The Castrator by Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov (short books for teens txt) 📕

HIS ASTRAL BODY SEPARATED FROM HIS PHYSICAL BODY, AND HE FLEW IN HIS IMAGINATION TO WHERE THE INDIAN CEMETERY WAS.

IT ALL SEEMED A LITTLE STRANGE TO HIM - HE COULD NATURALLY OBSERVE HIS PHYSICAL BODY, BUT AS HE WAS IN THE AIR HE COULD FEEL SOME DIFFERENCES. ARLO FELT THAT HIS HEARING HADN'T CARRIED OVER TO THE HIGHER LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS, INSTEAD HE WAS PICKING UP SOME FRAGMENTED STATIC EERIE NOISES THAT WOULD STARTLE ANYONE ELSE, BUT HE REMEMBERED BLUEBIRD'S MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF ADVICE - BE THE MASTER OF YOUR FEAR SO THAT YOU CAN RETURN TO YOUR PHYSICAL BODY WITHOUT A PROBLEM.

ARLO HAD MEMORIZED CERTAIN POINTS ON HIS ROUTE, BUT HE WANTED TO SEE HOW MUCH CONTROL HE COULD EXERT OVER THE NEW REALITY - IF HE COULD REALLY CHANGE NIGHT TO DAY, OR IF HE COULD CHANGE SOMETHING ELSE.

THEN HE GLIMPSED THE ETHEREAL ARTIFICIAL DEMON - IT LOOKED LIKE A CROSS BETWEEN FLAME OR SMOKE WITH SUBTLE OUTLINES OF THIN MATTER. IT SEEMED TO BE QUITE CLOSE TO ITS HOST - NO MORE THAN HALF A METER TO A METER AND A HALF AWAY, AND OBVIOUSLY CONNECTED TO ITS SOLAR PLEXUS.

ARLO REALIZED THAT THIS WAS ALL DAMN REAL, AND NOT JUST SOME MOVIE HE WAS WATCHING FROM THE SIDE.

THE DEMON SWAYED LANGUIDLY, AND THE BLUEBIRD'S SOUL WAS LIKE A HOLE IN THE GROUND.

- "SO HE COMMITTED SUICIDE," ARLO WONDERED, "THERE ARE WHOLE CHUNKS OF HIS SPIRIT MISSING THAT EVEN AN ARTIFICIALLY CREATED DEMON CAN'T PATCH UP.

HE HADN'T SMOKED WEED IN A FEW DAYS AND HIS MIND WAS CLEAR ENOUGH, AS IT TOOK AT LEAST A WEEK AND SOMETIMES LONGER FOR THE EFFECTS OF THE HIGH TO WEAR OFF COMPLETELY - SOMETIMES IT TOOK A MONTH OR MORE.

ARLO HAD THE STRANGE FEELING THAT SOMEONE WAS WATCHING HIM AND WANTED TO TELL HIM SOMETHING, BUT SOME INVISIBLE BARRIER WAS STOPPING THE COMMUNICATION.

- "IT'S NOT FEAR," THE YOUNG MAN CONCLUDED, "AFTER ALL, I WAS LIKE A STIFF, AND NOW I'M THE MASTER OF THE SITUATION. I SEE AND FEEL FREELY."

ARLO KNEW THAT USUALLY THE EFFECT OF SMOKING QUALITY CANNABIS LED TO HEADACHES IN ADDITION TO PLEASANT EXPERIENCES, BUT HERE LAY A SERIOUS PROBLEM TIED TO THEIR MENTOR.

- "BLUEBIRD WAS NOT COMMUNICATING WITH HIS HIGHER SELF. BUT WHY? COULD THE DEMON BE THE REASON?," REASONED ARLO. BLUEBIRD NEVER HAD THE DIVINE SPARK. NO THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!

ARLO WAS CONFUSED. HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO REACT, BUT NOTHING SEEMED TO HAPPEN IN THE ASTRAL WORLD WITHOUT SOME REACTION FROM HIM.

ARLO FELT THAT THE BOUNDARIES OF THIS WORLD WERE IMMEASURABLY GREATER THAN THOSE OF THE PHYSICAL WORLD, AND HE BEGAN TO SENSE SOME UNCLEAN ENTITIES TRYING TO GET AT HIS OWN BODY. BUT HE WOULD RESIST.

