2. Unexpected Guest
Carrie leaned over the bed of her room as she examined the motionless girl. Wilhelm, accompanied by several villagers and the girl's parents, revealed to Carrie that the girl's name was Rebecca. Wilhelm found her walking, lost apparently, into his fields.
"Well? What's wrong with her?" Wilhelm asked in a strong tone of voice. Carrie pretended not to hear him and continued to examine the girl. Her fingertips were a light blue. Her skin was pale as though she had not seen the sun for many months. Her parents confirmed that she was not as thin as she appeared to be now. Just to be certain she checked the girl's neck, however Carrie did not suspect this to be the work of a vampire. The telling detail here was the eyes. The girl had no pupils. However that wasn't the worst of it. Seemingly tattooed to the girl's right arm was some sort of writing that Carrie was not familiar with.
"Is it sorcery?" Wilhelm insisted. This time Carrie looked at him. She glanced at Rebecca's parents who were too speechless in grief. Carrie nodded her head.
"Then undo it." Wilhelm continued in his strong tone.
"I can't." Carrie spoke plainly.
Rebecca's mother broke into a loud wail and the woman dug herself into her husband's breast. Wilhelm's face erupted into anger.
"You are a witch! She has been bewitched, perhaps by you, now you must cure her!"
Carrie was agitated now. This Wilhelm was now accusing her of being a part of this attack. If there was one thing that she could not withstand is being accused of something of which she is completely innocent.
"Now see here! You came to me. You wanted to know what was wrong with her; well I'm going to tell you. But don't you dare accuse me of having anything to with it."
"Stop it, Wilhelm!" Rebecca's mother exclaimed. "Let her speak." Wilhelm seemed to calm himself. Carrie locked her gaze on Wilhelm then looked to Rebecca's mother sympathetically. Carrie felt a certain twinge of responsibility for the girl's mother. The woman named Bess was once a little girl, much younger than Carrie. They played together as children. Carrie was the eldest girl in the then small village. She would many times watch over the children. Bess was one of a group that had been kidnapped by...demons. For a brief moment Carrie reminisced on her journey into that infamous castle. It was many years ago, but Bess's trust in her was probably the only thing keeping these people from burning her cottage to the ground.
"Her soul has been drained from her." Carrie allowed the weight of her words to sink in. Everyone on the room remained silent. "That explains the loss of her eye pupils. The eyes are the windows to the soul. Most people can only take a glance. Others can take everything."
"That can't be true. A soul is eternal," said one of the accompanying men.
"True," Carrie said. "However it can be transformed into something else."
"Like what?" Wilhelm asked.
"Power. Some creatures live off of souls like vampires live off blood."
"What can be done?" Bess asked softly.
Carrie let out a deep breath and began to pace around the bed. "In this case, I cannot undo what another has done. The only course of action is for me to track down who has taken her soul and to where. Only then can Rebecca be restored."
Wilhelm placed himself in Carrie's path. "How can we trust you?"
Carrie merely allowed a slight grin to grace her face. "The same way you trusted me to examine her." Carrie walked to Bess and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Take your daughter home. Feed her regularly as you would if she were normal. In her current state her body is alive but oblivious to its surroundings and its needs. The fact that her body lives is a sure sign that her soul is safe...for the moment."
The townspeople moved Rebecca back onto a makeshift stretcher. They, along with the girl's parents were already out of the cottage and beginning the long walk home. Wilhelm however remained at the cottage entrance. Carrie emerged from her room and saw him. Slowly she approached him.
"I don't trust you."
"I never would have guessed," she answered allowing her sarcasm to show.
"If that girl dies, you will pay."
"If that girl dies, guilt will be my only payment. Your petty threats don't mean anything. Leave now."
Wilhelm gave a slight nod. What it meant was beyond Carrie's comprehension at the moment for she was just glad he was gone. She slammed her front door shut.
"Toad of a man!"
Green smoke erupted from Carrie's ring and Yorick's skull quickly manifested itself. "Trouble from the villagers?"
"Nothing I haven't heard before." Carrie walked over into her library. She approached one of the bookshelves and began to examine the spines of the different books with her finger. Yorick hovered behind her.
