

To crawl up dirt

A Reni Eswer story

by Negru Mădălin

Copyright 2015 Negru Mădălin

### Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Afterwards

about the author

Other books
Chapter 1

Morning crept into my dreams along with the loud and distant sound of thunder. After I opened both eyes and focused on that damned sound, it shaped itself into deafening knocking on old wood. The door to my modest apartment was being assaulted by somebody was in a hurry; I presume, or standing there for some time and got baffled because I sometimes dream well until noon. I took over five heartbeats to jump out of bed and stumble toward the door of the apartment.

When it flung opened it blinded me, the morning light reflecting off the winter's snow and the hallway windows. The storm that had been battering Dresden for weeks now.

A large figure was sitting in the frame of the door waiting for me to acknowledge his presence, and maybe out of politeness didn't nudge mine out of the grogginess I was feeling. A tall man built like a bear, fat and a lot of muscle packed on a solid frame.

He had a square face, a broken nose and his and upper lip had a small gash on his right side. Looked like it stretched to his ear if you eyed closer for the healing marks, short silver hair and bright blue eyes glaring at me. He was like a wise old dad waiting for his cub to see reality in full.

"Good morning Marcus. Come in please." I exhaled in slow motion.

"Good morning, "he said as he brushed past me.

I felt that I overslept more than usual, my foggy brain only just now grasped what really felt like, a thing it does every single day after more vivid dreams.

That Marcus was at my apartment, the Dresden werewolf pack leader wasn't expediting that process. Oh, the joy of procrastination. As we both stepped in the kitchen, he continued his polite and drab small talk.

"Late last night, we had three murders."

I put the kettle on the fire to warm up coffee, and suppressed a facepalm, then curved a sigh into a yawn.

He grabbed a chair and slumped into it, then threw a red folder on the table and methodically put the pages under my eyes clear to see the thing that will occupy my next few days; when I would accept the task he had concocted in his cold mind.

He hovered his hand over one paper strewn across the table and continued on. The inconsiderate bastard.

"They found Three teenage girls dead in Alvad cemetery, all of them had severe lacerations and even missing a few chunks of flesh as if a predator had feasted on them."

"How cliche is it?" I asked with the slightest hint of a smirk.

"Well, on one hand, they aren't goths. On the other, they have candles and a pot with bones."

"Damn," I said imagining a bunch of cackling and dancing teens with long hooked noses, slightly hunched over a boiling cauldron. The one cackling and furiously stirring its horrid contents. " Did they pilfer any tomb ?"

"No, none of the graves were turned over ."

"So, not there for riches ?" I asked with a slight smile on my face, was hoping to encourage a smile from his old haggard face.

OK, he isn't that old looking, on a close inspection, I would say senior. Somebody that just got of his prime.

That kind of person that might let the valley of his later years get him down mentally and his body with him. Not Marcus, his face was a perpetual serious tone; with a touch of grumpy depending what angle you had on him, the physical tests I bet he would pass as if he was in his prime.

Big is a word I would through to classify his body type sure, but that only tells you he might look like a giant brick, in reality, his muscles were sculpted by the long years fighting for control over the Dresden werewolf pack, the imposing height, and deliberate movement , all made him look big and unbending , a colossal that seemed to lack any funny bones .

It did suck the joy out of some conversations, of course, on the other hand, he has been accommodating in his dealings with the pack, he wasn't one to lead without considering his fellow peer's words.

"No this is more of the occult, then anything, " he said straight-faced.

"I don't know. If they are young it could have been about a lot of things, including stupidity ."

My brain was slowly booting up but my curiosity got the first strike in so I pulled a chair facing Marcus and with foggy eyes stared at the pictures resting on my dining table. Damn be my lucky star, today's lunch was not down in the tank yet.

But it sure is going to go down hard. The girls in the pictures were like dolls wearing rags, one was face down in the snow with a deep gash on her back coming from the neck down to her waist where you could see half a butterfly tattoo, the flesh was on display, redder than usual.

And something white was protruding from her upper torso and as if the attacker didn't do enough she was also missing her left hand. Three dead girls in the snow near an odd looking circle which melted the snow to the dirt, arranged in the circle was a fine trace of something white, some kind of dust or salt.

Then at seemingly random, scattered pebbles or rocks near a couple of other undistinguished objects, maybe a knife and some burnt out candles?

"Hardcore. " I said keeping a straight face and the beginnings of a stomach ache at bay by sheer force of will and no small amount of mental blanking.

"At a glance what do you see ?"

"What's with the circle? Witches ?"

"Or a bunch of young impressionable teens playing as such, in a cemetery at midnight. There isn't a predator for miles that can inflict this kind of damage; you know ."

"Yes, no animal you mean. But there has to be a supernatural out there besides us that can do this ."

"Maybe, and last I checked we didn't have any unannounced werewolf's rolling in town, " he said, a question creeping into his eyes.

I pulled myself up and stopped the fire, poured my coffee sipped once and continued my thought.

"Could it be one of the pack? "

"It's not from within the pack," he said with an almost imperceptible growl. He was still, the white of his eyes frightened me for the second I had held them.

It dawned on me that the question of loyalty from one of the pack meant I had questioned his competence as a leader. Damn dangerous move. That's why you shouldn't make a conversation before a jolt of coffee in the morning.

"That was my mistake, and I apologized thrice. As for this. Any person in or visiting the town could be on their first change can't they ?"

"Sure they can but they would already be a werewolf, the first time you change into a bloodthirsty lunatic is the first time you understand what you are; but to the rest of us can smell it in your blood and breath short time before that. If it is a werewolf then it is an outsider and now a murderer ."

"Why are you here Marcus, " I said and took another sip of coffee ."It isn't for the coffee ."

"That's cos you forgot to pour me one ." He said annoyance in his voice.

I awkwardly took the kettle off the stove and poured a cup for my forgotten guest, damn my foggy brain. I smiled and nodded even more awkwardly for him to continue :

" I am over my head in paperwork with the bodies and the mortician. He is still assembling the picture so while I look into missing people and dealing with the press you and Harl are gonna look on the other side of life ."

"I am part of the press. " I said shaking my head at his implied dismissal ." You jackass ." Finished under my breath.

"That's a good cover for the detective work you will be doing for the week ."

"How come the police isn't involved in this ?"

"To be frank " disappointment was in his voice as he said it " The higher ups are pushing for animal attacks. That means a couple of rookies searching for the identities of the victims and the local animal control chasing their tails for a couple of weeks ."

I shook my head in exasperation, damn my lucky star, why can't lunatics take a break, it's holiday season I got things to buy and people to call over, dinner plans.

The shopping at this time of year is gonna be murder, but no there had to be a shocking story to report near Christmas day.

"One more thought " he continued " there were more footprints than bodies at the scene of the crime which might suggest survivors ."

"Survivors? How many more, and how could you have found them with all this blizzard battering the city? " I interjected kinda missing the point in his statement.

"hmm ... two more sets of footprints and yes it was difficult to come by them. The question is how did they escape because there is no news of any incidents in the area. Did the assailant just gave up or are they just lucky? And if they weren't followed could it be a local spirit angered by the five intruders mocking about in the middle of the night ?"

"Call an exorcist. "

He sighed at my quip, but no anger showed in his face just mild disappointment at my lack of gravitas.

" You are that exorcist ."

He might as well added dummy at the end of that statement. Poor me or lucky, that I had shooed away a small spirit some time back, in a distant land known as England. Do a favor for a close one, just for kicks and you will be known worldwide; wasn't the pitch when I accepted her request.

"Harl is gonna look into any witchcraft mater. It's a rare thing for a spirit to take form, the footprints and claw marks say it was physical being so how did the last two get away, did they even ?" he said.

"They grew wings ." I shot quick.

"Don't be daft, witches don't need wings to fly. Second, finish that coffee; you're being too snarky about all this ."

"It's last night's hangover I guess," I said shrugging slightly.

"It was a gruesome attack; but it was just that, " he said with a small shrug.

"What makes this our issue? The pack I mean ."

"We take care of the earth we walk on. We sleep on ."

Right, he was talking about the habitual life of the wolf, he was one old soul after all; holding territory is a wolf's instinct, a habit born out of a necessity to eat, to hunt, to control.

That territory can be as large as a couple of city streets , the entirety of a city; and in our case, its immediate surroundings too , like a few good stretches of forest .

To this day I am still not clear on the rules of acquisition to such a large area. Hand it down from father to son? Or maybe taken in a battle to the death between an alpha and some upstart challenger.

I am a werewolf by nature and he is the leader of the pack, I just enrolled in a month ago. Like in the movies the moon does hold its sway in most of us, she sings her songs of madness but only if you let her fill you up; do you fall in that spiral of frenzy and hurt the people next to you.

Mother thought me some things about my condition even if she isn't a werewolf so my knowledge of the moon-beasts and me isn't complete, far from it. I know we are born with this from other people like us, and I know we have more control over the beast then some might want to acknowledge.

To be a werewolf isn't a curse even though some people out there seem to claim so, we are not mindless beasts that destroy and tear apart or feed on flesh, most of those are myths and bad happenstance caused be a crazy few.

I am not evil or good, a beast is not; but I do have its senses and most of its urges, what sets me, and the sane ones, apart is the choice to not act like a cornered animal.

I should take most tales more seriously for everything might have a seed of truth no matter how crazy it sounds.

I am a freshman at this so my urges are a bit wacky, but emotionally I would like to think that I have it under control so no going out howling at every full moon. This could be the first time I go under pressure, the physical pressure that is.

I feel somehow ecstatic at the thought of confrontation even though we don't have any clue to what this was, but here right now I feel like I need to bite something; it could just be morning hunger.

" I will not let the city we live in be a lawless one. Just because the mundane man wants to forget all its history ." Marcus said with a steely conviction and no small amount of fire in his eyes.

" Aren't we beasts? " I said with a weakish stare. " At least half beasts ."

"The wolf doesn't hold court, to be sure. We have a few rules that all of the supernatural should live by though ."

I knew the next words that would come out of his raspy throat; for they were spoken to me several times in the past two months. And as a new addition to the pack, I didn't find the conviction to stop my alpha from exalting the rules, we wolf hold on to.

"Don't kill humans or wolf. Don't eat human or wolf flesh. Don't tell the humans about us. Let the dead ley. The wolf must hunt ."

"I will do this. " I said firmly and with some haste, one might object.

"I didn't think I came here for anything less, " he said and paused, looking thoughtful.

"I take it Aydan isn't much help these days ?"

"He skipped town, and Ana chased after him; damned fools ." He growled. "He has been acting up recently, a bit nutters if you ask me. "

"Where to ?"

"Hmm, Alexandria something about the dark sand, he is chasing stories for who knows what purpose, last year he was in Albania after a drop of water from some well ."

"Everyone needs a hobby ."

"Collecting junk from all over the world isn't a hobby, it means he is close to being a cat lady ."

"Aydan the cat lady, hmm sounds so pleasant," I said smiling like an idiot at the thought of hundreds of cats hanging of Aydan, a lanky man in his thirties.

"I got nothing on him but it looks that he infected Ana with the bug ."

"I bet it's love, Marcus ."

"Bahhhh, she punched him last week nearly dislocated his jaw, love is supposed to be a strawberry ice cream, sweet and lasts like a moment but hard to forget ."

"Mine is like pasta delicious and steady and predictable ." I sighed deeply and for a long time. I was missing my precious.

"I guess it could be just a fling or she wants to kill him, which would leave us with two fewer pack members," he said grim realization in his eyes, the thought did worry him a lot.

I sipped at my coffee some more, morning headache starting to subside, and the thoughts of what's to come didn't make me hasten but it gave me more headaches, holidays are coming and I was to run after magic creatures and ghosts.

"Know where I should start ?"

"I don't think Dresden has any cabals. Europe, sure there are some in hiding doing who knows what from the shadows making deals with unimaginable powers, last I heard the church or what remains of the Templars had a sword ready for any witch stupid enough to do magic in public or affect the muddies. "

"Uhu use my womanly intuition ?" I asked squinting at my empty coffee mug.

"You are to look into the supernatural, into any witches or haunting. Optionally you could contact a local detective that has been doing cases about supernatural happenings for some years now. In short, you are free to use your intuition ." He said the last words with an implied role of the eyes.

"He has a name? That detective ?"

"Samuel Ohara ."

I was taken aback by that name for a second but sipped some coffee to hide the fact that it had any connection with myself.

I am gonna prove myself to him, I am going to contribute to this group of people; I had decided.

He stood up, started tidying up his dossier when he finished he stared a long moment in contemplation. I followed suit a lot more energetic than I was when he showed up at my doorstep; I had my evening full but that was OK.

"This shouldn't be that big of a deal for us," and he made a gesture to include me " Dresden is known for its ghostly matters and good but pricey opera. This side of Europe has seen plenty of conflicts and the echoes haven't subsided to the day, so here and there you are gonna run into this things. And we deal with it as a pack. The witch thing does complicate things.

Did they try and summon something and went wrong did they try and feed of the black land for more power, this and their accessories you will look into ."

"Wits and that coffee is all I need," I affirmed jovially.

"Good. This photo I gave to Harl, and now you ." He said handing me a photo of the crime scene minus the bodies.

"Heh, all I wished for Christmas. "

" Just think of the naughty ones ." He said laughing disturbingly, I took it as a good sign, considering it came from grizzly bear Marcus.

"Right. Happy Christmas Marcus. "

Chapter 2

After a hot shower and a fixed breakfast, I walked out the door and started the long trek through the snow to Sam's place of office. My hope that when I got there my muse will get him to spill most if not all he knows about the case, Marcus handed me.

I had chosen to visit the private investigator first because I did fear the cemetery somewhat; not the ghosts frighten me but what they might want from me. he's related to the supernatural vexed me considering I used to know the person of Samuel Ohara, and back then he and I were clueless of such things as ghosts and witches.

Most of the trip made with the metro under the Elbe into the old part of the city. Then a third of the way there beat it on foot through the shoveled walkways, patches of ice covered the pavement here and there; making me put mental effort into the journey and less on the confrontation ahead.

Snowmen looking muddled by the night's snowfall and shop windows with a dozen colorful blinking lights ready for the winter holidays. The majority of Apartment blocks this side of the city are different sizes and colors and they were all decorated for Christmas. There was even a toy Santa hanged on one of the windows, like a burglar in a Santa costume hanging on for dear life after a wrong step.

The whole city was getting out of its frozen state and slowly coming to life, all people were otherwise moving to the last day of work or to go shopping for their last-minute preparations.

Sam's apartment and office were on the first floor of a small block made of yellow bricks with a metallic roof beaten by weather, on the ground floor there is a fun to look coffee shop.

A rickety side stairway headed up to the roof, on the first floor was the entrance to his office. Not a feature of the old building I presume.

A dead raven was near his door, it was keeping the screen door slightly open; he was frozen. This wasn't the door to his office just the one to the waiting area, it was opened to would be customers I suppose, nobody was sitting in on the couch and no cheap water or magazines to be seen; not as accommodating as a doctor's office, lack of traffic? or just an oversight .

The sign on the office door said open but the low murmurings lead me to believe he was busy with someone in there, so I sat my butt on the waiting couch and twiddled my thumbs in anticipation.

I hate waiting; especially when I am so unprepared for the occasion, a book or some music to keep my brain occupied as time seems to slow down trying to annoy me, second by bloody second.

The mental note to self, carry a mp3 player with you or get a notebook to keep track of your stuff to do. As I was taking more mental notes, a small dark shadow moved at the periphery of my vision, then darted under the table before I could turn my gaze and truly see what it was.

There it sat in what I imagined was a pose ready to pounce at me if I made a move towards it. So I did, like a torpedo it darted towards me, it hit me in the belly, my back hit the couch and it settled on my lap , a small bundle of fur yelped at me and before I could catch it ran up my arm and from my shoulder started licking my face, a hello from an energetic dog . I assumed it was Sam's terrier. Since when is he the responsible type.

I took it in my hands and looked sideways at it, a small and shaggy dog with medium length coat which was brown, a patch of white on his mouth up under his left eye. I petted him as a nod to his victory, a show of sportsmanship if you will

"Here to keep me company ?"

He barked, happily wagging his tail.

"How is your master doing ?"

He growled at me looking offended.

"Partner ?" I said probing.

He growled at that too if a bit softer than the one before.

"Did he not feed you this morning? That's way his being demoted ?"

He whimpered and scratched his snout three times. I petted his head for a while growing impatient with Sam.T he chartering from Sam's office was a constant stream of indistinguishable whispers.

Sam was probably relating his findings to one of his customers. It seemed as if the conversation was civil, no broken down ex-wife or jealous husband I guessed as I was stroking the furry clump in my lap.

Moments later the door opened and a slender woman stepped lightly through, she had angular long face , bright green eyes which glossed over me in a second turning to the offices interior, her ash-blond hair was long to her hips and it looked natural, not that I dabble in that sort of thing only thought of doing it .

Her clothes were stretched tight on her skin, oddly for this time of year, even the jacket seamed something of autumn lacking the fur. But hey, she looked good in them I guess.

Her expression, what little she wore on that long face was of annoyance. Maybe Sam did deliver those grave news. All in all, she is a model client with that calm demeanor and air of high class dealing with the underbelly of society.

"Until our next meeting Mr. Ohara, "she bowed her head slightly, more because of her upbringing then respect.

I turned to Sam and exclaimed after she was out of earshot.

"Ima gonna need your gun, your boots, and your motorcycle ."

"Good morning to you too Reni. " He said plainly like a robot.

"Gahhh, not even a salute to your old partner in crime ?"

He just stood in the doorway straight-faced and raised an eyebrow at my shenanigans, I tried keeping a straight face to throw him off balance.

"The secret handshake? " I asked reaching one hand up not too enthusiastically.

He reached out his hand and when I went to reach for it he grabbed mine and pulled me in the office. It was smaller than I expected or imagined it, this morning on my way here; a bit underwhelmed to be sure. The space to walk in here was kinda lacking, the dresser, the desk, and the two file cabinets were almost touching each other . the window was too small or it cut the amount of light it should let through.

"What trouble do you want to get me involved in? " He asked still not showing any emotion.

"Nothing illegal I promise, maybe dangerous depends on how far you are willing to go ."

"I am listening. " He said and I almost felt his eyes roll back in exasperation.

"I have it on good authority that you are investigating the cemetery killings case, I need a story like that for the last write up of this year, what do you say old friend ?"

"You got into reporting ?" he said crossing his arms; one of his fine eyebrows raised with apathetic concern.

What's with that expression. it was a bit confusing; no, I was caught off guard, I didn't think he would be so guarded, what would he ask me next? I puffed out a small sneaker at his general direction. Coming from a casual observer my current profession might seem an accident, a fluke; an off the wall choice coming from an obvious airhead like I used to be.

"hah. He exhaled that short laugh with very little mirth in it.

" It is an odd choice made by you. Who is mouthing off, that I am involved myself in such civic matters?

" This isn't a political scandal but I would like to not share his name and or occupation," I said it all business-like.

" It has been more or less 12 hours someone in the police or my pc is full of leaks ."

" The word wasn't that precise, more like he implied that you investigated weird stuff ."

He sighed with a big eye roll. Arms locked together, bent back in the chair. Defenses up. the mouth was drawn in a line, was he not gonna talk to me or maybe he is expecting an apology on the alluding about his weird pastime. He shouldn't be surprised or scandalized about me speaking of his odd behavior.

"I am unsure why you came to me and not to the police, surely you have connections being in the business ?"

