The Lady and the Hound- Divination

by A M Nixon

  Mary wanted to have compassion for Famous, to reciprocate for sparing her life. “I’ll be interested in getting to know you Juan, but I will need more time to process everything.” He nodded and bowed to her.

  Isadore broke the awkward silence, “We must get the chest your uncle took, safely back in the cavern. It must hold the crystal pendulum. It has an enchantment from the Divine One’s. It will keep the Dark Spirit from locating its essence and then sending someone to find it. It needs to be safe more than ever before, since it is all we have to fight the Dark Spirit in the future.” Isadore said.

  Mary was confused “I assumed you were going back to live with him?” Isadore smiled “I am, but someday we will get my bones and our essence back. I trust no one in either world.”

  Mary wanted it back as well. She didn’t like the fact that the Dark Spirit would kill her if Isadore broke her vow though.

  Mary needed to figure out how to approach her uncle to get the chest back. Perhaps she could buy it from him, citing the chest should stay in the family?

  “I would need money I don’t have to get it back from him” Mary said.

  “When the time comes, you will have what you need.” Isadore said. Mary had more questions that needed answers. “When you return to Zropu one day, we can help you understand all you wish to know.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  The Star

  Mary realized there was a promise made to the spirits that helped her. She closed her eyes and imagined herself at the crystal boulder. When she opened her eyes, Famous, Isadore, Joseph and Hope were standing in front of her.

  “I am going to visit with Syx now, you come to see me when you can.” Hope said and she was gone.

  “Now we must send the spirits to Oapuzi.” Isadore said as she touched Mary’s head, emanating the light, and the spirits left her body one by one. Once they entered the crystal boulder they disappeared. Joseph was next. “I want to wish you well and thank you for your service. Now you know what I couldn’t tell you before, about Juan. I’ll let you find out the rest as you get to know each other.” Mary hugged him and he vanished through the crystal boulder.

  “Now we must take the sacred pendulum to the whirlpool to rid it of the souls the Dark Spirit collected and all the negative energy with it. You will take it to the cavern and hide it until we get the chest back.” Isadore said.

  “Wait, what about me? My body is apparently back at my camp site.” Mary worried she’d have to remain as a spirit. Isadore raised her hand, closed her eyes for a moment and said, “It’s done; sorry about that. We would have gotten to you eventually.”

  Mary had to laugh at her choice of words, and suddenly realized there was something she needed to know but was afraid to ask. “Are my babies still alive? All this time and I didn’t ask Syx about them.” Syx’s voice emanated in Mary’s head. “Yes, and they are waiting for you.”

  Famous said goodbye in his human form of Juan Diaz and left for Zropu. Mary dipped the crystal pendulum in the whirlpool. When the spirits left it, a white cylinder of light came down and each spirit went to it.

  “Why did the light appear for them. Weren’t they evil spirits?” Mary asked.

  “The light of Oapuzi shows for everyone, good or bad. The Divine One’s do not hold grudges against any spirit. There is a process on Oapuzi, which helps those spirits return to their soul cleansed of actions in any one lifetime. It’s the spirits will that prevents them from entering the light. If this particular life found them wanting for belief in the afterlife or created a sense of unworthiness, they stay here as a lost soul, or end up in the Otherworld.” Isadore said.

  Mary wanted to rescue those souls. She would make it her life’s purpose. She could have been one if not for her belief. Isadore told her she would visit again and transformed into her Bat persona. Mary tried closing her eye’s and teleporting to the cottage, but it didn’t work. Now that she was no longer a spirit, she couldn’t do it. She also couldn’t change into an animal. Mary walked back to the stones. She had forgotten about Major Kemp.

  She dragged the Major’s body to the jeep and drove to the camp. When she dropped him off, she hoped no one would ask about his missing finger. She gave the Major’s body to one of the henchmen. They knew about the Dark Spirit and claimed they were under its influence. Mary had plans for them soon enough, she’d let them think they’d gotten away with their dirty deeds. Mary told them she needed gas for the jeep. The henchman, now eager crewman, brought two large containers of gas and used one to fill the tank and another to put in the back. By this time everyone was walking out of their barracks, into the sun light as if they were seeing it for the first time.

