The Otherling

by Heather M. Walker

Annaleah put her head in her hands, and sighed loudly, wiping at her face before she went on. "Marchosias told Nephila to leave me alone, and then Nephila began to change into a hideous black and yellow spider. Her mouth split open and mandibles came out; her eyes went dark and morphed into eight eyes. The other creature put her hand over my eyes and told me to wake up. So I did."

  "My God Annaleah, that sounds terrifying!" Seth said. "I’m so sorry you went through that. I wish I could have dream walked there to you. I promise I’m going to do my best to figure this out for you. I’m not going to let her hurt you.”

  Seth wanted desperately to calm her down and reassure her, but he had to ask her something.

  “Did you wake up with muddy feet?" he asked, looking down to see her clean bare feet, wondering if she had washed them before he got there.

  "No, not this time," Annaleah told him, rolling back the sleeves of her lilac robe. Tears came to her eyes once more, spilling down her cheeks. Seth looked at her arms and saw dozens of red, raised welts on each. Shocked, he took her left arm to examine it further.

  "When I woke up this time," Annaleah continued, "there was no mud, though I wish that is what happened. Instead as I woke up I felt something crawling all over my arms. When I threw the covers back, I had spiders on me, all over my arms. They bit me, over and over. I am amazed I didn't scream, but I couldn't, I was too scared. I managed to brush them all off of me and step on them, but not before they did this."

  As if for emphasis, a shiny black spider crawled up the table leg and onto the coffee table, chittering and opening and closing its mandibles as it went.

  Annaleah jumped up on the couch, but before she could scream, Seth smashed it with his bare hand, sending its now gooey body parts to different corners of the table.

  Amped up on adrenaline, they both stared wide eyed at the table, their breath ragged and deep.

  Snapping out of it, Annaleah dropped to her knees on the couch, covering her head with her hands, sobbing.

  Seth was just as terrified as she was, now knowing just how much danger she was in. He rushed to her side, wiping his hand on his pants before he touched her.

  Seth tried not to show how scared her really was for her. If she had brought those spiders back with her, then that meant not only could she travel through dreams, but that other things could, too. That meant her safety was in jeopardy. Who knew what crazy things she could bring back with her, potentially worse than spiders?

  “It’s ok, it’s gone, I killed it.” Seth said, trying to refocus himself on being strong for Annaleah. He didn’t want her to see him shaking. She didn’t seem to hear him though, and she was trembling more than ever.

  He sat beside her and wrapped her in his arms again, not knowing what to say, but wanting her to feel safe. He rocked her, feeling helpless as he wiped a tear from his own face.

  “It’s not okay,” she spoke against him. “It might never be okay again.”

  "You need to wake Uncle John, Annaleah, and let him to look at your arms. He will know if you need to go to the hospital. I don’t want to frighten you but those things could be poisonous."

  Annaleah jerked her arm back and began to roll her sleeves back down her arms. "No! I am not waking Uncle John up. He’s not well, you know that. I don't want him to see me upset. If I do tell him what happened, it will be when he feels stronger. Besides, there are no red bulls-eye looking marks or streaks on any of the bites. That means whatever those bastards were, they probably weren't poisonous. They were shiny black spiders, about the length of my thumbnail. I promise to keep an eye on them though. If they get worse I will take the day off and go to the hospital, okay?"

  "Ok Annaleah," Seth conceded, knowing he couldn’t talk her out into it. Could a hospital here in the waking world even help her with bites from an otherworldly spider? The best he could do for now was to support in in whatever decision she made. If it turned out to be not in her best interest, he would be the first one there to help her then, too.

  "It does sound like dream walking. Tell me the name of the women again, if I can look her up we might find some sort of way to fight her.” He pulled out his smart phone. She told him, and after a moment of searching he found what he was looking for. "Got it; a Japanese creature of folk lore, like a ghost or goblin, said to seduce men with their beauty, only to transform later into a spider and devour their victim."

  Seth looked up from his phone to his friend, worried. "I know that you know a lot about the occult and different folk lore of the world, have you ever read or seen anything about the Jorogumo?" he asked.

