The End of The World: February 14, 2016

by SanJohn

The Ghostbusters are back to battle their old enemies for the end of the world is at hand. Will Professor Spengler's daughter get married? Will Ray lose his daughter and wife? Are Dana and Oscar lost to Peter forever? And what about Winston and the new Ghostbuster team, what is going to happen to them?

38. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

"Stupid Vixen!"

"Vigo stop!" Gozer said walking into the room that they shared.

Stopping just inside the doorway she stared at her mate. Vigo had one of his many young concubines in bed with him. Gozer frowned at Vigo before she pointed a finger towards the door.

"Get out!" Gozer spat at the young woman.

Wrapping the bed sheet around her naked body the young girl quickly exited the room.

"I don't understand your fascination with these young, weak, humans," Gozer said shaking her head back and forth walking up to the bed where Vigo was sitting on the edge.

Gozer watched as Vigo pulled his faulds from off of a nearby chair. As he laced them up around his waist she spoke to him.

"These girls can't satisfy you like I can," Gozer pointed out, "they only make you frustrated."

Vigo glared at Gozer as he placed his leather aventail around his neck and tied it. Slowly he rose up from the bed. He grabbed his vambraces from the foot of the bed and stood menacingly in front of his mate.

"These vixen are my play toys," Vigo said waving his vambraces at Gozer. "I don't say anything to you about the men you sleep with…," but he was stopped short.

Gozer's hand shot out to slap Vigo in the face, but her mate was faster. He caught her hand in his, dropping his vambraces as he did so. Leaning in close to her face he spat at her.

"…do I," Vigo finished.

"No," Gozer spat back.

"Good," Vigo said pulling his face away from hers and releasing her hand.

As Vigo bent down to retrieve his vambraces Gozer shot her left hand up into the air sending a bolt of energy towards the man bent over on the floor.

Vigo turned his head, avoiding the energy blast. He stretched forth his right hand out in front of him, slightly curved, as he stood up slowly.

Gozer placed her hands around her throat trying to tear away the invisible hand that held her tight. Vigo slowly advanced on her until his hand was physically holding her throat. Slowly he lifted Gozer up and off of her feet, backing her up and into the nearby wall. He then took his left hand and grabbed her short black hair pulling her closer to his face.

"Gozer," Vigo said with distain in his voice, "even 'You' don't satisfy me anymore. I would watch what you say to me from now on."

Gozer pulled her head back, ignoring the pain that it caused on her hair, and brought it sharply forward to knock into Vigo's forehead. Caught off guard Vigo released her. That was all that she needed. As she fell to the floor she placed both of her hands out in front of her and used her powers to push Vigo's body back towards the bed.

Her aim was off and instead of sending Vigo crashing into the bed, he was sent crashing into his wooden table. His body came to an abrupt halt pushing the table back and into the wall. Vigo's crystal ball, that was floating in the air above the table, became disoriented and fell down into the God's lap. Slowly the cloudy sphere became a picture. A beautiful tall body with long flowing hair and deep green eyes appeared. This was the Spengler child and Gozer slowly got to her feet. "What was she doing in Vigo's crystal ball?" Gozer wondered. Vigo had told her that the child was locked up in the mountain dungeon awaiting the time for her to possess the girl's body. Carefully Gozer walked towards Vigo not quite trusting the man sprawled on the floor.

"Doctor Shahrivar," the Spengler child said calmly, "Please let him go in peace."

Gozer stopped in her tracks, close enough to see the crystal ball, but far enough away out of the reach of Vigo. She kept her right hand out in front of her, ready for anything that her mate might do as she looked into the crystal ball.

There sat the Spengler child in a gown of yellow with something covering her face. Her left hand was inside a clear oblong tube with her index finger being held by a small baby that had tubes coming out of it from everywhere. Another, older man, stood across from the Spengler child dressed the same way.

Gozer watched as the fingers of the small baby relaxed their grip and fell off of the Spengler child's index finger. Gozer watched as the Spengler child started to weep openly at the small dead baby inside the clear oblong tube. Something didn't sit right with Gozer and she waved her left hand across the ball's surface.

"Go back," Gozer ordered the crystal ball, knowing full well that the Spengler child wasn't in the mountain dungeon.

The crystal ball showed only the truth and Gozer wanted to know when the Spengler child had escaped up to the surface. The picture played backwards across the surface of the ball until she saw Vigo's body in the picture.

"Stop," Gozer told the crystal ball waving her left hand, "Go forward real time."

Gozer's left hand dropped to her side and her mouth turned down into a frown. Vigo was on top of the Spengler child as she lay face down on a bed, her legs slightly parted as Vigo thrust his way to a climax.

There had only been one other time that Vigo had climaxed and impregnated one of his subjects here. That young woman had killed herself by jumping off 'The Cliffs of Insanity'. Gozer knew now that Vigo had indeed been hiding something from her.

"You've failed me for the last time," Gozer spat at him.

She sent a bolt of energy Vigo's way before she turned on her heels and left the room, looking for Vigo's accomplice Jack Hardemeyer.

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Jack wasn't feeling any better than before even though it had been six months since Lord Vigo had nearly killed him. Physically his body was fine, but his mind was not.

The only physical scar that remained was a burnt gash on the left side of Jack's face behind his ear. He pushed around the slices of his potato on his plate with his fork. Ever since that awful night he hadn't been able to touch meat ever again.

"Eat," an older woman told him.

Jack looked up from his plate, smiling weakly at her. Gretchen was only trying to help. She had been this way when his friend had been killed too.

"He never should have been trading with the evil mountain people," Gretchen had told Jack when she had heard the news. "And now my son is gone."

When Jack had first seen his soon to be friend, he had found him out in the field with Gretchen. That was the day that he had slipped through the slime that covered the walls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

"Look what we have here Mother," his new friend had said as he stopped thrashing the wheat, "A one shoed wonder from above."

"The name's Jack Hardemeyer," Jack had spat at the man and his mother. "Just where the hell am I?!"

"You're in the otherworld," the man had replied placing both hands on top of his scythe.

"This is Gretchen my mother," he had said waving his left hand towards the older woman, "and my name is Giles."

Giles and Gretchen had taken Jack into their home and there he had stayed to this day.

"I'm not hungry," Jack said as he put his fork down and pushed his plate away.

Jack pushed his chair back and went to get up from the kitchen table when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up into Gretchen's face.

"She got what she deserved," Gretchen said with a hint of anger in her voice, "for trading with Giles."

Jack slowly got up the rest of the way and shook his head at her. He took her hand off of his shoulder and placed it into his own hand.

"No one deserves to have their child killed in front of them," Jack replied sadly.

Patting Gretchen's hand Jack released it and walked away from the table.

"The rumors are true then," Gretchen called after him, "You have feelings for the mountain girl. You love her."

Jack stopped at the doorway to his bedroom and hung his head.

"I don't love her Gretchen," Jack said, "and as for my feelings towards her…," he trailed off lost in thought.

After a moment or two Jack finally spoke again. "Maybe I just feel sorry for her," he said, "that's all."

"And maybe I'm going to be rethinking my loyalty to the two Gods also," Jack said as he walked into his room.

"They spared your life," Gretchen pointed out.

"Yeah," Jack said as he closed his bedroom door.

"And they left me emotionally scarred," Jack finished to himself.

Kicking off his shoes Jack laid down on the twin bed and placed his hands behind his head, looking up at the ceiling.

"I never should have brought her back," Jack said out loud.

After Vigo had taken the Spengler daughter, Jack had gone in search of the unruly red haired young woman. She had tried to escape, but her pregnancy had not allowed it.

She had made her way from the bar over to the L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station, five blocks away. Here she had caught a free shuttle bus to the East Potomac Park.

The East Potomac Park is a 300+ acre peninsula located between the Washington Channel and the Potomac River on the south side of the Tidal Basin. The island had been built up from Potomac dredging material from 1880 to 1892.

Jack had found her not far from the East Potomac Golf Course's Club House, along the Ohio Dive Southwest roadway, hidden among the many famous cherry trees. She was looking out across the Washington Channel to Fort McNair that lay beyond. Her back was up against a tree, legs spread apart, sitting on the ground.

"What are you doing?" Jack scolded her. "Lord Vigo wants us back."

"What the hell does it look like I'm doing!" She spat back at him, "Playing tiddlywinks?"

Not seeing what was going on because it was dark Jack had approached her.

"Play times up," Jack said stopping by her right side, "Time to go."

She had replied back by cursing something at him in Greek. Jack had only heard Giles speak Greek and he realized that his friend had been keeping a secret from him.

Jack closed his eyes tight, trying to remove the crying of her child from his mind but he could not.

"Should have left her," Jack muttered to himself again.

She had given birth to a boy, sitting there under the tree that night and Jack had been in awe of the way that she seemed to glow. Almost like his wife had glowed so many years ago when she had given birth to their first son also.

Jack had removed his jacket, that he had borrowed from someone at the bar, and had placed her newborn baby inside it. He had then removed one of his shoelaces and tied the umbilical cord off with it. Luckily he had taken a pocket knife, from someone who had dropped it at the bar, so that he could cut the cord away from the placenta.

She was tired and bloody, and he had helped her to stand up on her feet. She clutched her baby to her chest as Jack kept a hand on her arm to study her.

"What are you going to name him?" Jack had asked.

"What do you care!" She spat back at him, tore her arm away from his grip, turned, and walked away.

"Wait!" Jack called out to her as he pulled a small black bag out of the back of his jeans pocket. "We have to go."

Jack grabbed her arm and stopped her from going any further. Releasing her arm he put his hand into the opened bag as he spoke to her.

"I left the Spengler daughter's boyfriend back at the bar," Jack told her, "we have to go back and get him."

"NO!" She cried out reaching out a hand to stop Jack, but she was too late.

Jack had already pulled the silver powder from the bag and had tossed it up, into the air. Before she knew it all three of them were back outside the bar.

Jack rolled onto his side wishing that he could forget what had happened to him that night.

"Stay here," Jack ordered her as he went in search of the boyfriend.

