"Trust no one."
Her mother's strained and familiar raspy voice made Lisa Belmont realize that she was no longer in reality but trapped in a nightmare.
Every now and again fat, heavy raindrops splattered on the heads of naked men and women that surrounded Lisa and her mother.
Strangers bound together tightly by rope and packed more closely than a tin of mackerel.
Coldness filled the air and despite the chattering of teeth they held out a hope for salvation that would never come.
Beside her only child a weary mother's eyes slowly dimmed, as her breathing got more labored.
"I'm sorry my child, it was my foolish decisions that brought you into this world. So in your next life live cautiously, never share your real thoughts and feelings with others, don't fall for that fallacy called love."
Frustrated, this mother turned her neck to the side to speak to her daughter, choosing to focus on her most precious daughter in a world that has gone mad.
"Even if you feel lonely it's just for a season and time never stands still."
Some stranger wretched behind her and Lisa felt cold vomit slide down her back and sent shivers down her spine.
Determined to get her words across and despite her lips turning purple, Millicent used the last energy she had to hold this important conversation.
A mother's love meant that she would give it her all, her dying breath.
Sacrificing her own life force to keep her daughter alive, a lingering hope for a brighter future for her child.
Millicent needed to keep her daughter's attention and not have her distracted by the pandemonium occurring all around them.
By asking forcefully, "can you promise me that?"
Lisa tried to be strong and hold back her tears, after slowly exhaling, she said, "I promise."
Why did things turn out this way, why did their neighbors betray them?
Lisa had played with Laurence as children and never realized he harbored such lustful thoughts and resentment towards her family.
"Trust no one," repeated her mother.
These were the last words Lisa Belmont heard from her mother's lips.
She spat those words out with her last dying breaths, a cruel parting from Lisa's last known living relative.
A sad goodbye to the only parent she had left in the world.
Up to her neck in water and unaware of how much time had passed.
Lisa no longer cared about living, she looked forward to joining her parents in heaven soon.
Revenge was the last thing on her mind when the water reached her lips, she would leave that despicable Durand family to their own karma.
When the water was almost to her eyes, now Lisa's hands and feet felt numb.
Almost as if her body had gone immune to the freezing cold water.
Then Lisa thought to herself, she can't go to heaven without fulfilling her promise to mother.
How would Lisa be able to hold her head up high before her parents if she took the coward's way out.
Lisa finally admitted to herself that she didn't want to die.
Attracted to the stench of blood and body parts floating in the murky river was a large crocodile.
There was nothing she could do but watch as the crocodile attacked one of the decapitated bodies.
That still had one of the guard's sabers stuck in some unfortunate soul's ribs.
Right now the savage beast was nibbling on floating human remains in the water but what if it decided it preferred its meat fresh and raw with the blood pumping.
Lisa looked around frustrated, no one was coming to save her.
Frantic cries from the remaining prisoners filled the air when they saw the crocodile.
Their panicked attempts to get away, splashing the water, made the barge sink faster.
Such struggling only served to draw its attention to live bait.
Lisa looked around wildly but her hands were still tightly tied behind her back.
Just then something long and rough brushed against her leg, her anxiety tripled as her heart raced frantically within her chest.
Someone was touching Lisa without her permission.
Eyes closed, Lisa wanted to wake up but she felt like she was being held down by a supernatural force in the bed.
Lisa could not touch her ring, though she struggled she could not move a muscle.
Nor could she shout for help by opening her mouth to yell out Banislav!
Time passed and Lisa lay thrashing in the bed with screams dying inside her throat, unable to escape the torment.
Until someone entered the room and turned on the bedroom light.
The shadow fled the room the moment a switch flicked on but it was determined to get another chance to attack Lisa through her dreams.
She felt the warm touch of soft, delicate hands pressed against her face.
"Lisa, snap out of it," said Chandra while shaking Lisa none too gently. "You're having a nightmare."
Chandra brushed away a damp strand of dark hair that clung to Lisa's forehead
They were in Bane's guest room so she assumed Chandra came looking and Bane told her where to find Lisa.
"Where's Bane?" asked Lisa as her eyes fluttered open.
Slowly adjusting to the bright light of the bedroom.
Chandra rolled her eyes, "Good morning to you Lisa, your bestie is here and the first person you ask about is Bane? I'm hurt. As much as the boss dotes on you he also has a business to run. Bane asked me to check on you since you were running a fever and he had some board meetings to attend. What's going on with you?"
"I'm fine."
"Save that bs excuse for someone that doesn't know better. When I came into the room you were calling for someone named Millicent who's that?"
They sat for a while in companionable silence before Lisa finally spoke, "Chandra do you believe in past lives?"
"You mean like the soul leaving your body and touring the world while attached by a string, my yoga teacher talks about that all the time."
"No, you're thinking about astral projection Chandra. What I'm talking about is reincarnation where a soul is given a chance to be reborn."
"Sounds too complicated."
"Forget I brought it up then."
"But…"
"But what?"
"You haven't answered the question… who's Millicent?"
"She was a mother to me, someone I cared for and loved deeply, she's no longer alive."
After those solemn words they sat down there for a few more minutes until Lisa's stomach grumbled.
"I'll start breakfast while you change and get ready, you can join me downstairs when you're done, is that okay with you?"
Lisa's complexion was looking paler than usual.
Her friend's eyes had red squiggly lines near the iris like Lisa hadn't slept a wink.
Lisa's glum attitude gave her a look of frailty that made Chandra want to tiptoe around her.
"You don't have to."
"Yeah, I know but I want to."