The Samhain Chronicles Ch. 12

The warm, heady odor of burning incense tickled Danny's nose when he awoke. He found himself laying in a plain, metal-framed bed that was a hair too short for his tall frame, in a room that was a little smaller than his apartment at the Academy. Large, heavy wooden beams adorned the ceiling, and the walls appeared to be constructed out of stacked stone and mortar. He heard movement to his left and quickly turned his head toward the noise, just in time to see a blurry, dark figure walk past the foot of his bed toward the room's only window. A groan left his throat and he squinted, temporarily blinded as the figure opened the shutters a little wider to let in more light to the darkened space. Upon hearing the sound of his groggy discomfort, the figure turned toward him with a soft gasp. "Oh," a woman's cheery voice exclaimed, "you're awake! I'm glad. How do you feel?"

Danny startled a little, as the voice he heard was definitely not one he was familiar with. Once his eyes adjusted to the sudden influx of light, he pawed around quickly at the small table by his bed until his fingers found his glasses. He put them on right away, blinking as he took in the strange woman curiously. She appeared quite young, no older than twenty he thought; a shock of golden blonde hair peeked out from under the black cotton veil pinned to her scalp, framing her rosy cheeks and making her bright blue eyes pop. She was dressed in a simple black long sleeved dress that hung down nearly to her ankles, and a plain wooden cross hung on a braided leather cord around her neck. "Ye're... Ye're a nun," Danny stammered, then cast another glance around the simply furnished stone chamber he was in, "Where...? Wh-Where am I?"

The nun strode forward and patted his hand reassuringly, "Somewhere safe. I can't tell you where exactly, though; Mother Abigail's orders." She smiled brightly at him, blushing and smiling sheepishly as her sapphire-like eyes scanned his face and upper torso. A giggle left her lips, which she covered immediately with a cough, then she dropped the armload of fabric she was holding on top of his knees. "These are a gift from Dr. Wilson," she explained, "He thought you might like to freshen up a bit before supper." She gestured to the door behind her with a bashful smile, "The washroom's through there, if you require it. Dr. Wilson has ensured that it's supplied with everything you may need."

Danny nodded appreciatively, rolling the fabric of the oatmeal woolen jumper she gifted him between his fingertips quietly, "Thank ye...for the clothes and hospitality. My name is Danny. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sister-?"

She gave a little curtsy and giggled again, "Oh, it's Sister Marie... or, just 'Marie' is fine. I'm sorry if I seem a little nervous; we don't often have visitors in the convent...and having such a handsome visitor is even rarer." Her blush deepened as she started for the door, "I'll, erm, leave you to your ablutions now. Supper will be served downstairs in half an hour. It was nice to meet you, Danny."

As soon as Sister Marie left the room, Danny felt a dull ache begin to bloom behind his right eye. A massive wave of nausea washed over him as the dull pain steadily began growing sharper, radiating throughout his entire head.

We need to leave. We can't stay here. Take me away from here now!!

Danny startled at the Phantom's voice, which was jarringly loud inside his mind, almost a scream. He hadn't heard the Voice in so long he almost forgot it was there, but this time it seemed different from usual. The Phantom Voice sounded much angrier than before, and - if he wasn't mistaken - more than a little frightened. The desperation in the Voice was palpable, as if it were in pain. He dismissed the notion as he pushed off the covers and got out of bed with a grunt, massaging his temple in an effort to rub away the sudden, painful headache, "I'm not going anywhere. I have no idea where I am, for starters, and besides I actually feel safe here. Now, pipe down and leave me be!"

The migraine lasted throughout the entirety of the long, hot shower he took, and seemed to be steadily getting worse. He powered through it to the best of his ability as he dressed himself in the shirt, jeans and jumper Dr. Horace provided, but he could hardly stand and his hands were trembling as he shaved himself. After he washed the remaining shaving cream from his face, his reflection morphed into the distorted visage of the Phantom. The expression it wore was a mixture of pure agony and rage as it screamed again, nearly making Danny's skull split and his body crumple to the floor.

