Oddity Specialist: World Of The Occult

by James Courneya

  “I believe one hundred percent you two can get that door open!”

  Before they could respond, he marches towards the stairs. Neri nods her head and turns her attention to the door. The static man sets another fire. As Phoebe watches her house catch ablaze again, Neri slaps her hands, on both sides of the girl’s face, grabbing her.

  “Hey, just keep your eyes on the door, don’t pay attention to anything else. It’s almost open, we just need the smallest bit more. Okay?”

  With a pained expression, the girl lets out an enthused nod.

  “What’s the plan?

  Lucifer is walking alongside Quinn.

  “Fight it.”

  “What a tactician.”

  “We are out of options.”

  Quinn runs up and punches the oddity right in the stomach. He then looks up, to see the oddity having not flinched back, at all. “Fair enough.”

  Quinn then starts dancing around the killer, for dear life, getting nicked and sliced all over. “Bring it on. I am like ninety percent sure; this might be healed anyways.”

  As the fire spreads, Neri holds her optimistic smile, both hands on the door-handle and a leg up against the wall. She is using everything she has, to try and pry it open.

  “Come on, I can feel it about to give. I’m sure it will swing open any second.”

  The flames are steadily approaching and Phoebe’s panic is steadily increasing.

  “What are we going to do! There’s no way out, there was never a way out!!!”

  “Hey…”

  Hanging her head back, being upside down from Phoebe’s perspective, Neri gives a gentle expression.

  “It’ll be alright, you aren’t alone anymore. We will get you out of here. Just believe in us, okay?”

  Phoebe tries to choke back her fear and sadness. While trembling and having her face completely contorted, she ekes out her reply.

  “I’ll believe.”

  “Good girl.”

  Neri has gotten off of the door, having seen the performance going on, at the top of the stare case. Patting Phoebe’s head, she walks past her.

  “Go ahead and open the door. There’s something I’ve got to do, real quick.”

  Neri gives a wave and then runs up the stairs. Quinn, having used practically all his stamina, sees Neri sprinting up the stairs, with incredible speed. The second she reaches the top; she leaps through the air. As she does, Phoebe grabs hold of the door handle, giving everything she has, to open it.

  “Take this!”

  Neri flies through the air, delivering a drop kick to the static man’s turned head. She sends the oddity flying back, slamming into the wall. Both Quinn and Phoebe watch, as she does this. Phoebe then musters everything she has in her and forces the door open. Neri lands onto the ground, crouched down, hands touching the floor, to balance herself.

  “Don’t mess with my friends.”

  Quinn’s legs give out and he drops to the ground, right as sunlight enters the building for the first time, in what seems like years.

  “Come on let’s go!”

  Neri reaches her hand down, to help Quinn up.

  “Yeah.”

  Quinn slowly grabs ahold, being pulled to his feet and then down the steps. The two run down the towards the exit, with Phoebe waiting for them, at the bottom of the steps.

  “What are you waiting for? Let’s go!”

  Neri grabs Phoebe and proceeds to leap out the door, pulling the other two out with her. Quinn looks on, getting the memory seared into his mind. The sunlight bathing them, Neri smiling jumping forward, Phoebe eyes widened, having finally escape the house she was trapped in, for all these years. He can’t help, but have a look of amazement. “We did it.”

  Taking the first couple steps outside. Phoebe looks around, appearing as if everything has just come flooding back. The group walk forward, turning around and seeing the fire. Phoebe feels something behind her and takes a few steps towards it.

  “Yeah, I’m coming.”

  She turns around and gives a genuine smile.

  “Thank you.”

  “Yeah, it was fun!”

  “Happy to help.”

  With that, she disappears. Neri breathes a sigh of relief.

  “I’m glad we could help her, rest in peace.”

  “Wait, you knew she was a spirit?”

  “Of course, wasn’t it kind of obvious?”

  “Ah, well…”

  Neri then gets a serious look.

  “You know, I would have thought it best, if you had forgotten about today.”

  Quinn’s relief turns back to worry.

  “But at this point, it’s safe to say you know more then you’ve let on.”

  “I could say the same.”

  “…That’s fair.”

  “Well then, what now?”

  She looks up at the fire.

  “We don’t have very much time, so I’ll keep it to one question for now.”

  “That is?”

  “Are you an Oddity Specialist?”

  “No.”

  Neri’s eyes widen.

  “I really wish, I didn’t limit it to one now.”

  “I take it we need to have a conversation.”

  “Mh-hmm. An important one, I think; before that though.”

  Quinn is expectantly waiting.

  “We did pretty good back there, if I do say so myself!”

  Quinn seems surprised.

  “Yeah, we made a good team.”

  Chapter 7: Dream Eater

  While in class, Quinn is thinking about something else. “We need to have a conversation. That’s what I said; but, mhhh… What does that even mean? When should we? Now, later? Should I go talk to her after school? Ehhh, I didn’t think I would ever find it this hard to talk to her… Well, that isn’t necessarily, entirely true.”

  Having spent the day thus far, going over the exact same thought process, over and over again. Quinn has also been overhearing murmurs, going around the school. “People seemed to have trouble, getting to sleep last night.”

