by T. G. Ayer
"Now, Gita. I need you to be very honest with me. Can you tell me if you have either begun to smoke or to take any form of drugs in the last two months."
"What are you trying to say," Mr. Nath growled taking two steps forward before stopping in his tracks. He glanced suspiciously at his daughter.
Sabala got to his feet and I glared at him to stand down. He watch Nath for a moment or two then decided he wasn't really a threat and sat back onto his haunches.
He would've said more but Dev held up his palm. "I'm really sorry but it's is one thing that we need to rule out before we can go any further. If it is drug related, and I'm not saying it is, then we will know there's a solution. If it is not drug-related, then we can go ahead and consider a more sinister reason. Again, I'm sorry to ask the question, but it is something that we have to know." As he spoke, Dev kept his tone even, unemotional, making Maya marvel at her dad's ability to converse with people who are so tense and skittish. There was not a hint of accusation or criticism in his voice. Which was likely what convinced Mr. Nath. He glared at his daughter and nodded, giving her permission to admit or deny.
But the girl stared at Dev, and shook her head again. "I don't take drugs and I don't smoke." Her eyes darted to her father, then back at Dev. "And even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to. My brother goes to the same school, and he keeps an eye on me."
Dev nodded. "Thank you. I'd like you to think again about any changes in your habits over the last two months. I know you said no, but it's possible you may have forgotten something that you think is very minor, but that might be significant to us to help you treat this problem. Anything like the route you take to school where you sit at lunchtime. Anything."
The girl's head jerked up and her eyes widened. "There is one thing that I've changed. Sorry, I didn't really think that it was that important, but they were painting the cafeteria and we had to find somewhere else to sit to eat our lunch. So we started eating outside on the edge of the fields, under the trees. It was too hot to sit anywhere else."
"Are you still sitting under those trees," Dev asked and the girl nodded.
"Can you take us to the school? I need to see the tree up close."
Mr. Nath nodded. "We can take you, but what do you think just looking at the tree will tell you?" His question brimmed over with skepticism and even his wrinkled brow revealed his disbelief.
Maya's dad remained unruffled. "Looking at it may give me nothing. We may need to perform the ritual on the off-chance that it could succeed."
"So I'm assuming you have an idea of what might have caused this?" The man's question held more than just a hint of a challenge but again Dev merely ignored his tone and just offered him a sharp nod.
"I suspect the tree under which you're daughter has been sitting could be the source of her illness. There is every chance that it is haunted by a Bhoot."
The man's face paled and Gita looked stricken. Maya just felt stupid. What the hell was a Bhoot? She kept her features in check as Dev got to his feet and said, "Well, no time like the present."
Chapter 18
"You want to go now?" Mr. Nath seemed to hesitate, his neck remaining stiff and unforgiving.
"I'd suggest we move as swiftly as possible. In the interests of the health of your daughter." To Maya it seemed there was an unspoken challenge in her father's words. One which Mr. Nath seemed to shrink from. Instead his gaze settled on Maya for a brief moment. She kept her expression clear even as she acknowledged the disdain on his face. Heat rose in her cheeks but fortunately he had already turned his gaze and now concentrated on her father.
"Fine. We can go. The sooner we get this mess sorted the better. I suppose a Bhoot is better than black magic."
Dev raised his eyebrows. "Is there any reason you would think someone would resort to black magic and more especially target a member of your family? Do you have any enemies?"
Mr. Nath hesitated, his eyes going a shade darker. He seemed to regret the mention of black magic but now it was clear he had no choice but to explain. "Of course, I have enemies," he answered, his tone belligerent, defensive and more than a little arrogant. "I'm a very wealthy man. And you know what it's like having money when everyone else around you is poor. Everyone and his brother wants a handout and when you say no they don't exactly appreciate it. They just assume you're selfish and miserly." The look on his face made it clear that he didn't that Dev and Maya would understand his position. Again, Maya felt her fury rise and this time heat tingled in her palms. With a start she tamped it down, wondering why her fire had risen unbidden. And so quickly. She hadn't even concentrated to call it to her.