"No; you aren't the first I turned to; and second, this isn't just a shock piece or I would have just stuck with the minimal info the police are throwing around ."

"I am unsure what you think you can get out of me ?"

"I need to know some of the gory details. I need to point some fingers and find out who were those girls that died. "I said with the widest most real grin I could muster.

He let out a big sigh and stared at me as if to dispel a curse or a bad cold.

"This is a business proposal ?"

"Ahh, old friend ." I grind widely and stirred in my chair ." You could share in this adventure."

He smiled and it looked fake even after all these years, he wasn't happy with me and he didn't come out with his concerns, he had waited for my words, my motives to be revealed. I hoped he would be cooperative but from his lack of emotion, his searching gaze; this would take a lot of work or compromise.

"Friend? "He finally spoke, " Are we friends Renata Eswer ?"

"Trick question ?" I retorted blinking at him innocently.

"How long has it been since we last spoke ?"

Oh, sweet child, he has missed me or just been longing for the old days in the gang.

"Five years ?"

He snorted, almost laugh out loud. Only held his laugh in because he didn't want to offend me, maybe. Or he wanted to play the hardened man card, the guy that doesn't laugh or cries.

"It's been nine years since last we talked and ten since we shared the same space for more than a moment. " No anger was in his voice but the air in the office was bitter.

"I would apologize but the last years haven't been the most honey filled ones. I should have kept in touch ."

The atmosphere became somber and we sat there on the opposite sides of his pinewood desk staring on each other's faces trying our hardest not to lock eyes. A long time ago I and Sam plus five other kids in our neighborhood used to play tricks up and down Dresden, sneak in disused places and abandoned ruins or just ride the train across town.

The city of Dresden has the train tracks across the city, it even crosses the river Elbe. When they hit the city all the trains used to slow somewhat, that's when we hung in the back with ropes and skateboards , one up on the train as a lookout , one on the rope making sure he got it after we let go and one down on the tracks balancing on the rail and feeling the rush all the way to the river or till the station .

Today we lost contact with one another, Clab and quiet Piero moved town, Sarah sweet and innocent, died; asphyxiation from a bad stove, I think. I and Sam used to speak, fewer tricks and adventures; just walks and music.

That was till my mother thought education abroad would suit me better. That the wild child would get serious about life. She was right, in part. I am a werewolf for Pete's sake, talk about wild. A small squeal came from my feet and I looked down to find the tiny bundle of fur tugging at my boots. I picked him up in my lap and petted his patchy head, to his great joy. I faced Sam making puppy eyes.

"He is a real meany head isn't he ?" I said pressing the little dog's cheeks together ." Probably because of his girlfriend earlier."

Fuzzball woofed in approval, intelligence was there in his puppy eyes, I think it approved with my words.

"Damn ." He said in the realization of what just happened. Gotcha Samuel Ohara, I am gonna melt you now that I have my hungry, fluffy and lovable Allie.

Sam got up and motioned me to follow. We took the far side door in the waiting room, this lead into a small cramped hallway it had a door straightforward and two on the right.

The first was his living room, he kept it neat and simple, a small bed in one corner a desk with a monitor and a bunch of notebooks on it or were those comics, a closet and at the foot of the bed was fluffy's things. The second door lead in the kitchen which was tiny.

The sink and the stove were centimeters apart, a small counter near that and inches near that, shoved under some shelves a chest-high freezer that looked ancient. Under the window were a two-man square table and one chair.

Sam opened the freezer grabbed a box of foul smelling stuff and poured it into fluffy's bowl which was under the table. The small dog waited patiently waggling his tail. When Sam pulled away the little dog started digging in like a wild beast on a fresh kill.

"Early day ?" I asked leaning in the drywall.

He fiddled with the freezer, took out a slice of old pizza, took a bite and nodded along exhausted affirmative.

"Always start with the coffee. It gets all other things so much easier ."

"I couldn't today. "He said taking one more bite of pizza ." This client was very impatient ."

"Fluffy has a name ?"

"Teo ." Fluffy barked an approval at Sam's words.

"I can help you on this case, Sam , I am a journalist, sort of ."

He finished his slice of pizza and smiled broadly, this time it looked slightly genuine. I was being sincere my self. I would help as long as his case helped mine.

"Believe me I would love some help on this one, heck I would love for this one not to be mine.

"

"But? " I added in a nod to continue his line of thought.

"The contract does not allow for" small silence ", interference ."

"Interference, bulls ." I interjected " Word for the word you are not allowed assistance or a second pair of eyes. Another voice ?"

He sat down ruminating something internally, cogs working on something to say, a workaround or how to decline my proposal without declining any further help. He did seem stretched over the limit, what were his cases and who were these demanding contractors.

"OK, I accept on one condition ." He finally said.

"Name it."

"Follow my lead ."

"You are the boss man," I said with a stupid smile on my face judging from Sam's awkward look.

"What's our first lead ?"

"The nutters, or as you know them, the victims. Had something rare that was left at the scene. Three blackamoor candles and traces of sulfurous ash. The first is rare in this parts of the world and the second can get you killed for just carrying it ."

"To the motorcycle, we are hunting news. "

Sam audible facepalmed, sighed deeply and got passed me to get the coat from the hallway. His silence was a bit revolted and kinda oppressive but I was in a joyous mood. Was on a hunt, nothing was too far for me right now.

"I was promised a motorcycle ."

"Let's go, Teo . "

Said Sam still shaking his head at my bad attempt of a joke, opened the front door and scooped up Teo putting him in the right pocket of his coat.

"Assistants first.
Chapter 3

The wind picked up in intensity and bite as we walked our way to the first occult shop. he had the idea to find the identity of those three in the cemetery by their shopping habits. that and the whole thing with them being witches coming from him was unexpected, it was just a matter of fact.

I didn't have time to protest, his mind was made up. Sam filled me in on what he knew. I fainted interest because he had nothing new to say on the murders. He did go over his suspicions.

The five girls were there doing the voodoo when someone, about two or three attackers ambushed them unsuccessfully. This was premeditated, he said firmly.

"The attackers have something to do with that cemetery or with our victims. I bet on the later."

"What would give you that idea? I mean the girls had claw marks and chunks of meat missing."

"True and true. But where were this wounds on their body? The animals," he put emphasis on the word animals as if someone was forcing it in his sentence" didn't eat the rest or any other part."

"Good thing I ate way early this morning."

"Sorry, but you got to admit a large animal, attacks and then leaves his catch there mostly intact for how long?"

"The image is still not good, but you make some sense," I said with a forced grimace.

"The girls were there to perform a summoning ritual, they had set most of the things up but the attackers didn't let them finish."

"When did you become an expert in witchcraft?" I slowed my pace and fish-eyed him.

"This has been my reality for a long time." He said with a sweet sadness in his voice, something lost.

"Could it be the cemetery? You know a guarding spirit, angry spirit?"

"Claw marks." he made a gesture which resembled a cat scratching a piece of furniture. "Ghouls could be close but not all have nails that can inflict these kinds of wounds plus we get to the lack of eating again."

"Ghouls?"

"Yes, nasty angry people brought to the world of the living as flesh-eating things not to be confused with zombies or gargoi."

"Don't stop now, we are about to get out of the knowledge tunnel," I said nodding.

He looked funny at me, sighed softly and amused by my inquisitive chatter.

"Ghouls are strong and agile unlike their cousins the zombies. Not repelled be garlic and holy water like the gargoi. So strong as ten people; ugly, depending on how late in the decomposition process they were animated., And last; tough to kill."

"You do have a gun right?"

"I don't intend to run into any, plus start a fight with one. Besides, we need to find the witches, not the claw savages."

"Not both?" I asked a bit confused

"One leads to the other."

"The occult shops are gonna give a name?"

"Most of the things they needed for a summoning were there, the salt circle," he made around sign with his finger in the frigid air "black stones and the candles. I hope we do get something. These folks can be tied tongued when it comes to their hobbies ."

We continued walking making small talk, like where I am eating now that I live by myself in Dresden. My answer was "I cook you goofball", or what did I study abroad, and a few more of these small exchanges back and forth which seem to lift up his mood. It made me happy to see him talk my ear off just like nine years ago. No outside world just us and our snowy path.

We arrived at our last occult shop in what seemed an instant, the sun was toppling down towards the other end of the horizon.

The shop's exterior was of darkened wood, it looked like it grew there cramped between a pastry shop and an electronics repair, which had bright neon lights in the window, still lit.

Written was Mc Groovers Touch. As we entered a small bell ringed out in the shop.

It was as cramped in here as it looked outside, in the middle of the shop going from one foot of the door till the counter was a great glass display, filled with a bunch of old looking things, pottery, dolls of clay and a lot more ancient looking things that I swear I saw in some scary movies this summer .

The both of us walked up to the counter, Sam all cock shore. Behind the counter sat a slender man, blonde shoulder-length hair tight in a ponytail revealing a craggy, time-worn face. Woeful brown eyes set buried within their sockets, watching energetically over the relics he has watched over for so long. His expression was that of a statue, far away in his troubles.

Sam stopped under his nose and as he opened his mouth the clerk cut him off:

"What can I get you. " He said in a low bored voice.

"I am looking for information ."

"Oh man, " the clerk shuddered " that depends on the questions. "

"Have you sold Solomon candles to a witch in the last few days ?"

His great brown eyes seemed to sparkle, then his face focused not just his eyes somehow his ears and mouth edges shrank barely and he finally answered in the same dull voice which now came as a contradiction to his stance.

"Yes we did sell those, but the last one was three months ago," he scratched his chin thoughtfully " at least I think it was autumn, the time when it rained for a full week ."

"Right, at the end of August, 23 was the day. I lost it. "Said Sam in a second or two.

"Lost what ?"

"Mentally, I have a small dog and he was always barking at the lightning, so I lost it ."

The clerk scrounged up his nose as if to sneeze but nothing came only his dumbfounded expression crept up again, his eyelids went a little down, he looked like he lost a week of sleep. I was starting to drift over to the great relics he was supposed to sell. How did he do it, demand I suppose because it wasn't an advertisement or the customer service?

Beside the counter just a few centimeters to the left of the clerk I noticed an ax small no bigger than a palm, the blade white, maybe bone, feather plumes in the pommel. Under it a needle of white, I could tell it was there only because the stand they were displayed in was a muted red.

"Who was this customer? "Asked Sam while I turned away to look at the things in the display that cut the shop in two.

"I can't say ." The clerk spouted voice cracking.

"A bunch of Solomon candle was found at the cemetery crime scene. "

"Wow man, you can burn a house down but that doesn't mean they're made to burn stuff down, these candles are for the smell and mood lighting only. "

"Don't give me that, we both know what that means ."

Sam gave out an audible sigh, while I spotted something shiny in the display, as I got closer it got brighter and brighter. I stood face inches from the glass and there it was somewhere in that light, a shape of a circle than a straight line down and three spikes on that line coming out at different angles. I heard scratching noises and the light intensified, the glass fragmented before my eyes.

Hovering in mid-air was a silver key and nothing for miles around. I stretched my hand to grab it, lightning stroked the pure white horizon and I was in the shop again one finger on the glass, probably looking like a baboon longing for a banana. Self-conscious now I turned to the two men and their life struggle.

"The young woman that bought those candles is a witch and is either dead or in grave danger ."

The clerk paused again chewing on some thoughts but didn't seem baffled or disturbed by what my partner in crime said. It wasn't the first time I heard him mention the supernatural with such conviction, I have to wonder how far does his knowledge go and how brutal was his bump this side of reality.

"You can't expect me to just hand you the name ."

"Description, a very detailed description, and the..." Sam paused and accentuated his next words " the name she used to buy it. "

The clerk laughed, mouth wide open from ear to ear.

"I am not gonna open the book for anyone that asks, no matter how crazy they are ."

"The fact that she was murdered or is going to, has no clout with you ?" Said Sam both hands on the counter.

"The local police is on the case, probably, man. Like, thank you for bringing it to my attention ."

"I am a private detective," said Sam extending his calling card. The client I represent is interested in getting these murders solved with haste ."

"Man ... " the clerk went full sad mode "you are crushing the mood dude ."

"It's in the contract. But by my word, my employer only has the community's peace in mind ."

I did sense a small hint of a lie in there or something else in his tone could be he didn't fully trust the words of his so-called employer.

The clerk winced hard like if someone whacked him over the head and told him to get back to work. He reached under the counter and with some visible effort produced a massive red book, leather bound covers and gold lettering on the spine.

He opened it slowly the pages were blank but he skimmed through it looking at each page for a second or two. The clerk threw us a look of annoyance and after a low hum taped the page to his right three times.

Words started appearing on the page from where he put his finger heading down, about four rows, the words came slowly like someone was carving them into the wood.

"Slayer, blonde, Caucasian, Swedish of origin, Witch. Procured three Solomon candles, five onyx gems, a box of salt from Mali, not signed in blood ."

"Was she a transfer student here in Dresden university from Sweden ?" I asked no one in particular ." They both stared a bit confused and adrift in their own thoughts ."

"I need to call the police I guess, said the clerk as he pushed the massive book away," tone accusatory.

"Before we get out of your way and before I forget, how much would that silver key cost to purchase ?"

He lit up for a small second and took a glance at where I had my finger pointed.

"Item code? Because I can't remember. At the base of the display case on the iron placard ."

"One five six ?"

He thumbed through a small notebook and gave me the punch line.

"Three hundred euros ."

"I kinda expected that," I said deflated " what is money good for anyway ?"

Said pulling out the plastic device that was my lifeline, it didn't have much but I considered the vision on one hand and the fact that Christmas was coming. Happy holiday Reni I should say, I wasn't gonna feast that lavishly this year. I was gonna have another enigma on my hands to contend with. It was pleasant.

Sam nodded in farewell and disappointment, it was to be expected from me. We head out with a physical description and a band name. Baby steps are still steps I said to my self and we backed up in the stormy day.
Chapter 4

The sunlight was dim because of the storm clouds that rolled in with haste; we made it two blocks away in an awkward silence. I had the suspicion that Sam was hoping I would not ask about the contract. My mind was racing at the few things I knew about my old friend and his path since last we saw each other. But I didn't want to press him for too many favors in one day.

"What is our next stop partner?" I asked cutting the silence like a professional.

"We find the blonde we find the killer."

"Easy, how do we go about it?"

"If she is from out of town, we have a few places to work with. She could be a student at Dresden university or she could be an immigrant which would put her place of stay anywhere from hotels to people of trust and the unsavory."

"Don't you have a supernatural way of finding people? A hellish informer, a spirit of the city or a fey down on his luck?"

He looked long and hard at me with an expression that said "are you serious", his breath freezing in the air rapidly. I shrugged my shoulders and pulled over my dual collared scarf over the nose.

A black car of great prestige with darkened windows pulled over a few paces in front of us. Sam visible went on the alert, recognition in his eyes and ready to tumble with whatever would come out of that mysterious car. I psyched myself up a bit, most hours of the day as is the case I am hungry for action. The wolf in me wanted to be it, hoping the occupants of the car would make a bad move, a threat, a punch is all I would need. I swallowed that bitter emotion hard and told the pup to shut it.

A burly tall man, leathery face, a broken nose and dressed from head to toes in black clothes including gloves; black leather gloves, stepped out from the front passenger seat, his eyes fixed on us.

"Renata Eswer?" He asked with a smile in his eyes.

"Yes, it is I."

He opened the door on the back of the black car and presented it with a free hand.

"I don't go on dates without knowing my date first," I said.

"My apologies." Said a sugary voice from within the black car. "I would have sent word to your home or place of work but I wanted to meet you in person."

I lowered my view hoping to spot the man that this smooth voice belonged to, but only caught a silhouette or two sitting on the backseat in relative darkness.

"Christmas is around the corner. These days are about to be busy."

"I have a proposition that will surely be worth your time." He said almost purring.

I looked at Sam, he was mortified, ready to sprint away. He had the crazy eye and his lungs were pumping hot air at a brisk pace.

"Don't," Sam said so soft that the wind threatened to steal the words away.

"This is between me and miss Eswer ." Said the voice with no malice in it even though the words might imply some tension.

"Piece of advice Reni ." Sam looked pale and serious, dead serious like a person surrounded by sharks in open waters. "Watch your words and don't shake hands on anything if you can avoid it ."

"Can I get a clue of what you might offer me. This is a bit unexpected you understand ." I said to the darkness shrouded gentlemen.

"It's about ghosts and salt ." Purred again the man.

Well, he is well informed and if Sam's expression is anything to go by he is a player in the city. Exciting said a snarling voice in the back of my mind.

"I will come by tomorrow, Sam ."

He gave a disappointed sigh and shook his head, but resigned on the idea of changing my mind and just shook my hand, then stepped back cautiously.

"Good luck partner ." He said and I waved goodbye with a confident smile on my face.

Got in the car face to face with a short plump man, his rotund face had many wrinkles, deep laugh lines. His deep brown eye was twinkling in the dim light of the car. Sporting a fur coat with a big bushy collar, the one gloved hand was petting the hair of a sleeping girl, she looked peaceful far away in her dreams.

Both of them had their heads uncovered, the old jowly man's hair was short, black and in spite of it he looked somewhat older then his eyes suggested. The young miss sleeping beauty had long blonde braided hair, the tail rested on her belly as did her soft skinned hands. She isn't natural blonde because what was left of her thin eyebrows was a dark brown. She looked like a scrawny cat. A well-chested person, napping like a Persian puss.

The car pulled away and into the heart of the city on a slow pace for my curiosity's benefit? I mused.

"I am afraid I am at a disadvantage here," I said. "You know my name but I haven't had the pleasure of hearing yours ."

"Again I apologize for being so hasty, but business doesn't slow down, not even for the end of the world ." He bowed his head, stroke sleeping beauty's right cheek and said: "Knox Wasmar, at your service ."

My stomach fell a few hundred feet like I was about to hit the far away bottom of a pit full of vipers. The goblin king, the title rang out in my mind from left to right like an echo from a long lost soul, a warning.

CEO of the Troll markets of Dresden. He made a place for himself three centuries ago, maybe more, by taking stuff from people of their own will. He could have been a shark, but it's said he had only the dirt between his toes and then overnight he was the power on the river Elbe. The Troll markets themselves were given to him by Skelig before mysteriously disappearing into the mists overnight. When mom was teaching me these things it was unclear what given meaning.

Has he been following me and for how long?

I think my shock was all too visible because he was smiling or maybe he was just plotting to make my day harder. Happy to see he had the upper hand twice.

"Does Samuel know of your, nature? "He jabbed.

"I was under the impression you wanted my expertise in something urgent, not my personal life?"

He grinds a cat's grin before it devours a mouse, all of his teeth looked sharp, but I couldn't tell if it was just my mind playing tricks because of the dim atmosphere in here or a horrible truth.

"I have a haunting on a property I own in the Prohlis. Your ceremonial tea exorcism gave me the idea that this would be fast and no pain job for you ."

It did sound like a pain in my rear, especially now that Marcus wanted me to find the cemetery slashers, but Knox did say he had something about ghosts and salt, so did that mean he knew more than what Marcus and Sam had given me or just playing with words? OK, I said to myself, I am gonna play it cool, try and not sign away my soul for a bunch of clues.

"I could do this, get rid of the ghost. Your pay is ?" I asked.

He stroke sleeping blonde's cheek one more time and in that low smooth voice told me what I begin to suspect of him.

"The payment is in the house ."

