by Joanne Boyd
The NecroDancer
Joanne Boyd
Cover Art by Teodora Velica
https://www.behance.net/TeodoraVelica
Copyright
The NecroDancer
By Joanne Boyd
Copyright 2014 Joanne Boyd
Thank you for downloading this e-book.
This book remains the copyrighted property of the author and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. Thank you for your support.
For Mum,
Thanks for reading this about 6,000 times.
Table of Contents:
Chapter One: Dead Set
Chapter Two: They Don’t Know They’re Dead
Chapter Three: I Must Be Brain Dead
Chapter Four: Dead On Arrival
Chapter Five: I Will Not Be Caught Dead
Chapter Six: Wake Up The Dead
Chapter Seven: Knock ‘Em Dead!
Chapter Eight: Dead End
Acknowledgements
About The Author
Chapter One: Dead Set
I was already having a terrible enough night before I realised the room was full of dead people.
I was just sitting there wishing I had refused to come, though I wouldn’t have done that to Gran. She was the only one who looked after me and taught me how to deal with the family curse. She was the only one who knew how hard it was to be a medium.
I supposed it was only fair that I accompany her to the ballet just this one time.
But all of that was before I knew what I was getting myself into.
“When is this thing supposed to start anyway?” I remember asking.
“Oh, not long,” she said, “I just wanted to get here early.”
“Well I hope it starts soon, I’m bored already.”
“You might enjoy it if you give it a chance, Ella,” she said.
I tried to remind myself that we were the only family each other had and that this wasn’t really that big of a deal, plus it meant a lot to Gran. It’s just that this was so not my thing.
“I'm sorry. I’m sure it’ll be fine once it actually starts. If nothing else, at least we can do something together that isn't about death.”
I shouldn’t have said that.
As the lights in the centre dimmed, I felt a fluttering in my stomach. The music started and I felt the little hairs on my arms stick up. I looked up at Gran to ask what was going on but she looked just as anxious as I felt. She was looking back at me with wide eyes.
“What is this?” she mouthed.
The curtain started rising and I felt a familiar pulling in my chest. My heart was racing and I knew exactly what was happening. This was how I felt when there were dead bodies around. Someone must have just died in the centre.
Gran must have figured it out at the same time as I did because we both jumped out of our seats to look for the body.
No – make that bodies.
The feeling was so strong; there was no way that this was coming from just one.
Oblivious to how ridiculous I must have looked, I ran through the row of seats while Gran took off in the opposite direction.
We darted up the aisles, looking under the seats, looking anywhere we could think of. There must have been at least a dozen dead bodies in the room and that’s not usually the kind of thing that’s hard to spot. The other audience members started complaining,
“Sit down!”
“It's started!”
Frozen in the middle of the aisles, we looked at each other in disbelief. How were we the only ones who knew there were a whole bunch of corpses in the room?
The music was growing louder now and we turned our focus toward the stage to see that the dancing had in fact started.
The ballerinas on stage performed with perfect technique and grace but their eyes were filled with despair.
They weren't just beautiful and elegant.
They were dead.
Chapter Two: They Don’t Know They’re Dead
The audience had started abusing us so we went out to the parking lot to have a calm and sensible discussion about what we had just witnessed.
“What the hell was that!?” I screeched.
“It looked to me like the work of a necromancer,” Gran answered.
“A what?”
“It means someone who has the ability to communicate with the dead - but not in the same way we do. They do it by forcing the spirit back into their dead body in order to control them.”
“But...how?”
“I don’t know a lot about it, except that they have to use some kind of talisman.”
“But how could they?” I corrected myself, “And why ballet anyway? What's the point? It's all so creepy. All those people still watching. Those are reanimated corpses on the stage. Why?”
“I wish I knew,” was all she said.
“But you always know,” I said, my voice was so high pitched I sounded like a five year old.
“Not when it comes to dark magic like this.”
I tried to calm myself down and think. If this was terrifying for me I couldn’t imagine how scary it must be for the spirits themselves. I sighed.
“Well, what are we going to do?” I asked
“You’re going to go to the studio tomorrow. It’s called Albertino’s. Find the talisman and destroy it. Then the spirits can escape and move on.”
“What, by myself?”
“I wouldn’t send you if I didn’t think you could handle it,” she said. “I’m sorry; I’m too old to walk around all day looking for talismans. I would just slow you down and make it look more suspicious.”
I sighed again.
“I guess I can’t really say no when you pull out the ‘I’m old’ card.”
* * *
The next day, Gran woke me up and reminded me that I had to find and destroy the talisman to free the ballerina spirits. That’s the kind of thing all 15 year old girls hear first thing in the morning, right?
Of course, I didn’t exactly wake up early, having gotten barely any sleep so when I got up, I quickly downed a piece of toast and left. Gran had packed me up a bag containing a flashlight, Ouija board, pocket knife and my phone - all the ‘medium essentials.’
