Halloween (3) The Return of Bink

We stared at the far wall of the extruded room. There was no sign of Bink, the small bear who called himself a Void Walker.

"Do you know how long this will take?" asked Chris after a few minutes had passed.

Morwenna sighed. "Unfortunately not. I could locate your mother quite quickly using my tags but Bincarano...nori...nari... er, Bink - he is moving within the Void and I don't know the rules there regarding time. He might have gone to report to the Order for all I know. I suspect we'll just have to wait. He's left his pathway open so he mustn't expect to be too long."

I assumed the "pathway", as Morwenna described it, was the area that marked the extension/extrusion of the Dark Room. It did look a little ominous, maybe to dissuade people from approaching the Void. It dissuaded me, anyway. It may have been my eyes but I thought I saw a huge face shimmering in the far wall. Perhaps my imagination was in overdrive.

Bink seemed to be an odd little chap. Friendly and garrulous in one sense but with an air of power that seemed to contradict his frankly cute appearance. He did seem to know what he was talking about and gave the impression we could be confident in his abilities.

A few more minutes passed. Morwenna whispered a few words then her shoulders slumped. "My tags have expired. We are wholly reliant on Bink..."

"Someone call my name?" echoed a voice and we looked into the depths of the pathway. Bink was materialising.

"Good of you to wait," said the small bear. "I decided not to visit the Order. Bureaucracy is tedious, is it not? Point being, you were right, Morwenna. The entity was indeed Living."

He reached behind him and grasped something, The something turned out to be a white paw and when Bink walked towards us, a white rabbit materialised in his wake.

"I present to you... Edith!" Bink announced in his official voice. "I do like that name."

"Mum!" Chris cried and he took a step forward.

"Steady," said Bink. "We don't want to lose you too. I'm bringing your mum to you."

Edith came forward unsteadily and took Chris's paws in hers - "Chris. My boy..." - and the inevitable hugs followed.

Bink beamed. "I thought I'd perform the honours. It isn't right that the Living should be trapped."

"Thank you, Bink," I said, Chris being occupied and Morwenna's attention being elsewhere. She was pointing at the pathway. There was an increasing purple red glow that had an ominous feel.

"Bink," she said, drawing his attention to the glow.

"Whoops," he said. "Gateway open too long. Have to dash."

With that, he ran down the pathway, dematerialised, and the far wall rushed towards us until the Dark Room resumed its original dimensions. 

Chris and Edith separated, faces all smiles until she froze and slowly turned.

"Where's Brucie?"

Glances were exchanged in horror. We had forgotten Chris's uncle. Was he still trapped?

o 0 O 0 o

Back in Morwenna's living room we discussed our options.

"The lantern will take three years to recharge before we can do another Summoning," Morwenna said.

"But Bink implied the lantern was faulty," I said. "Or needed servicing. Will it work again even after three years?"

"Why wasn't Uncle Bruce with you, mum?" asked Chris.

"He was trying to contact your dad," said Edith. "I'd tried but Bernie wasn't coping. As Brucie is his twin, he thought he might have more success. I figured I would have more success with you, my lovely son. You've always been sensitive."

"Dad never mentioned...," began Chris, "but maybe seeing you as a ghost was too much..."

"You may be right. But you didn't fail me, my love."

"I failed you," said Morwenna. "I should have explicitly said there were two of you. Bink brought you back, Eliza, but I didn't make him aware of your brother-in-law."

We were interrupted by the sound of a creaking floorboard outside the room.

"Will that be Herschel?" I asked. I thought that Morwenna had arranged for our Halloween activities to be undisturbed. 

"No," said Morwenna. "My boy is with my lodger Kurtis and they're staying overnight with my sister's family for a Halloween party."

"I thought I heard a creak outside..."

The door opened. "Ah, there you are."

It was Bink.

o 0 O 0 o

"I said I'd be back with a service manual for your lantern. All instructions inside. How to disassemble and reassemble it correctly. The Eldritch Words to properly clean each part. The most efficient way of recharging it. Four week optimum."

"Thank you," said Morwenna. "That's most kind. The reduced recharging time is most welcome. I will need to perform another Summoning as soon as I can."

"Oh, why?"

"I'm embarrassed to say that Edith here wasn't the only living person pulled into the Void..."

"Oh, you mean Brucie?" smiled Bink. "He's outside. Needs the loo, though."

"You brought him back?" said Chris.

"Two for one deal on Summonings this week," Bink said, performing an exaggerated wink. "Shall I show Brucie through on my way out?"

o 0 O 0 o

It had been the most extraordinary Halloween I'd ever spent. 

