The Gateway Through Which They Came

by Heather Marie

  It feels like the stairs go on forever. The air down here is cold and musky, not to mention the rotting smell that only gets thicker and more putrid the farther I go. Breathing is becoming harder, like the air itself is getting heavier. I’ve come so far now, turning back isn’t an option.

  I wonder how far down this leads, but that thought leaves me as the voices grow louder. Only this time, their words are clear.

  “He’s here. He’s here,” they chant.

  They can’t be talking about me. Could they?

  I take another step.

  “He of whom the Dark Priest speaks has found us.”

  “Let him come. He shall see.”

  My nerves send my heart screaming with vicious beats. I hold my hand against my chest as if to muffle the sound. Shallow breaths escape from my mouth, working faster and faster to match the quickened pace of my pulse.

  I quickly rethink the situation. This is stupid. What the hell am I doing?

  “He hears us,” it says.

  “He’ll come, he’ll come. The Dark Priest said he would.”

  “Come down, young one. Let us see you,” the other voice calls.

  Their voices carry in the air, disembodied chants begging for me to follow.

  A part of me deep inside, the part infected by their power, wants to seek them out. I can feel the pull of my body, desperate to answer their pleas.

  I tell myself: This isn’t you. You don’t want this.

  But another part of me replies: This is where I’m meant to be.

  An impulse pushes me down a step, but the Light inside of me forces me to turn back. I’m stronger than this thing. Nothing can make me become one of them. Not even the Dark Priest can break me.

  I turn in a hurry to ascend the stairs, plowing into a massive body. The blow knocks me off-balance. A sudden realization hits me that I’m falling and it’s only a matter of seconds before I come face to face with the beings waiting below.

  “Aiden!” Father Raimi’s hand catches my arm, yanking me forward. I fear that my fall will only take him down with me, but am surprised to find he’s a lot stronger than I give him credit for.

  Everything is a complete blur. My brain feels like it got rocked off kilter. I don’t realize my feet are moving until the bright sunlit entrance emerges above me.

  Father Raimi snaps, “What in God’s name are you doing down here? Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

  Pain shoots up my arm from the hard grip he has on it.

  “I… I was just curious.” I’m still a little woozy from the encounter. The echoes of the voices bounce and flail inside my head, until I force them out with a hard shake.

  “Do you know what becomes of men who allow their curiosity to get the best of them? They stumble upon things they wish they hadn’t. Things like that can drive a man to madness.” His crushing grip releases when we’re through the door. Without effort, he slides the bookcase back in place.

  I stumble through the room with my hand outstretched, searching for balance. The feel of the chair beneath my fingers grants me relief. In one heavy slump, I fall into the seat. A pounding headache ensues, and I’m sure my head is about to combust.

  “You’re not going to tell Father Martin, are you?” The words sound differently in my head, because I’m certain I’m slurring. Why do I suddenly have the hangover of the century?

  “Lucky for you, Father Martin isn’t here for me to tell. Nor do I feel the need to do so.” Father Raimi wipes down his black sleeves, removing the remnants of dust.

  Father Martin’s still gone? It’s unlike him to be so tardy.

  I press my fingertips between my brows, hoping that some sort of pressure point will release me from the excruciating pain.

  “Thank you,” I say. “How did you know—?”

  “I was looking for Father Martin. When he didn’t answer the door, I found it strange. So I let myself in. It’s a good thing I did. Who knows what sort of trouble you could have gotten yourself into?”

  Father Raimi stands over me. I force my eyes to focus on his flushed face.

  “I advise you to withhold telling Father Martin what you’ve experienced. Suspect you won’t feel well for the rest of the day.” He adjusts his collar before heading for the door.

  “Wait!” The sudden burst of energy makes my head nearly split in two. I lower my voice to ease the pain, and ask, “What do you know about the voices?”

  Father Raimi pauses at the door. “If you’re hearing their calls, you may need more help than Father Martin can provide.”

