by Martha Carr
"You haven't done anything wrong," said Leira, yelling over the noise, stepping back from the encroaching mist. Suddenly she realized what she had missed before. A calm came over her. "In fact, you've helped me," she yelled. "I see a way, at least a next step!" It's the strength of the energy. This thing is able to rip open a hole and keeps looking for me. We can use that. "I will find a way..."
Leira wanted to reassure the girl but just as the darkness came over her a light appeared from behind the mist, edging it out, slicing through it effortlessly, bathing Casey in its glow. Suddenly, she was transformed and Leira could see what she must have looked like when she was alive. The wound in her forehead disappeared. A calm came over Casey.
"You have been so brave," shouted Leira over the noise. "You helped us find your killer and saved others from becoming his victim. I know you were trying to warn me about that darkness. It's okay, Casey. I got the clue you were trying to give me. There is a way, I can feel it. You've given me hope." The light shot through Casey, enveloping her as she faded into it, still smiling as the rip in the world in between closed. "Good job, Casey." Leira turned to the general who was back on his feet. She looked at Agent Rolfe, still holding his gun, his arms shaking.
"General," said Leira, "this isn't going to work for me. I'll need someone new." She gently took the gun out of Rolfe's hands, laying it down on the card table and picked up her new service revolver. "Not your fault, Rolfe. That was some messed up shit. Good rule of thumb, though. Don't try to shoot the already dead. The rules tend to be different."
"Leira." The general looked weary, picking up his hat off the floor. "You're a very special young woman. That was an amazing act of courage, even compassion."
"General, you were pretty impressive yourself. I suppose this means you're going to have even more trouble finding me a partner."
"That's a good estimation. You okay on your own for now?"
"I am and I have backup if I need it. Call me when you have a case. I'll be ready. Look forward to seeing the place when there's walls, minus the new bullet holes." She smiled at Rolfe who had stopped shaking and was running his hand through his hair. "Acting like a human being looks good on you, Rolfe. You should try it more often. I'll be seeing you." She slipped on her aviators and headed for the door.
CHAPTER NINE
"Why did we park so far away?" Eireka was standing at the entrance to the large hall in the convention center, a badge around her neck with a graphic on it of a non-descript super hero leaping through the air. She looked enthralled and wasn't really listening for the answer. She was clutching Leira's phone in her hand, too busy looking for someone in a costume to take a picture with.
"Do I bother to answer her? Pretty sure she's not listening to us," said Leira, smiling at her mother. She looked at Correk. "She made me bring the charger, just in case. God forbid we run out of battery and can't take a thousand pictures."
"And then just one more," said Correk, grinning. "Sure, answer her. I was wondering the same thing."
"That was the closest lot, Mom. This is a popular convention."
"That's nice, dear. Ooh, black Green Lantern." Eireka was waving the phone at the man, trying to get his attention. "Excuse me, sir..."
"It's going to be like watching a toddler all day. Oh crap, there goes the troll." Yumfuck dropped out of Correk's pocket landing neatly on his feet, balancing himself with his hands. He was off and running before Leira could reach down and scoop him up.
"Let her go. She'll be fine. The troll on the other hand will make friends with everyone before the day is through. He'll be in a hundred pictures."
"That'll be fun to explain. Aren't we worried anymore about magic being exposed?"
"We'll claim he's a teeny-tiny robot or animated. Cleverly deposited in the photo. It's Comicon!"
"You look a little giddy yourself there, Light Elf. I see you wore the full Oriceran outfit today. Good call. Even have on the cape."
"I've already gotten a compliment for my authenticity, a few winks from a woman in a Poison Ivy costume and a strange command to be backstage by one p.m.. I have no idea what that was about."
"Look at the flyer they gave us. What's at one p.m.? Oh, Chippenelves. My, my, you've been mistaken for a hunky dancer. I wonder if there's an ATM around here where I can get about forty dollars’ worth of ones. Oh look, right up against that wall."