I was confused, no that was an understatement, what did he expect me to do with that? Was it the house was one of the running girls lived till recently. Was it the ghost, some hidden treasure? He didn't elaborate on it just sat smugly petting the blonde girl's hair as she was purring in unison. Creepy bastards.

"Care to fill me in, on what it is ?"

"A ghost with a bad temper, cold atmosphere, moving dishes and sparking the broken light bulbs. A poltergeist I believe they are called ."

"I was asking of my payment ."

The sleeping hack chuckled audible, shaking as she continued for far too long, making the scene creepy, maybe she did find her dreams that funny. I had a feeling that I was given all he wanted to give me and I had to accept or get the hell out. Chances are that ghost is more hassle than he's worth and I would have to find the payment myself. Deal of the century.

"I do not wish to put this in ink." Knox said the tone serious, eyes trained on mine ." This is only a request. We don't have to shake hands ."

But it wouldn't be wise to ignore him as it wouldn't be good for my health, is what he could have finished that sentence with.

"Just, make the ghost disappear. then what? search the house for my clue ?" I asked drowning in questions.

" Clever girl ." he purred some more ." Your sweet face is telling me you have some unresolved points? We could do this in cash or gems; that is if you aren't satisfied with what you find in the house ?"

Details to iron out or maybe other issues? Yes, I do have problems with people assuming I like exterminating ghosts, oh not to mention talking to mobsters who happen to know what the police are investigating. Then again this could be a misunderstanding on my part, a sort of looking for horses in the clouds.

Outwards I tried not to move to many muscles. Not look intimidated by this devilish old man or look too much like a foolish little girl.

" I would appreciate more information on the whole job. Such as for how long has the house been haunted, the state it is in now ?"

The blonde stirred some and Knox quieted her down with a bare hand along the ridge of her ear . his eyes never left me, although I had the impression his mind might have been in other places.

" I have the deeds to the house for about two years. but the trouble only started a month ago ?"

I had decided that he was a bad business deal. But then again he was a mystery in a crusty eggshell. How would he handle rejection? if this was a trick to get me to do a deal for free, would be changing my desires payment into cash sting me later in some other meaningful way?

Was I right in my discovery?

The signs were all there right? the vaguery, the cagy way he holds his information . he is just a crook and I was about to do work, serious work, on just a promise and the shadow of his reputation among others. I relaxed my shoulders, settled my back into the seat and suppressed a grin or any kind of smile. but was somehow relieved by my quick reorientation over the last few minutes.

" I will take the cash since that sounds more solid as a proposition ."

"Duly noted ." he inclined his wrinkled forehead ever so slightly, the mirth from before cut off.

" I am gonna need an actual address and maybe the name or the description of the ghost," I said.

" You shall have the address ." he said as he pressed on something shadowed just below the window of the car . " as for the ghost I never cared for it ." he shrugged with the last statement.

" Any information, from how it appears to people, to whom it appears to and what it says or does during that time; should be doing my job less a pain ."

" That is a shame. I am sure you are a professional and will get all that information from the source itself ."

I stretched into a line, not acquire a smile because I didn't want to slip into the goof I knew I felt coming over me. I didn't say anything either . it was clear from that intense stare I had gotten more than he wanted to bargain for and nothing else.

The long awkward silence was cut be the mechanized rolling up of some window between us and the driver seat. a gloved hand belonging to one of the meatheads, I presume, was holding the addresses to a pain in the rear.

"I am ready to go," I said nodding to the outside world.
Chapter 5

Life is spicy but can sometimes be monotone, go on a downward spiral of just one note. It's not a constant, life doesn't go good or bad, it doesn't give you only two choices. When you look on the road that leads you where you are at present, you will see the things that might have been. Today someone gave me a choice to aid or to piss off a powerful person. But who am I kidding there was no choice if I wanted to not look over my shoulder every time I will walk through Dresden. I was to evict a ghost out of its own home I presumed.

You don't get to keep all you owned after death. The great Pharaohs thought so, but that assumption relies on the objects having a projection or ties in the afterlife, I mean does a cup of coffee have a soul? Probably not, but maybe its memory, comforts its owner, having all that wealth near might make the afterlife easier to swallow. In most cases it works on the reverse, ghosts keeping too tightly to the places they grew up or a gift from a loved one, or maybe something made by their own living hands.

So we get a hunter, an angry person that all it does is whine and throw tempers all night at anything that still lives. I have no pity for such folks. They passed on, and so should move on, let the living be. We have enough troubles, don't need the lights to kill us or mugs thrown in the back of our heads, and I spoke from personal experience here.

Last time was a more leisurely time frame, so I did some digging after the poltergeist name. Why? Invoking a poltergeist real name can snap them into a more cooperative state, I imagine it's because; the name is tugging at its soul, directly, at that sense of self we all have. And if you can't snap them into friend zone then you compel them to move on by reminding them what they are, a late passenger on the threshold of whatever is next and the living world.

The weather got worse by the time I set out to reach the Prohlis district. I didn't let Sam know I got out alive and didn't want to mention my little errand for the jowly king, was I being too secretive? Scared of what he might think. Maybe I should grow a spine, something snapped back at that thought process and I wanted to agree with it one hundred percent.

Night had just arrived over Dresden as I walked up to the front door of the haunted house. A cautious side of me that clings to the horror movie too much was going crazy with the warning, the hairs were on their ends up; it was that, or the cold brought on by the absence of the son. The door was cracked open just a finger. I hesitated for a moment, listening for any sound in the house or outside. The neighborhood was quiet, everyone getting warm in their homes, from a warm meal or a good hug. Street lights few and far between.

In the house it stank of old air, damp soaked air, a flickering light came from a side room to my left. The door on my right was boarded over and the hallway was going straight for about six meters and ended in a white wooden door on the right. On the left of the hallway is a stairway leading up into darkness. I moved slowly into the left room, the light was coming from a refrigerator forgotten open, it was empty.

A brief inspection revealed this to be the kitchen, the table was upturned, chairs nowhere to be found, the cupboards were empty except for the spider webs, not that many webs. I am guessing it was abandoned for a few weeks.

I was on high alert as I moved up the stairs under the light of my smartphone, nope not very smart of me but I don't have spelunking gear.

The stairs creaked under my boots, I am lightweight but I am no cat so the noise seemed kinda high, halfway up the stairs I started hearing murmurs, it was probably coming from the mad ghost, I was on the right path. It became more pronounced but not more discernible with each new footstep. The stairs lead up to a small hallway that veered left, on the right near the stairs through a wooden door, closed.

I followed the noises into the darkness to a halfway cracked door. I stepped slower and slower, tried to peer into the room. It was dimly lit by the outside street lamps, there was a bed in the middle of all, to the window in the corner I was facing, sat a big dresser. Something shaggy stood at the end of the bed on the floor, a child?

I stepped into the room keeping my eyes on the small person on the floor and reached for a light switch.

As the light flooded the room the clump of shaggy hair raised to her feet slowly and faced me. She had a coy smile on her round face. The hair didn't change shape in the light, it looked unkempt, big curls of shaggy auburn hair. She is of small stature in a white dress, a pair of smudged and ripped jeans underneath.

"Good evening, miss Reni ." She said her smile reaching her ears.

"Moly," I exclaimed in surprise "good evening? Are you squatting here ?"

"Squatting ?"

She squinted at me sideways. The words went over her head after being caught by her pink ears.

"Living in someone's house without their permission or knowledge ."

"Oh, no. I am visiting ."

"The house is dark and I haven't met anyone yet ." I gestured around the place.

"The light scared her away ."

I nodded, she was always frank and honest even though she never seemed to know what she was doing. She is everyone's friend, that's what she thinks anyway and she has acted like that in the past so I went for the light switch to turn off the lights and then stood there ready for anything.

"It's ok," said Moly facing somewhere to the walls "she is a friend ."

It was nice to be reminded that we were still friendly, but what the hell was she doing saying it at the ceiling and walls, the ghost, did she make contact. Since Moly doesn't know how to pull a leg, well only literally, I guess she did contact the dead.

There was a couple of moments were Moly was begging the surroundings to materialize into a Mara.

I relaxed a bit and sat on the bed scanning the now dim room. A voice did echo throughout the room from the hallway.

"Make her leave. The last word stretched and didn't fade in intensity for a good moment ."

"I know Miss Reni for a couple of months now, she is nice, strong and loyal. She has helped me out of a few messes, she is a hero. "

I blushed a bit and relaxed too much. An icy chill ran up my left arm and I jerked up to my feet. Turned one hundred and eighty degrees to stare back at the bed. There stood a crouched woman, one hand raised smiling a misshapen smile, she was hard to see, almost a blur. The lighting situation didn't help.

"Mara ?" I asked in a hushed voice.

She nodded.

"Why are you here ?"

"I am hiding ." She said pulling together her translucent knees.

"Hiding from what ?"

"Monsters ." her eyes went wide, hands up in the air " I was between high black towers and crosses when a bunch of monsters attacked the people there ... they also turned into monsters but I ran before they laid a finger on me. I ran home ."

Didn't that sound like a werewolf movie? Where was she within the living and dead spectrum? Crosses? Church or at the cemetery? When the killings happened ? Were the question that took root in my mind, that and how much could I get from a dead person and how.

A howl broke the night's peaceful demeanor before I could act on my train of thought, then a black shape broke through the window followed by another and another after that. I was caught off guard, Moly also didn't seem alarmed by these intruders. Before I could even think to act one of the dark shapes moved like a blur towards me, fangs gleamed in the dim light.

I am quick on my feet; mostly reflexes, from all the fights I have been in. Granted I never felt bodily harm like my mind was screaming now.

I sidestepped the creature, it faces planted the wall behind me. I took in its details in the short window it was still rearing from its dazzled state. The body was that of a canine, long and slim, barely had any fur, dark black spots all over the legs. The bones were visible, like an animal that hasn't eaten in a year. The eyes red and burning with anger, that's what its whole face was saying, anger.

The other two shapes pounced at Moly, she was surprised but faster than such a small person would appear to be. She punched one of the creatures as it was in the air, it hit the dresser, cracked the door in with a loud thud.

I went to punch the creature at my side, taking an example from Moly. The beast ducked under my swing. I rolled with the moment past it keeping my footing. The creature chomped at my right leg and tore into the flesh.

Pain, agonizing pain and anger overwhelmed all my senses. It wasn't as intense as I expected but it was constant, a sharp cold dagger in my calf. Eyes wide and teeth audible screeching.

"Bad dog ."

I heard Moly shout as she flung one off the creatures she was holding by the throat at the broken window. The creature hit the edge of the window with its head but the rest went out thanks to momentum, taking some shards of glass with it.

I was clenching my fists so hard they were hammerheads, and with that image in my head I punched down at my dance partner, who dodged me again this time lowering its body as far is could go. It arched its back and then leaped past me and onto the bed. I, on the other hand, was too focused on my hammer hands to spin around. Because of him going so low and the room is so small, my leg not taking the pressure so well I ended tripping face first into the dresser. It smelled of old people in here and repressed memories.

Moly was staring down with the other one. The creature went for the legs and the one on the bed leaped at her face, I guess. I pulled myself together and just pounced fists first at the leg specialist.

Damn, I said at my poor attempt fling off a punch. I stumbled on to the bed as the dog had changed course and just slammed into me instead of Moly. As for Moly, she got thrown into the wall next to the dresser. The creature that leaped from the bed jaws wide; missed its mark, and body slammed into her loudly.

"Bad !"

She yields and punched the creature so hard that I swear I heard something crack followed by a flashing light. A sickly green light lit the room for half a second.

I pushed my body off the bed with a swift motion, faced the last creature and kicked it with my good leg, while its attention was on Moly. Crack went something as my foot made contact, the creature let out a small sharp whimper and the same sickening green flash flooded the room for the blink of an eye. As my vision adjusted to the dimness I noted the obvious, the creatures were gone.

"That was bull, close quarters and dogs half my size aren't fun to fight," I said exhaling rapidly.

"Why would they attack," said Moly with sadness in her voice ." Were they rabid ?"

"Those weren't dogs ."

Moly looked confused and her eyes searched around the room for a moment, still shocked from the small skirmish.

"Mara ? Are you ok ."

I sat on the bed assessing my bite wound. It looked pretty bad, but then I am not a doctor. Too much blood on my Grey jeans, the wound itself looked deep. The feeling was numbness now around there except for a sting. No. More like cold iron nail pushing in my flesh going for the bone with the speed of an iceberg detaching from Antarctica.

Mara appeared out of nowhere near the dresser. Her expression still a blur to me.

"Those were the monsters. She said panic in her ghastly voice ."

Goddamn creepy, this has totally been more than I wanted from my afternoon, and what I am left with is a creepy ghost and a leg wound from who knows what creature of the night. I need to take care of this wound, hopefully, doesn't require a visit to any hospitals, can't afford to not be moving around the city.

"I need to stop this bleeding and then we need to move out of here ."

"Go ?" Said Moly with a sad expression ." But what about Mara can she come with us ?"

"That's why I am here for. To move her out of here after I get to know her better ."

"Miss Reni pleases don't do this to Mara ."

"All of us have to travel beyond the shadowy horizon humans call Death ."

"Not me," Moly shouted tears streaming down her red cheeks. I am a soulless bastard they said. A freak with a stolen face. Nobody should have to move on anyone's wish. We are here and maybe we are here for a reason, even if I don't know what it is ."

My head was going fuzzy from the blood loss and the adrenaline wearing off. Looking at the small shaggy women before me I couldn't think of too many ways outs. I had a job to do and that job didn't include being nice to ghosts, but maybe I should. I stuck a finger out or so I wanted to and said to the both of them.

"We need to talk of Death some more Moly but later since I don't like courting it. At my place how does that sound ?"

"If Mara comes with us ."

"Sure, carry a ghost over and will have a slumber party ."

I ripped the bed sheets, made a tourniquet. Then attempted to stop the bleeding by wrapping around the wound with as much pressure as I could.

"I am in the room ." Said Mara touching my right shoulder with a cold finger accusatory.

The chill came and went fast, pain surged once again as I tightened the cloth around my wound.

"Let's hope her fetter isn't the dresser or the freezer because I can't move something like that in the state I am in ."

"Fetter? "Asked Moly .

I gestured to Mara to make point of her situation.

"A fetter is something the," I cleared my thoughts and try to play it cool " Mara here was fond of, rely fond of upon; when she was with more flesh on her person. Some object that she holds close to her hearth. Because it was from a loved one or she made it for such a person. We are also boned if it's the house ."

"You are very pessimistic tonight Miss Reni ."

"It's the late hour and the fact that my bones are freezing ."

"Oh, will find this fetter and then have that slumber party ."

I smiled sheepishly and got to my feet. The pain was on and off and on again. I had to move, the interrogation wasn't gonna be done here and the wound needed cleansing. Should call an ambulance? Nah crazy talk that would mean sitting still and waiting for a bit longer than I am comfortable. Plus I wasn't gonna die from a bite, right?

"What is the first room you remember waking up in ?"

"I wake up ..." Mara hesitated distress in her face.

"Focus Mara, this is a lot to take in but I promise you can overcome it. Focus."

She flashed anger, eyes going wide, pupils a vibrant blue. Moly stepped near her and pressed a hand on one of hers and the ghost started sobbing without the tears which made this look awkward, it looked like laughter if not for the frown giving away the mood.

"I wanted to retreat somewhere safe .. so I thought of my childhood home. My old room where I used to sit and draw for hours with the sound drowned out. That dresser was made by grandfather ."

I cursed in the back of my mind, gahhh no please, not the dresser. Oh by the old and the new gods don't let that dresser punk me this hard tonight.

"Its where I kept my best clothes and even stashed some very dear things ."

"Any other object or memory? We are playing hot and cold so take a good look around ."

She did drift from the side of the bed to the wall next to the entrance of the room and stood there for a few seconds admiring the two paintings that still hangs there. She then drifted over some junk, nothing caught her eye. In one of the corners stood the remains of a table or a chair. I doubted it would be it and to no surprise, she drifted back to the dresser, she stared for a good minute, lost in thoughts, memories from when she was living. I imagine she would cry if she could give water or maybe she was crying I just wasn't that attentive.

I and Moly waited for her to come back in this reality knowing her pain, well more like guessing it, and the object she felt most attached to.

"This is where I would hide when they ..."

"It's ok Mara. I said inching closer to the friendly ghost. We can now get out of here ."

"I don't want to forget. "She whispered.

"You won't have to," I answered her softly. "But how do we get this dresser with us I don't feel that much power in my arms ."

Moly stepped up to the dresser huffed for a second then lifted the thing in her arms clear above the head. The dresser was a finger or two away from scratching the ceiling even though Moly is a short person.

I didn't question her strength, just said a few words to the now friendly ghost.

"Mara you might want to hop in it, just to be safe ."

She nodded in response and jumped through the air and into the dresser, disappearing whole. I stepped in the dark hallway and with much dread we made our way to my place.
Chapter 6

"Ghosts disappear during the day?"

"Yes, Moly. The sun isn't fond of lingers by."

said to the small women wearing my bathrobe and sitting at my table enjoying her toasted bread with butter.

She took her first shower in a month last night after we sneaked a haunted dresser into my home.

"Where do they go?"

I hesitated for a minute as I poured myself a cup of hot coffee. It was a question I didn't pose to myself ever. I have heard guesses.

"In the shadow realm or limbo, I guess?"

"Shadow? Like my shadow?" She stared at the shadow the light was making on the table.

"No. The spiritual shadow of the earth. I have thought the earth has a physical body and a spirit, between those two, is the shadow realm. A lot of bad spirits and confused ghosts still linger there after the sun rises. "

"So she isn't here, she is in the shadows?"

"She hasn't moved, something ties her to the memories of that dresser. She is holding on to that shadow the dresser provides."

"But it's not in the physical shadow of the dresser since I checked the dresser." She gave me a doubtful look.

"You know the phrase to live in someone's shadow?"

"No."

"Right, well you don't stand in his shadow left by the sun. But in the presence or memories of his deeds. In this case, her grandfather along with her imparted that dresser with a feeling of safety and love. Those emotions are still there for the right people to hang on to."

"She will be here, at sundown?"

"Yes, as long as the dresser stays here."

"Could I have more bread," she said shuffling in the chair and staring sideways at the cup of coffee.

"Your coffee ok?"

"Huh? Yes, it's sweet."

"I need you to stay with the dresser on guard."

"Is she ok in the shadow realm?"

She huffed over the fact she couldn't speak with her new-found friend during the day. Overly concerned, she couldn't sit still because of it.

I didn't have many answers, just a bunch of conjecture from my mother's teachings of the supernatural.

"She is still here, ghosts like her, poltergeists are one foot in the physical world the other in the shadow. She is resting."

"Thanks for the help, Miss Reni."

"Do you know her?" I asked as I put more toast in her plate.

"I don't." The answer was brief and plain just as the women in front of me.

"It sounded last night like you knew her, but if you don't then why were you there?"

"Garby said he got spooked by something in that house while he was working there. He spilled it to me over a bonfire watch."

"And you decided to go play ghost whisperer?"

"I don't know what that means."

"You went to a known haunted house to talk to a ghost ."

"Yes, Garby was really upset ."

"How did you calm her down ?"

"Calm who ?" Moly asked wide eyes unblinking.

"Mara ." I made a frustrated gesture and moved on ." How did you have a talk with her without her making things fly ."

"Wow, that sounds cool ." She said around a mouthful of bread ." She can make things fly? Can shy make me fly ?"

"Yes she can, and it's not that cool when it's flying at your head. "

"Ohh ."

