Fan Fiction ❯ Night Duchess ❯ Dusk ( Chapter 2 )

Night Duchess 2

Dusk

1260-Russia

{Scene: Shura is running through the forest. It is after dusk and she hears scary noises, hoots from owls and they swoop around, catching mice.}

Shura (panting): I must…must keep going! Can't stop!

{She has been running for some time and is very tired, yet she pushed herself to keep going. She stumbles and lies there for a while. She grunts and gets back up. Nothing is broken, but she is still very exhausted. After running another mile, she starts to walk. Then she becomes so tired that she collapses in the wilderness. She lies there for a few minutes and then a solid black wolf walks up to her still body and sniffs her. His master calls to him from afar.}

Wolf's Master: "Shadow, what have you found?"

{The wolf turns and barks at his master as he approaches. His master is a soldier. He bends down and examines Shura. Shadow sits on his haunches and pants.}

Wolf's Master: "It's a girl. I wonder how long she's been out here." {He picks her up} "We must get here out of here before she catches cold, Shadow. Come on now."

{He carries her out of the wilderness with his wolf at his side. They come to a tavern and they enter. People stop whatever they were doing and stare at the soldier.}

Wolf's Master: "I found this girl in the forest. She needs help."

{The bartender who was polishing a glass, drops it}

Bartender: "What on earth?!" {He sees the wolf. } "You can't have that animal in here!"

{But he ignores the bartender and comes further in. Some people recognize the girl in his arms and gasp.}

Man: "Isn't that the duchess Aleksandra?"

Other Man: "What would she be doing here?"

{An old, plump barmaid approaches him with a concerned look.}

Barmaid: "Any idea how long she has been out there?"

{The soldier shakes his head.}

Barmaid: "Hmm." {She looks Shura over.} "She doesn't look like she has any serious injures. Follow me. We'll find a room."

{She leaves the bar and walks up a set of stairs. The soldier follows. She finds a spare room.}

Barmaid: "This room is empty. Let her rest here."

{Soldier lays her under the covers and pulls them over her.}

Soldier: "Good lady, please get her something to eat and drink. I'll stay here with her."

Barmaid (smiling): "Trying to win her heart, are you?"

Soldier: "A good soldier never leaves the weary unless they are an enemy."

Barmaid: "I see. I will fetch some bread for her." {She leaves and the soldier takes a seat in the chair. He waits and watches her sleep. She stirs.}

Shura: "Where am I?"

Soldier: "Hello, Duchess."

Shura: "How did you know who I was?"

Soldier: "Some of the townsfolk downstairs recognized you. I found you in the woods."

Shura (remembering): "I need help. My uncle's castle has been attacked. You must come with me to stop whoever did this!"

Soldier: "But it may be all ready too late. And you are no condition to go anywhere."

Shura: "You're a soldier."

Soldier: "Yes. My name is Rustam."

Shura: "Then you must help me. Please"

{Barmaid returns with food.}

Barmaid: "Ah, you are awake. Hello my dear. Sleep well?" {she places food next to her}

Shura: "Thank you but I must get back home. Someone has attacked my Uncle Vladimir's castle!"

Barmaid (gasping): "Emperor Vladimir? No! My stars!"

Shura: "I will need all the men I need to stop them."

Barmaid: "But everyone downstairs are drunken townsmen. This young man that found you is the first soldier who came in today. Soldiers hardly ever enter our tavern."

Shura: "So be it. I'll just go alone with Rustam."

Soldier: "The enemy could be gone by now."

Shura: "Maybe we'll find a clue."

Barmaid: "Well, before you leave, I want you to eat this." {She pulls the tray over her stomach.}

{Shura eats the food hastily. She was hungrier than she thought.}

Shura: "Thank you. You may remove the tray now."

{The barmaid picks up the tray and starts to leave when Shura screams."

Shura (holding her head and shaking): "No! No! Aleksei! Don't go in there! It's dangerous! Someone's there! Get out! Get out of there, hurry!"

{The barmaid and Rustam look at her in shock. Rustam tries to console her.}

Rustam: "What is wrong?"

Shura: "We have to leave now! I see it. Something bad will happen to Aleksei if we don't hurry."

Barbaid: "Aleksei?"

Shura: "He is my only friend and my love. I couldn't bear it if anything happened to him. We must go!"

Rustam: "How do you know this?"

Shura: "I can't explain it. Let's just go! NOW!"

2060-Russia

{Scene: Fillip is with Sasha in the nurse's office. The nurse is checking her pulse. Sasha blinks.}

Fillip: "Is she going to be okay?"

