Mabel went out for a walk to clear her head. Golden rays of sunlight brightened the world outside so she presumed that she would be better off outside than in. Besides,she needed to get out of the house. Wisps of clouds peppered the sky and the nearby grove of trees allured her with an eerie yet mystic beauty. Settling into a comfortable pace, Mabel became immersed in her thoughts.

I hope Ella got away okay. I know that Edgar and Mary’s spies are on my tail. They don’t know that I know and they must never find that out. I can’t let them get to Ella. Ella needs all the time she can get to prepare herself and those closest to her for the inevitable battle ahead.

Regretting the fact that she couldn’t join Ella yet, Mabel hoped Ella would find safety in numbers and never be alone again.

There’s so much Ella doesn’t know about me. There’s so much I need to tell her. She needs to know that her parents aren’t who she thinks they are. I may not be who she thinks I am but at least I’m on her side.

Mabel continued to walk with her head in the clouds, letting the road take her wherever it would lead her. Unaware of her surroundings, she walked on until she bumped into something or someone, or someone or something bumped into her. The jolt of whatever hit her knocked Mabel right off her feet.

“Ouch,” she yelped. “I’m too old to be knocked over like this!”

Mabel rolled over onto her back and sat up. There was a gash on her forearm from whatever she landed on. A hand reached over to examine her arm. Mabel looked up and her eyes met those of an old friend of hers, Edwina.

“Mabel,” she sobbed, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you!”

“I should have paid more attention,” Mabel grumbled.

“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” Edwina cooed. “It could have happened to anyone. Now let me take a look at that arm.”

Mabel nodded and offered her bleeding arm to her friend. “Thanks Edwina.”

Edwina got to work on cleaning Mabel up. “Anytime.”

Mabel winced as Edwina cleaned the wound. Edwina took Mabel’s other hand and pressed it over the wet cloth she used to clean the wound.

“Keep pressing on it for now. It’ll stop the bleeding,” Edwina instructed, helping Mabel to her feet. “Now let’s get you home.”

Mabel nodded as if there was nowhere else she’d rather go. She held onto Edwina for support as the two of them walked in the direction of Mabel’s home. The two walked in silence until Mabel broke the silence.

Mabel squinted at her companion's face. “What brought you out this way, Edwina?” 

“I was on my way out to see you!” Edwina replied.

Mabel’s heart melted. “It’s really sweet of you to think of me.”

Edwina’s mouth curled up into a smile. “That’s what friends are for.” 

The two of them fell into silence once again. They crossed a ravine. They went over hills and over dales. They rounded a few bends until they reached the road where Mabel’s home is.

“We’re almost there, my dear,” Edwina comforted.

Mabel grunted in exhaustion. Whatever Edwina had put on her wound was making her sleepy. Mabel thought nothing of it then and thought nothing of it now. She let Edwina guide her into her own home and collapsed into a chair at the kitchen table.

“There we are,” Edwina murmured, pulling up a chair so she could sit next to Mabel. Before sitting down, Edwina put the kettle on and filled a mug with some herbs she had brought with her, in a pouch that she pulled out of her jacket.

To top it all off, Edwina also pulled out a jar of a homemade salve that she herself had made.

“I never leave the house without it,” Edwina commented when she caught Mabel looking at it. “I never know when I might need it. There’s always someone hurting themself somewhere isn’t there?”

Mabel nodded her head; too tired to speak. Any worry that may have shown on her face disappeared in a matter of seconds. Once the kettle had boiled, Edwina poured water over the mug of herbs and handed it to Mabel.

“Drink this,” Edwina ordered in a gentle voice. “It’ll help you feel better.”

Mabel blew on the hot liquid and after a moment of hesitation, she took a few sips of the fluid. She yawned and fell into a peaceful sleep. All signs of worry faded from her face as Edwina tended to her wounds. Through her subconscious, Mabel felt Edwina rubbing the salve on the gash on her forearm.

Something clicked into place and Mabel remained in a blissful sleep, not noticing said object, or if she did, she was too tired to care. As her breaths evened out, she let sleep consume her in totality.

***

After tending to Mabel’s wound, Edwina put a bandage over it. She stood up and dumped the remainder of the tea down the drain, disposed of the herbs and washed the mug.

As she dried the mug and put it away, she felt a faint hint of regret at deceiving Mabel but it was all part of the plan. She listened to Mabel’s slow, even breathing as she scrawled a note for Mabel:

Mabel, I wish I could have stayed longer.

We haven’t talked in a long time.

I hope we’ll get a chance to catch up soon.

Your old friend,

Edwina

Edwina made her way to Mabel’s front door and let herself out. She whispered her goodbyes and shut the door, making as little noise as possible.

As she walked home, she chided herself.

She’ll find out sooner or later that you’ve betrayed her. What a wonderful friend you are. She trusts you. You are going to let her down!

She chortled over her own sarcasm.

A voice from even deeper inside her mind reminded her You did what you had to do. The mission is more important. Nothing comes before the mission.

Edwina accepted her fate while muttering apologies to Mabel. As soon as she entered her house, the pocket of her coat warmed up with a familiar and infernal heat. She locked the front door and rushed into the kitchen, taking her coat off in the process.

She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a talking stone. Her talking stone was similar to the one that Mabel had. Rather than glowing with soft, yellow light, it glowed bright red; the colour of clotted blood.

Edwina rubbed her talking stone with her thumb and her stone connected to another talking stone, making a clicking sound as the connection was made.

“Is it done?” A voice crackled through Edwina’s talking stone, as rough as gravel.

“Yes,” Edwina confirmed. “The tracking device is installed on the Target and it is activated.”

“Excellent,” the disagreeable voice drew on. “Our Target is emotionally close to our main target. She will lead us there.”

“That she will,” Edwina agreed.

“Keep a close watch on her when you can,” the voice advised.

“Yes, my Master,” Edwina answered.

Another click sounded and the connection between the talking stones broke. The red light that was emitted by Edwina’s stone faded at the same speed by which it came.

To Edwina, the person she was just talking to was a person of high authority: her master. To Mabel or anyone else who didn’t agree with this mission, he would be known to them only by the name, The Dark Phantom.

Edwina moved on to her nighttime ritual, changing into pajamas and climbing into bed.

I’m sorry, Mabel, was the last thought her brain allowed her before falling asleep.