Black Dog

Prologue Part 1:

It had been raining for days. The weather channel predicted more precipitation within the next few weeks that would break the current record of 115" in just 33 hours.

         David picked up the remote lazily and turned off the idiot box, then leaned back into his recliner. He looked around his apartment in disgust.
It was clean, at least—cleaner than what he kept his room when he was living with his parents, but it was void of all food. He could feel his stomach tighten in fear of having to eat itself. Slowly he rose up.
         “Hopefully I wont drown in all this rain...” He mumbled, pulling his coat over his shoulders. He tugged the hood over his mess of tawny hair and closed the door behind him.

         Outside, it was pitch black. The atmosphere had absorbed all the water it could and had dropped it in just a day and a half—and in less than three hours—had drowned the streets to flooding. The drains were filled and brown water seeped up from the pit of the sewer.
His sedan could barely make it through the drench without sliding, or very well, drowning itself.

         “You should hurry home, son.” One older cashier said, “Its hell outside.”
David turned his green eyes on him and nodded, “Thanks—I will.”

         He started his car as quickly as he could, throwing the groceries in the back seat and pulled out.

The streets were washed with the rain that still kept falling in thick sheets. It was the kind of rain where one drop of water could soak you to the bone, and with millions of them, it surely was hell. His headlights weren’t doing any good, and the fog made against the windshield from the heat being on high was even worse. The sudden long, howling squeak of the windshield wipers against the glass grated on his nerves.
         “...Damned useless—”
He was suddenly cut off by a startling stop ahead. His breaks squealed as if they were being strangled, and his car skidded ever slightly to the left. Where he was, he put the damned thing in park.
         “The hell?”
Outside was a dog, shivering in such a state of shock it was disgraceful to whomever left him out. He was definitely going to die in this rain.
David stepped out into the chaos of one man screaming his lungs out over having almost hit the stupid animal while a woman, who’s hair and clothes were soaked down to nothing, was shaming him like a child. Her finger wagging and her tongue as sharp as a bullet.
         He studied them as if he wasn’t there at all and approached the dog slowly.
         “Hay, boy. Hay there...” he said softly.
The dog looked up at him with sad eyes. The brown of them rang out in fear.
         “C’mon, now.. Come here...” He took the dog, a black, seemingly shaggy animal especially around the neck, where the hair was thicker, and held him in his arms, taking him to his car. The dog didn’t move in his grasp and even sat still on the passenger side seat while he drove away.
The two strangers were still arguing as if he hadn’t been there at all.
**

         The rain dimmed after a few more hours as the twilight began to fade in. The sparkle of amethyst and citrus rays gleamed in the after glow of the storm, then faded into blackness.

David pulled the curtains closed and turned on his lamp over his bed as he cracked open his anatomy textbook.
         “...Why do I have to learn this...?” He whined. He combed through his hair with large, slender hands as his peridot eyes looked up to face the now dry dog sitting at the foot of his bed asleep.

The animal was more handsome than he first thought. Its small, yet robust body was wide in the front and narrowed to a tail-less rear. His ears were sharp and at the moment, were lying against the dogs head in sleep. The crest of fur around his neck that spread down the dogs spine was natural and not a cut as he had thought.
         He spared a look down at his book, still open to the first god-forsaken chapter then closed it in revolt with a slam.
The dog’s ears pricked up at the sound.
         “Oh, sorry...” David apologize to the animal. The dog seemed to take it in, and put his head back down into his paws, closing his eyes.
This didn’t go unnoticed, and even the skeptic himself had to say it was strange—an animal so seemingly afraid of people, now could understand them so well.
He didn’t dwell on it any further and threw the text book into his hamper (a pile of dirty clothes in a corner) and pulled the sheets and blankets high over his head; the warm darkness surrounding his body.


         Morning reached into the holes left from the openings between his blankets and sheets, reaching into his eyes. He growled in anger and threw the sheets aside. His hair was complete bed head, swept to one side of his head.
         “....Hnnnn....Dog...?” He rolled out of bed, throwing his legs over the side, only to see the dog beside his dangling feet looking away, out the closed and shaded window, then turn to look up at him—his eyes burning blue...
         “....Oh my God. Your eyes..?! What the hell?!!” he pulled his legs up into his arms and looked the dog down in a somewhat horror-stricken glare.
The dog looked at him, his head tilted and his eyes....his bright, cyan eyes practical glowing up at him like a quiet fire.
         “Your eyes weren’t that color before, dammit...” David cursed. He crossed the bed and was now standing on the other side, still staring at the animal in question.
The dog only kept his innocent face, never moving; just sitting idly at the side of his bed.
         “Get out!....Get out, cause I have to get dressed..” David commanded. The dog just looked at him with those soulful eyes, and left the young college student to wonder.

***

         David stuck the key into the lock, the tumbler rolled and the door’s lock slid open. He pushed the door open just enough to see the dog, sitting in front of the TV as if he had been watching it, then turned around to face him.
He pushed the door open with force, fed up of being afraid of some stray dog, and swore then and there to send the dog on his way to the kennel ASAP.

