The Road From Death

by Tobias Wade

Don’t Be A Cow, Man: Reincarnation The Right Way

  “What are we going to use Voodoo Dolls for?” Walter asked, reading the lower half of the sheet.

  “Clearly to stick it to the man,” Salice replied dryly. “Get going or you’ll still be out when the ghouls wake up. Noah, you may stay with me.”

  Noah hadn’t gone five steps before the note was whisked from his hands by two long and dexterous fingers. Salice handed the paper to one of his imps instead and shooed it away.

  “See that it’s filled,” Salice said, dismissing the imp toward the village without taking his eyes off Noah. “We wouldn’t want to burden our new Chainer with such trivialities, now would we?”

  Noah wasn’t sure who the ‘we’ being referred to was. He was acutely conscious that a disproportionate number of the students were staring at him. It made him immensely uncomfortable.

  “I really don’t mind getting my own books,” Noah said quietly. He tried to surreptitiously retrieve his shopping list from the imp, but it growled as he reached for it and Noah backed off.

  “Nonsense. Come. I have something else to show you that will be more worthy of your… lineage. Have you ever heard the story of the blind men and the elephant? Walk with me.”

  The sallow faced man pivoted sharply and reversed direction, making a direct route back toward The Mortuary. Noah shook his head, allowing himself to be led away. He felt as though he had no choice but to follow, although at that moment he would have rather done anything else even if it meant burying himself on the spot. It was bad enough everyone thinking him a murderer without being singled out again. He could already hear the word ‘Chainer’ being whispered up and down the assembled students.

  “One blind man stands at the elephant’s tail, and he’s asked by the others to describe what the elephant is like. The blind man grasps the tail and feels it up and down, confidently telling the others that the elephant is like a rope. Another blind man stands at the legs, and feeling these argues the elephant is a tree trunk. A third feels the tusk, saying the elephant is a sharp spear. Are any of these men wrong?”

  “Couldn’t they just keep walking around feeling the rest of the elephant?” Noah reasoned.

  “Such is the life of a common soul,” Salice said, ignoring the reply. “No matter how long they study what is within their grasp, they will only understand life through a single perspective, and thus they will not understand it at all. Only a Chainer may learn the truth of the elephant, and no secret of life may be hidden from one who experiences many lives. In the pursuit of truth and power, there is nothing more important than Chainers. How is it to be back?”

  “I don’t even remember being here before,” Noah replied. “I don’t remember any of my previous lives either. What good is it being a Chainer if I can’t remember anything?”

  Salice’s tight skin seemed close to snapping as he grimaced. “Nothing? I wouldn’t expect you to remember exactly how you made it back, but at least you must remember the other times you’ve died. Not every day that you die—very memorable, impossible to forget, I’d imagine.”

  “All I remember is being chased by something—A gargoyle, I heard it called—and then I was hit by a car while trying to get away. And that was only in my previous life.”

  “Mmm,” Salice said through pursued lips. He appeared disappointed. “A gargoyle doesn’t chase the living. Your mind must have already started to decay before you died. There are some things that can’t be erased, even if they are forgotten. Experiences, people, even skills and powers—they become so ingrained in your being that they become inseparable from the soul. I’ve heard that Mozart was a pianist in every one of his lives, and that he would always master it again regardless of his opportunities to play.”

  If Professor Salice had been trying to make Noah feel better, then it wasn’t working. It was impossible not to wonder for the hundredth time how many people he’d really killed. With an unparalleled passion, no less.

  “No matter. I have no doubt that you’ll find it all coming back to you sooner or later,” Salice added languidly. “Perhaps the Whispering Room will jog your memory. It’s typically reserved for staff and special guests, but I don’t think anyone would protest to a Chainer making use. After-all, you’re much older than even I.”

