Just Checking Up! Part Twenty-One: Kindness Into Chaos!

Silks:

Stirring awake, taps on my window irritated the fuck out of me. Sitting up, my wrists rested on my knees. Orbs floated outside my window, my brow cocked at the odd sight. Liz hovered next to me, her head shaking vehemently next to the nightstand. A snap of fingers ripped me from my environment, body and all. Landing in the center of an abandoned church, blustery winds howled outside the rotting boards of wood. Soaking in that it would Flamios and I, something had kept Liz out. Narrowing my eyes in the direction of the worn altar, a ghost of a priest floated away. The white collar poking out of the usual black shirt gave away his former position, his bald head shimmered in the light. Kind eyes darted in my direction, our eyes flickering down to my bare feet and hands. Motioning for me to follow him, a couple of joints popped as I jumped to my feet. Boards with every footfall towards a swinging peeling door, a pile of beat winter gear greeting my exhausted smile. Sliding on the boots, the worn leather hugged my feet. Tugging on what had to be his stiff black wool jacket, his gentle tone had me leaping into the air.

“Please help cleanse the land!” He pleaded desperately, a clasp of palms echoing in my ears. “The town needs it.” Spinning on my heels, befuddlement twisted my features. A bitter sorry bounced off of my tongue, all kinds of spirits gathering behind me. A long sigh drew from my lips, the thick wool gloves sliding on with ease. Many voices hit me at once, anxiety swelling along with the migraine.

“One at a freaking time!” I screamed out of pure frustration, the situation pissing me off to no end. “What the hell is going on here? First off, who are you? Second, I am going to need a second to figure this shit out when I get the down low on this current mindfuck you have going on.” Sounding calmer with my second question, the hurt in their eyes simmered down to nearly nothing. Facing the good priest, Flamios struggled to keep his cool within my soul. Ignoring the priest’s stern expression at my swearing, his morals could take a damn back seat.

“Right!” He spoke concisely, a polite smile granting me little relief. “Father Tatters is what most people call me. If you help, information about your parents can be dropped into that lovely mind of yours.” Contemplating his offer, compassion told me to do it without complaint. Growling out a brisk fine, cheers erupted behind me. Massaging the bridge of my nose, Rip and the others were going to murder me. Shoving my way to the closest window, an entire ghost town deepened my dread. Shadowy energies lurked in the corners, everything making sense.

“Father Tatters, how are you not in Heaven?” I asked kindly, sorrow dimming his aura. “Tragedy struck you too soon. Sorry for your horrid end.” Water dripped onto my palm, rushing sounds playing in my head. Doors slamming shut brought the church back to her glory days, fine white walls replaced what was damaged. Perfect pews were lined with the townspeople, horror rounding my eyes. Water poured in, the doors creaking from immense pressure. Silent tears stained my cheeks, every breath growing shorter. Clutching my aching chest, a wave of water brought us back to what it actually was.

“Do you understand now?” He returned dejectedly, his head bowing in shame. “There is no way that I would ever leave until they depart with me. Please find a way for us to get into Heaven.” Cupping his trembling hands, my genuine smile assured him. Glancing back at the poor souls, the horrid story shattered my heart.

“Count on me to do what I can.” I promised firmly, his head nodding. “Demons made the rest of the town their stomping ground, correct? Can I make everything but the church my magical playground? No offense but I don’t think that the Lord would like me practicing witchcraft in his turf. Flamios, are you caught up? Thank you for the winter gear, by the way.” Dropping his hands limply to his side alongside a confirming nod, hope shimmered to life in his eyes as I mentally prepared myself to face utter chaos.

“That’s what I want to see. Get your prayers ready. I can’t do that part.” I continued while making my way to the doors, another wave of tears threatening to freeze on my cheeks. “Stay in here for me. Do your best to protect those poor souls.” Crossing the threshold, sulfuric air slapped me in the face. Covering my nose, Flamios stepped out of my soul. Folding his arms across his chest, a gust of hair blew my unkempt hair up.

“Must you insist on helping them?” He inquired impatiently, a sharp death glare shut down that selfish attitude. “Never mind! That hero complex resides within you. Perhaps the sole reason is that you might get to know more about your parents.” Orange flames crackled to life in my palm, my temper flaring with his.

“Such a reward is secondary. Do you think that little of me? Did you not see the same vision? Father Tatters simply wants to help those souls get to Heaven with him at the helm. Why wouldn’t I freaking help him?” I snapped hotly, the flames dying down. “No one helped me grow up. Boy did that suck. Let me do my thing!” Shooting me a look of pure respect, a humanity flashed in his eyes.

