Cassandra begins telling me about what she has seen, "I will try my best to remember what they said … I can see my Ellie being led off a boat, being held tightly by a young man. She leaned into his hands ever so slightly, there was some sort of trust between them … they also shared an incredible fear; I could see it in their eyes. Behind them were two very large Ho Thanatos wearing cloaks … the two creatures were stained with evil; their energy craved wickedness. They are known as the Timoro. I could see their tentacles of oily brown energy licking at Ellie, trying to find a way in. But they couldn’t hurt my Ellie, not while she was solid … while she stayed on your side of the veil; and by the gods, they were furious about it, too.”
Ann isn’t projecting with an accent, but as the illusion deepens, I can hear the Greek inflection in Cassandra’s words. Now, I am starting to understand why Ann spoke as if she had been there to see Ellie’s death first hand … Cassandra carries your imagination into the tale, a storyteller of unbelievable talent. “Do you know who the creatures were?”
“No, Michael, I do not. I only know that they were very dangerous … almost as dangerous as the human that waited for Ellie at the bottom of the gangplank. She was trapped … the human knew how to slay her mortal form, and if she tried to escape back to the mist, the evil ones were there to destroy her ethereal soul.”
“What about the young man you mentioned?”
“He both supported and led her … she didn’t struggle; she seemed to gain comfort and strength from his touch. I do not understand why he would kill such a beautiful, trusting soul. I can’t believe that someone as clever and strong as Ellie would allow herself to be trapped like that … I had warned her so many times.” Ann’s voice pauses, and I realize that Cassandra has stopped speaking … obviously needing a moment to collect her thoughts. I pray that the fantasy won’t break and fade away into the silence … this daydream is becoming addictive, and I don’t want it to end.
I am mistaken in believing that our illusion is in any way fragile; because there is no going back, Cassandra still has a story to weave, and we are trapped in her web … so we wait.
In my mind, I hear Ann’s voice cracking with sorrow as she begins speaking for Cassandra again. “As you asked, we will discuss Ellie’s murder later. I had seen the older human that was waiting, before. I knew what he was capable of, but I was too afraid to help Ellie.
"You have to understand, I can recognize the time frame of my visions: past, present and future … and I have found that I can do nothing about the past or even the present; because as soon as I’ve experienced the vision, the present has become the past. I watched what happened to Ellie, as it happened … and I couldn’t even warn her. I didn’t know what else to do; the only thing I could think of was … finding Christopher. He needs to know what happened to his love … either way Ellie’s loss will torture him, but not knowing … would be a never ending agony.” I nod, as hard as it is to watch my friend self-destruct before my eyes … I have to agree with Cassandra’s reasoning. And I am not sure why, but I have a feeling that Cassandra’s trip from Greece to Montana took more courage from her, than walking into a trap in hopes of saving Ellie.
Hoping to calm Cassandra, I say, “No one here blames you for what happened … if you had tried to save Ellie then you both would have died. You knew what Ellie would have wanted … someone to care about Christopher, to inform him of what happened. You are a true friend, for identifying with Ellie and being sympathetic to her wishes.” I can see Ann out of the corner of my eye. She has an eyebrow raised and her lips pursed; I can sense her surprise at my statement. Finally giving a quick nod in my direction, I can imagine what she is thinking … “Pretty insightful, for a small-town, wild-animal cop.”
