Complexities: Chapter One REWRITE!!!

October 13, 1790

Nex placed her hands on the ground, slender hands obscured by flowing sleeves. The philosopher’s stone around her neck shone blinding garnet filling the grove with crimson light that could be seen for miles through the village.

“Not that trash again.”

“What’s she up to now, then?”

“Killing herself I hope.”

“Yeah, I’ve had enough of that death witch.
Everything she touches dies.”

The voices of the other villagers flowed through her ears. They had no idea that she could hear them. The malicious thoughts flowed easily into her. It was what her magic was wired for, destruction, madness and death.

The doorway appeared before her and she had to contain her excitement. Distraction could prove fatal in this exercise. She stood, her deep purple robes contrasting with the red light, and walked toward the door. It opened to her and inside she heard the sounds of the damned. They were the sounds of those who had gone before her and were too weak to make it through. She would not be one of those.

Nex stepped into the ether determined and with steel nerves. Everything around her was glowing a bright red, and the screaming had stopped. It was like some kind of hidden tunnel. She took step after purposeful step feeling more and more confident until the darkness came. Now she was disoriented. Panic gripped her. Which way do I go? She took a few deep breaths and decided to continue in her original direction. After a few feet she thought she heard footsteps behind her, but she kept moving. The shrieking began again and she covered her ears. Something cold and moist pulled them away. She tried to keep moving but it wouldn’t let her go. She pulled harder and something else slithered around her other hand and then her ankles. Each one was pulling in different directions.

Damn and I can’t use magic for this…

With a loud shriek Nex tore herself away, groaning as the cold things cut her skin, and ran as fast as she could. More things groped for her in the darkness, cutting her like knives, but still she refused to stop or to feel the pain.

She pushed on and on down the dark tunnel until she felt like the darkness herself. She let it wash over her and she was falling. She fell for what seemed like forever until she landed with a thud on top of a large flat rock, limbs sprawled out beneath her. She could see the blood trickle from her mouth.

It seems I’ve lost a bit of that today.

She grunted and pushed herself up to a standing position. The sudden change in elevation made her sway for a moment. She looked down at her bloodied form and realized that it was now covered in markings from neck to toe. They were some kind of interconnected black spirals.

At least they’re pretty…

Just as she was wishing for her cloak it came fluttering out of the sky, landing beside her. She scrambled into it quickly. Looking around and seeing nothing but dust, stone and desert Nex got busy creating.

She placed her hands on the ground, hummed deep in her throat, and a building rose slowly out of the dust. It wasn’t her best work but it would do. Besides she’d have to be careful, who knew what kind of damage she might be doing to this place.
She found a rock and scratched “The dirty Noose” onto the building before she walked inside. The light from the moon was coming in through the windows, giving everything an amber glow. Nex thought it was kind of pretty. She was just about to go lay down for a nap when the sound of metal went whizzing past her ear.

She stood motionless in front of the window, staring at the knife that was lodged in the wall she’d just built a few minutes ago. She wrapped her left hand around her philosopher’s stone and dropped to one knee at the sound of footsteps behind her. The shadows gathered into a narrow wall behind her. It wouldn’t last forever, but it would do for now.

“What the hell is this place? Why did you bring me here?” The voice behind her was very male, and very menacing.

Nex briefly considered correcting him and thought better of it. She took in a deep breath and all of the air in the place seemed to disappear. She turned on her heel and placed both hands on the ground in front of her. The wall disappeared and she opened her mouth, releasing a swirling vortex of darkness that sent the man sprawling backwards and left the doorway destroyed.

What…? The new force of her own magic stunned Nex. Not only was it stronger, she could wield it more easily than usual. Unfortunately her reverie was interrupted. A tidal wave of shadows came rolling toward her and she was pinned beneath its growing mass.

“It seems that I have some power too. Interesting.”

The weight on Nex lightened a little bit, allowing her to respond.

“Yes.” She grunted. “Now let me up you fool.” She pushed the viscous liquid away from her and sent it barreling toward him. While he struggled in the stickiness she climbed out of the window and ran across the empty plain. There was nothing in sight for miles. She had nowhere to hide. The amber glow of the moon didn’t do much to hide her either. She heard a low angry growl come from the building behind her and figured she was running short on time. She headed to her left and moved as fast as she could. Something about this told her that it might not be a fair fight.