  Mary went inside the comm room and looked at the ledger. The Government was using its reserves to send trucks out to gas stations around the country. The local motels and hotels were housing people and some of the grocery stores were getting supplies again. The old land lines were going to be the new telephone system. Most of the lines weren’t affected by the meteorites. It would take a year or more for the cell towers to get replaced, but the land lines still existed in the safe zones. Now everyone would have to visit their local telephone company and dig out old phones from their attics.

  Mary drove back to the cottage and used some of the gas to fill the generator. She warmed up the house and took a shower. Mary remembered seeing a land line phone in the library. She would have to wait until people she knew were issued numbers. She made a large bowl of cream of wheat, and fell asleep, to the one channel on tv which gave 24 hour government information.

  The next morning, Mary loaded the Jeep with tools from the shed and set out to her car. When she slid inside and turned the engine over, it started on the first try. She couldn’t figure out why it stopped in the first place. Fate, maybe?

  She drove to the base and told them what happened at the camp and to Charlie. Everything the Major and his crew were doing to the women and the elderly, including the cannibalism, and that Erika and Debbie had murdered her friend. She also mentioned how she was headed to rescue her pets.

  The new General was livid when he heard what happened to Charlie. “I’m going to send my best men to take over that facility, and I’m going to arrest those two young women you told me about and Major Kemps conspirators. I don’t know where he got Major from. He was barely ranked above a private.”

  Mary couldn’t tell him a dark force had descended on the camp, but, the Major and his crew were setting up the younger women to be sex slaves before it arrived, so maybe they’ll get what they deserve. “General, I know I shouldn’t be asking this, but when Charlie picked me up he also grabbed both my gas reserve tanks and all my blankets. If I could get those back, I’d appreciate it. I’d also appreciate if someone could check on my family.” The General asked one of his crew to check the storage area and looked at Mary.

  ”Miss, I think I can do better than that for you.”

  The General said he was taking a helicopter over to DC. He will send a few service men over to her ex’s residence and find out where her pets were. He would have the men meet her in Baltimore to pick them up. It would save her two hours of driving. Since they were to arrive in DC in an hour, they would have plenty of time to secure her pets for her. As far as her family was concerned, he would send someone from the nearest bases to check on them and report back to him via radio. When they informed him of their status’, he would radio her, and handed her a device that looked like a walkie talkie. Mary jumped up and hugged the General and thanked him profusely.

  “No, thank you Miss Contreras. Considering the travesty that was playing out at the camp… he shook his head. I’m thankful you took out the menace for us.” One of the privates brought her two tanks and what he assumed might be her blankets. The General said he hopes all goes well for her in Maryland.

  Mary looked in the back of her SUV and the bowls and food were still there. She told one of the privates where he could find Charlie’s jeep. On the drive in to town, Krullers
had re-opened and the gas station had firewood and gas. She was on her way to get her babies! Life couldn’t be better. She paid for the gas and firewood on “I’ll take your word for it” credit, since she didn’t have enough cash with her. She would see if her bank re-opened when she arrived in Maryland. Her local credit was the benefit of living in a small town.

  When Mary met up with the soldiers in Baltimore, they were playing with Flea and Chance and poor Kit was still in a carrier. Mary ran over and hugged both dogs and took kit out and held her for as long as she could stand to be held. She placed kit in the car and thanked the men for their trouble. She asked them where they found her babies.

  “Ma’am, your pets were at a local shelter for displaced animals. One of their owners had died, and his wife didn’t want to deal with their care, so she dropped them off.” Mary was saddened to hear about Dickie. For the first time, she had no animosity towards him. She had forgiven him, in her way. He didn’t deserve to die.