  The Mortuary doors ahead were open and a steady flow of older students were piling through. They all wore plain gray trousers and t-shirts, just like Noah had received from George Hampton what seemed like a lifetime ago. The Professor’s imps were scurrying ahead as they walked to clutch and claw at the legs of students who were standing in the way. The demon dog never left its masters side though, not even by a few feet.

  “Do you know how many lives I’ve lived before? Could you tell from the weighing ceremony?” Noah asked.

  “More than ten—perhaps many more,” Professor Salice answered. He disdainfully swatted a boy on the back of the head who was taking too long to move aside. “Enough for there to be power in you, if one knows where to look.”

  Noah considered asking again whether he could have really murdered people in all of them, but there were so many other students about now and he didn’t want to draw more attention than was necessary. Besides, he was entering the main doors and was distracted by his first look inside.

  It was a rather imposing structure on the outside, but at least it still looked recognizable enough for him to think of it as a cathedral. Inside the whole central tower contained a single cavernous room which soared at least a dozen stories above his head. He stood upon a circular path which traced the perimeter of the tower with eight doors spaced evenly around.

  The tower above him was only the tip of the iceberg though, for the center of the space was dominated by a massive pit which must have been carved directly into the cliff it rested upon. Within that pit a gargantuan tree soared up from unseen depths. Its highest boughs filled the central tower above ground, and its innumerable branches stretched out to the circular pathway to form natural bridges leading to the tree itself where doors were carved directly into the trunk. Noah rushed to the edge of the pathway and looked down over the brass railing to see another circular pathway on a floor below him, and another below that, and more beyond until they were lost in the inscrutable darkness below. The whole scene was illuminated in a red-tinged moonlight which poured through the stained glass window with the child and the blazing sun.

  “Unless you plan to jump, I advise following me,” Professor Salice said darkly. He was already striding across one of the thick branches which spanned the pit to the main trunk. “Contrary to the fondest wishes of many naive first years, the reckless dead can still die. It isn’t easy to destroy a spirit, but once gone you are gone with it. We will be taking the stairs.”

  Noah hastened across the bridge after Salice who was opening the door within the tree trunk. The brass railings felt woefully inadequate over the abyss, and Noah made the mistake of looking down when he was about halfway across. The tree seemed to go on forever, and deep below two shades of darkness seemed to slide past each other as though some monstrous creature was stirring in the depths. It was fortunate that the space below the railings was too interwoven with branches to allow him to fall, because Noah wobbled dangerously before catching hold of the railing once more.

  “Today, Noah,” the Professor barked.

  Noah tore his eyes away with difficulty and forced his weak knees to stumble along the remainder of the bridge. He was only too grateful to step through the door to enter the tree, which turned out to be filled with a two spiral staircases which wound around each other in a double-helix. These too seemed to wind down indefinitely, although at least it was well lit by an array of small burning orbs which floated randomly throughout the space. No—not orbs—he could clearly see the little winged bodies wreathed in flames. Noah reached a hand toward one, recoiling immediately after feeling its warmth.

  “Will-o-wisps are for looking, not touching,” Salice said without even glancing over his shoul
der. “First floor is the living quarters for the teachers and staff. Do not disturb anyone unless you’ve been specifically invited.” Noah was still transfixed by all the new sights so he did not answer. “Confirm that you understand me, Noah.”

  “Yes sir,” he replied automatically.

  “Second floor is dedicated to necromancy studies. You will find rooms for animation, possession, and other occult matters.”

  “Yes sir,” Noah said again, immediately feeling foolish by the condescending look he received. They passed the second floor headed downward.

  “Third floor is run by Professor Humstrum,” Salice continued. “I wouldn’t expect a Chainer to bother with something as lowly as reincarnation though. Why would someone who has already proven their ability to return on their own terms wish to waste their time as a rat or a cockroach? I’ve never understood it.

  “On the fourth floor you will be receiving instruction from me. Do not dismiss demonology as the mere imps you see around you. This branch of science deals with much more profound and practical uses that can both aid your existence here as well as provide new routes back to the living world. There is nothing more powerful in this world or the next than the magic spun from the Nether.”

