Chapter 16

Part 1

A bright sunny day, birds chirping, the tree leaves rustling, children playing in the park nearby, Demica and Chester at each other’s throats, I couldn’t ask for a better start to the day as we prepared for our trip! “Chester, Demica, are you two done yet?” The two just ignored my chastising in favor of their argument.

“Listen closely, woman! I will not repeat myself for the third time, just to benefit you! Taking the road by the sea will only pointlessly prolong our travel!” Chester said that, despite being dressed as if he were going to the beach in his floral-patterned shirt, bucket hat, and sunglasses.

“Hah! Is it just that you’re afraid you’ll burn up in the sun? Why not just take some time and enjoy this? We don’t have an exact timetable, and no one is expecting us to arrive early. Plus, when was the last time any of us got to enjoy each other’s company? And…if Fate keeps his promise…we’ll be needing all of the time we can get!” Demica was eying me, tiniest of smirks creeping across her lips. I knew what she wanted, only leaving me with dread.

“Anesha will be here. Don’t expect her to work on anyone else’s time though. She is very much…against being told what to do.” Perry finished loading all our recording equipment into Chester’s van, managing to cover nearly every part of the trunk and most of the floor with bags and equipment.

“I got the l-last set of batteries!” Teddy walked up, still limping from the knife wound to his leg.

“Sorry, I should’ve gone.” The feeling of guilt was overwhelming as usual.

“Yeah, you should’ve. Teddy just is so much better at keeping track of all our shortcomings.” Perry lobbed that insult in my direction. I couldn’t disagree or fight back against it, obviously.

“Young Perry, enough of your angst fueled verbal abuse! Assist me in talking down your sister. She is far beyond my level of reasoning at this point!” While everyone continued to talk and argue, I noticed Mom making her way over to us.

“Hi everyone! Mind if I borrow Fate for a few minutes?” A big and deliberate smile was drawn across her face.

“But of course, Miss June! Fate, my comrade, please make haste, however. Should we truly be forced to drive along the coast as it would seem, then we should get ready to leave within the next few minutes!” Chester had evidently given up on changing Demica’s mind by that point, as she danced in victory behind him, showing pure glee.

Mom grabbed my hand and dragged me off to the back of the complex. “What is it Mom?”

“Hmhmhm! You’re getting ready to leave for your little field trip and leave your mama all alone, woe is me! Whatever am I to do? An older woman, despite not looking it!” She quickly added! “Left all alone with no way to move things or even remain safe should she have to travel at night!” To Mom, it may have seemed the act she was overtly putting on was silly, but my ‘normal’ at that point was so far beyond.

She gestured over to a parking lot in the shade of many trees; there sat a tan, four-door sedan, slightly worn, but in great shape! “You actually bought the car?!” I hopped the fence without thinking and ran over to get a better look!

“Goodness, Fate! I don’t understand why you aren’t playing basketball with hops like that! That fence has to be nearly six feet tall!” Unintentional use of strength. I scolded myself silently as Mom joined me. She unlocked the door and we both sat on the, only slightly beat-up, seats. “Let’s hear her purr!” With a flick of the key, it started up. “Ohh! I’m so happy to finally have this!”

“Can’t believe that you left for this earlier. I was sitting around thinking you’d went to work already and would miss seeing me off.”

“Never doubt a mother! Oh, here! I had you a key made.” With an ever-glowing smile, Mom handed a key over, then fussed with the radio. “Oh, I love this song! You remember it? I used to play this for you all the time as a child.”

“You mean back when we still had to ride the bus everywhere? Yeah, I remember. Used to love this woman’s voice. It’s always been pretty calming to me…actually, do you know the name of this song?” A nostalgic, tranquil sensation washed over me. (If I download the song and play it whenever I have an anxiety attack, maybe it can help.) I assumed it would relax me, at the very least.

“I think it’s ‘dormir jusqu'à demain’! Pretty good French, I know! I have been studying!” Proudly, Mom laughed. “Oh right! You have to hurry back to your friends!” We exited the car and just before I could speed back over to the club, Mom grabbed my arm once again. “Before that though, say ‘cheese’!” Mom pulled out a selfie stick and held up her phone up, ready for a picture as she drew an incredibly bright smile.