"So what's the story ?"

"I got there hours before you came and it was all quiet, nothing moved even the wind didn't make sounds in the house, I thought I would go to Garby and give him bad news. That he might be crazy ."

She paused to lick her fingers and try the coffee one last time. She decided she doesn't like it with sugar or that's what her gesture was saying, cut down on the sugar.

"The last place I checked before was that dresser. I found her in their head on her knees. I just extended a hand and she took it. Don't know how long it was before you came to miss Reni ."

"Did she tell you how long ago she came home ?"

"Didn't ask ."

I wasn't surprised by her response, Moly wasn't there for detective reasons, I was. I cleaned the table of dishes and smiling I went over what my plans for today where.

Of course, it involved a lot of walking and some phone calls. First would be some clothes for Moly . The small woman was a bit wild, not at the party all night long kind of wild, more like a forgotten animal or perhaps she took a vow not to bathe too often.

The second and third thing on my tray was a couple of phone calls and information dumps.

"Go to my bedroom and try on the shirts and a pair of pants ."

"Isn't my dress ready ?"

"No, now get going ."

She looked sad and I hoped I wasn't coming off as harsh. She was being like a small child in how she talked and saw things, and was too attached to that damn white dress. It took me many hours of explaining and reassuring before I got that thing in the washing can. She is gonna be feeling better when that thing gets its white back.

"It will be on you by tomorrow, don't worry about it ."

"You are my hero miss Reni ."

She hugged me all sobbing and in that fluffy bathrobe. She hung on for a moment too long making me feel awkward.

"I am glad to be of help, but I am not a hero ."

"This was the third time this month you were there to help me out. Punch the bad guys in the face ."

"I am flattered and I will be there any time you need help if I can. But I wouldn't call that a hero. Friend, more like it."

She tightened the grip of the hug. I was losing my breath, sheesh she has force in those puny arms. I did hug her back. I am not without a heart.

She went to get into what I had picked up from my own closet, some sturdy clothes of last year's fashion; while I picked up the smartphone and dialed up Marcus. A couple of seconds later a rough voice came over on the other end.

"Good morning. What news do you have ?"

"Good morning Marcus. I rescued a ghost who says she was in a cemetery when she got attacked by monsters then fled. And I have the code name plus description of one of the witches from some occult shop ."

"Wait for what? You rescued a ghost. How does that work ?"

"Had somebody move the fetter from the haunted house to mine. We were also attacked by vanishing dogs."

"Spirits? How large, shape, anything else stands out about them ."

"Tall up to my bellybutton, scrawny and missing lots of fur, like they were sick. Also, they vanished under a green flash ."

"Could the ghost be one of the victims? Or what she is saying is just a coincidence ."

I considered it for a moment, I didn't actually get to ask Mara all that many questions before we got interrupted, and even then ghosts aren't known for their sanity or social skills.

"Her story might be connected to the witches but she can't be one of them since the haunting she had been haunting that place for weeks at the least ."

"This is my last official day on the dossier ."

"Shouldn't you be the boss of that place ?"

"Because I am so close to retirement ?"

"Actually, yes and no. you are old ." I said slowly and as carefully as tiptoeing around hot pokers. "You are passionate in the rest of what you do. so I thought it was strange you are ... "

"You have no idea how and what I do here. the hint is in the bond between us ."

Moly scrambled in on my conversation waving her hands as far as they could go, with atomic propelled energy. The thought process split in two and leaked on a third string . on the second string i was scanning my guest for what could be her emergency to which I responded with :

"Woof woof ."

There was nothing observably wrong with Moly. hmmm apart from the fact that it was her, let me with a bit of question. but I waited for her to narrow down the mass of inquiry to some point.

"I am here. I came as fast as I could !" she said in one breath.

"What happened ?" I asked her with full knowledge that boss Marcus was on standby and was hearing every word thanks to his werewolf blood enhanced ears.

"You started talking ."

"Yes. I am on the phone ." I said slowly as her gaze floated gently towards my groin ." up here ." I shook the smartphone like I was trying to get the attention of a cat.

"You can sit with your face ?" she said as her face widen from the implosion of some knowledge bombs. the new exciting possibilities were strewn across her face. it all came and went in a crescendo of miraculous actions and consequences.

"It's occupying my time. That's why you can say: you are sitting on a thing ."

"Ohh. It's metaphysical what's it calls it."

"Yes. A figure of speech."

" hmmmmm . Flowery speech that has no smells, " she said puffing her cheeks.

"I need to take this call . can you finish buttoning up ?"

She was done buttoning up before I even closed my mouth on the question mark. she took her seat from earlier in the morning and held a face of a stray cat looking at supermarket foods.

"I think I understand," said Moly.

"That wasn't the ghost was it ?" asked Marcus.

"I have two guests. Moly hauled the hardwood closet up to my place last night ."

She perked up at the mention of her name and then beamed with pride at the last portion of my sentence. I expected her to put at any moment now.

"Got the answer to my hint ?"

"Ohhh.Yes ."

I had it, in essence, he wanted to be on the scene of the crime, not into the office scribbling notes or in traffic control. he was overseeing the whole city of Dresden by the trail of blood the mad ones left in their wake. In between them, he would find those of supernatural nature.

"How many supernatural people have you busted ?"

"Supernatural ?" he asked with a spiteful accent on the super.

"Would you call them unnatural ?"

" Would I call us unnatural? there is no good word, so I tend to use whatever seems fine for any given individual case . We are too diverse a group for such a word I gather," said Marcus.

"Ghost for ghosts, zombies for anything that is dead and still moving; then werewolf for things with sharp claws and long in the tooth."

"I don't have to record that on paper, so it all is a just amorphous blob that I chisel into a proper tag with evidence ."

Said Marcus with no drop of sarcasm or the whiff of some joke in his voice. Could have been the whole electronic waves bouncing off the satellites and big dishes that could not preserve the complexity of human speech . or he was being genuine in his speech.

"Did he say how many ?" asked Moly. her demeanor that of a small yappy dog listening to hear who was a good dog . and the number better be high or she might pop into a lot of light air.

"One hundred thirty-two." said Marcus ." heh ."

I repeated the number for Moly's benefit and smiled at her mind blown expression. As she finally wrapped her head around how many faces that might by belonging to some angry and hairy people. a thought was forming there, coalescing from some ethereal places of reality and pinched at the surface of the brain.

"Are you a crime fighter ?" she finally asked.

"He's a cop." me and Marcus said on the same breath.

"That's what a cop does though. " Moly disagreed.

"They enforce the law, catching those that break it "

"Don't complicate it, Reni. Just say, yes " I heard Marcus said in my ear.

"He says, he is fighting crime."

"What does he do with the criminals ?"

A good question as far as I thought how does the Dresden pack handle violent trespassers.

"It's a mess. the whole thing," he whispered into the speakers.

"I don't think he'll talk about it," I said in some part to both of them. I had a hunch that Marcus dealt with treats without mercy.

"Maybe I should have a word with this ghost in the evening," he told me.

"Until then I was thinking of visiting the Dresden university ."

"The private eye ?"

"Yes, the dreamy private eye ."

"I didn't need to know that detail ." Marcus protested.

"It's not a date, my honey bear is in England with his family ."

"Hey. I don't judge, your personal time is yours to do with ."

"Got it boss; will see you sometime after six ."

"Listen I have looked into missing persons and got 13 girls fitting the age range reported missing within the last seven days. And two off the dead girls, I might have names for them ."

"Ok, text them to me and will see what we get from the university ."

"If you are lucky maybe you will match at least one from that list. "

"Are you thinking these are runaways ?"

"Young people and power ." He paused for so long that I thought I lost him. "We can't know for sure, but from past experiences, they could be a bunch of society's rejects trying to cause trouble but instead got swallowed by it ."

"Are those wards from personal experience ?"

"Police work, I have run into runaways that slipped into the shady parts of humanity just for a warm place to sleep or a piece of bread. Imagine that and add magic."

"I imagine a witch wouldn't be running away from home since she could solve a lot of problems with that magic ."

"Parents can be fickle and crazy or downright zealous ." his voice was bitter.

"This conversation would be better face to face over a cup of coffee in our hands ."

I heard a chuckle from his end of the line, it was surprising and heartwarming to hear that sound.

"Then will see each other tonight ."

In the meantime Moly jumped from her assigned chair, tighten up the jeans I thought I threw out a month ago and pulled a white wool sweater which she had been holding around the shoulders; it covered her chin with its puffy collar. She bowed in thanks, cheeks red and smiling like a small kid on Christmas day. I smiled in response, she was too adorable not to acknowledge it.

"Let's relax a little in the living room ." This is gonna be a long day after all.
Chapter 7

I arrived at the designated spot, the corner of Louisen and Martin-Luther.

Sam and I agreed to go to the Dresden University of Technology and do what he does to get a real name this time; we have a list of missing people from my boss and an actual detective, so how hard could this be? Of course, I was going to keep that source close to my chest but not the information.

I don't have a fancy car or a motorcycle so I commute and walk a steady pace to where I have to go. Walking gives me time to think and I also like taking in the sites of my childhood city even if it isn't all that different from what I remember it being.

Sam arrived five to ten minutes after me, he was slow. I thought after the first five minutes he wouldn't come at all, out of fear I got into cahoots with the goblin king. That was silly of course. The question of what happened would come up, maybe. If he cares that much.

He pulled in the first parking spot on the corner and the distinct; the sound of the door unlocking came as an invitation.

"Had fun last night?" He said with no hint of joy in his face.

"Smashing fun." I winced at him, he blinked at me confused.

"Let's find a witch," Sam said accelerating the engine.

"You said that before, and I didn't question it."

"But?"

"But, I thought you were speaking of young girls playing with knick-knacks."

"In a cemetery at night?"

"Youth," I shrugged. "You do all kinds of crazy shit in college with your friends."

"The shop, the red book. You paid attention right?"

"Invisible ink?" I shrugged again.

He sighed in a hasty manner like he had done this dance before. He gave me a look of frustration and loathing, I might have gone too far this time. Shouldn't be so contrarian and aloof.

"What is this talk about?" I asked still miffed.

I didn't respond as much as he grabbed the wheel even in tighter. He was holding himself back? some idea he thought it made him look crazy? Or was it something to do with me? he didn't want me to see him as crazy. His old friend with which he shared so many moons, now grown up and a bit more than a stranger.

He had not changed in that aspect. he was always hesitant with his words until the first one's got a hold in our minds then the downpour of bad ideas and deeds spawned from them commenced and it wouldn't be an end to the curses we got if the sun wouldn't have set.

"You are gonna have to spell it out for me."

"Ever had something you couldn't explain happen or that you usually have a hand and attribute it to the wind?"

"The white thing at the edge of your vision is usually just vibration within the yey ."

"It is a safe explanation .. but the soul knows. It knows it was something new and impossible, or that's what we tell our self ."

"A paradox. You can't know something you never saw before, something new, " I said with a bit of disbelief seeping through. Can't help but sound flabbergasted.

"Not at all. " He said shrugging, relaxing his posture in lowering the cheap leather seat. "Since the soul goes back to the beginning of creation ."

"Have you found solace in Christianity ?"

He didn't answer for a long awkward stretch of road . not even a twitch of emotion. I could swear he stopped breathing from the stiffness he presented.

"It was a question sam . Just a question."

He rubbed at the nonexistent stubble of his cheeks and grunted over what I can only imagine was a couple foul words or snarky remarks. Did not manage more than some low growls and a dozen false starts.

"You have been walking in your sleep "

"You can say it for what it is ." I said with an as little bite in my tone as I could filter ." I am ignorant ."

"We are all stumbling in the dark." Sam let slip through thin pursed lips ." Those girls were witches and what killed them is something lost to human memory ."

"What are you basing all this on ?"

"History ."

"Personal history ?"

"Alongside that which are mine, I have the corroboration of multiple people in the city. "

"Aha," I said tentatively. I sure knew about the supernatural world, but how much more does he know than me and how much would he show me of his wisdom.

"I can't blow your mind be saying that supernatural is present and real, not if you're that skeptical. Have you ever ran into something you couldn't explain to yourself ?"

"Life is full of surprises, I guess. But is the girls being witches important to this investigation ?"

"Yes. They were there on the hollow ground to interact or call up one of the dead. And died because of it. What else is a witch to do in a cemetery ?"

"What do you know about witches ?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

He shook himself once, turned the wheel to make the turn on Bautzner street and spoke in a somber tone.

"What I have to say about them isn't nice. What I know of them is that there is power in the World. Some individuals whether by accident or intent get a hold of that power in a very mortal way ."

"You mean, monkey with a shotgun ?"

He snorted, a small smile flashed across his weathered face.

"No. More like Mr. Smith with a blank check, on that check, he can write anything his small life experience desires ."

"Like I want a car ..."

"And they get that car by killing the owner. And when I say kill, this usually involves pyrotechnics and lightning, rivers of blood, screams and more blood. "

"And in our young misunderstood lady's case? "

He was silent with a grim look on his face, it betrayed him. He was afraid of something. No, someone. What does he know? The killer?

"The supernatural landscape is a deadly dance between some scary people. These teenagers were just peons for the wrong side in this case. "

"Are you working for one of these figures ?"

"Did you say no ?"

"I didn't say yes ." I caught myself saying it firmly like planting a flag in good soil. Like I made a decision that would last eternal, be it good or bad.

Sam nodded like a buffoon. A clown trying not to hurt the little girls feeling on her questionable life choices.

"Remember our last years together? The trouble my family had, dad, dying ?"

I nodded an affirmative nod. I didn't need to remember. His dad was a dick, major world-class dick. He didn't shed a tear for him, nobody did.

"I have spent the last four years playing spy for one of these figures ." he finished his somber thought.

"Have you bumped into any witches in all this time ?"

"Yes ." He said ." They don't sit still and from what I got out of my investigative skills is that they hide their identities through magic binding vows ."

"Sure, like any other supernatural ?"

"Yes, the dark ages haven't been nice to them and the age of reason shrunk their power over the mundane man even more. On top of that, the boom in population has them outnumbered and scared ."

"Afraid of what ?"

"Of the numbers. A million ants can take down that kid with the magnifying glass if they know he's there. Size doesn't matter just the dance of shadows ."

"That's what he said," I said grinning from ear to ear.

Sam shook his head many times, miffed that he fell for it or maybe in disbelief that I went for it. Of course, I went for it, I hoped for a better reaction from him but didn't loosen up the grin even after the disproving shaking.

"Long time ago people were awed by magic and feared the forests along with the mystical folk that lived in them. That changed with coming of the light, the supernatural folk interacted less and even started policing such interactions with the mundanes in their own societies."

"Hold the phone, but I feel a conspiracy coming ."

He faced me, anger in his eyes or just heavy disappointment, he slowed the car down.

"It's odd how much humanity has been shaving of the forests, sleeping with the lights on and building up to the skies ."

"Impressive what automation has done ."

"Yes. you see, this attitude is what's winning humans, the war ."

"But ?" I added very curiously of his thought.

The car turned another corner down a boulevard, the trees tried to hide the sun but they were dead for the winter so it made fingers in the windows clutching at air, thousandth fingers one by one letting go in futility.

"They are ignorant of the desperation they've caused in the supernatural world ."

"I know most are dangerous but what could any of them do against it ?"

"They will do all, to not fade into oblivion ."

"What are you afraid of," I said as the car slowed the pace even more through the streets of Dresden.

"I am afraid they will make a great stink just to be known again ."

"You mean great DOOM ?" I held the last word for longer then anyone would be comfortable with.

"Yes. The old powers aren't just gonna lay down and die ."

"Can they even die ?"

"To be honest, I don't know. Of course, they can lose more power ."

"Did you say yes ?"

My question caught him by surprise and just nodded grimly. I and Sam barely made any eye contact after that. We ended the trip in awkward silence.
Chapter 8

The sun was on its way down to meet the horizon when we reached the Dresden University of Technology.

One of the oldest universities in Germany. Grand, old and well-kept buildings, pleasant to the eye, somewhat warm feeling when in their presence.

The activity was on the low, that is to say, we saw a lonely figure get across the ground to what I presumed was the parking lot; on his last moments here before the holidays.

It was big and imposing on the inside, with large open spaces, great pillars holding up the second floor.

A staircase of granite was going up to the second floor . The windows let in a lot of light and was heated in here , as soon as we stepped in I felt the need to shed the scarf and unbutton a bit . Pleasant all around was the feeling , but also emptiness and silence . It had to be the last day at the office for people at university .

Sam lead the way through the labyrinthine hallways of the University, purpose in his step, clear destination and a haste most certainly because of the late hour we came here.

We stopped in front of a door filled with signs, titles, schedules, promotional material. He slid inside. I didn't feel the need to crowd the room which didn't seem welcoming even if it was probably functional and all that.

Christmas was around the corner so it was a long shot that we would find anything of value here. Sam came out with a look of focus thus I knew that this trip wasn't lost yet.

Without a word, he took the lead again heading deeper in the maze of closed classrooms and 90 degrees angles, small corridors.

"Maximilian Pachalis is the one I will talk to." said Sam more in a whisper just for my ears.

"Hopefully the names I managed to pull from the missing persons will give us more to follow up on," I said.

"Also, Paschalis is a wizard or at the least a magic dabbler ."

"What's the difference ?"

"As a fact, it's the amount of power and how they wild it that makes the two types different. For us what matters is that he might know more about the girls then just names ."

"Didn't you say witches are secretive? Why would he share anything besides the existence of any of the girls ?"

"Wizards and witches have kept together out of necessity and in most cases, you can't get a whisper on any through conventional means, but just because he and Slayer might use magic that doesn't make them under the same roof ."

"You mean not in the same cult ?"

"Hah, anyone can get into a cult. The covens of silence, on the other hand, are a secretive society of magic users that are sworn to keep each other under society's skin. I know they exist because of incidents like Salem ."

"Should keep my fingers crossed then ?"

"He might come off standoffish because of the past, but not trying is a bigger mistake ."

Sam knocked three times then three times more and entered through the massive double doors.

Head master's office is spacious on account of the light I presumed. As we entered the room the smell of cinnamon drowned all other senses. On the left wall big wooden shelves holding all manner of books and a couple of porcelain figures, straight ahead a glass casing display holding trinkets and or trophies, they are one and the same, right? Next, to it a small glass table holding refreshments and bawl with fruit.

Five meters to the right of the door sat a lavish wooden desk belonging to the headmaster in front of it two chairs, behind it a better-looking one, something made for a previous era.

An old man with eyes that have seen the world and more, a round face with angular features on it. His hair was cut short, all gray and aging lines that cut deep in that worn skin of his. He wore a black suit. A tie with purple dots around the thin neck.

He was in conversation with a small man sitting on the chair to the far right of the desk. The expression on the headmaster's face said annoyance, Maximilian glanced for a moment at Sam and me, a sign of recognition in his eyes but returned to his staring match with the small silhouette sitting across from him, holding his hands almost as if praying.

"That's why I went to Harlem ." Said Maximilian accentuating the H harshly.

"Do I sense the disappointment in your voice or maybe its realization that you had it ?"

Maximilian cringed, his veins tensed up on his forehead despite his apparent effort not to be upset. He turned his attention on us, waiting for Sam to speak his mind.

"Samuel Ohara, private eye. This is my partner Reni Eswer. We are looking into a missing person case ."

Maximilian made a gesture to the left chair, his expression calmed a bit.

"Yes, and what can the Dresden University of Technology do that their family's cant ?"

