11:5
The church hall door was propped open with a thick book, allowing the sound of voices to drift out to the stoop. Siobhan was about to open the door and head in when the sound of hurried footsteps came from behind them. The group as one pivoted to see who it was coming up fast on them.
Expecting one of the group members, Kim blinked twice at the guy who approached. Definitely not someone she recognized. Maybe he was the significant other or family member of one of the members who were all exclusively someone affected by The Three?
The guy was tall. Not quite abnormally tall, but his lean build made the eye think that at first. He had a trim goatee and his dark brown hair was pulled back in – a quick tilt of the head and look to the side confirmed – a man bun. A large leather purse, uhm man-bag thing, bumped against his hip, the strap for it bisecting the line of his long woolen coat. All together he gave the impression of someone who should be sitting in a spindly cafe chair, sipping kombucha, and discussing esoteric philosophy by esoteric philosophers.
She wondered which of the members he was there for. Her brain went over the list and came up blank. None of them seemed to type to connect with tall, lean, and douche-y. But what did she know? It was possible.
Before her mind could wander further down that path he came to an abrupt stop and gave she, Siobhan, Dan, and then Gwen a once over. “Are you Ben’s friends?”
Kim blinked. “Who’s asking?”
Siobhan lifted her brows at the abrupt question but didn’t make noise to smooth it over. Instead she focused on Kombucha Guy and said, “We are.”
The guy smoothed his hand over his face, shoving a loose strand of hair from his cheek and tucking it behind his ear. “Cool. Cool. I’m Al. I work for Ben. I manage Concerted and Stripped.” When Kim kept her gaze steady on him he hurried to add, “His clubs.”
“Oh?”
Lifting a finger to hold a mikro, the guy dug into his man purse and pulled out a pile of papers. “I have some contracts that require his signature and he hasn’t been around the clubs, his office, or his home. I was wondering if you know where he is?”
Dan shifted on his feet and leaned in a little. “We do.”
The guy, Al, thrust the papers towards Dan. “Can you give him these? I don’t need them back right away but sooner would be good.”
Dan took the papers from the guy with a nod. “Okay.” He shifted his toothpick from the left corner of his mouth to his right. “Is there anything else?”
Al picked up the cue pretty well. “Nah. Just sooner would be good.” He craned a little to look through the propped open door. “Don’t mean to keep you from anything.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder and started to pivot to leave. “Just sooner would be good.”
Gwen gave him a thumbs up. “Got it. Have a great day!”
As Al sauntered away Siobhan poked her tongue in her cheek. “Weird how he found us here.”
“Yeah,” Gwen narrowed her eyes on Al’s retreating back. “Kinda weird.”
“Weird coincidence,” Dan muttered.
“Yeah.” Gwen shrugged. “We should ask Ben about him when we get back. Could be nothing, but,” her shoulders rose to the level of her ears, “yeah. Anyway,” she turned to the door and opened it, holding it so Siobhan, Kim, and Dan could pass into the hall. “How do you want to handle this?” She directed this to Dan.
“I can explain I’ve been working with Maise to speak things into being. I want to get them to unlock their memories to try to remember how they were taken or what was done during their captivity.”
“I remember what happened during mine,” Siobhan offered
Kim frowned. “I don’t think I do.” She paused, then added, “Maybe?” Turning to Dan she asked, “Why are you focusing on that?”
“The lack of memory of the captivity may be less relevant than how they were approached and taken, but they may remember hearing something that will help with the motivation of The Three or the reason why they were picked. That could help us speculate who will be targeted. How they were approached or taken gives us a leg up in stopping it if we can pinpoint potential victims.”
“Do you think it’s possible?” Siobhan asked.
Dan shrugged. “Don’t know. Worth a try.”
Gwen nodded. “Anything is worth a try. Can’t fail if you don’t try. But also can’t succeed.”
Siobhan went quiet for a mikro then nodded like she’d come to the end of an internal debate. She leveled Dan with a steady look. “Delicately.”
“Of course.”
“You said you’d explain Maise teaching you. Do we mention her group or any of the information we’ve learned from them?” Gwen asked.
Siobhan shook her head. “No. That isn’t what this is about. We’re here for support, as a community of individuals with shared experiences. All that stuff is not necessary for them to know. They don’t need explanations at this point when we really don’t have much more than questions ourselves, just to know they have a safe place to land when they need it.”
Kim nodded in agreement. In part she thought if she was in the shoes of the other people affected as she and Siobhan had been, taken by The Three, she’d want to know as much as possible. Knowledge could lead to understanding and understanding could give you a sense of control but with how little they knew? It would probably just make it worse.
