Chapter #5 Dorothea's Visit and Story
Sally's point of view
"I don't know, Sally." Garrett said.
I gritted my teeth in frustration. I just finish telling the younger Ghostbusters about what happened in my room last night. I had to wait till the former Ghostbusters left for some convention in town, for my parents to go next door to visit the neighbours and Cletis and Dennis to just leave the house (I don't care where they are as long as they're out of the house) before I could talk. But I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I had a vision late last night about a guest who is really a monster in disguise that is working with Pellenore. A spirit who was one of the creators of Spirit Isle, who turned cold because humans came and took over the island and no one but Daniel Phantom, who was there when I had the vision, believed me. I even invited Daniel down to back me up (no one else but me knows he's half-ghost), but it wasn't enough. What would it take to convince these people?
"What's not to know?" I asked. "I'm a Witch. I'm sensitive to the supernatural world. You saw what I did down at the lake yesterday."
"What happened down at the lake?" the half-ghost asked.
Oh, that's right. He didn't see the attack down at the water. Snakes made of water appeared and attacked me and the others while we were swimming. They managed to get out while I was trapped on the raft. Having to turn into cold air and fire to escape.
"Is he trustworthy?" Garrett asked me
I frowned. I knew from experience that Garrett doesn't trust ghosts very easily. He's rather blast first then ask questions.
"Yes, Garrett." I said. "He's trustworthy and not all ghosts are bad."
"Yeah, Garrett." Kylie said. "Some spirits just want to be left alone."
"Just like most of the spirits here." I finished, to Daniel I said. "And we were attacked yesterday by someone that control water. Pellenore is known to control water and earth, while her brother was known to control fire and air."
"So, you believe this Pellenore chick is the one who attack us?" Edaurdo asked.
"It was her." I said. "I heard her tell Dennis."
"His name is not Dennis." Daniel said.
"What are talking about?" Roland asked.
"He's name is Dan. He's my evil older self."
"You mean your evil self from the future?" I asked.
I notice everyone but Daniel was staring at me like I was insane.
"Don't ask." I said. "It'll be to hard to explain."
"And I don't get why he would work with Pellenore." Daniel added. "He likes to work alone."
"So does Pellenore." I said. "But her powers don't work well in daylight. She's more powerful at night. So, she's got someone to do her dirty work during the day and then finish me off later."
"Even what you say is true, Sally. We still don't have any proof about that."
"Roland's right. We need more evidence." Kylie said.
"It's evidence you want. Then evidence I'll give you!" I said. "Meet outside in five minutes. We're going to Short Circuit to see if Pellenore is still in her prison. We'll see who's making things up around here!"
With that, I left the living room and went upstairs. I slammed the door of my bedroom behind me and collapsed onto the bed. Anger clouded my mind as it flowed through my blood like liquid fire.
Why won't they listen? They listened when I told them I was a Witch and about Constance, so why not Pellenore? She's more dangerous then Constance was or any other spirit and creature of night I've encountered. Why? Why? I rolled over and stared at my magickal tote bag, which laid against my desk where my laptop and Book of Shadows was.
"I did face supernatural creatures alone before." I thought. "So, why can't I fight Pellenore alone?"
I got up and walked to my desk.
"There are worse creatures out there and I've defeated every one I've encountered in the last few months of my Wiccan training. I'm sure I can stop her."
I reached down and picked up my magickal tote bag and my Book of Shadows.
"And her little pawn too."
I chuckled at the last part and placed my Book of Shadows in the tote bag and left the room.
Once I made it to the ground floor, I've half-expected to see the younger Ghostbusters and Daniel still in the living room chatting. But when I went into the living room, I saw it was empty.
"Huh? Where did they went off to?"
Then I remembered what I said earlier.
"Meet me outside in five minutes. we're going to see if Pellenore is still in her prison or not!"
I went outside to see Daniel and the younger Ghostbusters talking on the front porch. They stopped talking once I closed the door behind me and walked onto the porch.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"Sally, we're sorry about earlier." Garrett said as he wheeled up to me. "We and your ghost friend had a little talk and we were wrong to doubt you. You did save Ray from Constance a few weeks ago."
I raise an eyebrow. This was not like Garrett. Does he have a crush on me like Dennis does? If he does I'll be glad because Garrett is less creeper and more better then Dennis.
"Thanks, guys." I said.
"So, where's Short Circuit?"
We got into my mom's old car (It was only car I was allow to drive) and left the driveway of the Raspberry House. We drove for thirty minutes until we reached the small town of Short Circuit.
