Credence held his wand aloft, shining the slender beam of light between countless tombstones and skeletal trees. Having the children with him had shifted his concerns, his thoughts now focused on getting through the cemetery with Chavo and Chilindrina in one piece.
Beside him, Chavo was trembling and clinging to his uncle. Chilindrina, seemingly fearless, kept trying to run ahead of the group. Credence practically lunged at her, his movements slowed thanks to his wounds. Still, he managed to grab the little girl by the back of her dress, warning her to stay close as they made their way towards the crypt.
They didn't have long before they reached the entrance. Being a wizard, Credence's first instinct upon realizing that the crypt was securely locked was to attempt various incantations. This, of all things, appeared to make his daughter uncomfortable. Chavo had already started backing away, cowering in fear.
"No, children, there's nothing to be afraid of," said Credence, trying his best to keep them calm. He held up his wand, allowing them to take a closer look. "It's just a dream, remember? Not real. Magic isn't real. I'm just trying to figure out this lock so we can get inside. The statue told me there could be something in here that'll help us figure out what's going on."
"You know, it's not good if you're hearing voices, Daddy. I should know cuz I'm a nurse. I have a degree in brainology."
Waving off her concern, Credence returned to the entrance, carefully inspecting the front of the building for anything that might give him a clue on how to get in. His attention was drawn towards the roof when a crow landed on the building, calling out and stretching its wings. That's when he saw it, a rusted plate attached to the front of the building, directly above the entrance.
"Are we supposed to put something here?" Credence wondered aloud, examining the metal plate. "The angel told me that the crypt is locked with a special type of key."
"Oh, I know!" Chilindrina exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly. "In movies, they always have to make a sacrifice to the devil before something happens. So we need to make an offering!"
"You seem a little too happy about that, baby girl." Feeling somewhat unsettled by her behavior, the Obscurial returned his attention to the rusted plate. He knew well enough the type of sacrifice she was talking about. Even before the days of cinema, Credence had to listen to Mary Lou's claims that witches sacrificed human babies, black cats, and goats.
None of that sounded appealing, so what were the alternatives? Maybe one of the crows would like to join the architecture and become one with the stone. However, the birds already hated him for one reason or another, and he didn't want to risk another encounter with the horrific bird beast.
His thoughts were interrupted by a soft rustle of fabric, his cloak moving as a tiny figure poked its head out from under a fold of material. The Obscurial gasped, startled by the sudden movement beneath his robes. Looking down, he saw that Gogo his plush goat had materialized beneath his cloak, clinging to his chest while gazing out at the world with somber eyes.
At first Credence was confused, wondering why his favorite toy had chosen this moment to appear. Thinking things over, he realized that each of the children had brought their favorite stuffed animals - the koala, the frog, and the opossum. Each of them had a special meaning. The koala and the opossum had once belonged to Credence, and were given as gifts so the children would still have a part of him when he was gone. The frog was a Christmas present from his mother, though still important to the lonesome child who had few he could turn to for love and comfort.
As for the plush goat, his father had lovingly stitched the creature by hand, offering it as a gift not long after they met. It was his first material possession given to him by his father, and it meant everything to him.
"Please," the tiny goat rasped, his voice quivering. "I have lived my life as a faithful servant. I am ready to give my life for you."
"What?! No!" In a whirlwind of motion, Credence looked to the rusted plate then back to his stuffed animal. "You were a gift from my Pa!"
Not just a gift, this goat represented everything he would have to let go of in order to move forward. It was more than a sacrificial offering. It was the death of childhood innocence, the moment when we're forced to grow up and accept that nobody we love lives forever. It was the separation of family, giving up what his father had made for him, as well as the parent who crafted this most precious gift.
Credence realized what he was being asked to do as the first step in his acceptance of death. He would be sacrificing the goat as well as his family in order to move on. But it was only a dream, right? Any minute now he could wake up in his bed and everything would be alright. And yet knowing that it wasn't real didn't make his task any easier.
His trembling hand reached for his furry companion, drops of blood still oozing from his wounds. His fingers slid beneath the goat's forelegs, pausing as tears filled his eyes. It was only a dream, but it felt so real. He could feel the softness of Gogo's fur, the way the stuffing shifted as he lifted him from his cloak. The animal's legs were limp, head bowed with snags and rips in his curved horns. He looked like he'd been through a war.