He crossed the floor and walked back to his bedroom to change clothes. He appeared again with a loose t-shirt and sweats, then flopped down on the couch.
         “...Where the hell....?”
He looked down at the dog, who was now bringing him the remote. His face lit up in realization of something he didn’t want to understand and snatched the object from the dog.
         “Impossible....” he stammered, then turned the television on, trying his best to ignore the gnawing itch to call the dog some kind of demon...


         His body fell limp to sleep in just a few minutes. His head drooped in a deep sleep; brown strangely locks hiding his features.
The dog lept up beside him on the couch and stared him down. His blue eyes looked him over, his nose sniffing at his pulse—it was slow and steady.
He rested a paw against David’s arm and closed his eyes. His body stiffened like a petrified piece of wood, locked like stone; unmoving.

         
         ....It was dark. The sky was so black and soft as stars dazzled above in milky streams. They sparkled over rolling, grassy moors that seemed to expand into forever from every direction.
         David sat looking out around him and at the quiet night that was frosted with the cold, morning chill. He lied back in sudden bliss and want for the silence...

         Sounds of someone coming up from behind him suddenly made him bolt up. His head turned to see a soft glowing rising up the hill.
         “Hello?!”
There was no answer, aside from the thing still ascending the hilltop.
         “Answer me!” David called out. His body somehow became tense and was ready to snap like a rubber-band.
He watched as a body crested over the knoll. His hair was slightly long and was just as scraggly as David’s own, but the color was ruddy and blonde. He stood slightly shorter than himself.

         “David,” the man nodded, “...So glad to see you finally...”
David frowned. His body was still tense, but he put on a front.
         “Who are you exactly?!” He folded his arms against his chest. His head tilted to the side in question.
Green eyes suddenly realized blue echoing back at him...
His heart seemed to jet out from his ribs as he took a step back. The eyes that glowered at him were familiar....so familiar and in such a way, he took another step back. The man just stood there, a smile creeping across his lips.
         “....Your...my dog...”
         “Almost.” The man joked in a singing voice. He suddenly took a seat where he was on the hill and waited for the man to use his imagination.
         “Then who the hell are you?!!” David yelled. His counterpart sighed.
         “C’mon, as if you don’t feel it...”

         A wind David could have sworn was real brushed against his naked arms and face as he stared into the blue eyes that glowed softly from in front of him.
         “....Your—not alive...”
         “Mm-hmm...” the man waved him to continue.
David only progressed a step forwards.
         “You’re a ghost.” he said simply. Either his mind was gone, he thought, or he was truly embracing his dream world for what he hoped it was: a dream.
         “Bingo.” The boy smiled. He welcomed David to sit closer.
David’s eyes slitted in calculation, but sat anyways, “So.” He spoke, “Who the hell are you?”
         “My name is William Thether, I used to go to the college not too far away from your campus, and studied three years in Europe.”
David leaned sideways on his elbow.
         “And, your dead?” he joked. William couldn’t help but smirk at his remark.
         “Yes, I am.” Then his face flat-lined. He suddenly looked out into the darkness swimming around them, the stars still twinkling, “I was 22 years old when I died.” He looked over to David who was now taking him more seriously.
         “....From...what?” The other man almost whispered.
         “It’s OK. You can ask with faith...” William laughed. He sat up, and crossed his legs underneath him.
“...I died from a shooting, you see...” He raised his shirt to expose three bullet holes in his chest, “Heh, even as a ghost, these will never heal...you will always carry the scars.” his cyan eyes looked into David. The man gawked back with an open mouth.
         “Who shot you?!”
         “My house was robbed...” William said flatly, “I was coming home from school, and all my doors were open....I could feel there was something wrong, but I was pissed someone decided to pick my house to break into, so...I walked up....Now that I think of it, I should have just walked away....” His voice drifted off into nothing but a shallow note rising into space.

         David stared at him with a frown. His jaw was clenched.
         “It’s alright....We all die one way or another.” William smiled. He needed to lighten the mood, “Besides, I want to talk with you about something else.” He clasped his fingers together and sat them in his lap. Blue eyes burned at David.
         “....About what?” He stammered. Those eyes were ghastly, that was for sure.
         “About you, of course.” William smiled again. This time, the smile was more of a curled smirk. David pulled back and William just laughed, “No, seriously—I wont hurt you. Far from the truth.”
         “OK then....Tell me.”
         “Have you ever seen anything unusual in your lifetime?”
David cocked an eyebrow, “Yea...OK, that’s so friggin’ specific...”
         “You know what I mean.” William spoke.
There was a silence that spread between them. His eyes spoke volumes, and he was digging with them. They were finding him out bit by bit with each stare.
         “...Once. One time, when I was 12.”
         “Care to explain?”
         “Something tells me you can tell me so much better.” David accused. William laughed lightheartedly; he ruffled his red hair as he waited for David to speak.
The other man stared at him,“....I–I saw an angel when I was 12.”

