Realizing her words were being lost in the roar of the wind, she starts to move closer to Daniel when he takes a hit fair and square in the face by the couch cushion. She is also struck, but fortunately only by a plastic coffee cup and then only in the shoulder.
She tries to position herself to protect Isaac as Daniel seems to be fumbling about for his bells. This was certainly more than she had been expecting.
What she’d assumed was going to happen was that Daniel would come in, identify the spirit, play a tune on his bells and then said spirit would shuffle off to complete its journey along this river of death he’d told her about.
A wailing Banshee and flying construction site equipment were a totally different ‘kettle of fish’. This was really exciting and Thryl was actually enjoying herself.
Still, she was not unaware of the potential for danger and in the blink of an eye her hands are full of a brace of Colt Navys. To Isaac, they appeared as elaborately engraved pistols. They were large pistols and maybe appeared too large in her hands.
Daniel, on the other hand was a member of the Secret World, whether he wanted to be or not. He had seen these weapons previously and could readily see their arcane enhancements.
There is the sudden, authoritative peal of the bell she later learns is Saraneth, along with the command of “STOP IT!”
It took a second for her to realise the command was not directed at her. There is a slight crash behind her, and she turns to see that Isaac has been startled by the hardhat dropping on his foot.
Any other time she’d have let the amusement she felt to bubble free. This was circumvented as the spirits keening seemed to restart only to be silenced by Daniel’s “NO!”
A side effect of the magic of Saraneth was that her laugh stopped before it left her mouth.
Surprised, her mouth drops open at the spirit’s answer. Daniel is obviously just as surprised. This response was not expected … Not expected at all. Daniel tolls his bell for the third time commanding the spirit to show itself.
The spirit manifests, coalescing into the form of a distressed child. Thryl’s hands drop, and the pistols are gone just as fast as they appeared. She listens and watches. “Gods … It is a child throwing a tantrum. One driven by fear. Oh, you poor baby.”
It takes all her will power to stand still and not say anything more. The urge to rush forward and wrap the ‘child’ in her arms was almost irresistible. But this was Daniel’s area of expertise, and this child was dead. She would have to be guided by him.
Instead, she turns to Isaac opening the door for the man. “I don’t think you can help us anymore at the moment. Could you make sure no one else tries to come in here?”
The necromancer stares openmouthed at the ghost for a good five seconds as it fades into view. Unlike Thryl, he gives in to the urge.
Saraneth tumbles gracelessly from his fingers as he kneels down, wrapping his arms around the spirit. The bells’ magic makes her corporeal enough to hold, and the girl returns the gesture as she howls into his shoulder. “Shh, shh, I’m sorry,” he whispers, still somewhat in shock as his Big Brother instincts kick in, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t’ve yelled. C’mere, kid, c’mere…”
Isaac hyperventilates as he watches the scene, and he does a double-take at the open door before Thryl’s question clicks in his mind. He nods and scrambles out of the room, apparently struggling to rise to his feet as his eyes are locked on the ghost in morbid, tragic curiosity.
Daniel doesn’t notice the guard’s departure. He gently rocks the ghost as she cries herself out, waiting until her sobbing devolves into a few strained hiccups.
Thryl turns back to Daniel at the thud of Saraneth striking the floor. She starts to bend to retrieve the bell but stops. She had just witnessed a sample of their power and knows that this is just the tip of the iceberg. She was sure she shouldn’t meddle with them in any way.
Isaac shuffles through the door before Thryl closes it behind him. She suspects this man has likely witnessed his first experience of the other side. She remembers the time soon after she had been selected by the Bee and the terror of discovering her new powers and the fact, she knew nothing of how to control them.
Ensuring that she’s between the door and the bells laying on the floor, she had no intention of touching them and was determined to not let anyone else touch them either.
Her attention returns to Daniel and the ghost. She can’t help but smile softly at the empathic way he deals with this spirit of a confused and frightened child.
An outside observer could well think she was a statue, she remained so still as to not startle the ghost. Like Daniel she was waiting until the child had cried herself out. All the while trying to push away the memory that this scene had awoken … Of the morning Thryl and her sisters had found themselves alone. Despite this she actually had no memory of her parents.
“Easy, kiddo … there we go.” He gives her another encouraging squeeze. He waits until she’s cried herself before reaching into his jacket and pulls out a glow stick, cracking it between three fingers. The room shines in an ephemeral teal that immediately draws Audrey’s attention, and he lets her take the stick from his grip. “I’m sorry again f’yellin’. What’s ya name?”
“A-Audrey,” she sniffles. “Audrey Baker. What is this?”
“It’s an emergency light–I keep 'em around f’when th’power goes out, like it did earlier. Not my first time by a mile, lemme tell ya.” Daniel lets the child step back to wipe her eyes, and she hugs her stuffed rabbit to her chest along with the glowstick. “Who’s ya friend?”
“C-Comet,” she sniffles. “Mommy made him for me so I wouldn’t be lonely while the doctors made me better.”
"Uh–"Daniel pauses, drawing a blank on how to respond to that. “Yeah–um… hey, kiddo, d’ya–um. What year is it, d’ya know?”
Audrey doesn’t quite meet his eyes as she rocks in place, the ephemeral bunny’s limbs swaying in her grip. “I forget … Mommy’s brought me in and out a lot. Uncle Tommy used to come with her, but he had to go be brave in the trenches even though he said Mr. Wilson wouldn’t make him go. He said he wants to be as brave there as I am here even though he doesn’t have a Comet.”
“Um.” Words fail Daniel again, and he trades a look with Thryl.
