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Absorption
A Kendrick story
By
Jennifer Brozek
Start from the beginning of the Kendrick Series

"Mold infestation, my ass!" Juliet said and handed the official notice of a failed health inspection back to Lamiel. "This is a total set up."

Lamiel, looking tired and more than a little worried, nodded. "Of course it is. Did you see the list of clubs closed until the 'hazard' could be cleaned up? There's not a mundane club among them. We're being targeted."

"By whom?"

"Who do you think?"

Juliet paused then said, "The Children? Why?"

She shrugged. "Because we're next on the hit list. First, the Grey Lady and hers were attacked. Then the nature pagans and Druids. Then the gargoyles. Now, us. Those of us in the city." Lamiel tossed the official notice to the table. "Every one of the clubs closed is a place of power. We're the strongest of the bunch. We'll have to post sentinels to try and stop the impending attack."

Juliet frowned. "This order came from the city. You don't think the Children of Anu have a hold on the city council, do you?"

"Maybe. Or they have a hold on a couple of important people." Lamiel waved a dismissive hand. "It doesn't matter. We've been shut down and we'll have to let the 'inspectors' and such in."

"What do we do?"

"What we always do - hunker down and prepare for the worst. In this case, it means you need to scout out a new ritual space. Some place we can worship and work our magic in safety and privacy. Take whomever you need with you but do it fast. I don't think we have much time to set our defenses."

Juliet nodded. "I won't fail us."

"I know. I'd help but I've got to set things here as best I can."

***

Aaron was waiting for her at the Kahili Coffee House when Karen arrived to get coffee on her way to see John before collapsing into bed. It had been a long night at Emergency Services. Ever since the news of the outbreak of the harmful, and possibly hallucinogenic, mold growth, the phones had been ringing off the hook and most of them were false alarms. At this point, she could rattle off the phone numbers for the Board of Health, Public Safety and the new Mold Inspection team without thinking about it.

She saw Aaron as soon as she walked in and sighed to herself. He had the look of a person waiting for someone and when their eyes met, she knew he had been waiting for her. She wondered, as she stood in line, how many mornings he had waited for her here. Then, she decided she did not want to know. She was not ready for this conversation. Not yet.

After she got her coffee and walked over to the small stand to doctor it with some sugar, she heard him call her name. She steeled herself as she finished making her coffee the way she liked it and turned around. Aaron waved her over to his table. She obliged.

"Good morning." Aaron said. "Long night?"

She nodded. "It was." She paused, then plunged ahead with the normal niceties. "How are you doing?"

"Not bad. Getting used to being back here." He admitted, then said, "I was hoping to run into you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He confirmed. After a few moments of silence on both sides, Aaron offered an olive branch, "I'm sorry I left the way I did. I thought it was necessary at the time. For both of us."

"You left me a note to say good-bye after everything that had happened." She was too tired to keep the remembered hurt out of her voice.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"What do you want from me now, Aaron? Why are you back here in Kendrick?"

"I'm here because the Brotherhood needs me and asked me to return. When they did, I discovered that I was ready to come back and face things." He paused, "Face what happened and why. I would like to talk about it with you, if you have time."

"I don't."

Aaron blinked as if her blunt statement slapped him across the nose. "Oh."

Karen sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't have time right now. I'm exhausted and honestly, I'm not ready to talk to you about all that. Not yet."

"I never meant to hurt you."

"I know. But the way to Hell is paved with good intentions. Just ask David." She saw him wince. "Aaron, we'll talk about this. I promise. But not right now. Not for a couple of weeks, maybe. I'm just not ready. I just found out you're back and you're best buds with a man you once considered your rival. I'm just not in a place to reconcile all that."

Aaron nodded slowly, "I understand."

"Do you? Do you really?"

This time he hesitated before answering. "I think I do and I'm willing to wait until you're ready."

Karen searched his eyes with her own for a bit before nodding. "All right. I'm sure we'll see each other soon." She stood up and paused before turning away. "Susan's going through a really hard time right now. She might appreciate a sympathetic ear. The fact that you helped save the gargoyles despite her personal loss might be a good reason for her to talk to you about the pain she's going through now."

Aaron nodded. "I'll go see her as soon as I can."

"Thank you," she said and started to turn away.

"Karen?"

She turned back, "Yeah?"

He paused, then said, "You have a good day, OK?"

She smiled at him. "Thank you."

***

Vicki entered the warehouse through a side door. As warehouses went, it was a small one but perfect for the raves and other parties hosted here every weekend. She let herself be drawn through the makeshift rooms, separated by folding wall panels, towards the single flame of power. Beyond the juice bar, past the dance floor and its DJ stage, there was a small room in the back. This is where the power emanated from.

