The Gathering. Carl Read
right,” Renae, stated, annoyed. “So think on that while you’re messing around with your legal matters.”
“Renae, I just thought of something else. That parchment we found on the portal read: ‘I’ll visit by the stairs when the new moon arises.’ Tonight is the new moon. Kalareena is the one leaving the messages, which means Barbette knows her. I’ll be paying Mrs Phillips a visit in the morning to ask her some questions and then I will organise my affairs. I’ll ring to let you know what’s happening.”
“I’d appreciate that,” Renae replied. “I certainly think Mrs Phillips has some questions to answer. I would like to know the full extent of her involvement in all of this. It goes a lot deeper than a social visit from Kalareena.” Renae thought for a moment before continuing. “The vision suggested you were born of the Woodlands, not of the material realm.”
“It looks that way, providing the vision is correct,” he slowly replied.
“I believe it is,” Renae pondered. “What do you remember of your childhood?”
“I was happy and encouraged to read from an early age. My father, being a student of philosophy, loved anything from a supernatural point of view. We used to sit for hours talking and going over old manuscripts. He was interested in the Woodlands and often speculated about it. I simply followed in his footsteps. My mother never interfered with the path my father had chosen for me. Like my father I have a natural talent for myths, legends and the occult.”
“It sounds as if you were being schooled for something special,” Renae suggested.
“It does seem that way,” he agreed. He felt a little miffed at first that his parents had kept the origin of his birth from him. However, on reflection, he realised they were loving parents, who genuinely provided for his needs. He had no right to complain as they always placed him before themselves. Who was he to chastise them? Their decision was made for his protection. “It would appear we have somehow become embroiled in something rather intriguing, young lady.”
“Young lady! Why, thank you, kind sir,” Renae said, as she curtsied with a smile on her face.
He laughed. “It’s late and I’m tired. Let’s call it a night. I don’t know what time I’ll be in tomorrow. Good night Renae.”
“Good night Nathanial. Sleep well.”
CHAPTER TWO
A foreboding laugh splinters the Astral Plane, spreading ominous dread in its wake. The laugh belongs to Slegna, the supreme malevolent fiend of the realms of the Unbalanced. He has existed forever. Remaining in the background, Slegna is silent, devious and unscrupulous in feeding off the dominant unbalanced emotions of others. He nourishes himself on their sorrow and revels in the subtlety of seduction. Feelings of loneliness, sadness and despair are just some of the tools Slegna uses to turn people from the True Light of Oletha.
Hovering in the ethereal essence of life, Slegna senses a disruption in the Astral Plane, alerting him to the presence of the prophecy. He recognises the divided spirit of Nathanial and Kalareena. Observing them from the ethereal realm he realises that Nathanial is spiritually clumsy, as Kalareena hasn’t reawakened his psychic awareness. Slegna’s sadistic laugh is deep and low; he knows that Nathanial is vulnerable. He still has time to prevent the prophecy coming to fruition.
Concentrating on the rhythm of unwholesome energy, he locates a gang of reprobates he has been cultivating. Slegna narrowed his consciousness to listen and manipulate. Andy is the leader of their group; he is of average height with black hair, brown eyes and a thin wiry body. Then there is Joe. At five foot four, with fair hair and blue eyes, Joe has a gentle, timid disposition. Mick, Andy’s faithful comrade, is rather small in stature. His auburn hair falls in a tangled mess about a round face that reveals deep grey eyes and a full mouth. Terry, last member of the gang, stands six foot with a muscular body. His jet-black hair frames small, squinted nondescript eyes; he is a thoroughly mean bastard and a force to be reckoned with.
“Hey Terry, ya moron, you’ve had enough time with that bitch. It’s my turn.”
Andy walked down the hallway towards the room where Terry had the woman tied up. This was his latest abduction. He had grabbed her while she was coming out of the shopping centre late at night and laughed as she screamed for help. Andy knew Terry loved to have power over women, although he didn’t understand why. He could rarely get his dick hard enough to do anything with it.
The woman was making strange noises but then fell silent. Entering the room, Andy saw Terry standing over his victim with his limp dick hanging out of his pants. A truncheon he had taken from a security guide the night before was in his hand, with blood dripping from its end.
“Oh fuck, Terry, what have ya done?” Andy panicked.
“Don’t ya start on me! Ya weren’t here …” Terry yelled, glaring at Andy as he walked in the room.
“Is she dead?” Andy calculated there still might be a chance to save themselves, as he moved to the bed, his face white.
“Nar,” Terry said, becoming unhinged, “She’s just out of it a bit.” An hysterical laugh escaped his lips.
“Just out of it a bit!” Andy screamed, looking from the woman to Terry. “Mick, Joe, get your arses in here, now!”
Mick and Joe piled into the room stopping dead in their tracks at the sight of the bloodied body before them. Shivers ran down their spine and fear masked their faces.
Andy became livid and started yelling at Terry. “Fuck, fuck! Ya stupid bastard, she’s hurt real bad. Shit! She’ll die if we don’t get her ta hospital quick. Why the fuck did ya hit her? Ya never done that before.”
“I don’t know,” Terry snarled. “Somethin’ inside snapped.”
Slegna laughed knowingly, drinking deep of the swirling emotions that were being released.
“Joe, ya clean her up and then dress her real careful-like. Mick, ya get the car and put plastic on the seats so the blood don’t go nowhere. Did ya do anythin’, or just wave your dick at her?”
“Shit Andy, don’t be like that. No, I didn’t stick her.”
“So ya beat her instead,” Andy said, furious. “Ya stupid bastard! Mick, Joe and me will take her ta the hospital. We’ll make some story up about findin’ her.”
Mick walked through the door just as Joe arrived with a basin of water, a dirty face washer and a towel. Joe delicately washed, dried and redressed the woman; her clothes were miraculously still intact. After she was dressed they carried her to the car and gently placed her on the back seat. Irritated, Andy looked at Mick. “What’s your problem?”
“I was thinkin’, won’t she remember us?”
“Nar. She’s been blindfolded the whole time and it’s dark out. Besides she’s unconscious. Let’s get goin’.”
Andy drove, while Mick and Joe supported the woman between them. Finally they arrived at the hospital. Stopping the car short of the emergency entrance, Joe jumped out and found a wheelchair. Mick helped Joe transfer the unconscious woman to the chair where they removed her blindfold and then wheeled her through the doors and into the emergency ward.
“I need help here!” Joe called. “We found her lyin’ in the street.”
The nurse behind the desk took one look and immediately called for the doctor on duty. The doctor took the patient into the examination room whilst the nurse started asking the boys questions. They became increasingly nervous.
“Look nurse, none of us want ta be involved. We was just doin’ a good deed,” Joe responded.
They could see the nurse wasn’t convinced and as she reached for the phone to ring the police the boys took off. The doctor finished the examination, ordered several x-rays and transferred the woman to the operating theatre. Four hours later she