Fair Is Foul, Foul Is Fair

The sky darkened over the town. Every surface is inked with the sinister energy of something unknown, lurking, but omnipresent.

The crackling of fire, the air moist with oppression.

"BURN HER! DESTROY HER SIN!" yelled townsmen, advancing torch handed, mayor at tow, the priest, the wards and the counsel leading the townsmen..

Across the muddy floor, dragged the body of a woman screaming for mercy. The holy cross burned onto her back with great brutality.

She was raised onto a wooden dais, marked with a pivoted cross, and she was nailed to it. The town blacksmith doing the grotesque honor of nailing the crying woman's wrists to the arm stands, feet to the end of the wooden dais. Hung to be stared at like a blasphemous object.

The townspeople yelled and shouted, swinging their torches with ever-rising fire within their very soul.

"EVISCERATE HER!"

"BURN AWAY HER SINS!"

"A WITCH!!"

"BLASPHEMY!"

"WHORE!"

The woman, crowned the grace of a "witch", screamed in terror. crying and begging. Pleading innocence.

Yet her cries of pain and wails were shunned out by the uproar of the crowd until the Church's Pope silenced them. Stepping upon the pulpit.

"Nay, you vile whore, have sinned our people, served them your enchanted remedy in the form of a blessing? Claiming it was the lord's work? Magnificent How little it took for people to be cured, yet there lay a significant suspicion on your actions. how hath you procured such a magnificent anecdote? It must have been witchcraft! Treachery!"

"TREACHERY!"

"WITCHCRAFT!"

"SPOILER OF THE LORD'S NAME!"

The priest raised his hand calmly.

"Thou hath fouled the name of our lord by your tainted actions. Your body and soul will burn in eternal hell for your sins, you witch."

He said, opening the holy bible before him.

"Brother Andrew, go forth."

Brother Andrew, a tall man adorned by priestly attire stepped forward, a pine torch in hand and rosemary beads in the other.

"PLEASE I HAVE NOT SINNED! I BEG YOU FATHER! PLEASE! I WAS JUST TRYING TO ASSIST THOSE AILING!"

All her cries got drowned by the flames engulfing her, and she screamed in pain, agony and sorry as she was being burned at the stake. Blood spraying the scorching grass.

In the distance, the cathedral made of tinted glass glittered with the reflection of the rising embers of the pyre.

The clock strikes ONE.

The priest began to chant, his eyes closed.

"In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, te damno, impia, sine gratia, et foeda creatura! Post discessum ex hoc corpore mortali, in profundissimas foveas, quas infernus probat, projicieris praebet Creatura damnans! progenies Satanae! filia Luciferi! PERE!"

He yelled through his chants, scattering holy water from his holy aspergillus.

The screams of the burning woman filled the air as she was burned alive, the smell of burning flesh and cruelty all molded and meshed into the air.

The common folk cheered and hollered, punching the air as the fire spread to enormous heights.

-----

Among the crowd. A man cloaked in black, only the eyes visible stood. A knowing smirk on his face underneath the veil.. suddenly.

As he turned, the hood of his cloak fell back just enough to reveal eyes that didn't just look—they searched. He stared straight ahead with such piercing clarity that it felt like a physical weight against the chest, as though his eyes beheld the secrets of the universe.

Then, in a low, conspirational voice, he said..

"Fair is Foul, Foul is Fair.

The dead writes it's own eulogy

The walls speak of it's residents of evil intent

The clock strikes one.

The trial has begun.

Sights unseen, words unheard The silence cries for a listener.

The boy who saved them all. Falls into a cage within his mind.

Every smile, every word. Purposeful, Meaningful. Truthful?

Fati sui dominus est. Mentis suae scriptor. Sed longe a salute."

And then everything dissipated into darkness.

--------------------------

Kieran woke up shaken, panting and covered in cold sweat, pupils dilated with terror.

His mind was spinning, his body felt like it was a different entity than his consciousness entirely. Every inch of his being felt as though it was doused in a pool of water and left to hang.

"Those words.. what were they?" he said aloud to himself. Not believing his own nightmare.