William waved another familiar hand for him to keep talking.
         “...I was, swimming...with a few friends of mine when I wasn’t suppose to, in the river. It started to rain, and the stupid river was so small, it flooded easily.” he sighed, reflective, “I wasn’t a good swimmer...and I felt the current snatch me under....and I was drowning.” David paused. He looked up at William who was leaning in, listening to his words. His eyebrow cocked when he stopped.
         “I remember blacking out—then...suddenly, nothing but white light shined into my face. I thought it was a flashlight or something...but the light had a face. It had wings. All I really remember was how it felt. It was the warmest thing I had ever felt....it was hot, but not burning...and it had a smell to it....something like....I can’t describe it.”

William nodded, “Ever wonder how that happened?”
         “What?!” David scoffed, “God, I guess!”
The other man shook his head.
         “Almost.”
         “It wasn’t me.” David answered. William laughed again and pointed to him.
         “Yes, it was you.” The red-head stood up, “You have this gift....this gift to summon angels to you.”
David laughed loudly. He couldn’t help the feeling to dismiss this craziness....when was it going to end?!
         “Why are you laughing when you know you felt it? That power.....”
He looked up at William with wet eyes, “Hun?”
         “You don’t have to be afraid.” William said, kneeling just a few feet away from him, “...You’ve been afraid ever since that day...”
David blinked a few times, astounded. The tears that once came from laughter, now came from understood fear.
         “....So what about it?” David whispered, almost to himself, “What do you want with it?!!”
         “We could work together, you see.”William said simply. David looked up at him with his face fully twisted up in a frown.
         “Now, I know you’re an ass.”
William laughed, “Let me explain. I have a gift also—a gift for spirits. I always did, even before I died, but it seems to have gotten stronger now than I am.” He looked into his hands, “I can sense evil spirits, and I can also destroy them...But I cannot destroy all spirits.” He turned his attention back to David who was still frowned up.
         “You have the ability to destroy the spirits of demons.”
         “But what does that have to do with YOU,” he pointed to William dramatically, “and ME working together.”
         “We could save peoples souls from being taken into hell...I mean the innocent, of course.”

Prologue Part 2:

         “If people are destined to go to hell, how can you stop that?! Why would you?!!?” David shouted. William put his hands up to calm him.
         “No, no. I see you don’t understand me...” He said softly, “Let me explain....” He started to pace.
“You see where we are? This is your mind were in, your dream...but this dream is also my home. I live in the mind of whomever I’m in, like for example, the dog.” he looked at David for a sign to continue.
         “OK, well...This realm holds evil and good, innocent and guilty....but the thing is, the guilty are building up here. There loose to take innocent spirits...to try to hurt them, because as you see,” he waved to himself, “I am real to you here.”
         “The evil spirits,” William continued, “They think they run things. They try to boss. And I am entirely sick of it.” He said bluntly. His hands fisted at his sides and his eyes seemed to burn in rage.
“The people here are in need of serious help. And also, your world is in danger as well.”
David looked up at him from where he was sitting, “...Wha? Why?! How can spirits hurt the living?!”
         “Easily. This world has physical rules, just like the living world....but here, they can be broken by one thing: will. Will is what got me here....will is what helped me posses that dog....It’s the will that some spirits have that makes them dangerous, and from there, spawn into something worse...”
         “Demons.”
David stood up and walked over to William. He looked into those eyes.......the eyes that were so bright like stars and understood—all of this...everything—was entirely real.
         “You believe me now, don’t you?” He folded his arms.
         “Yea. I do.” David huffed. He couldn’t understand why this made sense....but he listened for now.
         “Glad you see it my way.” William smirked as he held his hand out for the other to shake. He couldn’t fight it any longer. Even if David tried to ignore it...it still wouldn’t make things normal...
         Not ever again.

***

         “...I feel something...”
Alexander looked into the shadows with a certain fear. The man crouched down in front of him was currently facing the wall. His long, thick, dark black hair hung like a drape across his naked back. Then, he suddenly turned to expose red eyes that were slitted, glowing back at him.
         Alex hesitated, “...What...?”
He was slammed up against the wall with such force, it knocked the wind out of him. He was hung, breathless up by his neck, held by the other with one arm.
         “Don’t ever ask me WHAT, boy...” The thing hissed, a smile curled up from his lips. His eyes raced up and down the young mans form in a look most people would realize was hunger...
         “..Hnnnngh...o-ok...pleeeese...let...me...down...” Alexander whispered, “P-please, Roderick...”
The man smiled at the sound of his name, “...Don’t you say my name so nicely when your about to be asphyxiated....”
Alexander’s eyes started to roll into the back of his head as his chest and lungs failed him. His throat was closing tightly.
         “Alright, alright...” Roderick whined as he dropped Alex to the floor.
The man shuttered and gasped for air as if it was flying out of his reach. He clutched himself like a child in fear, his knees at his chest.
         “What I WAS saying,” Roderick yelled, “was that I feel something rising...And it’s powerful.” He smiled as he turned to Alex. The man tried to scramble to his knees; his face was covered in splotches.
         “...Not...as p-powerful...as you..” He managed.
Roderick was behind him in an instant. He grabbed the man by the shoulders and lifted him, his clawed hands digging holes into his shoulders. He could feel his outer body gasp in horror.
         “AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHGGhhh!”
         “Your so pathetic.” Roderick said as he pushed his body up against the wall. He stared him down, even though they were the same height, “...He has.....potential. Like me.” the young man smiled. His red eyes frowned , though, and focused a hole down Alex’s throat.
         “We’ll go visit them as soon as we can, wont we, Alexander?”
He almost had to look up at him to see if he really was pouting—as his voice sounded.
         “...Hnn, of course...” he was gripping his shoulders with his opposite hand as the blood trickled between the spaces of his fingers.
         “Good, good.” Roderick turned around and started to walk cooly away, but then turned back in a thoughtful motion.
“Oh boy. You should see a doctor for that...” He was serious as he turned back and walked away, into the silent darkness that seemed to seep up from the earth itself...