She had complied, sitting on the same bench that the Spengler daughter had sat on, nursing her baby. After ten minutes he had returned, the boyfriend in a trance following behind him. Stopping before her Jack could see, by the light from the bar, that her black pants had been ripped at the crotch and her underwear was torn. She had dried blood down both of her legs and she was shivering slightly from having just given birth.

Jack's wife had experienced full-body shaking right after her delivery.

"It's normal," Jack had been told by the nurse. "This occurs because of the immediate hormonal shifts that occur after delivery. Don't worry, they'll go away within a few minutes or, at most, a few hours."

Jack watched as the young woman tried to keep her legs still and his heart went out to her. This was most likely her fist child and she probably didn't know what was going on. Kneeling down on one knee he placed his hand on her left knee.

"It's okay," Jack said gently to her as he pulled the small black bag out of the back of his jeans pocket once again, "This is normal."

"You can clean up in his hotel room," Jack said taking his hand off of her knee and pointing a thumb over his left shoulder at the boyfriend who was standing there. "I'll get Lord Vigo to get you some new clothes before we go back."

Jack placed his left hand into the small black bag and brought it forth with some silver powder held inside his palm.

"NO!" She had cried out again reaching out to stop Jack from releasing the powder into the air, but once again she had been too late.

Jack pulled his legs up to his chest as he started to shake.

The four of them had appeared in the hotel room at the Hyatt Regency, but it wasn't the boyfriend's room. The guestroom with its modern caramel and gold toned décor had an oversized work desk, a long chest of drawers, a television, two end tables, a yellow colored lounge chair, and one king sized bed.

Jack had caught sight of Lord Vigo with the Spengler daughter face down on the bed. Jack was no stranger to making love to a woman and he knew that he had caught the God just as he had climaxed.

Grabbing the young woman's arm he started to pull her towards the hallway that led to the room's door. He had to get her out of there as he heard Lord Vigo scream at him.

"Jack!"

Jack ignored the God as he pulled the young woman, but he tripped on a torn red dress that lay on the floor.

"You've disturbed me!" Vigo roared at the couple.

Jack knew what was coming next as he quickly got up and rushed to the young woman and her baby's aid.

Jack had accompanied Lord Vigo on many occasions. He had seen the God kill anyone that had defied him. He couldn't let that happen to the young mother and her newborn child. It was his fault that she was here. He had thought that the Spengler daughter and boyfriend had two hotel rooms, but he had been wrong.

She screamed as Lord Vigo advanced on her, his right hand raised in the air. Jack threw himself in front of the young mother just as the blue bolt of energy was released. The energy caught Jack on the left side of his head just behind his ear. The force of it caused him to spin around to face the angry God.

Vigo's right hand grabbed Jack's throat and the God lifted him up and off of his feet. He pushed Jack up and into the wall behind him.

"I'm your God!" Vigo roared at Jack.

Jack clutched at the hand around his throat, trying to remove it.

"You'll do well to remember that!" Vigo snarled as he brought his face closer to Jack's.

Jack felt as though he couldn't catch his breath as Vigo's fingers pressed harder into his neck. His vision was slowly starting to turn to black and he felt his head becoming light.

Jack remembered that the young girl had said something and then he had dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. As Jack's vision cleared he could see Lord Vigo advancing once again on the girl. She was backed into the corner of the room, by the door. Rubbing his neck Jack crawled forward after the God. Lord Vigo had killed his friend in front of his own eyes and he could see the same thing happening now.

"NO!" The girl screamed at Vigo, "Leave Giles alone."

Jack was angry. He paused for only a moment before he rushed at the God.

"Why did Giles do that?" Jack wondered out loud.

"I did what I had to do," a voice called out to him.

Jack slowly opened his eyes to see Giles sitting at the foot of his bed. Slowly Jack uncurled himself and sat up.

"Go away ghost," Jack said as he backed away from Giles.

Hitting the wall Jack could go no further and he grabbed the pillow from off of the bed and threw it at Giles. The pillow bounced off of Giles' chest and hit the floor. Giles bent over and picked it up, placing it back onto the bed.

"Look Jack," Giles said, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry," Jack said in a threatening voice, "you're sorry. Do you know what I had to do after Vigo killed you?"

"Do you know how I wanted to rush to your side and try and free you from your pain?"

"But no," Jack said pointing a finger at Giles, "You told me not to with your eyes and a slight shake of your head. I had to stand there. Stand there, straight and proper. Head held high as Vigo broke your neck!"

"I closed my eyes and turned away as your body dropped to the ground."

"Lucky for me Lord Vigo thought that I was worshiping him as I kneeled there with my left knee on the ground, my head bowed to the floor."

"Vigo came up to me afterwards and placed his hand on my shoulder and said…," Jack was cut off.

"Well done," Giles finished.

"How did you know that?" Jack asked lowing his hand. "You were dead."

"Yes, my body was dead," Giles said, "but my spirit lives on."

"So you're a ghost?" Jack questioned.

"No," Giles replied, "not really, but I have come to help you."

"Help me?" Jack questioned shaking his head back and forth, "I don't need anymore help. Your death has brought me nothing but regret."

"Then release me," Giles said.

"Release you?" Jack questioned once again as he narrowed his eyes at his former friend.

Jack stared at his best friend sitting there at the foot of his bed. Giles was still wearing the same blue jeans and green plaid shirt from the day that he had been killed. "Wasn't he supposed to be in white," Jack wondered to himself.

"What does that mean?" Jack asked Giles instead, "Release you? How?"

"You need to release your hatred. Life is simple," Giles stated, "too simple to be hating for so long."

"I don't hate you," Jack replied.

"No, not me personally," Giles pointed out, "but you do hate the men who put you here, don't you?"

Jack frowned, "Doctor Peter Venkman and his friends," he said bitterly.

Giles nodded his head in agreement.

"I wasn't given a chance," Jack said bitterly, "not then or here."

"Yes you were," Giles replied.

Jack turned up the corner of his mouth in puzzlement. "What are you talking about Giles?" Jack asked, "You were not around that day."

"That's true," Giles replied, "I met you after you had come here and Vigo had given you a not so welcome experience."

"I remember that day," Jack said as he pulled his legs up to his chest, "Vigo had tortured me with a blue electric light."

"I didn't know what it was that day, but I do now. But you still don't make any sense."

"I never told you about my life before I came here," Jack continued, "so how could you have known that I hated the 'Ghostbusters'?"

"Your actions spoke volumes to me," Giles answered, "I knew there was hatred in your heart and when I died I found out what it was."

"But Jack," Giles continued, "you were given a chance not to come here, but you didn't take it."

"No I wasn't!" Jack said getting angry.

"Yes," Giles said reaching forward to touch Jack, "you were."

Jack tried to back away from his friend's touch, but the wall behind him allowed him no escape as Giles gently placed his index and middle fingers on Jack's left temple.

Closing his eyes Giles spoke softly, "Remember."

Suddenly before Jack's eyes he was taken back to that night, before the new year, in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art when he had been the Mayor's aide.

Jack watched himself as he pointed a finger at the Ghostbusters and walked up to them.

"Look, I've had it with you four! Get your stuff together, get back into that clown car and get out of here! This is a city matter. Everything's under control."

"Oh, you think so, Budgie-brain?" Doctor Stantz replied stepping forward to confront the Jack before his eyes.

Jack saw Doctor Venkman push his way in front of his friends.

"Well Mr. Hardemeyer," Doctor Venkman spat at the other Jack, "I've got news for you. You've got Dracula's brother-in-law in there and he's got my girlfriend and her baby. Around about midnight, TONIGHT, when you're partying uptown, this guys going to come to life and start doing amateur head transplants. And I do hope that you're his first choice!"

"Are you telling me there are people trapped in there?" The Mayor standing next to the other Jack asked.

Jack watched as his other self became angry, so angry that he couldn't believe the conversation that the Mayor was having with the Ghostbusters or other people around him. It finally boiled over when Doctor Venkman had pointed a finger at him and called him a Hard-Head.

"This is preposterous!" Jack's other self screamed at Doctor Venkman watching his own face turn bright red. "You can't seriously believe all this mumbo-jumbo! It's the Twentieth Century, for crying out loud!"

Jack watched as the other Jack walked up the steps of the museum. He remembered that he had been filled with rage.

"Look mister," the other Jack shouted viciously at Peter, "I don't know what this stuff is or how you got it all over the museum, but you had better get it off and I mean RIGHT NOW!"

Jack watched as his other self made a fist and pulled it back. He saw Doctor Spengler raise his hand up and start forward towards him.

"I wouldn't do that!" Doctor Spengler yelled at the other Jack, but it was too late.

Jack remembered being bent on destroying the pink gel that was all over the museum. He hadn't heard Doctor Spengler's warning.

Jack watched in horror as his other self pounded his fist into the wall of slime. His fist got stuck and he couldn't pull it out.

"Help me!" The other Jack hollowed as the slime wall slowly and deliberately sucked his body through leaving only one shoe on the steps of the museum.

The vision faded as Giles pulled his hand away.

"So that's how you lost your shoe," Giles said under his breath opening up his eyes.

Shaking Jack spoke to Giles, "I didn't hear Doctor Spengler. I was so angry I didn't hear him."

"I know," Giles replied, "and you are still holding onto that hatred to this day."

Giles took and placed his right hand on Jack's knee.

"By holding hatred in your heart the only person who is affected is you," Giles continued.

"Of course, you may get some satisfaction of making someone feel guilty, but it's not enough to compensate the damage it does to your soul."

"The only thing that can happen when you don't release your hatred is that you attract the same kinds of people around you."

"Vigo," Jack said softly.

Giles nodded his head at his old friend as he removed his hand from Jack's knee.

"Can you see now what Lord Vigo has turned you into?" Giles asked.

Jack thought back about his time here. Twenty-six years of bitterness and hatred had governed his life. That was until Vigo had sent him after the young girl. Each time he had let his guard down his heart had been softened, a little each day, until that dreadful day six months ago.

Jack could still see the young mother, crying in a broken heap on the floor as Gozer walked into the room.

"I couldn't help her," Jack cried as he placed his hands on his eyes and bowed his head trying to rub out the memory. "I was helpless."

