It wasn’t a particularly big demon. In fact I almost passed right by. It wouldn’t be the first time I had passed one after all, I do have a day job and a schedule to keep. Demon slayer is a non-profit career and I still have to keep a roof over my head and food on the table.

What made me pull over to the side of the road was the light walking with the demon. Not really a light, but just as the demon appeared as shadow in the real world, there also appeared a brightening alongside it.

I parked my car and then let myself shift. When I looked with my other eyes I saw a child walking with the demon. Admittedly I’m new to this, but I had never seen anything like it before.

I ran after the strange pair, “Hey! Hey you!” They both ignored me. It wasn’t till I had caught up with them that the child noticed me.

Up close I could tell it was a little girl, probably five or six in age with light brown hair hanging in curls. When she stopped to look at me the demon finally noticed. He grabbed her by the hand, pulled her close and wrapped a large bat-like wing protectively around her. His lip curled in a snarl, “This one is ours! You can’t have it!”

I have to admit I was caught off guard. Cyrus had mentioned others of the living who worked for the other side, but this was just a kid. With her free hand she pushed its wing away, just enough for her to peek from behind it’s protection.

“What makes her yours?”

The demon moved to put itself between me and the girl; she continued to stare at me as if she had never seen anyone like me before.

“We found it first and we claim it, so go away!”

“I don’t think it works like that, buddy.”

“You have to follow the rules!”

“Sure, let’s just make a few up as we go okay?” I grasped the air and a blade of white light flared into existence. It was only about twelve inches in length, but I was still pretty proud of it. It wasn’t easy to focus and sustain a manifestation of the energy.

The demon bared its teeth and its yellow eyes narrowed to slits.

With a howl he flung the child back while leaping straight for me, claws outstretched. I sidestepped the bulk of his attack and parried his claws with my blade. The demon’s skin sizzled where it came into contact with the flame.

I shifted my weight to thrust the blade into him, and that’s when I realized my mistake. The outstretched claws had only been a distraction, and it had worked. Stars exploded into my field of vision as the bastard kneed me in the groin. I staggered back, bent over and gasping for breath.

A fist hammered into the side of my head and I think I might have passed out for a second or two. The next thing I knew I was flat on my back, stars still swimming in my vision. He was on top of me, his full weight pressed down on my chest. My weapon hand was pinned to the ground and his free hand clamped around my throat. This wasn’t quite the way I expected it to turn out.

The demon bent close to my face, snarling and showering me with spittle. I imagine his breath was also terrible, but I was having problems breathing at the time.

“If you were the other kind, I would have you for my own!”

My vision was quickly receding into darkness. In desperation I put my free hand on his chest and tried to push him off. That’s when the river started to flow. I watched, almost as if I were a third party to my own struggle. The light surged out through my hand and flooded into the darkness of the demon. He shrieked, first in pain and moments later in terror. His grip around my throat loosened and as I gasped for breath I watched him dissolve in front of me

It wasn’t till it was gone that I realized the little girl was also shrieking.

She ran at me as I stood up and began pummeling me with little pink fists, “Bad! Bad! Bad!”

What can I say? I was a bit stunned from the fight and it wasn’t quite the reaction I was expecting. Something more along the lines of ‘thank you’ would have fit the situation better. I just stood there like an idiot and let her bang away for a bit. When it became clear that she would happily bang away as long as I let would let her, I grabbed both of her little fists in my hands and made her stop. She just looked at me for a moment and then started to cry.

That was not the intended result either. I could tell that it was going to be a long day. I needed to get back to the real world and call in sick for the day.

“Hey kid,” she wasn’t paying any attention to me, “Hello?” She still continued to cry, “Okay fine, you can stay here and cry if you like, but I have to go.” That did the trick; well at least it stopped her from crying.

Her eyes went wide with fright, “Don’t leave me alone!”

“I didn’t think I would, but you have to stop crying.” She nodded in acknowledgment and I let go of her hands. She wiped the tears away from her eyes, “So what’s your name?”

“Carmine.”

“Hi Carmine, I’m Jack. Do you know who that was with you?”

The tears welled up in her eyes again, “That was Herman. Why’d you make him go away?”

“Well, it’s sort of my job…”

“He was my friend.”

I really wasn’t sure how to handle this, so I figured the first thing I needed to do was get a hold of Cyrus.