EVEN THE ARTIFICIAL DEMON SHOWED AN APPETITE, BUT ARLO UTTERED THE BLESSING HE HAD USED AS AN ENERGY SHIELD TO PROTECT HIS BODY FROM ENCROACHMENT ONCE MORE AND HE RETREATED. THOUGH IT SEEMED ALMOST COMICAL - THE DANGER WAS VERY REAL.

- "DO I REALLY POSSESS THE QUALITIES OF AN ASTRAL SEEKER?," WONDERED THE HIPSTER, WHO WASN'T THE MOST RELIGIOUS OF TYPES, BUT WAS IMMERSED IN THIS WORLD IN A WAY THAT FILLED HIM WITH INCREASING CONFIDENCE.

HE TURNED TO THE BLUEBIRD - HIS FACE WAS A BLUR OF HOLES AND HIS ASTRAL BODY LOOKED LIKE SWISS CHEESE.

- "APPARENTLY THE EFFECTS ON HIS SPIRIT ARE IRREPARABLE," ARLO SADLY CONCLUDED, AND EMBARKED ON HIS JOURNEY.

HE HAD TO IDENTIFY THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE LA POINTE CEMETERY AND IN PARTICULAR THAT PLACE WHERE THE RITUAL WAS TO BE PERFORMED.

THE POINT OF THIS JOURNEY WAS THAT HE COULD SPOT SOMETHING HE WOULD NOT SEE IN THE MATERIAL WORLD. ARLO HAD NOT FORGOTTEN THAT THE SINGING SHADOW HAD NOT SHARED EVERYTHING WITH THEM, AND IN ADDITION TO REFUSING TO SPEAK, SHE HAD DECLARED HER POWERLESSNESS TO HELP THEM - APPARENTLY THIS INVISIBLE BARRIER WAS STOPPING HER EFFORTS.

THE PHYSICAL DISTANCE BETWEEN THE PRESERVE AND THE CEMETERY WAS ON THE ORDER OF A HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILES, BUT ARLO FLEW OVER IT MUCH FASTER AND REACHED MADELINE ISLAND, WHERE IT WAS LOCATED.

BUT SUDDENLY HE FELT THE INVISIBLE SPIRIT FOLLOWING HIM - AS IF IT WANTED TO GRAB HIM - NO IT WASN'T THE BLUEBIRD SOUL DEMON - IT WAS SOMETHING MUCH MORE DANGEROUS.

AS HE GOT CLOSER TO THE GRAVEYARD, HE FELT ITS PRESENCE EVEN MORE CLEARLY - IT WASN'T AS OMINOUS BECAUSE IT MIXED WITH THE OTHER AURAS OF DEAD SOULS, DEAD ANIMALS AND WHATNOT.

ARLO GUESSED THAT MADLYN ISLAND HAD LONG BEEN THE SPIRITUAL CENTER OF THIS AREA - HE COULD FEEL THE ENERGY OF THE PLACE ALL TOO PALPABLY.

HE DECIDED TO WALK OVER TO THE CEMETERY ITSELF AND TAKE A LOOK - MAYBE HE'D FIND SOMETHING ELSE THAT WOULD HELP.

HE SAW THE BREAKWATER THAT PROTECTED THE CEMETERY FROM THE WAVES OF LAKE SUPERIOR. GLIMPSED THE SYMBOLS OF CHRISTIANS, THE GRAVES OF OJIBWE[1], AND ALSO THAT MANY OF THE MONUMENTS HAD KEELED OVER, SUBJECT TO TIME.

"REMEMBER THAT TIME IN THE ASTRAL WORLD IS NOT LINEAR!" WAS ONE OF BLUEBIRD'S MOST IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS.

IN INDIAN FOLKLORE FUNERALS OCCUPIED AN IMPORTANT PLACE, AND ON THE OTHER HAND ARLO HAD LISTENED TOO ATTENTIVELY TO THE EXPLANATIONS THAT THE ASTRAL AND SPIRITUAL WORLDS WERE SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THEM WAS NOT TO BE CONFUSED.

ARLO DECIDED TO GO DOWN AND EXAMINE THE GRAVES MORE CAREFULLY. HE SAW QUITE CLEARLY THE SPIRIT HOUSES THAT HAD BEEN BUILT, WHICH WERE AT A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE FROM THE OTHER GRAVES SO THAT THE DEAD COULD ENJOY THEIR AFTERLIFE.