Dev cleared his throat and his words broke through the heat simmering in Maya's head. "It is possible this could be a curse of some kind but I would like to rule out the Bhoot first. If that doesn't work then we can explore other options."
Mr. Nath nodded. "Fine. I suppose you know what you are doing." Before Maya's dad could respond he turned on his heel and headed to the entrance hall. As he went he called over his shoulder, "Let's get this done then."
Maya's hands closed into fists at her sides. It didn't seem to take much for the man to rub her the wrong way. Her dad touched her arm and they followed Mr Nath out and headed to their car, Sabala close on Maya's heels. Nath pressed his remote and the garage door rattled as it drew up to reveal a gleaming black Chrysler. The only thing missing was the chauffeur. Nath got in and gunned the engine as his daughter left the house and climbed into the beast of a car.
"She's afraid of him," said Maya as they watched the Chrysler glide forward, out of the garage and past them to the driveway. Dev turned the rental's air conditioner on full blast but it didn't seem to do much except spit out lukewarm condensation that collected on the plastic vents. In the back seat the hell-hound seemed indifferent to the heat; no panting like a normal dog. Score two for Deadland Doggie.
"Yeah, that's no surprise. The family dynamic doesn't seem to be very healthy."
"I didn't see a wife."
"She was there." When Maya's eyebrows rose Dev said, "Someone was in the kitchen. Cooking, I presume. Either mother or grandmother."
"Seems he likes his women not seen and not heard," said Maya dryly.
Dev laughed. "Exactly. He's a domineering man. Should the Bhoot not be the reason the girl is ill then I wouldn’t be surprised to find either jealousy or dislike as the reason for and attempt at black magic."
Maya cleared her throat as they followed Nath onto the main road and drove some distance back in the direction of the city, "Forgive my ignorance but what exactly is a Bhoot.?"
Dev raised his eyebrows and glanced over at Maya. "A Bhoot is a ghost."
"Oh," said Maya averting her eyes. She felt more than a little stupid having not known something as simple as what a Bhoot was.
"No need to feel bad, honey. There are a lot of things your Mom and I haven't passed on to you for various reasons."
Maya snorted. "Yeah, mostly because I wasn't interested in hearing them."
Dev laughed, the sound rough and soothing to Maya's hurt. "Yes. That too. But mostly because we knew that when the time came you would have a huge load to bear. You were a little rebel to begin with so it wasn't so easy to indoctrinate you. You asked too many questions, argued too many points to death. We figured it would be an uphill battle to train a Kali Hunter who wasn't ready to believe in Kali. So we did everything else we thought would help."
What he said made a lot of sense. Not that Maya had stopped rebelling. It seemed she'd never appreciated the real value of her parents until the day Kali's power came streaming out of her hands.
Not that Maya would change anything. She liked the way things were with her family and counted herself Lucky especially when she thought of Ria. She hadn't seen Ria in weeks and with Nik unable to find her in her own home who knew what her future husband had done with her.
Dev pulled up in the parking space beside Nath and they got out with Sabala in tow. The girl took a
little longer and Maya hesitated only for the first moment before giving Nath a dark glare and heading over to help the girl alight. The child's knees wobbled and it was clear to anyone watching that she was incredible weak.
After a moment she managed to take a few steps and was able to walk slowly without assistance.
They followed as she led then along the side of the main school building toward the fields at the rear. The set of game fields were bordered by a line of old trees, set around fifty feet apart. The trees were large, branches hanging thick with leaves, reaching far for good shade cover for the students. Maya could see what had drawn the girl and her friends to those trees.
