A Gathering of Crows

by Brian Keene

  The other crow swooped at Donny. He dropped to his knees and scrabbled in the yard for Levi’s copy of The Long Lost Friend, picking it up at the last instant. The bird’s attack missed. Screeching, both crows circled around again.

  “Leave the youth alone,” Levi shouted at them.

  “Your fight is with me now. Face me as men.”

  The three human-shaped figures stopped before him, laughing.

  “But we are not men, little magus,” the tallest said. “We have not been men for quite some time.”

  Which means that they once were, Levi thought, fighting the urge to grin. I might have been right. They might be some form of revenant—ones with the ability to change shape.

  The two birds joined their brothers and resumed human form. The five figures surrounded him, hovering only an arm’s length away.

  “Your quarrel is with me,” he told them. “I bested you earlier. Let the others go unharmed and face me again.”

  The tallest gnashed its teeth. “You do not give orders to our kind, Levi, son of Amos. We will do as we wish.”

  “Cowards.”

  “Still your tongue, bearded one. We’ll feed until there is nothing left.”

  “Levi,” Donny shouted, “look out!”

  The shortest of the five slashed at Levi with its talons.

  He sidestepped the attack and pulled one of his hands free from his pockets. In his fist was a handful of salt. Levi tossed it into the creature’s snarling face and yelled, “Ia, edin na zul. Ia Ishtari, ios daneri, ut nemo descendre fhatagn Shtar! God, guide my hand.”

  The effect was immediate and remarkable. Hissing, the shadow-man recoiled as if Levi had splashed battery acid in its face. Levi grinned as his opponent flung its clawed hands into the air and screeched—a long, warbling, tea-kettle sound that rose in intensity and seemed to have no end. The dark figure stumbled backward, colliding with its brothers, and violently shook its head from side to side.

  Levi held up another fistful of salt. “Come on, then. I have plenty to go around.”

  The creatures held their ground, staring at him with unbridled hate.

  Levi backed up slowly, not taking his gaze from them. He stopped when he reached Donny. Without turning around, he whispered, “Move with me toward the house. Don’t panic. As long as you have the book, they can’t touch you.”

  “It’s not me I’m worried about, dude. It’s you.”

  “I’m fine. Now come on.”

  He and Donny moved as one, shuffling toward the house. The three men in the doorway—Levi couldn’t remember if Donny had given him their names or not—had watched the confrontation and stalemate in horror, as if not quite believing what they were seeing. Levi and Donny moved slowly, circling around their foes. The dark figures turned with them, watching. Then, just as Levi and Donny had almost passed them, all five charged at once, flinging themselves at the men.

  “Go!” Levi shoved Donny forward. The younger man stumbled but did not fall. For one terrifying second, Levi thought he might try to stay and fight, but he obeyed, running toward the house—a soldier to the end, following orders.

  Heat flared in Levi’s back as one of the attackers slashed at him. The claws ripped through his clothing and into his flesh. Levi responded by tossing salt over his shoulder, and felt a vicious, satisfying thrill as the creature screamed in obvious torment. A blow landed on his left shoulder and Levi’s entire arm went numb. Moving quickly, he grabbed another fistful of salt with his good arm and spun in a circle, flinging it in a wide arc. Again, the attackers fell back.

  “You don’t have an unlimited supply,” one of them croaked. “Already the bulge in your pockets lessens.”

  “I have enough,” he said through gritted teeth, trying to ignore the pain in his back and shoulder. His left arm still had no feeling. It hung limp and useless. “Try me, if you like.”

  “Bah.” The tallest of the five spat on the ground and the grass withered where the saliva landed. It took a tentative step toward him and Levi feinted with the salt. The creature stopped.

  “You are a worthless adversary,” it taunted. “Gone are the days when any of your kind provided us with a worthy challenge.”

  “Oh, I’m sure there have been many of my kind who defeated you easily enough. We’re a resourceful bunch, us humans.”