Prologue Part 3:

         Somehow the weeks faded by and the normalcy that was, was now gone.
David was greeted by William in his dreams almost every night, being bombarded with information as soon as the young man could tell him.

         It was the spring break that William told David something very interesting...

         “I wanted to tell you this weeks ago.”
David was holding his weapon behind him at the moment. A long, snake-shaped sword that was lined with the reliefs of sharks, mouths agape, that hung from his grip. The hilt and cross guard were shaped like a crux, adorned with gems in each point that shown gold and amethyst in the same hue.
         “What is it?” He stuck his weapon down into the earth, where it stood alone as he folded his arms.
         “....I felt something approaching...not too long ago...” William whispered.
David took notice of this reaction and stood even more stoic alongside his sword.
         “What was it?” He tried to act calm.
William also had his weapon beside him, hanging limply from his pale hands. It was very intricate, the designs on the blade above the cross guard held diamond shaped cut-outs that were pointed at the tips like chevrons. The whole of it was a serene, milky-white that glowed like a soft moonlight; unlike David’s own blade that was fiercely dark all over.
         
         “It was a demon...I’m almost sure.”
David hesitated in his breathing.
         “...How do you know..?”
         “The will of it is so strong... It hit me like a punch in the chest before I went to sleep last night.”
The other man clutched his sword subconsciously as a walking cane. He sighed deeply, trying to grasp the running thoughts in his mind.
William moved closer, “It’s going to be alri–”
         “HOW?! How is this going to be ALRIGHT!?” David cried out. He felt a burning come running through his chest as if he was on fire, and fell to his knees. William caught him before he fell on his face.
         “You’ll see—it’s alright because of you.” He spoke. Blue eyes shimmered out from the shadows that climbed up around them. He watched as a beacon of greyish-white focused up from under David’s shirt, running up and down his spinal cord like dancing, flickering Christmas lights....
         ..the spirt of the Angels were with him, more so than he thought...
















Chapter 1:

         When will it come..?
David sat suddenly tentative at his desk in his room when he was stirred inside by the information William had told him just two days prior.
         He turned around to see the dog, William, pop his head into the room. His eyes glowered at him.
         “Come in.” David said turning back around, flipping mindlessly through papers.
The dog sat at his feet, adjacent to the paper basket. The tawny-haired man looked down at his somewhat counterpart.
         “..I have to speak to you tonight...” He folded his hands up under his chin, which he noted needed a shave.

         “What is it?”
David was greeted in what seemed like snow, but wasn’t cold to the touch. He looked up to see it falling in peaceful drifts downwards from heaven.
         “What about this demon?” William could tell he was far more confident—and also at peace with himself than before.
         “If you mean, when will it show itself, that’s totally up to it...I can only sense it, I cannot tell you when.”
David paced the ground, “How many of these damned things are there?!”
         “Dunno.” William answered truthfully, “Hundreds. Thousands. That’s like asking how many crooked, conniving people are there in the world....Impossible to know.” He ended with a shrug.
David pulled his coat around him, “...It’s getting cold.”
         “Yes. It is.” William sniffed the air, “....Something’s being disrupted...”
         “Disrupted?” He cocked an eyebrow at William who looked back. His blue eyes shook with some kind of realization.
         “I think you better leave.” William whispered. From his back, he pulled from his scabbard his white sword. The metal blazed and shivered as if alive.
The other man nodded, “Yea, OK....I’ll talk to you.”
         “OK.” William answered, his back turned to him as David started to wake up..

They were now alone.