I entered through the tall wooden fence and walked through the garden toward the studio thinking how bad I felt for these trapped souls. Imagine having to go to the ballet forever ; how boring. I could hardly think of a worse afterlife. Maybe they thought they were in hell?
The building looked so old fashioned with its dark bricks and stained glass windows that it was more like a church than a studio. The garden surrounding the place was extremely well taken care of – flower beds and water fountains and hedges trimmed perfectly. It was hard to imagine that such a pretty building was home to something so evil.
Of course, I had no doubts that I was at the right place because I could feel that pull in my chest again.
It was stronger than what I had felt last night; in fact, it was stronger than anything I had ever felt. It was all around me.
I don't see any ghosts, I thought. I’ve got to really focus to figure out where this pull is coming from. Concentrate.
Wow, it’s a cute boy!
“Hello?” he said, and looked up when he heard me approach.
He was sitting on the concrete ledge surrounding one of the gardens. As I got closer I realised just how cute he was. And athletic.
“Hey,” I said, in my most carefree voice, “What brings you to the ballet studio?”
“Uh, rehearsal,” he said, looking down at his shoes like people do when they’re embarrassed.
“You’re a ballerina?”
“Yeah, yeah,” he sai
d, “I've heard it all before. Go ahead and mock me.”
“No, I mean because I love ballet,” I lied.
“Wow, really?! So are you here for rehearsal too?”
‘No, just here to find some gh.... uh.... culture?’
“Well,” he said, looking thoroughly confused by my lame cover up, “Ok. I hope my girlfriend comes this time.”
“Oh. So you have a girlfriend?” I asked, without any obvious disappointment in my voice. I think.
“Well I'm not so sure,” he said, “I mean I did. But she hasn't come to see the show in eight years.”
“Uhhh.... Well I hope that works out for you. I'm sorry, how old are you?” I asked, deciding that this guy may be cute but he was weird. I’m talking major cling issues.
“I'm eighteen, why?”
“So she was your girlfriend when you were ten? Buddy, I don't think she's coming.”
He looked at me and said, “Wait a minute. No I must be… No, that can't be right. I'm so confused.”
Then he faded away.
I couldn’t believe what had just happened - he was dead and I didn't even notice.
He didn't even notice!
Of course that was just my luck: I meet a cute boy and he's a ghost with amnesia. And a girlfriend.
I could only guess that the pull of death was so strong and messed up here it was impossible to pinpoint where it was coming from. It was either that or I was losing my mind.
I decided I better keep looking.
As I walked up the stairs that led inside to the reception desk, the fluttering in my stomach intensified. I felt like I might be sick and it got worse with every step I took.
I approached the reception counter and decided I had better work out if the overdressed, over accessorised lady sitting behind it was a ghost too. I didn’t want to make that dumb mistake again.
As she looked up and saw me, she straightened her back and put on a big customer service smile.
“Welcome to Albertino’s Ballet Studio,” she said, “How can I help you?”
I took a breath and concentrated on her face, trying to block out the feeling of death surrounding me. After a few seconds of this, she looked confused and uncomfortable.
I realised I had been staring at her like a big freak.
“Are you ok?” she asked.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m good. How are you?” I said.
Although she was still smiling, I could tell she thought I was bonkers.
“I’m good, thanks. Can I help you with something?”
“Yeah I’m thinking of taking up ballet,” I lied, “I was just wondering if I could take a look around.”
“Sorry, Albertino gets his dancers through some kind of special agency or something. You can’t just come in and ask to join. Noone is even allowed to meet his dancers.”
“Then why do you guys need a receptionist?”
She laughed, looking surprised. “Wow!”
“Just curious,” I said. “I didn’t mean any offense.”
She shrugged. “None taken then, I guess. I do a lot actually. I organise the shows, sort the money, alert Albertino if anybody strange comes in-“
“I’m sorry, what was that last bit?”
She leaned back in her chair.
“I shouldn’t say anything,” she said. But she very clearly wanted to.
I got the feeling that she didn’t get a lot of chances to socialise on the job and that she might welcome the opportunity to vent a little.
“Why would anybody strange come in?” I asked.
She leaned forward again and looked me straight in the eyes like she had something big to tell me.
“He’s totally paranoid. I have no idea what I’m looking out for, it’s not like anyone ever comes in.”
“That must get boring, why do you even want to work here?”
She shrugged again. “I needed a job. The work is pretty easy and I like dancing.”
“Does he at least let you use the practice rooms on your days off?”
“I wish.” she said, and rolled her eyes.
“What happened?”
“When I asked him if I could, he laughed at me and said I don’t quite fit the criteria.” She said the last bit doing air quotations with her fingers and a bad imitation of a male voice.
“What a jerk,” I said.
She smiled. “Nah, he’s ok most of the time. He’s just a bit… weird.”