  Annaleah shook her head, her blonde curls falling over her eyes, only to be quickly brushed away. "No, never. That's what makes it seem so real, so horrible and so threatening. She’s a real creature, and she had her babies follow me out of Dream Time. Why, Seth? Why me? I am no one special, why are there angels fighting in my dreams and terrible demon-like figures trying to follow me out of my dreams?" Seth saw she was trembling and wished he had answers to give her, something to say that would make her feel better.

  "I don't know, hon. I do know that you are special, very special. These creatures might know something you don't. We’ll look into dream wards and rituals, okay?”

  "What about the other name?" Annaleah asked, ignoring Seth's last comment. "Marchosias? Does it say anything about her?" Seth looked back down at his smart phone and pressed some buttons.

  "Yeah," Seth answered, "apparently she is a demoness too, but not totally evil. I remember reading about angels and demons before and finding out that not all those who fell are evil, in fact, they can be quite helpful to humans if approached with respect.

  “The same goes for angels. Though they operate on the Goddess's word and will, not all of them are keen on humanity. Some still blame us for the loss of their brethren, for the Watchers who were seduced and thusly cursed, and for the original fall itself. Some angels who fell are neutral and serve neither the darkness nor the light.”

  Seth continued to read for a moment. “Anyway, depending on the website, it seems this Marchosias is seen as both male and female. Since she showed herself to you as a female we will go with she. She was an angel of the order of Dominions, and though she didn't fall as the others did, she was forced to take a side when the first war in Heaven began. She didn't want the war to occur at all and was hoping matters could be resolved, but when the Creator wouldn't negotiate, she stood in support of negotiations with those who were to fall, and so was locked out of Heaven.

  “She is a powerful negotiator between the angels and the demons, and an even more powerful warrior. She usually shows herself in her demonic form, a cross between a wolf and a gryphon with a serpent's tail. In human form, she is described as you saw her, blonde haired with black wings, but not really a woman yet, more of a teenager." Seth looked up from the phone and focused on Annaleah.

  "So the question remains," Annaleah said, looking at Seth, "why are they visiting me in my dreams?"

  "I don't know yet, Annaleah," Seth answered, "But I promise, we’re going to find out.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Summer Rain

  Seth stayed with Annaleah through the rest of the night, watching over her as she slept to make sure she didn't have any more disturbing dreams. He borrowed her laptop to do research, looking over at her occasionally as she slept. She didn't seem to have any more nightmares, and she didn't dreamwalk anywhere, though she did toss and turn most of the night.

  Seth hated to wake her when morning finally came, as she really hadn't had a restful night. However, he had no choice, as she had classes again this morning. Having the presence of mind to greet her with a hot cup of coffee, he gently roused her from the couch that had served as her bed. He handed her the coffee as she arose, rubbing at her eyes.

  "What time is it?" she asked him, her voice thick with sleep. She sat up slowly, pulling the blanket over her. Still looking half asleep, she accepted the coffee he handed her, and sat looking at it for a moment.r />
  "It's about eight thirty in the morning," Seth said. "I let you sleep as late as I dared, but your first class starts at ten. I knew it would take you a while to wake up fully, so I got you up. I wish you could take the day off and go to the doctor about those bites." Annaleah made a soft grunting noise of protest at this.

  Annaleah sat the coffee mug down on the side table and leaned further back on the couch. "I'm so tired," she said. "I wish I could go back to sleep." Seth sat beside her, feeling bad for her.

  "I know you do," he said, patting her leg sympathetically. "That's not just any coffee, though. It's coffee with two shots of espresso in it. I put cinnamon and sugar in it as well. Try to drink it." Seth turned to retrieve the mug, and when he turned back to her, she had pulled the blanket over her head. He laughed and pulled it down over her face. Annaleah made a small whining noise as he did so. He held the cup to her, and she sat up and took it.

  "Did you find out anything else interesting while I slept?" Annaleah asked, looking at the laptop.