         “Who are you?”
There was a silence.
         “A psychic...” it was a female voice that echoed out from above and even below him.
William stuck his sword back into his scabbard, “So you’re the disruption to the current..”
         “Hn, you know about the current...You know more than I thought.” spoke the female.
         “What do you want?” William asked, now standing against a wall. His jacket was open, showing a turtleneck from underneath, messily hanging over his jeans.
         “I’ll be here tomorrow to speak to David Fin.”
His eyes glowed wildly at the other man’s name, “...How do you...?”
         “I’m psychic, remember?”
***

         Morning was too bright to believe as the young man woke up. He struggled up from his pillow feeling as if he hadn’t slept in years...his throat was burning as was the rest of him. He felt hot all over, now that he thought about it clearly.
         “..I–I think I’m getting sick..” David mumbled. He walked shakily towards the bathroom where he undressed and turned the water on high.

         The quiet thudding of water against his skin and hair made him feel slightly better, but his skin still was too warm to believe. He wasn’t sure what was wrong, so he decided college would have to wait.

         “Yea, get my notes for me.....I feel like crap.” He cursed into the phone as his friend agreed. “No, no....I can’t explain.” he looked down at William, who was currently looking at the door, transfixed since this morning.
         “OK—bye.” *click*
William looked up at him, suddenly rising to his feet as he barked at the door. David raised his head to see out the window, a girl waking up from across the street towards his building. As if timed, the doorbell rang.
         He walked over to the intercom and pressed the button, then hesitated, looking at the dog again.
William nodded.
         “...Who is it?” He asked. He heard the thing click over as someone spoke.
         “I’m here to see you, and William..” it was a female voice.
David gasped. He stood straight up and frowned changing his view from his face in his hands to William who looked at him with a sturdy glare. He was to let her in.
         “...Come up.” He buzzed her inside.

High heels clicking against wooden steps ended at there door, she raised her small fist to knock, but the door swung open faster than her reaction and she was faced with the two men, staring her down.
         “Come in.” David spoke, his voice dropping an octave. He could feel his skin starting to burn as she crossed the threshold. Was it a warning...or something worse, he couldn’t tell—but none of this was discussed and it was steadily pissing him off.
         “Why are you here?”
He flopped down into his recliner as he waved her to sit in the couch beside him. She crossed the small space between them and sat down, crossing her legs in her dress, reaching to her knees.
         “I told William I’d be here today.” She immediately crossed hazel eyes onto the dog sitting directly beside David in his chair.
David laughed, “That’s great.” He shot daggers at William who stood his ground and stared back.
         “Who are you?” the man asked after composing himself.
         “My name is Lenna Huron, the daughter of the Huron Clan, from the Azberon branch of the Night Society.”

The two boys looked at her in astonishment.
         “What the hell...?” David mumbled.
William barked; Lenna looked down at him.
         “Alright.”

         .....Darkness submerged around them.
They were still in David’s living room, as far as they could tell, still seated in order—
         But beside David was no longer the dog, but William himself, more real than before. Liquid blue eyes submerged in them both; he nodded in welcome.
         “Thank you, Lenna.” He said calmly.
David felt a small tingle run up his spine, then turned to the woman, “You did this.”
She nodded.
         “William asked of it just now. I agreed, this would be a better environment for us to discuss things.” Her eyes were slightly hidden by the strands of dyed black hair that ran rampant across her forehead. She ran a finger through them to see better.
         “David, William..You both are in danger.” Lenna spoke flatly, “The demon that you sensed is also the one who is working to kill my clan.”
David sighed, rolling his eyes.
         “And thus the rabbit hole, or should I say fox hole, deepens.”
William spared a look at him, “I know this is difficult, David, but it is true.” He turned to face Lenna who was looking at David in a some what spell taken sense.
         “Lenna’s family is from generations of great psychics who have lasted throughout time, working to keep the spirit world in check. I learnt about her clan only a few months after I died.”
         “William, how did you know about the current?”
Both boys looked at her in question. David raced his eyes back to William who looked as if he had been spotlighted. His jaw clenched.
         “....I’ve....seen it. Once.”
         “Wow—your will is stronger than I thought....your more in danger than I had first presumed—And you,” She turned her beady eyes to David, “You are far more powerful than I thought as well.”
She put a graceful, ringed hand to her lips, “You have to leave this apartment immediately.”
         “Wait a damn minute.” David spoke, holding his hand up, “What is the current..?”
They looked at him; William spoke up.
         “It’s the ‘fence’ if you will that keeps the spirit world secret and the living world unaware.”
         “And seeing this is....what? Bad?”
         “Not ‘bad’....just......almost impossible. You see, like I had said, the spirit world’s rules can be broken by will—it seems like my will is stronger than what is natural.”
Lenna nodded cooly.
         “That it is. But the point of this little visit,” she said, standing to her feet, “Is to get you out of here.”

         Within a few days, the gentlemen were packed and ready to leave. The lease was broken by David’s landlord and it was settled.
         “I haven’t left here in years.” David said, suddenly reflective. He closed the trunk of the sedan and looked at Lenna who had the rest of his things in her truck.
         “You’ll have time to wonder things later, right now, we have to leave.”

***

         The drive was relaxing actually. William sat in the passenger side beside Lenna, where David was sure they were talking, while he tailgated.