I can't stand it another moment!! Get me out of this wretched place THIS INSTANT, or I shall tear your mind to shreds!!

Danny gripped the sink for balance and stared daggers at his reflection, "No! I'm not... l-leaving... and... a-and that's...f-final!" He leaned closer to the mirror and smirked at his frustrated reflection, "I'm in control here... y-ye don't exist, so...ye cannae do anything to harm me. Ye... h-have no power...over me...whatsoever!" The Phantom's red-orange eyes narrowed into an ugly scowl, and it banged a fist against the mirror that actually made the glass shake and Danny's toothbrush fall into the sink.

Ye rotten, miserable stupid fool! The moment the Ritual is complete, and I have control o'er this body, I shall destroy whatever's left of ye myself!!

Danny jumped back in fear, and in a heartbeat the face in the mirror was his own again. He had no idea what the Phantom meant, but at the very least it seemed to be gone for now. His throbbing migraine dulled again to a minute ache behind his eye, still considerably painful but definitely more managable than before. He tried to shake off the interaction as he ran his fingers through his still damp hair (seeing as Dr. Horace had forgotten to include a comb in the small grooming kit he provided), then walked out of the washroom toward the window. He still had a little time before dinner was to be served, which he was glad for. After that frankly terrifying interaction with the Phantom, he needed a moment to clear and re-center his thoughts. That, and he was curious about his current location and desired to explore it a little more.

He opened the narrow, leaded glass window and looked out, breathing deeply of the fresh air as he studied his surroundings. His bedroom overlooked a square courtyard about the size of a standard football pitch; the convent appeared to be constructed out of four stone buildings, the largest of which he was in currently. Two long, low buildings made up the sides of the square, with the smallest of the four directly across the courtyard from him. By the intricate stained glass windows it possessed and the weathered iron crucifix attached to the highest peak, he surmised the smallest building was the chapel. Directly below him was a small garden patch that looked well tended, and to the right of it was a maze of laundry lines covered in billowing sheets and simple black garments that matched Sister Marie's.

The entire convent reminded him of a medieval castle with all the gothic arches and intricately carved stonework etched into the buildings. As he watched the nuns bustle back and forth between the buildings, a bell began tolling low and deep from the chapel belfry. The nuns immediately began filing in slowly toward the building he was in, some with baskets of dry laundry and others with books or bushels of freshly picked vegetables. Danny checked his watch with a sigh, "That must have been the dinner bell. I should follow suit. It would be unbecoming to be late for dinner with my gracious hosts."

Leaving his chambers, Danny found himself in a wide, stone corridor with high vaulted ceilings. Tall, arched stain glass windows lined the opposite side of the corridor, whereas the side his rooms were on had many other identical doors evenly spaced down the long, straight hall. A few nuns popped out of one of the doors, freezing in their tracks instantly when they saw him. Danny cleared his throat and smiled cordially, "Ah...good evening, Sisters. I'm afraid I may be a wee bit lost. Would ye be so kind as to direct-"

Before he could finish the sentence, the eldest of the three women began urgently shoving her two younger counterparts down the corridor in the opposite direction, "I'm terribly sorry, young man, but we haven't the time for pleasantries. Please, excuse us!"

After they disappeared around the corner, with the oldest woman chiding the younger two quietly the entire way, Danny scratched his head with a sigh, "I dinnae mean to frighten them. Oh well... I suppose I'll just have to follow my nose, then."