"What do you propose to do for the young girl?" Yorick asked as he trailed behind her.
"I won't know until I know what I'm dealing with. I have some strong suspicions."
"And they are?"
Carrie half grinned. "Stealing children's souls? It has Actrise written all over it."
"What of the writing on the girl's arm?"
Carrie sighed. "Now that does puzzle me. That might be a chink in my theory. And that alone worries me."
"So what will you do?"
She extended her hand and another puff of mist appeared. This mist took on the shape of an eagle. The eagle soared around the room for a moment before settling on Carrie's shoulder.
"Owl, fly over to the cave in the Dora woods. Take a discrete look around to see if the candles are lit. Remember, discrete. If the lights are on, don't stay too long and don't get too close. Just come and tell me."
Owl squawked his understanding and swooped out one of the cottage's windows. Yorick followed it with his gaze and then turned to Carrie.
"You and I Yorick will search for a few details." With a circular motion of her hand a great gust of wind filled the room. The fabric of space began to open wide like a portal right before them. The spinning tunnel within glowed like all of Carrie's magic a bright emerald. Carrie looked to Yorick. "After you." Yorick's expressionless skull led the way into the portal. Carrie followed and the opening closed instantly behind her.
Miles away from the confines of the small cottage where they once stood, the tunnel through which Carrie and Yorick traveled reached its end. Once again a great tumultuous wind signaled the opening of the gateway. The two stepped out into an office. Papers flew about the room as their entrance disrupted everything around them. From behind a desk a well- dressed bureaucratic looking man stood jaw dropped at what he saw in front of his eyes.
"What in God's name!"
Carrie smiled and the portal seemed to close on cue. "Good morning," She greeted warmly. "I understand you are the magistrate." The man responded with a nod. Carrie continued to grin conscious of the effect that her entrance had on the man. She was also aware that he was staring at Yorick. Carrie walked closer to the magistrate and snapped her fingers in front of his eyes.
"He may be dead, but it is still very rude to stare."
"Dead..." the magistrate spoke softly.
Carrie allowed him to continue to stare at Yorick while she began to shuffle through some of the remaining papers that remained on the man's desk. Nodding her head Carrie finally turned and saw that the magistrate was still holding a paper in his hand. It took the magistrate a full minute to realize that Carrie took the paper form his hand.
"This is a report from several other towns that have had similar cases of children disappearing. The children are then found and with similar markings written on their arms. Pupils gone as well. Six children in total."
Finally gathering the strength to speak the magistrate asked, "what do you know about the missing children?"
Carrie ignored his question. "Do you have a list of the names of the children's parents?"
Bewildered, the magistrate began to search around the room picking up various papers that had flown of his desk. He collected certain papers and then handed them to Carrie. Carrie quickly perused them all before placing them back on the magistrate's desk. Carrie's expression changed. She no longer smiled. Her face had become stern.
"Did you find the answer you were looking for?" Yorick asked.
Carrie breathed heavily. "It is my fault. I am responsible."
"You cannot blame yourself for something you did not do."
Carrie shook her head. "That is just it Yorick. I did not do what should have been done when I had the chance. Now six children will pay the price."
Another gateway opened and thus the tornado of papers began to fly about the room once again. Carrie looked to the portal and saw Owl slowly flapping his way through. Once Owl was out of the portal he began to glide around the room. Finally he perched himself onto Carrie extended arm. He instantly began to squawk at Carrie who seemed to understand him as though they spoke the same language. When Owl had finished reporting Carrie's expression became even more hardened. At this point Yorick came up behind Carrie.
"What did Owl find?"
"Come and see." She said grimly and then she stepped through the gateway.
