Part 79: Distortions

Chapter 11: Distortions


Guess I should see what Magda’s doing this morning.


I had a vision of you again last night. I saw you walking by a lake. A woman rose from it and reached for you. I tried to yell to you, “Beware! Rusalka!” but you could not hear. Yet you kneeled beside the lake, and spoke and laughed with her. And I was amazed, for even the things of the dead can call you friend.
Yeah, actually, I just did that a few days ago.
And even now you strive to free her spirit. You are a most remarkable man.
Thanks. You guys throw one hell of a party, too. Who was that woman I was dancing with?
Ah, the one who is lovely, lively, and more than a handful? She is my mate, and we wolves mate for life.
There you go about wolves again. What’s the difference between being a werewolf and being a shapechanger?
The legend of the werewolf is but a folk tale. We change our shape when we choose, not because the moon is in some phase. We are the beast with the mind of a man, and a man with the mind of a beast. We are creatures of the night—shapeshifters, skin-changers. We are man or beast by our own Will. To run on four legs, to howl at the moon, to chase the terrified prey through the hills—this is what it is to be truly alive.
So being a werewolf is a curse, but being a shapechanger who happens to turn into a wolf is a blessing?
Exactly. You know, it is not normally our way to speak so freely to outsiders, but I do so now because you need to know we are not your enemies. You have too many questions that cannot be answered, and your ignorance may be your doom.
Hey! …Wait, you mean my asking about “dark things,” don’t you?
There is much to you. Your actions to come will affect us all, do not doubt it. Therefore, I will speak honestly and openly on what I can. I can see by your eyes that our future is linked to you, for weal or woe.
Speaking of, can I get another card reading?
Of course. Shuffle and cut the cards, and we shall see the subject of the reading.


You can get a new reading each day, and each reading is about a different subject. I will be putting the readings at the end of each update from now on, whether they take an entire day or not.

This reading is of the ill-omened man. We shall learn more of his purpose and past. The next card you turn shall show the distant past.

The queen of swords. Some time in the past, this man has met the mystery lady of your present. He may have been betrayed by her, or perhaps he is the betrayer of the lady. And what is her influence? Ah, the Magician. The woman of mystery has magic also. One is the teacher of the other. The order of the cards suggest it is the woman who was the master, and the man her apprentice. The events you face now obviously began in the dark past. Let us learn now of the more recent ones.

The knight of swords? Ah, this is your own influence upon the man. It seems you were as important to his history as he was to your own. And the manner in which you affected him…oh my. Death, the card of transformation. You are the agent of this man’s failure and loss. You altered his life irrevocably. Even if you destroyed him, he still influences the present. That the cards chose to reveal information about him shows that he is again a player in the game of your life. What next can we learn of this one?

In the present, the eight of swords. This is the card of conflict and domination. The last card which crossed this man was also a symbol of bondage. He is somehow a prisoner, or an unwilling accomplice of another. Let us see if the cards will further explain this relationship. The five of clubs? This is the card of conflict and struggle. This man does not take his bondage lightly. Let us see what the cards show of his hopes and desires.

The Chariot represents triumph and vengeance. There is a strong need to gain control of the situation, of his life. He may seek escape, but escape is clearly not enough. Let us see in what way he may triumph. Hmm, this time the Devil is inverted. The meanings may differ, but this is a card that bodes no good whichever way it lies. Your man clearly seeks release, but with that freedom, he will also seek revenge. Whatever or whoever binds him now cannot contain him forever. He will seek his revenge, and you will need to be wary. You will face him again in a struggle to the death.


Now let us reveal the card that rules over the past and the present. Oh, the dark card of the Void. The influence of the Dark One overshadows all. No more shall be revealed, nor shall things be spoken at this time.
I guess I’ll see you tomorrow. Man, Tarot cards are fun.


Hi again. I’d hoped you would come back. It gets lonely here with no one to talk to but the fish.
I suppose you can’t really get out much, can you.
Nothing much beyond the lake, no. I did try swimming down to the swamp once, but I don’t ever want to go back there. It took me weeks to get the slime out of my hair.
You’ve been to the swamp? What’s it like in there?
The will o’ wisps were friendly enough, but those grasping arms, ugh. Weirdest of all were the creatures standing guard near some sort of tomb. I’m not going back to the swamp for anything.
Wait, let me check something…huh, it’s not in here. What are will o’ wisps?
Will o’ wisps are the souls of lost children. They play around the swamp at night. They look like little sparkles of light.

*Flashback*



*End Flashback*

I think I’ve seen them before.
That’s good. Watch it, though. They love to play “hide and go seek” in the swamp and most people who try to follow them there don’t return.
What else did you see? Something about a tomb?
I call it a tomb, but it was more like some sort of pillar. It felt magical, and very, very cold, even to me. I stay as far away from it as I can. Scary. And the guards near the tomb were really weird. They looked like they had been human once. Now I don’t know what they are. They aren’t dead, or undead, as far as I can tell. Just awful.
Crazy.
So why’d you come down here? Just chitchat, or did you have something better in mind? Because you probably shouldn’t touch me, else I’d be forced to drag you to your death, and I really don’t want to do that. You’ve been kind to me, and I like you.
There was something. Do you remember your name? It’s kind of important.
I already told you that I don’t. It’s been way too long since I was alive, so I kind of forgot.
Well, do you know anywhere I could find it?
I used to live in the town nearby, I think. Maybe there’s a grave there or something.
Worth a shot.


