She Smells the Dead

by E.J. Stevens

  Simon didn’t want to take any chances though and made sure that Calvin and I were never left alone for long. I think he was still feeling chagrined over the incident at the school dance. We all were. After all that had happened to us, caution seemed the best approach. Having Simon nearby also had the benefit of my learning more about spirit. I questioned him relentlessly and whenever Calvin slept, Simon and I would work on my control over and awareness of spirit. I wasn’t being haunted again, yet, but we knew what was coming on Samhain, the night of Halloween, and the events of the last few days only reinforced our resolve to train every day. I had so much to learn and so little time. Story of my life.

  Emma also visited each day and made sure that Calvin and Simon were healing properly. Emma and Simon always argued but I think she had been genuinely concerned about the lacerations on his arms. The cuts had been red and swollen that first day, but Emma’s tonics and teas seemed to be working. I have no idea how she finally got Simon to drink the medicine she brewed, but his health was quickly improving.

  Calvin was also feeling better with each day. His arm gave him pain, and he had to be careful not to move it, but he didn’t have a fever and his appetite had returned.

  During the full moon Cal and Simon ate bloody steaks and burgers by the ton. Watching them made me queasy and Emma never hesitated to show her disgust, but she did admit to me that she had given up on making Calvin a vegan.

  “Calvin’s a wolf,” she said one day, “and wolves eat meat. It’s the natural order of things. I don’t have to like it, but I can accept it.” Emma had said it simply but I knew it was hard for her to admit. “Don’t tell Cal though,” she added with a wink, “I still want to argue with him at lunch time.”

  Chapter 49

  Emma drove me to school on Monday since Calvin wasn’t feeling ready to return yet. Tomorrow, he had promised. I ached being away from him for an entire school day, but I was glad he wasn’t pushing himself. Cal’s parents hadn’t returned home yet but they had called the school excusing Calvin for the day and giving permission for me to collect his assignments from his teachers, who all voiced concern when I said that Cal had a broken arm. A few even asked if it had happened at the football game and seemed relieved to hear that he wasn’t injured on school grounds. No he broke it while trying to escape a car while in wolf form. If they only knew.

  Getting one of Calvin’s assignments had made me a few minutes late to lunch and I was surprised to see Gordy sitting at our table. Gordy and Emma had their heads close together in discussion and for a moment I wasn’t sure if I should interrupt. Emma looked up though and waved me over and Gordy got to his feet to leave.

  “Hey Gordy, leaving so soon?” I asked. I hoped he wasn’t leaving because of me.

  “Sorry Yuki-sama,” Gordy apologized, “I have to get back to study hall. Tell Calvin I hope his arm heals soon.” Turning to Emma he bent down and gave her a long, slow kiss.

  Now that is an interesting development.

  Emma positively glowed as she watched Gordy saunter out of the lunch room.

  “Anything you wish to share?” I asked.

  “He’s an amazing kisser,” Emma said.

  Well, that wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. “Ugh, too much information,” I said and faked a shudder.

  “Well he is,” Emma said slyly.

  “So are you two dating then?” I asked.

  I knew Emma had asked Gordy to the dance, but I hadn’t heard much since.

  “No I just kiss every guy that sits next to me,” she said rolling her eyes, “of course we’re going out.”

  I was glad to hear it. Cal and I had been a little worried with the intensity that Emma and Simon fought and we had been wondering if they secretly had a thing for each other. Gordy was a much safer option. Safer and younger.

  “We should all go on a double date then when Calvin is feeling better,” I said. I tried to picture the four of us hanging out as couples. We were all so different.

  “There’s an anime convention coming up soon in New Hampshire,” I said teasingly, “we should all go.”

  I tried to picture Calvin or Emma in costume. Cosplay wasn’t mandatory at an anime con but it was the norm.

  “I’m in,” Emma said surprising me.

  “Really?” I asked incredulously. I had suggested the convention as a joke.

  “Why not?” Emma asked. “It’s something you and Gordy are in to. Plus, there’s a rally against animal cruelty coming up at the State House that I expect you all to go to.”

  I laughed. Leave it to Emma to turn our double date into a negotiation.

  “Deal,” I said.

  Maybe I’d get to see Calvin wearing eye liner after all. A girl can dream right?

  Chapter 50

  Emma dropped me off at the cabin after school, but she didn’t stay long. Today was the afternoon that the veterinarian visited the animal shelter where she volunteered and she was determined to shadow him throughout his rounds. I wished her luck and silently hoped that the man had patience. Emma was bound to overwhelm him with questions about every move he would make over the next few hours. Better you than me doctor man.

  After Emma left I rushed into Calvin’s arms. I felt like I hadn’t seen him for weeks even though we had only been apart for one day. His injured arm was bound in a sling, but we managed to cuddle just fine. More than fine. When we finally came up for air I heard Simon chuckle behind me. How long has he been standing there?

  “Well Kitten, where’s my kiss?” Simon asked playfully.

  I was so not going there.

  Calvin stood behind me, still holding me with his good arm, as I turned to face Simon. “So what’s on the training schedule for today old man?” I asked.

