CHAPTER THREE
THE LESSONS WE LEARN
Jimmy walked casually in the front door. He had just come home from closing the book store. It had been an interesting day for the Hogan twins. A hot Indian girl showed up at the front door proclaiming she had the answers and that Emma was not the only slayer in the world! And now, she was living with them! He dropped his corduroy bag bay the door and walked across the living room towards the kitchen. HE grabbed a cup out of the cabinet and turned to open the fridge. He stopped in his tracks when he realized the door was open. Since, Emma was still out patrolling, it had to be Layla.
"Oh, hey how was your evening?" He asked. As he did so, the door shut and there she stood. Layla. In only a blue tank top undershirt and matching panties. She pulled a spoon out of her mouth and laid an armful of junk food onto the table. Jimmy didn't even glace at the assortment of chocolate pudding, cheese sticks, snack cakes, and potato chips on the table. He was struck dumb by the appearance of her. She stood up straight and licked the remainder of the pudding from the spoon and set it on the table. She smoothed the stray hairs back from her face towards her ponytail. She smiled at him and reached down for a chip and slowly eased it into her mouth.
"And by the way the loo has been clogged for two hours and shit is threatening to spill all over the damn floor. HELLO! Are you listening to me?" Jimmy had suddenly became aware that most of what he perceived in his mind of the last couple of minutes, was not fully reality. He dropped his cup and stammered as he went to recover from this embarrassment. She stared at him impatiently. "Well? What's wrong with you? I ask a question and you answer, that's how this thing called conversation works."
"I, uh, sorry." He picked up his cup and placed it on the table, but, he was so nerve wrecked by being in front of such a beautiful woman who was only wearing her slightly translucent underwear, that it toppled and fell again. "Sorry!" He exclaimed and bent down to retrieve it. Layla herself became aware of what had befallen Jimmy and began giggling.
"Have you not seen a girl in her under roos before?"
"Well, not normally in my kitchen late at night and usually I have known the person for more than twelve hours!" Jimmy answered.
"Oh Christ! You and your American modesty! Get over it! It's just a body. With you people are so hypocritical. Brittany Spears can wear pasties and a thong on national television, but, God forbid I walk around in my Alans!" Layla preached as she waved her arms around and spooned pudding into her mouth.
Jimmy took a deep breath and did his best to look her in the eye instead of the thin tank top Layla wore in the apparently very cold kitchen.
"Does she do that a lot? That little scene today at the mall." Layla asked with her mouth full.
Jimmy cocked his head to the side and shrugged. "Unfortunately, yes. She's tough as nails believe me, but, she doesn't handle things like that very well. Like putting salt in a wound. She's been through a lot. People point and stare and some, like today, have even said things to her face. One time right before we dropped out of college, well she was a cheerleader and after she got her first leg she tried to get back into it. But, there was this girl, Christine I think. She was always jealous of Emma. Anyway, she forced Emma back off of the squad by making comments like 'She shouldn't be allowed to get the spot because her leg might fall off in the middle of the routine and ruin everything."
"Oh that's mature!" Layla said rolling her eyes in disgust of the despicable comment.
"Yeah, well, cheerleaders are vicious. First she thought it was kinda sweet and up lifting to hear people say things like 'good for you' and 'you can't even tell when you wear pants!' But after a while it just started sounding like they were just being nice and trying to make them selves fell better."
Layla nodded and offered Jimmy one of her snacks and he declined. "Suit yourself!" She said. "But, she acts so at ease with it, like she's come to terms with it."
"To a point it's true! I don't know everything that goes on in her head but what I do know is that she doesn't want that leg to be her trademark. She doesn't want to be known as the girl with the fake leg. But, unfortunately not many people around here have seen anyone with a prosthetic leg let alone a pretty young woman with one. God, she'd kill me if she knew I was telling you this!" He rubbed his face roughly trying to keep himself from looking at her chest through her sheer top.
"Slayers." Layla scoffed shaking her head. "Worse than men with that crap. No offense."
"Don't worry; I had my 'masculine' removed a couple years ago!" They both smiled and laughed quietly.
"So you were saying that the toilet is over flowing?" He stammered as he blinked.
"Ah, naw, that was just a piss-take. Seriously, I'm easy. No worries."
"I am so lost right now." Jimmy turned and pulled the juice out the fridge and began to fill his abused yellow plastic cup. Layla sat and began to load up on sugars and other carbohydrates. Jimmy sat next to her and sipped his orange juice. He watched in amazement as the slender spitfire stuffed cheese sticks dipped in marinara into her mouth.
