Fan Fiction ❯ Night Duchess ❯ New World and Time ( Chapter 5 )

Night Duchess 5

New Time and World

Russia 2060

{Scene: In the middle of the night, by an old church, a wolf is howling and an owl crowing. But deep within the church, three levels down, there is another sound.}

Grind. Slide. Bounce. Bounce.

{A lid to a sarcophagus bounces and slides to the side. Again. Then again. There is a small crack and then, a heavy force, supernatural force pushes the lid completely off the sarcophagus and breaks into two pieces. A hand rises from inside the sarcophagus, all bone. It clenches in a fist and tendons, muscles and flesh grow upon it. The owner of the hand sits up, resurrected from death. No skeleton, no zombie, but a human, alive as if never dead. She has long red hair but her eyes are closed. She looks to be in her late thirties.}

Avis & Rema: "Night Duchess, Awaken!"

{Her eyes flash open and she looks around her surroundings. She crawls out of the sarcophagus and rubs her neck. She looks back at her sarcophagus, where she rested for 800 years. She sees her name on the lid and blows dust away to read it. EMPRESS ALEKSANDRA NIRCOV SHUKASKY. She looks at her clothes.}

Shura: "I am alive, but, how?"

{Shura decides to try to find a way out of the room. She searches for the door but the tomb looks so different than the way she remembered it. They had put people to rest in this tomb before and it hadn't looked like this. The torches or candles were replaced with a different lighting source and when she found the door, it wasn't a large heavy round door, but a sliding door and there was a button to the side of it. She pushed it and the door slid open. She steps a red light that was on the floor, that should trigger an alarm but there was no alarm. All the cameras were broken. When she steps through, the door closes behind her. She gasps, and looks back and continues on up the stairs to the ground floor. She finally finds the exit.}

Shura: "Finally I found a way out of this labyrinth."

{But as she steps out into the midnight, she sees a different world, not the one she remembered. The buildings are all different and there are lampposts up and down the street. Cars were driving, even at this hour as people were working their night and graveyard shifts. There was also an odd amount of noise. It is raining.}

Shura: "What is this place? How long have I been dead?"

Russia: 1262

{Scene: Rustam and Shura, now married, are sitting together with Shadow in a meadow. Shura laughs.}

Shura: "I saw that we would do this before you left. Amazing, isn't it?" {She pets Shadow and she sees a new vision. But it is nothing like she has ever seen before. She sees people walking on different streets, riding on motorcycles and in cars instead of using horses for transportation. She sees planes and other, strange, unusual things from the year 2060. Among these, she sees a girl, her descendant, walking around as an outcast. Everyone else around her is a blur but she is clear. She looks so much like Shura, except for different colored hair. She has a strong feeling that the girl is her descendant.}

Rustam: "My love, are you all right?"

Shura: "Hmm?"

Rustam: "What's the matter?

Shura: "I had another vision. But, I do not know what to make of it. It's like nothing I never seen before."

Rustam: "Was it the future?"

Shura: "The very far future. Perhaps centuries from now."

Russia: 2060

Shura: "I am in the future!"

{A wolf and an owl come near to her. The owl is white with black flecks and the wolf has dark brown hair with a gray streak on her back. They change into human females and they look remarkably like their animal forms.}

Shura: "Why, it's you two."

Avis: "Welcome to the future, Night Duchess. We have brought you back from the dead because we need you again. Kudram still lives. Right now his is sealed under the earth but it won't be long until he is found. In this new world, he won't have trouble finding a new body."

Rema: "Your descendant does not know her identity. She is adopted and doesn't know where she got the medallion."

Shura: "What happened to her real parents?"

Avis: "They died in a subway accident. We believe it was Kudram's doing. Even in his prison, his power can still influence anything."

Shura: "What's a subway?"

Rema: "A new form of transportation."

Avis: "Sasha was with them, but she was the only survivor."

Shura: "Then why don't you talk to her? You've been alive all this time! I know nothing about this new world!"

Rema: "It will be a good chance for you to meet your descendant and train her to be the next Night Duchess. You were the original, after all."

Shura: "I had a vision of this Sasha…wearing the medallion. She is an outcast."