  In answer to my question Simon held up a bag of bread. “You want us eat stale bread?” I asked incredulously.

  “No thanks Simon, I’m not hungry,” Calvin replied jokingly.

  “Why, aren’t you two a pair of comedians today,” Simon said, “and here I had planned a nice trip to the park for you two.”

  That got our attention. A nice trip to the park? Not likely.

  “What gives Simon?” I asked, “You want us to leave a bread crumb trail so we can find our way home?”

  Calvin laughed low in his throat and Simon just shook his head.

  “No Love, I want you two to do a bit of bird watching,” Simon said.

  Bird watching? I was totally confused and judging by the curious look on Cal’s face he was just as stumped.

  “Wolves and crows have a special relationship,” Simon added, “and often work in tandem. Wolves will often follow crows to find a food source and crows have been known to warn wolves of danger.”

  Simon handed me the bag of bread and Calvin shrugged. I guess we were going crow watching.

  The air was tinged with a crisp October chill, so I pulled my black hoodie from my backpack and added it to my many layers. I had on thick leggings and tall forest green boots laced up to the knee so I should be fine so long as we kept moving. Calvin had a bit more trouble and was only able to put one arm through his coat sleeve. I helped him pull the other side of his coat over his injured arm but he was probably going to freeze if we stayed out here for long. The park was fortunately only a mile away from the cabin and we walked quickly holding hands along the way.

  Before reaching the park we heard a crow cry out caw caw and watched as it settled on a stone post marking a corner of the town cemetery. I shuddered and tried to pretend it was from the cold. Pulling my hood up against the chill breeze I snuck a sideways glance at the crow. I always avoided the cemetery. Always. It gave me the creeps and now that I had come into my powers I definitely did not want to walk past those wrought iron gates. No way crow, I am not stepping foot in that bone yard.

  Calvin looked down at me and asked, “Should we follow it?”

  The question was innocent enough and I knew that this was part of Simon’s training assignment but it was hard to move ag
ainst my fear.

  “Only if it stays outside the cemetery,” I said. “I, um, can’t go in there.” I hoped I didn’t sound like too much of a wimp.

  Cal squeezed my hand and nodded. “Right, let’s see where it leads,” he said. “Maybe it will help me find burgers.”

  I laughed and immediately felt better. “Simon did say crows are known to lead wolves to food,” I said going along with the joke.

  How could I be scared of a silly graveyard when I was with Cal? With a flutter of wings the crow flew up into the air and crossed the street to land in front of us. Lead on Crow Dude.

  Chapter 51

  We had followed the crow for over an hour when it circled us playfully and flew away.

  “I guess that means we’re done for the day,” I said.

  Calvin looked like he was freezing, but he grinned his toothy smile. “Was it just me or did you feel like it was toying with us the whole time?”

  He was right. The crow didn’t really lead us anywhere, but it seemed to enjoy our company as we followed it around town. Each time we lagged behind it would fly back to us, call out, and then lead on again.

  “It was definitely playing with us,” I agreed, “but it never did help you find those burgers.”

  Cal laughed. “That’s alright I’m feeling hungry for something else right now.”

  He pulled me to him and kissed me deeply. We could have stayed like that forever. I didn’t feel cold at all.

  When I finally made it home, after saying goodbye to Calvin at the cabin, I had to drag myself up the stairs to my bedroom. I was exhausted. I stretched out on my bed and drifted off to sleep.

  I was suddenly standing on a barren plain. Another dream? The sky was light overhead but it was quickly darkening as a cloud of thousands of moths raced towards me. Flying ahead of the storm front was a lone crow. After circling me the crow landed on a nearby rock. “Caw caw,” the crow called. Apparently I couldn’t speak crow. I then looked at what the crow had dropped at its feet.

  A chrysalis, with something squirming inside, wiggled on the rock. The crow waited to see that my attention was fixed on the cocoon then took wing, flying away from the dark mass still moving towards me. I dragged my eyes from the sky and back to the chrysalis just in time to see a moth burst forth. The moth hovered above the silk wrappings and flexed its wings tentatively. As I watched the moth, I was lost in the dancing patterns swirling like smoke upon its wings.

  It looked as though something just beneath the surface of the wings was pressing outward as the patterns continued to swirl. Then, with a gasp, I saw a face press up just before it was pulled back down into the mist within the moth’s wings. Was that a soul?

  Looking to the sky I saw it blackening with moths carrying the spirits of the dead. The fluttering of their wings had become deafening. Then I fell into dark oblivion as the moths descended around me.

  Chapter 52

  I woke up, drenched in sweat, fighting with my covers. I struggled to disentangle myself from the sheets and blankets and pull myself fully into the waking world. This dream had been a foretelling. I could feel it in the tingling of my skin and the heaviness in my heart. The dream crow had tried to warn me and the message was clear. The spirits of the dead were coming.

  I was willing to bet that Simon knew something like this would happen. When he had me create a garden by digging the soil with my bare hands I had dreamt of my spirit animal the Sacred Scarab, or dung beetle, which burrows into the ground. Yesterday he had Calvin and me follow and observe crows which he indicated had a special relationship with wolves in the wild. Crows have a history of warning other animals, especially wolves, of coming danger. Now I had been sent a warning by the crow in my dream, which had flown ahead of the moth horde carrying the lost souls of the dead.

