literal leigh 05.6 - karma inc

by Melanie James

  “Help. Help me.” It was a man’s voice, quiet and weak. Raspy.

  And it scared the hell out of me. I looked around the room and noticed another old wooden door. It must have been the one that led outside, the one we spotted Henry going into.

  A man was lying on his side, trying to lift himself up. “Please…help…”

  “Oh Shit!” I ran to him and just as I suspected when I first noticed him, it was Henry. The caretaker had been hit in the head. A bright red contusion was bulging just off center on his forehead. “I’m here. I’ll help you. Besides your head, are you hurt anywhere else?”

  “No. Just…this.” He pointed to his head. “Got knocked out, I think.”

  “What’s the quickest way out of here?” I asked as I helped him to his feet. He staggered, and it was all I could do to keep him upright.

  “There. That goes to the yard.” He pointed to the door.

  “I was hoping that was the door. What happened to you? Have you seen anyone else?”

  “Yes…the tenants. The redhead. That waitress and a little weird green fella. I was coming up the road and saw lights on, so I went to see who went in here. I found those three nosing around. Then the young woman I set up the lease with showed up.”

  I must have turned completely pale. “Gisele. Damn!”

  “Damn is right! She was crazy. Flying around in here. She went after those three, and I got thrown against the wall. That’s the last thing I remember.”

  “All right. I’ll figure out where they went, but first, let’s get you into the yard. Can you walk now?”

  “Sure. I’ll make it.”

  We went out the door and came back around to the stairs that went up to the stone porch. Randy must have heard Henry and me coming. “Hey! Is that Henry? What the hell did you do to him?” Millie and Gertie came to take a look, and they whisked Henry away to the couch. Gertie wasn’t much help. From the smoke hanging in the air, Max had indulged in another of his cigars and Gertie had once again reaped the side effects.

  “Not me, the monster. And according to Henry, it managed to leave with Ezzy, Barney, and Morgan after they tried to fight it.”

  “By the look of things, Ezzy was onto something before they went exploring. Millie and I came across several reference books she must have zapped up here about various supernatural beings. The strangest thing, though, she wasn’t looking up anything about ghosts, vampires, or even werebears.”

  “What was she looking for?”

  “Water creatures, more specifically, water fairies of some kind. At least those were the sections of the books she left open. We don’t know which of the ones they were interested in. Apparently, there are dozens of different kinds.”

  Henry took an icepack from his head. “Vodnik.”

  “The Vodniks? The landlords here? What about them?” I asked.

  “No, no. Vodnik is the name they use, but it’s also what they are.” Henry squinted while he talked, obviously in pain.

  “I think you’ve been hit on the head a little too hard, Henry,” Randy replied.

  “Vodnik, Vodnik in the brook, put a fish on Gertie’s hook.” Gertie danced around while Max beat out a rhythm on the coffee table with his hands.

  “Oh, Christ. Gertie, please.” Randy put his hands lightly on Gertie’s waist in an attempt to steer her away from the conversation. She assumed it was a request for a dance. She grabbed Randy’s hand, bowing to make a perfect little curtsey. Together they twirled, skipped, and dipped across the room until she took her seat between Uncle Carmine and Max.

  “She’s right!” Henry pointed at Gertie.

  Randy laughed at Henry’s comment. “What? Gertie? No, she’s not right. She’s totally stoned out of her flippin’ mind.”

  “Look in your book. There is a water fairy called a Vodnik. They come from Bohemia. You know, Czechs.”

  I skimmed through the chapter and sure enough, just like Henry said, the Vodnik was listed. Millie and Randy peered over my shoulders as I read little facts out loud. “I’ll be damned. Vodnik. A type of water spirit. They live in fresh water and look human. Most of them appear to be very old and they never age. That’s just how Gabe described the Vodniks! And it says they can live outside of the water for up to a day, but always have to return to the water. Just like humans, some are good and some are bad. Local fisherman will put a pinch of tobacco in the water before fishing and ask Lord Vodnik to give them fish in exchange. Similar creatures don’t look human at all. They look like giant salamanders or toads. Those are known to drown people who swim in their water. How about that? I guess it explains the legends. Henry, you’re telling us the landlords here are not just named Vodnik, they’re actually these water fairies. Right?”

  “Exactly right.”

  “Where are they? And do they have anything to do with the monster who attacked you and took our friends?”

  “I don’t know if Gisele knows about them. They hired me over a hundred years ago to help them build this mill and to watch over it while they’re in their water lands. I made a deal with them, and I stopped aging the day I made the deal, but I kind of regret it now. With everything that’s happening.”

  “Are they good or evil?” Randy asked pointedly.

  “Oh, they’re definitely good. They’re a very nice couple. The big spring up the hill is what brought them to this area. They told me the spring is very rare because of the magic it produces. They searched the globe looking for just the right spring. Not only does this one attract them because of the magic, there’s more. At the bottom of the spring, there’s a deep tunnel that connects the spring to an underground reservoir system. Supposedly, that’s their kingdom. From what I’ve been told, the Ojibwe know it, too. They say there were warriors who swam to the bottom, went into the tunnel, and came back up as bears. Some say descendants of those warriors are still around. Like werewolves, except bears.”

