The Samhain Chronicles: Ch. 13

Pain. Blind, pure, excruciating pain. That was all that Danny knew. The silver crucifix seared his brow like molten lead, but he couldn't move to knock Mother Abigail's hand away. His spine arched backward away from her at an unnatural angle as an unearthly scream rose from his throat. Mother Abigail held the back of his head with her other hand, keeping him upright and the cross pressed firmly to his forehead. After the initial shock wore off, he began twisting in her grip, trying to free himself. For such an elderly woman, however, Mother Abigail's grip was firm and unrelenting. Her eyes bore into him, still warm but incredibly stern, "Breathe, Daniel; focus on the darkness, and expunge it!!"

Danny wanted to ask her what in the world she meant, but the words he intended to speak were not the ones that left his lips. In a voice that was not his own, he snarled and growled at the holy woman, "Filthy wretched crone!! Take your hands off me!! Do ye have any idea who the bloody hell ye're dealing with?! I shall tear your throat out!!"

Mother Abigail's features settled into a grim frown as she moved the crucifix from his brow to his neck. "You do not belong here,"' she said calmly, "and you do not frighten me. This body does not belong to you, nor do you belong in this hallowed place!" Danny's screams silenced to gagging and choking as the small silver cross dug into his adam's apple. His arms moved on their own, trying to claw at the elderly woman immobilizing his head, but no matter how desperately they tried, he could not lay a finger on her. A small plume of white smoke wafted from his skin, and he thought he could smell the foul odor of burnt meat. Mother Abigail remained totally unflappable and serene, completely unfazed by his wild, uncontrollable thrashing. "Foul dark spirit," she bellowed, "in the name of the LORD, I cast thee out!! Be gone, and leave this pure Servant of the Most High!!"

Danny's head and arms snapped back, his mouth open wide in a silent scream towards the heavens. It felt like he was being torn apart at the atomic level, then being put back together again just as quickly. Just when he was afraid that his entire being would unravel, the pain reached its pinnacle and he was blown back halfway across the courtyard. He crashed through one of the laundry lines and landed flat on his back, which immediately arched off the gravel beneath him. From somewhere deep inside him, a thick black substance somewhere between smoke and motor oil bubbled up his throat and out his nose and mouth. It all happened as quick as a flash; the inky substance poured out of his body, then shot up into the atmosphere and vanished without a trace.

Danny lay there on the sandy, pebbly ground gasping for air. He was drenched in sweat and shaking, feeling every bit like he'd just completed a marathon through knee-deep mud. As he laid staring up at the night sky, he thought it seemed brighter and calmer than before. The shimmering stars seemed to laugh and dance above him in celebration, and he was overwhelmed with an incredible sense of peace like he'd never felt before. The pain he felt was gone in an instant, along with his relentless headache and nausea. Suddenly, Mother Abigail's face appeared above him. She looked exhausted, but smiled upon him warmly. He wasn't sure if he imagined it, but she seemed to have a soft, golden aura around her that he didn't notice before; calm, peaceful, motherly almost. She knelt down and wriggled her gnarled hands under his shoulders, gently and slowly helping him sit up, then cradled his head to her thin bosom. "Breathe the air of freedom, My Child," she smiled, "I presume you haven't done so in a very, very long time."

After a few moments, Danny pulled away from her and staggered to his feet. He bounced on his toes a little, surprised by how incredibly light his body felt, "I... I feel...strange. B-But not in a bad way. It feels..." He looked up at the night sky again, and at the stars playing behind velvety wisps of clouds, and without meaning to summoned his wings, "...it feels good... Better than good. I feel extraordinary!" He laughed at how good he felt, then a strange urge seemed to take over him. Turning his face skyward again, his wings spread open wide and then swiftly came down again. In a single, thunderous "snap", he had propelled himself high into the sky.