The building was not too terribly large, but had the misfortune of very similar - in some places nearly identical - architecture throughout its long, sprawling halls. He got turned around at least once, but by following the handful of nuns he crossed paths with (most of whom scurried away before him like frightened rabbits), he eventually made it to the ground floor of the building. The main floor opened up into two large spaces: to his left, a modern, industrial kitchen occupied the smaller of the two spaces, closed off by a set of swinging double doors, and to his right a sprawling dining hall with a half a dozen or so long, low picnic-style tables. There was a slight step down into the hall, which felt much cozier than the rest of the drafty old building. The reason for that was quite obviously the ceiling, which was much lower than the dizzyingly tall vaulted ceilings in the corridors, and the roaring fireplaces at either end of the long, narrow room.

Danny was apparently quite late to dinner after all, as most of the nuns appeared well in to their meals and some were already walking their empty plates to the bin by the door. Thankfully, very few of the sisters took notice of him, which he was honestly glad for. In the handful of interactions he'd had with them, it seemed a good many of the nuns were either frightened or at the very least disapproving of his presence. He kept his eyes downcast as he crossed the threshold, trying to make himself as unobtrusive as possible, but froze when he saw Penelope waving enthusiastically at him out of the corner of his eye, "Daniel! Over here!"

Danny gulped as the dining hall grew dead silent, and every head turned to look at him. The gazes from the nuns were kind for the most part, if a little shocked and nervous, but there were a handful of the older nuns who looked upon him with veiled contempt. He saw them whispering to their younger sisters, possibly reminding them to uphold their sacred vows, and felt his face heat with a blush. Part of him wanted to turn around immediately and retreat to the safety of his quarters (assuming he could find them again, that is), but he was hungry and thought it would be rude to leave again immediately after arriving. With a deep exhale, he locked his eyes on Penelope and started toward the empty seat she was pointing at beside her. As he walked quietly between the tables, trying to swallow his anxiety, he heard hushed whispers buzzing all around him.

"Did you know there was a man in the convent?"

"He's so handsome!"

"Mother Abigail must be losing her mind in her old age, allowing him here."

"I heard he's been touched by God."

"Shh! Ruth! It's a sin to spread such gossip!"

When he finally made it to Penelope's side, she took his hand and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze, "I missed you. How are you feeling?"

He took a seat on the bench beside her, in front of the plate already made up for him, with a nod and a small smile, "Better, now that I'm with ye. Thank ye for asking." He winced and massaged his right temple again with a sigh as his head gave another dull throb, "...apart from a wee headache, that is. It's bizarre, really."

Penelope frowned worriedly, "A headache? You mean, like before? Is that dreadful woman trying to get in your head again, do you think?"

Danny shook his head pensively, "No, I don't think so. I-..." He cut himself off when he noticed a few of the nuns around him were listening in to the conversation intently. "Er, nevermind," he muttered, picking up his fork, "I'll explain later." As he tucked in to his simple yet filling dinner of roasted vegetables and rice, he looked up towards the back of the hall where a much smaller table was arranged on a riser perpendicular to the other tables. There were only two occupants at the head table: one was Dr. Horace, deep in conversation with the second occupant, an elderly woman. She looked to be in her early eighties, small and thin but incredibly graceful. Danny figured she had to be the Mother Superior that the other nuns were talking about, Mother Abigail. "She certainly looks the part," he thought, chewing his squash pensively as he studied her. Despite her physically frail appearance, she carried a quiet strength and wisdom in her bearing, both of which made Danny inexplicably nervous.

When her wise brown eyes suddenly locked on his, Danny shivered involuntarily from scalp to toes and had to look away, pressing the heel of his hand to his temple as his headache spiked again.

Have to leave!! Have to leave!! Don't make me stay, and don't let that miserable old crone anywhere near me!!!

Danny clenched his jaw and closed his eyes, stifling a groan at the panicked shriek echoing throughout his skull. He opened them again hesitantly when he felt Penelope's warm hand on his. Her eyes were filled with concern, but he simply shook his head and straightened his back at her nonverbal, worried question. "I'm alright, Darling," he muttered.