Nurse "Yes, Filipp, keep an eye on her for me while I call her parents?" {She exits}

Fillip: "Sure thing." {He pulls his chair closer to her beside and she looks away from him.}

Sasha: "Go away. Just leave me alone."

Fillip: "I'm not here to bother you."

{Sasha looks around and sees she is in the nurse's office.}

Sasha: "What's going on? Why am I in the nurse's office?"

Fillip: "You don't remember?"

{She shakes her head.}

Fillip: "You attacked Viktor. I've never seen you do that before. It was the scariest thing I've ever seen. It was like you changed into a monster or something."

Sasha: "I think I remember something now. He mad me mad...but after that, it's blank. It was weird. Like something just took over me. The next thing I remember, I was apologizing for something and everything went blank again."

(She clears her throat and shakes her head. She becomes stern again.)

Sasha: "What do you want? I'm not in the mood for another fight incase you want another demonstration, okay?"

Fillip: "I don't want to fight with you, Sasha. You never answered my question."

Sasha (she looks at him and crosses her arms): "What?"

Fillip (still in awe): "How did you know? The things you knew about Viktor? They were all true, but there things I didn't know about him that you said. It's unbelievable."

Sash: "Wasn't some of that stuff obvious just by looking at him?"

Fillip (nodding) "Yeah, he does look rebellious, but I still don't understand. It's like you were there when he did those things."

Sasha: "I saw him get in fights with you."

Fillip: "What? How did you know about that?" (He reaches to touch her arm.)

Sasha: "Don't touch me!" (She squirms away and leans against the wall.) "Keep away!"

Fillip: "Sasha, what is it?" (He pulls his hand back and looks at her in concern.)

Sasha: "I don't want to see anymore."

Fillip: "See what?"

Sasha: "Forget it. You'll just think I'm a freak. Everyone else does."

Fillip: "No I don't."

Sasha (pulling her hands in)"Look at me."

Fillip: (shrugging) "You look like an ordinary girl to me."

Sasha (shaking her head) "I'm not ordinary, I'm cursed."

Fillip: (raising an eyebrow)"Cursed? How?"

Sasha: (reluctantly) "I can see a person's past just by touching them."

Fillip: "That doesn't make you a freak or even cursed. I think that's cool!"

Sasha: "Not cool."

Fillip: "Yes it is, here, do me!" (He holds his hand out)

Sasha: "No."

Fillip: "Please, show me. I want to know how you know the things you do."

Sasha: "I don't think this is a good idea."

Fillip: "I just want to see if it's true."

Sasha: "Fillip…I don't really want to."

Fillip: "I'll make a deal with you. You tell me what you see and I'll be your friend. (He smiles, hoping to get one out of her and she shakes her head.)

Sasha: "Not the 'I'll be your friend phrase.' That won't work, Fillip."

Fillip: "I promise, whatever happens, I won't think you're a freak."

Sasha: (warningly) "Have you done anything you regret, Fillip?"

Fillip: "Not really."

Sasha: "Well, okay."

{Sighing and biting her lip, Sasha reaches forward and grasps Fillip's hand hesitantly. First she sees him as a little kid, seeming to be like an outcast and wanting to fit in. She sees him on a swings set and then kids threw dirt clods at him. She sees him and his parents. They split up when he was only 4. She sees him become friends with Viktor. She sees the things he tried to make him do. She sees him spraying paint a cussword on a bridge and set ants on fire. Seeing enough, Sasha releases his hand.

Fillip: "Well? Did it work, what'd you see?"

Sasha: (folding her hands in her lap) "It's better than most things I've seen."

Fillip: "I understand why you didn't want to do it. You have a gift, but I don't think I'd want to know the same things you did. I'm sure you've seen some horrible stuff and you have to live with it."

Sasha: "Yes. Anyway, I'm sorry about your parents."

Fillip: "Don't be, it's not your fault. So, what else can you do? Besides what you just did in class?"

(Sasha rubs the back of her head.)

Sasha: "Well, I can channel what I've seen into you. Also feelings and thoughts and stuff.."

Fillip: "Sure beats explaining your life story. You can just show them with a touch." ( He smiles) "Can you show me?"

Sasha: "No way. It's dangerous."

Fillip: "What do you mean?"

Sasha: "It's painful. It's different when I just see your past."

Fillip: "For you? I understand that--"

Sasha: "Not me, Fillip. It hurts me emotionally, but, whoever I touch to channel those things into, well, it makes them feel like they're holding a live electrical wire. The worse the images are, the stronger the pain. For example, if I were to show you someone being skinned alive, you'd feel it. Not that I've seen it or anything."