Thryl remains still while Daniel talked to the child. Noticing Daniel’s lost expression when he looks at her, Thryl’s mind races over the scant information the child ghost had provided. Actually, relieved with the disguise she weaved about herself, ‘Sister’ Thryl slowly lowers herself onto her haunches and looks at Audrey from a less threatening height.
“Sweetheart, this must all be scary for you. Mr. Murphy is here to try and help you find your Mommy. Can you remember what the doctors told your Mommy was why you are sick?”
“Th-the doctor said something about Luke an’ Mia, I think?” Audrey replies. “It’s been a long time–m’sorry, I don’t 'member… I just 'member always being hungry even though I ate a lot, and tired even though I slept a lot, and I didn’t like cleaning my teeth 'cause it made my teeth bleed. Mommy said we had to come here to make it go away, and she was always here when I woke up until the day she wasn’t. Where is she?”
Daniel barely suppresses a grunt. “Kiddo, she … it sounds like ya sickness won. She stayed with ya through it, but after ya–after it won, she didn’t have anyone t’come back to.”
Past experience tunes him in to the renewed panic welling up, and he does what he can to stave off another wail. “We’re gonna go find her, like th’sister said an’ all, okay?”
*Tears well in Aathryl’s eyes as the truth hits her. *
Audrey had been suffering from Leukaemia. Her and her mum had fought with the cancer and sadly, Audrey had lost.
Unlike a few moments ago, this time she didn’t resist the urge. Leaning forward from her kneeling position she wraps the child ghost in a comforting embrace as Daniel tries to explain to the child what happened to her.
She also picks up on the child’s rising panic and on hearing Daniel’s declaration that they were going to help Audrey find her mum, she adds soothing coos of “It’ll be okay sweetheart … Daniel knows how to find her. It must have been so scary for you waking up here all alone.”
Looking back to Daniel, “Her uncle went to the trenches after Mr Wilson said he didn’t have to. If knowing a time period you’re dealing with is helpful, I think he went to the Great War so that’d be the early 1900’s.”
Daniel nods numbly, having done the mental math himself. He clears his throat and is grateful to still have the shades covering his eyes.
“Easy kiddo, easy, easy, we’re gonna go fine y’mom.” He gives her a final hug and steps back, pulling out a piece of chalk and another glowstick from his jacket’s inner pocket. “S’just this is gonna be a little different, an’ it might be a bit scary, so I need ya t’stay close.”
*He gives Thryl a look that warns he’s not just speaking to the Dead anymore. Audrey hugs her rabbit close to her chest and sidles up agains Thryl as Daniel draws a large circle around the three of them. All three of them feel a small pop as he closes the circle, though only the ghost doesn’t recognize a magical seal being formed. With the barrier created, Daniel secures his bells and turns back to the others before taking a seat, crossing his legs. “A’ight, first step’s done. Next up, take a seat.”
The ghostly girl sniffs and follows suit. “Why’re we sitting Indian style?”
Daniel opts not to unpack ANY of the baggage of that phrasing, instead drawing the second smallest bell from his bandolier. His free hand takes one of Audrey’s hand “Because we gotta focus. Be ready t’stand, an’ if ya feel somethin’ tuggin’ at ya, hold on tight, 'kay?”
When Danial clears his throat, Thryl sits back as he confirms that they are going to find Audreys mother. She nods to his silent warning concerning what was going to happen, and puts an arm about Audrey’s shoulder when the little girl sidles up to her.
The woman and the girl watch as Daniel draws the circle about them. Thryl watching his technique, Audrey with open fascination, giving a little jump at the arcane pop as the protective circle is closed. Thryl recognises many of the symbols drawn, but there are some she plans on asking Daniel about when the task is complete.
When Daniel takes a seat, they follow suit as instructed. Thryl thought it was an interesting question the child ask. One she plans to take up with Daniel in the future, there was obviously more to it given the slight disconnect between his facial expression and his answer.
Despite this, Thryl takes Audrey’s other hand and gives it a small, hopefully reassuring squeeze. She first smiles and nods to Audrey. “Stick close to me, sweetheart.
She then looks over and nods to Daniel. “Ready.”
Audrey sits as well, and Daniel takes her free hand in his. The other withdraws the second-smallest “A’ight, now the next part: Mosrael hels us cross over. Important thing, keep ya eyes closed until after it rings, an’ be ready t’stand–otheriwse ya risk gettin’ swept away.”
“Swept away by what?” the ghost asks.
Daniel squeezes her hand in reply. “You’ll understand when we get there–just hold tight.”
Once he’s sure all three pairs of eyes are closed and focused, he rings the bell; it’s a harsh, dissonant sound, and coldness seems to flow from the echo. To pierce the veil between Life and Death, necromancers are recommended to find a phrase of power that helps with the process; some in Aunt Karrin’s research have offered prayers, others sutras, and a few even come up with sayings of their own.
Daniel keeps things simple, shutting out everything but three words that encompass his calling:
“All is dust.”
As the three sit in place, the world feels as though it spins around them, and all sound outside of Daniel’s circle becomes a muted suggestion. The faintest hint of humidity reaches their senses when Daniel launches himself to his feet, half-dragging the ghost up with him. “A’ight, we’re through–stand up, stand up now!”
The ghost yelps in surprise, clutching her rabbit close and opening her eyes to find herself ankle-deep in what seems to be an endless puddle. Fog obscures their view past a few meters in every direction, and light doesn’t shine through as much as permeate just enough to let them see what they can’t see. An occasional shape hints at taking form nearby, only to either vanish or be pulled away by the water at their feet, which has a surprisingly strong current for something so shallow.