Diary Of An Occult Resolution Assistant

by Chris Norgate

  When I was ready I found Xanthic sat behind the wheel of the Zafira. He was cleaning it with alcohol wipes running them across every surface. Its smell was that of chemicals and baked arid air and it made me gasp as I got in the passenger seat.

  "Whats going on?" I asked.

  "Don't ask." said Xanthic. "This thing isn't a patch on my beloved Jag and it stank of foulness. But it’s got four wheels and a roof and will suffice till something better comes along."

  I chucked my bag into the back, it flew the short distance to the back seat made shorter by the presence of Adym sat behind me.

  "Oi." he called as my bag hit him in the lap and the long strap flicked across his face. "Watch it will you. Aren't I hurt enough with a bite out of my leg without you whipping me too?"

  I apologised and asked about his leg which he explained had been cleaned and bandaged by his Angelic employer and was now warming him with a painless throb.

  "Well I'd love to come with you all but I have better things to be catching up with." said Xanthic opening the driver's door and climbing out.

  "Better?!" I didn't know if it was a statement of question and by the look on Xanthic's face he didn't either.

  "In about four hours you, my most charming and undemanding of assistants, will be in mortal danger and if you wish to see the morning sun rise once more then I need to be there to ensure that happens. Don't look so glum, you'll be in good hands and you have plenty to do."

  "Yeah like find that old witch and re-educate her somewhere quiet in the woods where no one will ever hear about not kidnapping teenage girls for a mad soul stealer, it'll be a lesson she won't forget." I punched my hand and pushed all my emotion into it.

  "Alas no. And I mean NO. You meet her in a few days for the first time. Imagine how it would look if you turn up as a stranger to her and school her in your philosophy."

  "It could save lives and make me feel a lot better." I answered not understanding how he could advocate waiting when we could stop it all now.

  "And what if your actions now affect the outcomes of others over the next few days, the days you are living through several miles away? How would you react if a vigilante mob out for revenge turns up by your sickbed? That and if you are accurate in your descriptions of events of the days to come you will have to put it all in place."

  "like what?"

  "Like getting Adym a job as a barman and as of yet none of my sources or task masters have even raised the question of mysterious activities in that backwater sinkhole of a village let alone ask me to place my energies into an investigation there. So if you take my advice you'll go there, do a little leg work and if you trust me, invest in a pair of welly boots and plastic apron, a good pair of waterproof gloves wouldn't go amiss either."

  I stood there looking blank but fragments of information floated through my brain until one or two bumped together and illuminated the point he was making.

  "I am bloody well not going to that village and creating the news story that brings people there. I don't want even want to see a manky old sheep let alone what it looks like inside out! And besides, I'm a friend to all animals, I would never purposely hurt one." I was affronted and angry he would consider me capable of something like that.

  "That’s why you aren't going unsupervised; your assistant has years of experience with that sort of thing." Xanthic replied walking away from me and the car. "Just make sure once it’s done you bring the car back by Tuesday as I'll need it."

  Harahel walked into the garage and he did not look happy; very unangelic if you ask me.

  "I do not have any experience in the maiming of innocents." he said this as he drew level with Xanthic and I thought for a second there would be another verbal altercation.

  "Your God has had more mutton cutlets delivered unto him than I've had leather clad temptresses." said Xanthic.

  "Not for hundreds and hundreds of years." was the reply.

  "Same thing, and they say you never forget how to ride a bike." shot back Xanthic. "and it needs to be done, its history."

  "How can it be history if we have yet to carryout the task may I ask?"

  "Its history to some, and that’s good enough for me. Now be an angel and carry your half of the agreement without any more fuss."

  There was a great exhalation of air and Harahel resigned himself to his fate. He had on him an expensive looking over night bag and suit carrier. He stopped when he saw us sat in the big black car.

  “Oh come on, I do have some standards.” he said looking hopelessly depressed at the thought of piloting the Zafira, it must have been a mirror of mine when I was faced with it for the first time instead of the Jag. “We’re taking my Saab.”