When Cassandra picks up the story again, I can tell by the tenor and intensity in Ann’s voice that Cassandra has accepted my reassurance, and is continuing by telling us exactly what the ‘older human’ said to Ellie. “The man waited impatiently for Ellie to descend; I watched as he ran a shaky arthritic hand through his greasy, black and silver hair. He actually looked hungry as Ellie came to a stop in front of him. She didn’t say a word; she just stood without emotion, as if she was solemnly waiting to be led to the guillotine. The human seemed to be trying to invoke a reaction from her, as he explained that our first lifetime on this world was a trail, full of the intense pain and pleasure that needed to be passed in order to depart into a place of rest. Not heaven, just worm food, but it would be the ultimate moment of peace for the soul. Those that failed the test so miserably, they were kept in the torture chamber of life by passing into the ethereal mist, and they needed to be put down … like a sick dog, for their own good. Ellie just stood there, never giving him the satisfaction of having an effect on her stoic expression. But, I could tell that she was scared; and as a last act, I could see her reading his dull eyes. She wasn’t going to let him know that she had accepted her own defeat; she was going to make sure to do damage before her execution.
"All she said in return was: ‘If you really believe that you’re giving Ho Thanatos the gift of ending our worldly torture … then why, Esidor, do you suck the life out of us? If you actually believe your time here is the trial before glory … then why do you hang onto your existence so viciously? Why, sir, are you scared of your … ultimate peace?’
"He, of course, had no answer for her, but she seemed to be doing more to him than uncovering his delusion. Ellie was hurting him; his face was contorted in such a way that it was giving away his internal torment. Through gritted teeth, he told her to give the Symboulio the information needed to catch the precog, Cassandra, or he would take her energy and she would disappear into nothing. She gave them nothing; she just continued to attack Esidor’s mind until it looked as if he may collapse. At which point he told the boy, Ellie’s deceptive friend, to kill her. The boy pulled a knife from inside his jacket, and as he slipped it between her ribs, he whispered something in her ear.
"I watched for what felt like a millennia as the vision faded, showing me her demise. Ellie leaned back into her young friend’s arms and actually smiled; reaching up, she brushed a tear from his cheek. When he withdrew the knife, she began to hemorrhage her beautiful essence. Bright green, wispy and spiraling in beautiful swirls, it fluttered and floated, riding on delicate, invisible butterfly wings; her energy became one with the air. Then that disgusting, immoral representative of the Symboulio started consuming her life force like a dying man gorging on ambrosia.” Again, I can tell Cassandra has stopped speaking, because Ann has paused.
When I look over at Ann to confirm my assumption, she is crying. She is hunched over with her hands covering her face, and her shoulders are shaking.
In a soft moan, no more than a whisper, I hear Ann speak into her hands. “Oh, Christopher … I’m so sorry.”
I lean over and place my hand on Ann’s shoulder, trying to comfort her, while processing the information Cassandra just shared. Ellie befriended a traitor … who led her to his group, and into a trap. The Symboulio work with malicious ethereal creatures, along with people like Ann, who have talents; and, they seem to want to collect powerful entities like Cassandra. As if that’s not enough, they know how to destroy and absorb the soul of the Ho Thanatos. Damn, this world keeps getting weirder and weirder.
Chapter 18
Reawakening the Monster
I hadn’t realized that Lune was sitting next to me, until he stands and becomes tense; his ears shift back and forth, and his eyes lock on Christopher’s bedroom door. Artemis reacts in a similar way to her father, except she is growling deep in her chest. Her soft guttural rumble is eclipsed by a clatter and crash that comes from behind Christopher’s door. Closely watching the light shift underneath the door, Ann and I jump as someone howls and starts screaming curses … the voice doesn’t seem to be human. We spring from our chairs in unison, knowing that the noise is coming from Christopher; and at the same time, knowing that what waits on the other side of that doo
r, is no longer the Christopher that we care so much about.
I look over at Ann just in time to see her lock eyes with Lune. She is terrified, an expression that seems foreign to her character. I feel Lune bristle next to me, and then move forward to block the doorway from Ann. His legs are spread wide, and he lowers his head as if he is stalking the evil entryway. He flashes his teeth in a disfiguring grin, the skin on top of his muzzle ripples as a murderous growl escapes his mouth. Unexpectedly Artemis moves stealthily between Lune and the bedroom. She is facing her father, pressing her head against his. When he doesn’t settle, she takes a defensive posture … she is going to protect Christopher, even if that means she has to fight Lune.
