-???’s POV-
I was summoned to a local gas station by an acolyte of the order. This particular fellow, odd duck that he is, has proven useful in the past due to his position as a local police officer. The facility sat comfortably on a hill, sandwiched between a quiet suburb and a road bustling with the busy movement of vehicles rushing to get into the downtown of Deer Valley. I do not usually take too kindly to being called upon by my acolytes while surveying the Deer Valley wood. The vast, luscious East Georgia wilderness has been my home for over ten years at this point. The joys of living off the land as the natives did, much like the times before the old continent’s immigration, invigorate me with a sense of purpose that the concrete jungles of civilization could never hope to match. Hence, being called back to this world hanging by the puppeteer’s strings of laws and labor felt the same as waking from a long, peaceful slumber.
There was a specific reason I had decided to live in the mountains near Deer Valley, however, and why I had come out of the woodwork to return to this accursed city today. There’s a legend that’s been passed down by the old Cralixi peoples who once inhabited these lands. They spoke of a great spirit that lives in Lake Irma, right where the South Carolina state line is drawn today. The tale states that the lake is a passage to the under and upper worlds where the spirits of living things reside. Supposedly, this great spirit serves as a guide for the dead. Truth be told, I’d lived rather atheistically for the first fifteen or so years of my life, so stories such as these were like water off a duck’s back to me. But that all changed when I visited the lake with my father one day.
“Hey, so uhm, can you make heads or tails of this, doctor?” The one before me who had mistaken me for a medical practitioner was an attractive middle-aged woman with reddish hair hanging down the sides of her face. Having been away from other people for about two months now, it was hard not to find myself fancying her. Whether it had been her extravagant, non-verbal mannerisms, or how well put together she appeared in the tight, black office skirt that highlighted the shape of her hips, I found myself tempted by her eloquence. A fine woman indeed. She sat with me in the backroom of the gas station as we glanced over the security tapes the owner had allowed us a look at.
“That night, I had this strange dream,” she said. “I’d visited this gas station, you see. And it was far more vivid than any dream I’ve had in God knows how long. I woke up remembering every second of it.”
“The vividness of the dream depends on how much of an impact the imagery had on our subconscious,” I said, baiting her.
“No Doctor, that’s not even the worst of it. See, my hip was screaming when I woke up that morning. It felt like I’d hurt it the night before, but I had no recollection of ever doing so before going to bed. Then when I got up, I found that my slippers were covered in fresh dirt. I do think something strange happened to me that night. The boy at the counter I spoke to earlier said I had a conversation with him too, but… that couldn’t be. I was definitely asleep that night, so it had to have been a dream, right? It was… the most bizarre... thing that’s ever… I’m sorry, are you picking your nose?”
“Hmm?” I caught myself with my index finger joint-deep into my right nostril and immediately pulled it out and wiped it over my pants. “Oh, apologies dear. I was on vacation in nature for a while. I seem to have forgotten my etiquette.”
“Huh? Right. Anyway, about what I was saying… do you think I was sleepwalking?”
“Hmm, well…” If this woman was telling the truth, then this would certainly be that phenomenon. I shifted in the doctor’s coat I had put on earlier and stroked my chin. “It seems like you were caught on camera here, so it is possible. How about the beer? Did you find it when you woke up?”
“Oh, no. I placed it in the yard when I got home. That’s part of the reason I doubted myself. When I checked in the morning it wasn’t there anymore.”
“Anyone else live at your place?”
“Just my daughter. She’s still in high school.” She paused to ponder. “Her car was the one I used, come to think of it. And her glasses, and her phone…”
Judging by the information provided so far, it’s extremely possible that that phenomenon is indeed what occurred. But if that is the case, for this daughter of hers to risk the power for the sake of something so trifling was almost comically ignorant. It’s like she was asking to be caught. Either way, that changes nothing, I thought.. What I need to do now is to make absolutely certain that it really is the phenomenon.
