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This is amazing. I could live here quite happily.
*Can we get a dog?*
NO!
"I certainly will," Nace says to Heph. He turns to John. "So where will you be going from here?"
"It would be my honor."
John hesitates at Nace’s question
“Well, there is one thing I want to do before I head back down the Trail. There’s been talk of a haint. The soul of a tormented singer. His body was laid to rest in this town, but I hear his soul is still unquiet. I’d like to help him find peace”
”How would you do something like that?” Nace asks. ”This seems like the kind of thing Miren would be into. She could have some ideas.” Nace gestures in the direction of the shop.
John looks at Nace and smiles
“I’d love the help, if you’d be partial to it. I’m kinda new at this , but my grandpa was a dab hand at singing spirits to sleep. I’d like to try his songs with my new strings”
Heph straightens, and the group hears his back creaking
“If you folks don’t need anything else from me, it’s about time I took a nap. These kind of workings take a lot out of me”
In the front shop
The large hound submits to the small ghost child’s loves, even rolling to the side to allow access to his large belly. Miren can see the dog is corded muscle, some sort of mastiff, perhaps a Cane Corso. Actually, considering where they were, perhaps the ancestor of the breed. Despite his large and fearsome mien, Kirby seems very calm, and intelligent .
”Thank you... again, Heph,” Nace says, still marveling at the workshop. He turns this pistol over in his hands one more time before slipping it into his waistband at his back.
He turns to John and says, ”Let’s go talk to Miren.” He heads back toward the shop.
Out in the front of the shop Nace and Miyuku see Miren sitting with the large dog. It’s tail thinmps slowly
Miren shuts her notebook and rises, dusting off her jeans and smiling at the returnees.
"Those look like happy faces. All fixed? Bad Santa in our rearview mirror now?"
"Definitely! Even better than new!" Miyuku says with an enthusiastic grin.
”Miren, John was just talking about something I thought might interest you. A... haint, was it? This talk of spirits is kinda new to me, but maybe it doesn’t seem so new to you...” Nace looks to Miren, then to John to explain.
John nods, strumming his silvery strings and tuning them
“Well, it’s a sad tale, really. There was an artist, and he was one, though many would disagree. His birth name was Jesus Christ Alanson, of all things. His father was convinced he would be a messiah, and decided he should have a name to match the prediction. His father was that saddest of men, one who used the Good Lord as an excuse to abuse his family. His son became known as GG, because the weight of Jesus’ name is a hard burden. His life was an unhappy one, but he was gifted. His gift was twisted and tarnished by the path he was forced to walk. He became a punk rock icon, many in that community believe him to be the ultimate example of a true punk ethos. He continually hurt himself and his fans at shows. He threatened suicide on Halloween multiple times. He had a notion that his actions would make him stronger in the next life, and, he might have been right”
John sighs and starts playing a simple tune. The sad notes echo through the shop
“He eventually died of a heroin overdose. He is buried in Halifax. Since his death nigh on thirty years back his legend has only grown. There are dark whispers about his spirit. I fear that the adulation his fans give him is energizing his tortured soul, maybe even changing it into something even worse”
John stops strumming
“I’d like to stop this evolution of evil if I can. I’d like to help send his soul on to its rest. He suffered so in life, and I don’t wish to see him carry that pain into a dark spiritual form”
Miyuku listens silently to John's story, her gaze shifting to Miren to see her reaction. It was definitely a sad take, but also one of dangerous darkness. What they were likely to find might not be ready to welcome peace.
Miren listens to Nace with consternation, changing to doubt when John begins speaking. But but the time the tale is spun, her expression is one of pained sympathy. She sighs.
"I have some familiarity with spirits... I can usually see them if I wish, at least. But there is only one that I have actually worked with closely." She gestures at the now-materializing form of her child-self, which is building beyond its normal transparent etheriality into a more solid form than Miyuko or Nace have yet seen.
"Nevertheless, I feel that helping spirits is something I am bound to do... no, was born to do," Miren says softly, staring at the ground. Seemingly coming to a decision, she looks up to Nace and Miyuko. "I would like to help, if we can. But not if you are opposed. I think all of us need to be there."
The child smiles and waves at Nace and Miyuko, looks warily at John, then drops to the floor next to the big dog to inflict more fond attention on poor Kirby.
"It's the least I can do," Nace says with an appreciative look to John. "Where would we start?"
"And how do we help the spirit without destroying it? He needs to move on."
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"Helping without destroying is definitely more of your specialty than mine." Miyuku says giving Miren a rye smile. "I am far more the 'in case of emergency, break glass' girl in this scenario."
Miren frowns. "I'm not real certain how to help, unless maybe Miren can get through to him. But she's just a kid. I don't like to..." She stops that thought and frowns more in consideration.