The Dora woods have not always been in the condition that it is now. Its trees are dry, the water of its lakes and ponds black as oil, and the ground infertile as an old woman. Even when the sun was up it always seemed like it was dark in the Dora woods. Carrie stood at the edge of its largest lake. Some called it the Witch's Marsh. Carefully laid out on the surface of the lake were stones upon which one could walk. The stones made a path to a small island of rock in the center of the lake. The rock was shaped like a skull. The mouth of the skull was an opening that led underneath the water level of the lake. On all the occasions that Carrie had ventured into the cave she had always wondered how far down the chamber of the cave went. With Owl resting on her shoulder and Yorick hovering behind her, Carrie and her familiars made their way across the path of stones. As Carrie walked she saw what Owl had reported to her so urgently. Actrise always had a fondness for large swamp animals. Giant sized alligators were her favorites. So she filled the lake with them so that they could serve as guards. On several occasions Carrie had to fight them. They were not easily defeated. Yet there they were. The bones were enormous and thus extended out from beneath the surface. Some floated with the current while others seemed frozen on their half sunken place. Carrie loathed thinking of what could have killed so many of Actrise's prized pets.
Yorick's green aura was the only light as Carrie walked deeper into the cavern. The torches the lined the rock walls were not lit. The appeared not to have been for some time. Carrie walked a long distance before coming upon the first chamber. It was grand and circular shaped. In the center was a large black cauldron turned on its side. Some of the contents were still spilled onto the ground. The liquid inside had long since dried. Carrie inspected the cauldron closer and found a large crack going down its side. She then turned her attention to the ground as Yorick called to her. The skull hovered closely over a small piece of stone tablet. Immediately Carrie saw what had caught his attention. The writing on the tablet was the same as the one on the little girl's arm.
"Who dares?"
Carrie nearly jumped out of her cloak as she heard a low raspy voice speak out from the darkness. Yorick led Carrie further into the gloom to the source of the voice. It had come from a small adjacent chamber. A semi- transparent curtain separated it from the main chamber. Carrie passed through followed by Yorick and Owl who was now walking on the ground. The small chamber was barren except for a bed that seemed to be built into the rock. A figure was curled into the sheets of the bed. Carrie grabbed a torch that was hanging from the wall and lit it with a spark from her hand.
"Actrise?"
The figure seemed to shun the light from the torch as it came upon her. She gave a low whine and raised a hand to protect herself. Carrie lowered the torch a little but kept it close enough so that she could see. The woman in the bed was a far cry from the ageless beauty that Carrie had known Actrise to be. This creature was ancient. The wrinkled skin clung tight to the bone. Her gray hair was long and disheveled. The clothes she wore underneath the sheets seemed to be rags. Even her movements seemed forced as though overpowered by some great weakness.
"Why do you come here? To gloat? Or perhaps to finish me?"
Carrie remained silent.
"Where's your tongue, eh?"
"What happened?" Carrie asked, unable to hide the pity in her voice.
Actrise began to cough uncontrollably. In between coughs she managed to speak. "I am dying."
"How?"
Actrise stopped coughing and eyed Carrie. "No. I will not give you that pleasure, to know what it was that fell me. Better for you to live with the knowledge that it was not you that finished me. Now go. Leave me."
"Six children have been stripped of their souls. What do you know of it?"
Actrise coughed before answering. "What do I know? I know that even after I leave this world there will be others to continue my work. Others to continue the sacrifices. The offerings. Power. The power of evil will continue to be the bane of this world long after I have turned to dust. And you will continue your fruitless battle against it. And eventually even you will be dust in the wind. That is what I know."
"Did you take their souls?"
"Leave me..." she said struggling.
"Did you take their souls?"
"I said leave me!" Actrise faced Carrie wide-eyed. Her voice had become a loud whine. She was now sitting upwards on the bed giving Carrie a better look at how thin and frail her body had become. Carrie stood up from her bedside and backed out of the room slowly. Actrise watched her leave like an animal watching its prey. Her breathing had become rapid and loud. Even after Carrie had left the bedchamber she could still hear it. Owl had leapt onto Carrie's shoulder and Yorick trailed after Carrie as she began walking upwards out of the cave. Once they were outside again Carrie turned and looked back into the cave. She then threw her lit torch back into the depths of the cave. As soon as the torch touched the ground Carrie saw the flame die. With a gesture Carrie opened a gateway back to the cottage. Once the gateway closed and the three had gone a low echo of laughter could be heard from the cave. Deep within the dark cave a smile crept across Actrise's worn features.