"How are you eating that right now?" He asked slightly in awe. "It's after ten, aren't girls, you know, worried about their weight and stuff?" Without missing a beat, Layla answered him smugly.
"What? Are trying to say I'm fat?" It seemed that she had caught him again. He looked up flustered. He searched quickly for a way to redeem himself.
"Oh geez, I'm only joking! Do you not possess a sense of humor?" Jimmy stared at her blankly and blinked.
"I will never get women. You people make no sense. You're either really happy or really pissed or really depressed. All women must be bi-polar. I swear. That fat question is like the unanswerable question. No man can ever get out of that one alive!" Jimmy hung his head staring down into his cup of orange juice. Layla just smiled and giggled at him.
"You know you could relax a bit more. I'm not going to hurt you. Unless that is if you ask me too!" She grinned widely as she crunched down on another cheese stick.
"Aren't you British women supposed to be all lady like?" Jimmy asked.
"Bollocks!" Layla hurled back. "If I want to say something why not say it? I prefer to be honest about my feelings and opinions instead of covering them up with smiles and curtsies and very well I thank yous!"
"Well, you could be a little nicer though." He presented.
"PONCE!" Layla suddenly yelled seemingly in Jimmy's face.
"What the hell!"
"Not you lamb! The poof behind you!" Jimmy whipped around to see who was there and not to his surprise there wasn't.
"How rude are you? Did you not notice I was having a conversation here? No! I am busy and you are an arse!"
"What exactly are they saying to you when you do that?" Jimmy asked. She furrowed her eye brows and bit her lip as she thought.
"They think that since I can see and hear them, that somehow, they aren't really dead, that there is still some chance that they can enter into this world again. But, the thing that they don't quite grasp is that their bodies are long gone, and there is nothing I can do. They can't accept the fact that their time is passed. They believe I am here to help them fulfill their last requests and ambitions. If I fulfilled every spirits ambitions, I would never, ever, ever be able to fulfill my ambitions while I am alive! And if I do it for one, than I must do it for all. I think the main thing that they do not know is, the things that they want me to pass on to their family members and such; those people already know! They already know that they loved them and so on. If you truly cared for someone during your life, they will know! It's not my job to finish their lives for them!" Jimmy looked at her thoughtfully.
"Well, what does this guy want?" He asked her eagerly. "I mean he went thru the trouble of interrupting, might as well do something for him."
"You want to know what I can do for him? Like I said, if I fulfill his wishes, I have to do it for all of them! They watch me help him and then they become relentless in nagging me! Let me show you how I handle this, if I can't ignore them anymore." She pushed back from the table and stood up from her chair. Layla walked confidently around the table and behind Jimmy close the doorway to the living room. She squared her shoulders and looked up sternly.
"Look here! Whether you like it or not, you are dead! Ok, as in no longer in this dimension! There is nothing more for you here! Yes, yes. YES! You ARE DEAD! Do you see that big, bright purple light above your head? Yes that one exactly. Yes, you twit! If you just let go, everything will be as it should be! Trust me, she knows! Now, please, you are really cramping my style and I would like to get back to my grub! I'm not sure, but, I hear that they have a Disneyworld in sweater heaven. OK, then off you go!" And she wiggled her fingers in a sort of wave, dusted her hands and walked back to her chair.
Jimmy looked at her perplexed. "What did you just do?"
"I told him to GOOO TOWAAARRDSS THE LIIIIIGHT!" Layla mocked.
"The purple light!" He questioned.
"Yes, the light is purple." Layla responded. Jimmy nodded.
"Thought it was a white light."
"No, purple."
"Is it a dark purple, you know like a blue-violet, or more periwinkle?"
"Kind of a shiny periwinkle actually." She nodded and sipped her soda.
"Do you see them all the time? The spirits? Or, only at certain times of the day and what not?"
"I see them all the time, well, what I mean is, I see them when there are any "them" to see. Normally, at any other place, maybe one, maybe two. But here! Do you realize how many lost souls you have in this house? Following you two around! I am astounded! I might go crazy here! It's a slayer thing, I'm sure of it. It's like their attracted to your aura. They sense the power, the strength."
"What do you mean 'your'? Emma is a slayer. Not me. I am her trusty side kick and leg gadget guy!"
"Oh no love! You and your twin share that aura! Now, don't get me wrong, you are NOT a slayer. But, you do share the spirit of the slayer! Which is why you can know when the other is in need, and why you have the abilities to sense each others' thoughts! You are twins in spirit as well as in flesh!"
"When you put it that way it just makes it sound creepy!" Jimmy finished his juice and tossed his cup into the sink. "Well, I think I am gonna turn in for the night. If you need anything, let me know. Night." And he turned and walked away.