After what felt like miles without hearing him she stopped to take in her surroundings. She was still running on dusty rocks, but in the distance ahead she could swear she saw trees. Dropping to the ground she ripped the sleeves of her dress and wrapped them around her now bleeding feet.

She stood up and began running again, closing the distance between herself and what she hoped was safety. When she finally reached the grove she was amazed by its uniqueness. It was about the size of a football field and sat square in the middle of all of this…nothing. She parked herself under the huge Willow tree in the center and lay down. She needed to rest a while if she was to stay safe.

A rustling behind her that she hoped was the wind disturbed her momentary respite. She swallowed hard and decided that fear was only certain death.

“What do you want with me? Who the hell are you?” She stood and turned, facing the man who’d been trying to kill her. He was a massive man, tall and wide, with an angular face and a thick mane of blue-black hair that tumbled past his shoulders. His eyes were deep clear and blue. Nex wondered how such a gorgeous man got to be so crazy.

“I should be asking you that question. I was blissfully happy being dead and suddenly I see your face in my mind and here I am. You mean to tell me that you didn’t summon me to this place?” His face took on a pained expression and Nex thought he might cry. He was standing still as a statue. She took a tentative step toward him, hands out in a peaceful gesture.

“If I brought you here it wasn’t on purpose. I don’t even know where here is. I opened a doorway and this is where I ended up. I’m thinking it is…wait a moment did you say that you were dead?”

The man’s eyes filled with anger again.

“Yes, I was dead. I expected to burn in hell, not to be stuck with another damnable shrew. Though I suppose that is its own particular hell.” He sat down and began making deep pools of shadow in the grass at his feet. Nex watched him carefully, determined not to piss him off again.

“Could you do that when you were alive?”

“No.” he said it without looking up.

This place gives you death magic? That would explain my stronger power.

Nex paced and turned the events over and over in her head. She’d opened a hidden doorway using her own death magic; in doing so she’d found herself in a strange, mostly barren, place along with a dead man who wanted to kill her too. It was entirely too strange for words. She looked down at the stone around her neck and then back at the strange man.

“Do you have a name?” She figured they were stuck here together for now, they might as well get to know each other, right?

“Jack Lauhgton.” He was succinct. Tall, dark and handsome was obviously not in the mood for conversation.

“Well Jack Lauhgton, would you consider a truce?”

“I thought we were already having one but, possibly. What are your terms?” He finally turned to look at her full on.

“First off, you don’t kill me. Ever. In exchange for that, I’ll give you a piece of my philosopher’s stone.” She wrapped her hand around it instinctively. Chewing her lower lip she waited for his response.

“That’s it? I don’t kill you and you give me your stone?” He looked skeptical. “Correct me if I am wrong but, that stone allows you to practice alchemy?”

Nex leaned against the tree. “Yes. And I will share it with you if you promise not to kill me.” She saw him smile an odd smile and then extend his hand.

“Your name is?”

“Nex. Simply Nex.” He bowed to her and she wasn’t really sure if he was making fun, and she couldn’t shake the notion that she’d just made a very Faustian deal.

“Nice to meet you simply Nex. I’ll take my stone now if you don’t mind.”
***********************************************************

October 30, 1969

Hell’s Kitchen isn’t a place that most would choose as a destination. It is loud, dirty and dangerous. Nex absolutely despised it. If it wasn’t for the pre-law tenements or the return doorway between worlds that she was so proud of opening she’d never even come back here. But, as it stands, she has no choice but to be here in this smelly city, both as a means of escape and as a way to search for a solution.

Funny, 150 years ago I wanted to shut that bitch for good.

Nex wandered through the streets and wrinkled her nose in distaste. The hustle and bustle of the city never really appealed to her. She was only here because she needed a break from the Wasteland. She’d had enough of being after that jerk Jack Lauhgton. His delight in murdering humans was becoming a major nuisance. Her absentminded walking led her to a small neighborhood café. It looked harmless enough, and empty enough. So she decided to have some tea to calm her nerves and contemplate the complete destruction of the only place she’s ever called home.

The café was in the first floor of an old tenement building. Nex looked up at the street signs. Even though she knew this place well she hadn’t been here for over 100 years.

West 54th street and 9th avenue, she smiled as she remembered her first trip here. She had been looking for a way out of the Wasteland. She’d had enough of Jack then, too, him and all of the others that showed up daily. Suddenly order had to be kept and she wasn’t sure if she was the one to do it. So she tried to leave. Instead she found New York, living people and a new sense of purpose. Things were a bit different then. The way these humans were being treated while they were alive made her feel responsible for her own dead citizens.

