Chapter 8

Part 1

For two days straight, I just stayed around the house. Had to call my job and nearly get fired over the phone, speak with the police and get yelled at by both my mother, the officers and…my father. My message that was sent to the members of the Occult Research and Study club was marked ‘read’ almost immediately but remained without a response. The group chat beforehand, for the days I was gone, was filled with them asking each other if they’d seen or heard from me. Chester remained on edge, writing about messaging Gabby and my mother to get information, which was embarrassing.

I read the entire thread over and over, trying to think up an alibi, but kept drawing a blank. Spending time in my apartment wasn’t going to get me anywhere though, so I sucked it up and made for the campus. Along the way, my boss contacted me over the phone. “Fate, are you feeling better?” I could barely make out what he was saying as the cars running down the street blared their horns and people spoke way too loudly around me. “I know you’re probably not coming in today, but the sooner you come back, the better! And don’t worry, I’ve left lots and lots of work for you!” Wally laughed whole heartedly.

“I’m sorry, Wally. I’ll definitely be in tomorrow.” Another promise I made. Those promises, I planned on keeping every single one of them. (I’ll figure out a way to stay alive…there are people here who want me around, as dumb as that may sound. Also, dying and having my soul be destroyed sounds like it would be unpleasant.) Without even noticing, I arrived at the gates of the college. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Wally. Take care.” It didn’t seem like I’d been walking for all that long, but there it was. The iron gates of Benson college had been drawn as other students entered, talking amongst themselves, none paying me any mind. My anxiety flared up bad, regardless. Even if I wasn’t close to that many people in my classes, I was sure they’d know that I went missing for three days. (…An hour or two…I’ll come back in an hour or two and then I’ll try again.) Is what I thought as I turned on my heels and ended up face to face with Demica and Chester. “Uh…”

“Where have you been?!” Demica shouted with the smell of alcohol strong on her breath. It was clear by the dark circles beneath her eyes, hair pulled into an uneven ponytail and Demica willingly donning her thick rimmed glasses, she was up drinking late into the night. “Well…we’re waiting!” And thus, the folding of her arms and pouting commenced. If she didn’t get a satisfactory answer, my friend was known to pout for days on end.

Chester walked up. His hair was normally messy, so aside from the pungent aroma of whiskey, nothing was too off about him. “Good to see you’re back.” Confusing, to say the least. He simply patted me on the shoulder and walked by.

“What?! Chester!!” Demica yelled, befuddled at Chester’s calm reaction.

“Ahhh! Stop yelling, woman! I’ve got a hangover. Let’s just go to the clubroom for the time being. Okay?”

“Grr…” Her pale cheeks puffed out from pouting so much so, I thought her face was going to explode.

Silently, we walked to the clubroom, Demica staggering behind the whole way, until we reached the door. She almost immediately excused herself and ran to vomit, leaving me alone with Chester. He crashed on the couch, covering his head with a blanket, letting out occasional muffled groans. I just sat at the table and pulled out the group laptop. Nothing happened for a bit until he suddenly spoke up.

“Fate…are you really alright?” I didn’t want to turn and look at him as I knew what was coming.

“Yeah. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.” A halfhearted response.

“I guess so…your mom was really worried, man.”

“I…know.”

“We all were.”

“Sorry.”

“Is that scar worse…or are you just wearing the scarf for no reason?”

“Huh…? Oh.” Mom knew that I was hiding my neck, so even without me asking, she took the initiative and gave me the scarf on the way out. “I guess, I don’t need it around you guys, huh?”

“Nope, we all know. Perry and Teddy are getting paperwork together for the trip in a few months though, so they should be back soon.”

“I’m really excited about it! The Jasontown Swamplands is supposed to be crazy haunted and…” It hit me as I said it. A place like that would be dangerous in my…situation. “…I mean…I want to go…”

“…?” Chester sat up brushing his long locks out of his face. “I’m not going to bother asking why you’re acting like this. You’ll tell me soon, I’m sure.” A loud banging on the door startled us both. “AGGGHHH! Loud noises!” Chester hid his head back under the covers as I shot up to answer the knocking.