"Well..." she says slowly, after a moment's pause. "I do want her to grow up and learn how to handle herself. Maybe... maybe this is just what she needs." Her voice lowers, perhaps so the ghost child, engrossed in the big dog, won't hear. "She can't move on like this. She needs to beat her fears and grow up some. I'm afraid Bad Santa might have set her back. Maybe if she can help this guy, it'll help her."
Miren stashes her sketchbook in her messenger bag.
"Guess I'm in, if that's what y'all want," she says, sounding a little dubious.
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"I believe we will all want to look after her," Nace says with a fond look to the ghost child. "We would never have found this place, if not for John. I'd like to help him out if I can."
John packs up his guitar in its battered case
“I would need to sing a spell of rest on him. To do that I’d need him distracted. I can do no song if’n he’s coming for me. If you all could occupy him while I get my wizardry in motion that would be enough “
Miren looks greatly relieved. "I think we can keep him busy. We might have to switch around some so we don't destroy him."
"We going straight there from here? Are you guys eager to show off your not-new-but-improved gear?" Miren smiles.
John nods
“I’d like to try and see what occurs. It will be night soon, and we are close to Halloween, which had some importance in GG’s personal beliefs as well as the culture. His power will be building “
He looks out the door at the lengthening sunshine
“Back to Halifax?”
"Sure thing," Nace says, leading the way back to his car. As they walk, he asks John, "If his power is building, should we act sooner, rather than later?"
John nods
“I would say tonight, if you folks are willing. It’s less than a fortnight until Halloween. Likely some of his fans would be at the cemetery during then too. Haunts can get up to all sorts of powerful strange things when the Veil is thin. I’d hate to see anyone hurt”
Miren holds out her hand to the ghostly child, who takes it as a normal child would, but is quickly absorbed into it.
Miren trails the two men back to the car, walking alongside Miyuku.
"So this is turning into quite the adventure isn't it?" Miyuku says quietly.
Miren grins wryly at her companion. "I'm just here for the party."
Since Nate is driving and John will need to provide direction, she folds herself into the back seat with a grimace. "Tall people need to start designing cars," she grumbles good-naturedly. "Say, any chance I can see your fancy toad-sticker now that it's fixed up?" she asks Miyuko once the other woman joins her.
Nace hops into the driver's seat, starts the SUV, and waits for the others to enter before pulling out. "Are we going straight there?" he asks, mostly to John, but with a look to Miren and Miyuku.
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Miren nods. "Fine by me, Nace."
Miyuku laughs at Miren's choice of a nickname for her blade. "Sure! I present Kagekiri." she says passing the wakizashi to Miren with a hint of ceremonial reverence.
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Miren receives it in a similar manner. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kagekiri," she greets it formally. You never know where spirits are hiding. Her admiration of the blade and its delicate tracework is open and unfeigned, but she passes the deadly steel back to Miyuku rather quickly. "Congratulations on your new old partnership."
The drive back to Halifax is relatively uneventful. The day started nice, but as they make their way back clouds begin to roll in, and the temperature begins to drop. the occasional drop of water hits the windshield, not enough to trigger the windshield, but enough to be noticeable.
John instructs Nace towards a large non-descript cemetery along a fairly undeveloped stretch of roadway. Unlike many of the cemeteries hereabouts, it is not obviously associated with a church. There is a large building that seems to serve as a mortuary/funeral parlor location. In the back is an attached area that seems involved in grounds keeping. There is a wrought iron fence encompassing the large cemetery, with a gate with the legend
Restful Acres Cemetery
There looks as if the cemetery is of a fairly recent vintage, and about a tenth of the way full, with open stretches of green between clusters of modern-looking stones. John nods towards the cemetery.
"G.G.'s remains were moved here about three years ago. He was originally buried in the Catholic cemetery in Halifax, but his fans made so much of a mess that the diocese forced his relocation to this non-denominational site. "
He points to the complex, which has a sign in front of it,
McIvers Funeral Home
"We'll probably have to check in there, unless you think we would be better served trying to go in stealthily."
EVENING SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2020
"The cemetery isn't open to visitors?" Nace muses, looking for any signage about open hours. "If not, I don't see the harm in checking in. I imagine fans probably seek out G.G.'s resting place on the regular - it shouldn't be that unusual. Trespassing is not a great way to introduce ourselves to the caretakers if we can help it."
John glances up at the rain clouds. The light is dimming rapidly as New England fall days are wont to do
“The gate is open, but I’m assuming they’ll be closing up soon. What we search for isn’t seen until darkness usually. The way I see it we have two options. One is to go to the funeral home and try to get a sense of whether they’d allow us access after dark. They likely wouldn’t be keen, but if we bluff them with a story about G.G’s fans up to no good, perhaps we could get permission. Two, we go in undercover of darkness. Park the car nearby and approach from the back by the forest side. The fence isn’t hard to climb over, and I doubt there is a lot of security out after dark. Maybe one patrol every few hours”
"I'd rather break in honestly than spread lies about his fans," Miren ventures. "We can scout out good parking places near the forest and get set up to move before it turns dark."