  “Well, thank you again, and have a safe trip.” Mary said as she wrangled Flea and Chance into her SUV. They were big dog’s and took up the whole back seat. Kit settled in fine in front, happy to be out of the carrier.

  Mary stopped in at Uncle Walters mansion. He was happy to see her.

  “I’m doing fine, and all my homes and cars are still in one piece. Sadly, my ex-wife and her boyfriend both survived.” Uncle Walter said, and tried unsuccessfully to stifle a laugh at his comment. Mary asked him about the chest. “I was considering putting it in a museum, why do you ask?”

  Mary chose her words carefully, “I was reading the family book. The history and the stories in it, were of a people who treasured their ancestry. I was hoping you would want to keep it in the family. Or I could purchase it from you?” Mary offered.

  Uncle Walter paused. “You know, you’re right. It should stay in the family.”

  “And” Mary said, “it should stay at the cottage.”

  “Alright, I’ll get it to you as soon as I can, I know you’ll take good care of it.” He said smiling.

  “I’ve decided to get back to writing. I’m working on a new short story. It’s going to be a true story based on what happened to me these past months, and all the strange and wonderful characters I met. No one will believe me, so I’ll have to call it a mystery fantasy fiction story.” Uncle Walter turned his head to the side, bewildered by her comment, he had no clue what happened, and Mary wasn’t ready to tell him. “I’ll be sure to send you a copy when it’s finished.”

  Mary drove to the cottage, watching her babies sleeping peacefully. She was exhausted and elated at the same time. She asked Syx about the radio signal and the saucer shaped white lights.

  “When angels travel together, we use a ship. The angels knew they would have to come down in droves after the meteorites struck. The angels also sent the radio signal. Anyone who heard it couldn’t be placed under the Dark Spirits influence.” Syx said.

  Mary asked Syx if life would be getting better for them now. Syx replied, “Live in the moment, treasure every one of them. Syx added, let’s take the good days while we can, shall we.”

  Mary thought of Famous, and why he and his disciples were led to her. For once, even with the unknown of how the world will change after the event, she had a lust for life. Something she didn’t have before. Living each day with excitement for what happens next. She looked toward the future, remembering Isadore’s words: “We have much work to do together, and I’ve given us the time we need to pursue it.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Roger and The Portal

  Mary pulled in to the driveway of the cottage just as Hank was getting back into his jeep. “Hi, Hank, what’s up? Everything alright?”

  “Hi, Mary. We’re delivering the mail twice a week for now. We should be back to full time within a month.”

  “We’re passing this out to the residents.” Hank said, handing her a flier.

  The flier read, “Animal limbs and torsos found on properties in the Old Gap area. Be alert and keep your pets safe.” It included photos of animal parts of cats, dogs, and livestock. A statement by the local veterinarian said preliminary findings reveal the mutilations were not caused by a Wolf or Bear.

  “Thanks, Hank, that’s good to know. As you can see, I’ve got a few to worry about.” Flea and Chance were barking and anxious to get out of the car.

  Hank took a few steps away then turned back, “I have some sad news about Margie Petty, I’m not sure if you knew her or not.” Mary prepared herself, “I knew her, she was my lawyer and helped me get these guys back for me.” Scratching Flea’s neck as she sat on her lap. “I’m sorry but she committed suicide the other day. It was the same day the animal attacks began in fact.” Mary was stunned. She thought Margie would be the last person…

  “Hank, how? Is the coroner sure it was really suicide?” Mary said.

  “She left a suicide note Mary; it was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to her head. There’s no doubt. Sorry to deliver such bad news all at one time.” Hank drove off as Mary let the dogs out of the car.

  Once inside the cottage, her babies began familiarizing themselves with the smells of the cottage, finding their individual niches. Mary was devastated on hearing of Margie’s death and the way she died. She was her only living friend in Old Gap. Mary realized her own family would have been stunned, searching for answers if she hadn’t been given a second chance. Margie’s suicide didn’t make sense. It brought up the similarities with her own past. Mary couldn’t get the words the Dark Spirit said out of her head. Her past forcing its way out of her subconscious to be dealt with. She made peace with it. The drinking, the drugs, the men. If she hadn’t partaken of the one, there wouldn’t have been the others that went with it. Once Archangel Raphael reached for her hand and took the urge to drink away, the drugs, and the men were no longer the side effects.