“Demica, is that you?”

“Yeah, open up…” Through the heavy door, Demica tumbled in; I just barely managed to catch her before hitting the ground.

“Holy crap! Are you alright?”

“I’m fine…this hangover is just…really bad.” No surprise. I set up the cot we kept in the room and laid Demica down on it. As I pulled another set of covers out and began to drape them over her, that small fierce grip of hers grabbed my arm. “Professor Russell…needs us to submit paper work for the trip right now, and I forgot about it.”

“Professor Russel?! Why him?”

“He’s the new club advisor. Listen, this is so we can get funding for the trip. Here, take this up to him.” A form laying out our entire trip, from dates of departure and return as well as educational purposes was given to me. Demica and the others had already signed it and there was still room for me. “Sign your name and take it to the old coot.”

“…” The distain probably showed via my expression.

Demica pointed her finger right into my face, locking eyes and making sure she got across what she was about to say. “You’re being weird. If you want to keep acting mysterious, then go ahead, but I know you want to go on this trip as much as the rest of us. So, get up and go see Professor Russel. Me and this idiot can’t go, it’d be a bad look, so it’s all up to you.” As direct as ever, the dirty-blonde’s no-nonsense personality was always on point.

“Okay…” Wasn’t much of a battle of wits. Not like I could win even if I wanted to with her though. Every time I had an argument with Demica in the past, she’d cut straight to the point and end it as fast as possible. I swallowed my pride and got ready for the number of weird looks and teasing I’d get for going missing.

Part 2

Eyes were all on me as I waited for the elevator. Whispered rumors began spawning from every direction, as did chatter about my sudden reappearance. “Isn’t that Fate Isley?” Someone asked. “Yeah. I thought he went missing though. Guess he’s back.” Another replied. It wasn’t ideal, but no way I could’ve returned would’ve been in that situation. “Do you think he disappeared by messing with ghosts or something?” That initiated it, the usual. “Those occult guys are constantly doing freaky stuff. Bet anything they’re doing elicit things in that clubroom.” Always the outsiders, the weirdoes, that was how we were seen amongst our peers.

Both sets of elevator doors opened up as a sea of people exited. (What the hell? Oh right, break is coming up soon. I guess everyone’s trying to get out of here now that their business is done.) I wormed my way through and pressed the 5th floor button. Riding in silence gave me time to plan my meeting with Mr. Russell. (Well…I know I’ll call him Professor Russell, for sure. Last thing I need is to upset him anymore than I already have over the year.) I arrived in a vacant 5th floor hall.

Only me and my own steps trailed down the hall, a bit hypnotic in a way. It felt like I was the only person in the world. The freshly cleaned floors and walls almost begged me to run my fingers down them and drag my feet. It was weird, I hadn’t felt relaxed like that in a while. Anesha…was a distant thought, until I suddenly heard a woman’s voice. It came from one of the class rooms, but not just any class room, the one I was headed for. Slowly, I pulled open the door, expecting to see Mr. Russell, which I did, but didn’t expect the object of my affection, Gabby, to be standing right in front of his desk.

Quickly, her expression went from shocked, to confused, understanding, to anger. I could tell exactly what she was thinking. “Mr. Isley, welcome back to the land of the living.” That old curmudgeon said with his nearly bald headed, vulture looking self, peering down those glasses at me.

“…That’s in pretty poor taste, isn’t it?” I said under my breath.

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing…sir.” Gabby’s scowl followed me up to Mr. Russell’s desk, all the way around the room. With my name signed, I handed in the paperwork. The intense gaze of Gabby’s lightly tinted yellow eyes burned a hole in the side of my head. “I’m…uh…here to hand in the funding request form to you.” Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her making an exaggerated smile and waving. She was clearly upset.

“Right…well…” The situation was obviously awkward for Mr. Russell as well, as he tried to avoid looking in Gabby’s direction. “You’ve filled this out correctly. In the upcoming season, you’ll be going to the Jasontown Swamplands for research, right?”

“Yes.” Vigorously, Gabby’s hand moved faster and faster back and forth.