“I guess I’m sorry for making your friend go away, but I think it really was for the better. Carmine, I think we should get you home. Your parents are probably worried about you.”

That was the completely wrong thing to say as she burst into tears again. “I don’t have any parents!”

This morning was really not going well for me; first I let a minor demon get the better of me and now this. I needed to get in touch with Cyrus before things got any farther out of control.

“Carmine,” she stopped sobbing long enough to look up at me, “everyone has parents.”

“Mine don’t care about me. They act like I’m not even there!”

“Carmine, I promise if you come with me I’ll help you get back to them, okay?” She just nodded her head, but at least that stopped the crying. I reached out my hand and she grasped it willingly. As we walked back to my car there was one question that was burning in my mind, “Carmine?”

“Yeah?”

“Where was Herman taking you?”

“He told me his dad would be happy to have me in his family and that they would pay attention to me.”

At least that made a little sense. What kid wouldn’t rather be where they were the center of attention? We made it back to my car and I put her into the passenger seat before climbing back in behind the wheel. It occurred to me that I had no idea what she would see when I shifted back to the real world.

“Carmine, I’m going to drive now so I can’t talk to you for a little while, okay?”

“Okay.”

I shifted back to the real world and glanced at the passenger seat. There was no one there, which made it seem corny that I would even check, and cornier still that I smiled reassuringly to an empty seat.

As I drove home I made two phone calls, the first to call in sick for work and the second to Cyrus. He was concerned to hear about what had happened, but he told me not to worry too much. He’d meet us back at my house and explain what we could do about it. I pulled into the driveway, parked the car and then shifted. Carmine was sitting happily in the seat next to me.

“We’re here. I’ve called a friend and he’s going to help us get you home.”

“Is he like you? Will he talk to me too?”

“Yep. Come on let’s go inside and wait for him.”

I helped her out of the car and we went inside. I didn’t have any idea how I was going to keep a little kid occupied, although in hindsight it was enough that she had someone who could see her and talk to her. I let her run all over the house and just followed her around answering all of her questions. She was definitely a curious child.

It wasn’t long till Cyrus walked in and I introduced him to Carmine, She was twice as pleased to have two people to talk to now and it was hard to keep her quiet. Cyrus did break away from the child long enough to tell me I had left something in my car. I didn’t catch on at first, but then it dawned on me, I had shifted in the car and had just left my physical self there!

As I excused myself Cyrus called back to leave the door open when I came in. I went back to the car and shifted back into myself. It wasn’t the first time that I had forgotten my body somewhere.

I walked into a seemingly empty house and had a seat in my favorite living room chair before I shifted back.

Cyrus was staring with his friendly grin, “Took your time Jack. Now if you’ll both excuse me, I need to get my baggage inside as well.” He left through the door and I was alone with Carmine again.

“Are there more people like you and Cyrus?”

“Well, I think so, but I’ve only ever met Cyrus.”

“I like him.”

“Me too.”

“Do you know any kids like me?”

“Not that I know of.” Her eyes fell for a second.

“I was kinda hoping there would be someone else I could play with.”

It hadn’t occurred to me that she had not had anyone to play with in a very long time. She was so lonely that when ‘Herman’ had found her she was not afraid. She just wanted someone to play with, someone to talk to and hold on to. At that moment I felt a great pity for Carmine. I didn’t know how long she had been alone.

Cyrus walked into the room and had a seat on the couch. He blurred for a moment and then he was with us again. “Well now, I guess we ought to figure out where you belong.”

“I don’t belong anywhere. My mommy and daddy don’t want me anymore.”

“Nonsense child, I’m sure they still want you. We just have to help them see you, that’s all.”

“Like you and Jack?”

“Sort of, but what I really want to do is help you get back to them. Do you remember what ice cream tastes like?” Cyrus grinned at her as she nodded her head enthusiastically. “Well, Jack and I are going to help you get back to your folks, and if you do what we tell you, not only will you get to be with them again, but you’ll get some ice cream too! Now we need to know where you were before Herman found you.”

“I was at the playground but no one would play with me,” Carmine began to pout and I feared she might burst into tears again.

“Now child, they just had a hard time seeing you, just like your mom and dad. Once we get you back to your old self, there will be plenty of kids to play with. Was this playground near where your mom and dad live?”

“Nah, it’s across the street from the hospital where my mom stays all the time.”