“Forgive me for not living among your type for a long while. Living in your soul is teaching me how to behave once more, my dear friend.” He apologized sincerely, my hard expression softening greatly. “Time will permit us to get along like two peas in a pod. That I can guarantee.” Agreeing with a hearty chuckle, Flamios bore an honest point. Parting my lips to speak, screeches echoing all around us canceled any chance of a further conversation. Grimacing to myself, Flamios pressing one of his spikes into my palm snapped me back into reality. Tapping it a couple of times with his fingers, familiar symbols glowed to life.

“Time for a spot of fun.” He laughed jovially, his palms curling around his own spikes. “Ignite this beautiful piece of wood and watch them burn.” Giggling maniacally to himself, part of me wondered about his sanity. Approaching the town center cautiously, flood damage presented itself. Fighting the urge to sob uncontrollably, sorrow bit me in the ass. Mother Nature sure did love to show her quills every now and then. Lights flickered in the homes, a chill running up my spine. Wishing that Rip was here, growth simply had to occur when I was on my own. First things first, I had to get them far enough away to allow Father Tatters to free them. Blasting a fireball into the air, demons of sorts crunched into view. Sucking in a deep breath to steady my racing heart, Flamios begged for me not to take off into the forest. Happy that I stayed in shape, snow cracked with every footfall deeper into the sea of dead trees. Branches clawed my cheeks, a bright light causing me to skid to a rough stop. Orbs shot into the starry night sky, the good energy dying down. Bad news for me, good fortune coming for Father Tatters and his friends. Cursing under my breath, he had moved on without telling me about my parents. A low hum buzzed in my ears, roots beginning to lift themselves out of the ground.

“Hey, Flamios?” I choked out awkwardly, a quiver coming over my muscles. “Roots aren’t supposed to move, yeah?” Shaking his head while saying nope, a quiet fear settled in my eyes. Leaping over reaching roots, someone wasn’t playing fair. Realization dawned in my mind, one demon was playing puppet master. Scanning the forest, a glowing tree in a circle of dead grass captured my attention. Snatching Flamios by his wrist, his words faded in and out as I leapt crashed into the center. Jumping into an opening, scarlet flashed in the corner of my eyes. Sliding down moving roots, a pool of scarlet water caught me. Spluttering as I pulled myself out, a dismal palace of twisted roots squirmed overhead. Drying myself off via a puff of orange flames, frizz claimed my fluffy hair. Panic wrote itself all over Flamios’ features, his hands clamping down on my shoulders. Shaking me to work out his frustration, that damn sulfuric scent whacked me in the nostrils. Do demons have to stink like that!

“Do you not use that brain of yours!” He roared thunderously inches from my face, my lack of an expression irking him to no end. “Why don’t you c-” Wooden hooves clacking up to him, gave him pause, curiosity driving me to track his legs. Beady black eyes stood out against a massive body of twisted black branches, burnt wooden horns scraping the top of his realm. Grinning ear to ear, wood truthfully had one enemy. Peeling my glove off gingerly, a slice on a sharp piece of wood tore into a fresh scar. Smearing the best kind of ink into the magical symbols, intense heat warmed up the wood. Symbols glowed to life, orange flames causing the demon to shrink back. Stabbing the roots, flames began to devour his space. Ripping it out, another chill threatened to kill the flames. Trapping him, ferocity downgraded his movements to ones of desperation. Dodging them with ease, a rotten heart beat in his chest. Swinging underneath his legs, a flick of my wrists landed the stake into its target. Decaying tissue crumbled to ash, pieces of wood collapsing into a pile at my feet. Danger presented itself, the fire spreading. Flamios scooped me up, hot air lashing at my exposed skin as he zoomed out of the burning hellhole. Lowering me onto the one clean log, his form floated down next to me. Sinking to my knees, one final thing had to be completed. Squeezing my cut, a cleansing must be done. Dipping the tip of my finger into the scarlet ink, muscle memory drew the usual symbols. Slamming my palm onto the closest symbol, a couple waves of flames cooked anything that reeked of pure rot. Snow drifted onto my palm, the curse of the land ending. Waiting for the nosebleed, a lack of one proved to be a welcome change. A finger tapped my shoulder, Father Tatters sitting down across from me. Seconds from apologizing for his lack of moving on, his finger wagged.

“Time for my part of this lovely deal.” He sang gleefully, his palms clasping together. “I know not their names but they are definitely in charge of everything. Our church was in charge of researching them. Maybe you can find some info in the safe that is hidden the office. May you be blessed, my child.” Floating into the clouds, hesitation tainted the silence. Hoisting myself up by a branch, Flamios cleared his throat. Offering him my hand, a couple of spells sealed it into another rough scar. Tracing the scar, a rub of my back did little to settle the growing dread in my gut. Tracking my footprints back to the church, empty pews felt hollow. Sighing dejectedly, fresh tears reminded me of how poor my mental health was. Trudging into his office, every breath became sharper in the deepening bite of the cold. Digging around, the damn safe had to be somewhere. Creaking had me hiding in the shadows, Rip’s voice calling out to me. Sprinting out to a relieved Rip, Cal exhaled with him. Liz smashed into me, her words going in one ear and out the other. Loneliness became a curse when it stung me, his presence feeling like heaven.