"You were held captive," Giles said trying to ease Jack's pain, "You weren't helpless at all."

"How would you know?" Jack questioned taking his hands away from his eyes, "You weren't there."

Giles smiled sadly, "Just because my body isn't here doesn't mean that my spirit can't be here with you, guiding you."

Jack turned his head to one side as he studied his friend, not quite understanding him.

Giles saw this and went on. "It was me who whispered to you when you wanted to rush Vigo that 'now was not the time'."

"It was also me who put the thought into your head to take the pocket knife when you found it on the floor, under the table, at the bar that night," Giles said.

"And would you have thought to use your shoelace to tie off my son's umbilical cord?"

"No," Jack replied softly, "but I let your son die."

"Jack," Giles said shaking his head back and forth, "You did all that you could do to save my son. In the end it wasn't your fault."

"No Giles," Jack cried as tears started to form in the corners of his eyes, "I stood by while Vigo broke your son's neck, like he did yours."

"No," Giles said softly, "you were held captive up against a wall, in Lord Vigo's bed chamber. You were unable to move as Lord Vigo first raped my wife and then killed my son."

"Lord Vigo thought I had an interest in her," Jack said sadly, "I crossed him and he made me watch as he took her, before he punished me."

"I should have left her in the world above," Jack finished shaking his head.

"Jack," Giles said trying to comfort his friend, "There is an old saying that goes like this. Ego says, once everything falls into place, I'll feel peace. Spirit says, find your peace, and then everything will fall into place."

"How?" Jack asked.

"Release your hatred," Giles stated simply. "Release me."

Jack just shook his head at his friend. "I don't know how."

"Open your heart Jack," Giles said, pleading with his old friend, "Your wounded heart was calling to me that first time we met."

"It's still calling to me. Is your life the same? Are you standing here, all alone, afraid to walk out that door. To find that no one cares what has happened to you?"

Jack sat there not knowing what to say as Giles continued.

"Jack don't underestimate me," Giles said. "I know more than I say, think more than I speak, and notice more than you realize."

Somehow Jack knew that to be true. Giles had never been a man of words for as long as he had known him. But when Giles had spoken, it was with power and truth.

"I guess what I'm trying to say Jack is that in the end we only regret the chances we didn't take," Giles finished.

"Is there anything that you regret?" Jack asked.

"Yes," Giles said lowering his head to the floor.

"What?"

"Trying to set you, my mother, and my young wife free," Giles replied softly, "and I failed."

Jack was puzzled and then it hit him. That one lone night that Giles had laid awake in the twin bed next to his and had talked to him. Telling him how he was going to be going away for awhile, but that he would be back shortly.

The next day Giles had left for the God's palace. Jack had thought nothing about it, as he had often walked the same path when he had been summoned by the Gods. That was until Lord Vigo had called him the next day.

Jack had walked up to the palace that day to find Giles there in Vigo's throne room, a bruised, beaten mess, lying on the floor.

"Yes, My Lord," Jack had said as he genuflected upon his left knee before Vigo's throne.

"Friend of yours?" Vigo had asked as he got up from off of his throne and approached Jack.

"Yes," Jack had replied as he got up off of the ground and turned his head to look Giles' way.

Giles had slowly shaken his head no and had pleaded with his eyes that Jack should do nothing to make it worse for Jack.

"Not anymore," Jack had remembered Vigo saying before he had killed his best friend.

"You slept with Gozer on purpose," Jack said.

"Yes," came Giles reply.

"Why?"

"To win her favor," Giles said softly, "To have her release you, Gretchen, and my wife."

"I'm sorry Jack," Giles said once again, coming full circle right back to where their conversation had started.

Jack's heart was softened and he reached out for his old friend's hand. Jack had found no peace, no solace, no answers in a world that had suddenly been turned upside down for him. It was clear now that malice towards the 'Ghostbusters' had slowed the progression in his life. He was utterly alone in his suffering and his very life depended upon forgiveness of both Giles and the 'Ghostbusters'. It could be done. Man could conquer his own self. He could find the peace that he sought in his life. Somehow his hatred of the 'Ghostbusters' was lifted from his shoulders. He felt light, as if he was a new man.

"Apology accepted," Jack said grabbing Giles' left hand feeling free for the first time since he had come to this place.

Gretchen's knocking on Jack's door interrupted the two men.

"Jack," Gretchen called out, but there was a tremor in the sound of her voice, "Wake up. The Goddess Gozer is here to see you."

"Shit!" Jack said under his breath releasing his friend's hand, looking around the bedroom for another way out. "What does she want?"

"I can help you," Giles said standing up.

"How?"

"Release me."

Jack didn't have time for anymore of Giles' riddles and yet as he looked towards his friend he thought he saw something just behind the man's eyes. Something pleading with him to do what he asked.

"Jack," his wife called to him inside his head.

Jack hadn't thought about her since the day that he had come here. He closed his eyes and tried to hear what she was trying to say to him.

It was the day he had just started his new job as the Mayor's aide. She had stopped him as he was trying to leave the house for work that day.

"Jack!" Gretchen's voice called out louder.

Jack put his hands over his ears. What had his wife said to him that day, then he remembered.

"Jack," she had said as she straightened his tie, "Remember it's not who you are that holds you back. It's who you think you're not."

Jack had his answer all along. He had just forgotten about it because of the hatred in his heart.

"Jack!" Gretchen called louder pounding on the door now.

Jack opened up his eyes and took his hands away from his ears.

"Giles," he said, "I release you."

Giles started to change. His blue jeans and green plaid shirt started to sparkle and dance with light. Jack was a little taken back and got up off of the bed, backing himself into the corner of the room. Giles' clothing changed in the blink of an eye to a white pair of pants and a white dress shirt.

"JACK!" Gretchen screamed through the closed door.

"Come with me," Giles said walking around the bed to stand in front of Jack his right hand held out to his old friend.

"Let me through old woman," Gozer's voice came from outside the door.

Jack didn't hesitate and reached out for Giles' outstretched hand. Moments later the bedroom door collapsed into the room. Gozer stepped over the smoldering, broken door that she had just blasted away to survey an empty room.

"Jack Hardemeyer!" Gozer shouted, but Jack was gone.

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Oscar placed the blade of his axe into a nearby tree stump and wiped his left arm across his sweaty brow. There was only a couple more hours of daylight left and he and Zeb needed to get the pine tree that they were working on down to the ground.

Dipping a tin cup into a nearby pail of water, Oscar took a drink of the now luke-warm water. When he was done he placed the tin cup down next to the bucket, and placed his left foot up and onto the tree stump. Leaning over he placed his arms onto the top of his left knee to rest.

When he had first gone out with Zeb, the morning after he had arrived here, they had gathered firewood. That had been easy, but after lunch it hadn't been so.

Handing Oscar an axe, Zeb had shouldered his own axe and led the way deep into the forest. Eventually they had come to a clearing where other men were working. Zeb had 'claimed' his tree, so to speak, and he and Oscar had gotten to work.

Oscar had never handled an axe before and when he made his first swing, following Zeb's example, he had embedded the head of the axe deep into the tree. No matter how hard he tried Oscar couldn't remove it. Zeb had been no help, as he bent over his own axe, laughing at Oscar, until tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Don't you know how to swing an axe?" Zeb asked between laughing fits.

"No!" Oscar shouted back as he placed his left foot up against the tree and pulled on the axe's handle with all his might. Finally the axe worked itself loose from the tree and Oscar tumbled backwards, to land on his buttocks in a heap on the ground, the axe laying in his lap.

That had been the icing on the cake as Zeb had fallen down, rolling on the ground, in tears.

At the end of the day, after Zeb had showed Oscar the proper way to swing an axe, they had 'felled' their first tree together.

"I'll show you how we 'limb' it tomorrow," Zeb said placing a hand on Oscar's shoulder.

That's when Zeb had noticed the blood on Oscar's axe's handle. Zeb had reached out and had carefully taken Oscar's hand that wasn't on his axe. As he brought Oscar's hand up to his face he could see that the palm was torn and bleeding.

"You should have said something," Zeb scolded Oscar, "Odessa will try to fix your hands when we get home."

Silently, with both hands on fire, Oscar had followed Zeb down the hill towards the log cabin. It had been all that Oscar could do to keep the axe balanced on his shoulder without touching the handle with his hands. When they had reached the clearing, by the well, Oscar had collapsed. Unable to stand the pain from his hands, he wreathed on the ground in agony.

"Odessa!" Zeb had shouted dropping his own axe onto the ground as he knelt down by the young man's side to help in anyway he could.

Odessa had appeared in the doorway to the log cabin. Seeing her two sons on the ground she had come running.

"What happened?" Odessa asked as she started to examine Zeb.

Zeb shook his head at her and pointed to Oscar.

"Oscar tore open his hands," Zeb replied moving Oscar's axe out of the way, so that he wouldn't hurt himself on it.

Carefully Odessa raised Oscar's left hand up to her face by grabbing the man's wrist.

"Why didn't he stop when the blisters started forming?" Odessa asked as she surveyed the bloody, ripped up palm.

"I don't know," Zeb answered, "Can you fix them?"

"Maybe," Odessa said, "Bring him inside. I'm going to need a few things. You don't mind getting them for me do you?"

"Not at all," Zeb replied as he helped Oscar to stand up on his feet.

Half dragging, half carrying the young man, Zeb had been able to bring Oscar inside and had sat him down on the edge of the hearth.

Oscar sighed. He hadn't told Zeb that he had gotten the blisters because he had been angry that day. Angry at Peter and the lies that he had been told all of his life. Angry at his mother, his real father, and finally angry at the world. He had taken that anger out on the tree, swinging his axe with more purpose until his blisters had torn open.

Even after that he had continued on. With each swing of his axe, Oscar had radiated hate into the trunk of the tree, until he could hear it cracking. He had watched as the wood split and the tree had fallen to the ground. That was when Zeb had discovered his hands.

Oscar stood up and took his foot off of the tree stump, slowly turning his hands over to see his palms. After six months of hard work he had developed thick calluses from physical labor, thanks to Odessa's quick thinking.

