by V M Jones
While Brian was standing on the ladder with his hands up to guide the shield into place, he noticed a small blue light beginning to form near him in front of the cross-shaped loophole. He immediately let out a yell, which startled Dr. McNamara and Dr. Ryan. The ropes slipped out of their hands and the shield fell down towards Brian. He saw the shield falling and reached out to grab it. He caught the bottom of the shield but it pushed him backwards off of the ladder. He fell to the ground with the back of the shield on top of him.
At that moment the small blue light expanded attempting to enclose Brian. The green emerald crystal on the shield began to glow as the blue light was absorbed by the shield.
Dr. McNamara and Dr. Ryan slid down the ladder from the top of the tower as fast as they could. Some of the other members of the excavation team ran over to help Brian. They lifted the shield off of him and had him sit up. They couldn’t find any broken bones. He was shaking not only from falling but also because he had almost been taken by the flash of blue light.
Dr. Ryan and Dr. McNamara ran over to Brian to be sure he was fine.
“That was too close,” said Dr. Ryan trying to catch his breath.
“Aye it was. Faelan almost had another body for whatever she is planning,” added Dr. McNamara as he leaned over with his hands on his knees.
“Now we know our idea of the shield protecting the loophole works,” said Dr. Ryan with a sigh of relief.
“Aye, but I didn’t like being the test subject,” replied Brian still a little dazed.
“Let’s try that again. This time let’s raise the shield up from the ground until it is in front of the opening before having anyone stand in front of the loophole,” said Dr. McNamara cautiously.
He had Brody wait near the base of the ladder under the tower. Dr. McNamara handed the ends of the rope attached to the shield to Dr. Ryan as he climbed up the ladder to the top of the tower.
Dr. McNamara carried the shield over to Brody to hold while he climbed the ladder to the top of the tower.
Dr. Ryan and Dr. McNamara each took the ends of the rope and moved over on the tower to the area above the opening.
Brody stood with the shield below the loophole while the two men began pulling up the shield until it was in place. Brody climbed the ladder and carefully placed the S-brackets into the base of the loophole. He gently glided the shield into the brackets to keep it positioned in front of the opening. Dr. Ryan and Dr. McNamara took the ends of the rope and tied them to a large wooden pole that had been attached to the tower deck. They took all the slack out of the ropes to keep the shield in position.
With the shield now in place in front of the tower loophole, everyone felt safer.
Dr. Ryan and Dr. McNamara sat down with Patrick and Ansley to discuss the results of their exploration during the day.
“We heard what happened in front of the tower today. Is that similar to what you encountered down in the castle?” asked Patrick a bit concerned.
“Not quite the same but we saw some strange things down there as well,” said Dr. Ryan trying not to elaborate.
“There are good and bad paranormal events that people encounter, interjected Dr. McNamara as he sensed Dr. Ryan’s reluctance. “We experienced both down in the castle. But the important thing is that we were able to start mapping the castle. The sooner we finish the mapping, the sooner we can go get Tevan.”
“What kind of bad experiences did you have?” asked Ansley nervously.
Dr. Ryan and Dr. McNamara looked at each other and were reluctant to discuss the dark creature. They were concerned that it would cause Patrick and Ansley too much stress to think Tevan was anywhere near such a creature.
“We encountered some kind of presence down in the castle that we didn’t expect. I haven’t encountered anything like it before,” responded Dr. McNamara using his words carefully.
Patrick and Ansley seemed concerned.
“Does this mean that you’re going to quit?” asked Ansley as she tensed up.
“To the contrary,” said Dr. Ryan confidently. “We now are beginning to understand what we’re up against. I think we’ll be able to handle anything we find down there.”
Dr. McNamara agreed and said, “We still have a few days to explore, but soon we will be ready to find Tevan.”
This seemed to reassure Patrick and Ansley.
The two men left the Murphys to check on their teams. Everything seemed to be going as planned so they went to get some sleep.
10 additional support
Dr. Ryan tossed and turned all night and could not get the feeling of the dark, void creature out of his mind. He knew it was the work of King Dubhshlaine and Faelan. The feelings of despair and helplessness were hard to avoid. He didn’t want to feel that way again. Yet, he knew that somewhere was a young man who was scared and helpless.
The next morning Dr. Ryan greeted the others. “I have not been able to sleep. In all of my excavations, I have never encountered anything like that creature. The feeling of despair and helplessness from it was something that I have never felt before,” he said nervously.
“I wasn’t able to sleep at all either,” said Dr. McNamara with dark circles around his eyes.
“I’m not sure what it was but if it wasn’t for the shields, I don’t think we would be back here now,” said Aine shaking her head.
“It’s almost as though the dark creature not only attacks you physically but attacks you mentally with fear and despair as well,” added Dr. Ryan.
“We’ve seen a lot of strange things in our work, but this is the first time I’ve come in contact with a creature like that,” said Dr. McNamara feeling tense.
“I’m concerned about the psychological and spiritual effect these experiences are having on us,” said Dr. Ryan.