  Noah expected them to exit on this floor and even reached toward the door, but Professor Salice continued his descent. There was not a single student to be seen on the stairway below the fourth floor. Salice didn’t stop until he reached the fifth floor where he held open the door for Noah. The stairway beyond this point was blocked by a metal gate which was fastened by many sets of heavy chains.

  High overhead, Noah could see the students going to and fro across the bridges, but the circular floor on this level was completely deserted. The light from the stained-glass couldn’t penetrate this far down, and everything was obscured in a thick layer of shadow.

  “The fifth floor contains the Whispering Room, as well as the seven unspeakable words. Students are not permitted here without invitation. Come.”

  Noah couldn’t help but look down once more while crossing the bridge, and this time he was sure he saw two great eyes blinking deep below in the darkness.

  “Below this begins the Road From Death. A student may choose to walk it upon graduation, or more commonly, they continue their studies independently while finding work in the town below. Others will return to the living world as a spirit where they will watch over those they have left behind, although the T.D.D. has strict rules about permitted interactions. Don’t be so slow—my students will be expecting me shortly.”

  Noah hurried across the remainder of the bridge to join Professor Salice on the circular floor. He was already unlocking and opening the first door to disappear inside. Noah hesitated before entering, noticing a wave of cool steel-blue mist pouring out of the room to stream about his feet and legs.

  “Why do they call it the Whispering Room, Professor? What’s it for?” Noah asked.

  “In the Whispering Room, one might hear everything the living are still thinking and speaking of them. It is a valuable chance to connect with your previous lives, even more so for a Chainer who might possess an enduring legacy. Aren’t you curious what they have to say?”

  Qari Olandesca Illustrations

  The Whispering Room

  The Whispering Room was small and round, looking to be designed for no more than one or two occupants. Most of the space was filled by an elevated marble dais on which a large mystical circle was carved into the stone. Its outline was filled with occult writing and strangely interlocking geometrical shapes. The pale blue mist was bleeding from the carved lines.

  “I don’t think I want to hear,” Noah said, reluctant to enter. “Mandy will be in pain, and there won’t be anything I can do for her. Can we try again another time when it isn’t all so… fresh?”

  Professor Salice watched Noah in silence, the colored mist casting odd shadows across his angular face.

  “Do you know what I hear when I stand in circle?” Professor Salice asked.

  Noah shook his head. Salice pursed his lips, for the first time appearing vulnerable.

  “When I first died,” Salice continued, “it used to be almost deafening in here. I had a big family—three sons, two daughters, brothers and sisters. I owned my own business and a hundred people owed their jobs to me. I had two homes, and four cars, and a boat that I would take out on the lake during the summer. And that’s what everybody was talking about. All I ever heard in here was people trying to figure out which of my things they would get to keep. And now…” the Professor cleared his throat. “I haven’t heard so much as a peep for a long time now. Listening to the Whispering Room is rarely easy, even for the purest souls. But the earlier you listen the truer it will be, and such insight will aid you in preparing for the next time round.”

  Noah nodded as he cautiously mounted the marble dais. The Professor slid along the wall behind him to shut the door. The mist began to pool on the ground and fill the room now that it wasn’t leaking out, and in that mist Noah could hear a soft murmuring. Noah stepped inside the circle and the sound immediately became clear.

  “I don’t know if you can hear me, Noah, but I know you aren’t gone.” It was Samantha with her white eye, her face briefly flickering within the shades of blue mist. “I’ve been starting to see things ever since my eye was hurt. Spirits—dead things, I guess, and other creatures I’ve got no name for. One that looks like its made of stone except for its yellow eyes is prowling my street every night, rummaging through the trash cans, searching for something. I don’t know if it’s the same one that attacked me, but I keep pretending that I don’t see it and it hasn’t bothered me yet. Am I safe? Please—if you can hear me—please help me understand.”