Carrie leaned over the bed of her room as she examined the motionless girl. Wilhelm, accompanied by several villagers and the girl's parents, revealed to Carrie that the girl's name was Rebecca. Wilhelm found her walking, lost apparently, into his fields.
"Well? What's wrong with her?" Wilhelm asked in a strong tone of voice. Carrie pretended not to hear him and continued to examine the girl. Her fingertips were a light blue. Her skin was pale as though she had not seen the sun for many months. Her parents confirmed that she was not as thin as she appeared to be now. Just to be certain she checked the girl's neck, however Carrie did not suspect this to be the work of a vampire. The telling detail here was the eyes. The girl had no pupils. However that wasn't the worst of it. Seemingly tattooed to the girl's right arm was some sort of writing that Carrie was not familiar with.
"Is it sorcery?" Wilhelm insisted. This time Carrie looked at him. She glanced at Rebecca's parents who were too speechless in grief. Carrie nodded her head.
"Then undo it." Wilhelm continued in his strong tone.
"I can't." Carrie spoke plainly.
Rebecca's mother broke into a loud wail and the woman dug herself into her husband's breast. Wilhelm's face erupted into anger.
"You are a witch! She has been bewitched, perhaps by you, now you must cure her!"
Carrie was agitated now. This Wilhelm was now accusing her of being a part of this attack. If there was one thing that she could not withstand is being accused of something of which she is completely innocent.
"Now see here! You came to me. You wanted to know what was wrong with her; well I'm going to tell you. But don't you dare accuse me of having anything to with it."
"Stop it, Wilhelm!" Rebecca's mother exclaimed. "Let her speak." Wilhelm seemed to calm himself. Carrie locked her gaze on Wilhelm then looked to Rebecca's mother sympathetically. Carrie felt a certain twinge of responsibility for the girl's mother. The woman named Bess was once a little girl, much younger than Carrie. They played together as children. Carrie was the eldest girl in the then small village. She would many times watch over the children. Bess was one of a group that had been kidnapped by...demons. For a brief moment Carrie reminisced on her journey into that infamous castle. It was many years ago, but Bess's trust in her was probably the only thing keeping these people from burning her cottage to the ground.
"Her soul has been drained from her." Carrie allowed the weight of her words to sink in. Everyone on the room remained silent. "That explains the loss of her eye pupils. The eyes are the windows to the soul. Most people can only take a glance. Others can take everything."
"That can't be true. A soul is eternal," said one of the accompanying men.
"True," Carrie said. "However it can be transformed into something else."
"Like what?" Wilhelm asked.
"Power. Some creatures live off of souls like vampires live off blood."
"What can be done?" Bess asked softly.
Carrie let out a deep breath and began to pace around the bed. "In this case, I cannot undo what another has done. The only course of action is for me to track down who has taken her soul and to where. Only then can Rebecca be restored."
Wilhelm placed himself in Carrie's path. "How can we trust you?"
Carrie merely allowed a slight grin to grace her face. "The same way you trusted me to examine her." Carrie walked to Bess and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Take your daughter home. Feed her regularly as you would if she were normal. In her current state her body is alive but oblivious to its surroundings and its needs. The fact that her body lives is a sure sign that her soul is safe...for the moment."
The townspeople moved Rebecca back onto a makeshift stretcher. They, along with the girl's parents were already out of the cottage and beginning the long walk home. Wilhelm however remained at the cottage entrance. Carrie emerged from her room and saw him. Slowly she approached him.
"I don't trust you."
"I never would have guessed," she answered allowing her sarcasm to show.
"If that girl dies, you will pay."
"If that girl dies, guilt will be my only payment. Your petty threats don't mean anything. Leave now."
Wilhelm gave a slight nod. What it meant was beyond Carrie's comprehension at the moment for she was just glad he was gone. She slammed her front door shut.
"Toad of a man!"
Green smoke erupted from Carrie's ring and Yorick's skull quickly manifested itself. "Trouble from the villagers?"
"Nothing I haven't heard before." Carrie walked over into her library. She approached one of the bookshelves and began to examine the spines of the different books with her finger. Yorick hovered behind her.
