Written: 8/13/2024
Help Wanted: Vengeful spirit attacking people at night, sucking their air from their lungs. Already killed 4 people. Reward for successful removal.
June walks down an empty city block, her head down as her dark blue cloak hood covers her face. She blends into the dark street, except when she gently appears underneath the lanterns marked every few yards to guide patrons near street edges and illuminate road signs. Her spell book bounces against her leg as her shoes clop against the stone walkway.
She looks up toward the moon which is partially obscured by the clouds. Glancing behind, she sees a few townspeople peering around the corner. She points toward the building as the townspeople cower behind the corner.
June continues forward until a slight breeze and sudden chill blow past. Slowly stopping, she unveils her hood and takes in a deep breath. She turns around and sees a clear street. She surveys the area for a few seconds before turning back around and fixating her eyes on a shadowy figure lurking under a streetlamp.
The figure lurches over to June, weakly dragging its left leg while holding its right arm at the bicep. It keeps its face down, shivering as it shuffles toward June. June takes a step forward, but the figure recoils back, holds itself tighter, and hides its head within its ratty and disheveled clothing.
June stops, placing her hands low and open with her palms upward for the figure to see. It shuffles forward again, stopping uncomfortably close to June where she can see its broken teeth, stitched mouth, empty black eyes, patchy gray hair, and gray skin.
“Please, may I be allowed to speak,” the figure stutters while cowering from June, trying to hide its mangled face.
“Of course you may,” June responds softly, lowering her hands.
The figure holds itself tighter. “I don’t like artichokes, they hurt my throat when I try swallowing them.”
“Spirit, would you like to share anything else with me,” June asks.
“I’m sorry, I have already said too much,” the figure cowers while hiding its face, avoiding direct eye contact.
“It is no trouble.” June waves her hands and forms magic sigils in the air. Manipulating the magic symbols, the energy conjures a chair for herself and the spirit. “Please, join me and share all you’ve kept suppressed.”
“I’m allowed to sit?” the spirit nervously confirms.
“You do not need my permission, but if it makes you feel better then yes, you are allowed to sit.”
The spirit weakly sits in the large chair and releases a loud sigh of relief. June smiles while suppressing her gag reflex from seeing the spirit's broken teeth and smelling decade-old corpse breath.
The spirit takes in a deep breath and recounts the events of his former life as Alister Pacrim, a man who was never allowed to make any decision or form his own opinions. His family beat and sewed his mouth shut to prevent him from ever voicing his thoughts. He was married to an equally abusive woman who made him have multiple children, work grueling hours on her father’s farm, and tend to everyone’s needs.
Alister’s black eyes cry from recounting his history while sharing every opinion he’s ever held inside. His love for insects and wanting to study grasshoppers. His love for a girl he met at school who was married off to a city official. How proud he was of his middle daughter Cynthia for not taking after her abusive mother. How rotten his sons and other children became because they idolized their mother’s abusive behavior, adopting it for their own families. How angry he was at himself for being too weak to die with dignity at his wife’s hot fireplace poker.
With each confession, Alister regained his former youth. His teeth realigned, his mouth scars faded, his gray hair regained its brown sheen and his clothes returned to modest farm ware.
June listened to Alister all night until the sun began to rise.
“We have limited time Alister, is there anything else you’d like to say?”
“No, I think I’m okay now,” Alister answers with a gentle nod and a tear running down his face. He smiles as his body slowly evaporates into small spirit lights that vanish into the sky as the sun washes over him and June.
June exhales a deep sigh, stretches out of her chair, and waves her hands to erase the chairs from existence.
March trots down the street, meeting June in the middle of the road.
“All done here?” March asks.
“Yep, twas just a Breathless named Alister,” June replies. “I could use a nap though, twas a long night.”
Comments