Great, just great. New house, new country and the nightmares just got worse.

He quickly got up and went to the attached washroom in his room to splash his face in water.

He turned the sink on, staring at the running water momentarily, his mind replaying back to that terrifying sight. And those words..

"Fair is Foul, Foul is Fair?"

He wondered, what could that mean? And why now all of a sudden?

He splashed his face with water a couple of times. Staring at his reflection in the mirror.

His reflection stared back at him. The image of a tired teenage boy, jet black scraggy hair, tired brown eyes and a lanky frame covered with his stupid blue pajamas.

Maybe he deserved it. Maybe he deserved all of these nightmares, these terrifying sights.

Maybe this was the universe telling him he wasn't worthy. A reminder of how miserable he actually is.

"HEY IDIOT! GET DOWN NOW YOU'VE BEEN ASLEEP FOR AGES WE HAVE CHURCH AND A TOWN TOUR TODAY! DAD ALREADY MADE BREAKFAST!"

Ah, great. Here comes Johnathan the saviour with his brotherly duties, and that god awful morning yell that wasn't new, he was forever a victim to Johnathan waking him up like it was a military hangar and he was a Sargent.

"I'M COMING! GIVE ME A SECOND!"

He yelled back, quickly wrapping up with his shower and brushing his teeth.

He walked out and went to his opened luggage inside his wardrobe, and rummaged through it to pull out his medicine box. And from inside it he pulled out his hallucination medication prescribed to him by a Psychiatrist. He has been taking this pill from ever since he was 8. Because that's when the nightmares got worse. And his whole world fell apart.

He stared down at the silver leaflet of the medicine on his palm.

'Trazodone IR' read the small lettering in red atop the packaging.

An immediate release medication for his nightmares and hallucinations. It worked when things got relatively rough.. But he mostly endured it until he couldn't anymore.

He popped the pill, swallowed some water and threw on a fresh pair of clothing and headed down where he noticed by the kitchen island and around the dining table his family was gathered.

His father, Matthew, was reading a newspaper.

His mother, Karina, was on her laptop as usual, busy at her work.

And his older brother, Johnathan, was focused on his phone, which, was quite useless, but Johnathan insisted it was for his 'modelling gig' or whatever.

"Good morning, everyone. What's for brekkie?"

"Look who decided to show up! the little prince! We greatly honour your presence which graces our humble dining hall your highness!" Said Johnathan sarcastically, earning a whack from an equally exasperated Kieran who sat down beside him and stole a piece of bacon and popped it into his mouth

Matthew glanced up from his newspaper momentarily, smirking at the dynamic before saying

"So, Ki. How did you sleep?"

Their bickering momentarily halted as Kieran glanced at their father, his expression turning glum

"Good for the most part, but the nightmares aren't getting any better. I had this weird nightmare.. it was so disturbing, about a woman being burned at a stake.. people shouting.. but what disturbed me the most is-"

Before he could finish speaking, Karina cut him off.

"Honey, haven't you been taking your medication properly? you know how important those are Dr. Hart already told you to not miss even a moment when the nightmares and hallucinations get worse. It could be fatal."

Kieran's lips formed a thin line as his mind occupied a worrisome thought. She was right. this WAS risky, this could prove fatal.

"But Mom, you don't understand, this isn't something ordinary.. i saw a guy.. he was speaking latin.. something along the lines of 'Fati sui dominus est. Mentis suae scriptor. Sed longe a salute.'"

Johnathan chuckled "If only you, dear brother, put that much effort into yourself how you do in remembering your nightmares you'd be as popular as I am!"

Kieran gasped and turned to Matthew "I call objection your honour! client speaks falsely! He is a LOSER!"

Johnathan put his phone down while gasping in mock offense "YOU TAKE THAT BACK YOU MIDGET!"

"AM NOT!"

"YES YOU ARE!"

"NO"

"YES"

"NO"

"YES!!"

"NO!"

"STOP!" intersected Karina, having had enough of their childishness.

"Something important was being discussed, you HAD to butt in, didn't you Johnny? You do understand how important it is for Kieran to share his problems? other kids of his age bottle everything up!"