There were hundreds of people per floor in these buildings, one family per apartment. Now some rich kid could pay a few hundred per floor for just himself.

Nex cleared her head, swung the door open and stepped into heaven. The walls of the place were painted a spicy orange and brown and decorated with pictures of steaming cups of cocoa and bags of coffee. There were two rows of dark wooden tables with yellow cushions lining each side of the wall. In the center was the largest counter Nex had ever seen. The menu was nearly 20 feet long. There were teas that she hadn’t even heard of, and some that she thought they shouldn’t be selling. She walked up to the teenage girl behind the counter and smiled.

“Hi. I’d like a cup of Lapsang Souchong please.”

Nex slipped her fingers inside of her cloak and, snapping her fingers as if opening a coin purse, produced a twenty-dollar bill.

The clerk smiled back at her. “4.50 please.”

Nex briefly thought about wiping her brain clean for even quoting a price that ridiculous. Instead she handed the girl the money with gritted teeth. Fucking highway robbery. Nex took a seat at the table nearest the counter and waited.

She could sense that a man watched her walk in and almost lost his mind. He thought she was beautiful. She was wearing a long black dress and a black satin cloak. Her hair was piled in a messy bun atop her head and she had on black lace fingerless gloves. For some reason the phrase positively macabre was stamped all over his mind. He walked over to the her and sat down.

“Jeremiah, what’s yours?” He said extending his hand.

Nex thought he was sort of cute with his young face and jester grin. The blonde hair didn’t hurt much either. She had a thing for blondes with innocent faces. Only this one just looked innocent. She smelled a rat.

“Does your wife approve of you fraternizing with strangers?” Nex flashed him a twisted grin. There were some humans that she did enjoy torturing.
He was startled by her comment and it took him a moment to respond.

“What gave it away?” He held up his hand and flipped it back and forth to show her that he had no tan line, and no ring.

Good job.

“Let’s just say that I know what I need to know. It’s nice to meet you Jeremiah. My name is Nex.”
She smiled flirtatiously. This is exactly what I needed to take my mind off of things, a nice hunk of a human being. The clerk appeared with her tea and she sipped it down quickly. She leaned across the table and whispered to him.

“Want to go someplace quieter Jeremiah?” She raised her left eyebrow.

“You don’t play games do you Nex? I like that in a woman. I’ve got an apartment a few blocks uptown at the Windemere. We can go there.” He smiled charmingly.

As if I expected anything less. A stinkin’ rich kid.

Nex followed Jeremiah to his apartment and when she walked in she was pleasantly surprised. It was warm, cozy and well decorated. Apparently he liked Impressionist art.

“Did you decorate this place?”

He was in the kitchen making drinks and hadn’t heard her over the blender.

“I’m sorry?” He poked his head out from the kitchen.

“Did you decorate?”

“Oh, no. It came this way. I just have good taste.” He laughed and brought out the drinks to the living room.

“Planning on taking advantage of me Jeremiah?” She asked as she sipped the dark liquid.

“Fully.” He leaned in and licked her bottom lip softly.

“Is it working? Are you powerless against my charm yet?” He stood up and took her cloak. He threw it over the back of the couch and motioned for her to stand in front of him. She did as he asked and he unzipped the back of her dress. When she turned around he took in a deep breath. Her entire body was covered in interconnected tribal tattoos. It was far from what he had expected.

“Those are amazing, had to cost you a fortune in time and money.” He stepped back to look at them better. Each one flowed into the other in what appeared to be a series of connected patterns. The pattern began just beneath her right collarbone and snaked and swirled into what looked to him like pinwheels and flowers covering every inch of the rest of her body.

As he studied her she began to unravel her own mystery. Suddenly she knew how to stop Jack. She knew exactly who could do it. Time was of the essence.

“You don’t want to look too closely at those. You’ll get lost. They’re designed to entrance, entangle and entrap. Now come on over here and give me some of you.” She jumped and tackled him and she whispered in his ear.

“Don’t talk, just listen. After this your wife will become pregnant. It will be my child. Do not ask how or why, just trust me.” She guided him inside of her and she rode him slowly, gripping him tightly with her pelvic muscles.

“This child will be more important than you can imagine.” Jeremiah was suddenly bucking and squirming beneath her.

He’s gonna cum soon. Shit!

“Okay, listen to me Jeremiah, after that child is born you must tell him nothing of this. Just look after him well and I will come for him when he is needed.”

