Oddity Specialist
Oddity Specialist: Volume 1 –
World Of The Occult
James “DragonMaster” Courneya
Chapter Listing:
Chapter 1: Contract
Chapter 2: Looming Shadow
Chapter 3: Checkmate
Chapter 4: The Locked Room
Chapter 5: Invisible
Chapter 6: Haunted House
Chapter 7: Dream Eater
Chapter 8: The Marionette
Chapter 9: Emotional Void Space
Chapter 10: Partners
Volume 1: World Of The Occult
Chapter 1: Contract
“As if my skeleton, had just been ripped out of my body, I can feel my very essence disperse. As consciousness fades, my shadows weight crashes down atop me.”
Events flash through the young man’s head. He wonders. “How did I get here, exactly?”
To figure that out, he has to look back to the past. Not too far back, this isn’t an intricate string of decisions, that led to this moment in time. Unless of course, you’re looking at it from the perspective of butterfly theory. Where was I? Oh yes, that’s right. How did we get here? A number of hours earlier- “I’ll go over the plan one more time.”
Inside this boy’s head, was a number of unrealistic variables. Mostly in strings of, “If this than that.”
To digress, he had something he clearly had wanted to do. Not that this has been unpleasant; but I think I’ll turn the stories narration over to him, for this segment. Now, now, don’t be like that. You’ll get plenty of me in due time. Just at this point in time, I’m thought of as nothing more than a legend and obviously, a mere legend can’t narrate a story. Now can they?
Walking back from school, nothing of note happens. Of course, nothing of note happens, this is just another ordinary day, after all. It’s not like there would be some sort of event, something that shows off what type of person I am. Nothing that depicts me as kind, or strong, not even anything that sets up my general mannerisms. Though, that in of its self, is in line for my perceived character. Someone who isn’t perceived.
“Well, there were two times that I had gotten attention in the past.”
Wait this isn’t the time for that at all. If I start replaying events from the past, I’ll lose my focus. Potentially worse, I could lose my motivation as well. Today, I’m going to do something very important, life defining you could say. Although, if I had to say that out loud, I would instantly come to realize I was being overzealous and immediately feel a sense of embarrassment. Good thing these thoughts are in my head, where they will stay. That is to say, if things go my way.
“Unintentional rhyming, is probably a good sign.”
Arriving home, I carefully tread to my room upstairs. I look carefully into the mirror, seeing is myself staring back at me. Looking past my rimless glasses, I can see my narrow grey eyes. The bangs of my straight, fringed, black hair are resting right above my eye line.
“My hairs grown out a bit. That’s fine right? Or perhaps…”
Focus up, I’ve already decided what to wear… I should just make sure it still looks fine. A grey, wool overshirt, with a white, cotton shirt underneath, along with brown, cargo pants.
“It’s not fancy.”
It’s not like I have any sense of fanciness, I don’t even particularly like colors. Something like this suits who I am well, after all. Perhaps it would be better, if I could have added nice shoes to the look, instead of these slip-ons. That wouldn’t fit the descriptor of the plan, so it was a no go from the start. Finally, it seems like all preparations are ago, the plan now can be put into motion. You see its really quite simple, for how masterful it is. I am going for a walk. As I said, simple. That is, if it wasn’t for the location, that I was walking through. I already know if I were to walk this path long enough, I’d inevitably bump into her. When I do, that’ll give me the perfect opportunity. With that said, I understand that it might not be as simple as that. It might take multiple walking attempts, to actually pass by them. That’s fine by me, patience is something I can do.
“…I think.”
Walking down the street, the suburban area transitions to having more foliage. As I walk past the familiar, well-made, older house, a hint of fear and logic enter back into my mind. But a sense of understanding, of what I’m trying to do, tempers those thoughts. After a while, I just begin enjoying the weather on this late spring day.
“Huh?”
Taking notice of the trees across the street, on my left, it’s clear that they had recently been broken. A path way of destruction has been left, like a small storm, or a large vehicle, had crashed through this area. Checking both ways, I cross the street. Observing the damage, it doesn’t look like any more trees will be going down. Though, the thing that has left me wondering. “What is that?”
A few yards away, seems to be a cave opening. It looks as if its freshly made, from the dirt that was there. Thinking about the possibilities. “Could an explosion have done this? I wouldn’t think so. If something exploded from the ground, then the wall on the other side of the street would have at least been clipped. Then could it be something crashed here? Like a meteor? That seems like an awfully tight angle.”
Walking closer, filled with a slight sense of curiosity, I think. “Meteors aren’t dangerous, right?”
Approaching the opening, I freeze in my tracks. “What is that?”
Having seen a red substance on the ground, thoughts begin to race. “It’s not realistic to think that it’s blood. Probably just… Actually, thinking of red liquids that naturally accrue in nature, isn’t bearing any results.”