“Seriously, Mom?”

“What? Your mother can’t stay hip with her selfies?”

“Geez! Whatever, just take the picture!” She snapped a photo of us, me awkwardly forcing a smile in front of the car with her grasping my arm, could’ve only looked uncomfortable.

“Yup! Right up on the fridge with the others.” Another one for the myriad of pictures Mom had amassed over the years of us. “Fate…please be careful. I know I’ve been saying that a lot lately, but…just…”

I hugged my Mom, knowing that all the things I was going through, that I’d hid from her was hurting her almost as bad as it was me. “Promise. Alright, got to go!” We walked back to the front, expecting the group had finished with preparations, though instead, a disastrous scene awaited.

Hiding behind the van’s backdoors were Perry and Chester, as Demica frantically looked between the freshly arrived Erna, red faced and clutching a doctor’s bag; and sitting opposite, atop Teddy’s back as if he were a bench, down on all fours, the also freshly arrived Anesha! “How amusing, a girl who seems to care so deeply for Fate that she would make one of the gravest mistakes of her rapidly shortening life.” Anesha flipped her glorious raven hair and adjusted the collar of her ruby red blouse.

“I…Fate is my friend! You…were just bad mouthing him…for no reason! You’re mean…and venomous!” Though she spoke normally, for her, Erna was clearly scared. The grip she had on the doctor’s bag was so strong to her chest it looked like anything that was inside would’ve been crushed.

“Venomous?! Adorable! At first, I believed you a pest, a piece of rubbish needing to be cleaned up off the road, lo’, with such tenacity I may keep you as a pet! Hahaha!” That cackle all while she petted the head of Teddy was disturbing. “Well now, it would appear the star of the show has returned!”

“Fate, dude, do something! These two showed up and started arguing over nothing!” Funny hearing that from Demica.

“Huhuhu…Fate…I don’t need an introduction to Anesha now…” Distressed yet steadfast, Erna wasn’t backing down from Anesha.

“Ehem!” Mom called attention to herself. “Hi Erna, sweetie! Are you doing well? You look pale. Have you been eating right?” Erna was flustered having Mom get in so close while placing a hand on her cheek. Watching as Erna began to stammer incoherently and try to make distance between herself and Mom, who quickly became attached, was kind of amusing. “Your hair has too many split ends. Give me your phone! I’m going to give you some links to videos and products that will help get rid of those. A girl as pretty as you should absolutely keep better care of their hair!”

“Excuse me!” I’d almost forgotten about the witch sitting just behind us. “I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced.” No. “My name is Anesha Kyteller…” I pleaded with my eyes directed toward Anesha. “Though I’ve known Fate for some time now, we’ve yet to meet.” She stopped for a split second, noting my concern, then continued. “I am…a friend of his.”

“Friend? Honestly, young lady, I doubt that.” We were all shocked at the boldness of Mom. “Fate, first you bring home one girl, then the dog…and now this! Speaking of which, where is little Bramble? Bramble! Come here, boy!” Mom whistled and Bramble slowly lumbered up. “Look, how cute! If he wasn’t so cute and old, I’d have turned him away.” Bramble must’ve used some type of magic to forego his weathered old man visage in favor of a graying shar pei face. Mom snuggled his head, which I could’ve sworn the face morphed into an old man’s, creepily smiling, for an instant. “Back to my point, young lady. I’m not sure what exactly your issue is, but you shouldn’t treat others like they’re…furniture for one…” Despite Mom’s chastising, it seemed more that Teddy was the one enjoying his position. “And disrespecting people and their loved ones will only serve to distance themselves from you! If you want people to care about you, and work with you, then you should show that there is a sweeter side to your personality. I’m sure you’d be great on their little webshow, considering how pretty you are! Just try to be as nice as you are good looking and I’m sure you’d be very popular!”

“…” I half expected Anesha to spit vitriol back at my mother, but she simply turned and walked over to Chester, still hiding behind the van door. “My seat, I expect legroom and the ability to enjoy the view, understood?”

“U…understood, ma’am.” He replied.

“…What a strange girl. Then again, my son has been doing nothing but being strange the last few months. I’m so frightened of my boy ending up as some kind of gigolo.” That was the final straw!