  “What a pretty eye you have, girl,” Professor Salice said softly.

  Samantha’s whisper was already growing fainter as another one rose to drown it out. Claire’s face was in the mist now. She seemed to be praying. “Dear Noah, please take care of Mrs. Robinson for me. It was hard at first thinking she wandered off and didn’t want to stay with me, but now I’m glad that she has a friend over there. Don’t forget about us—Samantha talks about you all the time, and I know she won’t forget about you…”

  Next a three year old child—it was Lewis, but only for a moment, his image distorted and blurry. “Noah…” he said. “I’m hungry, where are you?” Then he too was gone.

  There were other whispers—fainter ones from the man driving the jeep, or the people in the ambulance who took him away. There was the echo of phone calls made between relatives, and the gossip between neighbors. These too gradually faded into silence though, and the mist was beginning to dissipate. Just when he thought it was over, his daughter’s face finally appeared within the mist.

  Mandy’s hair was messier than ever, and her face was red and puffy with tears. “Not dead…” she mumbled. “He’s with Lewis and they’re playing a game. They’re playing a trick on me, but I’m not going to be fooled. Oh no, not me. I’m the one who invented fooling people, don’t you know?”

  Mandy pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes as though trying to concentrate.

  Noah’s fingers tingled. He looked down to see his hands clenched so tightly that they trembled. He took a deep breath and forced himself to relax.

  “I don’t want to hear anymore,” Noah said. “Make them go away.”

  Mandy opened her eyes, her gaze darting this way and that—searching for something.

  “She can’t see me, can she?”

  “Of course not,” Professor Salice said. “Not unless—”

  His words cut short as Mandy’s gaze focused deliberately on Noah’s face. “I knew it! Noah, I knew—but you’re just a boy. Where did my father go? I want my father back! Those horrid girls lied about him. The police—the hospital—they were all part of the game. My father is still here though, isn’t he? Tell me he’s still here!”

  “Oh Mandy, I’ll always be there with you,” Noah sp
oke with difficulty, forcing the air out of his throat which seemed to have closed to a pinhole. “I’m not the same as I used to be, but I still remember everything. I need you not to look at the spirits you see though. There’s a stony thing with yellow eyes that is looking—”

  “Dispersus!” Professor Salice commanded. The word had an unnatural metallic echo to it, and the echo grew louder with each iteration instead of softer as it ought to. Within a few seconds the word ‘dispersus’ pummeled Noah with a physical force, assaulting him from all directions as it ricocheted off the walls. Noah stumbled out of the circle with his hands clutched over his ears. The mist around him evaporated as the last echos blasted through the room, now at last growing softer until the last reverberation had disappeared completely.

  Noah rushed back to the circle and stepped inside, but the mist was no longer bleeding from the cracks and his daughter was gone.

  “What did you do?” Noah shouted, scraping the marble floor with a furious swipe of his hand.

  “Why didn’t you tell me your daughter was a Chainer too?” Salice hissed. Noah felt his own bluster vanish as that tight skin contorted into a snarl overhead.

  “I didn’t know—” Noah stammered impulsively, bewildered.

  “Liar! You knew how important Chainers were, and still you hid her from me. What were you going to tell her, hm? Come on now, out with it.”

  The professor’s black dog leapt to its feet from where it had been been silently sitting at Salice’s side. The flare of tentacles flew from its mouth and a low growl rose in its throat.

  “Nothing! I was only warning her—” Noah began, backing away from the creature.

  “The gargoyle. Which she could only see if she was a Chainer too. Which means you knew she could see spirits—of course, how could you not, your own daughter. But to have her detect your presence through the Whispering Room—a rare prize indeed.”

  The dog’s growl turned into a wet, squelching howl. It began to advance on Noah with its head low as though stalking its prey. Noah pressed himself against the wall to get as far away from it as he could.