Odessa grabbed a clean dry dish towel from the table and placed it across both of Oscar's hands. She gently applied pressure hoping the bleeding would stop.

"I'm going to need salt and lavender oil," Odessa told Zeb.

Zeb nodded his head and disappeared out of the door. He came back moments later with a plain burlap sack and a small glass bottle.

"I have the salt and lavender oil," Zeb said placing the sack and bottle onto the table.

"Good," Odessa said, "Take over here. Apply gentle pressure while I get everything ready."

Zeb did as he was told as he watched Odessa set a pot of water on the fire to boil. After the water had boiled she placed two teaspoons of salt into a small wooden bowl. Odessa took some of the hot water and added it to the small wooden bowl. After the wooden bowl's water had cooled, she gently washed Oscar's hands while Zeb held the young man from behind in his lap.

The experience was painful for Oscar as Odessa used some cotton, that hadn't been spun yet, to clean from the center of Oscar's palms outward. Carefully dipping the cotton into the salt solution each time, she ignored Oscar's cries of pain, until all the dirt and grime of the day had been removed.

Leaving a crying Oscar in Zeb's gentle, soothing, embrace Odessa had then come back with the lavender oil. She had applied this liberally over both of Oscar's palms. After which she had carefully covered his hands up in torn strips of cloth.

Oscar placed his hands down by his side and looked to where Zeb was leaning up against a tree. Zeb had given up his own comfort to see Oscar become well again that day.

After Odessa was done, Zeb had laid Oscar down by the fire. He could see that the young man was in pain from his hands.

"Do you have anything we can give him?" Zeb asked.

Odessa nodded her head. "We can give Oscar some ginger tea. You cut up the root and place it into a bowl, while I find something to strain the water with."

Zeb had carefully cut up the ginger root, that Odessa had given him, placing the pieces into a wooden bowl. Odessa had added the root to the pot of boiling water from before, allowing the mixture to cook for ten minutes. When the time was up Odessa came back with a piece of cheesecloth to help Zeb carefully pour the mixture through the cloth and into a cup for Oscar.

Zeb held Oscar up, into a sitting position, while Odessa raised the cup to his lips. Oscar had tried to hold the cup himself, but his bandaged hands had not allowed him to do so. When he was done Zeb carefully laid him back down onto the ground.

"We're going to have a problem tonight," Zeb said to Odessa.

"Why?"

"Oscar isn't going to be able to climb the ladder to the loft," Zeb replied.

Odessa nodded her head in agreement. "He can sleep in our bed," she said nodding her head towards the wooden log bed in the corner.

"What!" Zeb raised his voice to her, "And make you climb the ladder? Archie doesn't even want you climbing up on the benches since you broke your leg last year."

"When Archie gets home he can help me bring down the straw mattress," Zeb finished.

"We will have to move the table back to keep the mattress far enough away from the heat so that it will not catch fire," Odessa told Zeb.

"Then let's get to work," Zeb replied.

By the time Archie came home that night he had opened the door to the log cabin, only to have it get stuck half way.

"Glory be wife," Archie called out, "Are you planning a surprise and didn't expect me home so soon?"

Odessa greeted Archie at the door, helped him climb over the log bench, and explained what had happened to Oscar. Archie had understood.

"I found three more people today," Archie told Odessa as he placed his slightly warped walking stick next to the front door.

"Did they follow you?" Odessa asked as Archie handed her a deer skinned bag.

"No," Archie said softly, "I'm afraid I'm loosing my touch."

"Maybe Zeb should go?" Odessa suggested setting the deer skinned bag onto the table.

Archie shook his head. "No," Archie whispered to his wife, "I don't want him missing in action when friends and family members need him more."

Odessa agreed. "Did you find our daughter?"

Archie sadly shook his head.

"But her time is drawing near," Odessa cried to her husband.

"I know," Archie said taking his wife into his arms, "She's smart, she'll know what to do."

"But…," Odessa cried out before Archie stopped her by placing a finger on her lips.

"Odessa," he said quietly, "Our daughter has a quiet confidence that screams loud. She is humble, but strong. She is stable, but rebellious. She is giving, but not naïve. She chooses her battle wisely. She'll stay silent until it's time to fight…," Archie broke off talking.

He pulled away from his wife and took her hands into his. Looking down at Odessa's hand's Archie finished his thought. "And when that time comes; fight, she does. Even if it's against Jack and the evil Gods."

Oscar saw Zeb looking his way.

"Ready?" Zeb asked.

"Yep," Oscar replied as he pulled his axe out of the tree stump.

Oscar approached the pine tree that they had been working on and lifted his axe up into the air. Zeb took the first cut and when he had pulled away, Oscar followed next. Soon both men were sweating and they eventually heard the tell-tale sound of cracking.

"Timber!" Zeb yelled out as the pine tree fell to the forest ground.

"Good work brother," Zeb said coming over to stand in front of Oscar.

Reaching inside the back pocket of his pants, Zeb produced a red checkered rag. He reached out, towards Oscar, wiping the sweat off of the young man's brow.

Oscar closed his eyes and his mind fell back to when he had fist come to the otherworld.

After he had torn the palms of his hands open, Oscar had developed an infection. No matter how hard Odessa had tried to keep them clean and moist, dust and dirt had crept in every day.

"I'm living in another time," Oscar had wrote in his journal after the ordeal was all over. "There are no hospitals, no sterile bandages, no warm blankets, no antibiotics, or aspirin. There are only candles, herbs, worn cloth, fever, and never-ending pain."

Oscar's fever had risen sharply until he couldn't comprehend what was going on around him. He only remembered bits and pieces of the ordeal.

"Dad," Oscar cried out one time, seeking Peter's touch.

"Hush," Archie's voice came back to him instead of Peter's touch, "Sleep."

Oscar remembered Zeb sitting by his side, carefully wiping his brow like he was doing now. He remembered being laid out on the log table one time, stripped down to his underwear, as cold rags were laid all over his body, trying to bring his fever down.

Late one night during all of this Oscar awoke to see Archie and Zeb standing by the fireplace.

"Goodnight my son," Archie was saying to Zeb, hugging him as he always did every night.

Zeb always replied with "Goodnight Father", but that night had been different.

"Father," Zeb said as Archie pulled out of his hug.

"Yes," Archie answered.

"I would like to perform a healing ritual for Oscar," Zeb replied, "but with him being delirious I can't ask him."

Archie thought about Zeb's statement. The ritual was usually done on behalf of an ill friend or family member, and it was customary to ask permission before doing any healing magic. However it was also acceptable to assume that you had implied permission, believing that in good faith Oscar would want this done, so that he could start to feel better.

"What does your heart say my son?" Archie asked.

"That Oscar wants to feel better," Zeb said, "no mater how that happens."

"Then I'll help you," Archie said.

Oscar had watched, through half glazed eyes, as Zeb has set up a small white votive size candle on a plate on the log table. Zeb had then set another taller candle behind this one on another plate. Lastly Zeb had placed an empty bowl, with some loose arrangement of herbs next to it.

When Zeb was done Archie went to the log cabin's door, opened it and announced, "Let it be known that the circle is about to be cast. All who enter the circle may do so in perfect love and perfect trust."

Even though it was late at night a few of Archie's closest friend had heard the call and had come. When the last person had entered the small cabin and had shut the door the ritual began.

Joining hands they formed a circle around Oscar, laying on the floor in the middle of their circle. Archie nodded his head for Zeb to start.

"I call upon you, Brighid, in a time of need," Zeb said in a clear voice. "I ask your assistance and blessing, for one who is ailing."

"Oscar is ill, and he needs your healing light," Zeb said with an ever so slight nod of his head towards the center of the circle.

"I ask you to watch over him and give him strength. Keep him safe from further illness, and protect his body and soul. I ask you, great Brighid, to heal him in this time of sickness."

Zeb released the hands of the two people next to him as he turned towards the table. He placed the loose herbal incense blend into the bowl. Taking a long thin stick from the fireplace he lit the incense and watched as the smoke began to rise.

Oscar could smell a blend of allspice, lemon, and yarrow coming from the direction of the table. It was very calming and he closed his eyes, listening to Zeb's voice.

"Brighid, I ask you to take away Oscar's illness," Zeb said as he joined hands once again in the circle.

"Carry it to the four winds, never to return."

"To the north, take this illness away and replace it with health. To the east, take this illness away, and replace it with strength. To the south, take this illness away, and replace it with vitality. To the west, take this illness away, and replace it with life."

"Carry it away from Oscar, Brighid, that it may scatter and be no more."

When Zeb stopped talking Oscar opened his eyes to see that Zeb had once again dropped hands with the people in the circle around him. He was now lighting the taller candle on the table before he turned back to the circle.

"Hail to you, powerful Brighid, I pay you tribute," Zeb said in a louder voice.

"I honor you and ask this one small gift. May your light and strength wash over Oscar, supporting him in this time of need."

Zeb broke the circle for the last time as he took the taller candle and lit the smaller one with it. Coming back to the circle and grabbing hands with the others next to him, Zeb spoke for the last time.

"Oscar, I light this candle in your honor tonight. It is lit from the fires of Brighid, and she will watch over you. She will guide you and heal you, and ease your suffering. May Brighid continue to care for you and embrace you in her light."

Oscar had closed his eyes when Zeb was done. In the morning when Oscar woke up he saw that the candles had burnt out by themselves and his fever had broken. His suffering had been eased in more ways than one that night.

"Oscar?" Zeb's concerned voice come to his mind.

Oscar opened up his eyes. Zeb was standing in front of him with both of his hands on Oscar's arms. Zeb had been afraid that the young man might fall. His black hair clung to his head, wet with perspiration, and underneath his mustache and medium length beard Oscar could tell that the older man was frowning.

"Are you well?" Zeb asked.

"Yes," Oscar replied smiling, "have I told you thanks for saving my life."

"I think," Zeb said turning his face toward the always overcast sky, "that this will make it nineteen."

"Fine," Oscar replied, "Thank you and thank you again."

"Now you're even," Zeb said removing his hands from Oscar, "at twenty."

"What say ye about going and finding my sister before it gets dark?" Zeb asked as he bent down to pick up his axe that lay on the ground.