  “Werebears,” I said.

  “Yeah. I suppose you could say that.”

  “My friend told me a story about the mill. Something about people being drowned by a creature. When you say the Vodniks are nice, it seems a little fishy.”

  “A little fishy!” Gertie roared with laughter. “That was awesome, Kelly baby! The Vodniks seem a little fishy. Get it, Max?”

  “Did I get what? I was imagining this underground water kingdom. Hey! You think it might be Atlantis?”

  “Oh. God. Someone taze me. Please.” Randy slapped his forehead.

  “Anyway, Henry. What about the drownings?”

  “No child ever drowned or died here at the mill. Here’s the secret of the legends and stories. The Vodniks were the first of their race to have a child in centuries. If you listen carefully to the old stories, they’re always about some kid nobody knows. He’s from out of town or something. He goes into the water and never resurfaces and no dead body is ever recovered. What really happened is someone saw the young Vodnik boy jump into the water. They assumed it was a human boy who must have drowned because humans can’t stay under water for hours or days at a time. A young Vodnik may not resurface for days, and when he does, he might resurface inside the mill. You’ve seen the pool down in the grain room that leads to the pond? That’s just another door to the Vodniks.”

  Uncle Carmine suddenly had a moment of clarity. “What in the hell does any of this Vodnik stuff have to do with the monster?”

  “I don’t know exactly. My guess is that Ezzy or maybe Barney saw something down in the machinery room. Maybe it was one of the Vodniks, so they went to research it. They started to head back and that’s when the monster showed up. I think it’s just a coincidence, more or less. But it might be the kind of coincidence we can use to our advantage. These Vodniks sound very powerful among the supernatural creatures. Perhaps they can help rid us of the monster. You were the one to tell me that you are only as powerful as your allies. We need the Vodniks.”

  “Henry, tell me how we go about arranging a sit down with the Vodniks.”

/>   “I’ll make the call.”

  “Make the call! Damn, that reminds me, I need to make a call.” I walked out of the room and dialed Gabe’s number. We needed Gabe’s knowledge of the heavily wooded countryside and hopefully a good scent-tracking nose. I was sure bears must have an excellent sense of smell. I also wanted to apologize for missing the barbeque. He answered immediately.

  “Gabe, I need your help. Can you come over to the mill? It’s an emergency. Henry was attacked. Ezzy, Barney, and Morgan are missing, and we’re going to war against a supernatural enemy.”

  “Be right there.” The call ended with Gabe’s answer. I thought about Henry’s story regarding the origin of the local werebears and wondered if Henry’s version matched Gabe’s.

  Chapter Thirty Five

  The Vodniks

  Gabe’s arm wrapped around my waist the second I opened the door. “How’s Henry?”

  “He took a pretty good bump to the head, but he’s an amazingly quick healer. He had a really nasty contusion, but it’s gone already. Even so, my friend Millie is keeping an eye on him.”

  “Really? Please tell me you guys didn’t cure him with the same healing magic you used on me? I don’t think he could handle it!”

  “No. In Fact, Henry told us an amazing story.” I quickly brought Gabe up to speed with the story Henry told us. It was clear it was the first he had ever heard about what the Vodniks really were.

  “Wow. That explains a lot. I knew there was something about them. As far as the origins of the werebears, it matches the story I heard. The legend that has been passed through my family for generations has always claimed it all started as a gift from the water spirit of the spring. I don’t have a lot to go on, my grandfather on my dad’s side was the only Ojibwe in my family, and he died when I was just a kid. Unfortunately, his stories were lost.”

  “I’m going to check with Henry to see if he got a hold of the Vodniks.”

  “Keep everyone inside until I get back. I’m going to try to pick up their scent. I may be gone for a few hours, depending on where they went.” Gabe kissed me before he headed outside.

  I watched from the window, mesmerized as Gabe’s transformation took place. I’m not sure what I expected, I’ve never witnessed a shift from human to animal before. Did it hurt?

  In the light of the full moon, Gabe stretched his arms in front of him. Every muscle swelled larger than his normal frame could hold. It looked as though his body would surely explode. His neck and head were the first to change from human to bear. The rest of his body followed within seconds. I gasped in surprise at the final result. Not only was Gabe huge, I wanted to run my fingers through his dark thick fur to find out if it was as soft as it looked.

  The next thing I knew, Gabe’s nose was down in the grass, zig-zagging slowly across the open area near the machine room door. Suddenly, he stopped, giving the ground one last sniff. I was surprised when Gabe bolted away into the dark. I expected a goofy, lumbering attempt of a run. I had no idea bears could move so fast. “Looks like Gabe already has their scent and is tracking them.”

  Behind me, Randy and Henry returned from the pantry. Henry looked a bit flush and made his way back to the couch. Randy joined me at the window. “I saw the pool you told us about, Kelly. Kind of a frightening thing to have in your basement.”

  “Is that where Henry went to find the Vodniks?”

  “Yeah. Henry scribbled something on a rock he found by the edge and chucked it into the water. I guess that’s how they get their messages.”