“What is the matter with you, guys? He’s just a nineteen-year-old kid … Come on. Lune, sit! Artemis, go lay down!” Artemis glances quickly at me; making momentary eye contact … she is telling me Lune isn’t going to budge, so she isn’t going anywhere.
I decide the only way to stop this standoff is to prove that Christopher is harmless. I shift between Ann and my chair and step out beside Lune; he turns his head and sets his growling sneer on me.
I look up at Ann, confused by the intensity of his response. “Is there something more in that room with Christopher? Is V here?”
“I … I haven’t seen him. I don’t know; I can’t sense things like Christopher and Ellie can.” She shifts from one foot to the other, suddenly self-conscious of talking about Ellie in the present tense. I can see her flinch at the name.
“You know why he’s suddenly lucid, don’t you?”
“I think he was listening … I’ve heard him like this before … this rage is very, very dangerous. Lune is just trying to protect you … from your own caring nature. Please, Michael, don’t go in there … I think it might be best if you leave the cabin entirely.”
“No, absolutely not! If he’s as dangerous as you believe, then it’s just as risky for you to stay here as it is for me.” Ann’s eyes are filling with tears and her hands start to shake; so she balls them into fists, trying to hide her fear. It never occurs to me that Christopher’s extraordinary story could have been completely factual … that he could have hurt Ann this badly.
I had felt as if I was playing some sort of role-playing game, one that felt real enough; but somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew it would end, and I’d return to reality. Now, I can see how wrong I was … I have entered a world where the fantastic is real: beautiful and enticing, but also dangerous and cruel. A society, whose knowledge I’ve dreamt about possessing since I was a kid, is now expecting its membership dues … and I don’t think I can afford the fees.
Looking at Ann as if I was seeing her for the first time, I see a woman that never had anyone in her life who didn’t try to hurt her in some way. I want to save her, to protect her with Lune’s passion, “Ann, come with me … let me take you to my house, where you could be safe.” Silently adding, "Where I could keep you safe."
“No! No, I can’t leave him like this. If listening to us is what set him off … then I owe it to him, to stay. I don’t think V is manipulating him, and even if he is here … Christopher won’t ever let V influence him again.”
Ann is releasing and clenching her fists, like she is pumping up a bicycle tire, and rolling her head, trying to force the anxiety out of her neck. When she sets her eyes on me, I could swear I saw them soften apologetically for a split second.
Then that breathtaking gaze becomes hard, and even though, her eyes still hold a warm glow in their color, they turn cold as she speaks again. “Anyway, what do you think an average human, like yourself, could protect me from? Are you so naive to believe that a simple wooden door could keep all of this, out? ” While talking, she viciously sweeps her arm through the air as if she was slashing through fog with a sword.
I stand there in the middle of Lune, Artemis, and Ann, feeling like a complete idiot. I don’t belong here … what in the hell was I thinking. “I don’t need this from you, Ann.” Lune responds to my angered tone by sliding further into his crouch, ready to pounce.
I instinctively raise my forearm to block his teeth from reaching my throat. Spreading my feet and bending my legs, my body is prepared to collide with Lune’s massive force. Anticlimactically, I watch him turn his head, and the snarl leaves his face as he focuses on our guest, still sitting in the chair by the stove. Looking up at Ann, I am irritated to see that she has turned her back on our argument and is now facing Cassandra, too.
“Damn it! If this is going to turn bloody … then get it over with!” I have so much adrenalin rushing through my heart that I can feel my pulse in my ears. I want to hit something … anything. Turning away from the maddening woman, I stride toward Christopher’s room, which has grown silent … but I am too angry to care why.
“No … Michael, wait!” Ann’s voice is urgent and screaming.
“Too late, Ann … no more games, let’s just get this over with … and maybe if you’re lucky, Christopher will kill this naïve, mere human!"