Fillip: "I feel the pain you feel, how others feel?"

Sasha: "Exactly. I don't want to hurt anyone unless I have too. When I just touch someone, I see their past and they don't even know it. It hurts me and drains me, especially if what I see is bad. But I become stronger after a while. Now, when I channel things into someone else, I don't hurt. The person getting the images does."

Fillip: "Show me anyway. I'm really tough."

Sasha: "But, you're being nice to me. I have no reason to hurt you, Fillip."

Fillip: "I want to understand. I don't think you're a freak. Honest. You're just a girl with an amazing power unable to control it. Maybe I can help you."

Sasha: "How?"

Fillip: "I dunno. But there's only one way to find out, okay? I trust you, Sasha."

Sasha: "You do? But, you hardly even know me. You're in Viktor's gang. They all hate me."

Fillip: "But I don't. And you've just seen why I'm in his gang anyway, right? Because I think I'll be cool if I hang with him."

Sasha: "Can't you just be yourself?"

Fillip: "You don't trust people, do you?"

{Sasha shakes her head.}

Sasha: "No one gave me a reason to."

Fillip: "Well I just gave you one. I trust you. You should be able to trust me. I don't care if you have this power, if everyone thinks you're a freak. I'm not like them. If you do hurt me, I won't be mad at you. And besides, if something does go wrong, we're in the nurse's office. See? Piece of cake."

Sasha: "What will you tell the nurse?"

Fillip: "I'll just tell her I got tired all of a sudden. You can't help it if you hurt me, can you? So it's not really your fault. Come on, Sasha. It will be all right. Just trust me."

{Sasha looks out the door where the nurse had exited through and sighs.}

Sasha: "Okay, but I won't hold on too long, okay? I don't want to put you in a coma or anything. And if it comes to be too much, don't try to stand it, just tell me it hurts too much and I'll let go. Do you understand?"

Fillip (grinning): "Yes ma'am!"

{Before Sasha takes her hand, she brings all her negative feelings and thoughts to the surface. She concentrates hard on all the bad things she had seen and what has happened to her life. Then, she grasps Fillip's hand. He flinches and squeezes his eyes but does not cry out. Instead, he tightens his grip on Sasha's hand. He understood fully why it was so hard for her to find a friend, someone to trust. So many people were so mean to her. He saw people tease her and hide fake snakes in her locker so they jump out and scare her when she opened them. He saw her cry herself to sleep almost every night and tells her parents so many times that she hated the school and wanted to move. She had faked being sick many a time. A tear slides through his eye, but he holds on. Sasha notices his pain and tries to let go before anything else happens, but he hangs on for dear life, eager to see her full story. He begins to shake violently and finally, he falls to the ground.}

Sasha: "Fillip! Why didn't you tell me to let go?" (Sasha kneels down to him.) "I told you it would hurt!"

Fillip (clutching himself and shivering. Sweat is beading across his face): "That's--that's horrible, Sasha! They way people treat you! It's just wrong! I thought my life was hard. You must be miserable!"

Sasha: "I am. Now you know why."

{Fillip pulls himself back into his chair.}

Sasha: "I wanted to let go, but you were holding my hand too tight. I couldn't let go until you starting shaking. Why, Fillip? I told you it was dangerous."

Fillip: "It hurt me bad, but I wanted to see more. I didn't want to let go yet."

Sasha: "You're nuts. I could've killed you!"

Fillip: "Don't blame yourself, Sasha. You can't help what you are. It's them with the problem. You didn't ask for this. And I'm going to see to it you won't hurt anymore. You can use this power to your advantage."

Sasha: "If you're insisting that I show people everything--"

Fillip: "They deserve it, Sasha."

Sasha: "Fillip, why? Why are you being nice to me when no one else is?"

Fillip: "Because unlike everyone else, I understand what it's like to be bullied. There are not a lot of nice people here. You've earned my trust. Have I earned yours?"

Sasha: "Well---"

{Sasha's parents enter. Her father looks concern and her mother, sobbing.}

Sasha's Father: "Sasha, are you alright!?"

Sasha: "Yeah, fine."

Sasha's Father: "What happened?"

Fillip: "She collapsed in class."

Sasha's Mother: "Who are you?"

Fillip "Fillip. I'm in Sasha's class."

Sasha's Mother's "Let's get you home."

Fillip: "I hope you feel better, Sasha."

Sasha: "Thanks, Fillip." {Sasha leaves with her parents}

To Be Continued. Copyright by Haley Dale