  Quinn crosses his arms, looking contemplative. “It’s probably not important. I mean, high schoolers not getting enough sleep, isn’t exactly out of the ordinary.”

  Quinn being unable to come to a resolution, about how to talk to Neri, heads home. With the same thoughts still on his mind, he heads to bed and slowly drifts off.

  “Gmpf!”

  Being suddenly woken up, Quinn sees a ghostly, eyeless creature right above him. It’s unlatched, ghastly mouth is sucking in odd, translucent energy. Quinn unable to move, feels himself rapidly losing energy.

  “Mh?”

  The specter loosens its grip slightly, just enough for Quinn to see what has scared the creature. Lucifer standing beside the bed, with his hands in his pockets, shoots off a petrifying glare at the specter. Being terrified by this, the creature pushes off of Quinn’s chest, with its gnarly hands, leaping up and flying through the ceiling.

  “Phaf, daahhh, ghaa.”

  Quinn grasps for air, sitting up in his bed, he looks to Lucifer.

  “t-Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me, for having a sense of self-preservation.”

  Quinn looks up to where the spirit flew up to, seeing just a regular ceiling.

  “What was that and what did it do to me?”

  “My first instinct, is usually a soul sucker. Though in this instance, that seems rather unlikely.”

  Quinn remembers back to yesterday. “Oh.”

  “That thing, I think it’s going around absorbing energy, or something, from people while they are asleep.”

  “Oh, then it’s a dream eater.”

  “A dream eater?”

  “Tell me, were you having a dream?”

  Quinn stares at the man for a few moments, scratching his head.

  “Now that you mention it, I think so. What was it? There was a path way of some sort, then… A field of flowers, with a girl wearing red in it- and… Umm, that�
�s it I think.”

  “Meaning, that thing already ate most of it.”

  Lucifer takes a look at the ceiling, once more. Quinn takes a look at his phone. “Great, it’s almost time to get up.”

  Throughout the next day, Lucifer stays outside walking along with Quinn, continuing to stare up above Quinn’s head.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m fairly certain that oddity is still attached to you. It’s hiding its presence, but I can tell it is still sticking to you, like glue.”

  “You mean, it’s looking for an opportunity to come back?”

  “More than likely. I know I wouldn’t be happy, if my meal was interrupted.”

  “Is it staying at bay because you’re out here?”

  “…I don’t think so, no. Maybe it can’t eat your dream, until you’re dreaming once more.”

  “Hm, I guess that makes sense.”

  Quinn gives a yawn and tiredly scrolls through his news feed.

  “Mh!”

  “What now?”

  “…A man fell asleep at the wheel last night.”

  “Ho?”

  “He seems to be severely hurt.”

  “And?”

  “That thing, once it has eaten a person’s dream. They are more tired, than if they hadn’t gone to sleep at all. Because of that…”

  “No one ever said, oddities weren’t dangerous beings. Anyways, it doesn’t seem like there is much to be done about it anyways.”

  “…”

  The school day continues on. As it does, Lucifer notices something.

  “You know, it seems like it’s getting weaker.”

  “What? Are you sure?”

  “It definitely seems that way to me. It probably needs dream energy, to sustain itself. Without it, the oddity is withering away.”

  “Wait if it’s that hungry, why would it still be hanging around me?”

  “Who knows? Maybe no one is asleep, right now.”

  “Or perhaps, it can’t leave me for some reason. Like it can’t leave, without finishing absorbing the dream.”

  “A good of a guess, as any.”

  “What would happen, if it continued to starve?”

  “Then it, along with its negative energy, would dissipate.”

  “How long until it fully starves?”

  Lucifer puts his hand on his chin.

  “I would say, about three days, for it to fully starve.”

  “Okay, then let’s do this.”

  “Hm? Wait…No you can’t be serious? You are though. Ah, just let it finish sucking up its meal and let it leave.”

  “And let other people deal with the consequences?”

  “Yes, you’re getting it.”

  “No.”

  “Tsk.”

  The first day of staying awake goes simply enough. Though, by school time the next day, Quinn is barely functioning. “I hate this already. I don’t think I’ve ever been this tired before and there’s still so much more time. How am I going to make it through this?”

  The exhausted boy is getting ready to leave. Drugging his way through the hallway, that’s when a cartwheel begins talking to him.

  “Hey Quinn.”

  The boy lazily stares at the girl, who had just gymnastically got in front of him.

  “What’s up?”

  “That’s what I should be asking you.”

  Quinn twitches. “Are we doing this now?”

  “You seem like you haven’t been sleeping well. Would there happen to be a specific reason for it?”

  “Hm? Why do you ask?”

  “There was a series of coincidental sleepiness events, sweeping through the town. Right now, you seem to be the sleepiest, as far as I can tell that is.”

  “That’s why?”

  “Also, the fact as everyone else stopped being sleepy, you became sleepier. Which is an odd coincidence, to say the least.”

  “Yes, that certainly would seem strange.”

  He thinks to himself. “From the outside.”

  “Then you’ll tell me, right?”

  “What?”

