The Damned (Chapter 2)

Part two of The Damned.

‘Hello, I have a patient for you.’ He placed Kelly gently on the bed as the healer rushed over.

‘Kelly? What happened Manin?’

‘We were talking and she just fainted.’ He stepped back and watched the girl in the bed; he thought she looked awfully pale and maybe a bit to thin to be truly healthy. ‘Margie, has anyone ever fainted from having their magic opened.’

‘No. Did she say anything strange, or her eyes change at all?’

‘Um . . . no.’ He couldn’t figure our why she would ask this, what had happened before Kelly left this room. The only reason he didn’t ask was she was busy.

She placed a purple crystal over Kelly’s forehead then looked up. ‘I haven’t had the opportunity to say congratulations.’

‘Thank you . . . you are talking about the job right.’

‘Yes . . . and I’m sorry to hear about the engagement not working out.’

‘Don’t be, it was our parents idea, we both realised we just didn’t want to live our lives in a loveless marriage.’

‘How are your parents taking it?’ She watched his eyes and was rewarded with a twinkle.

‘You won’t be seeing my parents around until mother talk’s father down from the ceiling.’ He grinned before his eyes went to the other two people in the room. ‘How many are already opened for the new year?’

‘Fifteen. Each of them is quite nice, so just relax. We haven’t had a troubled student for many years . . .’ She stopped when Kelly’s eyes opened, she actually felt her jump. ‘Stay where you are Kelly.’

‘What happened?’ She glanced at her teacher.

‘You fainted.’ Manin stood closer to the bed.

‘How are you feeling?’ The healer asked.

‘Just a headache.’ She closed her eyes to block out the shades.

‘I’ll do something about that . . . did you have it before your magic was opened?’

‘No. It started while I was in the hall.’

‘That’s rather quick to go from pain free to fainting.’ She stood up and hurried over to a tray that lay on a table in the centre of the room.

‘I’d better leave and let Healer Margie do her thing.’ Manin said as he took a single step back.

‘Thank you for . . .’ a moaned escaped as she covered her eyes and tried desperately to push the pain away. Surely if she had magic, she could make it go away. The pain grew a little more.

Manin meant to walk for the door and leave, but instead he sat on the bed, his hands on either side of Kelly’s head as he tried to clear the pain. If he hadn’t wanted so desperately to be a teacher, he would’ve made many people thrilled at being a healer. As he opened his mind, he felt the pain explode in his own head. He shot to his feet, gasped for breath, light exploded in his vision and his stomach turned over even as his legs buckled.

‘Manin, what happened?’ She took his arm and helped him stand but he stumbled back a few steps.

‘I don’t know, I was just removing the pain but . . .’ He gripped his head with both hands.

‘Sit down and take deep breaths.’

‘I feel her pain.’ He sat hard in the seat by the bed. ‘How was she up and around with this.’

‘Whereabouts in her head is it?’

‘Like a band around her head being tightened, so damned tight . . . but there’s something . . . agonising deep inside.’ He felt her cool hand on his forehead and the pain vanished. ‘Oh god, thank you, that’s much better.’

‘Just stay there for a short time.’ The healer hurried over to Malcolm and Denise. ‘Okay you two, raise your hand and think of a ball of light in the middle of your palm.’ Both produced a faint light after a minute. ‘Very good, if you don’t mind finding your own way out.’ She moved back to Kelly and Manin.

‘What can cause this kind of pain?’

‘I wish I knew; Denilia won’t be back for a while yet.’ They both looked at Kelly as she twitched, a moan rose before she settled again. ‘I think it’ll be a while before she wakes up. How are you feeling?’

‘Much better. I’ll head off.’

She didn’t watch him leave as Kelly started to twitch again.

Kelly knew the woman she walked in was not her, but couldn’t remove herself as she entered the lavish sitting room and walked over to the table. Her heart beat a funny beat as she sat at the writing table and opened the draw, a pain grew in her chest, breath was hard to get into her lungs and her limbs felt heavy. She hadn’t been well all day; the doctor had been earlier and found her just a little under the weather and advised her to stay in bed for the day. She knew her time was almost at an end and desperately needed to give her only child the papers that would prove everything would go to her after she died. As she pulled the draw out further . . . she fell to the floor.

She opened her eyes and found herself on the other side of the room; her daughter and husband hugged each other.

‘Hey Ban my dear, I need you to . . .’ she went over to her husband but he didn’t even look at her.

‘I’ll . . .’ her daughters voice seemed to fade.

‘I know sweetheart, she was a very stubborn woman. Why didn’t she just stay in bed like the doctor told her?’

‘I’m right here, look at me.’ She begged. ‘Look under the draw and find the papers.’ She yelled for them to hear her.