"We are looking for many of these girls, one, in particular, we don't have a name just a description and a hunch that she might be an exchange student ."

"It's a great shame what happened to those girls ." Purred the small man to our right.

Now that I was closer to him I realized this was Knox Wasmar , he had a look of genuine grief although I doubted his sincerity.

"It's sad news but nothing new to life ." Said, Maximilian.

"True but I find that attitude gets in the way of the flux ."

"That's why you get high cos you don't know when you gonna die ." Blurted out Sam half paying attention to his own mouth.

I was behind his chair and feeling a bit awkward since I didn't know how serious he was. Knox chuckled.

"How is the lady ?" said Knox and I had the feeling he wasn't referring to me.

"Didn't ask ." Answered Sam, his tone aggravated.

"I thought you two were close, considering for how long you to have been working together ."

"I don't need more rope to hang myself with ."

Knox laughed a belly laugh, Maximilian rolled his eyes at the intruders in his office not having any words of substance for him.

"She does love to dance," exclaimed Knox with a sweet tone as if he was talking of a loved one. "You should try and have fun especially when you are so doomed ."

"As enlightening as this discussion is," interjected Maximilian "what can I help you with, detective? Specifically ?"

"We need you to verify if any of the persons on this list could be a student at this university. then we need the names of friends, her clicks, her colleagues, her passions ."

Maximilian picked up his phone and dialed a number, he was trying not to make eye contact with any of us but still keep us in his vision. He was trying to get off easy by cooperating, smart man.

After a microsecond, someone picked up, from where I stood it sounded like a woman in her thirties.

"Get me the file of Irina Volch ... yes with the blue notes too ."

He put down the phone after he got the affirmative from the pencil pusher.

It was warm in that spacious office, the windows were at fault. What sunlight was this evening it was magnified in potency by those large windows?

"Have you known her," I asked trying to break the ice.

"No ." He said still not looking into our eyes.

"Have you had trouble from the students? Ohh like, occult rituals ?"

Dagger stare from Maximilian as he looked for a response other than curses and threats. I smiled like a fool.

"Most students are barely adults, so you can imagine the problems they cause ."

"Yes, all those white nights ."

"Those buzz trips were great fun ." added Knox longing in his voice," I need some of that in my life right now ."

Knock knock came the door sound across the room cutting our little musings short; a sharply dressed woman in her thirties stepped up to the desk clutching a dossier. Her smell was strong, I mean the perfume she chose was like a coat of paint on her, jees. Somebody needs attention or has something to hide.

She smiled at us as a common courtesy then handed Maximilian the dossier, she bowed a little closer to the desk making eye contact with Max.

"Did you know Irina ?" Asked Sam of the woman.

She looked confused from Maximilian to Sam.

"I think I have seen her here at the front office. Can't be sure but I think she did look for forms and other paperwork ."

"Any faces that stood out around her? "Continued Sam.

"Yes, this blonde goth was with her every time she came by my office ."

"Just a friend or a colleague too ?"

"Take a look over the student list, see if you can remember anything ." Said, Maximilian .

The women moved around the desk gingerly and tipped on the laptop there for a few awkward moments, then looked contemplatively at the screen for at least that much.

"I think, this is her ." she pointed a delicate finger at the screen ." Lina Verstag ."

"She is from Kristianstand , Sweden , second-year electronics. She isn't living in the community hostel ." Said, Maximilian .

"Does she have relatives in Dresden ?" I butted in.

"I don't have that information ."

"Did she have problems at classes or with the professors? Other details would be appreciated ."

"From what we have here, she is a great student with near to perfect scores and does theater acting ."

"Anyone else in these two's circle of friends that you might know of ?"

Both Maximilian and the pencil pusher scrounged up their noses and searched their brains for any faces they might relate with the two we found already, I think their search was coming on empty because they were taking their time.

"You haven't called but I have gotten word that my little problem has been taken care off ."

"Uhu," I responded of hand, my mind was on a few paces ahead on the day.

"I have also been informed that you had gotten paid as per my first suggestion ."

"I haven't phoned yet because it was last minute thing and kinda slipped my mind ."

"That's why it has been a real question. We separated you giving letting me know the payment and yet I was informed you changed your mind ."

"What ?"

All other three people in the room were trying not to stare, but I swear their ears were pointed towards the goblin king and me.

"I didn't check with you. So how could have I been paid ?"

"Was it not payment; you taking that solid oak dresser ?"

A wolf cried out at the moon somewhere in my mindscape a vow of vengeance a promise of spilled blood. A bone crunch like sound singed painfully in my right ear and I tilted my head slightly as the realization of the massive fuck up I helped to fall into.

If I didn't accept it as payment would he scream out loud that I was a robber ? after all he gave me free reign to the house for one night. And I went back on my word, unintentional for sure. but to his eyes, it would most likely not matter.

I have not exorcized the ghost because of my fan Moly. I can't trade it back right now.

"That dresser is the problem ." I said, with plenty of passion and scorn aimed at that dresser ."I will have it solved by the end of the year."

The little man wrinkled a questioning eyebrow. He did not draw one single expression on that frog-like face . his eyes were searching for something in mine.

As a werewolf, I am not gonna back down; unless the creature is having a staring contest has a will to make me back down.

Haven't needed to be stared down by Marcus, on the account of me being polite and a bit curious about life in such a social structure. And till now only my Mother, a bear, my fiance on our first contact and miss Rosa, my English teacher; had me beat at willpower.

Hi blinked ending our staring match then faced away from me. Hands coming together like that of a psychiatrist ready to cook up your thoughts into something digestible.

"You think this is a serious one. Then I must defer to that wisdom. Let me know when there is a break throw ." Knox said calm, detached.

"The house might be safe to live in right now. most likely ."

"That is reassuring to hear. the wheels of capitalism can't be stopped ."

Maximilian relaxed his facial features but didn't say a word after a while, sign that he gave up on the task, the woman just shook her head. He tilted his head sizing up the room and the intruders, probably counting the time until we would extend the courtesy of leaving his old smug ass.

"You might need to ask Bianca, their physics teacher, any further inquiries ."

"She is in, I am guessing ?" Asked Sam

"You are in luck, she is in the middle of an experiment. If she isn't in the lab checking up on it she might be in her office catching a nap ."

Sam got up, mark that we had everything we could get from this man, which was Irina's home address and a new name to an old face.

"Merry Christmas," said Sam turning to me. He let out a sigh of relief and then we started walking on our merry way.

We stepped out into the blue hallways, the secretary leading the way. Sun was on its lowest point before it would disappear under the horizon. The scarlet light touched the windows on our left, it was disorienting and seemed to give off more warmth, maybe it was just in my head. The classrooms were still looked, still empty and silent, unnerving. My experience with such a building is a lot of running, a lot of faces all busy with school or skipping it, this was something new and somewhat sad.

I texted Marcus with the name we got and from whom, then asked to find where she slept at nights. The exit of the building was in sight, the hallway leads into a larger area double the size of the one we were in, they made an L shape as they melded into each other.

From a few feet behind us, a door on the right flew open with a big bang. A young woman dressed for the winter, fluffy white hat and leather jacket with more synthetic fur; rotated towards us and broke into a sprint.

"Stop and I will not get the police involved ." Shouted a voice beyond the door.

Out of confusion and lacking any information I chose to catch her now and ask the questions later. So I swigged my left hand towards her as fast as I could and any other day that would be fast as lightning right?

But to my surprise, the hand grabbed air as the girl went past me. Sam stepped in the middle of the hallway hands outstretched leaving little room to maneuver around him, and again she was air. One moment Sam had her the next she was passed him and started in an all-out run. I recoiled from the awe I felt in my guts, I just couldn't believe my eyes or thrust my fingers, all I felt when she passed me was air. I shook my disbelief of and picked up the pace, this scrawny kid isn't gonna fool me and then run away. Barely started my run as a big figure out passed me, he looked like a bodybuilder from behind, massive with broad shoulders and strong movement; heavy thuds. His muscles were bulging under the gray uniform of a security guard. I and Sam were left behind by the guard, he was on a mission of great importance.

The security guy was on her heels as I turned the corner into the larger hallway, his right hand outstretched almost touching the girl. The hand burst into flames, then that flame jumped up to his arms dancing in the crimson light, it engulfed his right side of the head. The flame danced down in the blink of an eye; then even more down until it was all over making him look like a wicker man.

Despite what just happened the guard continued his pursuit wavering but a step or two.

We were coming up on some stairs, the girl jumped them all landing in a roll and continued her run as a professional acrobat. The flaming man did the same, to my surprise he did land alright. Well not with a roll so he did slow his movement, then accelerated like a madman. The distance between the two was getting bigger. As for me and Sam, we decided to do the safer thing and go down the stairs fast pace. The girl flung the exit door open then turned the handle in hand, she was trying to stall or maybe she could lock it?

Flame man braced himself for impact as he builds up more speed to bash down the door. Seconds after she left the door, the flaming guy broke the door outwards with his shoulder, the wood splintered and cracked with a scream and went flying from the force.

I was jaw open as the guard picked up speed again as if he wasn't on fire or he didn't punch through a solid wooden door. On the outside the girl jumped down one more set of stairs, these ones seemed fewer because she didn't vanish from view. She was running as fast as her twig legs could carry her over the University grounds. She seemed to be heading towards the street. I managed to pass the broken door myself feet eating the ground, I jumped the stairs this time and landed an arm's length ahead of the flaming guard who had slowed his pace to a halt, he started his nap face down in the snow. I was getting into a rage, the street was in front, the problem girl jumped a motorcycle and was about to start its engine. As it roared to life I leaped the last meters at her ready to slap her silly for all this excitement. I landed on the street's hard and cold cement, no girl in hand. I turned on a side with the right hand shielding my eyes, her back lights were shrinking away.

A car pulled dangerously near in the middle of the street.

"Get in now !" Shouted Sam.

I did, as fast as I could and Sam revved up his Volkswagen.

"A witch ."

"Yes ."

"Our witch ?"

"Not blonde, but could be an accomplice ."

"I should call an ambulance for that tough guy ."

"Don't bother. "

"What ?"

"It was a feint , an illusion ."

I looked at Sam a bit lost at the lack of carrying and waited for him to explain it more.

"As you went past him did you feel the heat, smelled the smoke ?"

"Right, illusion, not there ."

"That's how she got past us, she wasn't where we saw her ."

"Then is that real or just another illusion? I said pointing at the speeding motorcycle in front of us ."

"I have no doubts that aren't real but she can't be too far or nothing would be there ."

"We can't rely on sight ?"

"What do we do to stop her? On the road? "

We passed a red light on not so dense intersection and I started thinking of Marcus and how he would react if we got caught speeding through the streets of Dresden. I should call him? Say we are on the heels of one witch that might have been at the cemetery killings, high probability.

"I didn't think of it ."

"We can't run her off-road ."

"We'll have to bluff ." He said tightening the grip on the wheel.

The girl took a sharp ninety degrees turn on to Archerman street going north heading towards the great garden and possible the river. Sam turned the car slowly on the Archeman street, the traffic wasn't that bad at this time of day but I suspected it would get denser as we went north. Both of us and the motorcycle were going above the limit and somewhat erratic. The motorcycle had the advantage of lesser surface and probably the speed or maybe Sam was going easy still considering his option for his next action.

"I am gonna keep on her up till we get to the train overpass ..."

"This road isn't that cluttered with buildings or alleyways for sneaky shenanigans ."

"I can try and make it ..."

"Just bump her rear ." I caught myself saying.

"You are crazy, Reni. Fucking crazy. We don't know if she's projecting an illusion or not ."

"I bet on a big fat yes ."

"Damn, why do I listen to you, always ."

"My positive raw charm. Now hit that bottom ."

Sam revved up the motor, narrowed his eyes and we braced for impact. The first try was an awkward and anticlimactic push which seemed to swallow the motorcycle without any sort of physical feedback, no noise or sparks.

Sam pushed it ahead the illusion disappeared as it entered the hood of our car. The small Volkswagen did a right and a left then a right again nothing was on the road, it was baffling. We pressed forward silent in our disbelief.

The car past under the train railways pass, we got bumped ourselves. I looked on our rear and saw an SUV filled with laughing glazed eyes shitlords who engaged with us in some road rage.

Bang, one more bump this one harder made my stomach drop and my blood rush to my head.

"Abandon the main road ." I panicked.

"Over the bridge, I need to get on to some side alleys ."

The SUV passed on our right and bumped into our small Volkswagen, Sam kept cool and a somewhat good balance of the car. The passengers of the SUV were looking crazy out of their minds, the back passenger rolled down the window, snarled his broken teeth at us like a rabid dog out on a joy ride.

Screech went the metal of the Volkswagen, we veered a bit right. The ugly man in the backside pulled himself up the window. Was he gonna leap mid-chase?

Sam pulled on the steering wheel sharply to avoid collision with a regular traveling car on the same band, we barely scraped it passed. The ugly in the rear window leaped, crouched form flying the few centimeters like a crazy stuntman. A big thud on the roof of the Volkswagen let us know the madman made it.

The SUV bumped us again. Bang. We swayed wildly to the left on the other roadway with no immediate incoming traffic. Sam cursed under his breath trying his all to maintain us on the road.

"Tactical break ?"

I screamed at Sam then the world started rolling to the left. Slowly at first, the sound of metal screaming under high pressure. The road disappeared and reappeared in front of my eyes a few times after the windshield came crushing in my face and then the thunder and scratching stopped. Cold seeped into my flesh, into my bones; and then the darkness overtook me.
Chapter 9

I feel somewhat light despite my efforts to open my eyes not producing any results. Some part of me wants to just sit here and enjoy the quiet and peace of this darkness.

I beat that part of me into action. Open. I screamed at my eyes with my internal voice. This is Reni Eswer, the ME of this being commanding you to comply. Open, I screamed again. Something is off and I will not be sitting quietly to find out what, too late. I want to act.

When I do finally open my eyes I can barely see for a couple of seconds.

It's clear I am on the ground, asphalt, by how hard and cold it is. I am on a side, right hand pinned under me. I know all is here but can't feel any of my limbs at first like I am under anesthesia or atrophy. Just like my eyes, all is hard to get going, doing what I am screaming in a panic to do.

I WILL myself up on my knees then wobble on to my feet. My vision clears, adjusting to the surroundings. A fog is in the air making anything past ten meters obscured.

There is a silent hum in the air too, like a bee buzzing before she lands on the colorful flower, it makes my hair take notice.

Damp is the word on my lips and my mind. This isn't a good place to sit idly by, then it hits me. Snow isn't here the road is empty, sure that's expected. The cold that sips into my bones is not here and not the white snow on the grass.

I found one of the missing things but something tells me I lost more. I need to move, look, find it, find out.

Something growled outside my vision, somewhere in the fog. Sounded like a dog sizing up an intruder, letting me know I am not to move into his territory.

More growls came and this time I caught a bunch of green dots, pairs of twos, the same distance as eyes. Peering at me from the edge of the fog.

I still feel sluggish otherwise I wouldn't be afraid. Not that I am more cautious than usual, this isn't gonna be a very fair fight, but it's more about my ability to perform if I would get in one that has my hesitating to do anything. I out of my mind slow like this versus a bunch of hungry dogs, not gonna happen.

Out of the fog comes in a blurry white form of a man, or close to it. It is a head shorter than me, slim and wearing clothes meant for a sunny beach. Short shorts, sandals and a pair of dark tinted glasses.

When I say white, I mean at first he was emanating this blinding white glow like the first days of winter snow.

As he got at arm's length my vision adjusted and I could see he was beaming a smile at me, a bit on the crazy side, said his eyes.

"Careful, bad dogs," I said my voice sounding a bit raspy.

"Hi. Are you feeling OK? Do you know who you are ?"

"I said dogs are nearby. They sound vicious ."

"It's fine they're just posturing ."

"How do you know ?"

"They're shadows ." He smiled broader, looked past me then huffed a breath past my ears. "See !"

I turned and the fog over yonder moved about ten more meters backward revealing a scrawny small dog all black fuzzy fur. I squinted to try and get details better, he seemed to be see-through, a ghost?

"And you ?"

"Not a very good question ."

"It's a legitimate question," I said raising one eyebrow to show my disbelief at his retort.

"Not where the sun doesn't shine ."

I cringed, worst then the first sentence.

"Do you want me to start at the beginning ?"

He nodded.

"Reni Eswer." I said and pressed my right hand forward.

The Shaggy looking young man shrugged, but took my hand and shook it lightly. He was warm and gentle to the touch, smooth skin.

"Where are we ?" I asked.

"Finally asking the right question ."

I shrugged and waited for some actually helpful words. He moved to my left and very close to the ear.

"Welcome to Penumbra ." He threw up his hands in a dramatic gesture. "Or shadowlands. hmm, Limbo? Dreaded place of the dead ."

His goofy face and wide smile attenuated the realization that I crossed over, as people say. I could be dead. I am dead.

"No. Don't make that face. It's ok ." He said

"Am a ghost," I said to no one in particular.

"You aren't a ghost silly. A ghost is a dead person who haunts the living ."

"Do I haunt the dead, then ?"

"You don't look proper scary. yes, you have aggravated some of the denizens of the dead land ." and he pointed at the surrounding shadow with menacing eyes.

"Will I remember this ?"

"How hard were you hit?"

"I don't think I was hit ... I couldn't say what happened a moment ago. the actions of my flesh were like a very recent dream, slowly withering away from my skull.

"I am dead." I said as a statement to no one in particular.

"No, you aren't dead silly ."

I eyed him suspiciously, desperation creeping into my mind, threatening to paralyze and devour me.

He pointed at my chest. I looked right were the breasts parted. There was a dark hole, a circular darkness from which a gleaming black metal chain sprung forward going up to nowhere. I felt sickness getting a hold of my stomach and squeezing it, hard.

"Yes, you see. You aren't dead. Yet ."

I started breathing heavily, can your spirit breathe out here in Penumbra? My chest sure was rising rapidly and collapsing at the same speed, in rhythm with a pounding headache.

His face frowned and he skipped a step on to my right, hand on my shoulder reassuring me under his breath.

"If you can see it then you have a way back ."

"How ?" I whisper still in a state of panic.

"You are on the right path, just by the fact that you know who you are ."

"You are sure of this, how ?"

"You are not the first I have met that needed guidance. Most were down and drab compared to you ."

"Thanks ?"

"These roads lead to everywhere ." He said making a gesture into all of the cardinal directions ." And you are able to go back, that chain is proof ."

"It's heavy ..." I was trying to gain my calm.

"Living often is. And you are on the threshold with a solid foot on the other side ."

"What are you, you are glowing ."

"Only because I am happy ."

He gave me an even wider smile, almost impossibly large. He looked like a clown's makeup come to life.

"Not gonna get much out of you am I ?"

"All in its time. First you need to learn how to walk, second, you will walk to the exit ."

"I think I am ready ."

I was looking forward through the fog which seemed to have retreated ten more meters or so. On the opposite side of the road ahead small buildings lined and followed the road. They looked foreboding and old. No, a bit more than old. Dead trees and stumps here and there. There is no snow, again, clumps of grass withered and limp, the air smells of damp and moss. No, it smelled of stale air, of an enclosed room. forgotten for too long.

"So is it right or left ?" I asked trepidation in my heart.

"You didn't die in water? Sorry I mean fainted ."

It came to me that I don't remember anything from before waking up on the cement. This morning, Moly, clothes too big, ghost talk. Where did I go down?

I squinted and focused on the colors and smells of my memories. Sam, his old Volkswagen. A burning man, no smoke.