Penelope blushed and smiled shyly, "Daniel... you called me 'Darling'. It's alright, I don't mind. I think it's sweet." She leaned her head against his bicep for a moment with a sigh, then sat up straight again when she noticed the nuns were becoming uncomfortable at her display of affection. "Sorry," she murmured, clearing her throat as she picked up a book from the stack on the bench by her hip, "I've been doing a bit of research ever since we got here. The convent has quite an impressive library, you'd love it!" She squirmed excitedly in her seat as she began flipping through the pages, turning the book so that he could see, "From what I've gathered so far, there are several types of angels. I figured since we're here, we can figure out what category you belong to. There are Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones-"

Danny nearly choked on his rice for a moment and pushed the book away, glancing nervously at the nuns around him, "Penelope, please! Not here, Dearest. Later, I beg of ye! And preferably somewhere more private?"

Sister Marie, who was seated across from him, gasped and her eyes grew larger than the plate in front of her, "You mean you actually are an Angel?! I heard Mother Abigail say so, but I wasn't sure it was true!"

The nun to her right bounced in her seat eagerly, "Have you been to Heaven? What is it like? Can you tell us, please?!"

Danny pushed his plate away, suddenly quite nauseous and feeling his headache start to worsen again, "Er... n-no, I haven't... not to my knowledge, at least. I-I suddenly don't feel very well. Excuse me, Ladies." He stood to leave, pausing at a thin, soft voice behind him.

"So, you are the exceptional young man Horace has told me about," the wizened old woman smiled, leaning on a knobbly cane with both hands, "A member of the Heavenly Host who walks in disguise in our midst. We are honored to have you grace our humble convent with your presence."

Danny swallowed hard at the diminutive, stooped holy woman, immediately dropping his gaze to the floor. Standing in her midst made him quake all over, and the Phantom shrieked nonstop obscenities within his mind. "M-Mother Abigail, I presume," he uttered quietly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, "Thank ye for sheltering us; your kindness is most greatly appreciated. However, I cannae in good conscience say that I am what ye think I am." Mother Abigail took a shuffling step forward, and Danny immediately took a step back, almost like he was yanked backward by an invisible force.

Her dark eyes sparkled with intrigue as she studied him carefully. "I sense a great struggle within you, Daniel... a battle, it seems, that you are unfortunately losing. Am I correct?"

Danny looked at her briefly, confused and strangely deathly afraid of the old woman, "I...? I dunno... I dunno what ye mean." He put a hand to his brow with a low groan as she closed the gap between them. Very gently she extended one of her bony, gnarled hands and took him by the elbow.

"Fear not, My Child," she said warmly, "I believe I may be able to help you. Come: we must speak in private." Danny looked back at Penelope as Mother Abigail began leading him away. She looked worried, but gave an encouraging nod anyway. He allowed the elderly woman to lead him outside into the courtyard, but when they approached the door to the chapel, his feet stopped automatically. She tugged his elbow, encouraging him to keep walking, which he did. The moment his left foot touched the threshold of the church, however, he was suddenly driven to his knees by a red hot spike of pain through the top of his skull.

NO!!! I can't go in there!! I'll be destroyed!! Ye cannae make me!! Turn around and leave!! NOW!!!!

Danny held both sides of his head tightly, afraid that the building pressure inside it would split his cranium wide open. He stood on his knees, gasping for air the pain was so intense, when he realized Mother Abigail was standing over him with a sympathetic yet grim frown. "Your connection is far deeper than I imagined. This is most disturbing indeed. Forgive me, Daniel; this may be quite uncomfortable for you."

Danny panted for every breath, barely able to form the words through the blinding pain, "Wh-What... h-happening... me?!"

Mother Abigail reached into her billowing sleeve and produced a small silver crucifix on a fine chain, "What is happening, Daniel, is I'm going to help you, if I can. Trust me, and trust the Father." Before Danny could utter another word, she slapped the silver cross to his brow and a scream of total agony ripped from his throat.