The Obscurial lifted the goat so that he could take a better look at him. This time, Gogo met his gaze, silently awaiting his fate. "I don't want to..." Credence whispered, his voice choked with emotion. Bringing the toy to his chest, he hugged the stuffed animal, allowing his tears to fall.
Gogo didn't protest, holding on tight and patting Credence's back as he shudderd and gasped, sobbing into the animal's fur. This creature was meant to represent his father, his family, everything he had spent his entire life searching for. Recalling his travels, the memories of Paris, the roads through Austria, the steps of Bhutan, so long ago. Some would say now was the time for his journey to end. Others would argue against it, stating that he'd only had a few years with his father. Not nearly enough time. Was there ever enough? Perhaps not.
The children gave him a moment, allowing him to say goodbye to his friend. This too was symbolic in nature, helping him prepare for when he would leave his family behind. When he was finally ready, Credence used his wand to levitate the stuffed animal, affixing its body to the rusted plate with a permanent sticking charm. Here it would remain throughout the ages, its fur matted with blood from Credence's ever weeping wounds. It was the key that opened the lock, and slowly the door swung open on its hinges, allowing them to peer inside.
The interior of the crypt was covered in cobwebs, spun in shadowy corners and stretching to reach the casket at the back of the room. There were candles mounted in brackets on the wall, burnt low with the passage of time, as well as a layer of dust clinging to the delicate spider webs.
Credence took a step forward, shining the pale light across the walls and floor. His daughter gasped when a tarantula scurried past, only to make a sudden movement towards it, flattening the spider's innards against the concrete floor.
"Chilindrina!" Credence exclaimed, holding his chest with one hand. She smiled at him.
"Come on, Daddy! You didn't think I'd let some nasty old spider get you, now did you?" Truly, this girl was something else.
They continued moving past the stone pillars and dusty corners, searching for anything that might be of use to them on their quest. All at once their progress came to a halt when a low shuffling motion could be heard drifting through the silence of the crypt. Shining the light ahead of them, Credence stood at the front of the group, staring at the horrific sight before them as a tall, shambling figure came into view.
A burly male figure stood directly in the beam of light, his muscular form nearly ten feet tall. His appearance wouldn't have come as such a shock if it weren't for the fact that his human head had been replaced with that of Quico's koala.
"Good evening," squeaked the tiny koala. Unsurprisingly, he spoke with a thick Australian accent, calmly addressing Credence and the children. "Please, don't be scared. Awful things are going on out there, but it's nice and safe here."
Chavo's mouth dropped open. "You're Quico's teddy bear!"
The koala smiled at him. "Yes, that's right. Quico is a very good friend of mine. He's told me all about you. But why are you here?" he asked, looking at each of them in turn. "You shouldn't be here all by yourselves. It's not safe. Where are your parents?"
"I don't have any parents," Chavo stated sadly, his gaze lingering on the dusty concrete floor. The koala-headed man approached the boy, kneeling beside him and resting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear that. I don't have any parents either, but my friend used to. Now, he only has a mom. He asked me to watch over his dad for him. His dad is sleeping dug deep in the ground. There isn't much work to do, looking after him and all that. But it would be easier if I could have my body back."
Her curiosity getting the better of her, Chilindrina came forward. Unlike Chavo, she wasn't afraid to approach this bizarre apparition. "What happened to your body?" she asked, tilting her head like a curious puppy. "Were you the victim of a crazy doctor doing medical experiments? Maybe I know him! Oh, wait, does this count as medical trauma? Do we get to sue?" Gleefully, she clasped her hands in front of her chest. "I'll call the attorney!"
"No, nothing like that," said the koala. "Someone stole my body and left me with this. It wasn't very nice. Can you help me look for my body? I can come with you. It'll be fun!"
Chilindrina was giggling merrily, delighted at the thought of cutting up this bear and reattaching it to its body. "I already know where your body is! We have it in the intensive care unit, back at the hospital. I can operate and put you back together. I even brought my surgical equipment, just in case somebody needs an amputation." And with that, she reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a pair of scissors.
"Wait a minute!" Everything was happening so fast, Credence tried stepping in and speaking to the koala before his daughter could run off with her next patient. "You said your friend asked you to watch over his Pa. It's Quico, isn't it? Do you know where he is?"
But before the koala could answer, Chilindrina took him by the hand and ran with him into the next room, cackling all the way. The door slammed shut in their faces, leaving Chavo and Credence alone with the dust and cobwebs.