"No." I said agitatedly.

"Hmm ... good, then it's going to be shallow ."

"The Styx ?" I wanted to sound knowledgeable.

He laughed loud and heartfelt. Even though he was close to my ear they were spared the pain.

"That's for the dead, you are going for a lake ."

"Let's go, this place is getting more clear but not less pretty ."

He laughed some more with that wide clown smile.

"Just pick a side. It's the intention, not the direction that matters to Penumbra ."

I looked back onto the horizon. The ashen buildings no taller than a floor or two were all the way up to that distant point where the sky meets the road. On the other side of the street, on mine, a big and long fence of rusty iron rings. A forest of dead trees was over that fence, sleeping in its stillness.

There were no more dogs, at the least none that I could see. Where they afraid to be seen?

The slow uphill incline of the horizon is not straight but a slight bend to the left. The road disappears over the hill far away, doesn't turn in behind the low buildings. It doesn't look inviting to me, I guess it shouldn't matter you are supposed to get here dead. I rotated ninety degrees and pointed firmly.

"That way ."

He leaned in closer almost intimately and whispered softly.

"Abzol, do not forget me ."

After I wiped the expression of surprise of my face, we start moving on the road. We got far from the buildings. The road still snaking off into nowhere low into the horizon. Threes everywhere on both sides of the road, no green, they all sleep the eternal sleep, they all look like their made of obsidian. Sharp rocks in groups of four or five clutter the ground from place to place, some surround threes while others make gaps in the forest of black bark. The shadows of the dead trees shelter creatures and sorrowful people that have long forgotten most about themselves.

I walked for what seemed hours. I was feeling pain in my joints, my ghost joints, damn it. I pressed on, brushing it aside as nothing but a roadblock to be smashed. I was gonna get back to breathing and the real pain at the end of this road.

The asphalt ended some minutes behind me. We were weaving through some ravines following the dirt road. The cliff face climbed higher and higher until the mostly empty horizon disappeared. The pathway veered right and left, and became very narrow, closing in around me with each step. This slow change of environment was unnerving, I don't like restraining places like this. So little space to maneuver. My shoulders were almost scraping the sides of this crevasse I got my self in.

I did stop my feet for the first time in what felt like years, looked up squinting into the darkness trying my best to identify the immense thing that was casting this shadow.

"I can't just turn back, can I ?"

I asked, but when no answer or sound came I turned around to find that my traveling buddy disappeared.

I turned to the darkness that befalls the path I followed so blindly so far. Grinding my teeth I stretched a handout and stepped forward slowly.

Was feeling the space in front of me, a foot there, a hand sweeping from side to side watching out for anything that would block my way.

Step one, the ground is solid, step two, the ground is still there, the crevasse didn't widen its grip on me. Step three, step four.

Step one hundred thirty-three can hear dripping, and a shimmering light just a few dozens more steps in front, always in front. The distance is hard to judge but I know this is my path to the lake somewhere very near me.

My path turned to the right and sloped down, I imagined, since the light was hardly anywhere near to helpful; spiraling deeper into the rocky ground. The light flooded my ghost eyes as the tall tunnel broke into a cavern lit by a blue hazy light. The ceiling was two hundred or so meters up there. Giant roots came tangling down along the cavern walls sorta like a cage holding the dirt wall in the curved shape of an empty watermelon. At the bottom, one single ramp ran across a vast expanse of water. Clear blue water, shimmering, distorting slightly the reflection of the cavern, it looked like a hundred snakes coiled in a spiral outwards; like an old depiction of the sun.

I followed the path down along the misshapen wall of the cavern. Got on the natural bridge formed across the water. I took a closer look at the water depths out of curiosity, the same reflection stared back out at me. At the end of the bridge, I had a choice to make. Straight ahead the cavern wall had a doorway framed by yellow bricks. On the left, a root came out of a side cave going down and intersecting with the stone bridge.

I went straight because the yellow brick way felt more inviting. It was yellow bricks all around me in there, ceiling, walls, and floor, all was neatly arranged yellow bricks. It's spacious enough to breathe a sigh of relief.

I exited the featureless tube of yellow on the side of what seemed to be a mountain overlooking a vast black expanse of sparse features. Over in the dark reaches of space was a shining light illuminating what resembled the top of a pyramid. The light was like a beckon staving off the darkness and enticing on those lost souls.

Besides that, a faraway longhouse stood against the bleak surroundings, it looked like an ancient ship got rolled over, sank to the ground and sat there till the body of water dried out around it, and it was the only thing left to announce that any sort of water ever existed in the area. I was taking all this in, atop the stone stairs that only went down, again. The pyramid looked tempting if not for how far away it seemed to be. Then again, It didn't feel like that place was my destination.

I started down the stairs, the walkway was large enough for a half a dozen persons and each step was somewhat big. I felt like a child again with each step. About a hundred stairs down, not that I kept count, I finally saw my first soul in a long while in these dreaded lands. I rushed up to him, he seemed heavy in his step like he was going to the slaughter.

A man in what was his forties, deep laugh lines, big nose, and sunken eyes. He was holding a lantern in one hand, it wasn't lit. He was wearing nice clothes, a black suit, I guess. I didn't see the tie.

"Hello !" I said too cheerful.

He did not respond, not even flinch.

"Do you know where these steps lead ?"

More silence, more walking, blank expression looking in the ground.

"Cheer up, isn't this suppose to be a journey ?"

I said with a shit eating grin on my face. He stopped and finally acknowledged my existence, as he stared into me and I into him. I saw deep sadness and long days filled with longing for release, he fought at first but the days saddled him with more and more to carry besides his disease and he screamed out then and now for an end.

He lashed out at me with his free hand, his face was locked in a triangular snarl.

I broke away from that eye contact, backed two steps away, more like stumbling than dexterous ballerina footwork. Didn't have time to react as his hand came crashing into my gut and through me. Sharp pain somewhere in my mind almost paralyzed me.

My instincts kicked in and I jerked his hand from within my gut and then I hurled my right foot at his legs, in an attempt to trip this guy out.

He shrieked; if I wasn't a ghost I presume my ears wouldn't be working after that loud screech. I felt it weaken my knees, lost momentum and fell instead. Rotated my body down the stairs, pressed my hands hard on them to get up as fast as possible.

As I got on my feet I saw him lunge at me. His mouth elongated, jaw was past what a man in the flesh could be possible of achieving. His hands were white and the fingers ended in bony white claws.

I ducked under his claw swing and then pushed my fist up with all the force I could gather in a short span of time. Contact. Mister claws went backward a few feet on his back, his lantern rolled down the stairs out of view with a loud metallic clatter.

"Cool it. I asked nicely ." I shouted preparing myself for the second round.

He stood up slowly and silently, eyes wide with terror or madness. His mouth grimaced in a giant smile something that resembled a clown choking on a balloon. He let out what I thought was a laugh but sounded more like a dog's squeal. He rushed me, the crazy bug-eyed man, went claws first but I was ready for it this time. I sidestepped, brushing his body aside and rotating along trying to keep him in my view.

"Calm down or I will throw you down this cliff face," I said it loudly.

He screamed from the top of his lungs like a wounded animal's dying cry. He turned and swiped at the air in front of me in the space of a second. I did have to move but instead, I braced myself for the incoming barrage of swings. He flailed wildly taking a step forward with witch swing. I stepped back at the same pace with his blind swings. Another screech was heard from below me, then another and one more after that, more or less from the same distance.

I considered running but my opponent didn't seem that slow. Then there is the drop. Would my words be true and solve my problems or would he be fine since this is ghost land after all? Can a ghost be killed?

On the off chance he didn't bite it as he hit the bottom at the worst I would just be gaining some time, best case he would lose me because of the distance. Can a ghost be killed on the land of the dead?

Maybe I should jump. I mean, it is where I wanted to go anyways, that big ancient longhouse. Going back isn't gonna help me. My mindset on a course of actions. I pressed the attack my right hand went for his face, second blow with the left went for the ribs. We moved closer to the edge with each punch. My anger was rising. I was hitting him harder and harder imagining him the root of all my troubles, the wall that I will break, not climb.

He was flailing from time to time trying to regain ground but I was coming at him in a tornado of savagery. I was darting under his panicked swings and pushed him over the edge with one last punch in his ear. He felt solid under the blows of my clenched fists, as I rely dead? Correction not dead , but in the land of the dead. Was gravity gonna work, is he gonna splatter on the ground?

Though to say, the great fall was covered up in that white thick mist.

Damn it all, I said to myself upon seeing Mr. Claws fading away into the fog. The longhouse was there in the distance, but between me and it stood who knows how many stairs and darkness. I squinted and marked mentally its placement, hopefully, things in the Penumbra have a specific place in space. It probably isn't the case considering my luck, but hope dies last.

Screw luck, I started sprinting down the stairs. Time to face the neighbors and pass them by or throw them over the edge like the rest of the trash.

Is my spirit gonna get beefier from the lifting, no but I am not gonna find out what happens when one of those creeps tear into it. Tear into Me.

Not a moment passed and I saw my first obstacle. A woman in shambled clothes, same long fingers of bony white, same round orbs on her face instead of eyes, dull and unblinking. A mess of long hair trailing behind as she ran up for my position on the stairs, a meter or two closer to the mountainside. She shifted her body a few degrees to face me so I did as my first thought that entered my mind said I should.

I leaped right elbow in front so I can roll past her if somehow I missed her.

Don't know if I was glad that I managed to smack her in the mouth or relieved that she was to slow to comprehend my intent, therefore she didn't try and dodge or block; lucky all the same. Didn't take the time to gloat as I tumbling past her. Regained my feet under me and kept running.

The idea was to run past all of the fiends that wanted to claw me, damn be the consequences.

Seconds later as I still was regaining my balance, when not one, but two dead men ran in to view, still out of punching range but looked very determined to tear some chunks out of me; so it wasn't going to take them long before they would be. The women behind me screeched like a bunch of dying cats turned up to eleven. The guys in front of me responded with their own wail of the damned and horrible no good, can't listen to the tone. Assholes. This time I felt it scrambling my brain, my person. Somewhere down into my core like I was drowning with dirt.

I responded in anger, blind red-hot anger. Clenched my teeth and fists so hard they were gonna make sparks and that's what I intended to with their faces.

To my surprise and not of my will I howled to the dark skies then swiftly turned right fist held high to make contact with my assailants head. She doubled over in surprise and pain as I followed up with a flurry of punches.

As she swigged a claw at me I let it get under my defenses, turned the whole body around using the momentum of her panicked flailing and tossed her further down the stairs and me after her. Dodged the first one's swing and pushed my right fist into the second one's ugly face. He didn't dodge me, he just slumped over three meters away from me. The one I past managed to get his claw in my flank as I spun around. I hit passed him only because I misjudged where he would be. He followed up by shrieking some more, being so close had the expected result. Nausea, confusion, I wanted to spill out my stomach's last meal. Held this thought at arm's length, if I could vomit I would, but there is an asshole in front of me and he needs to be educated on what dead people do.

My head crashed into his face, one to stop his screeching and second to focus my senses on something. The loud screaming did stop but he threw a claw at my side, had no chance to avoid this one.

I didn't care at this point, my anger had me. Was focused. Had a goal and was gonna reach it damn be these dead.

A dozen more screams filled the dark dry air and the sound of rushing footsteps followed it, emboldening my anger some more.

My current opponent went backward a step and I kicked at him to help him even further.

Backward like a puppet he went. I followed him going past the two other and started sprinting down again.

The dozen or so claw people came into view too early for my liking. I jumped as high in the air as my legs would let me with the idea that I would land on the front guy's chest and ride him down like a sled.

Coming down on the stone wasn't easy as the rest of the people extended their claws at me, with murderous intent, most managed to grab a hold of the fabric I was made of. The landing was scattered and managed to wiggle out of their grasp before they could gain any solid hold on.

I scrambled to my feet with haste, then lurched forward, somebody had used my tactics against mine. My face hit the stone stairs but it didn't hurt as much as I expected, maybe thanks to the fact that I was angry or that it was my spirit not flesh, or maybe both.

I rolled with my opponent as he was clawing at the face. Jumped off him, dodged under another 's right hook, pressed forward weaving through two more flailing foes but somebody had my right foot. Then my left got stabbed at the knee. I hurled two punches at the ones coming at me, and an elbow behind me. The grip didn't let up any. Cold bony hands were clawing at my legs, torso, and head. Hands were the only ones free as I was flailing punches and elbows in a pure panic induced rage. Don't know for how much longer. My energy was high with the momentum of battle, but the speed was slowing with each swing. New bodies clinging onto me, some even have stopped throwing their gnarly white claws at my ghost flesh and were clamping down like pincers.

Legs weren't moving, more like scuttling with my whole body, left right, left right. I put the effort in each motion and inch by inch, pushed closer to the edge of the stairs. With each passing second new ghost persons clamped onto the pile that was hanging off of me and I crawled them all to the jump point.

One by one they fell making my movement a bit faster till my turn came to dive into the unknown depths of Penumbra.

Banzai I guess.
Chapter 10

On shambling legs, I dragged my aching legs toward a river. The thick fog seemed to disperse above this flowing water. The water looked clear and was moving sluggishly to nowhere. It's dim enough I can't tell how much deeper the river is. Head was spinning, didn't know was I was going for a moment. The castle, that gloomy and imposing looking thing was pulling on the inner me.

I scanned the horizon and then the sky. Up ahead not much to the right was the river, going up at a minuscule angle, beyond it hills springing up here and there, they looked ten to thirteen meters in height.

On my side of the bank was a thick white fog, the ground was missing grass, I expected grass to be there for some reason or it going to be there once I would depart this spot. I was feeling like parking my butt on some grass.

The fog seemed to hide threes from place to place, two gnarly branches stuck out as if trying to reach the river. Somewhere in the distance way above the white suffocating fog the shape of a fang piercing the sky, stood defying. That's where I had fallen from. There was no sign of movement, it relieved me.

I forwarded the river, there was no sense of wetness, more a coldness and emptiness. A crushing sense of sadness washed over me with each step becoming increasingly pressing. Corner of my mind became a screaming silence. Hounding me about my life choices and my motivations.

You should know better I said to myself above a thousand silent screams.

We aren't a hero we aren't doing this out of the kindness of our heart. We are here because we had no choice.

You could have walked away, your boyfriend and a life with him is in London, screamed red vivid colors.

I took two firm steps through the slow moving water of the river.

I was conflicted, Shaun is a nice guy, sweet and funny. I hadn't thought of our future together, for some reason I didn't see me and Shaun living old together. I was living in the present one day at a time, one good feeling after the other.

I don't run from problems, we don't get to use the sick day card. Move forward, jump over obstacles regardless of danger.

To live is to let the blood flow, there's so much to experience and so much to learn. I'll bite the hell out of it and ride it till it drains me of fun. No matter my age or physical disposition. My spirit is the one to decide when we give up and stay home.

After getting out of the river of sad times or maybe it was sad itself because it was flowing so slowly. I headed on a straight path ahead even if the castle was nowhere in view; clearing my head of all the heat that came with the thoughts of life and family.

I stopped counting the round dirt hills when I spotted the ancient longhouse in the distance. There were no lights coming from that direction, no sign of movement, no sound of life. heck there is no sun above all of this landscape and here my eye can see, how barren and still all is.

Silence prevailed around here on the small dirt mounds, not even the wind to whisper sweet dread in my ear.

I power walked up to the gate. large and no higher than my chin; made of copper, sculpted with figures, muted expressions, and impossible posses. It swigged open with ease and a lot of noise, a crow laughed in the distance. Maybe it was just my imagination, of what this place should feel like. This long trek might have strained me too much.

I made my way to the inner courtyard. Gazed around for a window but none could be found, not a crack in between the ancient wood that came together to make the longhouse. It made me uneasy, nothing should be that empty of light, of life.

I pressed with ease stepped through the large oak double doors after nobody answered my knowing. The welcoming hall was large but didn't go as far as I imagined it when I was on the outside. A worm low light was cheering up the place, it gave me comfort and assurance that this was indeed what my being was searching all this time, this was my final destination.

One small kid quavery, rolled up on his feet, from a mound of shriveled silhouettes. Head full of golden hair, skinny limbs and a glazed stare that was staring down.

A murmur of something awful of resentment and dissolution circled the crowded room. like a fog, it was other sounds even though the words were barely coherent.

The light was not making any of the people that were sitting down any more human. I guess this might be the final destination for the dead, an unending state of delirium. A handful of regrets and an infinite string of ethereal words . some speaking of what might have been, some cursing the lack of finality to consciousness. Damn it, people, be glad your incurable disease stopped eating at your every being . that you have to force your lungs to inhale in each every morning even as your bonus pain and muscles sag from exertion.

The problem might be with the spirit itself . can the flesh have poised it wits woes and vices so bad that not even after crossing the threshold the spirit doesn't recover.

It might be the longing for that breath for that pain of old bones if it comes with all the other small but blissful moments. Like a child's smile and the warm and caring touch of a loved one.

So it only throws the flesh that the soul can experience attachment.

Maybe.

Not a word was spoken by my little guide as we made our way inwards, stepping between low knees and other retreating limbs. None of them looked up to meet my eyes, no tingle of curiosity. I suppose.

I sighed way the chill I got from the vibes of off these mummies. I might have chuckled at the comparison but I don't want to be a crass lady, so I held it in, smoothing my thoughts.

. Raised his right hand as a greeting.

"The Mistress will see you now ." he finally spoke. he was staring past me, towards the entrance.

I raised an inquisitive eyebrow and hesitated to respond.

"Through there ."

He beckoned me along, tugging at a rug that separated the large longhouse.

Space beyond was large and pleasant, partly on account of the light that was pulsing throughout it, like a warm wave of the sun and the rugs, the animal carvings, the food. Hmm food, in the dead land?

For the mind?

Took a few hesitant steps to the hearth fire and parked on the fur rug and waited for something. Someone.

Got lost in dreams of cotton when she came into the room sat near my back against the fire.

Pale smooth skin, deep green eyes, expression of sadness. She stared at me unblinking as if waiting for my introduction, or I had something on my ghost face.

Half of her was shrouded in shadow the side on which was touched by the warm light was smiling.

"You are welcomed in my halls, daughter of the wolf ." She affirmed in a whisper that managed not to fade past my cotton-filled ears.

I was miffed, how did she know. Who exactly was this woman, owner of a castle in the deadlands, sure? A reader of souls or minds?

"Your time here draws to a close ." She continued both green eyes sparkling. "Only one day and one night can you stay here and still hope to escape my realm ."

"I took a wrong turn didn't I ?" I blurted totally confused and a bit asleep.

"I am glad you didn't. But we have so little time to chat ."

"Why am I here ?" my mind suck the words past my teeth.

"You are a sickly child. But you aren't dead ." she finished with the sentence that started on my lips. that made her more disconcerting . " the self might have compelled you to come here. "

I raised an eyebrow and snorted somewhat gently at that statement; at that ethereal voice . all sounded laced with venom, her posture and edges conveyed a strong being incapable of harm; of murder . those complacent features of the face.

It could be a hound smiling at its prey.

None of her words gave me a sense of satisfaction. Nor did they ring false. Heck now that my heart settled down a tad and I could string two thoughts together; my whole relentless walk inwards, what now seems to be the depths of deadman's land. Was spurred by some inner drive. From what? For what?

"Will you point me to the exit ?"

"Is that all you want to ask of me ?"

She said as she touched my left shoulder lightly. I shivered without knowing why. What else could I ask?