“Alright that’s enough!” I wanted all the embarrassment and harassment by my friends, family and…whatever Anesha was, to end! “Erna…you’re coming too, right? You…got everything, right?” Erna acknowledged what I whispered in her ear with a nod…and a yelp. “Let’s shove off! We’re burning day light, remember. Ah, sorry Mom, Bramble’s coming with us!”

“Huh? Aww! I was just getting used to him being around. Why?” I grabbed Bramble, his fat body being denser than I’d imagined at first and passed him off to Erna.

“He’s our new mascot! Perfect for milking the cute animal views! We’ll see you in a few days. I promise I’ll call you when we arrive!” Everyone funneled into the van, stuffing our bags to the back, and bodies into the seats, waving to Mom as we took off down the road.

Part 2

“So, Anesha, could you please speak directly into this microphone?” Demica held up her mic to Anesha’s face who just about spit in disgust.

“Have I not made myself clear? I do not wish for everyone in the world to know of my existence.” We continued down a wooded road, which would lead out of the city. Chester’s old van as reliable as ever, kept the ride smooth.

“It’s for archival purposes, that’s all! Imagine, we’ll be the only people in the world to have an interview with its Goddess, the woman who will make a new world! Of course, we’ll release it whenever you allow us!” Pushing past her brother, Perry, who was setting up the camcorder, Demica somehow managed to make time to apply makeup, insert her contacts and do her hair.

“…Honestly…I question if this was the right decision.” A glare out of the corner of Anesha’s eye was directed at me. Normally, I’d shutter, but for some reason she was far less fearsome after we took off from my apartment. “These questions you wish answered, Bramble should be able to sufficiently provide. I will only speak if necessary. I’m quite tired, after all. Maintaining a barrier to shroud Fate and the seed is rather taxing as we are moving.”

“I see. Well…how’s this dog going to answer?” Just then, thick crunching, tearing and breaking noise resonated from Bramble’s dog face as the muscles, skin and bones warped and broke, imploding! As the folds of fur and skin began to untwist and spread outward, the face of an old man emerged from the creature’s neck!

“Goodness, me! Fate, my boy, your mother, while a lovely young lady is quite the hand full! She kept trying to take me for walks and feed me food that was most disgusting! As if I were an actual dog, could you believe?!” Chester nearly crashed pulling over to the side of the road as the whole group crowded around Bramble, seated atop Erna’s lap.

“Whoa!” They all screamed.

“Silence! I’m trying to rest!” Anesha shut down the excitement. “Also, you, homeless looking man! Do not crash this vehicle or I will allow you, specifically, to die!” Obviously talking to Chester, he looked a little dejected at Anesha insulting his appearance.

We resumed driving, Chester being despondent, remained silent as he drove. “Since my lady has permitted it, I’ll answer whatever it is you need.” There were so many questions I had even then, but I just waited for the others to instead ‘interview’ the witch.

“Alright…talk into the mic! Perry, you’re rolling right?” With confirmation, Demica began. “Hello everyone, Occult Research and Study club member Demica Fitzpatrick here! Today…well…this is just going to end up in the archives for later, but here we have an interview with the Goddess herself, Lady Anesha Kyteller! We shall be communicating with her…interviewing…her…what exactly are you?”

The gruff old dog man cleared his throat. “My name is Bramble. I am my Lady, Anesha’s familiar. Not crafted by her but belonging to her all the same.”

“What is a familiar, exactly, Mr. Bramble?”

“Simply put, a familiar is a spirit placed into a magically created shell, formed by melding mana into a desired form.”

“I see…Mana…” Demica energetically scribbled down notes.

“Is…a familiar similar to…a homunculus?”

“Homunculus?” Anesha responded to Erna, shooting up from her relaxed position in the seat.

“Ah! Yeah! I told her about homunculi! She’s one of us occult maniacs too! She was really into it, you know? Hahahh…!” I tried to play off any suspicion.

“Hmph.” Which seemed to work as Anesha just kicked her boots up onto Teddy shoulder in the passenger seat, then went back to resting, which the big guy seemed to enjoy.

