The Calling

by Jeffrey Hancock

  “I am NO necromancer. I summon the dead; I DON’T compel them.”

  “That is a slim distinction. Spirit mediums, for the most part, can only hear ghosts with only a few being able to see them, but summoning up a ghost that others see. I don’t know.” After a few moments of her cogitating, she appeared to be okay with my fine line. “Nathan, I am going to need a few days to go over in my head all the memories you showed me. They have such detail.”

  I pondered out loud, “I wonder if a memory of a migraine snuck in there, and that is why your head hurts?”

  “You get migraines?” I nodded. “For how long?”

  “I’ve been getting them for as long as I can remember. Why?”

  “It is common for people with our gifts to get migraines. Nathan, you have a strong talent now, but if you can break through your block, you may become one of the strongest talents in our time, maybe ever.”

  “The idea of getting rid of my headaches has appeal, but being a strong psychic is not alluring to me. I have enough weird thoughts going through my brain without getting a stranger’s.”

  “There is that. Nathan, the answer to your question is salt.”

  “You mean like on that television show Supernatural? That is a little hard to believe.”

  “Yes. Just make a circle of salt, and the spirit won’t be able to cross it.”

  I am having doubts. I must put my mind to work on this. I exchanged phone numbers with Lizzy and asked her to call if she has any further insights. I left the tent and went to collect my family. When I found my girls, both were chowing down on churros.

  “Where’s mine?”

  Charlene put a look of innocence on her face and said, “Oh, I’m sorry, Nathan. Would you like a bite of mine?”

  I noticed Moiraine wolfing down her churro while Char and I are talking. She must be afraid I’ll ask for a bite of hers. “No, Char. I’m not hungry.” We left for home.

  Chapter Eleven

  We stayed home after we returned from the psychic fair. Moiraine wanted to finish her masterpiece, so as soon as we arrived home, she ran to her bedroom to collect her work. She returned to her place at the table with supplies in hand. I went to the table and looked over her shoulder. “Mo, what are you drawing?”

  “It’s a picture for Kathy. She is sad, and I want to cheer her up.”

  “I’m sure it will brighten her day.” I went to spy on my wife’s project. “Char, what are you crafting? Let me take a look.” I tried, but Char used her body to block my view. I kept trying. It began to become a game. “Let me see it.” Her game of keep-away turned into a friendly wrestling match. All this close-order mock-combat was starting to get my blood up. This was the most I have messed around with Char since her return to the land of the living. Right as I began to believe I could parley this into wrestling in the bedroom, Moiraine joined the fray. It was a-free-for-all with Mo switching sides repeatedly.

  “Stop, stop, Nathan, Moiraine, please stop. My incision hurts.” Breathing hard, we all ceased our roughhousing. Although Charlene had a hand to her chest, she was smiling too. I stood and reached for Char’s fallen project. Charlene grabbed it first, but a piece of it fell as she retrieved the whole. One of the paper cranes Mo and her school friends folded tried to take flight but crashed to the ground. “Nathan, give it to me please.” I picked-up the errant origami and handed it to Char. She commanded, “Don’t ask. It’s a surprise for the whole family.” Char gave me her famous “Don’t question me” look. “And don’t try to figure it out. Forget the whole thing.”

  “Char, really? Once something is in here,” I pointed to my head. “I don’t forget.”

  “Nathan, you know what I meant. Don’t let the wheels in your head start spinning. Put the whole thing out of your mind.”

  So, I didn’t dwell on her secret, but it did make me wonder. While everyone else was busy with their own pursuits, I booted up the computer and started playing various games. I became bored quickly. A bit tired, I decided to take a nap. I pulled close the drapes then laid down. Sleep came quickly, and I dreamed.

  I am standing somewhere in a desert. I can’t place it. I have never been there. Before me is a vast array of people. I woke with a bit of a start. I sat up in bed and wondered how long I had slept. There is movement at the corner of my vision. I called out, “Char, is that you?” The door to the bedroom opened, and Char walked in.