"Who are you ?"

"Hella. Caretaker of the dead, unwanted and outcast alike ."

"I am not dead. So why am I here ?"

She paused for a touch too long.

"I remember the car accident ." I expanded on my thoughts ." But why here, your house ?"

"All who walk upon my soil feel the pull to my halls, to their final rest ."

"Will you help me then ?"

"I am, you just need to pick up speed ."

"What do you want to tell me? Be straightforward ."

"Everything you want to know ."

"That's not a good answer ."

"That wasn't a good question ."

I squinted at her, was she getting pleasure out of this confusing word chase. she must have been lonely, with all those shriveled prunes back there, clogging up her house.

"Who ran me off the road ?"

"Leo Sponska , a gangster wannabe ."

"Is that for real or ... " I squinted harder, I imagine my eyes were gonna lock together.

"He is dead, broken neck mouth full of snow ."

"How long have I been walking ?"

"Dawn is creeping near ." She said with sadness in her lowered voice.

"Twenty-something hours ?" I said out loud more to myself as a hard fact to be held and considered in all its bluntness. A big knot took hold in my stomach or rather a sick feeling of doom.

"The shadow moves ahead of the light ."

I churned that over considering her and where I was, suppressing my pounding headache and said carefully.

"You mean to say that your realm, the deadlands; is moving faster than the living. Twenty hours here is only an hour there? Or just an hour ahead ?"

"Faster ." She said without hesitation.

I stood up, straight, one fist clenched.

She locked eyes with me, with an expression of a carrying mother, an elder waiting for its younger companion to catch up in experience.

"What's with the cryptic talk ?"

"It's in my contract ." She said. "Along with the land. Most people will come to my halls but, In their own time ."

"Why were I and Sam run of the road ?"

"I don't know their personal reasons," she paused looking long into the fire. "They were sent after your prey ."

"Prey? Ohh the fire starter brat that jumped on the motorcycle ?"

A rhetorical question is rhetorical, the pause got awkward and I changed the direction of my gaze to the fire. I felt my soul restless and strained despite the warmth given by the light of the dancing fire.

"Were they her allies or there to kill her ?"

More silence, even the fire stopped crackling, was it scowling at me or is it just my warped mind putting personality on the dancing lights, on fleeting feelings.

"Who sent them or the dogs, those sickly looking things ?"

"Two sides call on old spirits. The one that didn't want to die. One learned the other's thoughts. One lived the other killed, but neither relinquished his claim to live."

"No names ?"

"Not as important as their souls or what drives them ."

"I think I got that part ." I pinched my nose.

The mental gears also stated to pick up speed. The young witches were helping a long dead guy come back to life then the dogs happened, which are at the backing call of the dead guy's nemesis.

"How does that work ?"

"You bargain, only blood can pay for blood and life for death ."

"Bargain with who ?"

"With those that have such power as to grant life on a whim ."

"What is your motive for helping me ?"

She took a few steps back and sat near the low wooden table filled with tempting fruits.

"My hospitality is extended to everyone that dies. They can ignore the call but by doing so they are violating one of the rules of this universe. The living on the ground, the dead in the ground and the gods above ."

The last part got my eyebrow raised in curiosity. It's not so much to do with my struggling faith. I was a bit taken aback by the use of the plural considering what schools taught me. A though brief and got smashed down, could she be a god?

She said above dummy.

"You want his ass dragged to you, am I right ?" I said.

She nodded and smiled her warm smile.

"Do I have all I need ?"

"Do you ?" She shrugged.

"You said, I don't have that much time. I would love names but without those, I got the conflict, the how and one side of the way ."

"The place you will find and the time will know ." She added.

"What about time ?" I squinted confused to all hell. "You don't ... is this about Christmas ?"

"No, and in many ways yes. These three days the sun is at its lowest. The middle lands are vulnerable for all the passages are crept open and will stay that way till the sun resurrects and brings the new light and behind it life ."

"Going by that I have one day to find those two witches or hope they die ?"

"Less ."

"Damn time ."

I said a hint of panic, showing in my voice, which I tried to bite down.

"I am ready to go up there ."

She sat up, beaming her warm smile. Hugged me gently, kissed me on each cheek then peered deep into my eyes.

"Reni Eswer, daughter of the wolf ." She winked. "The hunt calls you and I am glad you answered it's bloody song in kind. Remember to live for life's sake and that you have many that will aid you in the hunts to come ."

I didn't have the time to answer her words, to say a goodbye. She blurred in front of me and a cold. A shivering cold that I felt it in my marrow took hold threatening to not let go, ever.
Chapter 11

"Ugly man." Stop running so I can fix your mouth.

Came the words slow and gruff with a strange accent, west? Was feeling wet dampness on my face, or maybe my face was in the snow. The sound of running water from nearby; the muffled noise of something familiar, a fight. Snow being crushed, muscle contracting, crackling joints and the grunts, all part of a so familiar thing.

Yes, I was on the ground in the snow, I smelled blood in the air, a bunch of stranger's blood and mine; and one sent came foul, like water that stood too long in one place but didn't evaporate and a hint of rot or was it puss?

My breaths came in with a painful sting and in gulps. As if like I was in a contest for how much oxygen you can inhale in one breath. I pushed past the pain and exhaustion, drove my right fist into the ground and tried to lift my body.

Something drove me, emboldened my spirit to action, a certain sense of fleeting time, determined were my muscles as they tensed and heaved my weight of the cold ground.

I balanced with some effort, my vision was a blur of gray and fleeting wisps of color. The sun was down, I haven't noticed during the chase just how late it was. As the furious shapes appeared in my field of vision that sense of time, of lost time, compounded in my problems. I had to find my bearings, find whoever got us off the road and punch him some questions.

Since most of my senses were lagging, I tried something wolves are known for, smell. The frigged snow was there on it coming in like a wave, was this horrid smell of rotten eggs spoiled fish and a side of vomit.

It, or rather him was a heavy person, not human. I think, he was moving like he had rocks strapped to his feet. There were a bunch more smells, a sports perfume at the cheap with an under the smell of even cheaper soap. A walking graveyard, a walking corpse all dancing my sweet dance of fists and kicks.

I looked around for Sam, his smell was there, a subtle smell of fabric softener, mint and pinching smell of shoe police.

He was breathing shallowly. I focused on the fight and took two steps its way.

The corpse was making rounds around the trash, that's how it sounded like. Meanwhile, the smaller man was keeping his distance. He was on the prowl, he seemed somehow familiar. I sampled the air again taking two more steps.

Charlie the biker mouse, so-called was his motorcycle gang, smiling like a joker on a trip high.

The ground shook with a minor earthquake. Trash giant was getting mad at the dancing corpse.

I extended my senses, somewhere above us all, two people were cheering like a bunch high school sweethearts on their first bare-knuckle fight. The smell of gunpowder and bitter breath of alcohol. They didn't feel dangerous. Right now.

I went full speed sprint for them as the ground shook again. My prey didn't notice me as I got closer. They were outside a car parked in the field of grass. On the road, the smell of burnt tires was still there and the cold ground dug up from within ten centimeters of snow. Didn't slow one bit as I finished my sprint near one of them. I took him a right fist in his ribs and with the left pushed and tried to guide his body into the other drunk fool.

He yelped finally, his smell changed too. A whiff of fear, perspiration increased, shivers, eyes wide open. Didn't scream as we collided with his buddy.

Full stop, I backed up a step, eyes wide. Vision better but still couldn't make out details. They were two young shits having a blast with guns, cars, and booze. My hand moved on the first guy, a clenched fist of anger. I leaped on him, my fist making contact with his jaw. Crack went his bones. He was out of it, his muscles relaxed, his breathing became calm, slow rhythm.

The second guy went for a punch but missed by a mile. I didn't know if it was the fact that he was drunk or the drugs in his system or the fall and fear that made him flail at my so impotent.

I glanced at him with foggy eyes for a brief second before I went for the knockout. It took two punches longer than had planned but in the end, it was expected even considering my physical state of being.

After a quick scan of the surroundings with all senses, seem to suggest that Charlie finally got into the fight. Him and the big smelly person versus the graveyard enthusiast.

From where I sat the guy looked deformed his hands and feet, which were bare, seemed a bit elongated. He was a pale man dancing around the greenish tall guy. It wasn't impressive now that I could actually see. The big guy was sluggish in his movement. I mean tree falling in the forest sluggish. He was getting hit but didn't seem to show it, maybe the corpse was testing his defenses.

I turned my attention to the car, it's keyed were in the ignition, the motor was still cooling. The interior was a bit of a mess like somebody lived in it, eating and sleeping. And the assortment of other activities.

An empty gun was on the floor and a plastic bag, its contents none of my business. Nothing of interest for the moment, no grenades, no water or snacks. A very tiny part of me wanted to climb in, close the door and start the heating for a few minutes, let the guys down by the river sort things out while I sleep it over.

I let out a long sigh of frustration, took the keys out and prepared for the next fight.

Charlie broke one of the grave creatures arms in an arm lock. The creature let out a guttural howl, a primal scream to the heavens.

In response, Charlie slammed him face first into the ground and the big guy threw his right fist, which looked like a bolder held by a gnarly trunk. The ugly corpse, threw his feet upwards rotating his whole body using his free hand as leverage. Charlie held on tight to his target and rotated himself while simultaneously pulling corpse guy closer.

The creature dodged the headbutt and swirled around to Charlie's back trying to trip him.

The ground shook one more time making me run a tad harder as I approached the two on my top speed. I went a step or two past them my fist barely inches from the creature's face.

Charlie twisted around to face it after regaining his footing. Corpse guy considered his options I guess and pulled away and slithered as fast as his long legs could carry him. He gave up on fighting, eating the ground like a scared mouse. I mean the dude contorted his body underneath my punch and twisted his hand free from a solid looking man that surely has experience in one on one scraps.

I didn't give him much time and started running after he so did Charlie a second after.

Corpse smell went up the hill towards the road, did he think he could back up and run with his pals?

I felt somewhat smart for having dealt with the two drunks up top plus stealing the key.

"Break a leg," shouted Charlie getting past me.

The exhaustion was getting to me but I wasn't gonna lie down now that the action started, and the night had long to go. So I quickened the pace and nodded in affirmation. We fell on the creature in unison like two cheetahs on a gazelle. I took the legs from under him then Charlie went for the head, elbows, and fists. He went unconscious after what seemed impossible for a human to endure, all the while hatred was burning his eyes.

"Do you have anything to say ?" Asked Charlie taking in calm breaths of cold night air after the chase.

"Thanks, but how did you get to us ?"

"Your welcome ." He grinds a fool's grin. "It was a coincidence, was going to meet a group for a night of pen and paper, a couple of bears and pizza. Saw that thing jump over your car and then all descended into chaos ."

"Found a gun in those two's car ..."

"Are you fine? You can run but ..."

He stroke that ginger beard of his and eyed me from side to side.

"Anything hurts ?"

"All of me ." I said ." I don't think I broke anything. Head is pounding and I feel like I can collapse at any minute ."

We started walking towards Sam's Volkswagen .

"You are lucky or made of bricks. Him not so much ."

He was referring to Samuel Ohara, which was laying in the car unconscious. The car, a Volkswagen, was upside down; the engine was still humming. Sam was straining in his seatbelt; neck at a horrible angle, breathing shallow. Could just be the belt.

I hesitated to look at how bad this scene seemed, his right cheek was cut and bleeding in several places, and that breathing sounded like a horse suffocating.

"Can we move him out of there ?" I asked out loud.

"I am not a doctor, but I will call an ambulance. You sure you are ok ?"

"No," I answered stunned by the scene in front of me.

I looked at my hands, had a few cuts and bruises but didn't seem severe. Nothing except the pain, like a thousand needles and bricks, stabbing and punching from second to second. The rear view mirror didn't tell a different tail either, just more cuts.

Charlie got out his smartphone to call the local emergency response, meanwhile, I was staring in the side mirror of the Volkswagen for anything to worry about. The big guy smelling like garbage dump strolled up to us like a stealthy elephant. Charlie didn't sketch any worried movements but that didn't dissuade me from going into alert mode.

"I demand tribute for the damage caused to my home ." He said and it reminded mine of stones grinding down a hill of broken glass.

"Easy there big guy ." Said Charlie looking crossed. "What home ?"

The big guy stared for a good long second graveling something under his breath.

"Pay ." the big guy eventually growled.

"Ask that ugly bastard. I am here to help my friend ." Responded Charlie looking up at the big guy with an air of defiance.

"Bridge is home ... you small people broke home ."

He pointed one sausage finger towards the bridge.

We both squinted to try and analyze the situation regarding the bridge. From where Sam's Volkswagen was, I couldn't tell if we managed to hit or if anything did hit the bridge because I thought we got run off-road before the bridge. We weren't in the river. I took another glance at Sam's situation and when it didn't relieve my concerns I focused on a thought I had since I awaken. I needed information on something urgent.

"I am gonna ask those sleeping fellows some questions before the ambulance arrives ."

Charlie nodded in understanding and shifted his weight and posture between me and the big guy. The aforementioned guy grumbled more unintelligible things to himself, probably related to us and our empty head.

Made my way to the two unconscious drunks in the hopes I could get a few useful things out of them, on the plus I needed the blood flow. I knelt down before the closest one in my path. Slapped his face till color came into the cheeks but didn't wake up, not as much as a moan even. Next idea was to use the cold for help, scooped up a hand of snow and shoved it hard into his face. I got a small twitch out of him but still no eye contact. Took one more scoop of and this time rubbed the back of the neck. He opened one eye sluggishly than the other just as slow and unfocused. He blinked a couple of times staring more into nothing then in my eyes even though I was so close you would think I was gonna kiss him. I slapped him with the back of my right hand, hard and fast. His eyes widen in quiet panic, it looked like he couldn't move that much.

"Good morning, princess," I said giving him the evilest grin I could imagine.

He whispered something I didn't catch or maybe he just mimic the words he wanted the mouth to speak but the vocal cords didn't participate.

"Why drive us off the road ?"

"She ... said to ...." his voice was almost a whisper and his breath was most foul . " to stop you ."

"Her name ?" I gave him a slap for motivation.

"Anna Weber ... Anna Weber ."

That's information, it's a new piece in the puzzle, could probably be the second witch and his hazy stupor is making him more talkative. Good.

"Where is she ?" I gave him another tap.

"Anna was on her way to the new building. She called us because she was being tailed ."

"What do you mean by new building ?"

He shook his head at me in defiance or a misplaced sense of honor, to which I responded with a backhand slap and another malicious grin. Remember, evil grin.

"They wouldn't talk to us ... very often ."

"That doesn't answer my question ."

"Those women are into crazy things ... but they have power ... know what's going on ."

After still not hearing what I needed, got irritated, instead of repeating myself I nodded sternly urging him to move the storytelling along.

"Yesterday .... was it yesterday? They came to our hangout and asked for guns and an abandoned place. Someone is hounding them ."

I heard him before I felt the trembling earth under me, because of his hard steps.

"Pick. With gold or with blood ."

Roared the tall ugly man. He didn't sound drunk but sure acted like one.

"What are you on about ?"

I rose to my feet and turned to face the giant horrible smelling person. I wanted to be imposing without being aggressive. I didn't want a fight so soon if I could help it. We don't if ever, get what we want.

He didn't answer me. He just growled in my general direction.

"You want to bleed ?" I asked deadpan.

He growled some more, eyebrows were merging together from that hideous frown.

"No. No. But my home ."

"Was there a third car here? I see two and they are intact and nowhere near your home ."

"Yes, it's in the river's edge ."

He pointed ways across from me near the bridges support pillars something angular was glimmering in the dark. Could be trash in the river or something metal or glass. I hoped for trash. He did smell of it but my guts were not letting my of easy. I panicked, a third car in the accident?

"Charlie ..." I shouted in his direction while pointing to the shimmering light on the edge of darkness. "What is that ?"

He shrugged, dufus I said in my mind. Damn it, damn it all. If it was the third car in all of this , how long? How didn't I notice this?

I ate the snow under my feet, the mind was racing with the terrible scenarios of what I would find beyond the shadow of the bridge. My feet felt like led, the air smelled frigid, smoky, stale.

The river was moving slowly, what parts of it weren't frozen. I got closer and with each hurried step, my heart jumped in my chest harder with anticipation.

It was blue, whatever it was, it's rectangular about three meters in the length deep in the mud snow and most of its mass in the river.

A damned car, of course, it's a car. I put my face in the rear window for a better look inside. No movement in the inside, no lights, no water seemed to have leaked in. I knocked on the metal three times. Then sat still for a dozen seconds listening for anything. I am panicking right now mind racing to find a good way to fix this. Fix.

The big guy shadowed me here. The big guy. By the way, the earth shakes under his feet and those trunks he has for arms I would bet my breath that he could pull this out or at the least ... the other car? Charlie?

He was behind me this whole time whole time, looking at me, a mad person losing it even more.

"Lift it. Life and death. Please ." I wasn't gonna take a no as a valid answer, it wasn't a question.

"Not my place to help, not my problem ."

If I wasn't panicking so much I would have punched him in the neck just on principle.

"No good deed goes unrewarded ."

He squinted at me sideways, he looked like a rained on moppet . his features grotesque in the dim light of the streetlamps. He was struggling to chew my words.

"Work now get paid later, right ?"

I added. He dropped and reached in the mud for the bottom of the car to pull on. I stepped on to the side to have a better look into the inside and try the doors.

Slowly, inch by inch the car was surfacing. I was waiting in the cold water with much anticipation. When the back door would clear three-quarters of its surface I was gonna try and open it , then pull out any who needs the help.

The door was a challenge but I huffed and puffed and with little help from Charlie, who eventually made his way to me, it opened. On the back seat, an unconscious small boy was slumped on the floor. On the driver's seat was a woman head first in the wheel nonresponsive.

We pulled them out on the snow, laid then there like puppets following our whims. Silent, motionless. I feared the most.

Searched for a pulse. I am not an expert on these things. The women had a faint pulse but what I felt first was her shallow breathing. The kid, on the other hand, didn't give off such signs of life. I looked desperate at Charlie for his expertise.

He shook his head, face drained of color, eyes in sadness. He tried to get his heart beating by punching the kid's chest as hard as he could. After two or three minutes, the longest minutes I ever counted. The boy half opened his eyes, took two deep breaths. The realization of what happened to him and were he was hit him and called out for his Mama. Charlie the ginger bear answered him, all was alright. The tall guy grumbled some more clearly exhausted.

I stormed off at the sight of life from the kid determined to break something or someone.

The ankle bent and cracked under my boot, the guy went down face hitting the snow. I followed with a knee to the spine. I wasn't being cruel just for the sake of it. I was mad at this filth in human rags, this asshole that went into two guns blazing and disregarded the safety of anyone including his.

He screamed from my blows and I punched him in the back of the head. The point, if any, of my punching, was to get the fear of me in him. Maybe I was being cruel, maybe I loved the fighting.

I do love fighting, the rush, the anger boiling in my blood when two or more people go fists to face and the rest of the menagerie of movement.

This wasn't a fight, this is a piece of meat being tenderized, being prepared to cook.

"You were about to give me a name ." I turned him over to meet his eyes.

"I have answered all your questions ."

"The new place. You avoided that or you're just full of shit and I should gut you here and now ."

I was being movie levels of dramatic but judging from his expression it was doing something to him.

His fear was starting to smell, a cold sweat, acidic, disgusting. He seemed more responsive than a few minutes ago. The ambulance hadn't arrived nor any other cars stopped to watch the show, people, huh.