“I think it would be wise to get some additional help,” replied Dr. McNamara. “Not just any help, but someone versed in battling evil.”
“It certainly couldn’t hurt. Let’s check with the church in Cahir and talk with the local priest,” said Dr. Ryan appreciative of the suggestion. “Since the Cahir Abbey was so influential in defeating King Dubhshlaine and the witch Faelan so many centuries before, I think it’s only fitting that we include the clergy from Cahir as part of our team.”
Dr. McNamara, Aine, and Brody all nodded in agreement.
The two men went to Cahir to meet with the local cleric leadership. Their inquiries at the Cahir cathedral led them to Father Fahey and Father O’Brian.
Seamus Fahey grew up on the violent streets of Belfast. He lived in a poor neighborhood and had a tough start. He started getting into trouble as a young boy and was headed for a life of crime. It was the kindness and friendship of the local priest that changed his life. The priest went out of his way to befriend the young man.
Soon the neighborhood boys grew to respect the priest and followed his example. He taught them to love and respect their neighbors. They learned how to give of themselves by working on many neighborhood projects the old priest convinced them to help him with.
Seamus was in his twenties when the old priest died. He felt it was his duty to join the ministry and carry on the work of his mentor. Due to his genuine love of the ministry, his hard work, and his love for people, he quickly moved up the hierarchy.
Instead of becoming an administrator he opted to work in the local churches where he felt he could best serve people. He had been appointed as the head cleric in Cahir and was loved by his congregation. He was their teacher and protector. He was now in his early fifties. He was of medium build and just a little overweight. He had a dry sense of humor that won people over.
Timothy O’Brian grew up in a different environment than his colleague. He had grown up in a religious family. He knew at a young age that he would be joining the ministry. He loved learning. He excelled in school and couldn’t wait to go to the seminary. His favorite classes were history and ancient languages. He was always at the top of his class and seemed to absorb everything he wa
s taught. He had a photographic memory and could recall things when needed. He was tall and slender. He had requested a move to Cahir due to its rich history. He was now in his late thirties.
The two priests were so different but it was these differences that made them such a good team. They had become good friends and were well received by the community.
Dr. Ryan and Dr. McNamara found the two priests in the chapel.
“Father Fahey, Father O’Brian, I am Dr. Ryan and this is Dr. McNamara,” he said as he shook their hands.
“We have a very important matter to discuss with you that involves the life and soul of a young man,” added Dr. McNamara with a sense of urgency.
The older priest led the two men to his office.
“Please have a seat and let us know how we can help,” said Father Fahey gesturing for the men to sit.
The two men sat down in the priest’s office.
“It’s a story that may be hard to believe but it’s true,” continued Dr. Ryan as his countenance became very somber.
They proceeded to provide Father Fahey and Father O’Brian a condensed explanation of the events surrounding the disappearance of Tevan and their unusual experience of the previous day.
“We encountered a dark creature that seems to drain us of all hope when we confront it. It’s something none of us have dealt with before. We feel that given the circumstances, we would like to request your help and include you as part of our team,” concluded Dr. Ryan waiting for a response.
“We can give you more details if you choose to help us,” added Dr. McNamara trying to convince them.
Both priests looked at Dr. Ryan and Dr. McNamara and then at each other. They both nodded their heads.
Father Fahey replied, “As unbelievable as your story is, we feel compelled to help you.
What would you like us to do?” asked Father O’Brian.
“Dr. McNamara and his team are professionals in dealing with the paranormal, however, we feel that in dealing with evil supernatural forces, we need a little higher help,” explained Dr. Ryan.
“The feelings of despair created by the creature made us realize we need additional mental and spiritual strength,” added Dr. McNamara.
“Let’s go get the lad,” said Father Fahey as he headed out the door.
Dr. Ryan, Dr. McNamara, and Father O’Brian followed him out to the parking lot.
On the drive over to the Murphy’s home, Dr. Ryan and Dr. McNamara provided more details of their plans of entering the netherworld and rescuing Tevan. They also spent the next several minutes rehearsing the contents of the ancient canon and history of the castle, the evil King Dubhshlaine and Faelan.
Father Fahey and Father O’Brian expressed concern upon hearing the plan.
“Has anyone ever attempted to enter the netherworld before?” asked Father Fahey.
“Not on their own accord, at least not that I’m aware of,” answered Dr. McNamara truthfully. “Usually it’s an attempt to contact someone on the other side who has passed on. There has been some success in that regard. Some researchers have written papers on portal generators which seem to work in theory but no one has actually been able to build one that works.”
“Are you certain you can get back out once you get in?” asked Father O’Brian with a worried look.
“The portal works both ways. It’s an open passageway between worlds. Hypothetically we should be able to enter and leave as we choose,” responded Dr. McNamara confidently.
“So as long as the portal is open, we can get back out,” reiterated Father O’Brian looking for assurance.
“My team will have complete control over the portal so there should be nothing to worry about,” said Dr. McNamara trying to reassure him.
This seemed to satisfy the two priests as the car headed up into the mountains.
The trip from Cahir to the mountain home didn’t take very long. Patrick answered the door as the group arrived.
“Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, I’m Father Fahey and this is Father O’Brian,” said the Priest introducing themselves. “I’m very sorry to hear about your son but we’re here to help bring him home,” he added trying to give them hope.
“Thank you,” said Patrick as he shook their hands.
Having the two priests in the home seemed to bring comfort to the Murphy family.
That night, Father Fahey called the entire group in for evening devotional. With renewed hope the group looked forward to completing their task. Dr. McNamara and Dr. Ryan both slept better that night.
The next morning, the group met together to devise a plan for Tevan’s rescue.
“We would like one of you to accompany us on our exploration of the castle,” Dr. Ryan said to the two clergy.
“Since Father O’Brian has studied old Gaelic, he could use his talents in reviewing some of the old writings in the manuscript as well as helping Brody. So I guess I’ll be joining the three of you,” replied Father Fahey with a grin.
“Alright, let’s talk about our next trip down into the castle,” said Dr. Ryan getting down to business. “We know we need protection from whatever that creature is down there. We also know we need to protect our equipment from whatever EMP pulses we encounter.”
“Brody, keep working on a small EMP device we can carry that can still deliver a big enough pulse to drive back the dark creature,” said Dr. McNamara pointing at him.
“And protection for our equipment from EMPs,” added Dr. Ryan.
“Get whatever information you need from Aine on the green pulse and work on getting us the small pulse devices. Aine you work on protecting our equipment from the pulses,” said Dr. McNamara as he turned to her.
“Let me get this straight. You want Brody to create an EMP and you want me to create something to protect us from an EMP,” said Aine sarcastically.
“That’s something of a contradiction,” said Brody with a grin.
“I have found in my work over the years with the paranormal, there are always dichotomies,” said Dr. McNamara smiling back at the two.
“Due to lack of time, we need to try to complete the exploration of all the levels of the castle within the next few days, especially since I think Faelan is going to be expecting us. Since the shields and swords are too bulky for us to carry as well as having to carry our other equipment, we will need to have the smaller pulse devices Brody is going to design,” said Dr. Ryan giving him a nod
“We can probably reduce our chances of paranormal encounters if we keep quiet and move quickly,” added Dr. McNamara.
“Once we have finished recording and mapping the castle, we’ll have the information we need to rescue Tevan. However, having a three-dimensional map of the castle won’t do us any good if we can’t get into the netherworld. How is the research coming on a portal generator?” asked Dr. Ryan turning to Brody.
Brody was pleased to be able to report his success. “In talking with a few of the paranormal research teams at some of the universities, I think I have come up with a design that will work,” he replied. “I’ve made a list of materials needed to build it.”
“Give me the list and I’ll have one of my assistants pick up the materials for you today,” said Dr. Ryan anxious to get started.
“We should place the console and generator at the top of the tower to reduce the amount of cables needed to connect to the portal. It will also keep Brody nearby to troubleshoot if we have any problems,” said Dr. McNamara.
“The problem will be starting up the portal generator and entering the netherworld. Almost certainly, Faelan will know something is up and send someone or something to get us as soon as we pass through the portal,” said Dr. Ryan as he contemplated potential issues.
Dr. McNamara agreed and said “We need a distraction to allow us time to get through the portal and into the castle rooms.”
The group began to brainstorm on what kind of distraction would be possible. They discussed a plan that they felt might work.
“Perhaps we can pla
ce a pulse device in each of the other three corner towers,” suggested Brody thoughtfully.
“We can remote detonate all three devices at the same time we open the portal. We can only allow the portal to be open for a few minutes, just long enough for the rescuers to enter. Once closed, however, there will be no communication between the netherworld and the real world. I don’t think electronic devices will work in the netherworld, although we aren’t sure. We’ll need to come up with an alternative way to communicate between those of us in the netherworld and our team in the living world. We need to be able to let Brody know when to open the portal again to let us out of the netherworld,” said Aine as she sat deep in thought.
“Is it possible to have something that can exist in both the netherworld and the living world at the same time?” asked Dr. Ryan.
“I think there is a way,” Dr. McNamara responded as he put his hand to his chin. “There have been paranormal experiments where objects have been part way between both worlds. A very simple method of communication would be to attach a rope to a bell here in the real world on top of the tower. The other end of the rope we will take with us as we enter the portal and attach to the wall of the tower. The rope would be our connection between the living world and the netherworld. Once we have rescued Tevan and are ready to return, one of us will pull on the rope and ring the bell. Once the signal is made, Brody will fire up the generator and open up the portal.”
“Once Tevan and the rescuers return, we can replace the symbol and recite the curse, thereby sealing up the castle once again,” said Father Fahey adding his thoughts to the plan.
“I think that should only be our last resort,” said Dr. Ryan cautiously. “Once knowledge of the castle is known, it will be almost impossible to keep people out. It will be inevitable that someone else will remove a symbol. Re-attaching the symbol and reciting the curse would keep the others inside the castle and it would give us extra time to decide what to do next. Under no circumstances can we let King Dubhshlaine or Faelan leave the netherworld.”