"What's a Chippenelf?"
"I'm glad you asked. I will be happy to make sure we're at the right spot when one o'clock rolls around. Lately, I just feel luckier and luckier. Gonna have to get that phone back from Mom at some point."
"Leira, Leira, come take our picture together." Her mother already had her arm around the small-statured man dressed as Green Lantern in a padded costume.
"Ah, well, there you go. No worries about losing your mother in the crowd. You'll be her official photographer all day."
Leira gave him the dead fish look but really, she was happy. It was unsettling her. So much happy all the time. She found herself smiling for no reason standing in the kitchen that morning. Hagan would be worried if he had seen that one.
Leira snapped the picture, taking an extra one after her mother's worried look.
"Are you sure it was a good one?" asked Eireka.
Leira held her comment and took another picture. Eireka held out her hand for the phone and wandered away.
"She's not ignoring you so much as enjoying her bliss," Correk said, over her shoulder. "Careful, you're looking a little happy yourself. Might reach out and grab hold of you when you're not looking."
Leira watched her mother surround herself with an assortment of Batgirls of every height and size, asking a stranger to take a picture. She shook her head but couldn't suppress a smile.
She looked at Correk. "Speaking of things that can reach out and grab you. The thing was back and opened up another hole in the world in between. Don't throw up your corn dog. I didn't take the bait this time but I learned a few valuable nuggets."
"Can I get a picture with you?" A middle-aged woman in an all velour maroon outfit holding a shopping bag with rolled posters poking out was grinning at Correk, holding out her phone to Leira. "You take the picture?" She already had her arm around Correk's waist.
"I would be delighted to. Thank you for asking." Leira took the phone, smiling at Correk.
Quickly a short line fell in behind the woman as more people wanted a picture with the tall elf.
"Light Elf," said Correk, scowling at the teenager as he noticed the kid was holding up two fingers behind Correk's head. Another friend was photo bombing the picture in the back, grinning from ear to ear, his braces shining in the fluorescent light. Leira snapped away giving suggestions on poses.
"Try turning to the side just a little. Much better. Put out a leg? Oh, yeah, that has it."
Correk glared at her, mouthing, fireball but she gave him a crooked smile and said, "Get a little closer together. Little more, just settle on in. There you go."
The line finally faded away chasing after a well-endowed Batman. Correk pulled Leira toward the slower section with the boxes of older edition comic books. "The thing ripped another hole in the world in between?" he hissed, putting his face a little close to Leira's.
"Back it on up, just a little, hot dog breath. Yes, that's what I said." Leira scanned the crowd for Yumfuck and saw a group of ladies smiling and looking toward the floor. "I should have put a little pole with a flag on it on him. Okay, okay, yes, the big pile of very powerful dark energy showed up again. It doesn't look like anything but heavy dark fog but it feels like something. Like a lot of beings mashed together." Leira let out a sigh. "It was using that dead girl again, Casey. That's the lure. I didn't get that the first time but she wasn't contacting me of her own free will. I hope that still exists in that shit hole."
"Were there other witnesses?"
"Oh, a full regalia of G-men, guns at the ready. Though General Anderson was remarkably together and stood shoulder to should
er with me. Well, almost shoulder to shoulder," she said, holding up a hand just under her shoulder. "He's not all that tall, remember?"
"Stop joking. Even in this place, that place of nothingness is not to be toyed with."
Leira grew more serious. "I can see you still don't trust me completely or you'd know I can handle myself. This protector thing you've got going on was cute for a minute and has been helpful once or twice, although I do have a permanent troll pet but you need to get this straight. I make the decisions for me and I don't take second guesses from fucking anyone."
Correk shut his eyes, rubbing his face.
"Don't do the weary elf thing to me, either," said Leira. "This is the way it is. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad you're here and I'm happy but the rules about who I am didn't suddenly all get thrown out the window. I'm a cop at heart." She placed a hand on her chest, leaning toward him. "Yeah, I'm some kind of paranormal super agent for the government now but in my core I'm still a detective. Always will be. And day one in detective school they tell you to act as a collective but mind your own shit. I'm gonna need you to respect that."