It was, like most of the towns on Spirit Isle, small and surrounded by trees and hills with a channel that separated the island from the mainland. But what made it different from the rest was the legend of Pellenore.
Legend says this area Short Circuit was build on was Pellenore's favorite spot and she was known to be seen sitting on the top of the highest tree and watch the sun set and raise. Now it was the town of Short Circuit, and where Pellenore was imprisoned.
"So, where is Pellenore's prison?" Edaurdo asked.
"It's located in the forest closest to the channel." I replied. "No one would dare build anything near it until now."
"What makes you think that?" Roland asked.
"Because if Pellenore is still imprisoned, we won't see construction workers near there."
And so we did. Once we arrived near the channel, we saw construction workers working next to the harbor. A huge sign on the fence surrounding the area said.
Area closed until the Spirit Celebration. Please go around.
"Just as I thought." I said.
"But they're not working in the forest." Daniel said.
I was about to answer when we saw two construction worker walking out of the forest, carrying wood. Did they get it from the forest?
"They didn't have to build in the forest." I said. "Just get wood from it. Let's check it out."
I turned the car around and parked it in a parking lot next the public park. I grabbed my things and climbed out. I waited for the others before I led the group across the park, to the path that leads to the forest. We followed the path until we reached a group of rocks deep in the middle of the forest.
Each were about the size of the tires of my dad's truck and had sacred symbols craved onto them. But what bothered me was the stones were not placed in the perfect circle like the legend said. They were scattered all over the place.
"Damn." I swore quietly.
"What's wrong, Sally?" Garrett asked. "Isn't this the place?"
"It is the place." I said.
I jumped over a huge log and walked to the site and place my hand on one of the stones. It felt cold and smooth against my skin. I picked up the stone, got down to my knees and placed it on my lap like it was a child. Wishing for it and the others could tell me where the one they were suppose to keep trapped forever is. But I didn't sense any magic left in them. Not even in the one I was holding.
"And I was right. She is free again."
I didn't look up, but can I see out of the corner of my eye the Ghostbusters and the half-ghost step over the log and walk towards to me and were looking at me and the other stones. I didn't care. I now know what Dorothea was talking about earlier. Pellenore is back and is planning to take over the island just like she did centuries ago. Am I really ready to face her with the little magic I know? Or is it hopeless?
"These stones act like devices to bind a spirit to a certain spot." Kylie said. Just like the Sons of Erin did with the leprechaun back home with the Blarney Stone fragments"
"That's right." I said, looking up from the stone in my hands. "And these symbols are to seal the binding spell. They're powerful until someone knocks one or more out of the circle. Just like those foolish workers did."
"They weren't foolish, Sally." Roland said. "They probably didn't know about this place."
"They did know!" I growled. "They just don't believe in the story of Pellenore and thought it was funny to knock over the stones."
The last two words echoed through the forest. Everyone stared at me. I didn't care. I may be a Witch-in-training but I should have seen this a few days before it happened, not after. Why didn't Dorothea tell me earlier?
The ride back to the Raspberry House wasn't as nice as it was on the way to Short Circuit. I didn't feel like driving so Roland took over. Once we got back, I grabbed my things and went up the steps. Not listening to anyone who called my name.
I opened the front door and went inside. Only to run into Peter Venkmen, one of the former Ghostbusters.
"Hey, Sally." he said. "What's..."
"Get out of my way." I ordered as I walked passed him.
"Whoa, young lady." He said, grabbing my arm and turning me so I face him. "What's going on?"
"Let go of me."
"Sally..."
"I'm warning you. Let go of me now!"
I pulled my arm out of his grip.
"What's going on in here?"
I turned to see the rest of the former Ghostbusters standing in the dining room.
"It's not your concern." I snapped.
"We just found out Pellenore escaped." Kylie said.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw the younger Ghostbusters and Daniel standing in the office next to Peter. I scoffed as I heard what Kylie said.
"Yeah, after I told you all." I grumbled.
"Is that why you're mad?"
"That's not the only reason why I'm mad, Peter."
"What is it then?"
"It's was my fault."
I looked up to see a woman with tanned skin, dark colored eyes, black hair, dressed in a navy blue gown with light purple horizontal lines in the material with a matching beret on her head.
I glared at her and clutched my fists. It was my Spirit Guide, Dorothea Stone. What does she want? And why did she decide to appear on this plain right now?
"Dorothea Stone." I snarled. "What are you doing here?"
"You know her?" Raymond asked, confused.
"She's my Spirit Guide." To Dorothea I said. "You have a lot of nerve coming here after what happened. And you and I are lucky these people know I'm Witch because I'm not in the mood to explain what the Hell I am right now!"