"What do you propose to do for the young girl?" Yorick asked as he trailed behind her.
"I won't know until I know what I'm dealing with. I have some strong suspicions."
"And they are?"
Carrie half grinned. "Stealing children's souls? It has Actrise written all over it."
"What of the writing on the girl's arm?"
Carrie sighed. "Now that does puzzle me. That might be a chink in my theory. And that alone worries me."
"So what will you do?"
She extended her hand and another puff of mist appeared. This mist took on the shape of an eagle. The eagle soared around the room for a moment before settling on Carrie's shoulder.
"Owl, fly over to the cave in the Dora woods. Take a discrete look around to see if the candles are lit. Remember, discrete. If the lights are on, don't stay too long and don't get too close. Just come and tell me."
Owl squawked his understanding and swooped out one of the cottage's windows. Yorick followed it with his gaze and then turned to Carrie.
"You and I Yorick will search for a few details." With a circular motion of her hand a great gust of wind filled the room. The fabric of space began to open wide like a portal right before them. The spinning tunnel within glowed like all of Carrie's magic a bright emerald. Carrie looked to Yorick. "After you." Yorick's expressionless skull led the way into the portal. Carrie followed and the opening closed instantly behind her.
Miles away from the confines of the small cottage where they once stood, the tunnel through which Carrie and Yorick traveled reached its end. Once again a great tumultuous wind signaled the opening of the gateway. The two stepped out into an office. Papers flew about the room as their entrance disrupted everything around them. From behind a desk a well- dressed bureaucratic looking man stood jaw dropped at what he saw in front of his eyes.
"What in God's name!"
Carrie smiled and the portal seemed to close on cue. "Good morning," She greeted warmly. "I understand you are the magistrate." The man responded with a nod. Carrie continued to grin conscious of the effect that her entrance had on the man. She was also aware that he was staring at Yorick. Carrie walked closer to the magistrate and snapped her fingers in front of his eyes.
"He may be dead, but it is still very rude to stare."
"Dead..." the magistrate spoke softly.
Carrie allowed him to continue to stare at Yorick while she began to shuffle through some of the remaining papers that remained on the man's desk. Nodding her head Carrie finally turned and saw that the magistrate was still holding a paper in his hand. It took the magistrate a full minute to realize that Carrie took the paper form his hand.
"This is a report from several other towns that have had similar cases of children disappearing. The children are then found and with similar markings written on their arms. Pupils gone as well. Six children in total."
Finally gathering the strength to speak the magistrate asked, "what do you know about the missing children?"
Carrie ignored his question. "Do you have a list of the names of the children's parents?"
Bewildered, the magistrate began to search around the room picking up various papers that had flown of his desk. He collected certain papers and then handed them to Carrie. Carrie quickly perused them all before placing them back on the magistrate's desk. Carrie's expression changed. She no longer smiled. Her face had become stern.
"Did you find the answer you were looking for?" Yorick asked.
Carrie breathed heavily. "It is my fault. I am responsible."
"You cannot blame yourself for something you did not do."
Carrie shook her head. "That is just it Yorick. I did not do what should have been done when I had the chance. Now six children will pay the price."
Another gateway opened and thus the tornado of papers began to fly about the room once again. Carrie looked to the portal and saw Owl slowly flapping his way through. Once Owl was out of the portal he began to glide around the room. Finally he perched himself onto Carrie extended arm. He instantly began to squawk at Carrie who seemed to understand him as though they spoke the same language. When Owl had finished reporting Carrie's expression became even more hardened. At this point Yorick came up behind Carrie.
"What did Owl find?"
"Come and see." She said grimly and then she stepped through the gateway.