“Ah, so your mom works there?”

“Not really. She just reads magazines and books all day. Sometimes she watches TV, but it’s always the boring stuff.”

“Are there other people in the room?”

“There are doctors’n nurses’n stuff. They’re always busy.” She looked longingly at Cyrus. “Can’t I just stay here with you and Jack?”

He just grinned at her. “Well I imagine you could, but there are times when Jack and I won’t be able to see you. If we get you back to your parents, then everyone will be able to see you all the time.”

“Okay,” she had the look of a child who didn’t believe what she was being told, but didn’t know enough to challenge it.

“There’s just one other thing that will help us get you back. We need to know your last name.”

“Michaels. I’m Carmine Michaels.”

Cyrus looked up at me, “Jack I need you to do some research for me. We are looking for a hospital that has a playground somewhere nearby.”

“Not near, right in front,” Carmine corrected.

Cyrus chuckled, “My mistake, right in front. I’ll stay here with Carmine while you find the place okay?” he looked over at Carmine, “Now you stay put while I walk with Jack out to his car but I’ll be right back.”

“Okay. Bye Jack!” cheered Carmine.

We both shifted back into the real world.

“So what’s the deal here, Cyrus?”

“Carmine has simply shifted out of herself and we just need to help her get back.”

“That much I gathered, but how did it happen in the first place? It took me a while to learn how to do it.”

“Well, it’s hard to say for sure but it seems to happen most frequently in car accidents. Any kind of traumatic incident can trigger a shift in someone with a latent ability. The trouble is, most of the time such people don’t know how to get back. If they lose track of their real body, it’s impossible for them to get back.

“What happens to their bodies?”

“Usually they’re left in a coma. Brain dead for all intents and purposes.”

“You mean for every person in a coma there’s a soul out there wandering around?”

“Not for every one, but for quite a few there are.”

“Why would God let this happen to anyone? Let alone a child?”

“Jack, all things happen for a reason. We may not understand it, but that’s the way it is. You’re going to have to come to terms with the fact that we don’t always understand the Divine.”

I hated that answer then, and I still hate it now.

“Alright, the hospital she’s at is probably St. Grenadine’s. They have a unit for children and if I recall there’s a park with a playground across the street. All you have to do is check and see if Carmine’s there.”

“You do realize that hospitals don’t exactly give out patient information to strange men?”

Cyrus just laughed, “I’m confident you’ll think of something!”

I was obviously getting the short end of this deal. “Alright, I’ll see what I can dig up.”

It was a bit of a drive, which gave me time to figure out how I was going to find a little girl in a hospital without getting arrested for being a pervert. How many people would help you if you told them you were trying to help the soul of a little child get back into its body? Not very many. I decided the easiest thing to do would be to pretend I was there to visit. I guess in a way I was, but it just felt odd to visit someone when you new where they really were. Just before I got to the hospital I stopped at a flower shop and picked up a nice arrangement; some pink flowers and a ‘Get well soon’ balloon.

The gal at the admissions desk didn’t even blink an eye when I said I had a delivery for Carmine Michaels. She gave me the room number and pointed me to the elevator. As I waited in the elevator car I had half a mind to just go home and get Cyrus and Carmine, but something nagged at me to check.

The nurses at the station pointed me down the right hallway. It was a private room, overlooking the main entrance on the sixth floor. The room was typically sterile, apart from a windowsill filled with ‘Get Well’ cards. The steady hum of life support equipment filled the room. I hesitated to look at the bed. I’m not really sure why. I was standing a room that had a lifeless body in it. Not dead, but what is a life without a soul? And that soul that was in my home.

“Can I help you?”

I turned to see a young woman, probably in her late twenties. She wasn’t dressed in the same smocks the rest of the staff was wearing, so I assumed it was Carmine’s mom, “I have a delivery here for Carmine Michaels.”

I could see some relief in her face, Definitely the mom.

“I was just looking for a place to put them, but it seems you’re out of room over here.”

“Thank you very much. I’ll find a place for them.”

She took the bouquet from me and I left just as easily as I had come.

When I got back home I found Cyrus and Carmine playing a rousing game of patty cake.

“Hi Jack!”

“Hi Carmine.” I winked at her just for good measure.

“So did you find her?”

“Yep, St. Grenadine’s. I even have the room number.”