Quicker than I would think possible, Ann runs in front of me and places her hands on my shoulders. If it wasn’t for the look on her face, I would push her out of the way. As it is, I can’t stop myself from grabbing her wrists, and roughly pull her hands away from me. She doesn’t struggle; she just looks up at me and quietly says … “He’s here.”
“Who?!” I am not going to let her distract me from my anger … and she must have realized from the pitch of my voice that I really don’t care ‘who’. Saying it just gives me something to yell at her … as meaningful as a caveman screaming Augg.
She presses her body closer to mine to reinforce that she needs me to stop and listen. I still have a hold of her wrists, hard enough to be painful, but she shows no sign of discomfort. Our arms are trapped between of us; and as she presses forward, harder into my chest, I can feel my knuckles digging into her ribcage. She tilts her head back, exposing her neck, and rises up on her toes. She runs her lips across the scruff on my chin and jaw line, stopping when she reaches my ear. I can feel her heart racing against my fingers, and hear her panting lightly against my ear … she is frightened again, but this time is different.
Whispering into my ear, her breath makes the hair on the back of my neck rise, “V is here! Cassandra had a vision of him sneaking around the side of the cabin. He’s affecting our mood, taking away our feeling of solidarity; he’s hoping that we’ll turn on each other. Cassandra said, she thinks he’s outside Christopher’s window … and he may have been there since yesterday.”
“Could that be what pulled the kid out of bed last night?” My adrenaline never slows, but my anger is starting to recede as I whisper back into her ear.
“There is a very good possibility that is exactly what happened. Christopher isn’t in any kind of shape to wrestle with V’s power. Now, we may have two extremely dangerous adversaries behind that door … or, maybe, V took advantage of Christopher’s weakness; and we just listened to him fight for his last little bit of sanity.”
“What has Cassandra seen? Can she tell us anything about what has happened, or what will happen?”
“She said that she doesn’t know what state Christopher’s mind is in; she can only see him standing in there … looking out the window.”
In the midst of the intimacy of our position, I have to ask, “Why aren’t you telling me this from across the room … using your talent?” I don’t mind, now that I am calmer; I find that I am enjoying the scent of her hair and the pressure of her body. But this isn’t the time for contact, and it is hard to keep my thoughts straight.
She laughs softly against my cheek, “Because you wouldn’t listen … and I thought maybe if you felt the same way about me, as I do concerning you … I thought this might get your attention.”
I can feel the heat of her blush, and I reprimand myself for being so easily distracted. “We need to go into that room. Whatever or whoever, we find in there … I personally can’t leave Christopher in there alon
e.”
Ann rubs her wrists after I’ve released them, and takes a step back. I am about to apologize when I hear her voice in my head … “Don’t you even think about saying you're sorry … not after what I told you. Just for the record, I never would have allowed Lune or Christopher to injure this naïve, mere human … who I have become rather fond of. V will never have that kind of power over me.”
Nodding at Ann, and trying not to blush or stutter, I turn to speak with Cassandra, “You may want to hide, or at least stay out here. I wouldn’t want you to be hurt by whatever is coming.”
I hear Ann’s disembodied voice again, “She says that we will be fine … and that we should make sure to take the dogs with us.”
When I turn to look back at Ann, she shrugs … it doesn’t make sense to her either. I motion indifference back, and pat my thigh, calling Lune and Artemis to my side. Walking tentatively to the door, I quietly turn the knob, and while standing to one side of the doorframe, forcefully throw the door open.
The dogs race past me into the room, and then, just stop … I find myself suddenly feeling very naked without my sidearm. Christopher is tense, with a defensive stance, with his head tilted slightly, listening intently to a spot of thin air in front of his window. Both of the animals are crouched, ready to attack … and I have a momentary flashback of how scary Lune was when I was on the receiving side of his anger. Instantly, I know I am out of my element, and my gun would do nothing to even the odds … but that doesn’t stop me from wishing I had it in my hand.