"Quite the speech."
"Well, I haven't had Hagan around to do one-liners with on a regular basis. The pressure was building. I was bound to blow. Do you want to know what I figured out or do you need to preen a little more so we know you're older than I am, know more about magic, can leap tall buildings in a single bound?"
"I know that one," he said, chastened. "Superman. You're right, I apologize," he said with a sweeping bow.
"What the fuck are you doing? A normal, I'm sorry will do for future reference. I'm figuring there will be a future apology from you at some point about something."
"Tell me what you found out."
"Two things," she said, holding up two fingers. "First one, there actually is a way out for the dead. Casey seemed to shift, like she made up her mind about something or found some courage to do the right thing. Not sure about that part just yet, but after she did that the darkness was taken over by a beautiful white light. There's really no other description for it. Don't go weird on me. I don't know what it was but she suddenly looked whole again. Alive. Happy. And then the light kind of took her over and she dissolved into it. Her energy just poof!" Leira spread her fingers in the air.
She caught a glimpse of her mother standing next to the pastel-colored yellow, blue and green VW van from Scooby Doo. There was an oversized Scooby Doo doll leaning out the driver's side window. Eireka was getting her picture taken with her arm around the dog.
"The dead can leave the world in between," said Correk, amazed, his eyes wide. "Two moons, in all these years no one has discovered that and you find out you have abilities and just like that..."
"Yes, I'm amazing. We've established that. Let's get back to the other, and frankly more important thing to me. There is a definite way to get Nana out of the world in between but it involves a bit of risk and we'll need help."
"I'm listening."
"Toni! You're here!" Leira spotted the large, fluffy afro bouncing her way. Toni threw open her arms, wrapping Leira in her embrace.
"Well, of course we're here! It's Comicon! It's reverse Halloween for us. We dress up like we normally look. You see that guy over there in the skin tight green suit with leaves all over himself. Wood Elf showing off. And the tall Ymir from Marvel Comics? That's a Crystal man from Oriceran walking around naked. Nobody can tell what's crystal and what he should be putting away. Although I admit, I've stood close to him a few times just to cool off in this crowd. He brings his own AC everywhere he goes. Just don't let him hug you tight, you know what I mean? You bring your mom?"
Leira pointed to Eireka chatting up one of the men from Beverly Hills 90210.
"Oooh, that's the cute one. Good job, Mom. She's not wasting any time. You turn on the magical antenna to figure out who's who yet? I figure it's at about seventy percent our folk and thirty percent humanoids out having a fun day. If they only knew they're rubbing elbows with the real deal!"
Toni's joy was infectious.
Leira took a deep breath to center herself in the middle of the noise, stepping off to the side and pulled in just enough energy to light up the magical beings in the room. More oversized fireflies everywhere. She smiled when she saw her mother light up and held out her hand to see there was light surrounding that as well.
"Like a giant reunion," she said, awe in her voice.
Correk stood back looking anxious. Leira knew he was busting at the seams to ask her about the world in between but Toni was who she needed to tell even more.
***
"Toni, if we brought together the crowd that was at the Jackalope, how much combined energy do you think we'd have?" Leira waited patiently for her answer. Let her answer...
"I don't know. Pretty powerful I would guess. That's not usually our thing. Dark magic is into that whole group orgasm."
"What if there was a good enough reason?" Leira's voice grew serious and Toni stopped looking out at the crowd.
"Like what kind of reason?" Toni tilted her head to one side, her afro brushing against her shoulder.
"Like breaking someone out of the world in between." Leira stood stock still. She had to get Toni on her side if anyone else would even consider the risk. Correk cleared his throat like he wanted to say something but Leira glared at him, narrowing her eyes. He moved his jaw around but said nothing.