  Our eyes connect with something unsaid passing between us. This is far greater than anything Father Martin could have suspected. And I don’t think I could bring him any further into this than I already have.

  With a stern nod, Father Raimi leaves me with my thoughts.

  It’s all the time I need to realize he might be my only chance.

  y the time Father Martin arrives, the clock shows it’s well past noon.

  “I’m sorry, Aiden. I trust you’ve managed to find something to pass the time.” He looks exhausted and worn, like someone who’s been working in the cold all day.

  I’d just come back from the storage room when he greets me in the hall. My entire body aches from lifting the twelve-foot ladder from window to window. It wasn’t exactly the best chore to choose with the pounding inside my head, but I needed a distraction and it was all I could think of.

  “You’ll be happy to know all the windows are clean,” I inform him. “I also polished the confession room and the first rows of pews. I’ll finish the rest tomorrow.”

  He lightly claps a hand on my shoulder, pleased. “You’ve accomplished quite a bit for today.” Without an explanation of his absence, he enters his chambers. I don’t know whether to follow or leave. It’s almost time to meet Trevor anyhow.

  I turn to exit but something stops me. I peek into his room where he rests in his leather chair.

  “Father Martin?”

  His voice is weak when he replies. “Yes, son?”

  “Are you all right?”

  “Hm?” He appears dazed, until he adds, “Oh! Just fine, just fine.”

  I clear my throat. “I don’t mean to pry, Father, but… where were you?”

  With his elbow rested on the arm of the chair, he places his head against his hand, lost in thought.

  Sheepishly, I step into the room. “Father?”

  He startles back, forgetting I’m there. “Oh, Aiden. Come in, come in. Pardon my mindlessness. Sit. Please.”

  I don’t want to burden him any more than I have to, so I stay put.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” I ask him.

  He runs his fingers through the bristles of his unshaven beard. When Father Martin of all people forgets to shave, you know his mind is consumed entirely by worry. It’s a reminder that I’m not the only one threatened by what’s happening. This involves all of us. Everyone. Whether people know it or not. Darkness doesn’t spare anyone.

  I’m close to turning away and leaving him be, until he speaks again.

  “Perhaps you should know,” he finally says.

  I lean against the doorframe, listening intently.

  “Know what?”

  Father Martin clears his throat. “I’ve been meeting with other members of the church. Of several churches, really. We can no longer ignore the darkness looming in the air. It’s a sign of what’s to come, and most important that we address it quickly.”

  You might be too late, I think to myself. It’s the last thing I want to tell him.

  “Can’t you call for the others?” I say. “You know… the Men of Light and whatnot.” It comes out nonchalantly, as if calling upon them isn’t a huge deal or anything, when in fact, it is. Surely they know what’s happening. They must sense the shift in the air. That heaviness of Darkness looming around us. I would even if it weren’t happening right in front of me.

  “Believe me, son, they know. It’s only a matter of time b
efore the others arrive. If what I know is true, it’s times like these that bring them to this world. You may sense them now more than ever.”

  “Are you saying more will be sent here? From…” How does someone finish that sentence?

  “Yes,” he says with undeniable conviction. “Like us, they’re preparing.”

  “For battle?” I can hardly accept it’s come to that already. Or what a battle such as this would even entail.

  I imagine men with swords like the olden days. Metal clashing against metal. A field littered with bodies who fought hard until the end. Battle cries echoing across the land for the men they’d lost.

  Father Martin doesn’t say anything as I lose myself in thought. Though his solemn expression is answer enough.

  I nod, unsure of what else to do or think. I should tell him about the Order. About the Dark Priest and his plans, but seeing Father Martin like this takes the confidence out of me. Afraid to say any more, I leave him alone in his chambers.

  Father Martin has enough on his plate trying to help the others prepare. The least I can do is help them by finding Justin before he releases any more of the Order. Dealing with the Dark Priest will be hard enough without the Order of Shadows by his side. I fear what kind of battle will take place if they’re released. The world as I know it may be no more.

