THE GATEWAY INN

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Each second rattled through the air as the small hand dragged toward the 12—an unspoken warning echoing louder with every tick.

The echoing out of sync church bells were a reminder of what was at stake 

Edith tightened her pink shawl around her shoulders and thrust the poker into the fire. Sparks shot up, lighting the room in flickering, restless shadows. Half past. Time was going to start setting soon.

Edna finally stumbled into the room, out of breath.

"Sorry, dear. He was being exceptionally impossible with his food tonight," she gasped. "I hope you haven't started without me. I can't have you cheating again."

"That was sheer luck." Edith smiled as she placed the well-used box of dominoes on the table.

"Oh, my darling sister, we both know that's not true. You always mix up the dominoes so you’ll win."

"Do you think we’ve done enough?" Edna asked hopefully. 

Edith sighed, stirring the tea. "If you hadn't behaved in such an improper manner, we wouldn't be in this situation. Do I have to remind you what would happen if that clock stops? Our other sisters would feel the effect”

"Speaking of situations—when are you going to let me wear the tricorn and coat?" Edna picked up a domino and stared at it ignoring her sister's lecturing rant. "I’m more than capable of rowing the Captain along the river."

"How quickly you forget Lord Ernest Fortingue, dear. He fooled a whole room of distinguished gentlemen. But if you think you can hide that ample bosom, then go ahead." She smirked. "Hmm. Your silence speaks volumes. Now, can we please focus on the game ahead? She will be joining us soon"

Izzy jolted awake, the echo of ticking still reverberating in her ears. But it wasn’t the living room clock she heard  before she opened her eyes and what was with the aroma that made her crave a cup of Earl Grey tea?

"Why does the killer look like Trevor McDonald?" she murmured.

"It's the 10 o’clock news!" Lydia sighed, reminding herself that the appointment at the sleep clinic was just a week away.

"I only rested my eyes for a moment," Izzy yawned.

Lydia slumped back into her mint apple green sofa. It had been a week since she’d stumbled upon the contents under Izzy's bed—history books with earmarked chapters, highlighted paragraphs, and frantic notes scribbled in the margins. Lydia had a huge pink jotter full of sketches and stories.

But it was the nightmare sketches that freaked Lydia out the most. A man holding her sister’s arm. The effigy. The human sacrifice trapped inside. The burning.

"Izzy wouldn’t have found The Wicker Man if I hadn't been doing overtime!” Lydia sighed, the memory haunting her yet again.

Over the years, Lydia had learned to recognize the triggers that could set Izzy off, usually managing to regulate them.

But this time, she was struggling to keep Izzy away from her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Barry. Of course he had crawled back. This time surprising Izzy with some so-called spiritual retreat in the middle of nowhere.

"I won’t need that stupid sleep clinic once I’ve regressed," Izzy pouted angrily 

 "Barry obviously snooped under your bed. He’s using it to trick you. I’m worried about you, Izzy. You’re not meant to be with him."

"So worried that you go through my things and make hushed phone calls?!" Izzy  slapped Lydia hard across the face. "You won’t be happy until I’m locked up in that ruddy asylum! If you want my share of our parents’ inheritance, goddamn take it. I'm done with you!"

Lydia screamed after her, but it was too late. She had already stormed out into the arms of a smug Barry who was obviously playing his role exceptionally well.

Edna placed a silver tray beside the porcelain tea set.

"Is that our best china, my dear?"

Edith smiled. "Well, it is a special occasion. It’s finally happening as it was foretold. The Captain will be pleased"

"Is everything prepared?" Edna asked, pouring tea into delicate cups.

"Everything is as it should be. Oh, I forgot the biscuits." Edith sighed.

"We are sure about this, aren’t we?" Edna’s voice dropped. 

"I think after all this time I know the correct biscuits"

"No... I meant Ba…."

The sudden sound of gravel crunching outside interrupted her. She could never get used to those loud and smelly automobiles.

Edith straightened. "Now, remember, dear— greet them with a warm, ‘Welcome to The Gateway Inn. Please enjoy your stay.’ Wipe that look off your face and stick to the rules.”

Izzy fell back onto the bed, her head heavy with guilt. She shouldn’t have slapped Lydia. Shouldn’t have stormed off 

 “ Hmm… What would Alexis Colby do?" she mused aloud. "She’d have pushed Lydia into a fountain and dunked her over-styled hair under the water." She giggled at the image.

A soft, well-spoken voice suddenly echoed in her mind.

"As per your request, I regret to inform you The Captain is simply not receiving visitors or guests at the moment. Please enjoy our refreshments. We have tea and biscuits waiting for you."