"I have the beginning of an idea to break my grandmother out of the world in between."
Toni gasped and put her hand to her throat. "No one tangles with that place. That's impossible for anyone to escape. Living or dead." The smile had dropped off her face.
"That definitely seemed to be true but I have some evidence to the contrary. I saw a dead girl get out of there." It was all she could do to say the words as calmly as possible. She needed her usual cool demeanor if she was going to get the next part out and not chase off Toni in the process.
Toni grabbed her by the arms. "You are such a remarkable young lady! You're like the stories I heard about Light Elves from the past. And I mean distant past! Millennia ago!" She shook her head. "So crazy. Well, of course we could help you with something like that."
Here comes the hard part. "There's a catch. A big one. There's a sort of bad mambajamba dark mist thing rolling around in there too. Seems to be hunting me. We would have to combine our energy to fight it off long enough for my grandmother to get out."
Leira looked Toni straight in the eye and said, "And not get dragged in." Everyone needs to realize the bottom line.
"Hang on..." Toni drew back a step.
Here it comes, thought Leira, bracing herself for the no.
"This thing is hunting you," she said, pointing, making a sour face. "Did you tangle with it alone?" Toni was getting angrier and angrier. "How many times?"
"Twice," said Correk, finally speaking. Leira looked at him.
"Now you say something?"
"Twice! Did you bring backup at least the second time? We don't go out on things like this alone. Basic rule, learn it in preschool. No movie-style heroics!" Toni waited for her to answer.
"Oh, okay, you actually wanted an answer. Okay, I was doing my job and had no idea the freakish cloud was tracking me like a GPS or that it can show up at will. It was a surprise. I was surrounded by government humans at the time. It was fight it off or get eaten, so to speak. That last part was probably a little over the top."
Toni slapped both sides of her face with her hands. "My dear, when was this? Earlier today! Damn, girl and you managed to get away from it twice?"
"I feel we're getting a little off topic at this point." Leira smiled.
"Okay, sorry. Habit. I'm very passionate. Go on. Pinch me if I do it again." Toni leaned in, listening intently.
"I almost got pulled in the first time."
Toni leaned back, her hands in the air, rolling her eyes dramatically. Leira waited till she stopped.
"But my grandmother's energy showed
up out of literally nowhere and combined with mine at the last crucial moment. Saved my ass. I could feel the pulse getting stronger and it seemed to cause the aerie beast, well pain. Like it can feel."
"That's a mass of pure dark energy," said Toni. "I've heard stories. Never knew if they were true. Of course it can feel. Magic works off of feelings. But dark magic does things to the air, the water, the earth. It leaves a residue that doesn't always go away. It sounds like somehow that residue is gathering itself together in the world in between. Two moons help us all!"
"It was super powerful. I wouldn't have been able to escape on my own."
"But your grandmother saved the day!"
"It was just enough to at least hurt the thing's feelings, as weird as that sounds. It wounded the dark magic. Sparks and everything and the hole to the world in between closed up. But then it showed up again and this time I understood. It's out to get me."
"I believe it." Toni threw up her hands.
"Going toward a mass of dark energy trying to destroy you is not considered sane behavior." Correk was doing his best to control his anger.
"And running from a fight because there's danger is not who I am," Leira retorted. "Besides, we get enough people to help us and that will move the odds in our favor. And rescue my grandmother. Can you find out how many would be willing to risk it?"
"Oh honey, there will be droves lining up to help. We're a tight knit community and you're one of us. And if this thing is after you, it's because it realizes how powerful your magic energy is and he's trying to contain it, maybe steal it. That's a good enough reason to stop him right there. I want you to be around so I can see where this magical ride takes you!" Toni threw her arms around Leira's neck. "I'll ask around but do we know when the dark thing will come for you next?"
"Not a clue. I'd also like to know what's it doing to open a hole like that between this world and the world in between. I don't want it dragging anyone else in there."
Toni gasped. "I didn't think of that!"