  “Only the red men. Their shamans were worthy. Even still, they retreated when we carved our master’s name in a tree to glorify him. That is because they feared us—and him.”

  The red men! It took all of Levi’s will to keep from smiling with glee. The entity obviously meant the Native Americans. Another vital clue and a further piece of the almost-completed puzzle.

  “You are from Roanoke.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Your master’s true name is Meeble.”

  The creature sounded surprised. “Well done, little magus. You know Croatoan’s real name, and therefore, I must surmise that you know what he is capable of, as are we, his faithful servants. And yet still you stand against us. Perhaps you are not so worthless an adversary after all.”

  It all made sense now. Levi was overwhelmed by a sudden sense of frustration. How could he have not seen it before? Five shadowy figures—the five Roanoke colonists who had worshipped Meeble, now turned into some sort of psychic vampires, eating the souls of the living and carrying on their master’s work. His theory had been correct. They were revenants of a kind, and although he still didn’t know their names (he would have, if he’d had access to his library back home) he knew how to stop them. It was important, however, that they not know that he knew. Not until he was ready.

  “You’re wrong,” he said. “I can’t stand against you after all.”

  He turned and fled. Laughing, the five figures raced after him, sliding to a halt as Levi abruptly wheeled around and faced them again.

  “And now, for my next trick . . .”

  “What—?”

  He pointed his index finger and focused his will.

  “Hbbi Massa danti Lantien. I, Levi Stoltzfus, son of Amos Stoltzfus, breathe upon thee.”

  “No! He seeks to trick us, brothers, as he did me, earlier tonight.”

  Levi scattered the rest of his salt at his feet in a wide arc, holding them back just long enough to finish. “Three drops of blood I take from you. The first from your heart. The second from your liver. The third from your vital powers. In this, I deprive you of your strength and vitality. Now crawl on the ground like the worm you are. You’ll raise no hand against me.”

  All five of the creatures collapsed on their bellies, faces pressed against the wet grass and dirt. They roared in anger, struggling as their movements slowed.

  “That never gets old.” Levi winked at them. Then he turned and ran for the house. “Thank you, Lord. That was close. A little too close for comfort.”

  “You know this is pointless,” one of the creatures howled. “It didn’t work before. It won’t work now. You will only delay us.”

  “A delay is all I need.”

  Levi leaped over the dead man lying in the yard.

  His face was missing, and grass clippings stuck to the glistening musculature covering his skull.

  One of the men standing at the front door called to Levi as he approached. His ruddy cheeks shone with wetness and his eyes were bloodshot.

  “That’s my brother.” He pointed at the body.

  “Help him.”

  Levi slowed as he approached them. He recognized the distraught man as Gus Pheasant, one of the brothers who operated the town’s automobile-repair shop. They’d directed Levi to Esther’s boarding house when he first arrived in Brinkley Springs—a moment that now seemed as if it had happened in the distant past.

  “I’m sorry,” Levi said. “But your brother is beyond my care. He’s dead.”

  “Bullshit. Donny told us you’re some kind of voodoo doctor. Make him better. Do some witchcraft or whatever it is you do.”

  “I can’t. It’s beyond my abilit
y. I really am sorry.”

  Gus began to weep again. He leaned against the grizzled mountain man.

  “This is Axel,” Donny said, introducing an elderly man standing in the doorway. “And that’s Paul. And you already know Gus.”

  Levi nodded, rubbing his still-numb arm. “Gentlemen. I’m sorry we couldn’t meet under better circumstances.”

  “Donny says you can help us,” Paul said. His voice was gruff and serious—and tired. “I’d ask you if it was true, but I saw how you just handled yourself against those . . . whatever the hell they are. I reckon you can hold your own.”

  “I can help,” Levi said. “But you need to do exactly what I tell you, and we need to move quickly. That won’t hold them for long.”

  Donny handed Levi his book. “What’s the plan?”

  “We need to run.”