  A short session of musical chairs later I found myself in the driver’s seat of a very comfortable 9-5 Sportwagon with a list of things only men could get excited about and an Eco-engine to help save the planet. Not that, Xanthic pointed out, it mattered as the engine never had to work with Hal behind the wheel just as he never had to stop to stop up the petrol tank of the Jag; it was just one of the perks of being who they were.

  I ended up as ‘duty wheels’ owing to the fact Hal never drove if he didn’t have to and had far too much work to do on the journey over his in car Wi-Fi, Adym was convalescing and I knew the way.

  16:00

  We had made exceptional time arriving in Farehamlet well ahead of time due to the fact that at almost every junctions traffic would slow and flash their headlights to allow us to pull out and all slow moving cars pulled to the side to let us overtake; so we stopped at what passed for the poshest restaurant and ordered an early dinner.

  From here Harahel used his phone to arrange an interview for a bar-manager position in The Jolly Reaper with the Landlord who didn’t know he needed any new staff but now the thought was in his head is was a bloody good one and to send the chap around as soon as he was in the village. He then booked an executive suite at the only four star hotel in the area stating later that he refused to stay in Xanthic’s country estate because he could never sleep in Fernum; Infernum being the Heavenly title for the domain of Satan and all the other fallen Angels. I had taken Xanthic at his word he was of demonic spawn but now an Angel had uttered their names I was now worried about the physical existence of such biblical sinners.

  The screen of the phone, a shiny silver white smartphone, was displaying a map of the village and seemed to have grown dramatically allowing us to see a much greater area. I gave all I knew of the areas of interests noting the known locations of animal mutilation and witchcraft activity and to the best of my ability where Melody resides so we could stake it out.

  After an exquisite meal of the finest ingredients prepared with perfectly steamed vegetables, baked sweet potato and dressed salad; all of which were presented personally by the Chef for our approval and on the house, Hal dropped us off at the head of the long lane leading to the Fernum estate.

  It was explained Adym would remain with me, all the better for his new employment in the public house and to help ensure my safety. So we walked together with Adym surprisingly swift for a guy missing half the meat around his ankle. I saw Clive tending his garden and waved merrily at him saying I couldn’t stop to talk as I had a lot to do and was heading straight to the house. He waved and wished us a good day.

  Once at the house I gave Adym the tour and he was as impressed as I was especially over the indoor tropical rainforest on the upper floor. We each found a bedroom to set up camp, I took the best one after calling future dibs and when Adym complained I pointed out I didn’t find any boys things in there when I took it in a few days time. He couldn’t argue with the logic - or didn’t have the energy to go against a beautiful, intelligent and energetic young woman such as myself, and left me in there to make my bed. I found him shortly later in the room with the locked door, only now it was open and within was a sumptuous room with a massive bed and one very smug Angel’s assistant. Serves me right for assuming it’ll be secured and not looking in t
here first.

  20:00

  Adym left to start his first shift and I was left alone. I sorely wanted to walk out into the woods and find Melody’s cottage and stop this from going any further but I had been strictly prohibited from this course of action on pain of unemployment so I busied myself with housework pouring my energies and frustrations into cleaning, scrubbing and, after walking up all the stairs, gardening. I hadn’t meant to go up to the indoor greenhouse but I had found about my person a small sticky thing, hardly bigger than a twig, with a single green leaf that looked pitiful and dry. I located an empty pot with a little soil and pushed a finger in to make a hole and dropped the twig in. I told it in a loud voice it had two choices, it could either grow here or curl up and die but at least it was now its choice; before sprinkling water over it with a small metal watering can.

  Tuesday 6th May

  14:00

  We had spent the previous couple of days scouting the fields and forests and for me at least remaining out of sight of the locals. Hal had met up with us after breakfast each day and we walked the paths of where the unusual activity had been reported. As nothing had happened we had to create it ourselves. There were animals about but I was hesitant to perform the acts that would draw the reports of devil worship or animal attack. Adym played the injured solider card stating he wouldn’t be able to catch a sheep let alone carry one to the designated site. It was left to Hal who placed his hands together and closed his eyes. A ray of light broke through the gentle cloud cover and it shone its golden light over an animal chewing grass in a field a little way off. It gave a quiet “Baa” and slowly dropped to its knees before falling to its side.