Now we were getting somewhere.
“Really? Like how?”
She sat back in her chair again.
“I’m sorry, what did you say your name was?” she asked.
“It’s Ella. Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry, it’s just that… I’ve heard things about this place.”
The receptionist leaned so far over her desk that she had to look up at me.
“Really?”
I bent over to meet her in the middle.
“Seriously weird. Like that Albertino is into all this dark stuff and… death.”
She jerked back up. Crap, I went too far.
“I really... I shouldn’t have told you anything. I better tell Albertino you’re here,” she said.
“No, you don’t have to do that. Sorry, I’ll stop gossiping,” I said, “Any chance I can just have a look around anyway? See what a real dance studio is like?”
I put on my best fake smile.
She paused and then responded, “Yeah, I’m sure Albertino wouldn’t mind. Let me just double check with him.”
She picked up her phone, frowning. After a few seconds I heard her say, “Albertino, it’s Jennah. There’s, uh, there’s someone here to see you.”
I knew straight away from her tone that she wasn’t calling to check with him at all. She was calling to alert him someone strange was here.
“Never mind, I’ll come back later,” I mumbled, backing away from her desk.
And with that I left the building, noting to myself that I really suck at undercover work.
Chapter Three: I Must Be Brain Dead
I had just made this impossible mission even harder on myself but at least I had established that the receptionist was not a ghost.
As I ran toward the gate I glanced behind me and saw an obese man in a purple suit and a ridiculous red beret enter the reception area.
I ran out the gates and toward the street – then did a u-turn and headed back to the side of the fence. I had to hear what she said to him.
After tossing my backpack over, I climbed over it myself and crawled the whole way to the front door. I sat next to it to eavesdrop, not daring to peek in since I had already seen him anyway.
“Are you sure you didn’t tell her anything?” I heard a male voice demand.
“Like what, I don’t know anything!” Jennah’s shaky voice replied.
“I don’t like people just waltzing into my studio, Jennah. It’s a ballet studio, after all.”
He paused, as if waiting for a laugh from her. He didn’t get one so he continued.
“This place is very exclusive and she could have been a reporter trying to start rumours about me. Or worse! This is the exact reason I hired you, to stop things like this happening.”
His voice kept raising and lowering with over the top dramatics. This guy was not what you’d call tranquil.
“I did stop it happening,” she said, “I didn’t let her in. I called you straight away and I didn’t tell her anything about you, I swear.”
I smiled at Jennah’s lie.
“You’re sure?”
“I promise. I don’t get what you’re trying to hide anyway. I mean you’re not doing anything shady are you?” she asked.
“Absolutely not!” He near shouted.
“My studio is famous. Many ballerinas would die to become one of my students,” he paused again, this time to laugh at his own joke.
Again, Jennah did not join in. She must be used to this by now – not that I knew how anyone could be. I’d been listening for abo
ut fifteen seconds and I already couldn’t stand him. You know – even besides the whole dead bodies thing, he was just really annoying.
“It’s ok, not to worry” he shouted again, interrupting his own laughter so suddenly that it made me jump.
“Just don’t move from this position,” he whispered.
Then, speaking normally, “If you see her again, call me straight away. Oh, and she’ll probably come back after dark so I’m going to hang around and catch her. It’ll be a real show stopper!” He giggled.
I was so glad I heard him say that because I probably would have done that exact thing. Who knows what he might be capable of doing to me if he caught me? “Stopping my show”, whatever that meant.
Clearly Albertino was already paranoid that somebody was going to figure out what he was doing, that was the whole reason he hired Jennah in the first place.
He wasn’t going to drop his guard until he saw me again.
The longer I waited; the more paranoid he would become and the harder this was going to be. I had to act today.
Chapter Four: Dead On Arrival
First things first, I called Gran to recap and get some advice. She explained to me that since the necromancer was holding the spirits to this place, their pull would feel a little different than what I’m used to.
That explained why I didn’t notice the boy from the garden was dead. His spirit being here wasn’t a natural occurrence but one of dark magic.
While I had been gone, she was at home doing some research and found out that talismans often came in the form of jewellery. She asked if I had noticed the man wearing anything strange but I hadn’t gotten a good enough look at him. At least now I had a better idea of what I was searching for though. After reminding me to be careful, she hung up the phone and I tried to work out my next move.
I knew I had to get inside but I couldn’t walk through the front door this time or Jennah would call Albertino straight away. I went around to the back of the building and that’s when I found the cemetery.
Graveyards always made me feel a little dizzy, whether the spirits were looming or not. All the dead bodies buried beneath the earth just make my medium senses go crazy. This one was right behind the studio and the fence separating them had a gate that opened onto it.
Suddenly the reason Albertino had chosen this strange building to use as a ballet studio made a lot more sense. Despite feeling lightheaded I decided to look around.