  “That’s what we were going to do,” Axel said. “Gus, Greg and Paul had a plan to get out of town.”

  “You wouldn’t have been able to,” Levi said. “This town is enveloped in a soul cage.”

  “I don’t know about any of that,” Axel replied.

  “But I’m all for going wherever you think is best.”

  “Good. We must leave right now.”

  “I need to check on my dogs first,” Paul said. “We left them in the pen back at my place, before we knew exactly what was happening. I’ve been gone too long. I need to make sure they’re okay.”

  Levi stared into the mountain man’s eyes and realized that, despite his no-nonsense demeanor, Paul was in shock.

  “I’m sorry,” Levi apologized, “but if your dogs were alive when you left them, then they aren’t any longer. Our foes aren’t content to just kill us. They seek to snuff out every living thing in this town. I suspect that they can track us simply by our life force. They can see it the way some creatures can see in the infrared spectrum. That’s how they’ve ferreted out the survivors in hiding.”

  “You don’t know my dogs. They’ve faced down black bears.”

  “Our foes are not bears. I’m sorry, but your dogs’ fate is certain.”

  Gus straightened up and wiped his nose with the back of his hand, smearing his face with snot. He seemed oblivious to it. “Why are they doing this?”

  “Because they can. Because it pleases them to do so. And because this is what they were created to do.” Levi glanced over his shoulder and was alarmed to see that the five revenants were already moving. “We’ve got to go. Now.”

  “Where?” Donny stared at the creatures.

  “Back to the boarding house. I can deal with them there.”

  “I can’t run that far,” Axel said. “You boys will have to go on without me.”

  Donny turned to him. “No offense, Mr. Perry, but fuck that. We’re not leaving you behind.”

  “Not to mention Jean and her boy,” Paul said.

  “Who?” Levi asked.

  “Jean Sullivan,” Axel said, “and her young son, Bobby. They’re hiding down in my basement.”

  “Can the boy run?”

  “They can both run,” Axel said, “but I’ll just slow you down. I can’t walk ten steps without my arthritis flaring up, let alone run all the way across town.”

  Donny gripped Levi’s arm. “Whatever you plan on doing, can’t you just do it here? Why do we have to go back to Esther’s?”

  “I need to trap them,” Levi said. “The boarding house is already prepared. All it will take is a minor alteration. There’s no time to set a trap here.”

  “Levi, son of Amos!”

  They all stared at the revenants. One of them had regained his feet, and stood—hunchbacked and crooked, but standing nevertheless. It pointed at him.

  “They’ll be free soon,” Levi said. “I’m very sorry, Mr. Perry. If we had more time.”

  Axel waved a hand. “Don’t apologize, son. Just get the others to safety. I’ll fetch Jean and Bobby.”

  “We ain’t leaving without you,” Paul said. “Bad enough I left my dogs behind. I daresay the same won’t happen to you.”

  “Damn straight,” Gus agreed, staring at his brother’s corpse. “We ain’t gone through all of this just to leave you behind, Axel. That wouldn’t be very neighborly. Wouldn’t be very Christian, either.”

  Donny turned to Levi. His eyes were pleading. “There has to be something you can do. We can make a stand here.”

  Levi glanced back at their foes and sighed long and mournfully. Then he turned back to them. His expression was grave.

  “Take me to the woman and her child.”

  “And?”

  “And then do exactly as I say.”

  Axel shut the door behind them and led the group back through the house and down into the basement. A lone candle burned. A young, pretty woman and a young boy who looked exactly like her sat huddled in the corner. The woman was stroking the boy’s hair and whispering in his ear. They looked up as the men entered, and stared at Levi in confusion.

  “You can call him Levi Stoltzfus,” Donny said. “He’s here to help. Levi, this is Jean and Bobby Sullivan.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Jean said. Then she turned to Donny. “And I’m sorry about your mom. I haven’t had a chance to see you since you came back.”

  “Yeah,” Donny said. “Hell of a homecoming.”