“I guess you could call it similar, lass.” Bramble continued. “You see, homunculi are beings created by humans, some with the ability to use rudimentary magic. Normally they’re made using wax and living or formerly living ingredients. Often, they lack a spirit. Familiars are beings created by magekin by locating a free spirit and then using magic to meld the form of the familiar with mana, then placing said spirit into the shell; constantly communicating with their master. They draw on the mana from within their master as…a power source of sorts.”

“Wow, that’s pretty cool! Can the shell be whatever?” Leaning in with the mic again, Demica continued to jot down information.

“It’s all based on skill, young lady. The more skilled the witch, the more detailed the familiar is most of the time.”

“What about spirits? How does that work? What are they?”

“Spirits are beings who’ve yet to pass onto the afterlife. Humans, animals, they all have spirits.”

“Really? How would one find and know when they’re seeing a spirit?”

“Spirits tend to orbit trees, mostly; as trees give off splendid mana, much like some humans. All you would need to do is notice the white orbs floating about and then, using magic, capture it and place it into the shell. Well, I may be oversimplifying the deeper mechanics.”

“Trees, huh? I heard Lady Anesha before mention something about a tree. The World Tree, Yggdrasil! That has something to do with one of our very own members, Fate Isley!” Perry turned the camera to me, which I awkwardly smiled at, then turned back to his sister. “Could you explain to us a little about that? Is it in fact the World Tree of legend?!”

“Hm…that’s a bit lengthy, but I’ll try to keep it brief. The name ‘Yggdrasil’ was given to it as a referential designation of sorts. Its purpose was to emulate the world tree of legend. The seed, when fully grown would connect all the realms together and give fresh, endless mana to the realm of man.”

“Other realms? Could you go deeper into detail?”

“Certainly. There are four realms and two plains of existence, as taught to us by the leaders of the Great Witch’s Cabinet. The realm of man, which overlaps with the spirit realm; then, there’s the afterlife, which are two totally separate, and in the eyes of some, opposite realms. Paradise, or Heaven, as some call it. Then there’s The Abyss, or Hell. Once a person dies, should their spirit not be ferried to the afterlife, it will be doomed to wander the spirit realm until a time comes when it is freed.” That rung a bell to me! I remembered Erna’s Grandmother. If it was truly her spirit that I saw, then she was still moving throughout the spirit world and interacting with us.

“You keep saying ‘spirit’, is that different from a ‘soul’?” That was something I had to know! In the back of my mind, fear of the unknown still rested heavily on my shoulders. My soul being destroyed, that though would constantly weave in and out of my psyche.

“Ah, young Fate, an excellent question! A spirit and a soul are two separate things that dwell within a person’s body. The spirit houses the soul, but the soul is far more powerful than the spirit. The spirit is conscious thought; it’s used for making decisions, choices, and the general personality. A soul is the subconscious; feelings, wants, likes, dislikes and the deeper personality. When the mortal shell is shed, the spirit and soul are left and will wander, fulfilling things that one would have in their daily lives or aiming to achieve important goals.” That explained Erna’s Grandmother’s ghost. She wanted to protect her, even in death. That must’ve caught Erna too, as she was clearly holding tears back. “The spirit interprets the feelings of the soul. One cannot function properly without the other. Should one’s soul and spirit become disconnected…”

“I’d hate to interrupt our proceedings, but…we’re now passing the shoreline my compatriots!” Just as Chester called back, the sun broke through the massive trees and showed the ocean!

Part 3

It’d been many years since I was last at the shore. It wasn’t very far from my apartment, just wasn’t my favorite place in the world. Demica, Chester, Perry and Teddy excitedly ran across the hot sand and enjoyed splashing about in the water. I just stood on the wall overlooking the scenery, processing all the information from earlier, while Anesha remained in the car, resting under the cool air conditioning.

“Huhuhu…I’ll never understand those…who like the beach.” With her low chuckle, Erna skulked in behind, nearly making me jump from my perch!

“You’d probably like it more if you weren’t dressed like a black leather couch.” Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Erna pouting. “Sorry.”

“This is…important to me.” She gripped the black belt jacket. “Grandma gave it to me.”

“Your Grandmother, was she a witch?”

“…I have no idea. If so, am I…a witch too?”