Rema: "Yes. She doesn't understand her powers. Her foster parents haven't told her she is adopted. You have to tell her. Time is running out."

Avis: "Then you may rest in peace again."

Shura: "I'm not sure if I can fight again. It's been, so long."

Avis: "We know. Good luck." {They revert to their animal forms and leave.}

Shura: "Wait…where do I go? Oh…"

{The rain gets worse and Shura runs for shelter in an alley.}

{When the sun rises, Sasha gets ready for school, still reluctant as ever. As she goes inside, she hears someone talk to her.}

Zoya: "Hey, come here."

Sasha: "I know you like to skip class, Zoya, but I'm not going to let you make me late."

Zoya: "Just get over here."

{Sasha groans and goes to the corner to see what Zoya wants. Her style of dress is different than everyone elses. She wears heavy makeup and doesn't wear a shirt underneat her vest half the time. She pulls out a cigarette and a lighter and lights a smoke.}

Sasha: "You know that's stuff bad for you and if you get caught you could get expelled. We are on school grounds."

Zoya: "You think I care? I want to know why you know about Viktor."

Sasha: "Shouldn't you already know all that stuff?"

Zoya: "I know he and his buddies would break into stores. Where do you think he gets all the gifts he's given me?" {She ran her finger over her necklace.}

Sasha: "And you still date him?"

Zoya: "Not after yesterday! I told him he was over, but what I wanna know is how you know all that stuff. Whom has he been with, you've been following my man?"

Sasha: "What would I want with Viktor?"

Zoya: "Everyone wants what they can't have."

Sasha: "Not me. You can have him!"

Zoya: "I want all their names and I want them now!"

Sasha: "But I don't know who he's slept with. I didn't see it all."

Zoya: "See what all? You've seen them? If you're not following Viktor, and you've seen it, how do you know?"

Sasha: "I can't tell you."

Zoya: "Oh, is it some kind of secret? Come on, tell me, Sasha, what's the big secret? If it's true that you're really a freak, I already knew that!"

Sasha: "Don't call me freak!"

Zoya: "But that's what you are, isn't it?"

Sasha: "Stop it! I'm warning you!"

Zoya: "You're going to go postal on me like you did to Viktor?"

{Sasha's hand clenches in a fist and she punches her back, making her drop the cigarett. Sasha steps on it.}

Sasha: "You really wanna know?"

Zoya: "Yeah, tell me!"

Sasha: "Oh, I'll do much more than just tell you, I'll show you!" {She grabs Zoya's forearm and pours in what she had seen when Viktor accidentally brushed passed her yesterday.}

Zoya: "Hey…"

Sasha: "Hurts, doesn't it? Hurts to see your 'man' with someone else? You dope, I can't believe you didn't figure it out for yourself!"

Zoya: "Let go of me!"

{Before people crowd around them, Sasha lets go. }

Sasha: "Let that be a warning, Zoya."

{Sasha walks into the school and Fillip witnesses. He follows her.}

Fillip: "Sasha, what did you do?"

Sasha: "She wanted to know how I knew Viktor was cheating on her, so I showed her. I think she'll think twice before opening her big mouth."

Fillip: "Are you okay? I mean, after what happened yesterday?"

Sasha: "Yeah, thanks for asking."

{After homeroom, Sasha is in her PE class. She pulls on her shirt.}

Sasha: "Ah, man, I hate PE!"

Girl: "Yeah, try not to get hit by the ball this time, Sasha!"

{Sasha clenched her teeth and sneered. She came out in her PE uniform and ran her hand through her hair. They were going to run a few laps around the gym after doing a few jumping jacks and other exercises. Sasha stretches.}

PE coach: "Okay, ladies, let's run, ten laps!"

{Some of the girls tease Sasha as she runs. She's at the end of the line.}

Girl: "Faster, Sasha, my grandmother can run faster than you, and she's dead!"

{Sasha grunts and feels her muscles tense up.}

Sasha (thinking): 'They'll never stop making fun of me!' {She forces herself to run faster and she passes a few of the girls}

Girls: "Whoa--did you see that?"

{Sasha runs as quickly as she could, passing everyone.}

Sasha (thinking): 'I can't let them make fun of me anymore! I'll show them! I'll show everyone!'