         “Where are we going?” he asked, calling from his cellular.
         “The airport.”
David frowned, “How far away do you live, exactly?!”
         “About a state away, but what does it matter?! I’m paying for the both of you...” She closed the phone abruptly and turned to the dog.
         “Your friend is a cheapskate, isn’t he?” Lenna smirked. Williams eyes laughed back at her.

         It was growing late when they pulled into the parking lot. The sky was damp with the coming of rain.
         “Dammit!” Lenna cursed, pulling the luggage behind her as she lead them down towards the terminal, “Don’t delay the flight. Please....don’t.” Her eyes, unbeknownst to any normal person were slitted in anger, and alight with a sudden fury.
         “We’ll make it.” David chimed from behind her, his coat dancing open as William scurried beside him.

         They were a strange sight, somehow. The woman, so bold, and the men so attentive, they all showed urgency.

         “Alright, let’s see.”
The attendant behind the desk was a complete, useless ditz; she was also a slow typist.
         “Your flight out to Indian is delayed...”
Lenna snapped. She slammed her hand down onto the desk. Her eyes were flickering like a light bulb about to blow, as David and William noted. The dog beside his feet growled a warning—something was wrong.
Hazel eyes brimmed over to opals: dancing green, purple and crimson in a matter of moments—her psychic alter ego had finally made an appearance, as William had found out through word-of-mouth, psychics have two minds: one completely devoted to human life, and the other solely for psychic purposes, and was usually always unstable....
         “No, its not.” her voice was deeper, and flighty—it ebbed and flowed like water.
The attendant stared almost in horror....she then looked down at her hands, which started to type, and also gain speed.
         “Give us another flight.” Lenna spoke, “We need one by 12 AM.” she looked at her wrist watch; it was already 9:58.
         “Well, do you have one?” asked the psychic. She looked at the attendant who looked up and in a robotic-like voice explained they had a flight coming in by 10:45.
         “Good, good.” Lenna smirked. She took David’s carry-on baggage and signaled them to follow.
         “You’ll have to get in here, William.”
She pointed to a cage; the boy inwardly frowned. The dog’s body had problems, but he supposed it would be OK for now.
         “David..” Lenna turned to David, her eyes were still slightly opal, but had the focus he had seen before.
         “Yeah?” he frowned.
         “I haven’t told my family you were coming.”
He sighed, “And what problems does this pose for us?”
         “...You won’t be welcome. I just wanted you to know.” She sat down, dressed in jeans this time, but still folded her legs.
He waved a sign that he understood, and ran his fingers through his hair.
         “I’ll be back.” David said suddenly, walking towards the bathrooms.

         He was standing at the sink as a man came up beside him. His hair was matted gold and his eyes flickered almost nervously at David.
         “You heard about the delays?” he spoke.
David looked up as he walked over to the hand dryer, “Yea.” He saw out of the corner of his eye the guy nod.
         “Yea, hopefully this rain’ll stop..”
         “Mm-hmm.”
He spared a look at him before dismissing himself. His couldn’t fight the tingling racing up and down his back as if someone was walking on his spine.

         When Lenna looked at him walking back, she saw his expression and stood.
         “What is it?”
He put a hand to his back, “My spine...hurts...” he almost couldn’t believe it himself. Why did it tingle so?
Lenna reacted inwardly, ‘Its happening faster than expected....is he reacting to the demon..?’
         “You should sit then.” the woman recommended. She sat him beside her as they waited.

         “LAST CALL FOR THE 12 O’CLOCK TO ILLINOIS...REPEAT, LAST CALL FOR THE 12 O’CLOCK TO ILLINOIS.”

David darted awake as the sound of the PA system clicked over to silence. He shook Lenna’s shoulder violently.
         “Get up, dammit!” He snatched the woman to her feet. She stumbled awake in his arms.
         “Hnn—it’s time...?”
         “Of course.” He grabbed the baggage as quickly as he could, “Get William.” he demanded as he ran forward.
Lenna put the cage under her arms with the carry-on luggage across her back, “Wait, David!!” her hair waved like a black flag in the breeze left behind them.





Chapter 2:

         “We are at a stable altitude as of now, the buckle your seatbelts sign has been turned off. You are now free to move about the cabin.”

David sighed—they had a slight pit stop in a small airport in Ohio before they were back in the air, and of course, it had to rain, making the flight longer than necessary.
         Lenna was reading under the light from above her chair as David looked out the porthole.
         “We’ll be there soon—just relax for now.”
He stuck a hand under his shirt and rubbed his back, “What is this pain...?” David looked over to Lenna who looked back calmly.
         “I’m sure it’ll pass. Do you want some aspirin?”
         “No, I don’t want some ‘aspirin’.” the young man hissed, “My back and my skin has been bothering me for days now—”
         “Alright!...OK, just—relax, then.” she cut him off; the scarlet and azure hues of her eyes flickering back into focus...the psychic slowly taking over.
David stared at her until he felt confident enough to speak again.
         “OK, I’ll drop it—for now.”