“Well…Mr. Isley, please respond to Ms. Ramírez, she seems to want your attention.” I really didn’t want to. Her hand had by then been waved so fast it felt like someone had turned on a fan beside my head.

“*Sigh*…hey, Gabby.”

“Oh! Fate, it IS you! I swear I was looking at some kind of illusion or something!” Gabby exaggerated her expression and gestures. It was similar to how Anesha did, but less annoying because she was cuter.

“Sorry, okay?”

“The missing man returns! Do you see him, Professor? Because if not, I may be going crazy!”

“That’s enough, Ms. Ramírez. I don’t have time for you two to bicker.” Mr. Russell got up from his desk and handed me a sheet of paper. “This has been approved. I’ll contact you through E-mail within the next few days. Now be on your-”

“AGGGHHH!!!!” A scream from the hall startled all of us. I saw two people run by the door down the hall.

When I opened the door to ask what was happing a few more came by and knocked me down. “Ow…what the hell?” A guy stopped and explained.

“Sorry, man! Some druggies wandered into the school and people are evacuating!” The guy ran off behind what seemed to be his girlfriend. Lucky.

“What’d they say? Drug addicts?” Gabby handed Mr. Russell his cane as the two joined me in the hall.

“I guess so. Should we head for the elevators?”

“No, no, no. We should take the emergency exit. It’ll lead right out of the back of the building. Dammit, those idiots putting me on this floor.” Mr. Russell walked toward the emergency stairwell, mumbling swears to himself the whole time.

Gabby followed behind Mr. Russell but stopped and called back to me while I sat on the floor. “Come on, Fate. Hurry!”

“Coming…” (I’ve got a bad feeling.) There was an unnerving chill choking the hall, as hairs on my arms started to stand on end. The old stairwell looked more unused than any part of the building. Walls needing paint, spiderwebs spread out across the upper portions of the doorframe, and grime looking like it hadn’t been cleaned since the 1800s. As we descended each flight Mr. Russell got more exhausted. “You okay, Mr-Professor Russell?”

“Don’t…worry about…me…Mr. Isley. I…used to play hockey when I was…your age.” He bragged.

(That was how many presidents ago? 15?) “Well, we’re almost there anyway.” The light of the exit door was the only thing illuminating the tiny corridor, in a red glow. We went through the door and were greeted with more people, all scared, calling others on their phones, sending messages, or trying to find out what was happening on the news.

“Hey, hey! Have you seen Teddy?! Big white dude, short brown hair, big cheeks, always wears a superhero shirt?” That irritated voice was Perry’s.

“Perry!” I called over to him.

“Fate! Fuck, man!” He ran over looking frantic. “Where is Teddy? Did you see him?”

“What? No, I just got here. And I was with Gabby and…is, is he still inside?!”

“…Oh man, I really hope not.”

“…Stay here.”

“What?! Fate!” I broke from the group and ran back into the emergency exit. I didn’t know where I was headed, but if my gut was right, something bad was happening and it likely had to do with me.

Part 3

A loud noise, like glass breaking, came from somewhere in the building. I assumed it was from the lobby, so I pushed through another emergency exit door and ran as fast toward the source as possible. “Teddy!” The front lobby was empty, not a soul. I could hear sirens off in the distance closing in. Multiple loud sounds came from upstairs. If not for the silence, those sounds wouldn’t have pierced the concrete floors. My heart started beating heavily while I dashed up the stairs. “Teddy! Where are you?!”

“Fate…!” The raspy voice of my friend came from down the hall of the 3rd floor. There Teddy laid, clutching his leg as blood stained his pants. “R-Run away!”

Rounding the corner was an emaciated figure wrapped in torn black clothing. It’s long arms and pale, colorless skin dragged down by its feet. It wasn’t until I called out to Teddy again, that it turned to face me. “Teddy!” The upside-down smiling face of a middle-aged white man turned to look at me. It was far too human and looked far too pleasant. It blinked and then smiled at me again, then turned and started encroaching on Teddy with a sharp piece of broken glass gripped in its massive hands. (Another homunculus?!) I didn’t waste time thinking over what was happening. “Hey, over here! You want the seed, right? Right here!!”

