Rivers of the Dead - 35. 4-4 - Wake-up Call

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4-4 Wake-up Call

Night greeted Ethan and Jake with the enticing sound of crickets. Both men wore jackets in case of a late March chill, but neither felt particularly cold. Their anticipation kept them warm, that and the company; everyone they loved currently resided in the small house behind them.

Not quite everyone, Ethan admitted to himself, missing his family already. He did love them, even if they were distant from him now. He would see them again, visit on occasion, when they felt the time was right. He’d leave it up to them, however, instead of forcing them to see him. He had his own life now and they had theirs, and that was the way it should be.

Jake’s hand twitched, making Ethan think he wanted a smoke. Ethan wished he could offer one, something, to calm Jake’s nerves, but he didn’t have anything on hand. Jake barely carried any drugs anymore, having cleaned up on behalf of his fiancé and future child, but he still kept a small stash. Ethan considered running and getting him something, but before he could, Jake asked a question. “Hey, are you sure about this?”

“More than I’ve been about anything in a long while,” Ethan replied. He glanced inside, where Liz sat at the kitchen table, muttering to herself. She was memorizing a spell, careful to consider every word and internalize it. Ethan admired her dedication to adequate preparation, and wished he’d learned that skill from her. All he felt right now was anxiety.

He returned his attention to Jake and asked, “You have misgivings?”

“The mother of my baby is eight months pregnant with my child. You can bet I’m nervous,” Jake replied, some of his typical roughness now missing from his tone. “I’m not even sure she should be doing magic, and a séance isn’t exactly a simple thing.”

“She says she can handle it, and I trust her,” Ethan replied. As he realized there was potentially more to it than that, he added, “If you’re feeling bad about it, though, I think I can probably get up the nerve to do it myself.”

“The only thing riskier than her doing it is you doing it, dude,” Jake said, laughing like it was the funniest joke in the world. His face fell when he saw Ethan wasn’t laughing. Jake added, “No offense, but . . . you haven’t touched magic in what, four months now?”

“Just about,” Ethan confirmed.

“And the last time you did, shit,” Jake shook his head, “You barely walked away, you know?”

“Yeah, I know,” Ethan replied, laughing. “I’m a mess.”

“I mean it in the best way possible,” Jake said. “But man, I’m glad you’re here.”

Ethan smiled. “Thanks, Jake.”

“Are you boys ready to begin, or are you going to just sit there all night?” Liz called to them through the screen door. Jake and Ethan shared a look and a grin, then both abandoned their porch chairs to walk back into the house.

“Sorry, Liz,” Ethan said, taking the seat to her left at the kitchen table as Jake took the seat opposite. “Let’s do this thing.”

Liz took Ethan’s hand and then Jake’s, and Jake reached across the table to take Ethan’s. Each of them tapped into the well of pure emotion within them, and linked their will, giving their power over to Liz. It wasn’t strictly necessary for such a spell, certainly not with a magic user of Liz’s caliber at the helm, but having the strength of all of them would make it easier on Liz. Out of concern for the baby, it seemed the best course of action.

Closing her eyes, Liz let her will assume control, and she slowly began the incantation she’d practiced.

“By the power of three, we seek the realm of the Dead. We humbly ask admittance of the guardians therein, and seek to commune with a soul who dwells among you. We seek the soul of Caleb Nield, beloved friend, fallen lover, and our companion. Guardians of The Underworld, let Acheron and Styx forbid us not, and let us bring his spirit to us but for a moment, that we may have our last communion.”

Ethan didn’t know what to expect. He’d never seen an actual séance before, only the theatrical depictions in television or movies. There were no flickering lights, no loud sounds or shaking walls, only the quiet sense that someone else had joined them.

“Caleb?” Liz asked, sensing the presence as well. She could feel him within her, and by extension, the others could, too, though at greater distance.

“Liz, is that you?” Liz said with Caleb’s voice. Ethan looked at Liz in surprise then shared an excited grin with Jake before returning to a clear mind and focus.

“Yes,” Liz said excitedly. “Oh God, it actually worked.”

“What worked?” Caleb asked. “Where are you? I can’t see you. I can’t see anything. Everything is dark.”

Liz didn’t care for the description of Caleb’s location, but she couldn’t help her smile at hearing her best friend’s voice again. “I’m at my house,” she answered. “I’m here with Jake, and Ethan.”

“Ethan is with you!?” Caleb asked, his voice booming out of Liz’s mouth.

Liz nodded. “Yes, of course. Didn’t you rescue him?”

“Ethan!” Caleb replied. It sounded like a moan, and Ethan started to lose his grip on his emotions. Thankfully, the circle kept him in check, and he was able to maintain control as Caleb asked, “Can I talk to him?”

“I performed a séance. You’re dead,” Liz replied. “You’ll have to speak through me.”

“C-caleb?” Ethan asked shakily.

“I can hear him. Oh, I can hear him!” Caleb said. Ethan could hear the intake of breath that marked a sob, and he choked on his own emotions in response. “Ethan,” Caleb whispered, “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.”

“I love you,” Caleb said.

Ethan sniffled, and his emotions went haywire. “I love you, too,” he said, nearly dropping out of the connection with the others. As he wavered, Liz and Jake sucked him back in with their unshakeable will.

“Ethan, I’ve been looking for you. I’ve tried to find . . .” Caleb choked on his words, and then said, “I guess my question has been answered.”

“Caleb, is Orpheus with you?” Ethan asked.