Gita walked slowly ahead of them, turning their little group into a slow procession. At last she drew to a stop beneath a old Ash tree. Sabala made a circuit around the tree the stared up into the branches. He remained steading, clearly not comfortable enough to sit. She looked over her shoulder at Dev. "This is the tree." He nodded as he stopped beside her and studied the tree.
"Can you tell if a Bhoot is there?"
Dev shook his head, a look of frustration flitting across his face. Maya had to hide a smile. Her father certainly didn't have much time for Mr. Nath. "Not really. They don't leave any significant traces of their presence, apart from their effect on the people they possess."
"Possess? Are you saying she is possessed?" Mr. Nath's voice rose as he pointed a thumb in his daughter's direction. Sabala gave him a narrow eyed stare, four times over.
"No, that's not what I am saying," Maya's dad responded, this time unable to keep the annoyance from his voice. "If there is a Bhoot here, it will feed on the spirit of one of the people who frequent this area. Sometimes the ghost can feed on the energies of more than one person but that depends on the age of the ghost and on its need for strength. From your daughter's symptoms it's fairly safe to assume that the Bhoot is feeding on her spirit, drawing her life source from her. And since in the end this is all a matter of assumption so we can have a place to start, I can't be certain that is the case. Why don't we try one thing at a time? It's the best way I know how to do my job." He ended with a note in his voice that may have crossed the line of civility a little and Maya glanced at Mr. Nath, concerned he would take offense. He said nothing, just clenched his jaw and stared up into the overhanging branches.
Maya noticed her dad didn't seem to care, having already returned his attention to the tree. He made one circuit around the thick trunk, then shook his head slightly. "Okay, I can't see any outward signs. There isn't anything more I can expect to see so you can go back home for now. I'll be by later with a preparation."
Mr. Nath said nothing, just gave Dev a sharp nod and turned on his heel. He walked off without a backward glance, and without making sure his daughter was at his side.
Gita drew alongside Maya. "I'm sorry about my dad. He can be a little difficult at time. And it's all been quite stressful for him." Maya raised an eyebrow. Stressful for him? Here was another female making excuses for the male in her family. For a moment Ria's face shimmered over Gita's and Maya had to hold in a shudder.
Maya snorted. "As stressful as it has been for you, I'm sure."
Gita gave Maya a startled glance, then looked away and smiled as she walked across the field after the slowly disappearing figure of her father.
Chapter 19
Maya watched the Gita disappear around the corner of the building then turned to face her dad, "So we got nothing."
He shook his head and pursed his lips. "Nothing concrete but the newspapers might give us a little more information."
"That's a good idea," she said as they all walked back to the car. The sun streamed down from the pale blue Arizona sky, unrelenting and merciless. Maya felt her scalp tingle with the heat and wondered how people live in this kind of constant, soul-sucking weather.
In the car Dev turned on the air conditioner and flipped his laptop open, while Sabala got comfortable in the back seat. He'd hardly been any trouble at all and Maya was beginning to think she'd overreacted about him tagging along.
She peered over at the monitor. "You're checking now?" Maya asked, surprised to see him flip his computer open like your neighborhood geek.
"No time like the present," he said as his fingers flew over the keyboard.
When he frowned she asked, "What's wrong?"
"The newspaper. You have to have a paid subscription to search their archives."
"And?"
Maya couldn't see what he was getting at until he spoke. "I don't like having to pay for a 3 month subscription just to research one detail."
"Unavoidable?"
"Unfortunately," he answered with a sigh and reached for his wallet. Credit card details given, he was soon searching the paper's back issues. He turned the laptop so she could see. "Bingo. A number of suicides around the area, two on the school premises."
"Really?" Maya shuddered to think of what people at her school would say about Byron's disappearance and Amber's gory mid-hall murder in a few years time.
Dev nodded. "One suicide by drug overdose over a breakup. The other was a hanging. Says here he was a straight-A student using Ritalin to pull all-nighters. He got busted by the principal and probably couldn't handle the repercussions. No note. Kids found him when they arrived at school in the morning."