Inching closer, I get a better look. “That certainly looks the part, but-”
Grabbing a stick, I poke the substance. “It’s more like a liquid aluminum. So, that means it’s just a red liquid.”
Calming down slightly, I inadvertently took a step to the side. Getting closer to the opening, a feeling of great unease spreads across me. Like a predator’s eyes had just been rested onto me. Looking into the opening, I can’t see too much in the darkness. Leaning forward, squinting slightly, it feels like I can almost make something out. “It’s impossible for that to be what it looks like. Completely impossible. My conscious feels pressured, by the things which can’t be seen in the dark. It can’t be; but yet it seems like it’s possible to make out something, in that darkness. Something which I’m sure isn’t there.”
Glancing back at the liquid, my thoughts begin to race. “Should I head in and make sure, that there isn’t something inside here. There’s a feeling that something is inside, something in pain. There’s not a putrid smell in the air, if this liquid came from an animal that was dead, then it would smell as such. Perhaps, an injured creature limped in here.”
Taking it one step at a time, I make my way through the entrance and proceed into the cave. “I realize this is just a rationalization. That what I’m truly afraid of, is if the silhouette I made out, was actually human. That should be a reason to leave, quickly at that. This seems like a perfectly reasonable place, for a homeless person to stay. Though… Though… Though… What if it was someone who was hurt?”
After just a few feet, that sense of dread has increased rapidly. Stopping in place, my eyes begin to adjust to the levels of light. Allowing me to make out that thing, which I could faintly see before. Sitting up against the left wall, was an older man. His dark clothes and hair, hard to parse in the dark. Soon even those became visible. He was wearing a black three-piece suit, with a red dress shirt underneath. Sticking out in the dark, was a golden leather banded watch, resting above one of his black glov
es. His brushed back black hair, can be made out because of the fact that it’s greying a bit. “I can’t make out his face, because he’s looking straight ahead.”
Before I could speak and ask a question, before I could even begin to think about the situation unfolding, my mind went blank. His chest had a whole in it, a gaping wound festering with black particles coming off of it. A cold sweat starts, my eyes widen, I can feel my legs shaking with such a great force, that I’m amazed that I can still stand. My focus shifts rapidly back and forth, between myself and the strange wound. When panic had fully set in, the man slowly turns his head towards me. With an unenthused look on his face, he begins speaking in a graveled, monotoned, voice.
“Ah, it appears I could use a bit of assistance.”
The panic I had felt has been replaced, with an intense fear. “It’s set in so deep; I can’t move from this spot. I need to calm down, just enough to move.”
I start letting the tension leave my body. His sharp, thin eyes, meet my own. His black irises and uncomfortable speaking mannerisms, push me over the edge. I turn on my heal and run a few feet away.
“Wait, don’t go. As you can see, I am need of help.”
Stopping, that last word rings in my head. “Calm down. Clear your mind.”
I walk back over to the man.
“Very good.”
As I am about to speak, he interrupts me.
“Let me stop you there, I have little time for idle questions. Calling for assistance won’t help here. I’m not human like you, even if my appearance may deceive you.”
Looking him up and down. “That appearance doesn’t really feel human.”
He looks close enough like a regular man. His build and height seem rather average. He has a thinner, square saw. His greyer skin is off putting. “It’s more so, just a vague sense looking at him, that he isn’t quite normal. That does beg the question.”
“What are you then?”
His look which has relatively not changed, gives off the impression that he is unenthused by the question.
“To you, I might be most identifiable as a demon. That would be short selling myself though, for I am not just any demon.”
While still maintaining the same frown, a sense of pride radiates off of him.
“I have been called many things. King of darkness, the deceiver, the destroyer, lord of flies, the old one, Antichrist, Beelzebub, Satan.”
Having rattled off the names, with increasing speed and grandeur, he brings his tone back to normal.
“Though, for this situation, Lucifer will do.”
I take a moment to process this information.
“What could the devil need from me?”
“What I need from you is rather simple.”
He looks down at his chest.
“You see one thing led to another and I ended up in this state.”
His stare makes its way back to me.
“With this injury, I am in a bit of a bind. If I don’t heal quickly, I will continue to lose strength, until I wither away to nothing.”
He pauses. “I think he’s waiting on me.”
“Alright.”
“I’ve lost far too much power; I can’t even bring myself to stand up. Before you showed up, I had resigned myself to this fate. Now, things are different, I need a soul to fix this hole. Any would do, but my options are yours and yours alone, for now. That means the situation is clear.”
He takes a moment.
“In exchange for your soul, I’ll grant any wish your heart desires.”
Trying to fully understand each word, he says. “I can feel the desperation of the situation, for him.”
It feels like a clock is slowly ticking away, inside my skull. “This isn’t a situation you see every day. Each detail given here seems like it holds a certain importance, beyond anything I’m used to. Though, I need to make a few things certain first.”