“…” I looked back to see if Anesha was paying attention. She seemed to be completely asleep, so I aimed my question toward the knowledgeable dogman digging a hole in the sand nearby. “Hey Bramble…do you know when other witches are around?”

Probing for information wasn’t my strong suit. “Yes, I’d be able to smell one. Witches and warlocks give off a distinctly dense kind of mana. Are you worried one is following us?”

“Just making sure. With witches…are their powers hereditary? Can they be passed down?”

“Of course. It’s never 100%, so in some cases, the children of magekin aren’t born with such powers. Those who are born without such adeptness are sometimes abandoned, left to live with humans. Then…there are those who abandon the world of magic and magekin, leaving for whatever reason.”

“So, there are some magekin who just…left?”

“Indeed. If you’re asking this, shouldn’t you be recording?”

“Oh…uh, I…was just asking for my own edification. Hahaha!” That dog was smarter than I felt like dealing with.

“Comrade Fate, I see that you are not enjoying the sun with us.” Chester and the others approached. “Is it not rare for us to have the entire beach for ourselves?”

“It is. You know me though, I’m not really a fan of the beach.”

“Ho, ho, but of course! Then I shall move onto the next subject. Fate, this is Erna, correct? We’ve yet to be properly introduced. I am-”

“Chester Ramos…right? I’m a fan of…your web series…after all.” I thought Erna interrupting Chester would elicit a different, more verbose reaction, however as she mentioned that she was a fan, his pale face lit up. “I have…been watching your work…huhuhu…diligently. Demica Fitzpatrick, Perry Fitzpatrick and Theodore, or Teddy McGinnis and…Fate Isley.” Sometimes Erna’s smiles were nice, other times, much like then, her lips curled up as if they were withering petals on a flower, a bit creepy. “I loved all of your coverage of the…Owlman and the Rockwell Estate…and your early work…on the alien abductions in Idaho.”

“Muhuhu…Muwahahaha!” So many creepy laughs and strange faces were being made. Between my two friends, they were by far the weirdest people I knew…not including Anesha.

“Didn’t think we’d ever meet any of our fans. Much less that they’d be in Greenville.” Demica smiled as she and the others approached. “It’s cool that you know us, but it’d be nice to get to know you too!”

“…Oh…uh…huhuhu…” Erna sheepishly inched behind me. “…I’m not…that…”

“…Erna’s a med student. First year…if I remember right. You’re just as much of an occult maniac as the rest of us. And…” I tried to introduce her more, but I finally realized how little I really knew about Erna. “I actually don’t even know your whole name.”

“Erna…Southeil…”

“Nice to meet you officially, Erna. How did you two meet anyway?”

“…Huhuhu…on a forum…discussing homunculi.”

“Really? You two discussed homunculi?” I nearly lost my composure hearing Anesha’s voice. She sauntered in, cheating a look out of the corner of her red eyes at me. “For how long, pray tell, have you two have been discussing such things.”

“…Over a year…” Suddenly Erna spoke up, surprising everyone. “We’ve…been online friends…for a little over a year…we talked about…other things like…ghosts and vampires…and stuff…” It was a lie, obviously, but Anesha blew it off and walked in closer, quite literally looking down on Erna.

The difference was stark! Anesha, about eight or so inches taller than the diminutive girl shrinking in her shadow. The shoulders beneath her jacket, arms, and exposed parts of her thighs, showed muscle tone I’d only once noticed on the witch. Erna, through her rather girthy belt jacket, appeared dainty. Thin shoulders, tiny hands and feet, a complexion so pale the sun would create a blinding reflection off her; Erna was a picturesque bookworm. For sure Anesha was strong, with an absolutely striking appearance, but seeing her stand there was a different feel entirely. That woman was built like a fighter, and if need be, could’ve probably dropped anyone of us even without magic!

“…Chester…aren’t we…going to end up being late if we don’t leave soon?” Getting those two out of each other’s face was my objective and it seemed like Chester caught on.

“A-Absolutely my comrade! Come everyone, off to Jasontown!” A rare crack in Chester’s voice resounded, but I was so grateful to him playing along. We funneled everyone back into the van and hit the road again.

Part 4

About another hour and a half of awkward travel, with me and the group endeavoring to stifle any conflict that could arise between Erna and Anesha, continued on. “So…Erna, uh…how about you tell us about your college experience?” Demica became the natural peacemaker, having her seat stuck in the middle of the aggravated ladies.