Izzy sat bolt upright.

"The Captain. The Captain. The Captain."

The words echoed in her mind, as if trying to find a place to call home.

"Can you believe this?!" Barry came storming into the room in a rage. "I bet if I had offered the right amount of money this so-called Captain would be kissing my..” 

" I actually like it here. It's kind of cozy." Izzy interrupted him. 

Barry sat down on the edge of the bed.

" It pisses me off so much and .."

Izzy silenced him with a tender peck  on the cheek “Let's sort it out in the morning. It's only a couple of nights”

“How grateful?” Barry asked as he pulled Izzy close. Kissing her softly on the lips as he pushed her back onto the bed. 

Izzy had missed his touch and for a moment she responded to his advances but as his rough hands grasped her inner thighs Izzy recoiled in disgust 

"Barry! Stop!" She squirmed trying to avoid his finger fumbling foreplay. 

"Aww come on baby!" He muttered as he kissed her neck. 

Izzy pushed him off her. "No means no Barry!"

He lunged towards her but Izzy managed to dart past him straight into the bathroom and locked the door.

 “You are such an ungrateful frigid  cow!" Barry yelled as he picked up the car keys that he had flung on top of the drawers earlier and stormed out.

 Wiping her eyes with her sleeve Izzy  was far too tired and emotionally drained to think straight.

"Straight to bed with you young lady."She reprimanded herself. 

"Good morning dear." Edna smiled as she opened the curtains.

"How did you..?

"There is a second door hidden by that curtain. It's only used for emergencies. I see your gentleman friend hasn't returned yet."

"He's no gentleman." Izzy sighed sadly. 

Edna sat down on the bed next to her.

"May I suggest a walk in the garden before breakfast? It will give you time to clear your head."

"What about The Captain?" Izzy asked.

"He will be out on the river for a while. He misses his days on the ocean waves".Edna smiled. "Where are your clothes?

"They should be in a bag by the side of the.." Izzy stared at the empty space where her bag should have been. "The bastard! I'll kill him!"

"If you would allow it. I have some clothes you can borrow." Edna sat beside her on the bed smiling sweetly

Izzy enjoyed trying on different clothes and Edna was a lot of fun.  

Finally she decided on  an outfit.

Edna  fastened the stays  then  helped her with the petticoats and stockings before finally finishing with a fine silk green gown. The matching short spencer jacket, coming only to the waist of the dress made Izzy feel exceptionally feminine

"Thank you Edna." She smiled.

"You look gorgeous." Edna replied. "Be careful the Captain isn't captivated by your beauty."

Izzy was still blushing at her thoughts of The  Captain as she walked along the stony path towards the river. The slight breeze swayed the branches above her. It was  so familiar even down to the air she was breathing.

 Izzy felt this surreal calmness wash over her entire body

As she stared out onto the familiar looking river she spotted two figures in a red rowing boat. 

 Panicking, she hid behind a tree.

Izzy’s breath hitched. She dug her nails into her arm, willing herself awake. This isn’t real. It can’t be real.

A black hat, shielding his raven hair. A long maroon coat, caught in the breeze. The waistcoat, the crisp white shirt—unbuttoned just enough to be infuriatingly perfect.

Every detail.

“Exactly as she had written him. But the words she’d once imagined—carefully penned between the margins—couldn’t prepare her for the way her heart lurched. This was impossible. And yet… here he was.

Zachary. 

The Captain.

Her Captain.

And worst of all—he was looking right at her.

His gaze lingered, piercing through her. As if he had always known her. As if she had always known him

And then—just as quickly—he looked away and continued on his way

Izzy had been frantically pacing the floor trying to find the right words to say.  Edna sat  on the chair waiting patiently

 " I don't know what to do. Okay I could ignore this or face this head on. Who am I kidding? The latter is the only choice I have." Izzy gasped. "I need to know. I started writing  after my parents died.  I was told it was my way of coping. I had a different set of parents,  a horse I would ride and a favourite tree to sit under on a hot day. The Captain is  supposed to be a figment of my imagination, a daydream not walking around looking so damn hot!"

"I will make the introductions then leave the rest to you." Edna replied calmly.

"I don't understand what is wrong with me." Izzy sighed.

"Well apart from the obvious that you are a smitty kitty. The man you imagined in your head is now very real and you want a piece of him"

"It's a smitten kitten which I am not!" Izzy blushed. "And I'm definitely not after any part of him. Thank you very much."

"If you say so." Edna laughed. "You would be lying though..Hey!".She ducked as Izzy playfully threw a cushion at her

Barry lay back in the bed. His head was still spinning from all the booze but he had still managed another sex session with Jean or was it Jane?.