“The strangest thing happened to me. A ghost of a priest appeared in my nap and informed me of where you were.” Rip mused graciously, Liz pouting next to me. “Liz came to me about the same time. At least your soul and body are one. Anything interesting go down here?” Touched that he didn’t berate me, his body engulfed mine. Shivering in his arms, Cal brushed past me. Shouting something about a safe, curiosity peaked in my ever racing mind. Squirming out of his embrace, a deep hunger drove me into the office. Skidding into the office, Cal fussed with an ancient looking safe.

Time froze, the door clicking open. Approaching it cautiously, yellowed files captured my attention. One touch transported me into a worn wooden cabin, two shadow covered faces hiding within some sort of birth scene. Lights flickered around me, electricity fizzling out. Candles crackled to life, sirens echoing in the distance. Darting my eyes around the room, mixed emotions stained my cheeks. A wail pierced the night, two orange glows telling me who it was. Chaos erupted around me, a freshly born version of me getting passed into the people who raised me. Raising me was a light term, more like tortured me.

“Such spooky beginnings! Found you, my dear!” A soft male voice mused darkly, an icy breath tumbling off of my lips. “Aren’t you going to look at who you were born to be with?” Spinning on my heels, a dashing male demon with ruby eyes grinned devilishly. Running his hand through his slicked back inky black hair, his fangs hung over his matching black lips. Pale couldn’t describe him, a ghost looking tan compared to him. Dusting off his ruby velvet suit, a bold no burst from my lips.

“Back off! I don’t want you! Can’t you see that I am taken!” I snapped shakily, his fingers snatching my chin. “Let go, you bastard!” Slapping his hand away, a knee to his gut sent him rolling across the cabin floor. Crashing down the hall, doors slammed shut behind me. The color drained from my cheeks, a puddle of blood sending me into the closest wall. Pinning me the wall with his elbow, air became a hot commodity. Fear rounded my eyes, shortening breaths not aiding in my situation. Clammy sweat drenched my skin, a tremble coming over my body.

“Come hell or high water, you will be mine! Heck, those mutts can come too.” He hissed venomously, the coldness in his eyes spoke of pure conviction. Clawing at his elbow in pure desperation, orange flames crackled to life in my palms. Clamping down to burn him to a crisp, flames knocked him on his ass. The edges of the memory began to fade, hope burning to life as I gasped on my knees. Coughing up a storm, claws extended from his fingertips. Crawling towards me, time had to be bought. Kicking down a bureau, glass shards shot into the air. Specimens threatened to wake up my morning sickness, the very sight reminding me of a few murders that I had seen before via touching the wrong items. End the memory! End it for my sanity! Whimpering over the glass burying itself into my tender flesh with every scramble towards the door, his fingers curled around my ankle. Knowing what was going to happen next, a roll onto my back saved my children. Yanking me through the pieces of glass, immense pain jolted the very muscles contracting to keep my body together. Pinning me down by his palm, a few hairs flopped out of their perfectly manicured prison. Huffing away, frustration brewed poorly with anger in his eyes. Twitching irritably, his fist clenched repeatedly. Lord, please help me. All I ever do is help people out and you can’t find the time to get to me. Please, damn it!

“Just come along like a good girl, damn it!” He roared inches from my face, a numbness washing over me to protect myself. “Don’t you dare go numb on me! Don’t you dare!” Struggling underneath him, something had to give. No one had claim to my heart but Rip, his smile flashing in my head. Remembering Avery, his grip on me loosened. Watching the last edges fray to nothing, an empty cabin greeted me. Shivering in my trauma, a fresh wave of tears cascaded off of my chin. Did everyone on that side want to claim my soul as their own? Screaming into the ceiling, no release came. Flamios tried to calm me down, his words not reaching the destination. Chewing on my lips while rocking back and forth, every cell of me wanted to go home.

“What the fuck!” I shouted into nothing, my hands cupping the side of my head. “Fuck you all! Curse you all to Hell! I don’t belong to any of you!” Staring brokenly at the reflection in the puddle underneath me, inky hand prints darkened my neck. Scratching at them, a whole new level of itchiness devoured me whole. Maybe it was the anxiety. What fresh hell was this! Slapping my cheeks to snap myself out of it, nothing worked. Exhaustion weighed on my eyelids, sweet slumber stealing me away.

Groaning awake in a hospital room, a sterile white room blinded me. Avery’s voice twinkled to the right of me, Rip burying me into his strong arms. Something felt so right about how cozy he felt, the two of them feeling like home. Avery squirmed into our arms. Basking in the warmth of the moment, tears of joy danced down my cheeks. Thanking God for rescuing me, a desperate plea floated in my uncontrollable sobs. Please don’t let them take this away from me.