  “Nathan, you called me? Is there something wrong?” She walked toward me. As she drew closer, I saw a shadow dart out from a corner of the room. It wrapped itself around Charlene. A look of horror came to Char’s face along with an ear-splitting shriek. Not to be drowned out by her scream, the sound of a wet ripping filled my ears. The air became filled with a crimson mist, a few drops of which sprayed across my face. The shadow moved away from my wife. The vision of her tormented body burned into my eyes and memory. As she teetered there before falling, the sight of her broken and torn body made my soul cry in anguish.

  I saw the shadow stand there, and somehow, it smiled. A cry filled the air, “Mommy, Mommy, are you alright?” Moiraine burst through the door. The shadow reached out with a piece of its darkness. Before I could move, the piece of shadow took the shape of a sword and arced through the air. Describing what I saw in words would make what was happening to my daughter too real in my heart.

  I jumped at the shadow but passed through it. I heard a warbled laugh as I came crashing to the floor. The moment I hit the floor, I sat up in bed with a start. After climbing out of bed, I began walking to the living room. My feet touched something wet while making a squishing sound. My toes could feel something oozing between them. I turned on the light. Looking down at what I had stepped in, I saw blood and gore. Char’s lifeless body was crumpled on the floor. I couldn’t look upon her. Turning away from the horror, my eyes caught the sight of my daughter. She was looking up at me. After her eyes focused on mine for a brief moment, they grew dim.

  I screamed as I woke up from the nightmare. Sweat drenched my clothes, and I was shaking with fear. Gasping for breath, I called out to my wife.

  Faster than I thought she could move, Char was there holding me and sharing my anguish. She rocked me as she had all those years ago. I had not noticed at first, but Moiraine was there too.

  “Daddy, what’s wrong?”

  Stuttering as I spoke, “I had a bad nightmare, Moiraine.”

  “Daddy, they are your dreams. You can take control just like you taught me. Remember?”

  My shaking began to subside. I smiled, “You are right, Moiraine. Daddy forgot. Thank you for reminding me.” After a few more moments of comfort from my wife and child, I recovered.

  That is the second time Mr. Shadowman gave me a nightmare. There won’t be a third. Next time I will be his nightmare! I know he has been playing “scare the cast and crew” at the theater, but I wonder if anyone else has had nightmares.

  We spent the rest of the weekend in our own pursuits. Char crafted and read. Moiraine continued her artistic endeavors. I pulled out my katana and polished it. This weapon deserves a better name than “katana.” I’ll have to put my brain to it. I noticed the hamon is still moving. It isn’t a trick of the light either. No matter what the angle of the light source is, the movement continues. It is hypnotizing. What can cause it to do that? I tried doing some searches on the internet, but it didn’t render any answers. I hate not having answers.

  My phone rang as I was laying down to sleep before I go back to work tomorrow. The caller’s number was unknown to me. Robocalls, don’t you hate them? I answered. It isn’t a robocall. It is Lizzy on the other end.

  “Nathan, we need to talk. Can we meet somewhere?”

  “It’s a little late, Lizzy. Can we talk tomorrow after I get off work?”

  “No. I need to talk to you tonight. Give me your address, and I’ll be there ASAP,” her voice conveyed an urgency.

  “Well, I guess.” I gave her my address. About a half-hour later, a gentle knocking came
to the door. It was late, so I looked through the peephole. It was Lizzy dressed in her gypsy outfit, raven-colored wig and all. Opening the door, I said, “Come in, Lizzy. Would you like some tea? I put the water on after you called.” She indicated no. I guided her to the living room, and we sat down to talk. “Okay, what’s so important it couldn’t wait until tomorrow evening?”

  “You and your family are in great danger.”

  “It is par for the course, but what gives?”

  Lizzy spoke with a hushed whisper, “I finally made some sense out of the memories you shared with me. I can’t believe how vivid they are. It is a little unsettling.”

  “Yea, try living with it.”

  “Nathan, don’t joke. This is serious. At first, I thought it was a strong ghost or even a spirit. After seeing your memories, I know it to be an entity.” She paused a moment, then continued. “I don’t understand how you have been able to hold it inside you. It should have torn you apart.” She started to rummage around in her purse and pulled out a necklace with a charm on it. “Here take this and wear it. It should help a little.”