She paused in the doorway, looking at the unassuming room of wall-to-wall couches and cushioned floor. This was the place they came to take the drugs and to share their bodies when they weren't on the dance floor. It was the small ecstatic temple where the worthy and the naïve worshiped on beds of fabric and flesh. She stepped into the room and immediately felt the power lick about her body, looking to feed and to be fed.

For a moment, Vicki stood there, feeling almost like the mortal teenager she appeared to be. Fear and doubt crept into her mind. The gargoyles had taken back their power by breaking into the doctor's office and stealing the kinstone from her. Would these modern shamans be able to do the same?

Anu forced himself into the front of her mind. He had been hiding, nursing his wounds. His control on the girl had wavered but not broken. He re-established it. He would not let one little girl's fear of pain thwart him. 'We will make it so they cannot strike back. We were kind, generous even. We will not be now.' He put the thought in the forefront of her mind.

Vicki's fear transformed itself into determined anger. They had taken from her what was rightfully hers. She would tolerate it no more. Moving to the center of the ecstatic temple, Vicki held out her arms, enticing the flow of power to her. Once it was within her grasp, she squeezed tight and pulled, sucking all of the energy from this temple into herself. She absorbed it instantly and she did not stop there. She followed the lines of power outward, pulling all of the energy from those most closely tied to the temple, sucking it into herself. She ignored the mental and spiritual screams of pain as she ate to satisfy her gnawing hunger.

Behind the high school, three punks and a gothic looking chick, sat smoking, waiting for the bell to ring. Then they would decide if they would return to class or go their own way. Instead of a bell, a scream filled the air for a brief moment before it was silenced. All four students collapsed to the ground, never realizing the screams had come from their own throats.

In the counselor's office, the straight A student volunteer manning the reception desk suddenly gasped in pain then slid out of her chair and onto the carpeted floor, unconscious with blood streaming from her mouth and nose.

Sleeping in the basement rec room of their parents' home, the pair of brothers who ran most of the raves at the warehouse both moaned in their sleep. They both turned over, reaching for each other but they never had the chance to wake up and mount a defense against what was killing them. They never woke up at all.

Vicki sighed, barely sated, and nodded to herself. This had been good; a Band-Aid to  the gaping wound within her. It was just enough to keep her from fully reverting back to the mundane teen she had once been and it was gratifying to know that there were more places like this to eat from. She had her list and she would feast at every site.

***

"I've decided to do something about Dr. Mercer," Mason said. "I don't know what, yet, but something has to be done. I've let things go too far."

David nodded, keeping his 'I told you so' to himself. "What do you want me to do? Just name it."

Mason frowned a little. "I don't know much about how to cure the spirit-ridden. Maybe someone in my family does. Doctor Mercer was once a good man. A bit uptight, but good nonetheless. If we can, I would like to save the person he once was."

"Is that possible?"

"It is."  This answer came neither from Mason nor David. Instead, it came from Aaron, standing in the doorway of Mason's office.

Neither David nor Mason reacted in surprise at Aaron's sudden appearance though it put both on edge. "How long have you been there?" Mason asked.

"Long enough to know that you need my help." Aaron said as he answered Mason though he was looking at David. "It is possible to save the man, Doctor Mercer, while freeing him from the spirit riding him. It's dangerous and I'll need both of your help."

David gave Aaron a joyless smile, "When is doing the right thing ever easy or safe?"

Mason sat back and looked at the two young men. Clearly, the relationship between then had changed and he had not been apprised of the situation. People were falling down on the job. Never mind. That could be dealt with later. For now, his attention needed to be on the Brotherhood's newest Abbot and his co-conspirator in undermining his spirit-ridden daughter.

"Rarely if ever." Aaron stepped into the room, closed the door and offered a hand to Mason. "Mayor, it's good to see you again."

"Abbot," Mason responded formally and shook his hand. "What can we do for you? Or are you here specifically to deal with the good doctor."

"Originally, I was just coming by to give my regards but it appears I've been drawn here for more. Let's talk about Doctor Mercer, his spirit and his partner, Vicki."

David and Mason looked at each other and nodded in agreement. Aaron took a seat and began to talk. He was very clear on the dangers of what he was proposing to do and what could happen to those who participated in the exorcism.

***

After barely four hours of sleep, John woke Karen up again. "What?" She asked, coming awake with a surge of fear. "What's wrong? Is Sebastian OK?"