"Yeah whatever mom, you're right. This nerd doesn't have a single bone in his body to do mischief. He's as fragile as a dandelion!" Said Johnathan mockingly wiggling

Kieran and Johnathan were now fist fighting.. Again.

This was everyday. This wasn't the Lockhart duo if they didn't constantly pit against eachother in EVERY. SMALL. MATTER.

Matthew suddenly got up

"Once you two finish with your little trifle. Me and your mother would be expecting your arrival outside in the car. it's already 9:15 and you both are still at it. Mr. Miller is waiting."

That shut them up and they quickly scarfed their food down, and the family headed out for the car.

...****************...

They drove around the town to reach the cathedral.

The town was a countryside type, similar houses differentiated by small plants and succulents here and there. And the town square was filled with people of all kind, And of course it was modern since it WAS an extension of the main city after all. His father had chosen this place to stay because his workplace was the nearest from there.

Children flocked the fountain space, their teachers enthusiastic as they taught them. Painters sat under trees painting. Street musicians played by the townsquare sitting area.

It was almost similar to London, but with a more country tinge to it. It was nice, he felt comfortable.

Then the car stopped before the cathedral and he noticed something odd..

A huge pedestal, of a priest most probably..

No..

No way.

That was the priest from his dreams, and..

the part of the cathedral where the statue is..

The one he saw in his dreams..

And then, a single iron rod embedded near a banyan tree beside the imposing statue. the holy cross on it.

The exact spot where the sacrifice in his dream happened.

......................

Johnathan noticed Kieran looking oddly pale, and shook his shoulder out of trance.. He followed Kieran's gaze to the statue.

And he froze. Because despite the bickering, he had paid attention to Kieran's words about his dream.

the location seemed eerily familiar.

He brushed the thought off as the family got off at the gate of the church, following Mr. Miller into the church.

The church interior was imposing, and the sheer grandeur of it all left them speechless.

especially Kieran, he looked awestruck. The place looked absolutely unreal. The pews a glamorous mahogany colour, the stained glass across the windows and the dome arch of the pulpit were painted in a classic Renaissance style. The pinnacle of mediaeval art and mythology portrayed through the handiwork on the walls. As they entered, prayer was already commencing. The voice of the pope and the harmonious church organ filled the church in a hauntingly beautiful symphony of notes.

As they walked in, they were greeted by the father of the church, two sisters and two warden brothers.

Mr. Miller smiled up at the father and introduced him.

Mr. Miller: "And this is Father Vincent MacReady, that is Sister Roseanne Maria, Sister Susanna, Brother Andrew and Brother Christopher. They are the representatives and the caretakers of this fine establishment! Father MacReady, these are the new residents of the Oaksville Lane, The Lockharts."

Father MacReady shook hands with Matthew and Karina, before moving onto Johnathan greeting him almost casually, before stopping onto Kieran and pausing, a shift in his demeanor.

Then he smiled.

"What is your name, son?"

Kieran was startled; clearly not used to being approached so directly. So he stammered out unceremoniously:

"Oh u-uh me? I'm Kieran.. Kieran Lockhart."

Father smiled, running a hand through Kieran's hair.

"My boy, you're powerful. Learn it well."

Kieran was disturbed by that. powerful? yeah right. he's about as imposing as an ant among elephants. The irony wasn't lost on him. But he still thanked him.

Yet.. something in the pit of his stomach told him, Father MacReady knew something he himself didn't have any idea of.

perhaps.. perhaps it could be about what he dreamed?

he immediately mentally slapped himself for having such an incredulous thought because who in their right minds can know what you dream of?

whatever. this was something he could sort later.

...****************...

The family settled into the remaining pews. The prayers resuming, but..

Kieran seemed to be lost in his own world. His mind kept replaying back to the priest's words.

"You're powerful. Learn it well."

Why did he say that? he could've easily picked Johnathan, he's taller, more well proportioned than him but why him?

He suddenly felt a sharp ringing in his ears. His vision starting to black out.

Then he felt it.

"Tell them. You know the truth. Tell them what you are.. the attic. The attic calls, she's there. Find her. Or she'll find YOU."