The Necromancer
By
Neztro
Chapter 2: Meeting Molly Mcgee.
Leaning against the house, I lit up a smoke. I take in another puff of that sweet nicotine and wait.
He knows I'm out here… I know he does.
Necromancers are like beacons to ghost once one is within a mile of the spectre then they can pinpoint the spellcasters location.
Another Puff, another feeling of relief. It was cold out today, summer was definitely finished and this cigarette is all the warmth I needed.
Summer… waste of time. It was the hardest three months of my first year as a necromancer. Everyone's happy during summer and that was problematic for someone whose job was to make the people of this town miserable.
A ping in my head informed me that a ghost was approaching me. I could feel him… the resident ghost.
Out of the house came the blue ghost with sunken black eyes that bore yellow iris's, the top of his head was formed into a cowlick hairstyle. He held a slice of pizza in his hand and I couldn't help but notice that the slice had some mold from it.
He got it from the trash, no doubt.
I decided I'd need to finish my cigarette before the conversation could start.
I take one last puff and blow out the smoke.
The ghost, scratch he named himself. Twiddled his thumbs and looked around… I could feel his tension and nervousness.
A ghost can hide nothing from a necromancer… at least when it came to their emotional state.
"y-ya know, those things'll kill ya?" he chuckled, speaking under his breath.
I didn't even turn my head toward him…. I let the ghost stew in his uncomfort. I tapped my cigarette box to find I was on my last one… I'll need to have the homunculus get me more. But that was a tommorrow problem and this was today, when I needed to talk with scratch.
"I can't keep covering for you scratch." was all I had said and I made sure to be perfectly void of emotions… ghosts responded better when emotions weren't invovled in the conversation.
"what… hey… ain't nobody needing to cover for me… what are you even…" he stammered over his friends… I hate when people can't fess up to their lies and how they double down when faced with facts… okay then scratch I was willing to play your game.
I summoned a green portal and then reached my hand in.
"Uh, what'cha doing that jean old buddy old pal?" if you've never seen a ghost sweat then your missing out… it was one of the few pleasures in my life.
I brought my hand out of the portal and held out a stack of papers.
"what's that you got there?" Scratch's eyes went wide and If I wasn't on the job I may have even chuckled… a rare bit of blasphemous behavior.
"danny gloveman, micheal keith, glover dan, william h. Powell, billy h. Powell… scratch these people don't exist."
"h-how do you know? You're not exactly the social butterfly of brighton." He was getting defensive which meant I was on the right track.
"that's true, but I do know you scratch." I started walking toward scratch until I was uncomfortably close. The look of fear in his eyes would be a delicacy to my bosses if it wasn't for the fact that he was a ghost and thus his emotions were bland and tasteless.
"you're a liar, a cheat, and one of the laziest ghosts I have ever met… so I wouldn't put it past you to pad out your scare qouta to get out of work." once I had sufficiently scared her I returned to my spot against his wall.
I lit my last cigarette and let my tension melt away. I exhaled smoke before continuing. "I can't keep covering for you… end of story."
"why not, c'mon jean I thought we were pals?" He was pleading with me, trying to play on my sympathies… big mistake. I have no sympathy left.
"look scratch, you're useful as the resident ghost of brighton. You're nature and personality make it so that you don't get in my way and you stay out of my business… it's the one good trait you have in my book. But, I will not allow you or anyone to jeopardize my reward from the chairman… nobody!"
My voice carried a twinge of anger and the area around me began to heat up to above melting temperatures. I calmed myself and took a long drago on the cigarette expending it… I definitely need to make a cigarette run after this.
I leaned against the wall and counted to ten.
"so how long does the chairman have his string on ya?" Scratch asked, weird he almost never bothers himself with the business of others… he must be angling for something.
"five years, I've served one, that means I've got four more years of this garbage and then I'm free."
"Pfft, yeah right."
I didn't like his tone when he said that. "what do you mean by that scratch?"
"Tell me Jean, how many necromancers are in brighton?"
"you're looking at the only one… what are you getting at?" I hated to admit it but scratch had captured my attention.
"and how many necromancers are in the united states?" He was smug and I hated the look of superiority he had on his face.