Layla stood up abruptly and the sound of the scooting wooden chair against the laminate floor forced him to turn around.
"Thank you." She said in a nervous way as she rubbed the palms of her hands on her hips.
"For what?" Jimmy asked.
"For believing me and letting me stay." She cooed. "Anyone else would have called me a looney and told me to bugger off. But, you didn't and I appreciate that."
Jimmy didn't know what to say. He just stood there trying not to look at her breasts. "Well, if you try your best not to call me a ninny, a git, daft, and all those other crazy words you make up anymore, then we will call it even! Oh, and helping with the bills, always a plus!" And then he turned and walked away. Layla stood there and watched him walk down the hall and listened as he closed the door to his bedroom. She smiled to herself.
"He is quite adorable, isn't he?" She said out loud.
"I told you." Said a mysterious voice from behind her. A tall languid woman stepped forward and Layla turned to greet her. She was slender with a long, silken, dark blue, sleeveless gown. The color of her eyes matched it and were almost to bright and striking to look at. She had long black hair that was soft and shiny and fell down her back to her buttocks. She reached forward with her milk white arm and rested a hand on Layla's left shoulder.
"How much longer?" Layla asked without turning around. She continued to smile.
"Not much." The woman answered gently. "Timing is everything, my child. And patience is a virtue you tend to lack."
Layla turned and looked at her with a raised eye brow. "I just don't like beating around the bush!"
"Are you questioning me?"
"No, Lady Aslyn. I just feel deceitful." Layla said as she showed the first glimmer of humility since she arrived at the Hogan's home.
"You have told them no lies. You have no reason to feel deceitful."
"But, my reasons for coming here!"
"Did you not tell them that you were here to help? That you have answeres? That is your reason and purpose for being here!"
"Forgive me my Goddess." Layla said as she bowed her head. "I will continue to do as you ask. It is time when you proclaim it."
Aslyn reached down and lifted Layla's chin with her delicate right hand.
"The time at hand is trying I know. But, you have survived one of the most difficult tragedies a human can go thru. The sudden death of your parents. You are something very special. Only you can show the slayer and her brother the path they muct walk. All things work together for the good. Remember that." She stepped back and faded into nothing.
Suddenly, Layla heard the front door open and close and there was Emma standing in the kitchen doorway.
"What the hell is all of this? Do you not ever stop eating? Since you say you will be living here now, that means you have to clean up after yourself. And that also means you replace what you eat. Oh my God, did you eat all of that? In the same sitting? Do you have a tapeworm?" Emma set her bag on the chair that Jimmy had been sitting in and walked to the sink. She poured herself a glass of water and gulped it down quickly.
"What are you doing back so quickly? I expect you until right before dawn." Layla submitted.
"Small town remember. Besides, I think the activity will be kinda low since I hit one of their hot spots and clean it out." Emma leaned on her left arm on the counter and looked at Layla. She then realized that she was only in her underwear. Emma blinked. "Uh, did you need something to sleep in or, some other form of bodily coverings?"
"Your telling me, that you are more comfortable staying strapped into those binding leather boots and coo lots than you would be in an under shirt and panties?"
"I didn't say that."
"Then what is the big deal! I am comfortable!" Layla defended.
"And cold too as it would seem!" Emma said as she looked down and then up quickly, then smiling.
"Oh, do I threaten you? Are you jealous of my ample yet perky bosom?" Layla accused. Emma pierced her lips and briskly walked out of the kitchen, down the hall and into her bedroom. Two minutes later, she returned. Wearing a matching tank and panty set. It was dark green and the tank had a golden shamrock on it and the panties had the words "Luck of the Irish" on their front.
"There, now, how's this for ample yet perky!" Emma said as she turned round fully.
"See, now don't you feel better?" Layla asked.
"You know what. Your right! This is very relaxing! I guess I am too used to living with a guy."
"We're both girls here! Nothing we haven't seen before! And now that your brother sat and here and talked for awhile with me in my knickers, I don't think he will have a problem with it in the future!"
"You mean my brother saw you half naked? Well, that's just great! It was hard enough getting him to run the book shop alone! Now, he'll never leave the house!" Emma threw her arms up in the air and told Layla she was going to bed. Layla looked around the kitchen and began to clean up from her little bedtime snack. When she had finished, she stretched her arms and yawned deeply.