She pressed her lips to his and they came together in a wild frenzy of bucking hips and frightened flailing. When he woke up Jeremiah was still lying supine on the floor in a daze. What the hell just happened? Am I crazy? He searched the apartment for any sign that Nex had actually been there and found none except for the wetness on his boxers that surrounded his slowly shriveling dick.

Nex had left Jeremiah and headed for Bitchin’ Wine. She needed to get back home and fast. She ducked in the side door and made her way to the back room as stealthily as she could.

Damn, having a body is so limiting sometimes…

The bar was practically empty at this time of the day. The bartender was in the stockroom smoking a joint and the few customers were enthralled by the extremely limber day-shift strippers and paid no attention to her fully clothed form as she snaked along the walls, half-hidden by the elongated shadows that were cast by the afternoon sun. When she made it past the main chamber she practically flew through the doorway.

She stood, gripping her philosopher’s stone, and envisioned the transmutation circle that was etched into the ground beneath her. That was why she’d come here more than a century ago. It was an experiment and it sort of worked…she lost her corporeal form but she gained an entire host of powers. She had also opened the gate to an entire world, and it was now hers to rule.

This was the only way to travel between her world and the world of the living. Each time she had to use a new body as passing through the gate caused them to quickly decompose. It was an activity that she despised completely and only participated in out of necessity.

When the doorway appeared she stepped through it and stepped out inside of her own living room. Here in the Wasteland the body would decompose even faster so she had to hurry. She drew the new circle and activated it. This one led through the astral plane. She searched for Catherine’s life thread and followed it, letting go before any damage could be done. When she emerged on the other side she stood in a woman’s bedroom.

This must be Catherine…

The frail looking woman lying asleep in the queen-sized bed was none other. Nex briefly wondered why such a lovely looking person would be married to a selfish man like Jeremiah.

Takes all kinds I suppose…

Nex sighed deeply and prepared to work, the body was feeling heavy. She looked down at Catherine and chewed her bottom lip.

This woman deserves to live and see her child grow, but if I don’t do this…is it worth the life of one to save many?

Deciding in the affirmative Nex got down to work. Soon the body would miscarry so she had to move fast. She closed her eyes and hummed low in her throat, hands clasped together at her womb. The crimson glow of the amulet spread through Nex and filled the entire room. It’s working!!! After a few moments she placed her left hand on Catherine’s womb and the glow filled her instead.

When all was done, Nex stepped backwards through her doorway and shed the body as she emerged on the other side. She dropped to her knees and let out half of a sob then choked it back. The first tear shed in centuries rolled down her cheek in a berry colored cascade.

You cannot gain something without giving up something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. Equivalent trade.

As she contemplated the consequences of her actions she tried to console herself with the First Law of Alchemy. It wasn’t working. She’d just condemned a woman to death on a hunch.

What if I’m wrong?

“The benefits of success outweigh the possibilities of failure. You should understand that well as a ruler Nex. But of course, you are of the weaker sex. I should do well to remember that.”

Nex turned and saw Jack Lauhgton standing in her doorway. She gathered herself and stood facing him.

“What are you doing here Lauhgton? You know you aren’t welcome.”

“Yes, but I also know you never turn away a resident either, welcome or not.” He leaned against the doorway and picked his fingernails.

“Well then, what can I do for you my most unwelcome resident?” She had one hand on her hip and was now holding a clove with the other; smoke circling her head like a wreath.

“Nothing, I just came to tell you that it won’t work, your little plan. So you should be grieving about your inevitable failure instead of your lost morality.”

Nex appeared inches before him, moving like quicksilver.

“You sanctimonious asshole! I’ve lost my morality? Have we forgotten how you even got here? You murdered your wife and then killed yourself. Exactly what kind of morals are those?” She narrowed her obsidian eyes and they dared him to respond.

“Ahh…Nex you’ve got it all wrong. She destroyed the sanctity of our marriage bed. Her punishment was inevitable. As for myself, well an eye for an eye right?” Jack smiled widely and ducked backwards out of the door, disappearing into the emptiness.

Nex just stood there horrified. He would kill her soon. She could feel it in her bones. There was always the chance that she would come out the victor, but oddly enough nothing in her nature allowed her to be a killer. Here she was a death witch and the self-proclaimed goddess of darkness and she couldn’t bring herself to commit murder, even against the dead. That was why her plan had to work. If it didn’t, no one would survive.