  It took all three of us to half carry half drag it to the path and Hal withdrew a knife and with a butcher’s skill slit the belly open and drew out the steaming organs one by one instructing us on their designation and function. He insisted we pray and give thanks to the beast for its sacrifice which we did gladly.

  Then he called the media.

  It wasn’t long before people were drawn to our site and I was instructed to return to Fernum and wait it out, I couldn’t expose myself to people I wouldn’t meet for the first time until I officially arrived.

  We repeated this process for each day we were here culminating in today’s activity. Hal had convinced the locals these ‘disturbances’ had occurred over a much greater period of time and the news reports in both the papers and radio built the rest of it up based on the facts any anything else the reporters could find or make up to create the story that I was familiar with.

  We had spent the nights, Harahel and I, searching through books and his laptop library after he finally relented and allowed himself to be entertained within Fernum as long as the wine was good and the cakes freshly baked. This latter criteria was dropped after I baked my first Victoria sponge brick. Our aim was to discover more about the soulless things encountered at the Medway in order to understand our enemy better. My recollections of the events didn’t entirely match up with Adym’s or Xanthic’s over the phone, so we couldn’t be accurate with our research but when we did find out unsettled me greatly.

  A report from a Babylonian scroll detailed an invasion of spirits who inhabited the bodies of the recently deceased and attacked the city. They were contained by the militia who after a great loss of numbers managed to hack the walking corpses to bits. The body parts were then collected, burnt and the ashes distributed over a great area.

  Egypt in 1000 years BC had a legend of Gods from the underworld rise up to command virginal priests following a ritual before increasing their number through fire and smoke. A great rain sent by the Gods was the only solution and washed the evil away leaving bodies flapping about like fish pulled from the Nile.

  The Romans, Greeks and Persians all had multiple entries of smoke creatures conjured by priests, magicians and worshipers in a variety of different rituals and methods which all brought forth knowledge, understanding, healing, good will and enlightenment. Small spirits that danced upon the flames of torches to the betterment and amusement of all.

  In the 60’s a group of Satanists in America wrote of their summoning of a Demon during a drug inspired ritual where the words and symbols came to them in their dreams. The Demon formed entirely of smoke screamed defiance over its captivity in a protective circle drawn by a fearful acolyte against the orders in her visions. This act of rebellion was recorded as their salvation. Three of the members were now accountants and one a respected politician.

  Harahel found dozens upon dozens of possibilities each of which could have been the cause of possession in the terrified young women but equally could be a false trail or simply stories and legend.

  What I did learn for definite was Harahel told me of his fear of the ramifications if the walls between Earth and the Limbos were breached and entities neither Angelic or Demonic could pass through to inhabit mortal vessels, or the unthinkable, create corporeal bodies within this realm with which to recruit other to their love of chaos and destruction. He told me to imagine the worst story of Demons running amok whether historical through the ancient texts or modern movies. I said I could picture the world burning around us all to which the Angel said this was nothing but foreplay to what these monsters would do. They have the ability to rip a soul out of a body leaving it to face a hopeless eternity in pain and confusion surrounded by everybody but completely alone and tormented. This, he told me, was not Hell, for even in Hell there was hope of redemption and forgiveness, even there the Demons knew of the importance of each and every soul and treated them accordingly.

  There seemed to be very little on what to do to stop one if it came unless you had at your command an army willing to sacrifice themselves to defeat the ‘Things’ by sheer weight in numbers or get lucky and have a flood wash the ground clear of any contamination.

  “So.” I asked once Harahel closed his laptop having exhausted the nights research materials. “What do we do if we encounter these things and the pose a threat to us and the local community?”