{Sasha surprises everyone, including the teacher.}

Teacher: "Amazing Sasha, well done. Now, time for volleyball. Positions, everyone. Red on this side, green on the other."

Sasha: "Oh, I hate volleyball!" {Sasha picks up her jersey, which is green.}

Girl 1: "Great, I can't believe you're on my team! Try not to mess everything up, okay?"

{A computerized net sets up in the middle of the court. All girls take the position. Red serves first and the ball is headed in Sasha's direction. Instead of trying to hit in, she screams and gets out of the way. Some of the girls laugh and others scowl.}

Girl 1: "Can't you do anything right? Stupid, you're supposed to hit the ball, not run away from it!"

{A girl from Sasha's homeroom speaks up.}

Girl 2: "Hey, watch it. You wouldn't want to make her mad. She'll attack you like she did to Viktor Deminsky yesterday!"

Girl 1: "Oh please, Sasha? She's harmless."

{Sasha glares at her and growls.}

Sasha: "Wanna bet?"

{The girl who started making fun of her looks a bit scared. The ball is served again. As two girls jump to block it, Sasha runs forward and spikes the ball so hard, that it nearly goes through the back wall.}

Everyone: "Whoa…did you see that?"

{Sasha turns to the girl who had picked on her.}

Sasha: "Insult me again, I'll use your head as the volleyball. Understand?"

{Girl nods.}

{Throughout the day, Sasha has a new lookout on things and new attitude. She's not going to take the insults anymore. She's had enough. Every person who said freak to her, she turned around and glared at them or tripped them. She wasn't going to take it. Not now, not ever again. Every head turns as she walks down the halls after school, wondering about her new attitude.}

Fillip: "Hey, Sasha--"

{Thinking it's someone else trying to insult her again, she turns and protects herself.}

Sasha: "Before you even think about calling me freak, maybe you should take a look at all those kids lined up for the nurse's office!"

Fillip: "Whoa, really?"

Sasha: "Fillip! Oh, I'm sorry…I thought you were someone else."

Fillip: "Did you really send people in the nurse's office?"

Sasha: "Well, a bit. I just said that to make you afraid of me."

Fillip: "I guess it worked. I heard that you played quite a game of volleyball in your PE class. I wish I was there."

Sasha: "And I've never liked volleyball either. It's so stranger. I was playing like a girl possessed or something. Something on your mind, Fillip?"

Fillip: "Yeah, well, I was thinking that--"

Viktor: "Marcov, what are you doing with this crazy broad? Have you heard what she did?"

Fillip: "I think I'm safe, Deminsky…you on the other hand--"

Viktor: "Think you're too good for me, don't you?"

Fillip: "Yes."

Viktor: "Why you---" {Viktor walks toward him, balling his hand into a fist. Sasha comes to Fillip's aid and wraps her arm around his wrist. She showed him his life, making him see all the bad things he's done over and over again. She then showed him her past so he would know what it was like for her.}

Sasha: "So, you like what you do for fun, Viktor? Breaking into buildings, stealing, abusing animals and people, hmm? Does your little sister like that?"

Viktor: "Let go of me! It hurts!"

Sasha: "Oh, good, but it doesn't hurt enough. You don't understand real pain, do you, Viktor?" {She tightened her hold on him and twisted his arm. Fillip and the others watch in shock. Sasha's eyes flash and turn white and a strange energy is radiating from her arm.}

Fillip: "Sasha, you can let go anytime now…"

Sasha: "You don't care about the things you do or the people you hurt! You make me sick!"

{Fillip interferes and pulls her arm off of Viktor. He could feel what he was putting into Viktor and though it hurt him, he held on until she finally let go. She pushed him and he fell back.}

Fillip: "Say, you wanna get out of here?"

Sasha: "Yeah. Okay."

{Fillip and Sasha go to a small diner. He orders a soda with two straws.}

Sasha: "A soda with two straws, Fillip? Don't have enough for two drinks? Or you want me to help you finish?"

Fillip (flustered): "Yeah, well, I thought it'd be kinda romantic. Girls like that kinda stuff."

Sasha: "Incase you've forgotten, Fillip, I'm not like other girls." {She adds mentally}: 'no one wants to be romantic with me anyway.'