  Seth nodded, feeling like his heart was beating too fast. He hadn’t learned as much as he had wanted, but what he had found was a bit on the frightening side. She seemed to be able to do more than what was written of in the books he had read that night. "Well, we know dream walking usually just involves a dreamer's ability to visit another person's dreams. It’s also something that usually has to be practiced and takes great skill. Yet for some reason, not only can you do this, but you also seem to have the ability to travel to other places you dream of. Not only that, you also appear to have others beginning to dream walk into your dreams. This is some pretty intense stuff. I haven’t been able to find out as much as I want to yet, but as soon as I find out more I’ll let you know. I’ll study more when you’re at class. For now, go ahead and get ready, I'll drive to you the University."

  After another cup of espresso laced coffee, Annaleah had mostly woken up and was ready for her day at the University. It was raining outside and the sky was the color of slate, promising storms to come. With a heavy sigh of resignation, she resolved to be as strong as she could, knowing that even though rain had a tendency to make her even more sleepy, with a bit of willpower she would be able to overcome it. She refused to let the rain set a somber tone to the day, nightmares or not. There was no more room for negativity today, no matter how it might gnaw at her in the inner recesses of her being.

  Still, she hoped she would be able to stay awake. Annaleah sighed and pulled on her brown and pink paisley raincoat as she left the house. She hoped the long sleeve shirt she wore under her coat hid the spider bites well enough to avoid curious eyes.

  Seth drove Annaleah wordlessly to the school, leaving her to be lost within her own thoughts. As she listened to the rain hit the roof of his VW rabbit, her eyelids became heavy, and she fought to keep them open. Deep in her chest, she felt the weight of her tiredness, like a fist that was pushing down on her. It even seemed as though it took extra effort to draw breath, and with the peaceful cadence of the rain, it was all she could do to stay awake. Consciousness itself seemed to be an illusion, dancing in and out of her awareness, blurring the lines of reality and what lay beyond it.

  Once at the University, Seth pulled up to the gates to let her out.

  "I'll meet you here after classes," Seth told her as she exited the car. "Try not to worry too much about things."

  "I promise," Annaleah answered, smiling at him. "When we meet I have to tell you about the owl. I think I forgot to tell you what happened yesterday in all the commotion of last night."

  Seth looked at her, puzzlement creasing his forehead. "Owl?" he asked.

  "Yes. I will tell you after classes OK? Bye for now Seth, enjoy your day." She waved at him briefly before turning and heading into the building.

  She was still a bit early, so Annaleah decided to walk to the teachers break room in this wing of the school, just to see who was around and to ease into the day. It looked and felt earlier than it was, due to the dark storm clouds and steady rain. She was also hoping for one last cup of coffee before classes began. She could use the caffeine to wake her up a bit more and to help settle her thoughts over everything that had been going on in the past few days. So much had happened in such a little amount of time that it left her head spinning when she tried to think about it.

  A few teachers Annaleah hadn't met yet were in the break room, some reading or working on papers. Others were chatting quietly over coffee. Annaleah made her way to the coffee, delighted to see someone had just recently made a fresh pot. Choosing a mug at random, she lifted it and saw a shiny black spider hiding underneath. Startled, she almost dropped the cup, gasping loudly as she fought to keep the mug in her hand. A few questioning eyes turned her way. In lieu of an explanation, Annaleah pointed at the spider, which was scuttling away toward a crack between the counter and the wall. The gesture didn't do much to stop the questioning looks, and some of the older teachers even looked at her with open disapproval.

  No longer in a mood for coffee, Annaleah decided she would just head for her classroom. She’d hoped the Professor wasn't there yet. She’d had so much happen to her so quickly and she didn't want to add having to deal with the quirky, snarky Professor, at least not just yet. As she walked down the hallway, the thrum of rain hitting the roof and the sound of her heels hitting the cold linoleum floor seemed oddly comforting. She told herself the spider meant nothing; that they liked to hide in dark places and that it was only a coincidence that one had appeared after her terrifying dream. Only, the spider had looked exactly like the ones she woke to find on her arms in a swarming, biting horde. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying not to think of it at all. She forced a picture of her classroom into her mind, in an effort to find something, anything else, to focus on. She began to have a strange, sleepy, floating feeling, as if nothing were real. Was all of this still a dream?