  Trevor’s leaning on his car in the driveway when I pull up along the sidewalk. He’s on his phone again, enthralled by that stupid game. Honestly, I can’t remember what our friendship was like before cellphones were involved.

  “Hey!” I greet him.

  He looks up, surprised, as if he didn’t hear Izzie chug up the street.

  “Oh, dude, what’s up?” Shoving his phone into his pocket, he meets me halfway.

  “You’re not gonna believe the shit that’s going on right now.” I glance around him and ask, “Where’s Evan?”

  “He should be here soon. I asked him to stop off for snacks. Figured you’d want to tell me whatever it is in private.”

  “Good call.” I consider for a second what the hell I’m doing here. Am I ready to drag my best friend into this predicament?

  A nip of wind rustles the leaves as I contemplate exactly what to say. Christmas is in the air and the people of Portland have a way about decorating their houses to set the mood. Everything seems so cookie cutter perfect in his neighborhood, it’s almost too normal, considering. Trevor coughs and I shake my head. I let myself get distracted, and he’s patiently waiting for me to explain my visit.

  “I need to know exactly what you saw that day in the dressing room. Anything you can tell me about what you heard. Where it came from. What it sounded like. Everything.”

  Trevor’s lips pinch with the seriousness of the situation. It’s not like me to be so worked up, and he knows it.

  “Okay,” he says. “Let me think. I mean, I remember the room being cold.” He looks down at his feet as if he’s picturing the day in his head. “I remember feeling like something was there. Something dark. I thought I saw…”

  “What?” This is what I need, this one hint.

  “It’s crazy, man. It was probably nothing.”

  “Trevor, you’re talking to a guy who lets dead people walk through him. I think we’re past the crazy part.”

  “Well…”

  I can see in his face he doesn’t want to say. It’s not easy for someone to admit that things like this exist.

  He sighs. “I thought I saw this dark mass, but I don’t know where it came from. It was just there and then… gone.”

  I frown. Trevor’s encounter accounted for the dark shadow I saw on the track, but that doesn’t explain why it was there to begin with.

  I come out and say it.

  “Look, I think Justin might be a Gateway. If that’s true, he might be the reason some of this is happening.”

  Trevor’s jaw nearly hits the ground at this. “What are you talking about? Justin Chase? What the hell is going on, Aiden?”

  There’s no reason to hold back. He’s gonna find out eventually, either now or when the world ends. Might as well be now.

  “Because I think there’s someone out there releasing these things.”

  He nods, slowly, like he’s grasping the reality of it. “What happens if…”

  But I don’t hear the rest of the question. Something’s lurking behind me and I turn in time to see the one-eyed soldier from the parade only inches from my face.

  I jump back, ramming into Trevor, who manages to keep us from falling.

  “What?” he yelps. He backs up the driveway toward the house. “Is something here? Right now?”

  I keep my eye on the soldier, who does the same, his one eye narrowed in on me.

  “What do you want?” I ask him.

  “He said you can help me.” Each movement of his face makes the wound shift, allowing the muscles of the eye to move in ways I never wanted to think about. “He said you can help all of us, but you abandoned your duty the other night.”

  “Why were there so many of you?”

  “What the hell is going on, man?” Trevor exclaims behind me, but I ignore him.

  The soldier stands tall and proper. His cold stare is tortured with memories I can’t begin to understand. “We’ve been promised salvation, but only by finding you.”

  “Why me?”

  “Because you’re the only one worthy enough.”

  “What about other Gateways?”

  He only blinks back at me, unresponsive. This isn’t the type of Bleeder I should mess with. He’s not a Dark One, at least not yet, but he’s a soldier. That definitely makes him more of a threat than most. He’s trained for combat. Maybe killed a person or two or more. What chance do I have against him?

  “Aiden?” Trevor says behind me.