  Mary found comfort in getting to know Syx. The psychic abilities she prayed for, finally at their peak of perfection. Even with the angels and the spirit world on her side, there remained the pesky fate and free will issue. Prayer wouldn’t be enough if something she did went against her soul’s mission; she was on her own. Isadore said they’re work in this lifetime wasn’t over. If only she sensed something about Margie, how low she must have been. Mary, wanting to take her mind off the what if’s, busied herself with getting Flea, Chance and Kit settled. They enjoyed playing outside in the lush overgrown grass.

  The tree line wasn’t far from the cottage, but her babies had plenty of room to play. She worried about the cliff out back but knew Flea would block the other two from going there. Mary had an ESP with Flea. She missed that most of all while they were apart. Flea was of the border collie breed but with all white thick fur. Classified as a mut, but a beautiful one. Mary loved watching them run around the yard and didn’t have the heart to call them in because of the flyer.

  Setting out their bowls in the kitchen, she heard the most horrific yelping. A heart wrenching high pitched yelp that sent a chill up Mary’s spine and her frantic mother instinct took over. Rushing to Flea’s side, her blood oozing out of two long wounds. Inflicted with an unknown type of object. The gashes were too wide to be claw marks. Yelling for Syx in her mind, while she ran with Flea to her SUV. Mary placed Chance and Kit back inside the cottage and grabbed her keys. Calling for Syx again, impatient that her response was taking so long. Worried what creature made those marks? Not a Wolf, or anything she knew of. Mary heard Syx’s voice. “Flea will be fine, meet me at Zropu when you return. There is something important to discuss.”

  The drive into town took forever, during which Mary hoped the only Veterinarian’s office in Old Gap would be open. Luckily she arrived just as he was heading for his car. Seeing Mary frantic as she pulled Flea from the SUV, he opened the office door and immediately ushered them in. The vet made his examination and satisfied the wounds were superficial, he offered to keep Flea overnight, fearing internal injuries. Mary remembered what Syx said
. “I don’t think so. This is her first night with me and I don’t want her to be alone in a cage. I’ll take her home and get her comfortable there.” At least her wounds weren’t as bad as they looked. Mary anticipated Syx would be able to tell her what attacked Flea and how to get rid of it. Her anger rising the more she looked at Flea’s wounds. Wishing for the ability to change into the creature at the camp. She’d hunt the being that attacked Flea and make it pay. Mary imagined tearing its limbs off and watching it suffer. Then remembered what the Dark Spirit said to her about the men who killed Prince and her dark thoughts at the time. She forced herself to imagine gentler, kinder scenarios, but it was impossible at the moment.

  Back at the cottage, Mary settled Flea in a cozy bed by the fire in the Library. Food and water by her side. Leaving Chance and Kit to watch over their sister with unwavering loyalty. Mary thought about taking the cavern as a shortcut but didn’t want to navigate the uneven terrain at night. She looked forward to seeing Hope again. There were so many questions she wanted to ask about her death. Her feelings when she realized Erika betrayed her. At least she’d have Hope to talk to, even in spirit, which was better than not having her at all.

  Mary walked the path to Zropu, promising herself she would buy an ATV with headlights. It was a nice night to walk. The General at the base also gave her a good flashlight and some flares when he gave her the walkie talkie. Like when she was in these woods before, the feeling she was being watched crept back in. Assuming that whatever it was, better kill her or they’d have Syx and Isadore to contend with. Mary was trying to use her new psychic abilities but couldn’t pick up on a presence. If it were a spirit, she could have sensed it and been able to communicate with him or her. Whatever it was couldn’t be reached telepathically, at least not by a human.