"Shit! I'm quite knackered myself!" She yawned again. As she walked down the hall towards what was now her bedroom, the multitude of souls that "haunted" the twins continued to try and reach out to her. In this state, it looked as if they were standing in water. They were out of focus and quivering. Their voices sounded as whispers, distant and hollow. But, when she focused on one, or one was determined and strong enough to bring their selves into focus, she could see and hear them as clear as she could anyone else. She reached for the door knob, but, when she did one such soul came into clarity and stood right beside her. So close, that Layla thought she could feel his breath. But, that would have been impossible. He was nothing more that spirit. She stood there in the dark with the spirit as he loomed over her menacingly. His eyes glowed white and cast forbidding shadows on the rest of his face. His brow was furrowed and his lips were thin. His nostrils flared as he "breathed" heavily.
"And what in the great googily moogilies can I do for you?" Layla demanded. He continued to stare down at her and his eyes continued gleam eerily. "OK here we go." She rolled her eyes and huffed. She then began to recite in monotone voice her well rehearsed speech. "You are dead, get over it. Do you not see the purplely light….." she trailed off, because as she looked up, she noticed there was no light. "Wait, you're not…"
"I am not one of your pathetic spooks little girl!" He bellowed in a powerful and deep voice. "I am beyond what you can control with your simple castings and powers over the dead!"
"What are you then?" She questioned with a bit of nervousness in her voice. He stepped closer to her and looked down directly into her eyes. She could see that his irises were not black but in fact, the darkest, deepest red she had ever seen. She inspected his face further and discovered that the color of his skin was grey. His jaw was wide and square and his forehead was low.
"What I am is not of consequence. What I can do to you is." He reached forward and clasped his hand around Layla's neck. He lifted her up three feet from the ground and pulled her close to his face. Layla was shocked! No spirit had ever been able to touch her! They would have to have enough strength to punch their way into this dimension and momentarily recorporialize. This thing, what ever it was, was very much in this and the next dimension! How was this possible! He was telling the truth, he was in no way a spirit. She tried to struggle. But, every time she tried to cry out for help he would only tighten his cold steely grip. That's what his massive hand felt like; cold steel.
"Why do you try to fight? I am something that not even your "Aslyn the Azure" cannot defeat! You meddle in things you do not yet comprehend! The scales have been tipped and the opportunity has presented itself! There is nothing you can do to stop it!"
Layla pulled frantically at his fingers. She looked at him coldly and gritted her teeth.
"If there is nothing I can do," She gargled. "Then why are you here threatening and trying to kill me!" He squeezed her neck tighter and she began to feel a cracking as the muscles around her windpipe began to weaken. Her head felt like it was going to explode as her she was deprived of precious oxygen. Her instincts took over and she began to kick viciously. He just tightened his lips and flared his nostrils. She kicked more and was able to reach the wall. She kicked again and again. After the third kick Emma came jutting out of her room. She leaped forward and kicked him as hard as she could in her lower back. This made the large creature drop Layla and turn around.
"Sorry!" She professed to Layla. "It took me a sec to get my leg on! I couldn't find the liner!" Layla just grabbed her throat, gagging as she tried to breathe, and waved and nodded her head in acknowledgment as Emma prepared to engage the beast. He squared his shoulders and cracked his neck. Emma stood ready with her fists clenched and arms ready.
"You think you have power? What you consider power, is what I use to blink an eye! There is nothing you can do to affect me!" He started forward and began to swing his arm around to give Emma one hell of a right jab. Just at that moment Jimmy had emerged from his door and sleepily looked around wiping his eyes.
"What's going on out here? WHOA!" He exclaimed as he saw the fist coming straight for Emma who was standing in front of his door! He knew that as soon as she dodged that, it would have followed through straight to him! He jumped back and slammed the door. Just as he did Emma ducked and the massive grey man's fist went right through Jimmy's door. Jimmy gasped and fell back.
When Emma ducked, she punched the man right in his crotch. He just looked down and smiled.
Emma looked up and grimaced. "Now how did I know that was going to happen?" She scurried backwards and stood up. Jimmy came out of his room and shot at the intruder with a crossbow. It stuck in his chest. Jimmy clenched his fist and celebrated by exclaiming yes, but, it was premature. The man simply reached up, pulled out the arrow and threw it into the wall next to Jimmy's head.
"Oh shit!" Jimmy gulped.
"Way to go dumb ass! I think you just pissed him off more!" Emma grumbled. She ran at him and jumped to reach his jaw with her left fist. When she made contact, it wasn't even enough to make his head turn. She stood back and shook her hand mouthing "Ow". She stepped backwards trying to come up with her next move. The only things she had really ever come up against were vampires. She had no clue what this thing was in her hallway! She twisted the ball of her foot to reveal the spikes that Jimmy had installed in her shin.