  Neri gives a deep stare, looking beyond Quinn’s outer layer.

  “Did you deal with the oddity?”

  Quinn’s eyes widen, as he wakes up a bit.

  “No, at least not yet, that is.”

  “Hm, really? That’s unexpected.”

  Quinn rubs his eyes and begins to think. “The thing I lack the most right now is information. How do oddities work, how this world functions and maybe most importantly, what is the caliber of the people around me?”

  “Neri, I think it’s time we have that talk.”

  “Great!”

  A little bit later, Quinn is looking up at the familiar older house. “I didn’t think we would end up going to hang out at her place. I’m kind of nervous now.”

  “Let’s head in.”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  After a distance, the two end up inside Neri’s room. At first glance, even though the place seems cluttered, everything seems to fit together well. Though, upon further reflection, it becomes clear this room is full of an outlandish, variety of objects. As if a hundred people got to pick one item each, having each crammed along the sides of the walls. While still leaving just enough space for a bed, a larger simple desk, and a bit of open space. “This place is… something…”

  Lucifer looks around for a moment.

  “I’m impressed, somehow this room is a conglomerate of distinctive decor.”

  Uttering one sentence, he disappears once again. “What does that mean?”

  Both participants, sit on either side of the desk.

  “Do you like how the desk is positioned?”

  “Like it?”

  Quinn looks down at the desk.

  “It is placed different, than how I would have imagined.”

  “It gives off a certain, professional feel, doesn’t it?”

  “I suppose…”

  Neri looks into Quinn’s eyes, before raising her finger up and pointing at them as well.

  “Do you need glasses anymore?”

  “No.”

  “Hm.”

  Neri rests her chin onto her crossed hands and begins waiting. “Does she want me to ask something now?”

  “Do you have any physical differences, compared to a regular person?”

  “A strange thing to ask a lady.”

  “Ah.”

  “Though, as far as I know, I’m completely normal.”

  A moments pause.

  “Physically at least, I’ve not been tested otherwise.”

  “I see.”

  Quinn looks down. “Then is it really unusual, what’s happened to me? Either way, it seems like she might not have an answer, in regards to that.”

  “Let’s see.”

  Neri scans the room, right to left.

  “I already figured that your body had changed. Let me ask something, I’m not sure about. Do you even know what an oddity specialist is?”

  Quinn thinks back, to what she had asked before. “The response I got from Lucifer when I asked was. Don’t worry your little oddly shaped head about it. Which, didn’t really inform me of much.”

  “Sorry, but I don’t have a clue.”

  “Really? Then I basically wasted my first question.”

  Neri leans into her fist, looking lost in thought. Quinn observes the girl, as she does this. “She wants another question…”

  Quinn sees the gears turning in the girl’s mind. “Why am I- why are we doing this?”

  “This will be my last question.”

  “Oh, really?”

  She seems excited by this information. “She thinks it’s going to be important, doesn’t she?”

  “Are you having fun right now?”

  “Of course.”

  Quinn seems slightly taken aback, by the instant reply. “Yeah, of course you would be.”

  “Then I’m sorry about cutting it short; but I’m going to be cut
ting to the chase.”

  “Alright then.”

  “Five weeks ago, I had no idea what an oddity was. All I know, is what I have picked up in that time. Right now, I am currently dealing with an oddity called a dream eater.”

  “I see.”

  Neri goes back into thought once more, before replying.

  “Sorry, but I don’t know what to do with this information.”

  “Huh?”

  “I had a bunch of theories on what’s going on and well, this is one of them; but it’s one where there’s not too much for me to go off of.”

  “Not too much to go off of?”

  “You called this oddity a dream eater. I assume it eats dreams then, making people tired somehow.”

  “That would be correct.”

  Quinn looks at the girl somewhat expectantly. She sticks her tongue out and bops her head.

  “Sorry, but I don’t actually have any information, when it comes to specific oddities. So, I can’t really help on that front.”

  “I, see…”

  “If you give me more information, I might be able to help.”

  “Well, it seems to feed off people’s dreams as they sleep; but because of my circumstances, it wasn’t able to finish eating mine. Now it’s attached to me and slowly starving. When it fully starves, the oddity will dissipate.”

  Quinn goes over the info in his head a couple times, making sure not to have left something out.

  “Hmm, I see, I see.”

  She crosses her arms and nods her head.

  “Then you just have to not fall asleep.”

  “Uh, yeah.”

  “It seems you already got that far.”

  “…Yeah.”

  “And that’s why you’re tired.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Seems like that problem is practically solved, then.”

  “I wouldn’t say that, quite yet.”

  “I was planning for us to have a back and forth, maybe even a deduction duel; but from what I have heard, I think that there’s a more pressing matter.”

  “That is?”

  “Your special circumstances, what are they?”

  “Ah, those. Where to begin…?”

  “Perhaps, five weeks ago, when I found you in the divot outside.”

  “Yeah, that would be a good starting point. Wait, how’d you know it started then?”

  “Time frame and shiftiness. I had tried to figuring out what was going on with you, after that ignition point. Since, that’s when I noticed something was up, it had to have started right before then.”