The cool evening wind felt as refreshing as a spring rain against his face. He tumbled and soared through the clouds, performing acrobatics he could only dream of before. Something about this feeling was very familiar, like a favorite yet long-forgotten childhood memory brought back to the forefront of his mind. For the first time in his life - of what he could remember of it, that is - he felt totally, completely and inescapably free. He soared higher and higher, wondering if he may be able to catch one of the stars twinkling just out of reach, when a large, black mass appeared right next to his left wing. It lunged at him, forcing him to take evasive maneuvers, but no matter how fast or far he flew, it pursued him doggedly. After a few minutes it drove him back to the ground. Thankfully, the inky mass halted in mid-air about half a kilometer above the bell tower. It bobbed and hovered angrily like a caged lion, but seemed unable to go any lower, for the time being at least.

Danny stood bent over at the waist, hands on his knees and completely out of air from his spirited flight. Mother Abigail was watching him with a small, proud smile, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. "That was an impressive display, My Child," she grinned, "I feel quite blessed that I was able to witness it."

When he regained enough breath to speak, he looked up again at the inky cloud. It was as if an invisible bubble of protection covered the entire convent, and the strange blacker-than-black cloud was probing the perimeter looking for any way to get back in. His wide, grey eyes turned to the elderly woman before him, shocked, frightened and more than a little confused, "M-Mother Abigail, I-... Wh-what is that horrible thing?!"

Mother Abigail followed his gaze, but looked away from the mass after only a moment. "It is an evil spirit," she said curtly, "a demon. Quite a powerful one too, I must say, to be able to remain this close to the Convent. How it came to possess you, I can't say for sure...nor can I guarantee that it will not do so again." Danny looked up at the cloud-like form fearfully, but Mother Abigail strode forward and gently placed her hands on either side of his face. "Do not fear, Daniel," she smiled, "As long as you are here in the Convent, it cannot harm you. Here, you are under the protection of The Almighty." She then stood on tiptoe to loop the chain of the silver crucifix around his neck, her expression once more full of sadness, "If you were to leave the Convent, however...I cannot promise what will happen. The demon was bonded to you for many years, I fear, and a bond that strong is not easily broken."

Danny was still trying to wrap his head around the honestly too fantastical to be true information that Mother Abigail had unloaded on him, when his eye was suddenly drawn past her by a small bit of movement. When he realized what he was seeing, he felt his body turn to stone; every single nun in the convent was congregated at the other end of the courtyard, staring at him. Some were on their knees, their lips moving swiftly and fervently in silent prayer, while most of the others were just gawking with their mouths open. Every woman there stood wide-eyed, some in fear others in awe. He glanced up at the sky then, wondering if they had witnessed his flight, and only then was he aware that his wings were still prominently out. He folded them back and looked at the ground, feeling nervous and a little embarrassed, but his wings refused to disappear no matter how hard he tried.

Penelope broke from the crowd and rushed over to him, grinning widely, "Daniel, that was incredible!! You're a natural, really!" She dove into his arms with a giggle and gave him a kiss on the jaw, then frowned suddenly, "Wait a minute... why didn't you fly like that before, when we were running away from Kane?!"

Danny blushed and shook his head, a sheepish grin spreading across his face, "Honestly, your guess is as good as mine. Before, I was so afraid and anxious, but now... I feel utterly fantastic!!" To emphasize his point, he grabbed Penelope around the waist and swung her around, coming off the ground himself about half a meter at the peak of the swing and laughing like a drunken fool.

Penelope gasped and hugged his neck tight when his shoes left the gravel, "Daniel, too high! I'm happy for you, My Love, but please keep close to the ground for me!"

Danny's smile fell a little as he glanced back up at the inky smoke cloud still hovering suffocatingly close to the convent roofs, "Believe me, Dearest, that shan't be difficult. Mother Abigail, isn't there anything ye can do to-"

The elderly woman silenced him with a wave of her hand and addressed the group of onlookers calmly, "What you have witnessed tonight, My Children, you will speak of to no one outside the convent, for Daniel's own protection. Am I understood?" The nuns began looking at each other in disbelief, but there was a quiet affirmative murmur that rippled through the small crowd. Mother Abigail smiled and gave a nod, "Good. You may conduct your evening prayers in private tonight. Sleep well, My Children; we'll see you in the morning."