  The Angel thought for a second, running options through in his mind before speaking. “It’s only a small village. We could contain the filth to the area and pray for Celestial intervention to purge them from the land in a rain of fire or flood.”

  “What about the villagers?” I asked.

  “In all things there is a greater plan designed for the greater good of us all. If He cleanses the world from its evils then all innocents involved will be granted access through the Heavenly gates and welcomed to his side.” the words from the Angel’s lips sounded like a sermon from a vicar reading from their good book. It sounded convincing and preferable to continued existence.

  “But there are children here. Men and women living their lives. What about them?”

  “He will grant them all immortality within Heaven and who would want less for their loved ones?”

  “There has to be another way. It would be like a bomb had been dropped here and destroyed everything!” I called raising my voice.

  “Better a bomb here than a wasteland covering the world in entirety, here, above and below. The greater good is at stake. Would you condemn every man, woman and child to an eternity of damnation if even one creature got out? Plagues come and plagues go and many have prayed for them to stop by sacrificing the few to save the many.”

  “And you call yourself an Angel?” I demanded of him.

  “I do. Do you believe you are a humanitarian when you may gamble with the fate of billions over the few?” he replied. “I am not human, I do not think with the stunted view based on a limited experience. I have lived amongst you all for a century of centuries and I have seen great civilisations raise themselves up from swamps and deserts and I have seen them crash back into them. Humans are very resilient and bounce back from any eventuality.” Harahel looked at me whilst saying this and I knew, looking into those eyes that he was indeed not human only human in appearance and with eyes like his I wasn’t even sure that his current
form was the one he had been created in; it seemed to me like he wore it as a suit and could just as easily be changed. I couldn’t argue with his logic but I couldn’t agree with him over his conclusion or solution so I walked out and went to potter around in the upstairs garden and gather strength enjoying around the trees and broad leaf plants like the monkeys I descended from so I could pretend I wasn't sulking.

  I don't know how much time passed but I heard the front door slam and the Saab drive away along the long lane back to the main road.

  15:45

  At first the jungle that was the upper floor jungle that was the upper garden At first the jungle that was the upper floor garden was intimidating and oppressive. The fullness of green that filled almost every spare space was made more bold by the flash of colour that poured in through the sporadic flowers of rare or previously believed extinct species. I didn't know that when I entered after sucking up a primal fear of what could be hiding behind just out of sight with any number of teeth ready to devour anything stupid enough to stray into their path. It was the same feeling of butterflies in my tummy when I delicately dip a toe into unknown water hoping no shark or creature from the depths would surge up and remove the aforementioned digit even in an indoor swimming pool. Once through the verdant foliage it closed behind me sealing the path all around but I felt safe and protected, almost womb-like in its support. I walked, gently fingering the fronds, needles, ferns and wide leathery leaves thrilling at the unique sensations of each new sensation generated from each touch. Not just this but all my senses were feasting on the abundance of new stimuli and sensations. Smells drifted from every surface with tingled within my nose often causing me to sneeze loudly.

  I saw light beaming through the room and followed its source to the impossibly large window which reflected and refracted the light into a myriad of rainbow dots across every available surface which flittered into my eyes and pleasantly blinded me momentarily as I stepped in front of the window. I was in the light surrounded by it as if it were a solid thing and inhabiting the same space as my body. The window offered another sight, one just as unique and surprising and although I knew somewhere within me it could happen, nay, will happen. I just didn't actually believe it would. Along the long lane that formed the driveway from the main road, past the gate cottage and up to the front door of Fernum House, walked a very familiar figure. From this angle I could see her shoulder length hair falling out of the scrunchy and in need of a decent brush. Did she realise she didn't really suit that colour? It didn't complement her natural colourings at all and, Oh my, is that a start of a wobble around her bum? Someone should really suggest a few more long walks in place of tube or taxi journeys during everyday 'office' tasks. I patted my waist and bum feeling the curves both natural and developing and promised myself a gym, swim and sauna membership with this month's paycheck.