“Fate, w-what are y-you talking ab-bout! Run!” The homunculus tilted its tall and thin body backwards, peering at me, but quickly changed focus back to Teddy.

(What?!) “N-No, over here! You’re with Mary, right?! Over here!” It continued unperturbed, lifting the glass in the air and jamming it into Teddy’s thigh!

“AGGHHH!” Hearing my friend scream in agony ignited that feeling again. That rush of heat, the seed kicked in, I was angry and afraid.

The homunculus’ head turned to look at me, its smile changing from a frown, to a sad face to one of unbridled rage as the creature dropped down to all fours and charged at me. (Fuck, what do I do?!) Not a fighter, I tried to kick the homunculus’s head like a soccer ball, missing as the creature spung onto the ceiling like a gecko.

“I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I!” It started making weird noises, almost as if the homunculus was trying to speak. “I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I WANT TO DIE!!!!!!!” It screeched so high, it felt like my ears were going to burst. Teddy was also holding his head, covering his ears. I took a chance and ran underneath the creature and made for Teddy. When I made it to him, I grabbed my friend up by the arm and pulled him over my shoulder as we slogged down the staircase nearest his side of the hall.

We started going down as the screams were fading into the background. “We need to get out of here.” Teddy was so much taller than me, I’d forgotten he was a whole shoulder higher.

“F-Fate, when did y-you get here? W-What’s going o-on?”

“Don’t worry about that, Teddy. We need to escape!” The strength I was getting from the seed was amazing! Despite the fact that Teddy was 100 pounds more than me and leaned with almost his entire body weight on my shoulder, I was holding him up as if it were nothing! My body felt as light as a feather. By the time we finally got down onto the 2nd floor, Teddy was breathing really hard as blood drenched his pant leg. (This is bad. Is there a first aid kit?) I looked around, noticing exactly what I wanted on a wall nearby. (May not be the best idea to do this now, but I’ll grab it and hand it over to the others.)

“Hey! Fate, Teddy!” The tone of an all too familiar voice echoed through the halls. Up the stairs ran Chester, darting around the corner and nearly tripping over Teddy who sat on the staircase. “Whoa! Teddy, what pray tell, are you doing sitting…” It took him a minute to notice the blood on the floor. “Oh God! Are you alright?!” It’d been a long time since I heard Chester get so frantic.

“Good timing, we need…” Chester turned to me with surprise. Both he and Teddy looked at me waiting for me to finish my sentence, but the looming shadow climbing down the wall of the stairs stopped me. Without thinking I charged at the homunculus as it reached the floor. I could feel muscles tearing in my legs, every fiber popping multiple times over as the slender, ghastly hands of the creature reach for my friends. (Move faster!) Time had slowed so far down, that I could count the milliseconds like minutes. (Faster!) The thought of it reaching Chester and Teddy, ravaged my mind. They’d be hurt or killed! My friends were in danger, because of me, I couldn’t let that thing get them! (Faster!) Nothing else mattered. Not maintaining my secrets, not Anesha, not even my own body! I had to get there; I had to stop the homunculus! (Faster…faster…get there! Move!) The feeling of my calf blowing up like a bomb while propelling me forward shook me.

Before I knew it, I was grabbing the pale, clammy hands of the homunculus ripping them away from my friends and heading toward a window. My feet had left the ground as I closed in on a pane of glass. I braced myself and crashed right through, holding the homunculus as I hurdled toward the ground! The earth beneath us refused to give way on impact as everything went dark.

“Fate! Fate, are you alright?!” Chester called my name, bringing me back from that momentary state of unconsciousness. I looked up to see him leaning out of a shattered window through broken tree branches, stories above me. My chest and right shoulder ached when I pushed myself up off the ground.

“I’m…fine…” It took a second for my sense to come back to me. (Wait! Where’s the homunculus?!) A sharp pain shot into my neck at the scar. It felt like someone had stabbed me through my throat. When I doubled over in pain, I noticed the homunculus standing overtop of me, looking down with it’s twisted, enraged face. (Keep moving…come on…) I pushed through the pain. Getting that monster away from all the normal people was the most important thing to me. With sirens blaring off in the distance, and the heat still coursing through my veins, I leapt, tackling the creature as hard as I could pushing it toward the woods! We broke through the stone fence surrounding the school, tumbling down an incline and landing on the ground with a thud. I separated from the homunculus with it’s back to the school.