With that black doctor’s bag clutched in her arms, she cut a glare toward Anesha, who with a sour expression, just looked out the window into the woods. “Most people…think I’m weird. So…I’m ignored a lot…or talked about behind my back. It’s fine though…I’m not…very fond of people…”

“Haha! I’m the same, girl! All the assholes at school just pester you with invitations, over and over, until you join them. You basically end up integrated into their little cliques without even asking to!” Demica tried endearing herself. “Just being around them though, sucks. All the ‘cool’ people do is drink and smoke. It’s like they don’t have any hobbies besides those.”

“Heh…bunch of normies. No surprise.”

“Gabriella was probably the only cool person at the entire party I was at last time.”

“Gabriella…Ramírez? She’s…very nice to me.” Gabby, a ray of sunshine to everyone, willing to give anyone a chance. Thinking about the fact that I’d been all but forbidden from seeing her again was maddening! Maybe because, deep down my feelings, still weren’t quashed. “…She’s one of the people…I’d like to get to know…”

“We hung out recently! Once we’re back, we can all hang out! It’d be nice to have some more girl friends, since I’m surrounded by these… boys all the time. Anesha…how about…coming with us…?”

“I’ve little reason to spend my idle time engaged in superfluous lollygagging with either you, or your friends.” As rude as ever. Anesha gave her answer with a demeaning tone; not even bothering to turn her head.

“Little reason…means you have some reason…right?” A joke, being as stupid as I was, I made it without remembering my position.

“Fool! Should I pluck your arm from its socket? Or maybe char your fingers black? You should be able to recover from those, no?” Cold hearted intimidation, and she meant all of it.

“Ok…well…if you change your mind, we can always hang out and do a girl’s day!” Thankfully Demica jumped back in.

“Girl’s day?! You’ve become quite sour on hanging out with those popular types, the ones who you were so fervently lauding as your recent escalation in societal acceptance!” Chester bellowed from the driver’s seat!

“…” Demica went quiet. Rare, since she’d normally antagonize Chester right back. “…Those guys aren’t really cool when you get to know them.” That awkward statement polluted the van with even more silence.

“How was that party, sis?” Perry spoke up.

“Huh…uh…fine. Boring.” An oddly nondetailed answer from the often very open Demica.

“Because you…got in late from it. I remember, you seemed to be really into hanging out with Charlie.” I don’t think the others caught on, but Demica slightly flinched when she heard that. “I heard from one of my friends he’s been asking about you a bunch at the school. Did anything happ-”

“No! Perry, okay?! Fuck!”

That outburst caught everyone off guard. I’d so infrequently seen Demica lose her cool like that it made me jump in my car seat. Just then, we arrived, finally, reaching Jasontown. The musky air and humid temperature blasted me in the face the instant I opened the door. “Hell, it’s like hell out here.” Even though the ground was solid, the mud coating it shifted so much I nearly lost my footing. Though it was only a few hours past noon, the sun’s rays hardly managed to pierce the thick leaves of the trees sprouting fourth from the marshy terrain. Among the multiple single-story houses built on the swampy land, there was one two-story building. Outside stood a smiling old man, waving us down. “Chester, is that our hotel?”

“Indeed! I don’t know if driving too much farther is a good idea, so we should remove our equipment and continue on foot.” We did just as Chester instructed and began taking all the camera equipment out, to the clear interest of the townsfolk. Children would come in closer, gawking at us and our gear, all dressed in overalls, straw-hats, old-style dresses and wearing sandals. It was like being surrounded by the children of the corn.

“Back away!” They all scattered the second Anesha shot that malicious gaze of hers in their direction. “Honestly. Fate, take my belongings to the inn.”

“R-Right. Is this bag…normal?” Anesha’s travel bag was stitched with the same purple threads as her witch clothes; meaning it must’ve been magically enhanced or whatever. “Is it alright if I touch this thing…?” I didn’t get an answer. She just looked off into the dark recesses of the swamp. “Uh…Anesha?”

“…This place, I don’t like it. There’s…something…primal here. Something…very old…and hungry.”

End of chapter 16