A strange cold filled Maya's veins and she rubbed her arms, a feeble effort to bring back the warmth. "Some kids are under a lot of pressure. Maybe he couldn't handle disappointing his family?"
Her dad looked up, concern clear in his dark eyes. "Ritalin abuse. Are there any kids at your school using it?"
Maya didn't even think, she just answered. "Sure there are. Some of the advanced Math and scholarship kids use. It's common and some don't seem to have any issues with people knowing about it."
"Anyone try to sell to you?" There he went, probing, but Maya found she didn't mind at all.
"Sure." Maya nodded, then sighed as she leaned back into the leather seat. "But it's so stupid. Why go to such lengths? Energy drinks I can understand, but over the counter keep-you-awake pills, Ritalin, drugs. I just don't understand how they think it will help."
"It's most like the pressure from their parent and their teachers. You don't really know what's going on in a person's head, their personal pain. A parent's pressure can be difficult to endure. Abuse of any form can aggravate a simple attempt to keep up to a lifestyle that courts death, without the person even realizing how far things have gone."
"And when they realize it it's already too late," said Maya sadly.
"That's right kid." Dev ruffled Maya's hair and laughed as she whined at him to stop.
Then he went back to being serious again, tapping a finger against the screen of his laptop.
"We know it's a hanging, and it's probably that very tree. Do you want to check and verify which tree?" asked Maya.
"Doing that right now. I think I saw an article that had a photograph of the spot with bouquets of flowers and candles beneath the tree," he said already tapping away, a concentrated frown marring his forehead.
"When did this happen?" Maya asked, staring out at the school which shimmered like a mirage in front of them.
"Six years ago."
"So enough time has passed for most of the kids to have forgotten about it. Nobody in their right mind would have dared sit under the tree if they knew." Maya shuddered, knowing nobody she knew would ever sit under that tree if they knew what had happened there. Death had a way of demarcating lines between itself and the living.
"Exactly."
"So what now?"
"Now we get the materials together for a preparation."
"What do they do with it? Tie it around her neck like an amulet?" Dev paused and stared at Maya. She laughed. "An amulet? Really?"
Yes. An Amulet. It's one way to ward the Bhoot off and to remove its possession. It's easy enough to tell Gita to stay away from the tree, but in all likelihood he will follow her. By now he has a taste for he
r life's essences so it won't take much for him to find her wherever she is. The best way to help her is to make her invisible to him and if that's not possible then having something on her person that would keep him away can be the thing that saves her."
"So what will work? Holy Ashes?" asked Maya trying to recall the possible options.
Dev nodded again. "Ashes, water. Turmeric; they hate turmeric. And of course metal. I'll make the amulet as soon as I get back to the motel."
"And what about the spirit? Can we do anything for him?" asked Maya, now concerned with the ghost of the boy. He must have gone through a horrible time for him to reach that point where he decided it was over for him. What could they do to help a soul so tormented?
Dev sighed. "That's going to be difficult. If he was buried we use a similar warding to the one for a Churel, but it's not guaranteed. I can use metal nails in the tree and around the school. That might prevent him from draining someone else life-force in the future. The mantras may be worth a try."
"Okay. Why don't we get them the amulet and come back here tonight and say some nice words for him?"
"As you wish," Dev said giving Maya a wink. "I'm surprised you care about his wellbeing this much."
"He deserves peace as much as the next guy. He was probably just a poor confused kid who made the wrong choice." Maya shrugged, glad she had people to talk to if she ever was in such an awful position.
"You are right. So that's what we'll do." He shut the laptop and started the car. As they drove back to the motel Maya stared out the window at the streets of Tucson as they flitted by. She couldn't get her head around how much of the world was still unseen. How many people walked down the street never knowing who walked beside them, what walked beside them.
Sometimes ignorance was bliss but Maya wasn't sure she ever wanted to be that blind again.