“Well, I’m all but certain I know what it is. But just to be sure, why don’t we try a little test? Can you extend your hand for me?”
“My hand?”
“It’s a medical examination. I’m going to test for a certain reflex to see if this is what I think it is. Can you reach your palm out to me?”
“Oh, okay. Like this?”
She stretched her hand out in my direction.
“Yes, exactly.” I reached out and gently held onto her. “Beautiful, not a wrinkle.”
“Uhm... isn’t that the hand you were picking your nose with?”
“Oh no, it was the other one,” I said.
“I, I see...”
Satisfied with her response, I decided to shift back to the topic. “I’ll be feeling your hand now. If any strange sensation runs through your body, let me know immediately.”
“What kind of strange sensation, exactly?”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“You’ll know it if you feel it. It’s sudden and powerful.”
“Right.”
She didn’t appear too comfortable with the situation, but this method was absolutely necessary for finding out if what happened to her is related to the power. I closed my eyes and the world around me was filled with darkness. I allowed my consciousness to drift into a daydream while focusing my thoughts on the woman before me. Feeling her tender palm in my hands. Breathing in her scent. Imagining the red hair on her head and the paleness of her skin. The way the pajamas in the video clung tightly to her body. The raspy, soft voice that carried a hint of annoyance in it. I allowed myself to devour every aspect of this woman, almost to become her myself. In that moment, my existence was nothing but this woman.
And then…
I felt my consciousness slip.
“Oh my god!!”
She yanked her hand away from me as my consciousness immediately returned to me.
“What did you just do?!” she shrieked.
“Ma’am?”
Her face was contorted with shock. She stared down at me after jumping out of her seat in surprise, clasping her hand firmly.
“That was it! That’s the feeling from my dream! What the hell was that? What did you just do?”
“Ma’am, calm down. There’s no need to worry.”
“What the fuck do you mean? That felt like a hot flash. My whole body’s gone cold now! Feel it!”
She pulled my hand up to her neck. Sure enough, her body was chilled. At least, it certainly wasn’t at 97.6.”
“It’s okay, take it easy. That’s normal for someone with your condition.”
“My condition? What kind of condition is that, exactly? Do I have cancer?”
Her distress had completely taken over the atmosphere of the room, but I did my best to remain cool.
“No ma’am. Not that I’m aware of. This is more uncommon than that. It’s more of a… a sleep-related disorder.”
“Sleep-related?”
“First, I’m going to need you to take a seat. There’s no need to be panicked.” She glanced at me suspiciously at first, but after considering the situation, she eventually folded and returned to her chair. “Ma’am, I want you to be frank with me. There’s something in your life that’s stressing you out, isn’t there? Something you’re trying to avoid. Something that came up in that dream of yours. Your daughter, perhaps?”
“Well…”
“I’m not going to pry, as I’m not a psychologist. But whatever it is that’s hanging over you, you’re going to have to confront it eventually. Otherwise, well, such things may continue to haunt you in the future.”
I pulled out a clipboard from my backpack along with a pen and began writing on a piece of paper.
“I would recommend seeing a psychiatrist for an official diagnosis. Here’s a doctor I’d recommend.”
I tore the paper out and handed it to her, studying her as she stared down at it with worried eyes after accepting it. “Stress…? That was stress?”
“Strange, isn’t it? I spent my college years thinking that Freud and Jung and all of that were part of a 20th century quack science cabal, and now look at me. I meditate for thirty minutes every day just to do a better job at understanding myself and my place in life.”
“Oh, I see…” she said, sounding unconvinced. “I’ll make an appointment, then Hopefully they can help me...”
“Right,” I said, not bothering to convince her.
If her daughter never possesses her again then she’ll be fine, but who knows if that’ll be the last of it? I’ll need to find a way to get my hands on the girl before she does anything dangerous with that ability.
“Anyway, thanks a lot. I think I feel a little better now. Do you need my insurance card?”