- "HOW STRANGE!" EXCLAIMED ARLO, "AS IF HE HAD LOST TRACK OF TIME. - APPARENTLY THERE ARE NO BARRIERS IN THE SPIRIT WORLD, BUT HERE I CAN STILL FEEL SOMEONE'S PRESENCE.

HE TURNED AND SAW THE GHOST OF DETECTIVE DONOVAN - OR RATHER, HIS ASTRAL PROJECTION.

THE DETECTIVE LOOKED DAZED AND OUT OF PLACE - AS IF HE DIDN'T LIKE THIS WORLD, BUT HAD ENDED UP IN IT IN A NOT VERY PRETTY WAY.

- "HE COMMITTED SUICIDE," ARLO CONCLUDED. "I SHOULD ASK HIM WHAT HE'S LOOKING FOR IN THAT SAME GRAVEYARD."

DETECTIVE DONOVAN'S GHOST DIDN'T ANSWER, HE JUST WALKED BETWEEN THE GRAVES. LA POINTE'S TERRITORY WAS VAST-AT LEAST AN ACRE AND A HALF. DETECTIVE DONOVAN DIDN'T SEEM PARTICULARLY ORIENTED IN HIS MOVEMENT IN THE ASTRAL.

ACCORDING TO SOME UNDERSTANDINGS, THE SOULS OF THE SUICIDED INHABITED PRECISELY THE SECOND ASTRAL PLANE, WHERE THEY COULD VISIT THE LIVING IN THEIR DREAMS.

DETECTIVE DONOVAN LOOKED COMPLETELY DIGNIFIED - JUST AS HE DID AT THE MOMENT OF HIS UNWISELY INDUCED DEATH, BUT HIS FACE WAS AS IF IT HAD BEEN BRIGHTENED - LIKE THAT OF A BLUEBIRD.

- "PERHAPS THERE WAS DEMONIC INTERFERENCE AGAIN," ARLO WHISPERED, BUT DECIDED TO FOLLOW HIS SPIRIT AT A DISTANCE, "HE WILL PROBABLY NEVER TRULY ENTER THE SPIRIT WORLD, WHICH IS DESTINED FOR THOSE WHO TRULY WANTED TO LIVE."

DONOVAN WAS IN HIS TRENCH COAT - TIGHT IN THE MOST PROFESSIONAL WAY AND READY TO DEAL WITH CRIMINALS, OR PERHAPS IN HIS MIND THAT IMAGE WAS THE CLOSEST TO HIS IDEAL OF THE PERFECT COP.

ARLO CONTINUED TO FOLLOW WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING ON AND SUDDENLY FELT THE SAME BARRIER PREVENTING HIM FROM GOING ANY FURTHER.

DETECTIVE DONOVAN TURNED AND SEEMED TO MOTION FOR HIM TO FOLLOW, BUT ARLO SAW THAT HE WAS LOOKING IMPASSIVELY AS IF INTO NOTHINGNESS. THEN TURNED AND CONTINUED ON HIS WAY, AND ARLO SEEMED TO HAVE TO FOLLOW HIM.

BUT SOMEONE SEEMED TO TOUCH HIM ON THE SHOULDER - NEXT TO HIM WERE ZONARA AND ELIZANDER. BOTH READY TO BACK HIM UP - THEY HAD BEEN FOLLOWING ROUGHLY THE SAME ROUTE FOR SOME TIME, AS THEY MEMORIZED THE NECESSARY ASTRAL POINTS NEEDED FOR THEIR JOURNEY.

AND SUDDENLY THE DETECTIVE STOPPED IN FRONT OF A LONELY GRAVE THAT READ JACK.

"WAIT A MINUTE!" RAN THROUGH MY MIND FOR A SECOND. - "THE COINCIDENCE OF THE NAMES IS HARDLY COINCIDENTAL."

THEN SOME INEXPLICABLE FORCE SEEMED TO KNOCK OUT THE ASTRAL PROJECTIONS OF ZONAR AND ARLO AND I WAS LEFT ALONE.

"I CONTACTED JAKE," JAKE DONOVAN ADDRESSED ME, "HE COMMITTED WHAT IS CALLED AN ASSISTED SUICIDE SO THAT ZONARA COULD COVER HIS TRACKS. SHE'S THE REAL CAUSE OF DEATH, DIDN'T YOU FIGURE IT OUT?

THE DEMON THAT DESTROYED ME IS THE DEMON OF HER OWN SOUL!"

- "YOU MEAN SHE WAS NEVER ALIVE," I STAMMERED.