“Jack?” Carmine looked at me, her eye were pleading, “can’t I just stay here with you and Cyrus? My mom and dad don’t want me anymore.”

“Now child,” Cyrus interjected, “Your folks probably miss you something terrible and we’re just going to help you get back to them.”

“They don’t. You’ll see.”

There was a look of pity in Cyrus’ eyes. “It’ll be okay child, you’ll see.”

Cyrus left himself at my house while I drove to the hospital. I’ll never quite get over the uneasiness I feel when I know there are people I can’t see around me. Hazard of the job I guess. I parked on a side street a short walk from the Hospital. I didn’t want too many people to see some weird guy sitting in his car unconscious.

When I shifted both Cyrus and Carmine were chatting happily away in the back seat. As soon as I mentioned that we were there Carmine’s smile faded. She really did believe her parents didn’t want her anymore. She was silent as we walked to the Hospital.

I always find walking around among people who can’t see me slightly disturbing. You can see them but you can’t hear them, but if you walk through them you have the oddest sensation. They’re slightly thick to move through; there’s actually some resistance so most of the time I just try to move around people. That in itself isn’t all that bad. The odd part is the feeling you get when you walk through someone. If you can imagine emotions translated into colors, and that color washing itself over you. You can’t tell exactly what someone is thinking, but you can definitely feel their emotional state. It can be quite overwhelming. I definitely didn’t like anger and hate; those didn’t feel good at all. But love was very nice, almost addicting

When we got to Carmine’s room I was pleased to see her mom had found a way to include the bouquet on the windowsill. Swallowed in the hospital bed was Carmine’s corporeal counterpart.

In the corner of the room sat her mother. She was reading a book. Carmine walked up to the woman, “Mommy? I’m here mommy. I’m right in front of you!”

Carmine turned around; she was on the verge of tears. “See I told you!”

Cyrus got down on his knees and looked Carmine in the eye, “Now child, you know in your heart that’s not true. Your mommy just can’t see you this way, that’s all.”

“But you and Jack can see me.”

“Well Jack and I are special, like you are.” Cyrus stood up and walked over to the bed, “Do you know who this is, Carmine?”

“It looks like me.”

“It looks like you because it is you. That’s you the way your mommy can see you. Would you like your mommy to see you again?”

Carmine nodded.

“Well then, come over here child.” Cyrus picked her up and set her on the bed. “All you have to do is put yourself back together again.”

“I don’t know how to do that,” she whimpered.

“Now don’t you cry. Jack and I wouldn’t have brought you here if we couldn’t help. Just lay back there and think about your mommy. Think about the hospital. Can you hear the sound of the machines? The nurses out in the hallway?”

It was odd to see her overlap herself like that. I had seen Cyrus shift before, and it always reminded me of a snake coming out of its skin. Kind of creepy in a way, but what I saw with Carmine was different. It was almost as if she couldn’t go back. Sort of like when you try to force the same end of two magnets together, they just don’t want to connect. But Cyrus continued to croon softly to Carmine. Telling her about all the sounds in the hospital, things we couldn’t hear but no doubt were present. Before long the two Carmines snapped back together. We could both tell she was herself again.

We watched in silence as her eyes opened, and saw her mouth for her mom. I’d never been in a situation like that. Where two people were overjoyed to see each other. Carmine’s mother was in tears and practically jumped in bed with her daughter to hug and kiss her. I could see Carmine’s eyes searching the room, looking for us. That’s the part of the job I don’t like. No one ever witnesses what we do. It would be nice to get a ‘thank you’ every now and then.

It was as if Cyrus had read my mind. “Our reward is not here Jack, it will come soon enough. Come on. Let’s go.”

Before I shifted back to myself for the drive home, I had a question for Cyrus.

“Would He have just let that demon take her?”

Cyrus laughed, “You were there weren’t you Jack? You were in the right place at the right time and more importantly, you did the right thing.”

You know what kills me the most about Cyrus and other Bible thumping types. Their reasoning is circular. You can’t really argue with them. I drove in silence as I headed home. It did give me some time to think and when Cyrus was himself again I had one more question. “When the body dies, is the soul just left to wander for eternity?”

“No, most of the time when a person leaves their body there is someone waiting for them.”

Beginnings
Sun February 23 2003

Suffer the Children
Sun June 29 2003

Shadow Champion
Wed January 28 2004