  A car stereo blasting in the distance brings me back to now.

  This Bleeder has no interest in the information I need, and I guess in some weird way I understand. I give in.

  “Just do it,” I say to the soldier with a sigh.

  He nods curtly as if his duty here is done, and to be fair, it is. He’s been through enough. I close my eyes, ready for the inevitable. My body accepts the exchange, bringing with it the sliver of cold expanding through my veins. A black haze encases me as the Bleeder makes his way to the other side. I almost withstand the last seconds of the unbearable temperature, until that familiar fire tears through my limbs, spreading like a disease. A scream erupts from my throat with a pain so intense, I can hardly breathe. Since when did being a Gateway become more about pain?

  All that’s left of me when it’s done is my immobile body lying on Trevor’s driveway. A pool of sweat beneath me. Every muscle constricts in shock. My mind goes blank; binding me to a prison of darkness. I can faintly hear the words: What the hell was that?

  Then everything goes quiet.

  wake up to a sharp prod to my ribs. My eyes spring open to see that I’m in Trevor’s room with Trevor and Evan staring back at me. Trevor looks as if he’s seen a ghost and Evan looks like someone who just found out their friend is a Gateway. In Evan’s hand is what looks like a chopstick extended out toward me. His eyes are wide as I push myself to a sitting position, rubbing the prick near my rib.

  “Dude, did you just poke me with a stick?” I ask Evan.

  With a quick shake of his head, he says, “What? No!”

  “I’m not roadkill, for Christ’s sake.” I try to stand, but quickly fall back to the bed. My body feels like I got hit by a truck and dragged for fifty miles. “What the hell happened to me?”

  Evan looks to Trevor. Seeing that all eyes are on him, Trevor shakes off the terrified gleam in his eye. “Well, do you want the good news first, or the bad news?”

  Where is he going with this? “Why don’t we start with the good news?”

  “Okay,” he says. “The good news is: we know where the shadows are coming from. The bad news is: they’re coming out of you.”

  Silence sweeps through th
e room.

  I’m pretty sure my brain shut down. It must have, because his words don’t compute. Evan turns from my face to Trevor’s and back, waiting for a reaction. At this point, there’s no doubt Trevor filled him in on my little secret. From the way he’s handling it, he’s in denial, or pure shock. As for me, I’m definitely the latter.

  “Wait.” I can’t even form words to express what exactly to say in response to this. He has to be mistaken. “What—What are you even saying?”

  Trevor looks me dead in the eye. “I’m saying, you’re the Gateway. You’re not just sending things away, man. You’re bringing them back.”

  The switch. Did Koren know it this whole time? Is this what she’d been sent back to do? Turn me against myself.

  If what Trevor’s saying is accurate, then the shadows are finding their way back each time the gate opens. The Dark Priest must be sending Bleeders my way because he knows. I’ve been his puppet the entire time. And Justin Chase… he’s just the same asshole he’s always been.

  But if that’s the case, then who the hell is the other Gateway I’ve been sensing?

  “The Dark Priest,” I say, distaste like oil on my tongue.

  “What exactly is a Dark Priest?” Evan says.

  I break away from my shock and answer. “The thing summoning the Shadows. He’s been using me, infecting me. He’s the reason why I can’t control my anger. I can feel it.” I tap a hand against my chest. “It’s in me.”

  Evan looks shaken, like he can’t decide whether to believe what I’m saying or bail on it altogether. I wouldn’t blame him if he did. It’s Trevor who steps forward and says, “Tell me what I need to do.”

  Without hesitation, I answer. “We need to find Koren. I have a feeling she has something to do with what’s happening to me.”

  “If I find her at school, I’ll corner her. But if she’s not there?”

  “I have an idea, but she could be long gone by now.” She could have run, or worse, she could already be a Dark One. “Keep your distance from her, Trevor. If you see her, call me. Don’t try to confront her yourself. She could be capable of anything.”