord about the bodies. Troops were sent to look for them and I returned to the kingdom I’d practically been adopted into. When I woke the next day, I was told they were no where to be found. Zane held me as tears streaked my face. I didn’t have the energy to fully react, my body weak, rigid and burning. It was like being paralyzed. It was horrible.