Malcolm stood in the hall and he spoke softly to Denise as Manin walked out of the healers’ wing.

‘Ask him.’

It wasn’t just the elbow which dug into his ribs that got him to ask. ‘Wizard Johnson?’

‘Yes.’ He stopped and gave them a smile but his mind was on the student on the bed. ‘How can I help you?’

‘We’re wondering about Kelly?’

‘She just has a very bad headache.’ He saw the worry on their faces. ‘It can’t have anything to do with her magic being opened.’ He tried to assure them but he wasn’t completely convinced.

‘Are you really the Wizard Johnson that will be our teacher?’ Denise watched him; he was young and very good looking. She loved his square jaw, short brown hair and full lips.

‘Yes.’

‘But . . . mother told me all the teachers were only hired if they were old . . . she will be rather upset they are now hiring younger teachers.’ She looked at Malcolm who watched something else. ‘Malcolm?’

‘Sorry, just another shade going past.’ He moved his hand through the faint shadow which drifted to a stop.

‘You can see them?’ She asked.

‘Yes, I’ve seen them all my life, but now they’re a little more solid.’ He looked to Manin who tried not to laugh.

‘Well, can I give you a hint about shades?’

‘Yes.’ His hand moved up and down in the shade as he tried to feel any difference in temperature.

‘Think about a person standing there and see what your hand is doing.’ He watched the young man look at the shadow; his hand froze for a moment before he ripped it back. A deep blush rose on his cheeks.

‘I wonder if that shade is male or female Malcolm.’

‘Don’t tell anyone . . . please?’

‘I promise, but you’ll have to be very nice to me.’ She turned to their teacher. ‘Kelly and Malcolm can see the shades, why can’t I?’

‘Well not everyone can see them. Some see nothing, others see one in ten and others see many. It has nothing to do with a person’s strength in magic.’ He glanced back at the doors. ‘I wonder how many Kelly sees.’

‘Could that be the reason for her headache, suddenly seeing shades?’

‘I don’t know, if I’d continued helping Healer Denilia I might have learn more about it, but I decided to be a teacher.’

Kelly jumped awake; the healer touched her cheek as she smiled down at her. The pain was still there.

‘How’s your head now?’

‘Still hurting.’ The pain throbbed through her head. She had an awful feeling this pain would never leave her.

‘Is it better or worse than before?’

‘The same.’

‘Just rest there, I’ll be back after I put everything away.’

‘Okay.’ She closed her eyes and listened to her footfalls as they moved away from her bed. She concentrated hard on the sounds of the living, and hoped this would block out the shades voices. She listened to the healer as she rushed around the room. All the while the shades still tried to get her attention.

‘Okay Kelly I’m going to look into you and see what is causing your pain.’

‘Okay.’

‘Lay there and relax as much as you can.’ She placed her hands on either side of Kelly’s head and moved in, with what Manin told her, she also placed a barrier around her inner mind. She knew there was a great amount of pain but wasn’t able to find anything that was causing it. She stayed bent over her patient for an hour before stopping. ‘I can’t find the cause dear.’

‘It’s alright; I’ll be alright for now.’ Kelly climbed to her feet and started for the door.

‘No, I’d like you to stay for a while. When Healer Denilia returns, she’ll have better luck. Come in here, it’ll be quieter and I can keep the room dark.’ She watched as Kelly nodded her head once and walked into the room and all but fell onto the bed. ‘I’ll leave you to some quiet dear, but if you need anything just squeeze this crystal.’ She placed a small red crystal into Kelly’s hand. ‘I’ll be as quick as I can.’

‘Thank you.’ She held the little red crystal gently as the door closed.

For the next two and a half hours the healer opened two more students’ magic before Head Healer Denilia returned from her weekly trip to the council. All the while she held the second red crystal in her hand and waited for the slightest vibration.

‘How has it been?’ Denilia smiled as she placed a small box on the centre table.

‘Denny thank god you’re back; I’ve had a little bit of trouble and something worries me.’

‘Tell me everything.’

‘Five more students opened . . . and a headache I had no luck in healing.’

‘What was the cause?’ Denny stopped and looked at the woman; she was one of the best healers she has ever trained, so a simple headache should be nothing for her to cure.

‘I couldn’t find it. Manin tried to remove the pain and he . . . he gained the same pain himself. That one I cured easily.’

‘Wait, the original one you had not luck with, but Manny’s cleared straight away?’

‘Yes. Why can’t I stop the pain?’

‘Is that what’s troubling you?’