After the crowd dispersed and Mother Abigail had another quick word with Dr. Horace, the aging therapist gave Danny a swift hug. "You never cease to surprise me, My Lad," he grinned, squeezing Danny's forearms proudly. "I'm going to stay the night in the village at the bottom of the hill, but in the morning I must head back to Brighton. Good luck, Danny. I shall come back to check up on you in a few day's time." He gave his adoptive son one more quick hug and a fatherly peck on the cheek before jogging off through the convent gates. That left Danny and Penelope standing alone in the courtyard with Mother Abigail.

She waved them on through the doors of the chapel, once inside of which Danny's wings faded away on their own. It was small but breathtakingly beautiful, featuring ornate stained glass windows at the back and on either side and gilded candle holders lining the walls. At the back was a small altar, covered in a royal blue velvet cloth with a gilded cross in the middle and flickering candles spanning from end to end. Danny wasn't paying as much attention to the architecture as he was to the elderly woman leading them down the aisle. "Mother Abigail," he asked, trying not to seem impatient, "I have so many questions: what am I? How did I gain these abilities I have, and why was I not aware of their presence until now? Is there no way to find out?"

Mother Abigail knelt down on a small velvet cushion in front of the altar and lit a candle, praying quietly for a few minutes before struggling to her feet again and addressing him. "The answers you seek can only be answered by One," she said, indicating the large, stained glass window behind her. The image depicted the Crucifixion, and the light shining through the jewel bright eyes of the Savior made Danny tremble and feel suddenly very small.

"I don't know much about...any of this," Danny admitted, tearing his gaze away from the highly religious depiction, "except for what little I remember from that theology elective I took at Uni. Are... Are ye positive that...?" He couldn't get the rest of the words out, intimidated as he was by the figure looking down upon him. He knew it was only glass and lead, but something about the holy image unsettled him, as if the painted eyes staring at him were the eyes of a stern, loving but highly disappointed father. He didn't know what he had done wrong, but a part of him felt he deserved the anger in that stare. He swallowed hard and started to try again, but Mother Abigail finished the thought for him.

"You wish to know if HE is real," she surmised, shaking her head with a weary chuckle, "It's alright. Many who visit here ask the very same question. All I can tell you is that I can feel it in my heart and soul that HE is as real as your wings, My Child." She hobbled forward a little, showing a bit of her age in how tired she looked as she paused to put a hand on his arm, "You may spend as much time here as you like, seeking the answers to those questions. We have quite an extensive library as well, and you are welcome to it any time, day or night."

Penelope nodded gratefully, "Thank you, Mother Abigail. We don't have much money between us - none at all, actually, at the moment - but we will do our best to repay your kindness as soon as possible."

Mother Abigail smiled knowingly at the younger woman, "We have no use for money here, My Child, but that's alright. All I ask in return for sheltering you here is that you help out with the daily chores. Sister Agnes can instruct you further in the morning." She turned to Danny with a wink, "That goes for both of you. Chores usually don't take more than a few hours to complete, and afterwards the rest of the day is yours to enjoy as you see fit. Breakfast is at six sharp, and chores begin after morning prayers. Goodnight, My Children...and good luck."

After Mother Abigail shuffled out of the chapel, Danny sank heavily onto one of the pews with a sigh, "Well...things could be worse. At least we have shelter, for the time being." He glanced up at the ceiling, which was painted over with frescoes of angels. They looked happy, he thought, and yet their painted smiles felt mocking to him in a way. Penelope then tilted his face back down to look him in the eye, her expression tender yet determined.

"We won't be here forever," she promised, pressing a quick, soft kiss on his lips, "Before you know it, this whole bloody affair will be sorted, and we'll be back at the Academy where we belong."

Danny nodded, unconvinced, and pulled her down beside him onto the pew. "What if...we never find the answers we seek?" he asked, rubbing the backs of her hands with his thumbs, "What if we wind up running from these madmen all our lives... or worse, end up stuck here forever?"

Penelope pursed her lips in thought, "Staying here forever wouldn't be so terrible, would it? I mean, it's nothing like the City, but living in the country does have its charm. I think I would miss the internet after a while, but I can live without it." She giggled at her own joke, but Danny was not amused. He looked back up at the frescoes above him, suddenly sick to his stomach at how happy they looked. They seemed to be saying "look at us: we're free. You'll never be truly free. You don't deserve to be as free and happy as we."