***

         “Father?!”
Lenna stepped into the house reluctantly as she told the boys to take there shoes off and wait by the door.
         “Mother?! Father!?!”
A older woman peeked her head out from behind a somewhat large column, fluted on all sides. They held up large arches that crossed the threshold and jutted out from the western most wall, dividing the kitchen, foyers and running down the living room.
She then turned her attention towards David and William and gasped in shock.
         “Oh my sweet lord....”
         “Mother...please...”
         “NO! No! What are they doing here?!! They cannot be here! ROBERT!” She turned on a dime, making the tied back, flowing tendrils run behind her.
A more ancient man stepped forth from what seemed like the kitchen. His dark eyes were cut and sharp as diamonds. His hair was dark like his eyes, and overflowed around his neck and shoulders. He peered from what had to be his daughter to the boys. His mouth dropped as he took his hands from his pockets.
         “Lenna, what the hell did you bring them here for?! We told you to get them out of their house, not bring them into our home!” the man yelled.
         “Robert...” spoke the mother, “What in god’s name are we going to do?!? The prodigy and the angel summoner are far more at risk than we were....but now...” she drifted off. Her quivering hand went to her lips in fear as her husband took her in his arms. He shot his daughter hateful looks.
         “Damn you, Lenna...” He spoke, “How dare you put us in danger like this! Get them the hell out of here!” Robert hissed between his clenched teeth.
She put her hands up, “Dad, please...you don’t mean that..”
         “The hell I don’t.” he cast his jacket off and threw it into the nearest chair, sitting beside the bench against the wall near the door. His arms were bare, but showed young muscle tone beyond his age.
He walked up towards David who took as slight step back.
         “These two are wanted by the same demon as us....and you bring them here?!! The prodigy, too!” he looked down at William, who’s bright eyes shown up like lighthouses.
         “Take them out of here.” was his last words as he walked away, escorting his wife on his arm, her dress, long and graceful, drifted behind her like wind.
Lenna slumped against the wall, “Dammit....dammit~!” she breathed. She never thought her parents would blow up the way they did...
         “You said your parents would be upset. Not suicidal.” David clenched his fists together, “You lied, psychic.”
William growled his inpatients as well, his ears lied against the sides of his head in an evil manner.
         “I know.... I apologize.”
         “That’s not gonna cut it. Tell us what the hell’s going on. Now.”

         The familiar darkness cut around them where they stood. Lenna’s eyes shown like fiery coals in the blackness. The dancing hues glistened at them as she spoke.
         “The spirit world is in a uproar as the moment....the stories of demons spreading and of one spirited young man who wants to save them is something of a legend now...” she looked over to William who’s red-hair seemed to hover above his head in a smokey cloud.
         “And you,” Lenna continued, gazing over to David, “your amazing aura is being felt throughout the spirit world....”
         “The back problems...and my skin... Its because of the angels reacting to the demon?” he assumed.
She nodded slowly, “Angel’s make contact using certain body parts—ears, eyes...mostly the brain...”
William pointed to himself, “What about me?—I want answers.” he growled. It surprised the other two members greatly.
         “I’m sorry I never told you, William.....But your will is also so strong, it’s echoing into the spirit world as well...everyone’s talking. And its so bad, the psychics have been picking up on your energies—its getting unsafe here, for us all to be in the living world.”
         “So what then?! Where do we go?!” David yelled. William nodded in agreement.
         “We have to leave the living realm.” She said simply.
The two men gasped.
         “How?!” William shouted. David put a hand up to his face and closed his eyes to try to focus. Lenna tried to reason with them.
         “It’s simple. My parents want you out—and this is the best, and most effective way to handle this situation. It’s an easy process, if you must know—I’ll tell you what’ll happen.”
David and William froze, there ears pricked in interest.
         “You will depart from these bodies. Not you of course, William..” Lenna joked, “but us living people will leave our bodies here, and dive into the spirit realm using divination by sword...” She smiled, “I’m sure you both have swords.”
         “Being psychic has its perks, I see.” William smirked.
***
         “Are you sure this is what you want to do, Lenna?”

Her parents stood beside her as she started the divination; the five of them were all standing in the psychic darkness in a tight circle.

         “I have to, mother,” she huffed, “They don’t know there way around the Ancient spirit world.”
David and William looked at one another.
         “Your taking us to the Ancient spirit realm?” William almost sounded excited, as far as they could tell. Lenna’s mother laughed.
         “You truly are the prodigy of the spirit world, aren’t you?”
William couldn’t help but smile at the woman. Lenna sighed and interrupted them by sticking her sword into the earth surrounding them. Its red and white, checkered pattern that lined the blade was created by Damascus and also was its handle–but it was colored black. Two twines of rope hung from the cross guard were also pitch black.
         “Are we ready?” she asked, her psychic side in full effect. The two boys pulled out there weapons from there scabbards and stabbed them into the earth mimicking her. Lenna’s parents already had there matching rapiers dug into the ground as well.