  I had been warned before, that the veil between worlds would thin during Samhain, the night of Halloween, and that the spirits of the dead would be drawn to me. Like moths to a flame. The message was indeed clear. We needed to prepare for something almost too terrifying to comprehend. I would be facing an onslaught of spirits haunting me in numbers that could risk my sanity or worse.

  I was going to need all the help I could get. Calvin had promised that he and his spirit wolf would stand at my side to face the spirits of the dead. Calvin would be my sword and his wolf would be my shield. From what I had witnessed in my dream I now believed that we truly needed to be ready to face a vast army of lost souls. I hoped that Emma could be convinced to help us prepare medical supplies, something I wished with all my heart we would not need, and I would do my best to enlist Simon’s help. Simon may be a roguish playboy and a bit wild, but he had proven himself to be handy in an emergency. But what I would be asking for was potentially dangerous. Could I ask that much from my friends?

  Cal and I were also going to have to devote ourselves to our training. I still had a great deal to learn. The recent incident at the homecoming dance had proven that. I was going to have to become adept at focusing my mind and controlling spirit. Calvin’s spirit wolf would need firm guidance and I would have to learn how to send messages quickly and with clear intention. Did we have enough time to gain the necessary knowledge and skills? I dearly hoped so.

  Chapter 53

  Calvin pulled his truck into my driveway and I took a deep breath. I was going to have to tell him about my prophetic dream. Taking one more look at myself in the mirror I decided that I had tried my best. I needed to feel confident today. I had too many favors to ask and couldn’t risk wimping out. I had laced up my power boots. Some people own a power tie, but I have a pair of power boots. My power boots were bright red and added an extra two inches to my five foot frame. Wearing these boots, my strappy black top, and black fingerless gloves I felt invincible. I added a red beret, slung a messenger back over my shoulder and was ready for action. Or at least for high school.

  I took the stairs two at a time and burst out the front door slamming face first into Calvin’s chest.

  “Didn’t realize you were that glad to see me,” Cal joked. He slid his good arm around my waist and leaned in for a kiss. “Mmm, I know I’m glad to see you,” Calvin added with his toothy grin.

  The moment was wonderful but didn’t last long enough. I had something important to say and delaying wouldn’t make this any easier.

  “I had one of my dreams last night,” I said.

  Calvin looked concerned and I pushed on.

  “A crow came to warn me about the lost souls that are coming on Samhain,” I said, and shuddered. “Cal, there’s just so many of them. They were being carried by a huge swarm of moths and there had to be thousands of them.” I had planned to remain calm while retelling my dream but the panic of being enveloped by the spirits of the dead left me breathless. “We need to get ready,” I said with fear etching my words. “We need to train more with Simon.” I was shaking.

  “Yuki, it’ll be o.k.” Calvin said. “Simon will help us and I’ll be at your side. I will always be by your side.” Calvin’s hand was on my shoulder and he was searching my face. “We can do this,” he said quietly.

  Just like that, the fear fell away. I believed him. It wouldn’t be easy, but we could do this. Together.

  “O.k.,” I said smiling. “Let’s do this.”

  I leaned forward and kissed Calvin once more before we walked to his truck. Once inside the truck I heard my phone beep alerting me of a text message. It was from Emma. “Emma says she has an important announcement to make at lunch today,” I said to Cal, “and attendance is mandatory.” I laughed at the message.

  “Any idea what her big news might be?” Calvin asked.

  I thought back over the last few days and all of the major things that had been revealed between us. “Nope, I have no idea,” I said, “but knowing Emma it will be huge.”

  Hopefully it would be good news. I could really use some positive news right now.

  Pulling into the school parking lot Cal turned to me and put his arm around m
y shoulders. “Will you be alright today?” he asked. “That was a really disturbing dream you had thrown at you last night.”

  I realized while sitting there in his arms that I would be just fine. We had a lot to think about, and plan for, but making myself insane with worry wasn’t going to help.

  “Yeah, I’ll be fine,” I said as his lips came forward to meet mine.

  Better than fine.

  Chapter 54

  I helped carry Calvin’s books to his locker, to where we made a slight detour before heading to lunch. His injured arm was still bothering him, but it was healing rapidly. I wasn’t sure if his speedy recovery was due to Emma’s medicine, a wolf thing, or a Calvin thing. Cal had always been tough and he seemed determined to be at full strength by Samhain. I was lucky to have him by my side. I will always be by your side.

  Cal and I walked into the cafeteria hand in hand and neither of us was surprised to see Gordy and Emma waiting at our table. I knew that Gordy didn’t have the same lunch as us, but there was no way he would miss Emma’s big announcement. She had said it was mandatory after all.

  Emma looked radiant. Her pale skin and long blond hair nearly glowed and she wore a sly satisfied grin. “Ready for the good news?” Emma asked her gaze falling on each of us in turn.

  Gordy squeezed her hand and looked at her with pure adoration. That poor guy had fallen hard. Calvin nodded as we took our seats.