He glanced down at his knees after a moment, unable to look upon their sickeningly cheerful faces any longer, and shook his head. "Penelope, I cannae stay here... not forever. For one thing, I don't belong here."

Penelope grinned impishly, "There are several nuns I've spoken to here that wholeheartedly agree with that assessment. Don't worry, My Love; they'll learn that you're a perfect gentlemen, and not the source of temptation they're afraid you are...especially not after what they saw tonight."

Danny clenched his jaw and flexed his hands on his knees agitatedly, "That's not what I meant, Penelope! I mean, it is, but... I dunno how to explain it!" He stood and began pacing in the aisle, running his hand though his stark white locks in frustration. Eventually, once he had calmed himself again, he turned to the young woman waiting patiently for him to speak. "I... I don't belong here," he muttered, "I dunno where exactly I belong, but... it's not here. And I'm not entirely sure it's in Brighton either." Without meaning to, he looked up once more at the frescoes on the ceiling.

Penelope's arms wrapped around his waist, bringing his attention back down to her. "It's alright," she murmured, "I think I understand what you mean. All I want is for you to be happy, Daniel...and I'm going to help you to the best of my ability. You have my word." Danny returned the hug gently, glad to have Penelope at his side. Even if he didn't understand what he was feeling, it was a comfort to have her with him. He was warmed by her presence from the inside out, and as he held her another strange compulsion began taking over. Without warning, he grasped her wrist and started pulling her swiftly toward the chapel doors. Penelope gasped in surprise, but didn't attempt to pull away, "Daniel, what is it? Where are we going?!"

The moment they got outside, Danny scooped her up in a bridal style carry and pressed a fiery kiss onto her lips. "Hold on tight," he grinned, then took off running across the courtyard. When he reached the center, he took a flying leap and at the apex of his jump summoned his wings again.

Penelope screamed and hugged his neck tight as he swooped and glided around the rooftops, hardly daring to bring her face out of his shoulder for an instant. "D-Daniel... t-too high!! Too high!! P-Put me down, please!!" The elation he felt from flying was quickly replaced with mild guilt, as he had momentarily forgotten her phobia. He landed on the belfry roof a moment later, muttering apologies as he wrapped her in his wings securely. A nervous little titter left Penelope's lips as she clung tightly to his chest, "I-It's alright... j-just warn me next time. You're really quite the talented flier, Daniel. I'm impressed."

Danny wore a small, proud grin, but it faded away when he caught sight of the inky black cloud hovering just above the steeple, "Thank ye. That means a great deal, considering my first two flights nearly culminated in both our deaths. I think I quite enjoy flying. If I could, I'd fly ye to the moon and back, right now."

Penelope followed his gaze to the cloud, then pressed a kiss on his cheek, "I'll pass on the moon...but I wouldn't mind seeing the world with you someday. Just think of the money we'd save on airfare."

Danny giggled at her joke, then returned the kiss tenderly, "Aye, that it would... then again, we could always take a train." They sat on the belfry roof for a few more hours, watching the moon rise and talking about things they would like to do in the future together when they were no longer being pursued by bloodthirsty monsters and crazed gunmen. Danny could have stayed up there among the stars all night, but he could see Penelope was getting tired.

She nuzzled his chest with a slight shiver, pulling his left wing tighter around her, "I'm cold. It seems like Autumn is finally upon us."

Danny nodded, but pulled her hands off his wing cautiously, "Aye, that it is. Careful, Dearest; my feathers are sharp."

Penelope nuzzled his wing with a sleepy sigh, "They don't seem sharp to me. I think they're quite soft...and warm... just like you." Danny didn't know what to say about the flattering comment. Before he could form a reply, he realized she had fallen asleep in his arms. As silent and graceful as a January snowfall, he glided back down to the courtyard and carried her back into the main building. There were a few nuns still tidying up the kitchen who directed him to her chambers, where he carried her to bed.

After tucking her under the blankets gently, he pressed a kiss on her lips. "Goodnight, Penelope," he whispered softly, "and pleasant dreams. I'll see ye when ye wake."