Fillip: "I know."

Sasha: "What's on your mind, Fillip? Why did you bring me here?" {She drinks from her straw}

Fillip: "Why don't you hold my hand and find out?"

Sasha: "Why don't you just tell me before I knock you out? I can't read minds anyway."

Fillip (clears throat): "You can see the past and show me yours, but can you see someone's future?"

Sasha: "I don't know. I get visions and dreams sometimes."

Fillip: "I wanna know if my parents get back together and if I get into college and that stuff."

Sasha: "Oh, Fillip, you don't need me to tell you that. You are in charge of your own future."

Fillip: "I know, but maybe you can help me."

Sasha: "You just want an excuse to hold my hand."

Fillip: "See? You can read my mind."

Sasha: "Okay, I'll give it a shot. But don't expect me to kiss you."

Fillip: "Bummer."

{Sasha takes his hand and concentrates on seeing his future. All she gets is images of his past.}

Sasha: "Sorry, Fillip. I just got your past again."

Fillip: "It's okay. I got to get hold your hand."

{Sasha laughs and hits his shoulder playfully. Then she blushes. She clears her throat and takes a drink. A special report on the news catches Sasha's attention.}

Sasha: "Oh my goodness."

Fillip: "What's the matter, Sasha?"

Sasha: "Shh!" {She gets up and walks to the TV. She tells a waitress behind the counter to turn the sound up. A news reporter was interviewing the keeper of the cathedral where some corpses are left to rest.}

News Reporter: "When did you notice the body was missing, sir?"

Keeper: "This morning. I came in and the body wasn't there. The lid of the sarcophagus was broken in half!"

News Reporter: "You think teenagers playing a practical joke could've done this?"

Keeper: "But there is high security and the lids are too heavy."

News Reporter: "What chance is there that the corpse came to life?"

Keeper: "Even if she did, the cameras would've caught it!"

{Someone off screen comes up and whispers something in the keeper's ear.)

Keeper: "What do you mean the security system malfunctioned?"

Man: "There was a storm yesterday, sir. And it looked like the wires were badly damaged. Like a wild animal chewed through them."

{Sasha grabs her bag. She has heard enough and decides to leave.}

Sasha (thinking): 'Very weird, I had a feeling something like this would happen.'

Fillip: "Sasha, where are you going?"

Sasha: "I really got to go, Fillip. I'll see you later, okay?"

Fillip: "Yeah, sure…"

{Sasha bursts out of the diner and decides to take a short cut home through an alley. However, she doesn't know that there is someone there. Someone turns around. It is Shura. Sasha screams, causing Shura to scream and they both scream.}

Sasha: "I know you---you're that dead woman from the cathedral! Don't hurt me!"

Shura: "I'm not dead! I don't know what I am! What year is this?"

Sasha: "2060."

Shura: "I've been dead for 800 years." {She sees the medallion around Sasha's neck and grabs for it.)

Sasha: "Hey, that's mine!"

Shura: "Where did you get this medallion?"

Sasha: "I've always had it! What do you want for me?"

Shura: "I am the Empress Aleksandra Nircov Shukasky. I think I know who you are. You're Sasha, aren't you?"

Sasha: "How did you know who I am?"

Shura: "Because, we're family. You are my descendant. I think I came back to life because you needed me."

Sasha: "Huh?"

Shura: "Yes. I am your great, great, great--"

Sasha: "No way! I'm losing it! I think you've got dust in your ears after being in that casket for 800 years!"

Shura: "It's true! I saw you in a vision!"

Sasha: "Yeah, right, you saw me in a, did you say vision? Hey, you do look familiar! You're the chick from my dream!"

Shura: "Yes! You've seen me with your powers!"

Sasha: "Well, it's nothing I brag about."

Shura: "There is much for me to tell you. Your real parents are dead and you are adopted."

Sasha: "What do you mean, I'm adopted! They would've told me already! I would've seen it!"

Shura: "You are adopted, Sasha. That is why you have the medallion. Your are my descendant. We're blood and that is why I left my resting place of 800 years to teach you your identity! I am the Night Duchess!"

Copyright By Haley Dale