         “Mother.” Lenna spoke slowly, “Will you start this?” She peeked over her shoulder. Her mother smiled graciously and nodded.
         “Of course.”

         The older woman sighed deeply and started to sing slowly and deeply. Sweet, caring notes rang into the air like fireflies flickering...her eyes were closed and her body was frozen in time as she started to sing higher, the notes sharpening. Lenna, William and David closed there eyes—sleep deepening in there souls..
Then the husband started to speak drowsily, as if he had to try very hard to keep himself awake. His voice quivered like the tides of a primordial ocean....
         
         “Transition from earth to earth,
         from sea to sea,
         We are falling,
         Falling lower,
         lower, into ourselves...
         From black earth,
         to white sky,
         We are falling,
         Falling lower,
         towards transition..”




Chapter 3:

         ...It was midday when the tower rang.
         The storm that had suddenly come, had now passed over the western front over spires and chapels, thatched roofs and cotton flags that hung as signs from worker’s homes.
         “What time is it?”
One young man stood beside a door keeper, his umbrella high over his head.
         “Just a moment after twelve, sir.” He would have argued with the young man for not taking notice of the bells, but he was the son of the house, and that was not aloud.
         “Thank you, Albert. I’ll be on my way then.”
         “Alright, Millor, go with the lord’s favor.”
The young man, his bleak, almost greyed hair waved as he nodded thanks for the kind words and walked away.

***
         
         “So this is the Ancient spirit world...?” David mumbled, awakening from his induced sleep as the others stood around him.
They awoke on a hilltop, purplish-blue grasses waving far into the distance where they stopped at a tall, metal fence. Behind that, rose up a small town, lined up in neat rows, but rose up like crooked teeth into the heavens. Spires black with ivy strung the skyline as small wisps of smoke dwindled from homes.
         “It’s beautiful.” William smiled lightheartedly. He stood, with his sword away on his back, his hands as visors and peered down into the city.
         “Yes, it is. But it’s also in danger.” Lenna corrected. The boys frowned at her.
         “That’s a moment-killer.” David snorted. He brushed his pants off and straightened his sweater. His hair was a mess, as always.
Lenna cast her sword aside as well and instructed them to walk towards the town.
         “I have to make a stop. You two find the Hotel Verdmont.”
The boys nodded as they watched the psychic sprint off. She was graceful in her movements, her legs never appearing to over work to carry her to where she needed to go. Her black-striped hair undulated in the current behind her.
         “Let’s go.” David interrupted. William nodded and they were off.

***

         “Have they checked in yet?” Millor asked.
The keeper of the hotel shook his head. The young man straightened his tie then took a seat located behind him in the small, narrow lobby.
         “Fine then, I’ll wait.”
         “Oh! That’s not necessary, sir.” the keeper said, smiling nervously, “Please, be on your way if you must!”
He waved him off, “No, no, it’s fine.” Millor assured him, “They’ll be here soon.”

         “Excuse me...”
William asked for the third time to someone walking past them,
         “But where is the Hotel Verdmont?”
         “It’s north.” was all the woman said before she almost ran off.
David sighed dramatically.
         “It’s because of who we are....Geeze, you’d think we were the killers.”
         “Pish-posh.” William sighed, “It doesn’t matter, we’ll get there.”

         Three spires, at least 30 feet tall rose silently into the air; held each by fourteen archways that let to a vault where the basilica was located underneath. Beside that was a small tunnel that lead out into the court yard where the prayer trees were.
         “John!”
Lenna shouted as she ran up to the man. His head was veiled, but he pulled it away when he heard her voice.
         “Miss Lenna!” He grabbed her into his arms and hugged her warmly, “What in the world brings you here?”
She smiled, “I’ve found them.” her voice came to a pleased whisper. The man, on the other hand, was not as happy.
         “Ugh—my brother was right....” John complained, “Damn him for it.”
She cocked a curved eyebrow, “What? Millor already knew?”

***

         “This is it.” William said pointing further down a narrow, curvy street to a sign hung with bronze and wood, it read:
         “THE VERDMONT HOTEL. PLEASE, BE WELCOME.”

         “Yea, that’s it. Finally.” David smirked, “Lenna better be there...”

The bell over the door rang twice as the boys stepped over the small threshold. Millor looked at them with zest.
         “David! William!”
The two of them jumped at the sound of their names.
         “Who are you?!” William yelled at the man. He stood about as tall as the college students, but was just a hair shorter.
         “I’m a friend of Lenna Huron.” He held his hand out happily for a handshake.
         “Millor, stop being a pest.”
All three men turned around to see, coming from down the staircase, his direct twin brother, and Lenna not to far behind.
         “Let him be.” She laughed, hitting John dangerously hard on his back. He stumbled down the last few steps before cursing his distaste. Of course his brother cracked up into laughter.
         “I love when Lenna comes to visit.” Millor joked. John shot him daggers.
         “OK. Wait...” David waved his arms in confusion, “who are these two?!”

Chapter 4: