Danny was very distraught over scaring Beth so much. Sure, he'd appeared out of nowhere unbeknownst to mortals who happened to come across him in ghost form, but all those times had been different. He hadn't meant to scare them, it just happened, casually, even. Person sees random ghost, person gets scared. Nothing under his control. But he was in control that night he frightened his poor friend, and he had had a very weird frame of mind during it all. It was as though he lost all mortal morality, forgetting the part of him that was human. For just a moment, Danny was completely ghost.
The lust to scare came naturally to him. His phantasmal powers helped him to manipulate how the environment was perceived by the victim – in this case, Beth. He needed no training or guidance. It was instinct. But he never had that urge in his human form. Only when he snapped out his devious humor did he realize the damage he caused. Only when he saw things from less ghostly eyes did he understand that spooking was not all fun and games. Even Danny was afraid of himself, and he wasn't the innocent of the situation. He couldn't imagine what Beth had gone through. It must have been terrible. He rested uneasily in his bed that night, replaying the situation in his head. Certainly, the situation had been eerie, terrifying even. He was a monster. And nothing was more haunting than guilt this made him feel.
He woke up the next morning from a difficult slumber, rubbing his eyes as he slowly came to remember his yesterday and the feelings that came along with it. Two minutes into consciousness and he already wanted the day to be over. He dragged himself out of bed, trying to find something, anything to distract his mind. Breakfast worked for a while, but food only comforts the soul temporarily. Revisiting old save files on video games was okay, however it was easy to get lost in thought when he let his mind wander from the screen. Nothing seemed to settle him. Defeated, he huffed out of his apartment, set on taking a nice, long walk.
Wandering around the quiet, Sunday streets, Danny lost track of time as he unconsciously watched his feet take turns left and right. He didn't know how long he had been walking, and he certainly didn't know where he had ended up. Suddenly coming back to reality, he looked for a street name. Porveneire Avenue. Weird. He'd never heard of the place. It seemed like just another place in Amity Park, though, so he kept walking.
Twelve buildings into the street, he discovered an interesting sort of landmark. The place was old and neglected, displaying unwashed, moldy sidings and crooked, evergreen shutters lining the old-fashioned windows. The rails lining the steps leading up to it were covered in creeping vines, which grew and rose all the way to the roof of the building. The white washed sign overhead read "Nastasia's Parlor", with zodiac symbols and the outline of a hand. Curious, he approached the building to take a look inside, disappointed that he couldn't see past the piece of fabric that covered the window in the door. Deciding since he had nothing better to do, he knocked a couple of times and waited.
No response came from behind the wall. He found a doorbell and rang it, waiting and listening to its slow, gothic chime. Finally, he heard the sound of feet ruffling against old floorboard. He didn't actually expect an answer, so he wasn't sure what to do when the person got to the door.
An old woman in a bath robe opened the door. "Welcome to Nastasia's, do you have an appointment?" A raspy voice came out of the aged spinster. She spoke unenthusiastically and monotonously. "Or are you selling something that I don't need?"
"Oh, hi. Uh… are you Nastasia?" Danny questioned meekly.
"Nah, Nastasia's my sister sweetie," she quipped. "The name's Tanya. If you wanna see Nastasia, I can have you wait inside. She's just finishing up a ritual of hers of some sort. Come on in." She turned, leaving the door cracked for Danny to enter.
He walked inside, smelling a strong combination of mildew, incense, and old perfume. The inside was dark, lighted only by dozens of small candles which lined the floors and tables of the room. Wind chimes and dream catchers hung from the walls. Lucky Japanese cats stood in random collections around the room. The old boards creaked and breathed as he headed towards a downy magenta couch.
"I'll get my sista when she's decided to emerge," Tanya waved back at him as she walked down the hallway. Danny went to reply when he breathed in a heavy cloud of dusk, causing him to cough. He was wailing long enough to make his eyes water, choking back oncoming fits from his throat as he tried to get the dirty feeling out of his mouth. He never expected to end up in such a strange place. Hopefully, a quick, meaningless reading would keep his mind off of his current troubles. And hopefully he had a couple spare bucks in his pocket to pay for it.
He heard the muffled sounds of conversation from within the house. The shuffling of feet grew closer and closer to him until he could make out some words. Tanya seemed to be complaining about something, and her sister seemed to brush off what she said. Tanya was first to appear in the archway, followed by her slightly younger looking, yet still as grey-haired, sister.
"Oh, my…" a reserved voice came from the voice of the soothsayer. "I must have had an especially good ritual today, because I feel awfully connected…" the woman rubbed her eyes and looked up, seeing Danny slouching on the couch. "Oh..." she stood silent.
"Nastasia?" What's the matter with you? You been drinking or something?" Tanya laughed. Her sister did not reply. She simply stood limply, glaring at the boy on her couch. Her pupils dilated and her hands begun to shake. Danny became more self-aware as he sensed something was wrong. "Nastasia, girl. Snap out of it."
"Phantom!" the medium shouted, surprising Danny and making him jolt in his seat. "A phantom in the waiting room! Sister!" The woman seemed anxiously alert, pointing at Danny with one wrinkled finger. Danny stood up suddenly, scaring the woman. "Stay back! Phantom!" Phantom!"
"Sister! He's just a kid! I found him outside the door. I think he wants a meeting with you. Calm yourself!"
"Ghoul! Phantom!" the woman acted deranged and frightened, which was not something Danny was hoping for. Was she really a psychic of some sort? How could she tell he was a ghost? She backed up quickly, bumping into an old table and knocking her knick-knacks onto the floor with a loud noise. "Please! Have mercy, soul!" she brought herself to tears. Danny quickly became concerned.
"Please, Nastasia, you must rest. Sit in the other room, I'll make you some tea," Tanya consoled her unhinged sister as she headed for a room in the back, probably a kitchen, Danny thought. Nastasia never took her eyes off of Danny. He didn't enter the place in ghost form, right? No. He looked down at his clothes. No suit. No glow. Just normal Danny. He looked back up at her, yet again startling the woman as if she'd seen a… well… you know.
Finally, Danny spoke. "I don't mean to alarm you—"
The woman yelped. "Oh my!" she hurried into the other room, leaving Danny as remorseful as the night before. He sat back down in a slump, crossing his arms and losing himself in thought again. Surely, this woman must have some real connection with the afterlife. If he could get her to calm down, maybe she could explain to him what had been happening to him. He fiddled with the stray strings on the seat when Tanya reentered the room.
"I'm sorry about my sister. She's very… passionate about her work." Tanya placed a cup of juice next to Danny's spot on the couch. "I'd kick you out, but I have a feeling a meeting with her would settle your mind as much as hers. She does not often have such strong reactions to a customer…." Tanya slowly looked back to the room her sister had gone into. "I'll get her settled down a bit and invite you back into her reading room. She just needs some time to collect herself."
"Sure, I understand," Danny replied, face flushing and staring at the ground. "I'll just be sitting here." Tanya's slippers dragged all the way across the floor back into the kitchen. He could hear the squealing of the boiled water and, later, the sound of it being poured into a mug. Soon enough, the soothing scents of jasmine tea flushed into the atmosphere. The smell of the tea calmed him a little bit. Danny sat still as he waited to be ushered into the room. He stayed stationary for what seemed like ages.
Eventually, Tanya came back the room. "Nastasia is very delicate, but she will see you," Tanya spoke straight-forwardly to the teen. "She is in the last room on the left. Please approach slowly. I don't know why you have so much effect on her, but please do not forget her fragile state."
"Okay…." Danny said, almost a whisper. Slowly, he made his way through the narrow hallway, kicking up dust along the way. The pictures moved on the walls as his body passed them. The floor continued to creak as he approached the end of the hallway. Quietly, gently, he turned and entered the room.
Nastasia sat on a mat behind a low table with her tea at her side. Her distant eyes met Danny's as soon as he appeared in the doorway, watching him as she carefully took his seat just opposite of her. He shuffled up a little closer to the table, making the woman lurch in her seat. From here, Danny could get a better look at the woman. She was old, face wrinkled with experience, eyes a cloudy blue. Her lips were small, almost paper-like. She wore mostly purple in a silky get-up, with purple jewelry covering many of her aged skin. Celestial rings wrapped around long, thin fingers, which rested atop the worn table with tenderness. Danny attempted to smile, but he couldn't quite figure out how to move his face. He didn't want to scare the woman.
They sat in silence for a good minute. Finally, Danny decided to explain why he was there. "My name is Danny. I stumbled upon this place by accident. How can you sense…. What makes you think I'm a ghost?"
"Child," the medium replied weakly, "I don't think. I know. I can see."
This frightened Danny. "You won't tell anyone, will you?"
The woman offered a smile. "No, no. Please, do not worry. Besides, who would believe this old girl? No, child." She laughed. They continued to sit. Danny felt extremely uncomfortable.
"Maybe… this was a mistake. If it's not a good—"
"No, no," the woman seemed concerned. "The way I reacted earlier was rash. I'm very sorry, dear. You must understand, I very rarely encounter someone of such… metaphysical context…" she reached her hands across the table to touch his. Immediately after touching them, a shiver visibly went up her arm. She jumped.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean…"
"No, no," she repeated. "It's not your fault. I sense you're fairly new to your power, and your physical body just seems to be adjusting to the extra celestial weight." She nodded, looking down, observing his features. "And you needn't worry, child. Only people who are truly spiritually connected can sense this sort of thing."
"Okay…." Danny felt uncomfortable in his own skin. Nastasia was quick to pick up on this.
"I know my actions may have seemed dramatic, but please know that I only wish to help you from here on out. Before you spoke, I certainly had much fear. But I can tell from your voice that you are a peaceful soul. I am a strong friend of the spirits. This is what I do: I help them. Please let me help you. It will cost you nothing."
"Really? Are you sure? I feel bad—"
"No, no!" she shook her head and waved her hands back and forth. "It is a gift to just be in your presence. Please, stay a while." Now that she was opening up, she seemed very kind and warm-hearted. Danny smiled back at her and relaxed his shoulders. "Now, tell me what worries you. I sense a strong discomfort in your life."
"Wow, you really are good," Danny joked. "I… oh, it's weird to talk about. Sorry if it doesn't come out very… eloquent…."
"Nonsense. Your feelings are feelings no matter how they're expressed. I want you to let your worries go. Put them into the air." She rose her hands above her head, waving them slowly in the room. "You'll feel much better once you release the stress anyway."
"Okay… well… recently I've discovered that I have this mood that makes it very easy for me to scare people," he started, feeling a little silly. "I was… sort of… joking around with a friend, and I guess I was being really creepy. I didn't realize until later how awful it was. I mean I was being really ghost like, more so than I ever have been in the past." He looked at her now, seeing her look back at him with such a strong interest. "I guess I'm just not used to these ghost feelings. I can tell they're not human, and I know it's not good to express them like this… but I can't just ignore them, you know?"
"Yes, child, of course," she started. "With time, I believe, you will learn to control this emotion. You will find new emotions within yourself the more you connect to your spiritual side. One thing you've experienced already is power. This power can easily be used for mischief. You could make the world a stage, mortals your puppets, and you the puppet master. Such strength can be a burden, but it is quite an honor to be able to obtain." The woman looked deep into Danny's eyes. "I sense much, much power within you. More than you have yet to tap into." She grabbed his hands and closed her eyes. "Yes. I see many lessons in your future. You will discover many things about yourself. I…." she grew silent. Danny waited for her to respond, but she simply kept her eyes closed and grew that familiar worried expression on her face again.
"Uh… ma'am?" he asked. She had no reaction. "Are you okay?" More silence. Suddenly, she let go of his hand with another scream, knocking backwards into the wall behind her. Danny jumped as he rose to check if she was alright. The woman was quick to recover, although still seemed restless. "I'm sorry, did my hands do that thing again…?"
"Surges of your power come through your skin and into my palms…" the woman said, pulling herself back to a sitting position. She grabbed his hands again as Danny sat next to her. "Young Daniel… you are extremely strong. You must promise me not to misuse this strength. I beg of you… whenever you feel as if darkness is overshadowing your heart, please seek me out. I fear you may have no other person to turn to when you need spiritual guidance." She held his hands tightly. "Although, I do sense the presence of a strong bond between you and a companion in whom you trust dearly. Keep this person close, even though they may not understand these more visionary things. You need them for guidance. Do not lose them."
"Yes… this was the girl I was talking about. The one I scared… the one I terrified. She knows about my powers, and she's very supportive. I just… I just feel so bad about scaring her… I even scared myself… how could I be so monstrous?" Danny felt his eyes grow hot, and Nastasia looked at him with deep understanding. She held out her arms and took him in, embracing him like a mother to a child. "I don't want to be evil, but what if I can't help it… What if I'm inherently evil?"
"You are most certainly not evil!" she said from within the lock of their arms. "There is much, much goodness in you. You may feel tainted sometimes, and, yes, even evil; but you are truly good. I know this." She slowly patted his back as he sank his head into her shoulders. Her gentle touch and the loving tone of her voice allowed him to let go of all of the pent up emotions he felt building inside of him. She held him for as long as it took for him to feel acceptable again.
"I… I can't thank you enough…" the prophet let go of the ghost boy as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "And I can't believe I'm crying…."
"Oh child," she said, taking his hands and shaking them. "It just means you are feeling. Never be afraid to feel." She was so full of wisdom. She let go as she reached for her tea. Danny sat there wondering how it was possible to form such a strong connection with a stranger so quickly. Nastasia put her hands onto her knees as she hoisted herself up into a standing position. Danny shot up too, sensing their session was coming to an end. She looked back to him, noticing one more thing. "Your eyes… they seem to hold much power. Do you hide it there?"
"My eyes?" he asked aloud. "Well, I mean, I think they change color when I shift, but I don't know if they hold the power. If you say so, though, I guess it's possible"
"Pardon me for being so eager," the woman started, hesitantly, "but may I see them?"
"The green eyes?" he asked. "I haven't really changed just my eyes before, but I guess I could if I tried…" he closed his eyes in an extended blink, focusing. When he reopened them, He saw Nastasia's gaze, full of awe. He could see the green light reflecting from the watery look in her own eyes. Now, although intentionally exposed, Danny felt more controlled and comfortable. Moments of connection seemed to pass. Danny closed his eyes again and looked down at his feet, rubbing the edges of his dirty white shoes against each other. She grabbed his shoulders and his attention, once again.
"Such incredible power in those eyes… I've never seen anything like it in my life…." Nastasia let go of the boy, turning away to grab her tea. Her hands were still shaking from the experience. Danny felt like a small child again, showing off a new skill to an incredulous adult. "I believe this ends our session today. I wonder what Tanya must be thinking." She chuckled to herself as she headed towards the door. Danny beat her there, holding it open for her. "A gentleman, too." She laughed generously as she made her way through the door and into the main room. Danny soon followed.
Tanya was sitting on the couch when she saw them emerge from the room. "Sister!" she said. "I was beginning to grow worried. You were in there for so long. It's already six o'clock."
Danny's mouth dropped. "It's six? As in six in the evening? As in we were in that room for six hours? That's impossible!"
"Aah, yes," Nastasia interjected calmly. "Many times, a true connection with a spirit may last for several hours, even when it seems that just minutes passed by. Another true marvel." She laughed as she shuffled onto the couch in the sitting room.
"I really need to go now, my parents are going to kill me," Danny worried out loud. Before turning to leave, he made his quick goodbyes. "It was great stumbling upon this place and meeting you. I'll be back, don't worry." Then, he ran towards the door. Pausing outside to check if anyone was watching, he phased quickly and began his ascent into the sky. Before going too far, he glanced back at the window, seeing the sisters peak from behind the curtain. Tanya's mouth was agape, almost comically so. Nastasia simply waved casually at the boy. Danny waved back and, turning invisible, flew away with a gigantic smile on his face. He had never felt more at peace than he did at that moment. He flew effortlessly with the weight of the world now off his shoulders and a new sense of peace surging through his spectral form. Perhaps he was meant to meet these sisters. Perhaps there was more to this power than going through walls and flying. Maybe, just maybe, it was fate.
This ended up being a pretty long chapter. Heh. I was on a roll when I wrote it. I just liked the idea of Danny visiting a psychic and I wanted to incorporate it into the story in some way. Hopefully it all worked out well! R&R if you would like, as always. 8)