"I expected this." Dorothea said.
She jumped off the balcony and landed on the ground floor in front of me.
"For I know what makes you tick."
"How do you..."
"Now is not the time for that, Raymond Stantz." Dorothea said. "My charge has the right to know." She turned to me. "You want to know why I didn't tell you before Pellenore escaped am I right?"
"What was your first clue?" I grumbled.
"Well, you're attitude for starters. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but you wouldn't have believed me if I told you and neither would anyone else."
"You're my Spirit Guide for Goddess's sake." I said outraged. "When was the last time you couldn't tell me about stuff like this?"
"Lots of times." she answered. "And never once did you notice it until now."
"Like a fool."
Silence hung in the air for a few seconds.
"No, Sasha Snow, not like a fool. But like a girl who is not ready to know of the danger yet before she could face it."
I felt like someone had stuffed cotton balls down my throat. I was a fool. I jumped to conclusions and blamed my own Spirit Guide for what I found out. What was I thinking? I should know better.
"It's alright, Sasha." Dorothea said.
I blinked and looked at Dorothea. Did she just read my thoughts?
"Anger clouds the mind and makes people do things they didn't mean to do in the first place. Just like you did earlier."
"It was still unacceptable." Peter said. "She's an adult. She should know better then to talk to people like that."
"It's not wise to bottle up anger, Peter." Dorothea told him. "But you're right. Sasha shouldn't have done what she did. But then, think if you were in her position. How angry would you be?"
Silence hung in the air again. Everyone but me and Raymond were surprised at what Dorothea said.
"You hadn't change a bit, Dorothea." Raymond said. "You were always wise like a high priestess."
Dorothea smiled and turned to Raymond.
"And you hadn't change much either." she said. "I've heard you were a Ghostbuster. Just like these young adults."
She gestured to the younger Ghostbusters.
"And now, you're a husband and a father. I wish I was alive to see you throughout the years."
Raymond blushed.
"Alright, that's nice." Garrett said. "But can you tell us how you know Sally?"
"That's right." Egon said. "Spirit Guides are usually someone who was close to the charge. Like a family member, a friend, or someone from a past life. How do you know Sally if you've only known Ray?"
"I have known Sally since the day of her birth." Dorothea said.
My eyes widen. She's known me for eighteen years? But I only met her last year when I started my Wiccan training. How is it possible for her to know for that long if we only met one year ago?
"Back when Ray left for Columbia, I went to work as a nurse at Ottawa Hospital. The same hospital Deanne gave birth to her children. Deanne was in labor with Sally when I was there. I was helping the doctor deliver her. It was that day I knew she was different from everyone else."
Well that explains how she knows from the day from my birth. But had did she knew I was different from everyone else? How was I so special at birth?
"But something happened." Dorothea continued. "That night, while Deanne was resting and Sally was being treated for jaundice. There was a fire."
"Yeah, it was cause by some equipment in the x-ray room." Winston said.
"That's what he wanted you to think."
"Who?" I asked.
"Conleth the Fire Demon."
My eyes widen as images flash in my mind. I saw fire everywhere in a long hallway. Dorothea ran out of a room, clutching a bundle of white blankets in her arms. She looked scared and worried.
"He's gone." she said. She ran down the hall. She ran until she reached the end of the hall.
"It's over, Dorothea." a voice said.
A bunch of fire formed into a human being. A man with burnt skin, red hair and eyes, dressed in a orange robe with a red sash wrapped around his waist.
"Conleth." Dorothea gasped as she stopped in her tracks.
He grinned. "Give me the girl, Dorothea Stone." he said. "And I'll let you live."
"I rather die then surrender the Preciosas' daughter to you!"
Then the images disappeared. I felt hotter then normal. Like I was in a dry sauna. I looked down at my hands to see they were covered in sweat. This isn't right. I had visions before but this didn't feel like a vision. It felt more like...a memory. A memory from my past.
I looked at Dorothea. Who looked at me. She smiled reassuring.
"How did Sally survive the fire if you died?" Peter asked.
"I may have died in the fire. But it didn't stop me from protecting Sally from Conleth's wrath and the fire."
"And you stayed with me since?" I finished.
Dorothea looked at me again. "Yes."
She stroked my hair as she said that. I just stood there, feeling empty and light like I was made of air. No one but Dorothea knew about this until now. Why didn't she tell me before? Why did she keep this to herself. Nothing but questions with no answers. Will there be any answers to these questions? Or will they remained unanswered forever? No one but time knows.
I leaned against Dorothea as she pulled me towards her in an embrace. No one said anything, not even Dorothea.