"Don't you mean our sister?" Oscar stated calmly, hoping Zeb would catch what he had just said.

Zeb did as he stopped halfway up from picking up his axe.

"You're serious?" Zeb asked, still bent over.

"Yes," Oscar replied, "I've had a lot of time to think about this."

As Zeb straightened up Oscar continued. "I've come to forgive Peter for what he did. He was only trying to protect me and Mother from my real Father."

"When I first came here six months ago I had created my own personal hell because of my anger towards my real family."

"I had taken that anger out on that tree the first day and now have the scars to prove it," Oscar said holding up his hands to show Zeb.

"But you know what," Oscar said, "I'm not ashamed of these scars. They simply mean that I was stronger than whatever had tried to hurt me, which was my mind."

Oscar dropped his hands back down to his sides before he continued. "I wanted a home Zeb. A place where I could feel love. I had that with Peter and because of my anger it was taken away."

"I had to let go of that anger, learn to trust others again, and when I did do you know what I found?"

"No. What?" Zeb asked.

"I found you," Oscar said placing a hand on his adoptive brother's shoulder.

"A friend, always there no matter what. Watching over me, when I was sick, afraid, lonely. Quietly there with a hug, a hand on my arm, whatever it took to let me know that you cared about me."

"Sometimes the best way to help someone is just to be near them," Zeb said smiling at Oscar.

"I appreciated it Zeb," Oscar replied dropping his hand back down.

"And now I would appreciate it more if I could join your family and call you brother properly."

"Mother will be thrilled to perform the ritual," Zeb said, "Have you picked out a new name yet?"

"Yes," Oscar replied, "but only to be known among the members of our coven."

"Understood," Zeb replied.

Oscar shouldered his axe and followed Zeb down the hill to where they had left their sister to gather berries with the other women of the village. As they came into view Oscar could see the back of her head. Her red hair was tied back, with one of his shoelaces from his sneakers that he had worn out while living here.

He had learned that when things wore out here they were either refurbished or torn apart and the pieces were used for other things.

Oscar smiled as Zeb called out to her.

"Tum!" Zeb called, "We're ready to go."

Oscar watched as she turned her head towards them. She smiled and he could see that she was looking less pale everyday.

Zeb's sister had returned after his fever had broken. Archie, Odessa, Zeb, and him were sitting at the table eating breakfast when Archie, Zeb, and Odessa had stopped eating.

Archie had dropped his spoon, and with Zeb on his heels, had vanished out the door before Oscar could ask why they had stopped eating.

"What's going on?" Oscar asked as Odessa quickly gathered the half empty wooden bowls from the table.

"Someone has crossed into our boundaries," Odessa replied.

Oscar didn't know what Odessa had meant until moments later the log cabin's door was kicked in and Zeb appeared in the doorway carrying someone.

Oscar was quickly shooed back on the bench as Zeb laid the body of a young woman onto the table's surface. The young woman was wearing a pair of black pants that were ripped at the crotch, with dried blood down both of the pant's legs. Her cream colored top was held closed by only the top button, her large breasts clearing showing through. Oscar saw bruises on the young woman's arms and face. Her unruly red hair was half out of the ponytail that she had it in and she was pale. Pale to the point of almost being white and she kept muttering 'leave Giles alone'.

Oscar turned his face towards Zeb for an answer, as Odessa went to work caring for the young woman. When Oscar saw Zeb's face he became scared. The middle aged man's face, that Oscar had gotten to know so well when he was sick, was not what he saw that day. Zeb's face had always been calm, kind looking, but today behind his black mustache and medium length beard there was anger. That anger radiated through Zeb's eyes and into Oscar's soul. Here was a man that Oscar didn't want to cross paths with and he quickly got up off of the bench and retreated to the back of the cabin by the fireplace.

Zeb was breathing heavy, from carrying his sister back from the area of the waterfall. His hands were clenched into fists, angry at who had just brought her and her dead son back. He turned on his heels and went to go out the door, but a hand on his left arm stopped him. Zeb looked down to see Archie's hand on his arm stopping him from leaving. In his other hand Archie carried the dead child, wrapped up in a man's jacket, held up against his chest.

"Where do you think you're going?" Archie asked moving Zeb away from the opened door.

Zeb tried to pull his arm away, but he knew deep down that it was impossible to break away from the High Priest once he had you, and Zeb gave up.

"I'm going to kill the Gods," Zeb replied back angrily.

"You?" Archie said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "You are going to kill the Gods?"

Archie release Zeb's arm. "How?"

"I…," Zeb started to say before he trailed off lost in thought.

"Zeb," Archie said gently, "Knowingly petting a poisonous rattlesnake is doubly dangerous."

"For those who suffer from a poisonous snakebite, there is a painful cleansing process," Archie continued.

"Where the bite was inflicted, a cut with a sharp knife is required. Then, someone must cleanse the infected blood from the wound. It is a painful process my son."

"Zeb my plea to you is to avoid petting that rattlesnake," Archie finished. "It is not the time yet to confront the Gods."

Zeb relaxed his fists, picked up his axe, and retreated to the forest leaving Archie, Odessa, and Oscar with his sister.

After Zeb left Oscar had come over to help Odessa, while Archie had laid the dead child down by the log cabin's door.

"How's Tum?" Archie asked coming over to his wife.

"Bad," Odessa muttered under her breath as she carefully removed the young woman's clothes. "If I can't get her bleeding under control she's going to die."

"Anything I can do?" Archie asked as he walked over to the wooden log bed and took down one of the chemises that hung on the peg.

Odessa just shook her head as she took the chemise that Archie handed her.

"I need more rags," Odessa said as she placed the chemise on the log bench, "I've no more here."

"I'll get some," Oscar said as he ran out of the cabin.

Oscar turned his eyes to the nearest cabin and ran up to the open door. Stopping on the porch he yelled through the door.

"Odessa needs help!"

A gray-haired woman came to the door.

"Oh Oscar," she said, "It's good to see you well again. What's Odessa's problem?"

"Her daughter is bleeding heavily," Oscar said his voice in a panic, "she can't stop it."

"Tum's back?" The old woman asked drying her hands on her apron that hung around her waist.

Turning quickly back into her cabin she came back a moment later with a handful of rags and some fresh thyme. She quickly led the way back to where Oscar was living as she spoke to the young man.

"I'm going to need some boiling water Oscar," she said crossing the clearing by the well, "I have some herbs that are going to help."

"Nahimana," Odessa cried when the older woman appeared in the doorway.

Nahimana bowed her head to the High Priestess and then entered the cabin.

"Here," Nahimana said offering Odessa the rags in her one hand.

"Oscar," Nahimana said, "I can use that boiling water now."

Oscar quickly hurried over to the fireplace and carefully set a pot, with a lid on it, into the flames with the wrists of his hands. His hands still had bandages on them, even though he was feeling better. Soon the water was boiling and he let the women know. He watched as Nahimana poured the water over some of the fresh thyme that she had placed in a wooden bowl. Letting the mixture steep for about ten minutes, Nahimana carefully placed a rag into the bowl. Wringing it out she placed the rag into the young girl's pelvic area.

After an hour or so the two women had the young girl's bleeding under control by Nahimana's method. Oscar had sat with Archie by the fireplace, not quite knowing what to do or what had happened. After Nahimana had gathered her rags and left Odessa had dressed the naked, clean, young woman in the chemise. When she was done she went to ask for Oscar's help.

The straw mattress had been moved from the fireplace, to where the spinning wheel sat early that morning. Since Oscar was feeling better, Zeb and Archie were going to place the mattress back in the loft for the night. Odessa wanted Oscar to put the mattress back by the fireplace for Tum to use. Oscar had attempted to rise up and help Odessa before something stopped him.

"Zeb will do that," Archie said pulling Oscar back down.

"What happened to her?" Oscar asked as he sat back down by Archie's side.

"The God's," Archie said bitterly, "did this."

"I thought that God was good," Oscar stated.

"The God's, plural, are not," Archie said standing up as Zeb entered the log cabin.

Oscar looked towards the front door to see a very dirty man standing there. Woodchips were in Zeb's hair and beard as he carefully sat his axe down outside the cabin.

"Go clean up," Archie ordered Zeb, "I don't want to see you this way for Giles procession."

"Yes Father," Zeb said as he turned and left the cabin's doorway.

"How many trees did you kill today?" Archie called after his son.

"Two and a half," came Zeb's reply.

Archie smiled at his son as he moved to where he had placed the dead child earlier.

"My dear wife," Archie said sadly as he bent down and picked up the dead child, "do you have anything our grandchild can be buried in?"

"I do," Odessa said quietly as she beckoned for Oscar to come over to the log table.

Oscar came over, sitting down on the bench next to the couple's daughter, as Odessa walked over to the wood box at the foot of the wooden log bed. She opened the lid and rummaged through the contents before she pulled a blanket out.

"This was intended for his naming ceremony," Odessa said sadly.

In Odessa's hands she held a cream colored blanket that had a Celtic shield knot embroidered into the center of it in brown thread.

The celtic shield knot was used for warding and protection, and in Archie's family's coven the corners of the knot represented the four elements: Air, Water, Earth, and Fire.

The celtic knot by itself was intricate and complex and Odessa had hand worked this one into a more complex design. The shield knot was usually shaped as a square or appeared to be a square within a circle, the lines having no beginning or end.

Odessa's design started out this way but in each of the four corners, where the loops should have been, were small magical symbols instead. All four corners had triangles of various designs and color in them.

In the upper left-hand corner of the celtic shield knot design was the symbol representing Air. A yellow triangle with a horizontal line running through the lower half of it. The element Air represented the mind and intelligence.

In the upper right-hand corner, next to the Air symbol, was the symbol for Water. This blue single inverted triangle was considered feminine. The triangle was associated with the shape of the womb and represented wisdom.

In the lower left-hand corner was the symbol for Earth. Earth was represented as a green inverted triangle, just like the Water symbol was, but this symbol for Earth had a horizontal line running through the triangle at the top. Much like the symbol for Air. Only this line was called a ley line. Ley lines were considered magical, mystical, and carried positive or negative energy. The Earth element represented strength.