Once they had more information – or even better once they had stopped The Three from doing whatever they were trying to do – then they could share. Then there could be closure. But sharing anything now, with people who didn’t have the means to affect anything, just seemed unproductive. It would just lead to more questions they didn’t have answers to and that could lead to frustration or even despair.
Maybe she was projecting.
Probably not. But maybe. Anyhow on they went.
Kim strode into the church hall which had been setup with surprisingly cozy chairs, not the standard folding metal things, in a circle towards the front of the space. A few steps beyond the circle was a table with several carafes, probably with coffee and hot water. Next to these were arranged platters with a variety of pastries and baked goods.
There were a few tins and some plates covered in plastic wrap, suggesting members of the community had brought to share. It was one of those universal languages of awkward social gatherings – the offering of food – and Kim was here for it. Nothing like some brownies and chocolate chip cookies to bring a group together. And if someone brought lemon bars? Well, then it was a party.
“Should I have brought snacks?” She shot in an aside to Gwen who shook her head.
“Yes, yes, you should have. How rude.”
Kim grinned and shook her head. “I’ll do better next time.”
Gwen bumped her with her hip. “You do that.”
People stood in clusters. Some held plates with baked goods on them, fingers just a little too tight on the edge of the plates. One dark haired, pale woman Kim recognized as one of the “Snow Whites” hugged her plate against her chest while she looked around with a wide-eyed light-blue stare.
Kim frowned. She should know the woman’s name. An inward search of her memory called it up. Jennifer. Her name was Jennifer and she was not a Snow White. She was a florist. Who volunteered at a soup kitchen on the weekends. She was Jennifer. Not what The Three had made her.
Nieve walked up to Jennifer and placed a gentle hand on her arm and Jennifer loosened her death grip on her plate. She lifted a hand and placed it over Nieve’s then gave a soft nod whichy drew a smile from Nieve.
The newest entry to their brotherhood – sisterhood? Personhood? Whatever. The newest person to join the Rescued, Grace hovered to the side of the group of pale skinned women. She fretted at a loose string on the pocket of her jeans, her eyes wide as she looked around the gathered group.
This was the first meeting they’d had since recovering Grace. Kim hadn’t been sure if the young woman would come at the invitation Siobhan sent around, but was glad she had. It wasn’t that all they had was each other but it was nice that they did. If that made sense.
Gwen mumbled something and then separated from Kim’s side to start moving among the gathered people and in the direction of Grace. She had a kind smile for each person she passed and a light touch when it warranted or Kim guessed she judged the individual was open to it. Eventually she made it the length of the room. She appeared to ask Grace something as the young woman nodded then left off her fretting to take Gwen’s offered hand.
Siobhan settled the strap of her bag more firmly on her shoulder, ran her fingers over the attached potions in a gesture that was telling at least to Kim, then walked over towards the table of drinks and snacks and started up a conversation with a blonde woman there. A quick look and Kim recognized the woman as Diana.
Gryphon watched them from where he leaned against the wall behind the snack table with a small woman standing next to him. It took a mikro but then Kim connected the woman’s face with the name Aillea, Gryphon’s “Beauty”. He looked down when Aillea laid a gentle hand on his arm. She said something low to him to which he nodded then they peeled away from the wall and approached Diana and Siobhan.
Well, that was new. And nice. Last time Gryphon came he’d been alone. Kim hadn’t even been sure they had connected with each other. Then again there was a lot Kim wasn’t aware of.
The sound of footsteps at the door drew Kim’s eye to Roanne entering the hall with her parents. Roanne nodded at Kim, gave a gentle smile, then looked over to where Mal hovered over his mother who sat in a chair knitting. He met Roanne’s gaze and waved her over. Kim smiled seeing the evidence of the two youngest members of their forced fellowship connecting.
Dan shifted next to Kim, drawing her attention, then lifted his chin, indicating the group by the snacks before cocking his head in question. “Going in.”
Kim raised a finger. “How about we explain what you are doing to the group rather than having you approach them individually. It might make them more comfortable.”
“You sure?”
Kim shrugged then echoed what seemed to be one of Dan’s favorite things to say. “Unknown. But putting myself in their shoes, which I’m well equipped to do, it might work better for me.”
“Okay.” He lifted his chin to indicate the group again.
“Hey, everyone!” Kim strode to the center of the area and raised her voice. “Can I get a mikro?”
As a group the gathered turned to give Kim their attention. Once everyone was engaged, she said, “Dan has been studying a way to apply his Magick to help recover memories. No one needs to feel obligated but we’re wondering if he can try to help you help us remember some details that might help stop this,” her wave encompassed the group including herself, “from happening to someone or someones else.”