“One more night and then it would  definitely be time to kiss and make up.  Poor girl will be pining for me." He thought. “Besides, I only have that cabin for so long. I can't believe she fell for that spiritual retreat nonsense.”

Izzy squeezed Edna's arm nervously as they stood by the lake side 

" I could just be projecting the image I created onto him or even worse I simply created a version of him that would like me in a romantic way" Izzy gasped as she saw the familiar red boat.

"It's too late to back out now.Just keep calm. Things will work themselves out" Edna replied squeezing her hand affectionately 

"Easy for you to say..It isn't your dream man in the flesh" Izzy hid behind Edna as the Captain stepped off the boat.

"Edna! You'd better have a damn good reason to interrupt my morning routine." He huffed.

Without saying another word Edna grabbed a hold of Izzy and pushed her towards him.

"Zachary, this is Elizabeth."   She beamed.

"Impossible!" He stared at her in disbelief 

"Completely impossible," Izzy mumbled breathlessly. “Impossibly handsome. Impossibly real”

"This is all very unusual, Madam, " He smiled. "Would you care to join me for a walk? It seems we have a lot to discuss."

Izzy looked over at Edna who simply nodded her head.

"Right Captain .. Elizabeth. If you will excuse me I have to help my sister. I bid you good day."

Elizabeth glared at her, willing her to stay but to no avail.

 Zachary  had been thinking about Elizabeth ever  since he saw her hiding  behind that tree. At first he couldn't be entirely sure if she was there or it was just his mind playing tricks on him.

  "You are the same as the night of the Winter  Ball.” Zachary smiled. “You were wearing a gorgeous silver gown that matched  the mask you were wearing. I couldn't take my eyes off you"  

“You looked splendid in your black fork tail coat and silver breeches.” Elizabeth’s staggered breath surrendered the last of her composure. 

 Zachary paused. " You would disappear and..”

Elizabeth interrupted him nervously. "Please understand I never wanted to leave”

As Zachary stood in front of her their eyes met for a lingering gaze.

"Now that you are here standing before me I find myself at a loss for words." He spoke softly. "

"My Dear Captain” Elizabeth  trembled as she gently stroked the side of his face.

Zachary couldn't resist her a moment longer. He pulled her even closer, kissing her passionately on the lips.

“I’ve been wanting to do that from the moment I saw you stuck in that tree.”

“It was a warm afternoon and that apple was just hanging there but that was a daydream. I didn’t even write that in my- oh my-.”

Elizabeth stammered as she realised  this time there was no waking up in a state of confusion and anger. 

"Stay with me." Zachary whispered softly into her ear.

"Alright you old trout! Where is my girlfriend!!" Barry yelled as he burst into the room. The stench of cheap booze followed him.

"Has your mother told you not to speak to your elders in such a disgusting manner?" Edith didn’t flinch. She had dealt with ridiculous men like him before.

"Answer the question bitch!" Barry lunged towards her but was greeted by a red hot poker. He fell backwards into a chair.

"To answer your question, the so-called girlfriend that you treated so badly is getting married and you won't be ruining it" Edith jabbed the poker even deeper into his skin until he passed out

Barry groaned.

The world swam in and out of focus.

A festival? 

Yet—something was wrong.

 The scent of roses clashed with something sickly sweet, metallic—blood?

His arms. Pinned. Tied. No—bound.

Straw crunched around him.

The sky spun through the darkness above him. Blurred figures loomed, their faces alight with the glow of torches.

The drumming. It pulsed through his skull, through his bones. A heartbeat that wasn’t his own.

The effigy towered around him.

Realization hit like a blade to the gut.

He wasn’t watching the parade.

He was part of it..

The annual Pagan Festival was in full swing.

Children dressed in white robes led the procession, weaving between stalls of roasted meats and handmade trinkets.

At the center of it all sat the massive straw effigy.

Elizabeth squeezed Zachary’s hand, feeling the steady warmth of his grip.

The women representing the four seasons danced in a circle. The Morris dancers lifted the effigy onto the stone throne.

The elders passed flaming torches to the seasonal women. One by one, they stepped forward, igniting the straw man.

For one brief moment, Elizabeth swore she heard a scream.

But it was lost beneath the roar of the fire.

 As she held onto his arm, a strange sense of déjà vu washed over her as she watched the flames rise.

Lydia  had knocked back her second glass of red wine. Her tear stained face stared back down at the unfamiliar letter that she had found taped inside Izzy’s pink jotter. It  was her own handwriting and it was changing right before her eyes.  

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.