“Yes, he’s guiding me . . .” Caleb said.

It sounded to Ethan as if Caleb had trailed off in thought, and so he continued with his intended warning. “He’s not what he appears to be, he’s—”

Invoking Orpheus’ name came with the power of summoning him to the séance, and a different voice took control of Liz’s vocal cords: a melodic, male voice rippling with power and control. “That’s quite enough of that, Ethan,” Orpheus said. Liz’s eyes flashed open, and her head turned toward Ethan, glowering intensely. “You interfere again, after last time? I’ll give you one thing, you’ve got tenacity. Maybe you’d be useful to me after all.”

Liz gasped, as if overwhelmed by the intensity of the being now inhabiting her. Ethan could feel her fighting for control, to hold Orpheus at bay. He glanced at Jake, whose concerned expression showed the difficulty Jake was having in concentrating on the spell now that Liz was in danger.

“Let me talk to Caleb,” Ethan said, hoping diplomacy would work. “Please, Orpheus.”

“And why would I want to do a thing like that?” Orpheus asked, working Liz’s mouth into a conceited smirk.

“I won’t try to bring him back,” Ethan said.

Orpheus threw Liz’s head back and cackled madly. “You already know you can’t. Why do I care?”

Ethan’s eyes pleaded with Orpheus. “I just want to talk to him.”

“And tell him all about me and what I’m doing to him?” Orpheus asked. “I think not.”

Jake gripped Ethan’ and Liz’s hands tightly. “Liz, you need to end this,” he said. And then Ethan felt Jake attempt to assert control of the spell, his will surging within him as he reached into Liz, trying to help her regain her focus.

Orpheus swiveled Liz’s head toward Jake and growled menacingly. “Oh, another pitiful mage thinking he can interfere in my affairs. Maybe I should kill you, too?”

“Liz, now!” Jake insisted.

“I’m trying!” Liz cried.

“I’m trying!” Orpheus mocked, then returned his attention to Ethan. “Ethan, I think it’s time you and I had another chat, face to face.”

Ethan felt a tremendous pain travel up his arm. He wanted to let go, to end it, but he could no longer send commands to his hand or arm. He glanced down and saw his veins and arteries begin to darken, as if they were filling with black sludge. His whole arm tingled with pain, as the blackness traveled upward, hitting his bicep now.

“Liz! End it!” Jake shouted.

“I can’t,” Liz yelled, “he’s too strong!”

Death itself had reached into Ethan and threatened to fill his blood vessels with the eviscerating waters of the Styx. He could sense the poison and its source, and knew it would soon consume him entirely. Sparing a glance at Liz and Jake, he saw that they, too, were suffering from the same taint.

Liz, Jake, and baby Caleb; all of them would die if Ethan didn’t do something. He shut out the pain, transferring it to some distant point of self, compartmentalizing his mind to free himself from all distraction. He reached into the void of his own soul, the infinite depth of human consciousness, calling on all the will he could from himself and from his friends.

“Raaaaaaaaghhh!” He screamed, and his body surged with energy, drawn from the well of humanity among them, pulled from his love for his friends and their love for him. He forced the Stygian waters back to their source by his will, powered by the purest emotion he had ever known, and he uttered words of power, ringing with his conviction. “Go back to the Underworld! I banish you from this realm and sever the link to this body! You cannot have me, you cannot have her, and you will heed my words!”

Liz shuddered, and Orpheus uttered one final decree. “I’ll have you all in the end. I am Death!”

Ethan, Liz, and Jake collapsed to the table, breathing heavily. The world was spinning, and Ethan thought that the lights had now decided to flicker in response, until he realized how close he was to passing out. He felt Liz squeeze his hand weakly and risked lifting his head to glance at her.

“Ethan, how did you do that?” Liz whispered, and then more urgently added, “He was so strong!”

“Letting him kill me was one thing, but letting him kill you? Or Jake? Or the baby?” Ethan asked, he closed his eyes, then opened then again, starting to breathe normally at last. “I couldn’t let that happen. I love you both too much.”

“Ethan,” Jake said breathlessly, “you beat him.”

“Yeah, on our terms,” Ethan said, sitting up at last and letting go of their hands. “And he still almost killed us all.”

“Yeah, but you beat him,” Liz said, keeping her hand locked tight with Jake’s. “You know what that means, right?”

“What?”

“He can be beaten,” Liz said. “We just have to figure out how.”

Ethan was surprised at her conviction. She’d been the first to start doubting that bringing Caleb back was the right idea, and yet now she seemed to think she could challenge death. He had fought Orpheus twice, and he knew what a real battle would mean. Liz did not.

“No,” Ethan said firmly.

“What do you mean, 'no'?” Jake asked, sharing a look with Liz. “We can do this. Shit, you just did it!”

“We can’t beat him,” Ethan replied. “Not on his terms. Only someone who understands those terms and the limits he has can do that. We can’t beat him.” But his eyes lit up, and a smile slowly crept across his face. “But Caleb can, just as Orpheus beat Hades. It’s time to hit Orpheus where it hurts. We’ll take the fight to The Underworld.”

Don't forget to comment and react to this chapter! Also, special thanks to my Patreon Supporters: Michael, Bill, Charles, Amr, Don, James, Joe, Jos, Mark, Mark, Paul, Steve, John, Frank, Sam, Matthieu, Ben, Jay, Scott, Chris, and Lachlan. Couldn't have done it without them. Email me at Samuel.D.Roe@gmail.com to be put on my mailing list!