John nods
“Just so. Also, we don’t have any standing as law enforcement to investigate. Let’s look for a spot “
He directs Nace over and around the forested area that surrounds the cemetery. It takes a bit of driving, but they get to a road that parallels the cemetery road about two miles to the north. They find a small parking lot for a hiking trail. The light is fading, but they can see the lot is empty. The rain is starting to thicken. There is a spot towards the back of the lot that is shielded from the road to park. John looks at his smartphone
“According to this map, this hiking trail should go through the forest, close to the cemetery’s edge. We have about a two-mile hike”
Nace puts the SUV in park and hops out. ”So... from the sound of it, I’m thinking we want to be ready for just about anything.” There is an ominous tone to this remark as he looks to Miyuku and Miren. The encounter with the bad Santa is still foremost in his mind. Opening the back hatch, he grabs his backpack and slings it over his shoulder. He feels a bit self-conscious as he arms himself to the teeth - two guns, a knife on his belt, and, most peculiarly, a sword.
”If anybody looks to question us, things might get awkward,” he suggests. ”At any rate, the trail should be pretty deserted after dark.”
Miren bails from the back of the SUV and nods approvingly at Nace. "After last time, we'd better be prepared." She pulls her Carhartt sling bag out of the SUV behind her, sets it on the ground, and crouches while she unzips and rummages through it.
"Lessee... anyone want a food bar? They're not the best tasting things, but they'll keep your stomach quiet." She pulls a sheathed kukri from the long side of the bag, as well as a half-dozen food bars, offering them around and stashing spares in the small pocket on the side of the bag.
She also pulls out a headlamp, wrapping the band three times around one wrist. "Red light on this - good for your night vision. Got a stitching kit, too, in case you guys sword each other on accident."
Standing, she closes the SUV's door and slings the bag across one shoulder, over her jeans jacket. She fumbles a moment at her belt before managing to secure the kukri's sheath to it.
"We're ready when you are."
The party sets off into the darkling woods. The ground is ridged, and they take a circuitous route through the pine forest. There is one comfort: The thickening rain is blocked by the thick tree cover to a certain extent by the predominant coniferous forest. An occasional gust of rain hits when they pass an oak or maple, their thinning leaves unable the shield them as well.
The trail is well-travelled, and is easy enough to keep on with Miren’s red light. They navigate towards the back fence of the cemetery. The wind whistles through the trees, and there is a far-off grumbling of thunder.
They get to a point where they have to leave the trail. There is a slight downhill trudge, and the darkness causes various scratches as brambles become harder to avoid. They emerge by a small stream, beyond which is a small embankment. A few dozen meters past that is the back fence of the cemetery.
The stream has many rocks within it, which makes fording it simple. The embankment is easily scaled, and the party soon faces the fence. It is a six-foot fence made of powder-coated cast aluminum set in a two-foot brick pediment, making an eight-foot barrier. The fence has three cross-braces within its construction, and clambering over it will be difficult, but not impossible
.
Nace proceeds confidently through the semi-darkness, his infernal heritage enabling him to see much more than the dim flashlight illuminates.
Reaching the fence, he looks up at it and then back to the party. "I could boost somebody," he offers, standing by the fence and ready to provide someone a step to reach the top.
"Wow, they really keep the dearly departed secure here. I think someone watched too much 'Walking Dead.'" Miren surveys the fence calmly for a moment, then deliberately climbs atop the brick base, using the cross-braces as hand- and toe-holds to reach the top, where she swings one leg over, hooking her knee on the top.
"Taller than a horse, but it won't buck you off. And no razor wire." Miren waits atop the fence to offer a hand up to the next climber, if needed. She keeps the light pointed on the climb path for the others.
Miren, with the assistance of Nace, manages to scramble over the fence. She lands on the well-manicured grass.
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Miren, with no help from anyone, scrambles over the fence and sticks a landing in the wet grass beyond
Quietly gathering her focus for most of the trip, Miyuku smiles as she watches Miren nimbly scale the fence. She could feel Kagekiri's presence almost thrumming against her back, supplemented by her H&K VP9SK and Glock G42, carried concealed on her person.
Taking a few steps back she launches herself into a run, shifting into a tumbling pass and she approaches the fence, her body launching into a twisting somersault that takes her clear over the fence to land in a predatory crouch.
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Miren jumps as Miyuku appears from the sky and lands next to her. "Showoff," she hisses, moving away from the wall to make room for other falling humans.
Miyuku grins, giving the spirit talker a wink as she moves aside.
John clambers over the fence, landing lightly on his well-oiled hiking boots
“I know the general location of the grave. If we stay by the fence line we’ll likely stay out of sight of any patrols “
A flash of lighting flickers in the clouds. A few seconds later there is a rumbling of thunder