Finally in the lower right-hand corner, next to the Earth symbol, was the symbol for Fire. The symbol was a simple red triangle, displayed within the circle of the celtic shield knot's brown thread. The element Fire represented energy, love, passion, and leadership.

"It will make a beautiful shroud," Archie replied gently touching his wife's hand.

Odessa smiled at her husband. How she had wanted a child since she had come here. Just when she thought that her work was done raising her adoptive children, her daughter had gone and made her a grandmother.

Odessa had been looking forward to this grandchild to fill the space in her heart that had been left empty from her own six children. She closed her eyes as she thought back to that night ages ago before Archie and her had come to this place.

"My turn papa," the youngest child who had just turned six said to Archie.

Archie picked up Isabella and sat her on his lap.

"Okay little lady," Archie said to her, "are you ready?"

Isabella's eyes glowed in anticipation of her gift and she nodded her head yes. She watched as her father placed his hand into his deer skinned bag hanging from his right shoulder. Carefully he pulled out a pine cone.

Happily taking the pine cone out of her father's hand she jumped up off of his lap and ran over to the wooden table where the Yule log sat.

Her eldest brother, Conand, held her up so that she could place her pine cone onto the Yule log while her older sister, Alice, helped to tie it onto the log with a piece of string.

"It's beautiful Isabella," Odessa said as she surveyed the decorated Yule log.

The Yule log had a combination of holly, mistletoe, rosebuds, pine cones, evergreen sprigs, and a gold string adhered to it. Her third child, Bernard, was holding a jug of apple cider in his hands.

"Time for wassail papa," Bernard stated to Archie.

"So it is," Archie said standing up and joining his family by the wooden table.

Taking the apple cider from Bernard, Archie toasted and then doused the Yule log liberally with the cider. Margaret, the couple's fourth child, dusted the log with white flour before William, the second to the youngest child, carried it carefully over to the fireplace.

Conand helped William place the Yule log onto a grate set over some kindling in the fireplace, but before the family could set the Yule log ablaze the front door to their home was thrust open.

"Archibald!" A man's voice called out as he shut the door, against the cold winter wind.

"Herne," Archie called out, "we were just about to light the Yule log in celebration of the winter solstice. Would you care to join us?"

"No," Herne said rushing inside, "Odessa has to leave now," Herne said stopping by Odessa's side and placing a hand on her arm.

"Why?" Archie asked seeing that Odessa wasn't liking the tight grip that Herne had on her.

"They know who she is," Herne replied pulling Odessa towards the door.

"You're not making sense my friend," Archie said as he reached out and placed a hand on Herne, stopping him.

"We don't have time for this!" Herne said getting angry.

"Then be exact and I will be attentive," Archie stated.

Herne released Odessa and took a breath.

"The townspeople know that Odessa is a cunning woman," Herne said.

Archie nodded his head. Everyone in the small town in England where they lived knew that Odessa was a practitioner of folk medicine. Some people even referred to her as a 'wise woman'.

"Go on," Archie said.

"The Church authorities believe that the cunning folk, being practitioners of magic, are in league with the Devil," Herne said.

Archie shook his head at Herne. He had heard this before. There was a law enacted across England and Odessa had gone before the Church. She had proven to them that cunning folk were useful and were not out to harm people.

"Odessa has proven herself to the Church," Archie stated, "What do they want with her now?"

"It's not the Church that wants her," Herne stated looking towards the family's children, "It's the witch-hunter's. Matthew Hopkins and John Stearne."

Archie's face turned white. Hopkins and Stearne's had accused twenty-three women of witch-craft and had them tried at Chelmsford in 1645. Four people had died in prison while nineteen were convicted and hanged. Chelmsford was approximately 11 km (6.8 mi) north of where he lived with his family in Downham by Rectory Wood.

"Where can we go?" Archie asked coming over to gather his children together.

"Meet up at my place," Herne said as he quickly hurried over to the door, "My wife is awaiting you and your family. I have hired a boat to take you up the River Crouch to the North Sea."

"Then where?" Odessa asked as she and Archie quickly placed cloaks and gloves on their children.

"Ireland," Herne stated opening the door and disappearing out into the cold winter wind.

Tears came to Odessa's eyes as she remembered hugging each of her children and sending them out in pairs, into the cold of winter, to walk the 4 km (2.5 mi) southeast to Wickford.

Conand and Isabella had gone first followed by Margaret and Bernard. Before Archie and her had left Alice had taken William into her arms, wrapped her cloak around his body and had vanished out the door never to be seen again.

Archie had taken her hand and they had started out on the road to Wickford but after roughly five minutes had passed they had heard the hoof beats of horses behind them. Looking over their shoulder they could see torches and Archie had pulled her off the side of the road and down into what they had thought was a dirt bank.

They had fallen and had continued to fall, until they had come to rest by a gray round well.

"Must be winter where you came from," said an old woman's voice who would later become Archie's adoptive mother.

A hand on Odessa's face caused her to open her eyes. Gone was the young face of a dear man that she had fallen in love with and had married. The beautiful young face, with short black hair and beard, were replaced by a grizzly old face, with long white hair and full beard, done up in a ponytail. Archie was standing before her, one hand wiping away her tears, the other holding their dead grandchild wrapped up in a jacket. All these years later she still loved the man standing before her.

"Odessa," Archie said softly, "it will be alright in the end. You'll see. Don't cry."

"I'm crying about…," Odessa started to say before she trailed off and looked past Archie to where Oscar sat watching them both.

Archie glanced behind him to see what Odessa was looking at. Turning around he addressed his wife.

"Who does he remind you of?" Archie asked nodding his head towards Oscar.

"Bernard," came Odessa's reply.

"And our daughter?" Archie asked again.

"Isabella," came the soft reply.

"And Zeb?"

"Conand," Odessa said starting to weep again.

"Please don't cry," Archie said wiping her face, "I've tried to bring our family back the only way I know how. I'm so sorry."

"Do you think they made it?" Odessa asked.

"When I look into their faces I do," Archie stated with a nod of his head towards Oscar and the young girl laying on the table.

"I see in them our family," Archie continued on, "Many years from now and many generations past. Don't you see it?"

"Yes," Odessa said softly as she placed the blanket on Archie's shoulder and took their grandchild into her arms.

"I'll wash his body before his burial," she said walking away from Archie and out the door.

"I've got a nice bunch of strawberries," Tum called back to Zeb as he and Oscar approached her, "Maybe Mother can make us a pie for dessert tonight."

"I'd like that," Zeb replied as he offered his sister a hand.

Tum took his proffered hand and stood up from the ground where she had been sitting. She smiled at Oscar.

"How was work?" She asked him as she brushed the dirt off of her skirt.

"Another day," Oscar sang to her, "another destiny."

"I still don't understand your fascination with this musical you sing from," she said.

"Les Miserables?" Oscar questioned her with a twinkle in his eye. "Why it is only one of the greatest novels by Victor Hugo of the 19th century, turned into the best musical of my career that I got to conduct."

Zeb rolled his eyes as Oscar took the axe off of his shoulder and sat the head of it on the ground, leaning on its handle.

Standing up tall Oscar looked forward and quoted from the end of Hugo's novel.

"The book which the reader has before him at this moment is from one end to the other, in its entirety and details…a progress from evil to good, from injustice to justice, from falsehood to truth, from night to day, from appetite to conscience, from corruption to life; from versatility to duty, from hell to heaven, from nothingness to God."

Tum frowned at the mention of the word God and she was surprised when Oscar looked into her face as he finished his quote.

"The starting point: matter, destination: the soul," Oscar said bringing his voice down.

"The hydra at the beginning," Oscar said his voice almost a whisper, "the angel at the end."

"Come on," Zeb said taking Tum's arm, "before he starts in again."

Oscar smiled, shouldered his axe, and followed Zeb and Tum down the hill. They hadn't gone far when Tum stopped and looked towards her right.

"It's late Tum," Zeb said gently, "you can visit tomorrow."

Tum stood with a downcast face, looking at her basket of strawberries in her hands.

"I just want to say goodnight," she said quietly.

Oscar stopped by Tum's side. He looked at Zeb's troubled face. The nights were coming quicker these days and staying longer, a sure sign that winter had come to the world above.

"She only wants to say goodnight," Oscar said to Zeb as he gently took the basket out of her hands and handed it to Zeb.

"We'll be along shortly," Oscar said taking Tum's hand in his, leading her up the forest path.

"Do you have your flint rock?" Zeb called after the pair.

"Yes," Oscar called back as he followed the all too familiar path.

The first time he had been on this path was when they had buried Zeb's nephew.

After Odessa had washed the dead child Zeb had returned. Zeb had then taken the straw mattress and placed it back in front of the fireplace, placing his sister into it's depth before Nahimana had returned to the cabin.

"Oh High Priestess," Nahimana said bowing her head towards the ground, "I've come to pay my condolences and watch over your daughter so that you and Archie can perform the burial ritual."

Archie had come over to where Nahimana stood in the doorway, having just helped Zeb move the wooden table out of the way of the straw mattress.

"Thank you," Archie had said placing a hand on Nahimana's shoulder.

Oscar carefully helped Tum over a fallen tree that lay on the path as he remembered back to that night.

Zeb carefully helped Oscar into a robe of green letting the material fall to the ground.

"It's too big," Oscar said as he kicked at the excess material at his feet.

"Here," Odessa said handing Zeb a short length of wide rope.

Oscar watched as Odessa pulled the excess material up off of the ground until the hem fell right at his ankles. Zeb then tied the short length of wide rope around Oscar's waist, knotting the ends together. When Odessa let go of the excess material it fell around Oscar's waist.

"Now you can walk," Odessa told him as she pulled on her own green colored robe and tied a rope around her waist also.

When they were all ready Archie carried their grandchild, wrapped up in the blanket that Odessa had made, out the door to the clearing by the well.

Oscar had been surprised to see everyone who lived in the forest gathered around the well. They were all dressed in different colored robes and some carried lit torches as Archie stopped at the well.

"I need two people to help my family," Archie called out to the group before him. "One for Tum, because she can't be here, and one for Oscar because of his hands."