‘No. Kelly, the one with the headache, she seems to have . . . I’m sure she was possessed. When I placed the crystals on her I went to the other two students. But as I was checking them, I felt something in the surrounding magic them . . . a man spoke through Kelly giving a warning. She was standing by the bed with the crystals still in place. It wasn’t her voice and the power I heard in the voice sent a shiver up my spine. Also, I was standing over there,’ she pointed across the room. ‘And she was over there.’ She pointed to the other side. ‘I felt the surrounding magic being pulled away from me.’

‘Really? What did she say?’

‘He spoke about something or someone breaking out of their . . . confinement, they needed to be stopped.’

‘Do you know where this Kelly is at the moment?’

‘I placed her in room number one, and gave her the other request crystal.’ She held hers up between her thumb and finger. ‘Not even the slightest tremble in it. I haven’t told her anything about what happened. She didn’t remember.’

‘Okay, give that to me and go and ask Manny to come back.’ Denny waited until she left them held the crystal and opened her mind up to the girl that held the other one. This was one thing she hasn’t taught any of her healers yet, it was meant for only the one who would replace her. She almost dropped the crystal as pain seared her brain, held on to the table and removed herself from Kelly. Then cleared her mind as she made for the door.

As the door opened a scream reverberated around the room. Denilia hurried to the girl who had crawled under the bed.

‘Kelly.’ She levitated her onto the bed and placed her hands on either side of Kelly’s head. ‘Wake up dear girl.’ Her eyes flew open to show Denilia the terror she was in for only a fleeting moment before it disappeared. ‘You are safe here.’

‘I know.’

‘What were you dreaming of?’

‘Someone dying . . . she was . . . murdered by a stranger.’ She trembled a little.

‘Do you have these dreams often?’

‘No.’ Kelly sat up and looked at the woman who watched her with such sympathy. ‘If I just go and do something, it will take my mind of the pain a little.’ A tear rolled from her eye.

‘Wait . . .’ the door opened and Manin entered.

‘Denny, what can I do?’

‘Just a moment.’ She looked to Kelly ‘I’m going to try something, as Manny . . . Wizard Johnston is the only other person who know how to do it, I’m going to use him to help me.’ She didn’t receive a reply. ‘Manny dear, go on the other side and take your place. Kelly I need you to lie down and try to find the place the pain is emanating from.’ She stopped as Kelly looked around the room in horror.

‘Why?’

‘We need to locate the exact place the pain is before we can try to remove it.’

‘Kelly, do you see shades?’ The only reply he received was a single nod of her head, her eyes roamed around the room. ‘Could you see them before your magic was opened?’

‘Not like this.’ She whispered.

‘Okay, lay back and we will make a start.’ Denilia motioned for Manin to start.

‘Wait, place a shield . . .’

‘Oh I know all about that, I tried through the crystal and I really don’t want to . . .’ she looked to Kelly. ‘Let’s start.’ They gently combined their magic and moved into Kelly’s mind, they knew there was massive pain throbbing through her but weren’t able to locate where it came from. They stopped an hour later, both Denilia and Manin almost drained from using so much magic. ‘I’m sorry Kelly; we just can’t find it.’ She panted as she climbed to her feet.

‘Don’t worry about it; it’s sure it will leave on its own.’ She climbed to her feet.

‘I want you to return every morning and evening, I’ll do what I can to lessen the pain.’

‘Yes Ma’am.’ She looked to Wizard Johnson. ‘Wizard Johnson.’ She bowed her head then hurried form the room.

‘Why can’t we help her?’

‘I’ve never felt anything like it Manny, and I’ve never not been able to stop pain.’

‘I know.’ He walked around the bed and took her arm. ‘Since Kelly will be one of my students, I’ll keep an eye on her for you. If I see the pain is returning, or not gone in the first place, I’ll send her back.’

‘Thanks. And I thought the toughest thing I did today would be getting the full load of crystals.’

‘That reminds me, I may have some news for you later.’

‘What kind of news?’

‘Crystals, but I won’t tell you in case it falls through.’

‘Now Manny, you know me. You drop this on me and refuse to tell me anything.’

‘Yes.’

‘Oh be off with you . . . you’re a tease.’

‘So my mother is always telling me.’

Something ancient stirred again. It found her, she sat in her small chilly room; a single candle lit the room. She just sat on the bed and looked through the book on her lap, her head twitched. It let a soft tendril extend towards her, it moved silently around her. Its thrill and sorrow for her mingled so tightly together they weren’t able to separate them. Kelly looked up as if she knew it was there. It hurried from the room and returned to its confinement. It really wanted to be free to wander wherever it wanted. Things were beginning to happen far away and it knew it would soon be time for things to change, but it bided its time. Even from its small cold confines, they could feel Kelly’s pain, both emotional and physical. They didn’t try to block it out, it was their fault and they made themselves feel their guilt.