CHAPTER#36

"Slan leat," she said. The space behind her had opened up, bright light blinding him. He could just make out the sparkling blue waters of a large body of water behind her with a glass boat on the shores. He wanted to follow, to see where the boat would take him. His resistance crumbling, he stood, ready to give chase. Butterflies made of light flew across the pristine sand, their wings beating a tune of their own in the still air. He took a step forward, then another.

A voice could be heard, from across the ocean, telling him to stay. His mind was just able to register the fact that he shouldn't be able to recognize the voice, but it spoke across the decades as clear as if he had heard it last only minutes ago. Stunned, he ceased his forward motion.

"Dad?" The light vanished, leaving him in a room that was suddenly more lonely than it had ever been.

-

"Do you think he's okay up there?" Beth's eyes were on the basement, her back to the Vault door. All she could hear was the sounds of things breaking. She wondered if the spirits would level the house given enough time.

"Husband always okay. Slow sometimes, but good heart." Tink was using the gloves to pick up a small golden box that made a sound like a rattlesnake.

"Yeah, I guess." She thought of Mike and the changes she had seen in him. She had known him less than two weeks and it was like knowing two different people. She still saw him as the shy introvert from his first day in the house. Then there was the man who had various relationships with the creatures in his home, the same man who had noticed she was cold and given her the shirt off his back. When she had seen the scars all along his hip, it had taken everything in her power not to stare.

Nearly half an hour had passed when the spirits suddenly went silent. A distant song came from upstairs, but it felt like it was somehow seeping through the ceiling itself. It was in a language she didn't recognize, yet somehow it struck a chord within her soul. Sorrow washed over her, her hand coming to her mouth to repress a sob.

The song came in waves, a dirge that brought a small flood of tears. Her mind was flooded with memories of dead loved ones, the faces of people she hadn't thought about in a long time suddenly present in her mind's eye. She looked over her shoulder to see if Tink was reacting. The little goblin was busy putting objects back, tears streaming down her cheeks.

LIght swept through the floor in giant arcs, capturing an errant spirit that had been hiding beneath the freezer. It was slowly drawn up toward the the ceiling, its diaphanous form pulsing in time with the music.

The song lasted several minutes, causing an ache to form in her chest. The light was bright enough to illuminate the dark corners of the Vault. She fell to her knees, the agony within unbearable. Her soul was a raw nerve, flooding her system with grief. She sobbed uncontrollably, leaning forward against the cold floor.

A warm hand took hers. Through her tears, she saw that Tink sat with her now. The goblin pulled her over, lying Beth's head in her lap. Tink ran her fingers through Beth's hair, but said nothing. Unable to help herself, she curled into a ball, letting misery carry her for a while.

The light receded, the song over. Through the ceiling, she heard Mike call out, but was unable to hear what he said. Darkness had returned to the basement, but the house above had gone quiet.

"Tink keep watch," the goblin said, rubbing the back Beth's neck. "Go find husband."

"Ok." Beth stood and wiped her eyes. She climbed the stairs, opening the door at the top slowly. The kitchen was a mess. Anything that had been in the cabinets was now strewn about, the floor covered in broken glass. She walked carefully, her eyes on the walls just in case the spirits were still about.

"Mike?" She walked through the large dining room. The mess in here was minor, the chairs strewn about the room. Walking out into the living room, she spotted him.

He sat on the couch, knees pulled up to his chest. His face was hidden behind his arms and his body was perfectly still. She was almost afraid to touch him, but she had to know if he was okay.

"Mike?" She touched his bare shoulder, His skin was impossibly cold, as if he had been sitting outside in a blizzard. He lifted his head, a haunted look in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." His voice was nasally, and she saw streaks all along his face. He wiped his nose and stuck out his other hand. She helped him rise, steadying him. His hair hung around his face in a way that made it look like it had grown out an inch since this morning.

"What happened?"

"Funeral dirge. Cecilia took the spirits away. She'll be back eventually." He walked to the front closet and pulled out a coat. He put it on and held it tightly against his body, his teeth chattering.

"Is that all?" His eyes were on something distant, perhaps a memory or a place she couldn't see.

"Yeah. It's all I want to talk about, anyway." He rubbed at his eyes. "How are things downstairs?"

"They're-" She stopped, her eyes on the dark figure that stood at the base of the stairs. It was a rat, about a foot tall and wearing a pair of glasses that looked like they came from a children's toy.

"The Rat King wishes you to know that time is up. You have declared war on our people and we will drive you from our lands. This is but the beginning." The rat's voice was loud and obnoxious, his whiskers shaking with indignation. "You are to leave immediately or-"