"What else do you have in your bag of tricks?" He grinned. And with that a bright yellow light began to grow from behind him. He stopped and turned. Everyone looked in the direction of where it was coming. There stood Layla at the mouth of the hallway. Her eyes were completely white and her hands were down by her hips, shoulder width apart, fingers spread apart with palms facing each other. Energy was building up between her hands and was so powerful that it was blowing back her hair. She was chanting loudly and it seemed to resonate through the entire house.
"Nefiim, Elohim, Annunaki Dingir. Ninhursag Nibiru, Enki Nin-ti Nibiru!" Over and over again she repeated this. And as she did the light grew larger and brighter and began to ripple. It became so bright, that they had to shield their eyes with their arms and hands. The man just stood there glaring at Layla. The ripple grew bigger and began to tear. A great force blew out from the tear and than began to suck onward towards it. At first, it didn't faze the massive creature, but then Jimmy and Emma noticed that his feet were starting to slip and scoot forward. He forced his hands downward in an attempt to hold himself in place. But it was to no avail. He growled in frustration as he was continually pulled towards the rift. The twin began to feel the power of the suction that was pulling in the giant grey monster that had invaded their home. The man clenched his fists more and a black fog started to emerge from his feet. His momentum slowed and he began to yell back at Layla.
"Your curse cannot take me witch!" Layla just chanted louder and stronger.
"Nefiim, Elohim, Annunaki Dingir. Ninhursag Nibiru, Enki Nin-ti Nibiru!" The force from the rift increased so much that the twins had to hold on the door jam to keep from being taken up in it. The thing lost his grip, his feet slid out from under him and was sucked into the rift. As soon as he was the rift closed and Layla dropped to the floor unconscious. The twins' feet touched the floor again and they let go of the door jams. They ran over to Layla and check to see if she was still breathing. Jimmy ran into the bathroom and brought back a cold wash rag. He handed it to Emma and she slowly dabbed her face with it. Layla blinked her eyes and gradually came around.
"He's gone right?" She whispered. She brought her hand up to her throat and stroked it gently.
"What the hell was that?" Emma asked.
"I opened up a portal to the Nibiru dimension." Layla stood up with help from Jimmy and was escorted to the couch.
"Dimension? How did you do that? And what is Nibiru?" Emma prodded.
"I told you before; I am what you would call a witch, or medium. I possess some abilities. Some have to do with the spirits of the departed; others have to do with nature. What you saw, was me casting an ancient Sumerian spell to open up a particular dimension. I am not sure how long it will keep him though. I don't know what he is. At first I thought he was another one of those annoying spooks that insist on me help them complete their unfinished business."
"When did you realize that he wasn't?" Jimmy asked.
"Oh, I don't know maybe when he grabbed me by my throat and almost killed me!" She leaned back and rubbed her throat. It was red and raw and beginning to swell. Emma went and got her a glass of water.
"Take small, slow sips. Swallowing is gonna be rough at first so take your time." Emma said as she handed her the glass.
"What happened, I mean was he waiting there for you? Or was he one of the souls that are following you?" Jimmy persisted. Layla seemed to gag on the water and coughed.
"Look, first of all, all these "bodily challenged" individuals are following you too! They are attracted to the slayer aura. I have said this before. And, when I see them, at first, it's like lookibg up through water. Nothing is focused or clear. But, if one was strong enough, or if I focus on one of them, then they COME into focus and I can see and hear them as well as I see and hear you! They just have that purplely light above them, and they shine brighter."
"Because of their auras?" Emma asked.
"Because, they are nothing BUT auras!" Layla corrected. "This one though, it was like all of the sudden he was there! I knew something was off. There was no light above him and I couldn't see his aura! I don't know what he was."
"But you know what he was doing here, don't you." Emma accused.
"If you think that I have brought trouble into your lives than you must have missed your flight to reality! Trouble was already here and trouble is all over. And now TROUBLE has threatened to make it's move!" Layla instructed. She looked at the twins sternly without blinking. They looked at each other and seem to be in a sort of conference. Jimmy looked up and Layla knew that he knew she was keeping something from them.
"What is going on here? Why are you really here?" Jimmy asked. Layla rocked her head back against the couch cushion and muttered something they couldn't make out. And then she said:
"I think it is time now."
The twins looked at each other.
"What do you mean? Time for what?" Emma asked.
"I believe you are right." The voice came from behind the twins. Layla looked up and smiled.
"Emma, Jimmy, meet Aslyn the Azure." The twins could not believe what was happening. There stood this tall and lovely woman with striking blue eyes. She looked back at them calmly and smiled gently. Aslyn bowed her head slightly in a sign of respect and graciousness.
"Is she a Witch, or a demon?" Emma stammered.
"Not exactly." Layla coughed. "She is a Goddess."