The Dora woods have not always been in the condition that it is now. Its trees are dry, the water of its lakes and ponds black as oil, and the ground infertile as an old woman. Even when the sun was up it always seemed like it was dark in the Dora woods. Carrie stood at the edge of its largest lake. Some called it the Witch's Marsh. Carefully laid out on the surface of the lake were stones upon which one could walk. The stones made a path to a small island of rock in the center of the lake. The rock was shaped like a skull. The mouth of the skull was an opening that led underneath the water level of the lake. On all the occasions that Carrie had ventured into the cave she had always wondered how far down the chamber of the cave went. With Owl resting on her shoulder and Yorick hovering behind her, Carrie and her familiars made their way across the path of stones. As Carrie walked she saw what Owl had reported to her so urgently. Actrise always had a fondness for large swamp animals. Giant sized alligators were her favorites. So she filled the lake with them so that they could serve as guards. On several occasions Carrie had to fight them. They were not easily defeated. Yet there they were. The bones were enormous and thus extended out from beneath the surface. Some floated with the current while others seemed frozen on their half sunken place. Carrie loathed thinking of what could have killed so many of Actrise's prized pets.
Yorick's green aura was the only light as Carrie walked deeper into the cavern. The torches the lined the rock walls were not lit. The appeared not to have been for some time. Carrie walked a long distance before coming upon the first chamber. It was grand and circular shaped. In the center was a large black cauldron turned on its side. Some of the contents were still spilled onto the ground. The liquid inside had long since dried. Carrie inspected the cauldron closer and found a large crack going down its side. She then turned her attention to the ground as Yorick called to her. The skull hovered closely over a small piece of stone tablet. Immediately Carrie saw what had caught his attention. The writing on the tablet was the same as the one on the little girl's arm.
"Who dares?"
Carrie nearly jumped out of her cloak as she heard a low raspy voice speak out from the darkness. Yorick led Carrie further into the gloom to the source of the voice. It had come from a small adjacent chamber. A semi- transparent curtain separated it from the main chamber. Carrie passed through followed by Yorick and Owl who was now walking on the ground. The small chamber was barren except for a bed that seemed to be built into the rock. A figure was curled into the sheets of the bed. Carrie grabbed a torch that was hanging from the wall and lit it with a spark from her hand.
"Actrise?"
The figure seemed to shun the light from the torch as it came upon her. She gave a low whine and raised a hand to protect herself. Carrie lowered the torch a little but kept it close enough so that she could see. The woman in the bed was a far cry from the ageless beauty that Carrie had known Actrise to be. This creature was ancient. The wrinkled skin clung tight to the bone. Her gray hair was long and disheveled. The clothes she wore underneath the sheets seemed to be rags. Even her movements seemed forced as though overpowered by some great weakness.
"Why do you come here? To gloat? Or perhaps to finish me?"
Carrie remained silent.
"Where's your tongue, eh?"
"What happened?" Carrie asked, unable to hide the pity in her voice.
Actrise began to cough uncontrollably. In between coughs she managed to speak. "I am dying."
"How?"
Actrise stopped coughing and eyed Carrie. "No. I will not give you that pleasure, to know what it was that fell me. Better for you to live with the knowledge that it was not you that finished me. Now go. Leave me."
"Six children have been stripped of their souls. What do you know of it?"
Actrise coughed before answering. "What do I know? I know that even after I leave this world there will be others to continue my work. Others to continue the sacrifices. The offerings. Power. The power of evil will continue to be the bane of this world long after I have turned to dust. And you will continue your fruitless battle against it. And eventually even you will be dust in the wind. That is what I know."
"Did you take their souls?"
"Leave me..." she said struggling.
"Did you take their souls?"
"I said leave me!" Actrise faced Carrie wide-eyed. Her voice had become a loud whine. She was now sitting upwards on the bed giving Carrie a better look at how thin and frail her body had become. Carrie stood up from her bedside and backed out of the room slowly. Actrise watched her leave like an animal watching its prey. Her breathing had become rapid and loud. Even after Carrie had left the bedchamber she could still hear it. Owl had leapt onto Carrie's shoulder and Yorick trailed after Carrie as she began walking upwards out of the cave. Once they were outside again Carrie turned and looked back into the cave. She then threw her lit torch back into the depths of the cave. As soon as the torch touched the ground Carrie saw the flame die. With a gesture Carrie opened a gateway back to the cottage. Once the gateway closed and the three had gone a low echo of laughter could be heard from the cave. Deep within the dark cave a smile crept across Actrise's worn features.