  I examined the trinket. It was circular, about the size of a fifty-cent piece. It had a little more heft than you would think for its size. The pendant was silver in color with a flowing script on one side etched in a circle. The other side had a blockish writing style similar to runes, also etched in a circle. On its edge was a third style of script similar to Chinese. In the center of the medallion rested a large piece of pyrite (fool’s gold.)

  “It’s a bit busy for my taste. What is it?”

  “An amulet of protection. I’m not sure how much it will help considering the entity is already inside your mind.”

  “Sounds a bit like magic to me.” I handed it back to Lizzy. She took the amulet, opened the circle of the chain, and placed it around my neck. She gave me a look demanding I don’t remove it. “I don’t believe in magic. The ghosts I summon are souls of those who have died. Their life energy has only taken on a different form. You can’t create or destroy anything. You can only change its form. Entities, spirits, and shadowmen must be other forms of life. Maybe they are from a different dimension, or they are a part of our own reality we can’t perceive? They have to be. I don’t know if I could handle the idea of magical creatures.”

  “Gee, Nathan, thanks for the science lesson. Whether you believe in magic or not, it is out there. Only a fool would dismiss what has happened to you without considering the possibility. Ignorance can kill you, Nathan, and your family with you.”

  “If you are trying to scare me, Lizzy, it’s working.”

  “When you faced it here in your home, you surprised it. I don’t think you can do it again. Entities are powerful, and next time, he will be ready for you. It will escape and soon.”

  “What can I do?”

  “Nothing,” Lizzy said with resignation in her voice. “Your only choice is to run as far away from here and people as you can. Get lost in a desert somewhere. After it destroys your mind utterly, maybe it will wander without finding another victim for a long time.”

  “Well, that explains it.” Lizzy gave me a quizzical look. “Nothing but a dream I had.” I hung my head down. Did I win a battle only to lose the war? “Thank you for telling me this. How long do you think I have?”

  “I don’t know. You must have a strong mind and will, or you wouldn’t have been able to contain it this long. It could burst forth any day. Maybe I can see in a reading. Nathan, look at me. I want to read your aura.” I lifted my head and looked Lizzy in the eyes. I felt a strange sensation. It is a penetrating warmth like you feel on a sunny day. Lizzy's eyes started to well up with tears.

  “What do you see?” She didn’t respond at all. I repeated myself, only louder, “What do you see?” Nothing. I reached out and shook her. She broke out of her trance.

  She wiped away the tears in her eyes. “Give me a minute. That was powerful.” She sat for a second. After she regained herself, “You are full of surprises, Nathan. You have a beautiful aura. It is quite radiant, but there is a dark shadow in it and a scar. If I didn’t know better, I would say the entity tried to escape, and you fought it back.”

  “Why is it so hard to believe? I did fight it once to prevent its escape.”

  “How could you fight it back?”

  “I had some friends help me. You can read about it when I write my memoir.” I gave a half chuckle. “Okay, you proved to me you can see into minds. But auras, please.”

  “Why are you so skeptical? You have experienced so much which can’t be explained.” She put her hand to the side of my face tenderly.

  It caught me off-guard. As I began to remove Lizzy’s hand, I heard a voice in a most accusatory tone say, “Nathan, what’s going on, and who is this?” Charlene stepped into the living room wrapped in her robe. I stood immediately.

  “Char, this is Lizzy. She is the woman who did my reading at the psychic fair.”

  “Oh, is she?” Looking past me and intently at Lizzy, “Why were you touching my husband?”

  “I am sorry. There was no improper meaning behind it. Your husband has a unique energy about him, and I only wanted to feel it again.”

  This time Char’s attention turned to me. “Again?”

  “Yes, during my reading, she needed to touch me. I don’t understand why you’re fussing so.”

  Lizzy stood and made her apologies. I escorted her to the door and bid her farewell.

  “Nathan, we need to talk. I don’t like seeing strange women touching you.”