Oscar remembered someone coming over to him, holding a cup of water, as they started on their way into the forest that was quickly growing dark. He had thought that the water was to drink until they had come to an opening in the side of the slick rock wall.

Oscar followed as everyone gathered inside the cave. He had wanted to stand by Zeb, but had been gently pulled away to stand across the circle, that was forming around Archie and the dead child.

Archie gently laid their grandchild down on a smooth white stone, by his feet, before he stood up and said in a loud voice.

"Take me now, take me now for to face the Summerland. By the earth and wind and the fire and rain I'm on my way, remember me."

Archie turned to Odessa who stood deep in the cave. Odessa held up a rock in her hands.

"Take me now back to the earth from which we spring and then return. I shall cross over, now it is my turn. I am not afraid. Remember me," Archie said.

Odessa lowered her hands while Archie turned towards Zeb. Zeb held up his hands. He had a feather held between his two palms, that were pressed together, much like he was praying.

"Take me now back to the air from which we spring and then return. I shall cross over, now it is my turn. I am not afraid. Remember me," Archie said.

Zeb lowered his hands as Archie turned towards a young woman dressed in a white robe who had taken Tum's place. She held up a candle that was lit as Archie spoke yet again.

"Take me back to the fire from which we spring and then return. I shall cross over, now it is my turn. I am not afraid. Remember me."

The young woman lowered her candle as Archie turned towards Oscar now. Carefully his helper cupped Oscar's bandaged hands together and raised them up into the air towards Archie. Oscar's helper then placed his own hands, holding the cup of water, gently into Oscar's hands.

Archie once again recited the verse.

"Take me now back to the water from which we spring and then return. I shall cross over, now it is my turn. I am not afraid. Remember me."

Archie smiled at Oscar before he turned away from him. Oscar slowly lowered his bandaged hands as his helper took the cup away. Oscar watched as Archie pulled out a small knife from the cord which hung around Archie's waist. He quietly approached Odessa and touched her on her right shoulder with the knife.

"Blood of my blood," Archie said, "Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh. Keep my soul alive. I will live on within your hearts, I am not afraid. Remember me."

Odessa bowed her head, took a moment to reflect on the departed family member, and then opened her mouth.

"I will remember you," she said.

Archie removed his knife from Odessa's shoulder and walked over to Zeb next. Stopping before his son he carefully place the knife on Zeb's right shoulder and repeated what he had said to Odessa.

Oscar watched as Zeb bowed his head, when Archie was done, before Zeb too replied.

"I will remember you."

Archie removed the knife from Zeb's shoulder and turned to walk away but Zeb reached out and placed a hand on his father's shoulder. Turning him back to face him Zeb slowly brought his head towards Archie's until the two men touched foreheads. Zeb closed his eyes as a single tear fell onto the ground before releasing Archie to continue on with the ritual.

Oscar wasn't afraid when Archie approached him with the small knife. He had witnessed what he should do as Archie placed the blade on Oscar's right shoulder.

Tum stopped to rest and Oscar followed suit as he closed his eyes remembering back.

"Blood of my blood," Archie said.

Oscar remembered helping Odessa wash the bloody rags out after the burial ritual was over the next day.

"Bone of my bone," Archie continued.

Oscar remembered how Tum's teeth would chatter in the night as she lay on the straw mattress fighting for her life.

"Flesh of my flesh," Archie went on.

Oscar remembered seeing his scabs flake off as he helped Odessa with Tum, as they washed her each day.

"Keep my soul alive," Archie said.

Oscar watched helpless one night as Tum came close to dying. The only thing that he could think to do was sing to her. And sang he had done.

"I will live on within your hearts," Archie said a little louder now.

Tum pulling on Oscar's hand made him open his eyes as he followed her up the last incline before the entrance to the cave.

"I am not afraid," Archie said coming to a close.

Tum reverently entered the cave as Oscar stopped to light a fire.

Oscar placed his axe on the ground as he quickly gathered some dry wood and made a tinder nest. Taking a flint rock out of the back pocket of his jeans, he held it between his thumb and forefinger, allowing about two to three inches of the flint to extend past his grasp.

Oscar reached over and pulled some tree fungus off of a nearby tree and placed it on top of his flint. Carefully he took his axe and turned it over so that he could use the back of the axe's head. He quickly scraped the steel against the flint.

Oscar continued to strike until sparks began to form on the tree fungus. He continued the process until the tree fungus glowed like an ember. Carefully he transferred the tree fungus to his tinder nest and gently blew on it to induce a flame. As soon as Oscar's tinder nest burst into fire Tum had returned with an unlit torch.

Tum held the end of the torch by the tinder nest until the fire transferred itself to the torch. Standing up Oscar stamped out the remains of his fire before he followed Tum inside.

"Remember me," Archie's voice still rang out in Oscar's ears as he bowed his head to the ground.

Oscar stopped beside Tum as she knelt down by a small grave covered with stones in the back of the cave.

"I will remember you," Oscar said softly as Tum wept over her baby's grave.

A short while later Oscar found himself walking back home with Tum thinking about the conversation that they had just had in the cave.

"Oscar," Tum said, "Do you believe there is such a place as Summerland?"

Oscar just shrugged his shoulders. "From what Archie has told me Summerland is like a realm that is neither heaven nor the underworld."

"It's not good, it's not bad, it's just a place we go where there is no more pain or suffering."

"Zeb calls it a different word," Oscar went on, "He calls it Folkvangr, the hall of Odin the All-Father."

"Here the dead engage in combat in preparation to stand with Odin at Ragnarok, the battle that leads to the end of the world."

"Me," Oscar said, "I was raised to believe that after the body dies the soul is judged. Those who are righteous and free of sin will enter into Heaven."

"And what happens to those who have sinned?" Tum asked. "Where do they go?"

Oscar knew the answer but hesitated to tell the young grieving mother that hell was where the souls of those who were not found worthy would go; to be eternally punished for their sins.

But it wasn't Tum's fault that the male God who ruled here, had taken her against her will and had made her watch as he brutally killed her child in front of her eyes.

"I don't remember," Oscar told her instead, "Sorry."

"Oscar," Tum called out stopping at the end of the forest's trail.

Roused from his thoughts Oscar stopped by her side. Tum carried the torch from the cave in her right hand. The sky was getting dark and Oscar wondered if she had become disoriented as she hardly ventured out once it became dark. Archie, Zeb, and him on the other hand would frequently travel short distances at night, by torch light, to help their neighbors in their time of need.

"Home's that way," Oscar said pointing to his right.

"I know," Tum said turning around to face the young man.

How much he had changed in his time here. Oscar's slightly wavy blond hair now hung past his shoulders. He had it tied back twice in a ponytail. Once at the back of his head and then again about halfway down from that. Tum knew that Zeb had offered to cut it several times.

"Oscar," Zeb said as Tum stood just outside the cabin's door one day, "You don't have to have a contest with Archie to see who can grow the longest hair."

"Why don't you let me cut it at your shoulders," Zeb continued, "like mine."

"No," Oscar replied as he tied his hair into a ponytail with a small piece of string. "I'm good."

"Besides," Oscar said, "I think someone likes it this way."

"Who?" Zeb asked, but Oscar only smiled at him and walked away.

Tum reached out and took a hold of Oscar's hair that hung on his right shoulder and flipped it back, so that it hung down his back. His blue eyes stared into hers.

"What's the matter Tum?" He asked as he placed his axe that he had on his left shoulder onto the ground.

Tum looked into Oscar's gentle eyes that were surrounded by a mustache and beard. His beard was not as long as Zeb's and Tum knew why.

"Zeb knock it off!" Tum said after he had picked her up one night after dinner and had kissed her full on the lips.

They had been celebrating her recovery.

"Your beard scratches," Tum complained as he set her down.

The next day Tum had noticed that Oscar had cut his beard back. She liked men with long hair and no mustaches or beards, but living here it was impossible for the men to be clean shaven. It just couldn't happen. They had knives, but not what Oscar had called razors. The knives that they used couldn't get close to the skin without accidentally cutting it. So she was destined to be with hairy guys, but the one before her was actually trying to do things the way she liked, almost like Giles had.

Tum took her hand away from Oscar and turned around so he wouldn't see her start to cry. She still missed her husband even though she had never told anyone that she had secretly married Giles.

"No one can know," she told Giles after they had vowed to be each other's companions and no one else's.

"They wouldn't understand," Giles said as he caressed her hair.

Oscar placed his axe up against a nearby tree and gently took the torch out of her hand. Carefully he propped it up against some rocks so that it stayed upright before he touched her gently on her shoulder.

"Tum?" He said turning her around, "I'm so sorry for your loss."

Tum looked up from the ground into a face that was frowning at her. Truly Oscar was pained at her loss and he was trying his hardest to help her through it too.

She smiled weakly at him before she dropped her face back down to the ground.

"Thank you," she muttered.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked her, "Or do you need more time?"

She looked up from the ground. They had stayed too long at her son's gravesite. Odessa, Archie, and Zeb would be getting worried about them as she noticed the sky was pitch black now with no stars.

"Archie will be worried that we stayed too long," she said.

"Archie understands," Oscar replied.

"I just wish I had been given more time with Giles," she said sadly.

Oscar gently reached out and took Tum's left hand into his right one squeezing it gently. Not saying a word he just stood there until he could feel that she was alright and he released her hand.

"Oscar?" She asked.

"Yes," came his gentle reply.

"How can I ever be happy again?" She asked. "I've lost my son and my lover."

"I've been raped and beaten. No one cares for someone like me," Tum said dropping her face to the ground again.

Oscar took both of Tum's hands into his. Rubbing both of his thumbs gently over the palms of her hands he thought about something to say to her. Finally he knew what to say.

"Tum," he said quietly to her, "When one door of happiness closes, another one opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."

Tum looked up into Oscar's face, a tear in her eye. She had been looking for peace after Lord Vigo had killed her son and husband, but she had never expected to find it so close to home.

Oscar's quiet hand on her arm calming her anguish at the dinner table every night since she had returned and had gotten better.

His private talks with her over her son's grave. The gentle way he took her hand each and every time they had to cross the fallen tree on the path to the cave and back.