  “That it is, hon. That it is.”

  “You lit a candle?” Paul pointed.

  “I had to,” Jean explained. “Bobby was scared. I figured one wouldn’t hurt.”

  Levi focused on their surroundings, studying the layout of the cellar and quickly inventorying its contents. He talked as he walked around the room.

  “The universe is a lot bigger—and a lot more complex—than any of you know. Consider for a moment that the universe is infinite. Then consider the number of planets that infinite space must contain. Staggering, yes? And yet, that is only a very small part of what makes up the universe. There are other dimensions and other realities, and each of them are infinite, as well.”

  He paused in front of a door and peeked inside. It opened into a shallow closet, inside of which were three shelves overflowing with old board games and forgotten winter clothing. He closed the door and continued.

  “There is a way to move between all of these different worlds in all of these various dimensions and realities. It’s called the Labyrinth. Think of it as a dimensional shortcut of sorts. It weaves through time and space, nowhere and yet everywhere all at once. It connects to everything. Everything. Many supernatural beings—creatures beyond mankind’s knowledge—use it to travel between worlds and traverse dimensions. Some humans have traveled though it, as well. Sadly, for them, such an endeavor usually leads to tragedy. Normally, the only time we’re meant to see the Labyrinth is when our spirit has departed our body and we travel to the realms of existence beyond this one. But there are ways to pass though it while still alive. Safe ways. All it takes is the knowledge of how to open one of the doorways.”

  “Sounds like an episode of Doctor Who,” Donny said.

  Levi frowned. “I’ve never heard of it. I don’t watch much television.”

  “I hadn’t heard of it either until I went to Iraq. A buddy of mine used to watch it on his laptop. Guy flies around in a phone booth and goes to different worlds and stuff.”

  “A friend of mine,” Levi said, “a reporter named Maria, told me that scientists call this string theory— different dimensions stacked up against each other like membranes. They are partially right. It sounds like this doctor program is partially right, as well.”

  “Not for nothing,” Paul said, “but how does any of this help us?”

  Levi pulled out his compass and studied it. To his dismay, the needle simply spun in a circle, not settling on any one point. He wondered if this could be some sort of residual effect of the soul cage, or if the compass was simply faulty. He put it back in his vest pocket and turned to Axel.

  “You wouldn’t happen to own a compass, would you Mr. Perry, or anything else
that I could use to determine direction?”

  “No,” Axel replied, “but if you need to know which direction is which, I can help you there. If you turn round, back to that broom closet you were just snooping in, you’ll be facing due north.”

  “Excellent.” Levi glanced at the ceiling. “And there are no eaves or decorations over our heads. Were it not for everything else, this would be absolutely perfect.”

  Donny shook his head. “Everything else?”

  “Normally, I would fast before attempting this working. Also, I’m missing some of the ingredients. Understand, I’m not a novice. I can do this without them. It just makes me uncomfortable—uneasy—to do so. These are forces that it’s better not to tamper with.”

  “I don’t have a fucking clue what you just said.”

  Levi chuckled. “That’s okay, Donny. It’s probably better that you don’t.”

  “Just do whatever it is you’ve got to do,” Paul said.

  “I need a minute to myself.”

  “Do we have another minute?” Gus asked. “Will those things stay stuck outside that long?”

  “Let us hope so. Could one of you snuff out the candle?”

  Paul did as he’d asked. Levi fell silent. He stood in front of the closet door, bowed his head, folded his hands in front of him and then closed his eyes. His breathing grew shallow. He remained like that for a moment, feeling their gaze upon him.

  “The hell is he doing?” Gus whispered.

  “I don’t know,” Paul said. “Heck of a time for a nap.”

  “Maybe he’s praying,” Jean said.

  “Leave him alone, guys.” Donny’s tone was stern.

  “I’ve seen him do things tonight that . . . well, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you, even with everything that’s happened.”

  “None of this seems very Christian,” Gus said. “I thought Amish folks were Christians.”