"five to my knowledge… unlike me the other four move around where they are needed. What's your point?"
"my point is… there are only fifty necromancers in the entire world. Few can survive the training to become one and of those fifty only forty-five work for the ghost council." Scratch explained to me like I was a child. I knew all this stuff because the chairman himself educated me on the value of a necromancer.
"scratch, Is there something you need to say?"
"simple, you're never going to be free."
"what!?" I bared my teeth like fangs and glared at the ghost in front of me.
"a necromancer is a master of manipulating negative energy and can channel it into powers that not only rival but surpass those of ghosts. When that happens the necromancer can learn to make ghosts into their slave like servants."
didn't hear that but why does that matter? I don't plan to continue my magical training when I'm done with my five year tour of duty. "why should I care about enslaving ghosts? When I'm done, I'm done… end of story."
"Yeah, but you know the council. They're paranoid they hate not knowing where the five awol necromancers are and they try their best to pull a necromancer under them back to their sway and have gotten darn good at it."
"well, the chairman gave me his word and all ghosts have to keep their oath once given." I reply a little more cocky then I need to be… because what scratch was saying made sense, too much sense… ghosts were sneaky and clever with the wisdom of the grave under them.
"yeah I garuntee he did give you his word and there is a reason he told you five years and you get what's yours… because he knows that is how long it's gonna take to find enough strings that he can pull to keep you under his sway… forever."
Silence and tension were what followed scratchs revelation. I fidgeted in my coat pocket and really wished I hadn't smoked my last cigarette… I was jonesing.
"you looking for something… lose your contacts?" Scratch asked me he seemed to be angling for a return to normal discussion but that time had passed.
"good day scratch." my back stiffened and I stood up straight. I refused to give the smug bastard of a ghost the satisfaction of seeing me unhinged… I needed a smoke, for the love of god give me a goddamn smoke.
I walk away, speedwalked really, I turned the corner of the house to see a car parked out front. "what's this now?"
I watched as a pair of adults one whose skin was slightly tanned and was of a more cruvaveous build and the other a pale skinned twig of a man. A four foot tall child hopped out of the car with his phone and started taking pictures.
I shook my head and began to snicker like a mad man. Looks like someone finally moved into scratch's old place… hilarious. He is going to livid when he finds out.
I take a couple steps toward the curve, trying to look inconspicious and not draw the eyes of the new neighbors.
"Heya!" A mirthful filled voice pipes up from behind me. I jump back into the street and look to see a girl in a vest and skirt combo, a black t-shirt with an technicolored graphic on the front. She had black hair pointed up and an big goofy grin on her face.
"hello there, I was just leaving." I point toward the opposite side of the street and try to walk away. But the girl grabs my hand and shakes it.
"My names molly, molly mcgee and what do they call you stranger?" She beamed with enthusiasm.
It was an anomoly my aura generally scared away any living thing that was within thirty feet of me but this girl didn't even look btohered by it.
"Jean, now I need to leave." I once again take a couple steps away but she follows close beside me. I grumble to myself as she tries to strike up a conversation.
"so where do you live?"
I say nothing hoping my silence can get across what my words failed too.
"what grade are you in?"
I grumble once more as my theory is proven wrong. What does this girl want? Can't she just leave me alone?
"want to be friend?"
I freeze In place like someone encased me in ice. Did I hear her correct? She wanted to be friends… with me? She hasn't know me for the length of a sneeze.
"you're not much of a talker are you jean… well let's cement our friendship with a hug."
"want my advice?"
"Yes!" Her eyes brightened as the words left mouth and a toothy grin flashed on her face staying there.
"lose the positive attitude, you'll thank me later." someone as happy as her can be dangerous for various reasons. The chief of which it put a damper on the efforts of the resident ghost to cultivate negative emotions… a threat to the ghost councils power… a threat I'd have to take care of.
Back when I started this job one year ago, I'd ask myself questions on whether I'd be willing to take out another human being in pursuit of my reward. The answer was the easiest thing I ever did… in a heartbeat.
I left the girl behind me. I refused to look back but my emotional aura sensed that she had a single emotion that was negative… disappointment.
Good, better get used to it because that's what it means to life… disappointement.