“Before we go further, I have a few questions.”
“Ask them quickly if you can.”
“First, what happens when you die?”
“Oh, that one. Well you know, your essence leaves your body and goes beyond this realm. Ending up in one of three locations. Although, I can only really confirm about one of them.”
“So, you continue to exist at the least.”
“Yes.”
“Then what’s going to happen to you?”
“To me?”
He narrows his gaze a bit.
“If you leave me here to perish, my eternal being will cease to exist, I would be gone.”
I close my eyes. “That was what I needed to hear; but it also was the one thing I hoped I wouldn’t.”
“How often does something like this happen?”
“Me offering a trade for a soul, or perhaps you are focused on the lack of existence?”
“The latter.”
“Hard to say, I certainly haven’t heard more than a sparse rumor of it.”
“It’s rare?”
“Exceedingly.”
I put my fist up to my mouth, biting down onto my pointer finger. “Taking this information, the answers obvious right? I mean who would possibly even humor this right? The devil shows up asking for your soul. Yeah right, who would be tricked so easily? Please, what kind of idiot would fall for that one? A tale old as time.”
I can feel a tear roll down. “Damn it.”
“Third question. What happens once my soul is given up?”
“Some will look at you as less than human.”
“And?”
“There really isn’t much else to it. Though, in this situation, I would need a fragment of your body as well, to host my recovery. Oh and, I guess if you were to die without a soul, you wouldn’t get into the good place. Of course, if it’s in my possession, you’d probably end up coming downstairs with me.”
“You phrased that oddly. What do you mean if I were to die?”
“If you wished to be immortal, then that wouldn’t be a problem, right? Sounds like a good deal to me. Live forever and basically you won’t even end up paying the price at the end.”
“That seems a little too good, to believe.”
“It wouldn’t be a good way to run business normally. Though, this isn’t a regular transaction, It’s a special case. I need your soul to survive. Really, the leverage is in your court. If you got swindled at this point, that would be on you, not me.”
I give a look of confusion. “Did he just admit to being a swindler? How does that help his case?”
“Fourth question.”
“This has felt like more than four questions.”
“Sorry, but this one is an important one.”
“Then what is it you want to know?”
“Are you evil?”
For the first time, his look has expressed some emotion. After looking slightly taken aback, he lets loose a slim smile.
“Yes, very.”
“Like, ruining people’s lives, swindling people out of what’s there’s, reveling in tormenting others?”
“Yes. Yes. Yes.”
“You answered that readily.”
“If the shoe fits. Besides, I don’t see how that matters.”
“It’ll decide what I ask for.”
“So, you’ll do it?”
“I haven’t said that yet.”
“Question five. Can I ask for you to stop being evil?”
He gives great effort to tilt his head slightly, giving me a look as if I was an idiot.
“What kind of stupid question is that? Of course, I wouldn’t accept that deal.”
“Even if it meant you would die here, instead?”
“…Yes. There’s still more for me to do, revenge I need to take.”
“Then how long till you are out of time?”
“Maybe six to eight minutes.”
“Then I would quickly start explaining, how this deal would go.”
He seems irritated by my tone.
“I would create a contra
ct; we both would be bound to. Once both of us agree to it, then your soul will be mine for the time being.”
“When does my wish get granted?”
“Tsk.”
I’m a bit surprised by that reaction. “Don’t make it so obvious, like I had caught you in a lie.”
“Normally, if it was in my power, I would do it instantly; but because of my current condition, I first would need to be returned to full power. So, as soon as that happens.”
“Until then?”
“I shall be resting inside of your body.”
“Does that pose a problem to me?”
“You might not even notice it.”
“Have you lied thus far?”
“No.”
“Will you?”
“I don’t need to lie, in order to come out above a mere human.”
“I can ask anything?”
“That I agree to.”
“Fine, then I’ll ask the big question. Nothing is stopping me from getting more than one condition on this contract, right?”
“Ah greed, one thing I am used to. No, ask away. As long as it’s agreeable and in my power, you can have it. What is it your after? A segment of hell? Maybe for someone to fall in love with you, perhaps?”
“Sorry to say, but I’d prefer to earn such things.”
Thinking about it. “Maybe not the segment of hell, you can keep that.”
“What I want is simple. I couldn’t possibly save someone in good conscience, that was self-proclaimed to being evil, with a smile on their face.”
“Then we must not have a deal then. If that was the case, then your simply here to see my last moments?”
“No, we will have a deal. If this was a situation of life and death, maybe I could weigh some sort of moral code here; but the idea of someone, anyone, ceasing to exist, that is terrifying. That’s the crux of this problem.”
“I don’t have time for you to wax philosophical.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t think I could come to a decision on that in my life time.”
“Then?”
“What I want from this contract, is way to keep you from causing harm from others, while also saving you.”
Oddity Specialist: World Of The Occult Page 1