There the creature laid, motionless. It looked dead, but trusting that it was would’ve been dumb. I grabbed a large, somewhat jagged rock laying nearby and slowly approached. Each step I took, my boots would crunch the fallen leaves beneath. It was an unnerving feeling, cautiously inching toward the body. At any moment I was prepared for the creature to attack. “I-I-I-I-I-I-I” The homunculus sprung to life. It stood up and then dropped to all-fours, looking me in the eye with it’s upside down face. “WANT TO DIE!!!!!!” That screech again, but without it reverberating off the walls it was just about bearable.

Those spindly arms and legs allowed the homunculus to leap at me. (Don’t back down! Come on!) Rock in hand, I swung…and missed as the creature bounced up onto a tree branch above and swiped down, pushing me to the leaf covered ground. “Ow, shit!” The homunculus opened its gaping maw, seeming like it would devour me. I blocked its teeth with one hand, pushing along with my foot I kept the creature at bay. “Fuck…you!” As hard as I could, I jammed the rock into the neck of the homunculus!

Expecting a response…any response, I smirked, but nothing came. The teeth bit down hard on three of my fingers. The pain shot through me as the monster closed in, twisting my already likely broken fingers. I winced, trying to figure out what to do! Again, I jammed the rock into its neck and nothing. Each time, the bloodshot, crazed eyes of the upside-down faced homunculus seemed to grow more infuriated. No matter how hard or many times I stabbed, it wouldn’t back off of me. The sirens blaring, the pain in my hand, shoulder, chest and neck, my inability to push away the pungent sewage like smell coming from the mouth of the homunculus…I snapped.

“AGHHHH!” The rock shattered in my grip; pulling back my hand I thrust it deep into the gaping wound I’d opened! I howled as I caught whatever bone my fingers brushed against, and all at once, kicked the body, pulled at the teeth and tore at the bone, ripping the upside-down faced homunculus asunder! Its head was split it half, the lower torso was sent flying about ten feet away and in my right hand, I held the spine, dangling. I fell to my knees, dropping the remnants and trying to catch my breath. No blood, just some kind of milky pus dripped from the corpse and slowly, my body began cooling down. All the wounds on my body were in extreme pain, so much so that I almost blacked out. “I…need to stop doing that.” I steadied myself and stood up.

An icy chill crept up from behind me. All my body hair stood on end and I became short of breath. That feeling, I’d felt it earlier when the homunculus appeared. It was right behind me, something looking at me with a cold gaze. There was no way I could’ve known, but my body could feel it. I turned…and saw Anesha, floating toward me atop her broomstick. “Oh my…you heard me coming?”

“…No…I…felt it?” Though I should’ve felt unease or even afraid at seeing the object of my hatred and torment, Anesha appearing before me was a relief. I lost all the strength I had and collapsed onto the ground. “…” I wanted to say something, but I’d gotten accustomed to waiting for permission.

“Felt…? Lo, it would appear you’ve gained the capacity to sense large concentrations of mana.” She landed on the ground and approached me. Not wanting to upset her, I kept my head cast downward while keeping eye contact. “Hoho~ you’re so respectful now; not speaking unless allowed. Clearly there is something on your mind, speak.”

“That was a homunculus…which means that Mary made it, right?” Anesha nodded. “Then…she’s still out there…and I’m guessing she wants the seed.” Again, she nodded. “Damn. Wait…then why didn’t it come straight for me? How come the homunculus went after Teddy?”

“Teddy? Is that a friend of yours?”

“Yeah…he-he doesn’t know about anything, I swear!” Her eyes began to narrow. “I swear to you, they don’t know anything about you!” I tried to convey to her that I was serious, that I wouldn’t betray her on that. As evil as she was, I wanted to at least appease her.

“Fine…I’ll believe you, since I’ve no reason for doubt as of now. As for your friend…have you spent lots of time with him? Been…intimate with him?”