  “Lizzy isn’t so strange. She plays up the gypsy vibe a bit but…”

  “You know exactly what I meant.” Char took a breath. “Are you looking elsewhere, Husband Mine?”

  Anger filled my voice, “At first I was a little tickled with this jealousy, but now it is pissing me off. You have got to be kidding me. It is so crazy on its face, it doesn’t deserve a response. You know me, Char. I took a vow to you and to God before a gathering of our friends and family. I keep my word, especially to you.” I started for the bedroom. Halfway there, I stopped and turned around. “Do you know what I felt when Lizzy touched my face?” Char did not say a word. “Nothing. No jolt of excitement. No sweaty palms. No increase in heart rate. Nothing.” I calmed myself down and said in a gentler tone, “I still feel all those things every time you touch me with that kind of tenderness. I have missed it all these months. Tell me, Char. Will you ever touch me that way again?”

  Charlene started to say something, but she had a catch in her throat. “Nathan, I do love you, but I can’t.”

  “Charlene, you once said to me I can tell you anything. The same goes for you.” I turned back around and went to bed. Sometime later Charlene came to bed also. Her stirrings woke me up. “Char, I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you earlier. I am a little frustrated, and long showers aren’t doing it for me anymore. If you are afraid I will hurt you, we can stop the instant you feel any pain.”

  “You don’t have to be sorry. I don’t blame you for being angry. I’m a little pissed at myself. Go back to sleep. We can talk again later. I am tired, and I want to sleep. Goodnight, Husband Mine.”

  “Goodnight, Charlene.”

  Chapter Twelve

  The morning was nothing special. I made my way to work; when I arrived, two cast members were waiting by the back door. “Hey, guys, what’s up? Does Mr. Shadowman have you spooked?” I asked.

  “Well, to tell the truth, he does.” The first cast member said while the second cast member nodded her head.

  In my most heroic voice, “Fear not for I am here now. I offer my protection from its dastardly deeds!”

  “Look who thinks he’s Don Quixote,” mocked the second cast member. They both laughed, and so did I.

  I opened the back door, and we all filed into the theater. Other voices could be heard, so we aren’t the first ones here. All the voices have a cheer about them even though I cannot make out what they are saying. The couple of days of res
t must have refreshed everyone’s outlook.

  After a few hours into my shift, I received a group text about a cast meeting. Matt told me I am a member of the cast, so I joined the rest of them. Everyone is taking seats in the auditorium. Someone turned on the house lights, and a single spotlight flooded the stage where two folding chairs had been placed. After a few minutes, Matt and Mr. Roberts walked onto the stage and sat down. They waited a few more moments to let the stragglers wander in and take a chair. Matt stood and took a few steps forward. “What I have to say isn’t easy.” The cast broke out in cries of worry and distress. Matt raised his hands, and the cast settled down. “We are closing down the production. We lost both the male lead and his understudy.” A general question circulated by all concerning what happened. “They left a note saying they are leaving while the leaving is good. So, without even an understudy to take the role, we are shutting down. I’m sorry. We hoped to leave this city on a high note, but alas, poor production, we knew it well.” I general rising murmur started breaking out in the cast.

  One voice cried out, “Quiet people! This is important. Nathan, I know I promised not to tell anyone about your singing, but this is an emergency. I know you can sing the part. With a little theater magic and someone feeding you the lines through a covert earpiece, you can play the part,” Isabella was standing and looking directly at me. Everyone became quiet and started turning to where I sat.

  “I won’t need an earpiece. I already have the part memorized, but I can’t do it. I haven’t acted since my high school days, and it was only a bit part. I don’t see how I could support a whole production. I don’t believe I can do it.”

  Matt asked, “Nathan, you told me about your memory. Did you lie?” I shook my head. “Isabella, did he really sing out the part?”

  “Oh, yes! He sang it cold and acapella. I dare say it moved me and I have heard the song a thousand times.”

  I remained seated and spoke, “It is true I know the dialogue, but I don’t know how you have the part blocked, and I believe Isabella is being too kind about my voice.”