The return of Edith and Bruce Snow-Warren was a surprise to the community and I won't go into the reasons they gave explaining their sudden disappearance. It was a carefully crafted explanation as Mellowdenians accepted it without question. 

Edith was introduced to her many grandchildren. She's recovered now!   

Bernard and Edith went house hunting and finding somewhere, their belongings were taken out of storage. Brucie took Bernard's place in the cottage behind Chris's home.

Suffice to say, we didn't share details of Morwenna's talents widely. Edith and Chris took adult members of their family into their confidence and I told Cecile of course. As a consequence of our discussions, Cecile decided that Morwenna seemed a little too isolated and began to visit her socially.

This Halloween was, by comparison, quite boring. I can live with that. No weird little bears to bend one's mind, no exile to Limbo, no ghosts... Just kids dressed up as monsters and telling ghost stories that cannot compare to the real thing. Happily. 

o 0 O 0 o

Halloween (2) Morwenna Performs a Summoning

Last year, Halloween day saw Christian Snow-Warren and I accompany Morwenna Deerheart to her Dark Room. Given the fact we had been told it had no windows it came as no surprise that it was in the cellar. We passed a storage area and entered a small cell. The walls, ceiling and floor were all black and the illumination was supplied by a single spark-fly lamp set to the side of the door. There was a small round table and no other furnishings.

"I usually have a chair in here," said Morwenna, "but that's when I'm alone. With three of us we'll all have to stand, ideally close to the wall - here."

She indicated one side of the room.

Chris and I had been briefed on what we had to do - or more accurately, what Chris had to do. I was superfluous but my friend wanted me there.

"Very well," said Morwenna. "As discussed, Christian, I want you to do whatever you would be doing when you experience a vision of your mother."

"I don't really do anything," said Chris. "It tends to be when it's quiet and there are no distractions."

"The Dark Room should be ideal, then. Would you be thinking of anything in particular? Your mother, for example?"

"No. I haven't been thinking of anyone when she appears to me, as far as I know. It seems to be her choice."

I intended to remain silent but thought it worth making a suggestion. "Well, if trying to blank out your thoughts doesn't work, maybe you could try thinking of her. Just an idea."

Morwenna looked at me, paused and then nodded. "Not a bad idea. Such a proactive approach might work as an invitation."

Chris said he'd try both methods; that he'd not tried "calling" her on previous Halloweens. This said, we all fell silent to help Chris ignore our presence.

o 0 O 0 o

We had no idea how long this would take and I was beginning to wonder what we would do if Edith didn't materialise for Chris. I was going to ask the question before we spent too long waiting when Chris whispered a short phrase. "She's here."

I didn't see anything and I doubt Morwenna could either. This didn't seem to trouble her as she reacted by singing in a low voice. It sounded like words of gibberish to me but it had a regular rhythm. I remember thinking, "Is this what mysticism sounds like?" Maybe it does. Whatever it was, it seemed to be having an effect. 

I could see a shimmering shape catch the light of the spark-fly lamp and it gradually gained more substance to become a figure. It did indeed look like Edith Snow-Warren.

Morwenna breathed out noisily. "Well, that was easier than expected. Perhaps she's eager to make contact. Can you see her too, Jackson?"

I was brief. "Yep."

"Good. Happier, Christian? That it's not down to your overactive imagination?"

Chris nodded, glancing at me with a smile. "It's my mum, Jack."

"I know, mate, I know."

Morwenna peered at the apparition. "She is moving, but it's very slow." Circling, regarding Edith from different angles she added, "And she isn't like any entity I've encountered. You may be correct in that she's still alive."

"What next?" whispered Chris, eyes wide looking at his mother.

"Just a moment." She extracted a notepad from somewhere and scribbled down a few symbols. "Good. That should help me fix her position for a short while. We don't want to lose her whilst we're occupied with the Summoning."

"I don't understand," said Chris, still watching.

Morwenna "I've learned that entities... ghosts... tend to drift. They have exert themselves, fighting to stay in one place if they want to communicate with someone. If your mother isn't a ghost she must have fought continually to show herself to you, harder than any ghost. Halloween would make it easier. Nevertheless, she won't be able to maintain that contact for long. Using my experience I have been able to determine how she will move once she starts to drift. I will be able to find her once she starts to fade - but not for too long."

As I watched Edith's eyes seemed to move, fixing upon her son, and I thought I saw the beginning of a smile. Could she see Chris? Did he realise this? I was about to say something when I noticed - she was beginning to fade.