"Shhh. Nothing wrong. Sebastian's still sleeping. The Grey Lady needs to talk to us." John, squeezing her hand. "She just appeared in the shop and said she needed to tell you something."

Karen yawned and looked at the clock. It was two in the afternoon. She did not grumble about needing sleep. When the Grey Lady wanted to speak, you got up. She struggled out of bed and into a tank top and a pair of sweat pants. If you woke a person up for a chat, you got to see them in whatever was handy. She finger-combed her long, brown waves a little and called it good. Then she followed John downstairs to the Teller's Fortune.

The Grey Lady was there, looking almost back to normal if were not for the translucent quality about her. Still, Karen saw that the Lady's eyes were almost back to their normal grey color and that had to be good. Right? She smiled at the Lady. "Good afternoon."

"I apologize for waking you but this would not wait. When these things come to me, I must state them before they fade like the dreams they are." The Lady's voice was soft and also had a translucent quality to it.

John and Karen looked at each other. "Ok," Karen said. "What do you need to tell us?"

The Grey Lady took a breath and spoke. Her words were more than solid in the air. They almost seemed to echo. "The end is nigh for one who harries this city. But, only the righteous hand may kill that which needs to die while not killing the one who should be redeemed. One of the city's own will be sacrificed if the righteous hand does not move quickly enough. There are only days left."

When she stopped speaking, there was a tension in the air and a sense of foreboding. Karen and the Grey Lady looked at each other without speaking. The only sound was the scratch of pencil to paper as John quickly wrote down the prophecy spoken through the Grey Lady.

"Oh. Thank you," said Karen, not sure what else to say. Prophecies had a way of unnerving her.

"You are welcome. I cannot stay. Fair you well, Karen of the city." The Grey Lady said and faded from sight as John looked up from writing down the last of the prophecy.

"Dammit." He said. "I hate it when they do that."

"What? Prophesy and run? Does it happen any other way?" 

"Sometimes it involves blood."

"In that case, I think I prefer it this way." Karen sat down and rubbed her face. She gauged how her body was feeling and knew that she would not be able to get back to sleep for a while. She turned to John, "Got any tea left?"

He nodded as he handed her the sheet of paper with the Grey Lady's prophecy on it. "See if you can make sense of it."

Karen looked at it and sighed. The only person she could think of with a 'righteous hand' was Aaron Patterson and he was one person she really did not want to talk to right now. But, it seemed she had no choice.

***

Elsewhere...

Mason watched his spirit-ridden daughter pace about the room. He knew that she was more avatar than daughter and he had to keep his thoughts cloaked. Part of him wanted to shout with a suicidal mania that she would be defeated. The part of him with a survival instinct kept his silence until spoken to.

"Where's the rest of the family?" She asked.

"I thought it best that they leave. Give you your space while you work."

"What if I needed them?" She snapped, looking at him.

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. "I should be the only one you need, Vicki."

She stopped and smiled. "Jealous, father? How unexpected."

He turned from her, keeping a tight reign on his thoughts. He did not want his perceived jealousy to be revealed as the protectiveness it was.

"Aww. I'll always need you. But, right now I'm hungry." She gave him a kiss on the top of the head.

He glanced up at her and saw the predator in her eyes. "The city clubs may not feed you. Maybe you should go onto bigger game."

"Like what?" She was curious. Having her father no longer fight her was both interesting and disappointing.

Mason shrugged and thought of the most protected group in Kendrick he could think of. "What about the Makah? Their land is fertile."

Vicki stopped her pacing. She remembered her own word to Chief Walks-the-Ocean, 'In a couple of days, all this won't matter. You'll have your precious amulet back as well as full autonomy of your land. As per our agreement, the Children of Anu will make no claims or inroads into Makah territory again. As for this amulet, you will have it back. That's how you'll know that your land, including the cave, is all yours again. Then you may do with it as you will.'  There were agreements that even one such as she had to abide by. Sanctity of the Makah land was one of them. She shook her head "No."

He looked at her, surprised. "No? But, isn't that where you became...?"

"No, I said. Do not question me again." Her voice held a dangerous note that promised pain if he continued his line of questioning.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know. I won't mention it again." Mason rushed out in his most contrite voice. "I promise."

Vicki stared at him for a long moment. "I'm going out. I don't know when I'll be back but you'd better be here when I do return." She turned on her heel and strode from the room.

Mason stared after her, wondering what it was about the Makah land that made it sacrosanct to Vicki's growing hunger for power. It was a mystery that needed to be solved and soon. It could give them the clue they needed to defeat her.

Story by Jennifer Brozek, Copyright 2008
Image by Rory Clark, Stopped Motion Photography, Copyright 2008