His smile breaking through the clouds of strife that she had within her soul. His soft voice offering her another choice than the one that she thought she was living in now.

Even though his voice was soft the sound was loud in her heart. Ringing of hope, washing all doubts away and understanding her. Understanding what she was going through, allowing her the time to do so, and yet being there; just within reach; when she needed someone because she thought that she was failing.

Oscar was constant, kind, and dare she say it out loud, loving?

"You," she choked out as tears threatened to flow from her eyes, "You love me?"

Oscar released her left hand and placed his right hand on her left cheek, his thumb gently caressing her jaw. He turned her face up to his as he closed the gap between them. Just before his lips touched hers he closed his eyes.

Tum had been kissed before, but Oscar's kiss was different. From the moment that Oscar's lips touched hers, she knew that those were the lips of someone who she wanted to kiss for the rest of her life.

Suddenly everything made sense. His long hair and short beard. His singing to her from that stupid musical that he loved. He had done it all for her. Tum saw a hint of the future pass before her mind as she returned Oscar's gentle, sweet kiss.

The new loft that Zeb and Oscar were building on the other side of the cabin. It had originally been for her and the baby, but now Tum didn't mind sharing that space with Oscar. And she somehow knew that he would like the idea too.

Tum was pulled out of her thoughts as Oscar released her face and gently pulled away from her. Opening up her eyes she saw Oscar smiling behind his beard. A beard that had not scratched her face, she noted to herself.

"What do you think?" Oscar asked her with a twinkle in his eye.

"I think that Archie had better brush up on his hand fasting ceremony," Tum replied smiling back and touching Oscar's face with her own hand.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Archie stood outside the door to his family's log cabin. It had been after Odessa, Zeb, and him had finished their supper that Oscar and Tum had returned.

"You're…," Zeb had went to say, but Archie had placed a hand on Zeb's arm stopping him as he saw the happy couple.

"…just in time for strawberry pie," Archie said instead of what Zeb had wanted to say which was 'you're late'.

Tum had smiled wider as she released Oscar's hand to sit down next to Odessa. Oscar slid in beside Zeb, never once taking his eyes off of Tum.

"Is there something that you wish to tell us my son?" Archie questioned Oscar.

"Maybe in the spring," Oscar replied never breaking eye contact with Tum.

"Good," Archie said as he cleared the wooden bowls away from the table, "I have time to brush up on my hand fasting ceremony."

"Who's being bonded?" Zeb asked looking to Archie for an answer.

"Zeb," Oscar said taking his eyes off of Tum and playfully hitting Zeb on the back of his head with the palm of his open right hand, "don't you ever pay attention to anything that's going on."

"You?!" Zeb said surprised as he turned to look at Oscar, confused.

"Oh," Zeb said understanding now, "your long hair and short beard. You did it all for Tum. But why didn't you say something to me."

"Because," Oscar said softly looking towards Tum's face, "I didn't know if Tum wanted anything more than a friend after what she has been through."

"I didn't," Tum replied, "until now."

"Oh praise be to Hera," Odessa said, "I've always wanted to see my children married someday."

Odessa turned her face toward Archie's, "Thank you husband."

Odessa gently grasped Archie's hand pulling him out of his daydream.

"We're all here," Odessa said into his ear.

Archie looked to see his three adoptive children standing before him. He smiled at his newest one Oscar.

"Are you ready Oscar?" Archie asked.

"Yes," Oscar replied.

"Your heart holds no hatred for any member of your former family?" Archie questioned.

"No," Oscar said.

"Anything at all?" Archie asked digging deeper into Oscar's soul, "Peter perhaps?"

"My step-dad, Peter, was only doing what he thought was best," Oscar replied with no hatred hidden in his voice, "I've fully forgiven him and have released this hatred that I had of him from my heart."

Archie nodded his head and reached out for Oscar's hand. Oscar took Archie's hand into his as the rest of the family formed a circle, joining hands with each other.

Archie nodded his head towards Odessa to start when she was ready.

Archie and Odessa had decided, with input from Oscar, that they would hold the naming ceremony first before the blessing ritual; welcoming Oscar into their family as their own. As was custom with Wicca tradition if the child was a girl, the father would lead the ceremony. In this case Oscar was a boy and as such, his mother Odessa, would preside.

"We gather today to name this child," Odessa continued, "To call a thing by name is to give it power, and so today we shall give this child a gift."

Oscar smiled at Zeb standing next to him and gave his hand a quick squeeze.

"We will welcome him into our hearts and lives and bless him with a name of his own," Odessa finished.

Zeb looked towards Oscar and squeezed his soon to be brother's hand back.

Odessa released Archie's and Tum's hands as she came across the circle towards Oscar. Tum and Archie came closer together to close the opening of the circle that Odessa had left.

Taking the forefinger of her right hand Odessa dipped it into some oil and drew a pentagram on Oscar's forehead saying:

"May the Gods keep this child pure and perfect, and let anything that is negative stay far beyond his world."

"May you always have good fortune, may you always have good health. May you always be joyful, and may you always have love in your heart."

Dipping her finger back into the oil Odessa carefully parted Oscar's shirt, at his neck, and drew another pentagram on the upper part of his chest as she said:

"You are known to the Gods and to us as…," Odessa trailed off.

Four pairs of heads turned towards the well in the clearing. Something was happening as the dirt on the ground started to swirl around it in a circle. Faster and faster it went until it started to form a column, rising up into the air. Slowly the column started to make noise until it was howling.

Odessa could see that the noise had woken up some of their neighbors, who had come out of their cabins to see what was happening.

Suddenly, without warning, a loud clap of thunder and a flash of light caused every one to raise their hands or arms up to shield their eyes, and they were all blinded for a moment. When everyone lowered their hands they could see a man standing before them. A man that many knew all too well.

Tum broke the silence by screaming.

"He's come back for me!" She wailed.

"Jack Hardemeyer," Archie said mincingly, with a hint of distain in his voice.

"Get her inside," Archie said to Odessa as he nodded his head towards his hysterical daughter.

Odessa pulled the wailing Tum inside the cabin and Archie could hear her bolt the door shut. The only way in now was through him. Archie saw out of the corner of his eyes his two sons joining him. Oscar on his left and Zeb on his right holding his father's walking stick. Both boys stood up tall, but slightly back from Archie forming a sort of triangle.

Archie stood up taller and opened up his right hand. He felt Zeb place his walking stick into his open palm and he closed his hand, onto his walking stick, as he took a step towards Jack.

"Leave now!" Archie stated loudly pointing his walking stick at Jack. "Your Gods have no power here!"

Jack looked scared, lost, glancing around him for something that Archie couldn't see.

"Giles?" Jack questioned the empty air.

"Giles is not here," Archie said sternly, "You had him killed!"

"No," Jack said, "My Lord killed him and I was helpless to do anything about it."

"Be gone!" Archie said coming to a stop a few feet away from Jack.

"The Goddess wants me," Jack said his body shaking ever so slightly.

"Then go to her," Archie spat, "do her bidding. BUT know this, you will not harm my daughter ever again."

"I'm so sorry the young woman got hurt," Jack said dropping his face to the ground, "I didn't want for any of this to have happened."

"Liar!" Archie all but shouted at Jack.

Waving his hands to the other men of the forest Archie turned his back on Jack.

"Take this useless excuse for a man back to the void and leave him to face his Gods," Archie said with hatred in his voice.

Two large men came forward and grasped Jack by both of his arms. As they started to drag him away in the dark Jack called out.

"Help me!" Jack hollowed at Archie's retreating back.

"No!" Came Archie's begrudged reply as he kept walking back to where his two sons stood guarding the cabin's door.

"Give me sanctuary!" Jack cried out one last time.

Archie stopped walking and slowly turned around. Jack's guards had stopped walking too and stood holding tight to Jack's arms in the dark.

"Why should I give you sanctuary?" Archie asked. "You have done nothing but stood by watching as your Gods have killed my family and friends.

"I couldn't do anything," Jack wailed.

"That's not an excuse," Archie said taking a step forward.

"I know," came Jack's timid reply, "but now I wish to renounce my allegiance to my Gods."

"I wish to join forces with you," Jack went on, "to destroy them both."

"Lies!" Archie said waving his hand in the air, "Be…,"

Before he could finish something touched his shoulder. Archie turned around. Tum was standing before him pale, almost white as Oscar and Zeb supported her on either side.

"Father," she said weakly, "do as he asks."

"Why?" Archie questioned his daughter. "He stood by as the God raped you and killed your first born son."

"I know," she replied, "but I believe he is telling the truth."

"You want me to welcome him into our home?" Archie questioned pointing his walking stick back towards Jack, "Why?"

"Giles has asked us to help him," she replied tottering ever so slightly on her feet.

Archie's demeanor softened a bit as he brought his walking stick back to his side.

"You've seen him?" Archie asked.

Tum nodded her head.

"In a vision?" Archie asked again.

Tum nodded her head once again.

Archie turned to his left and paced in front of his three children trying to come to a conclusion of what to do. Stopping he addressed Tum once again.

"What did Giles say?" Archie asked.

"A dark day cometh in the second month of the new year," Tum said almost in a trance.

"A story is told from days long ago of a trio of men that will come," Tum went on. "Lives will be lost but good will overcometh evil in the end."

Archie rubbed his chin and thought for a moment.

"Take him to the cave," Archie said in a stern voice turning away from his children.

Walking up to Jack he continued, "Hold him there. Guard him."

"In the morning we will decide what to do with you," Archie said stopping before the man.

Archie watched as the two men dragged Jack Hardemeyer off towards the forest before he turned back towards his three children. Tum had fainted and Oscar had her body in his strong arms held up against his chest.

"Trio of men," Archie said as he looked at Zeb and then Oscar.

"Good will over come evil," Archie muttered to himself.

"Second month of the new year," Archie thought in his head.

Snapping his fingers Archie hurried towards his children.

"Come," he said as he approached them, "we have less than a month to be ready."

"Ready for what?" Zeb asked as Archie passed them and continued on towards the cabin.

Archie stopped and turned towards Zeb.

"Ready to pet that poisonous rattlesnake," Archie replied.