The request started a buzz in the room. A few people turned to each other and started talking in low voices. Mal gestured rapidly with his hand as he leaned towards his mom. Diana went still next to Siobhan and cast her gaze down. Nieve spoke quietly to Jennifer who shrank in on herself, crossing her arms over her chest.
From the far corner three other women with dark hair and pale skin moved quickly towards Nieve and Jennifer. Kim searched her mind, coming up with the names of three other “Snow Whites” – Bliss, Candice, and Joanne. Bliss laid her hand gently on Jennifer’s shoulder while Joanne leaned in and spoke with an earnest intensity.
The smack of the door hard against the jam jerked Kim’s attention from the responses of the people in the room and towards the doorway where Llora stood framed in the light streaming in from outside. Unerringly Kim’s gaze was drawn to the sheaf of papers in Llora’s hand, the shaking of that hand probably drawing her gaze. Or maybe it was just some kind of instinctive knee-jerk that made her key into hunks of paper. Hunks of paper held in shaking hands. Shit.
There was zero-point-zero chance of being surprised when Llora called out. “Help!”
Kim looked at Siobhan. Siobhan looked at Kim. Both with wide eyes. Then as one they moved to brace Llora on both sides and helped her enter the room and find a chair. Siobhan very gently pulled the pile of papers from Llora’s hand. Llora watched it clear her fingers before shifting her gaze to Siobhan’s face. She bit her lip and gave a visible gulp.
“My friend, Bria.” She stopped. Shook her head. “No.” Stopped. Looked down. Then back up. “I have a friend, Bria. She’s sick. Has been since she was a kid. Her parents worked for Nona. We grew up together. When she got old enough she started working the greenhouse. A few weeks ago she collapsed and we couldn’t wake her up. She was put in a care facility. It’s a degenerative disease. Magick healing wasn’t working on her for some reason. Nona tried alchemy – and she’s pretty good at alchemy, you know? – but it didn’t work either.”
Llora wrung her hands in her lap. Over and over. She turned her gaze to them. “I visit her every day. Today she wasn’t there but that,” she shifted her attention to the paper’s Siobhan held, “was.”
Her voice grew ragged. Ragged-er? Bad. She looked up into Kim’s eyes. “She’s in a coma. She can’t fight. We have to find her.”
“We?” Gwen drew near. Others around the room followed her until they all clustered in a protective circle around Llora’s chair.
Llora turned her gaze on Gwen. “You. You have to find her. We. I don’t know.” The words came in a rush. “Someone has to find her. She’s alone and they took her!”
Her voice rose in volume until the last was a shout. Gryphon moved in behind her chair and laid a hand on Llora’s shoulder. She started – twisting to glare at him and he lifted his hand, patting the air in a placating fashion. Blowing a deep breath she gave him a tentative smile and tilted her head to acknowledge his intent.
With this slight encouragement, Gryphon rumbled, “Of course we’ll help. That’s what this group is for.”
He shifted his attention to Dan who gave an upward jerk of his chin before moving so he could stoop next to Llora’s chair. “We’ve got this.”
“She,” Llora closed her eyes for a mikro then lifted her lids to look at Dan, “she can’t fight.”
Silent tears tracked down her cheek. She firmed her chin and lifted a hand to dash them away as Dan reached into one of his many pockets and retrieved a handkerchief which he handed to her. Instead of applying it to her cheeks, she balled it in her fist. Her chest rose as she took a deep breath then repeated in a very small voice, “she can’t fight.”
Dan reached to cover her balled fist with his hand and gave it a squeeze. “We’ve got you.”
Llora firmed the line of her mouth. “I am going to help you find her.”
“Oh, no,” Gwen murmured. “Let us handle it.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s what we do.” Gwen shrugged. “Not saying we’re good at it or the best or whatever but we’ve been doing it awhile and we kind of have some methods. So let us, okay?”
“But,” Llora looked down. “Being helpless sucks.”
Siobhan took a very audible breath then nodded. “It does.”
“What if knowing me is why they picked her?” Llora’s voice broke.
“Why would you think that?” Gwen asked in a gentle tone.
Llora’s shoulders rose to meet her ears. “I don’t know.”
Siobhan rattled the papers in her hands. “Let’s read what they left. It may give us some idea. But I don’t think that is the case. None of use know why we are being targeted but no one else who was picked knew anyone else besides Kim and I and honestly I think that we were picked for different reasons than the rest of you. Dan has a theory about finding out more information. We’d been discussing it just before you came in. Now isn’t the time to expand but once we find Bria we will, okay?”
Llora looked up. “Theory?”
“After.”
With that Siobhan settled on the floor next to Llora’s chair and looked to the first page of the papers.
Enter The Woods 