“What?! No!”

“You needn’t worry, I’m not one to judge for one’s sexuality.”

“We’re not like that! There has to be another way.” When my shoulder had gotten pierced by the mannequin that turned into a homunculus back at the Rockwell estate, is where my mind wandered. Anesha tilted her head quizzically. “Does…my blood have a lot of mana in it?”

“Obviously.”

“Then it was most likely from back then. Does me just spending time around people make them targets of homunculi or something?”

“You, being anywhere for extended periods of time will cause it or whatever person you’re around to absorb the seed’s excess mana. A single human body can’t store the massive amounts of mana Yggdrasil creates.”

“…So…my home, my friends, my mother…they’re all targets?”

“You’re the sole target, but because of you being around them, most likely, those homunculi will continue to be confused and seek out those around you.”

“…” My mind had frozen up and I was left speechless. There was only one choice. “Mary…do you…know where she is?” Anesha smiled.

“Hey! Is anyone back there?!” An unfamiliar voice called out from beyond the broken stone gate. “This is the police; hello?!”

“The police?! Oh right! Anesha, didn’t you put a ward down?!”

“Hmph!” She pouted. “I didn’t have time or the energy. Plus, I assumed that you’d have handled moving that filth to a more discreet area.”

“Ahh!” Frustration, only Anesha could get under my skin so easily. “Let’s get out of here!”

“Finally, a good idea comes from you. Then…how about we fulfil a desire of yours?”

“What?” I took off, running deeper into the woods as Anesha followed suit atop her broom.

“Let us go and finish off…that little monster.”

Part 4

Cars whizzed by just about 30 feet down the slope in front of me. Once again, after so long, I was reacquainted with the underpass that the Occult Research and Study club had grown so fond of exploring. Underneath the bridge was a large vacant area that at one point was filled with homeless people, until rumors of the owlman started. It stretched on for blocks, as long as the bridge, and we’d only gotten a chance to explore a portion of it.

“To think…this is where Mary would hide.” I said to myself. In my hand, my phone was dialing Chester, I needed to make sure that he and Teddy were alright. The line connected. “Chester! Hey, are you alright?!”

“Yes, I’m fine. Where are you?” He was calm, fortunately.

“I can’t tell you now, sorry. Is Teddy okay?”

“Yeah, he’s good.”

“Listen…I need you to not tell the cops anything.”

“…”

“Please, I know this is kind of ridiculous, but…”

“I already spoke with the cops and didn’t tell them anything. I assume whatever’s going on has to do with this secret you’re refusing to tell any of us.”

“Chester…I…”

“When you get back, I want to talk with you. This isn’t a game anymore…I’m worried about you, dude.”

“…I’ll be back once I’m finished. Promise.” I ended the call.

“How sweet. To think that you would have such a relationship. I’m almost envious.” Speaking down to me from atop her broomstick, Anesha weaved a hand sized, translucent blue orb in-between her fingers.

“…Do you…not have any friends?”

“Hmph! It’s difficult at the top. So few can manage to walk beside someone such as myself without feeling fear or insecurity, that I’ve made a conscious effort to avoid long term attachments.” Glyphs began encircling the orb. Anesha lifted it up high as whatever the spell was began to glow.

“Does that…include your parents?” She stopped.

“…” For the first time since I’d met Anesha, a somber expression replaced her normal arrogance. “That’s…those people mean little to me.” The orb rapidly expanded, covering the whole area. Even though it blew over top of me, I wasn’t the least bit affected. “The ward has been erected. I’ll let you know, in that structure there are many, many disgusting creatures. It’s a mire of near endless filth.”

“I know…I can…sense it? Yeah, I can sense it.” Inside were tons of what felt like different monsters, waiting. In order to put an end to everything, I wanted to finish off Mary and those homunculi. “You’re…coming too, right?” Though I was a bit scared.

“Of course, you fool! You’re my property, after all.” Not the nicest reassurance, but better than nothing.

Anesha floated toward the entrance and I followed. What waited for us changed the way I viewed the world and gave new hopes and fears for whatever the future held in store.

End of chapter 8