Chris reached out. "Mum..."

Morwenna interrupted his plea. "We must start the Summoning now." 

o 0 O 0 o

Our attention focused on the lantern sitting on the small table. Morwenna placed a paw on top of it, commenting that she had repeatedly read her husband's notes to remind herself of the necessary steps to follow and that she had completely familiarised herself with the operation. We would need to remain silent until she informed us that the Summoning was complete.

The words she spoke were barely audible and the few we heard were not in a language we recognised. And yet they seemed to have an effect. Within a minute everything in the room seemed to blur and this lack of clarity shifted to the far wall. 

It appeared as though smoke was swirling and then the wall seemed to move away from us. 

The smoke cleared and revealed a small figure. Coughing.

The fuzzy figure walked towards us and it was revealed as a small bear clad in purple. The coughing continued and then the sound altered to that of someone clearing their throat. The bear then appeared to solidify and then he spoke.

"When was the last time you had that lantern serviced? All that smoke. Anyone would think you were trying to choke me."

Chris and I looked at each other then we both shifted our attention to Morwenna. She also looked surprised. Maybe she'd also expected to see an imposing figure clad in pale green robes.

She confirmed my suspicion when she addressed the small bear. "I was expecting someone from the Sylvanian Order..."

"Oh," said the bear. "I'll go then, shall I?"

"No!" said Chris, forgetting that Morwenna had asked us to remain silent. As it transpired, that didn’t matter as the Summoning was complete. In her surprise she had neglected to tell us.

The bear turned to Chris and smiled. "Don't worry. I wasn't serious. I was answering a Summons so it would be impolite to leave without knowing the reason." To Morwenna he said, "I was serious about the lantern, though. It needs seeing to."    

Morwenna regained her composure. "My apologies. The lantern hasn't been used since long before I acquired it. I don't know how to service it."

"Really?" The bear seemed surprised. "Then I'll leave you some instructions when we're done. But back on track..." He cleared his throat and began to speak with an unexpectedly resonant voice.. 

"I am Bincaranion Vescharodi Tharalonis Nod, Void Walker and Official Messenger for the Sylvanian Order. I am here in response to a Summoning and I am ready to hear the Reasons for that Summoning." His solemn expression collapsed and he gave a lop-sided smile, continuing to speak in what we gathered was his natural voice. "You can call me Bink. By the way, you wouldn't want the monks to respond to a Summoning. They don't talk much. They rely on their satellites - like me - to gather all the relevant information and condense it for them."

"Oh," said Morwenna, not knowing how to respond to that. She moved onto surer ground. "I am Morwenna Deerheart. I summoned you to inform you that we believe the Void has trapped a living person and they have managed to make contact with us. We implore you to return them to Sylvania."

"You know that the Order is averse to returning people from the Void... but did I hear you correctly? A living person? That's highly unlikely."

I couldn't remain silent. "We believe it happened over fifteen years ago when there was a major breach from another realm."

That caused the small bear to stare. "Well... granted that was a chaotic time. If the environment was unstable, one of the Living could feasibly be sucked into the Void. In which case they would still be there. Time would pass differently for them. Intriguing."

"Would you ask the Order to consider bringing them home?" asked Morwenna

At first, it seemed hadn't heard her as he continued to dwell upon his thoughts - but I was mistaken.

"Intriguing indeed. One would need to find them first. The Order is made aware of Sylvanians passing into the Void when they end their life, but the Living..."

Morwenna smiled. "Christian Snow-Warren here was contacted by his mother. I have just tagged her."

Bink laughed. "Oh, very good. The tag would be useful." 

He sobered. "But it won’t last long. By the time I speak with the Order that tagging will undoubtedly have expired. I suppose you could renew the tag periodically... No. It would be better if I sought out the individual... What are they called?"

"Edith," said Chris. "My mum is called Edith."

"Edith," repeated Bink. "Nice name. I will go, check she is indeed Living and, if so, construct a binding tag and we will be in a better position to proceed. Morwenna, I will need your tagging codes."

Morwenna showed her notes for him to read and he repeated them rapidly. Again, I had no idea what language they used.

"Right," said Bink, handing back the note, "I'll be back soon and report what I've done."

With that, he turned and walked into the extended room, fading from our sight as he increased his distance from us. The room didn’t revert to its original dimensions and the three of us were left a little unsettled from the exchange with the smaĺl bear.

We waited.

o 0 O 0 o

(To be continued)