  “Did he say how long it would be before he expects to hear from them?”

  “He said we should hear back pretty quickly, whatever that means. Your werebear found the scent?”

  “Yeah, he’s in hot pursuit.” I watched for anymore movement, but he was gone. “All we can do is wait.”

  “Hey there, Kelly! I don’t know what kind of magic Max has been using, but it’s got me feeling very strange. What’s it like to do it with a bear? I love bears. I imagine it would be like the best thing ever. Like a great big giant, furry, fuzzy teddy bear making love to you. How do they do it? Like dogs or like monkeys? Does he growl and snarl?” Gertie asked excitedly.

  “Gertie! Just to set the record straight, when we did it, he was just regular, human Gabe.”

  Even though she was still higher than a kite, Gertie was instantly disappointed with my answer. “Well, then what’s the point of having a werebear boyfriend if you’re not going to have bear sex?”

  “I’m not with him because he’s a werebear! I found out about that little detail after.”

  “Would you care if I just hugged him? I mean, when he’s a bear. Or would that be inappropriate, considering he’d be naked? Unless you count all that fur as having clothes on—”

  Randy took Gertie’s hand. “Come on, Gertie. Let’s go find Millie. She’s probably more interested in discussing the sexual habits of bears.”

  As time dragged on, I became more and more nervous the longer it took for Gabe to return. What if the monster captured him as well? The same loud and unsettling booming noise that had perplexed us since our arrival started up again. “Not again!” Randy clamped his hands over his ears.

  “Shhh, listen. Someone is coming up the steps…back in the pantry.” I heard more than one person’s footsteps.

  “The Vodniks are here,” Henry remarked.

  An elderly couple, both with fair skin and shocking white hair, entered the living room. The man wore nothing more than a black speedo and the woman wore a skimpy bikini. They both had a towel around their necks and a big welcoming smile on their faces.

  “Millie! You should have told me we were going to another swinger party! Right on! Are you in on this, Gertie?” Max looked at Gertie as if she were a tempting choice on an otherwise disappointing buffet.

  “I love to swing. And the higher the better!” Of course, naïve Gertie had no idea what perversions Max was talking about. I could almost see the picture of herself, she surely painted in her high little head, complete with a park on a warm sunny day and a brightly colored swing set.

  “Right on!” Max high fived Gertie.

  Randy shook his head and mumbled, “I couldn’t make this shit up if I tried.”

  A young boy, who appeared to be no more than twelve, belatedly joined the Vodnik couple. The man patted the boy’s head, then he addressed us. “Welcome to our home! We’ve been keeping an eye on these strange events, and I’m sure you all have many questions. We’ve had many of the same ones, and we may have figured out something interesting.”

  “Thank God. I’m going nuts trying to figure out how we’ll get rid of this murdering monster. It keeps getting worse. Now three of our friends are missing. It’s a train wreck.”

  “I’m sure we can solve this together. Henry rented the mill to a young woman, Gisele. Of course, he took her word that she was a writer looking for a quiet retreat. It wasn’t until later that my wife and I sensed she was no ordinary human. We watched her for a while, keeping a close eye on her. She tore through this place, looking for something. One day she was cursing out loud about a copper box. We knew nothing about a copper box, and I was tempted to come out of the water to confront her before she ruined our home. But…I sensed evil in her. We all did.” Mrs. Vodnik and the boy both nodded in agreement.

  “A copper box? It had to have been the one from the Delfino palazzo!” Now we were getting somewhere. I pumped my fist in the air with excitement as another piece of the puzzle snapped into place.

  “Yes, exactly. And how did I know that?” He turned around. “Junior, show her the box.” The boy held a copper box, it was about the size of a shoebox. “Go ahead, open it,” Mr. Vodnik urged.

  I opened the box with everyone crowding around me to see what was inside. Randy lifted out a papyrus scroll marked with strange Egyptian-like hieroglyphics. There was also a small old book, just like the Latin book Gisele described. I had seen enough old grimoires to recognize one immediately. �
�It’s a spell book for sure. I don’t know what the scroll is, but I assume it’s another list of spells, just older,” I commented. “How did you come by this box?” I was both curious and suspicious.

  “My son can be a little hard to handle. He doesn’t want to follow the laws of the dry landers. If he finds something he likes, he takes it. It’s the way of our people, so I can’t blame him there. But that only goes for things found in the water.” He looked at the boy. “Right, son?”

  “Yeah. Whatever.”

  “See what I mean? Anyway, the day the big man moved to town—the man from Chicago.”

  “Jimmy Catania?”

  “Yes. That man. When he moved here, there were several trucks with his belongings. They parked the trucks in town the first night. My boy went rifling through them and found this box. He liked it, so he took it. We didn’t know anything about it until Gisele fussed around here looking for it.”

  “What made her think it was here?”

  The boy answered. “She saw me with it one day. I took it to the pawn shop and they were interested in it, but the cheap bastards wouldn’t give me more than twenty bucks for it. I bet it’s worth hundreds of thousands. I mean, come on! It’s full of real ancient Egyptian shit and wizard stuff.”