His mouth was moving but words didn't come out, he was trying to move but not make sudden movements or I would snap at him, the big bad wolf that I was.

I twisted his right hand in a bad angle to the point where the bone was threatening to get out from under the skin and muscle.

"What is this? Are you afraid to tell me or trying to play dumb ?"

He wanted to get off easy and started nodding. I put more pressure on his wrist.

"But you gave your info away just three minutes ago. Make this easy on you and on anybody else that these women are gonna hurt ."

Through the whining and the twitching, he managed a few murmured words.

"They are dangerous ... they can handle it ."

"What was that the cemetery then ?"

His eyes were watering, murmured more curses under his breath. He looked for a moment that would breakdown down.

"Up until you spoke with me, I thought they were victims in all of this. Foolish little girls playing at being witches ."

A lite hand pressed my left shoulder, I turned my face without letting go of my firm grip on the guy I was cooking. Charlie was behind me looking worried. Silently judging me or just disappointed in my actions.

"Damn it. I need to end this ." I said more an affirmation to me then to Charlie ." I can feel it, it's tonight ."

"You sure are scary when you're angry ."

"All I need is for this guy to finish his talk we had earlier ."

"And what will you do after that ?"

"I ... never looked too much ahead. I guess. I always run with it ahead of everyone. Somewhere in my mind, I thought that I would catch up to something after all my running ."

He smiled a wicked smile and pat my shoulder lightly.

"You don't have to run alone. That's why you said yes to Marcus isn't it ?"

I was a tad stunned, took a few deep breaths to stop my heart from racing like a car on the tracks.

"I wanted to prove myself useful ."

He laughed a warm laugh that came from the belly and brightens the night. I have been a silly girl, playing the hero? A mad running wolf, chasing at shadows.

"Strength in numbers my friend. Humans and most animals alike are social beings and that comes with many perks ."

"Introverts ?"

"Sure they are social, just in small bursts ."

I turned my gaze on the guy that I still held by one twisted hand. Eyes were large and crazy, he shook his head from side to side violently.

"The name of the place ?"
Chapter 12

The atmosphere was ominous silent even as the wind swept the snow from the north towards the city. Five people ambled across the field weaving between the trees, all focused and ready for the midnight hours and the confrontation to come.

Marcus, a solid man in his fifties was leading us. Tension is on a low, but the buzz of action settled in under our skins.

The wind brought with it a smell of decay and death, stale water above other mundane smells.

We reached our destination after fifteen minutes of walking upwind, through knee-high snow. A shambling building two stories up was our destination. Claimed in parts by nature and crumbled in disrepair.

A wire fence was present in disjointed lines around a hundred meters or more, encircling what was a water purification plant, I think.

We weren't in our wolf-like skins because Marcus didn't change. My thought was that he had something to say before the pack would move on the witches.

We were all crouched on the edge of the tree line. The ruins before us had the slightest shadow of movement that, given away by the sound more than visuals. They, whoever they are, set up on the defensive, they were waiting for trouble and we were going to not disappoint.

The young motorcycle which made it here, her scent was in the air. Faint, pinching perfume made of flowers and milk.

"What we have here," said Marcus in a low gruff voice that rolled over us all with power" is a bunch of young people too far gone, in their thirst for power. The witches are the ones we are here for. Punch and claw; but try to not kill or amputate anyone, we are still part of civilized society."

As we nodded in approval, a young silhouette walked out of the back crumbling building on the clean snowfield. The night lit up with the howling sound from somewhere in the field. There were two round pits at even space from the building and the fence.

The clouds departed giving the moon room to shine down at the place. From one pit crawled out an ugly man in nothing but a pair of ragged pants.

He scanned the horizon with a pair of beady eyes and when he saw nothing to trouble about, went near the woman. One more pale man crawled out of the second pit both moved with a hunched posture like they had a bad back or wanted to walk on all fours but being human staid on two legs.

The women didn't give them any mind and stepped near one of the pits. Marcus didn't say a word, but we all acted a second after he did.

We all came out from behind the trees on a full sprint. The pack made the hundred or more meters to the first pit in about five seconds. Just as we neared the ugly naked men, they turned but not without the slowness of surprise.

Marcus leaped at the women, me and Charlie took a right towards the building to cut off any reinforcements. The smell of booze and unwashed humanity came like a beacon from the ruins.

Gloria and Harl, the latecomers, tied up the two ghouls.

The people in the building were watching the field, as we took the turn a couple of loud gunshots came from within the windows.

Charlie threw open his leather jacket and turned in to his wilder form. His hands thickened and ended in claws, eyes turned yellow and glowed with wrath in the moonlight.

I didn't like the idea of changing, maybe because of the hair and the thing that it awakens inside of you, every time. The hunter, the beast.

Three shadowy figures were in the windows, the small flashes from the guns barely managing to illuminate the smirks and nothing else. Another one of those men emanating a stench akin to a defunct abattoir jumped through one of the broken windows; from the second floor onto the field. He barely hit the snow when Charlie body slammed him. I gave in to my urges and changed into our hunting form, it was not the brightest idea I ever had because my clothes become like straps tightening in around my body. But damn if they weren't among my favorite shirt and jacket. The moonlight became brighter, most colors were intoxicating. I put my hands on the ground, focused on my legs, then pounced up to the second floor. Landed on the windows edge punched the guy on the other side as he tried desperately to aim at my noggin.

The night's sky erupted with the pack's howls in our hunting forms we couldn't speak but growled and howled or we followed the higher-ups from their body language.

Marcus and the other two behind me were having a difficult fight, shouldn't focus on that they are grown adults.

I pushed myself up by pulling on the guy I just punched. The guy's eyes went wide and his colors drained from his face partially because I was so close to him that I smelled his ranched breath and because I overpowered him kinda easily. I moved him between myself and his friend in the room which didn't let go of the trigger. Bullets whizzed through my human shield's shoulder; blood showered my face, it smelled like fear in this room. I had them.

I did my favored move, body slammed the gun crazy dude with my human shield. The far wall cracked or maybe it was the rib cage of the guy I was holding arm locked. He screamed as loudly as possible but I put my clawed hand on the back of his head and pushed it forward in his friend's face. Both grunted and the one that was mashed in the wall pulled the gun around his buddy and pulled the trigger like a spaz.

Two more shots rang out, one missed me by a hair the other embedded itself in the side just above the hips. In my rage, I smashed their heads together as hard as I could. The one that shot my rolled his eyes into his head and relaxed, the guy I was holding was flailing his free hand and screaming like a piggy at the butchers.

Didn't want to occupy too much time on him I threw him out the window, of course, it took more than I expected or wanted but in the end, he went over, face first.

Looking down at the scene in the fields, the situation seemed far from ending . Charlie was dripping blood on the snow, his opponent was cut too, although his wounds looked deep, he didn't bleed.

For a moment I was split on what was to be my next move. Should I help Charlie or hold in the building for more gang members. My decision was made for me when somebody from within the building took shots at the Charlie and ghoul duel.

They seem to not have any care for their hideous allies; then again who would.

The ghouls smelled like death and looked like they have been dead for some time, most probably witchcraft at work there. That made me wonder where are the witches and how many more.

Could I take one?

Busted in the adjacent room, to find a guy leaned over in a broken window, on the right of the door adjacent to the wall was a rusty locker. In the middle of the room a desk leaning down straight on the other side of the room a door frame half occupied by ruble.

I tried sprinting towards the seemingly lone guy but my feet got stuck in the floor.

It turned to mud and swallowed my feet as fast as hungry hippos. I didn't as much panic as I got angrier and tried forcing my way out as a horse caught in the muck. The guy didn't notice anything yet because I didn't scream or moaned and I was afraid to even breathe loudly.

How or why was the floor mud and why didn't I fall through it to the other side. I hesitated to put my hands on the floor for a feeling session because my feet didn't want to move even an inch of the ground. The room wasn't gonna be of help, in the end, I gave up in disbelief and felt the floor with my left hand. I did it out of lack of pain or the lack of pressure that my feet were giving me. In short, my eyes were failing me. Was afraid to close them but they were a liability right this instant. Was that guy even there, since when was I hallucinating. Don't panic. Don't panic Reni.

Seconds here are important, use them to think yourself out of here and on to the fight.

The smell of alcohol and mint gum was strong and near me, the guy was real and full on adrenaline. Somewhere to the right of me skulking in between moonbeams was one of the witches the one that me and Sam chased from the university.

She smelled of lilac , a deep and a touch synthetic smell of lilac . Which was masking fear , my bestial look was getting to her . She was green as some would say.

I wanted to instill more fear in her by howling like a big lunatic beast, but the guy would probably finally notice and shoot.

With eyes closed, I leaped towards the witch, where my sense of smell said she would be. She screamed and I felt heat roaring up, my fur singed. Bitch.

Two swings in a long arc trying to hit the blasted witch, warm blood trickled down my claws and she screamed again.

The guy near the window said something in a whisper, I can only imagine that he turned around but didn't fire because he ran out of bullets, and now was cursing his bad luck.

I howled from deep within my throat, emptying out my lungs. I put all my rage in it and traced my right hand outstretched in the witches direction, again. When I didn't draw blood again I opened my eyes to see the guy bolting out the door, I had to question that but my nose and ears told me that: what was in front of me was really happening.

Ignoring the witch for a moment I lunged for the guy's legs trying to cut off his retreat.

Murmurs in a strange language I didn't recognize echoed into the night and a wave of fire engulfed me this time biting at my senses. I still went for my target clenching my fangs. He screamed as his jeans tore open, blood spraying on the floor.

He toppled over clutching his leg and moaning like a little child.

Turned around to face the place where the fire came from. It was an empty floor, the wind betrayed her though as the lilac waft over me. It was an intoxicating smell, it made my nostril itch in disgust, worst then the dead smell.

She murmured again in that language that rolled of her tongue in short noises. Charlie jumped her before anything that she wanted to happen happened. I did the same. I wrestled air, it looked like nothing and it felt like soft flesh, she moaned softly in pain and didn't let go off her tricks. It was awkward to hold up nothing. It looked like nothing to me and Charlie but it felt like I had her arms bound in my claws. She was shivering from the cold or the fear, probably both.

As he slipped back to his human skin. Half exposed to winter's cold. She did end what enchantment she was focusing on our eyes. She was exhausted and relaxed in our grasp.

I felt my inner rage die down a shot or two and slipped my wolf-like form of. The smell of singed hair all too present.

"Is it over." I asked.

Gazing upon the scenery outside showed the following: Marcus and the others were in their human skins. He was holding the limp form of the young women by the neck; she was expressionless, toes inches off the ground.

The night was silent and the moon hid behind the thick clouds. The pain was the only thing left in my body now that no other opponent was in sight.

My left hand went instinctively towards the wound at my side. The room started spinning and getting bigger and I got lost to the darkness and its accompanying silence.
Chapter 13

My body was heavy, not from any nonexistent fat, but from fatigue. a groan and a disapproving lower pain in all of my bones kept me from even lifting my head.

Many a question was arriving at the door of consciousness, and I was hoping some of them with a slow movement that comes with mornings.

Where am I?

In a friendly place. The warm colors, the giant bed covers I was sinking in. Like the embrace of a mother bear.

And where would that be?

Marcu's home, in one of his guest rooms. It must be frequent because it sure smelled lived in. Not a sweaty mess or unshoveled garbage, but more like a bedroom that got warmed up from use and aired from every other day.

How long has it been?

I bet it's Christmas Eve.

Marcus, speak of the wolf, came in holding a wooden tray with offerings.

"Good morning." Said Marcus said softly as his gruff voice could go.

I smiled in acknowledgment. Then I raised my eyebrows in surprise and curiosity.

"Morning and Merry Christmas." Charlie held his head in the doorway with a slight grin splitting his face." I wanted to make sure you wake up."

"Why?" I squinted at him.

"You owe me a case of the bear."

"What happened?" I asked.

"You lost a little too much blood, and the whole car accident trauma might have caught up with you."

"That explains why I feel like I'm made of bricks. How about you?"

"Gloria is home resting, Harl is passed out too, at my place," said Charlie.

"The witches and the idiots are in prison," said Marcus setting the tray in my lap.

"We have the both of them. But they aren't willing to talk."

"How bad did we pummel them?" I asked, feeling nausea stirring up by shame, burning my throat.

Marcus let out a breath through his nose. Hard, hot air, stress, disappointment in one's action. in my actions?

"We came down on them as if they were the devil. Yet how could we do less, the word which comes with so much baggage? so many expectations. so many fears."

"Did I fuck it up or what? I asked, shame toeing me head down to face the bed sheets.

Neither Marcus nor Charlie spoke or moved for the dozen of breaths. I was keeping my gaze up at Marcus despite the feeling to do otherwise. Waiting with trepidation for my Alpha to chew me out on the blood hunt I called upon those witches and the gang they gathered around them.

"It can't be helped." sighed Marcus his mouth upwards in a grin. Also, my moist eyes might have played a trick on me, as I swear I saw a twinkle in his brown eyes. "It was a dire situation and a loose menace."

"Those were ghouls right?" asked Charlie.

Marcus is one the many of their crimes.

"And there we were days ago that we thought they were just victims. " I said remembering those police photos strung across my dinner table.

"They aren't mutually exclusive. This whole mess might have been a deal gone sour ."

"We should be chewing them out over their last one out," said Charly, the blood in his veins getting a bit hot.

"It might take a while. But at the least we got them locked up ."

"Will the charges even stick ?"

Marcus locked his arms together and grunted.

"Maybe we should find if they were the ones doing the backstabbing," he said.

"What about those greenish ghost dogs? I asked. Charlie gave me the look of one that heard a different language for the third time, trying to equate similarly sounding words.

"Unrelated. You did go of, to deal with something else, " said Marcus with no accusation in his voice. But something akin to a question. With the answer to be said at a later date.

"Mara did witness the cemetery killings. maybe ."

"Who ?" they said in synchronized confusion.

"The ghost girl I rescued because of the goblin king ."

"About that ." said Marcus looking straight into my soul ."It might have looked at the time that you didn't have a choice; but remember, you are a part of the pack ."

This is what a double edge sword must be like. I imagine I rightfully could not tell you much of swords since I experienced such things like any other normal girl, in media. cartoons, commercials or movies. but from the small bits of information, I soaked up casually is the idea that a sword is sharp in order to cut its wielder's enemies.

In his words, I heard the cutting edges. One side to use and one to feel on my own skin.

"I got it, boss . " I replied staring at his chin.

"The file did move back to me from animal control. there is work to be done well into next year. "

"It is Christmas ." objected Charlie.

"Fudge. I caught myself swearing and bent it into a pseudo-swear. " I haven't done much these days . No cookies or holiday meals ."

"Isn't that why Asha came by your place ?"

" ohhh , mum ."

I wasn't quite shivering at the mention of her name; nor was I that thrilled to be facing her . it felt like I had been the naughtiest girl on Santa's list, this year. Shame of having not thought things throw. Was it an excuse, the fact that we were on a short clock for something worse. Or was it a just cause?

"Hey. that's what parents are here for . to clean up their children's messes and straighten them out ."

Stab. And stab again. Marcus was direct to the point, as usual. And he might be right.

"As far as messes go. This wasn't far from being a clean task ." said Marcus one hand on my legs, it was steadying my nerves ." could you have made better choices? it's easy to judge the path now that we are at its end ."

"Here we are at Christmas," said Charlie throwing his hands wide. "It's the time to be happy with your close ones. To drink. To Sing. To dance. And especially to be charitable ."

"You are all welcomed in my home, for all winters to come . " bellowed Marcus in response.
Chapter 14

I gingerly picked up a glass of wine from the crowded table. Crowded with foods, there were at least ten main types among them a pig's head with no apple. It was all done by one pair of hands. The hands of Mrs. Odinthal had been working hard for the past two days.

Even with both of her grown-up son's back home, she did all the cooking leaving the actual setup to them.

It was a feast for about three families at a harvest festival.

I had mom buy a gift, to bring in my name to the party, I had a wake up in to. As I couldn't think what I could buy for them individually and didn't want to look like a tart.

Games were out of the question since their boys had their own adult lives away from the nest. An ice cream maker sounded delicious, but not with the memories of last week's blizzard still fresh in their minds. same goes for the barbeque grill, only in the opposite direction, and the added discomfort of being awkward to carry.

I had decided or rather remembered from the hazy thoughts that trickled in on my melancholic bed, of an addition to a most season-appropriate bottle of cider. A reindeer cider.

Can't help that the image amused me so much, as to leave an impression so great, as to be on my mind, even on the recovery bed dreams one year later.

It's not made of reindeer parts or fluids, each bottle has a pair of antlers hanging on by the neck of the bottle.

What could be more jolly than a mildly intoxicating drink adorned with cardboard antlers?

"Put it on the bench," said Mrs. Odinthal. Her voice sounded like a small summer birds song.

One of those small things that keep singing at each other for the day through the summer.

"It is fragile," I said raising the neatly tied package gift under my chest.

"It will be alright," she assured me, then brushed aside a long coat to show me the two gifts already there.

How many members of the pack have gotten here while I was still licking my wounds?

I wake up early in the day, didn't want to feel like a stricken needy pup, so I bolted from the bed as soon as the sun crept through my windows.

"Let your winter garb here and come into the living room. all others are waiting." Mrs. Odinthal begged of me and mother.

Waiting for what? I wanted to say, but it sounded like a rhetorical question. Like a question that would get its answer soon, or got its answer seconds before it was formulated.

Weather talk.

"This is my first Christmas." in the city. I didn't say pack even though I think she might know her husband is one even one of their children was a werewolf. the one that was as the same age as me, and moved out. the second one was still in college walking in the footsteps f his older siblings.

"I was worried for you dear. the color of your skin was pale ."

"I have a stressful job ."

"Uhu ." she scoffed and look me over; she seemed to hesitate with something ." That's youth for you ."

"We all have to learn what right from the wrong way of doing things ."

She smiled, a pained smiled. I gonna get it. A stern pat on the head from my new family.

"It is what it is. You are adult and, I am not your mother ."

"I am still grateful either way. For nursing me back to good health ."

She gestured with her hand, that I should stop the moaning and drab atmosphere.

At which point my mother came into the dining room.

I sipped some wine and relaxed of the soft cushion under me.

I half-heartedly was listening to the cordial conversation between two older women that went, quiet senior. that word senior, should not be spoken out loud in their presence, or one's world might catch fire.

Christmas had come, for me, into a haze of muted colors and muffled noises. I spent the first day starting at the sunlight streaming through the clear windows.

The few visitors I had spent a few moments to catch up and feel my tension, pulse and all that. Now the second day was getting on the way. Guest trickling in, most pack members and their partners.

For this is how these days started slow and with predictable words, but all would fall into step as the guests would imbibe in the alcoholic drinks. And the tongues so lose the mirth would flow, the smiles and the songs of the season would fill the room and worn the heats. this was time for joy and signifiers of new beginnings.

Hopeful beginnings.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Negru Madalin is a fiction writer and an artist on occasion . He was born on 13 of July in the small town of Saveni . He is currently living in Bototsani . It's the love of stories and myths , that guided his hand to write and draw .

Find him on twiter at luigitherat .

Other books by Negru Madalin

### Urban Fantasy novel

### Second entry in the Reni Eswer adventure

### To Drown a Cheer

### Scifi novel

### Frontier Stars : Fatal Signal

### Epic Fantasy novel

### Faulty Hands