At her words, I got up and slung my backpack over my shoulder after getting my belongings in order.
“No worries, this wasn’t an official visit.”
“Please, let me pay you.”
“If you’re that insistent then why don’t you pay me with some of your time? Dinner at Bianca’s Italian place sound good?”
She paused at my sudden proposal, then side-eyed me with a sly grin.
“Doctor, are you making a pass at me?”
“Call it a follow-up.” I handed her my card from my wallet.
“A follow-up then, Doctor Oliver… Wojciechowski? Oh, you’re Polish?”
“My grandfather. He hopped on a boat and moved here immediately after the war.”
“I see. We’re similar in that respect then.”
“Oh really? Would you mind telling me your name?”
“Carla Brahm, doctor. That’s B-r-a-h-m.”
“Ah, German?”
“Why, yes.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and smirked. “I hope that’s not a problem.”
“Only if you hate beer.”
She laughed, then gestured at the security footage. “You tell me.”
I shot her a smile, and she walked past me and towards the door that led to the convenience store area. “I’m busy tonight, but… Are you free tomorrow at 8, Mr. Wojciechowski?”
“I’ll make the reservation right away, Mrs. Brahm.”
“Ms. Brahm,” she corrected me, before leaving into the gas station’s store area.
Once she’d left, I came out through the back and into an open space overlooking the highway below. I took a moment to reach into my pocket and unwrapped the protein bar I pulled out. Loathe as I am to admit it, there is something to the convenience of common items created through the cooperation of labor throughout civilization. Having lived off the land for so long now, I couldn’t help but admire the ability to pick up something so tasty that also happened to be packed with important nutrients, and without any real effort of my own. But what about the people who created this bar of protein? Did they feel fulfilled manning the machines in that monotonous factory, day in and day out? Does the convenience of our society justify the soul-crushing, mind-numbing hours that it takes to maintain the wheel’s turn?
“Great Proph- oh, uh… Dr. Wojciechowski?” The police officer who approached me from behind said as if remembering something. “Was it related to the other spirit after all?”
“Hmm? Oh yes. This is an excellent lead. Thank you for the call.” I reached into my pocket and handed him five Benjamin Franklin-faced bills. “And remember, no one at the order needs to hear about this. Not until we’ve confirmed it.”
“Yeah, no prob,” he said, stuffing his pocket. “I’m glad I happened to catch wind of it though. Sam at the precinct was talking about it today. Some weird lady who was complaining about sleepwalking into the gas station. Sounded like the feeler you put out for the spirit so I came over here as quickly as I could. Thank God the clerk took her number though, or she might have been lost forever. But, if you don’t mind me asking, what will you do once you find the host?”
I took a bite of my protein bar and checked my phone for the time. I decided that it was probably too late to catch her at school. I would have to stake out at her house.
“That,” I said, taking the time to swallow. “Depends on the girl.”
“Uh, right. Well, if I hear anything else I’ll let you know.”
“Good work.”
I took another bite of my bar and watched him leave. He got into his marked police vehicle that had clearly seen more than just a few years of service and drove off after a job well done. My vision immediately turned to the lurking shadowy figure above me that had manifested after my link with Carla. His deer-shaped skull hung just above my shoulder, like an angel of death about to take its next soul.
“Hey, old friend. We’re finally going to meet your other half.”
Do not underestimate the other host.
I laughed. “You’re such a bore. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
The spirit remained motionless, as it always was. It might not be quite so motionless for long though. After all, I finally found it after years of scouring the wilderness. Who could’ve guessed that my search would lead me right back into the jaws civilization? It’s just a miracle that she hasn’t left town yet. If she’d graduated high school and went to college in some other city, then the search would have been hopeless. But thankfully, none of these hypothetical worst-case scenarios matter now. I’ve located it at last. The host of the other spirit is still in Deer Valley, and it’s the daughter of Carla Brahm.