“No effort could Elyssa save; she passed into a wat’ry grave. Her body was lost; only her memory remains.”

Jackpot, I hope. So who’s the guy in the next coffin over?

“Here lies Janos. Faithful Forever to his Lost True Love, laid beside her empty grave.”

Hmm.


Find anything?
Would your name happen to be Elyssa?
Elyssa. Yes, that was my name. I’m starting to remember things now…I was going to be married. My fiancé and I came down to the lake for an evening swim. We were, uh, skinny-dipping, actually. Then he wanted to, well, you know…but I wouldn’t. So he drowned me. He always did have a low frustration point. And that’s how I became a rusalka.
That’s awful! Hey, I remember Janos now, he was the old dude who kept yelling at me and Al to get away from his house! And he got away with it?
I’m swimming here, aren’t I? Heck, you might say I’ve been skinny-dipping ever since. Care to join me?
Well…
I’m only kidding! Please don’t come in. So why did you need to know my name, anyway?
Oh, right. It’s part of the cure. First you have to remember who you were, then I take some of your hair, put it in a broom, and beat the grave of your murderer three times with it. Then I kick Janos’ ghostly ass, give you what you really want, and you’re freed.
You’re going to beat the grave of my fiancé with my hair in a broom? Won’t that make him mad or something? You better be careful. He had a nasty temper, remember?
Yeah, that’s the whole idea. Avenge your death after you’re dead and stuff.
I don’t know, I’m kind of frightened. I’ve been undead so long, I don’t know what it’s like to be really dead. I guess I’m going to find out.
You don’t want to do this?
No, no, go ahead. In spite of what you might think, being undead really isn’t that fun. Mostly it’s just swimming around, combing my hair, drowning unwary travelers, that sort of thing. Being at peace sounds pretty good, just a little…scary.
Alright. I’ll be back when I’ve done the deed.
Please be careful. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you because you’re trying to help me, you know.


Hey, Ma. Do you have a broom I can borrow?
I have a broom you could buy, Ilya. This is a general store, you know.
Aw, man.
By the way, have you heard the news? The Gypsy didn’t kill Igor after all. Dmitri has set the Gypsy free. No good will come of it, you mark my words. The man was clearly a werewolf.
I’ve talked with him, Mama. He says that Gypsies are shapechangers, not werewolves.
I don’t want you hanging around with him, do you hear me? He may not have eaten the gravedigger, but that still doesn’t explain why he was hanging around town. We’ll all be eaten by that werewolf yet, and I don’t want to see my son as the first one to go!
I’ll be fine, Ma, don’t worry about me.


*Whap* *whap* *whap*

Damn, guess ghosts don’t want to come out in the day. I’ll have to wait until dark. Might as well waste time in town until then.


What’s up, doc?
Ah, hello, Nike. I have been preparing a research report to tell the world about my process for reanimating dead tissue. It is providing very difficult. I must omit no detail or the more skeptical of my fellows will doubt my results. And yet, if I wait too long, some other scientist may publish first. Why, it is distinctly possible that there are hundreds, even thousands, of experimental scientists even now animating their own corpses and trying to publish their results before mine!
What, really?
I suppose that maybe there aren’t. Still, publish or perish, they say. It is not sufficient just to be the greatest scientist in the world. One must also strive to be the best known. Otherwise, research grants can be hard to obtain.
So how do you make a Frankie?
If I told you about it, the secret processes wouldn’t be secret anymore, now would they? All I can say is that the process involves lightning, Life Fluid, and an attractive recently-dead corpse. Oh, and considerable quantities of pepperoni pizza, of course.
This is getting weird again. I’m just gonna grab my potions and get.
Oh? Well, goodbye, then. Hmm, perhaps I should keep the results of the Frankie experiment to myself. I am not sure if the world is quite ready for infinitely agreeable artificial women. I shall need to explore the situation much more closely to be certain!


Hey guys, what’s going on in…huh?


Meet Punny Bones. Punny’s got a bit of a problem.

So, um, are you finished?
Yeah, kid, the show’s over, although the memories will last ya a lifetime, like it or not.
Could you not call me that? My name is Nike.
His name is Ilya.
Trouble at home?
You could say that.
I hear ya. I’m staying at this inn for a while myself until I find something here. I’ve got the last door down the hall. Visit me sometime; I’m sure we can have a few laughs together.
Will we? Your act was kind of…
Bad? Yeah, I know. For jokes, I’ve got a million of them. Problem is, I can’t remember most of them, and the ones I do remember should have been buried long ago. I used to be worth my wit in gold, but, oh, it’s a long story. Ask me about it some other time.
Okay. Hey Yuri, did you know about this?
I try to keep people entertained—
So how come you weren’t up on stage instead of me?
–but I have not listened to such nonsense in all my life.
You call this a life?
I’d love to listen to this all day, guys, but I’ve got to get going. I have a busy night ahead of me. Oh, don’t look at me like that, Yuri, I’ll still be here tomorrow morning. What? I will! You’ll see!