  As Annaleah rounded a corner in the hallway, she saw the Professor walking several steps ahead of her. Her reaction to seeing him surprised her slightly. She expected a sense of being let down, having wanted the room to herself for a few moments before classes began. She would have expected dread at having to deal with him. Rather curiously, she felt her heart speed up and her face flush in a rather pleasant manner. Maybe it was because of the ebony leather trench coat he wore to stave off the rain, or the way it fit him. It had been tailored to accentuate his physique, and Annaleah imagined she could see each line of his muscles move as the leather whispered over them. The coat fit his body snugly before it flared out just above his hips. When he walked, it billowed out behind him. The effect was somewhat ethereal, making him look almost as if he were floating. She felt a fluttering sensation in her belly, and a sense of nervous anticipation.

  As she followed behind him, willing her heels to be silent on the cold tile floor, Annaleah found herself wondering what the Professor was wearing today, or if he wore cologne. If he did, what sort of scent would he choose? She hadn't noticed any on him before, but he seemed like a man who would appreciate a classic, alluring fragrance. Something with sandalwood maybe, or amber she thought. She began to feel even more sleepy and light headed, her thoughts running in a pattern somewhat unlike her.

  As she followed the Professor, she noticed the walls, ceiling and floor all seemed to swim faintly before her and her vision began to go a bit dim. Her heart started to beat faster in her chest, and her breath became a bit harder to draw in. The feeling of floating increased, and she suddenly found herself so dizzy that she had to stop following the Professor and lean on the wall for support. In reaching forward, she misjudged the distance and stumbled, falling loudly against the wall before collapsing onto the floor.

  Ahead of her, Professor Bainbridge spun on his heel, and when he saw her, a startled look spread over his handsome face. Annaleah was dazed and slightly embarrassed as she watched him heading toward her, the surprise in his expression changing to one of open concern. Her thoughts faded to ones that amused her, th
ough in a vague corner of her mind, they registered as silly and out of place.

  He seemed to be moving in slow motion as he walked towards her. The billowing if his leather trench coat was strangely attractive to Annaleah, and reminded her of a priest’s robes. It flowed out behind him and appeared to leave trails in its wake. “Oh I’d love to confess to you, Father,” she said under her breath, giggling.

  As he reached her, he put his arm under her in an effort to bring her to her feet. Smiling up at him, she looked deeply into his almost black eyes and sighed dreamily. She tried to stand up, but found she was too weak, and almost fell back to the floor. He opened his mouth and tried to say something to her, but she couldn’t hear the words he spoke. She was too stuck on the shape of his plush lips to care about what he said.

  Annaleah's vision was fading, her ability to make sense of things already almost gone. As the edges of darkness won out, she noted that she was in the Professor's arms, wrapped up in what seemed to be an embrace. This gave her a sense of silly, girlish joy. She smiled up at him, quite happy, even if unwell and confused. The last thought she had before the darkness claimed her was of the Professor's scent.

  "Leather and summer rain," Annaleah said aloud, smiling up at the Professor before the darkness became absolute.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The Thawing/ Gabriel Is Summoned

  Wednesday, August 10th

  The past few days have proven quite the reprieve from the monotony I penned previously. Indeed, the happenings within my life as of late have shown themselves to be anything but monotonous. I’m still trying to process everything, for knowing what it means changes a lot of things. Truth be told, I was actually quite comfortable in my routine. Safe in my world of self-imposed isolation, separated from others and convinced of my superiority over humanity, these “flesh beasts” as I have long called them. I have found something within myself changing, and though at first I was unsure of my liking of this change, it continues to work itself within me regardless of my opinions. It illuminates parts of me that I hid in the darkness so very long ago. I find my thoughts to be more introspective, something that I was not prone to doing, even as little as a week ago. Though some of the things which bring their faces up to the light of my self-pontifications aren’t too easy to gaze upon, it’s something I feel has needed to happen for such a very long time. Having been so long overdue, the process is somewhat uncomfortable, if not painful. Most of the things I’m beginning to illuminate with the light of understanding are things that I buried long ago, telling myself I should never revisit them. I’m actually quite surprised I’m not more resentful of the process, but instead I find it most welcome, despite the discomfort.