- SHE ONLY EXISTED BECAUSE OF THE CARTELS, WHOSE MEMBERS, ALONG WITH FELISTER, PRAYED TO HER, AND IN THE RITUAL FOR THE GUARDIAN ANGEL, SOMETHING WENT WRONG AND A NEGATIVE ESSENCE TOOK POSSESSION OF HER. HAVE YOU NOT NOTICED THAT MY SON JAKE, WHO IS ILLEGITIMATE, AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN HIM, AND NEVER EVEN SUSPECTED HIS EXISTENCE," THE SPIRIT OF DONOVAN CONTINUED, "HAS EXPRESSED A GREAT DESIRE TO HELP YOU? WHAT YUPPIE WOULD DO IT UNSELFISHLY! EVEN I THE GUARDIAN OF THE LAW LEVELLED THE INFERNAL HOUSE OF A FELISTER, BUT I GOT SOMETHING! MY REASON FOR HELPING YOU IS THAT I WANT RETRIBUTION, AND I CAN'T HOPE FOR MUCH FROM MY PRESENT POSITION! THE ONLY REASON YOU'RE STILL ALIVE IS BECAUSE ZONARA FEELS SOME DISCOMFORT IN YOUR PRESENCE THAT THREATENS HER. THE DEMON THAT HAS TAKEN UP RESIDENCE WITHIN HER IS VERY CUNNING, BUT NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH YOU. JAKE AND I, HIS FATHER JAKE DONOVAN, FELL FOR A CAUSE THAT WAS NOT WORTH PURSUING, BUT OUR INTERESTS ARE PRACTICALLY COMMON," THE DETECTIVE FINISHED.

- "ANSWER ME JUST WHO ORDERED THE ATTACK ON THE FELISTER?," MORE FORMIDABLE EVEN THAN THE FELISTER HIMSELF," I ASKED HIM.

- THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO DISCOVER FOR YOURSELF. BUT KNOW THIS - THE ANSWER WILL SURPRISE YOU TERRIBLY - YOU HAVE A TRAITOR ON YOUR TEAM IN THE PERSON OF ARLO AND A DEMON-INTRIGUER IN THE PERSON OF THE FATAL ZONARA. THREE ENTITIES FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL.

I READ THE TOMBSTONE CAREFULLY - DONOVAN WASN'T LYING. AND WHY WOULD HE, GIVEN THAT HE WOULD NEVER REACH THE SPIRIT WORLD!

- "MY FATE IS TOO HARD - I AM DOOMED TO BE HERE FOR A THOUSAND YEARS, AND THEN MY SOUL MAY DISAPPEAR," THE DETECTIVE FINISHED. "DON'T LET YOUR COMPANIONS REACH THE GUARDIAN ANGEL BEFORE YOU - OTHERWISE MY HELP FOR YOU HAS BEEN USELESS."

WHEN WE RETURNED TO OUR MATERIAL BODIES, I WAS ACUTELY AWARE THAT THE PHYSICAL TIME I HAD SPENT WITH DONOVAN HAD APPARENTLY BEEN LESS THAN A SECOND - THIS SURREPTITIOUS MOVE MAY HAVE HELPED SOMEWHAT TO JUSTIFY MY LATER RETURN TO THE OTHERS.

BLUEBIRD WATCHED OUR FACES CAREFULLY, BUT MY LATER RETURN DIDN'T SEEM TO MAKE MUCH OF AN IMPRESSION ON HIM - PERHAPS THE ARTIFICIAL DEMON WAS DISTRACTING HIM, AND THAT FACT ONLY WORKED IN MY FAVOR.

I LOOKED AROUND - ZONARA AND ARLO WERE ALSO RECOVERING FROM THEIR EXPERIENCE.

WELL, I HADN'T LEARNED MUCH OF ANYTHING, BUT I FELT THAT BEHIND THE SEEMING LACK OF INFORMATION WAS THE KEY TO MY SURVIVAL.

BLUEBIRD COUGHED FROM THE TOBACCO HE WAS SMOKING AND EXPLAINED TO US THAT THE ROCKERS RECRUITED BY GUS WOULD MOST LIKELY BE ALONG SHORTLY.

IT WAS BETWEEN THREE AND FOUR IN THE MORNING - AND IN MY EXPERIENCE, THAT'S WHEN THE SPIRITS ATTACKED, USUALLY EXPLOITING THE VULNERABILITY OF THE SLEEPING, TRYING TO DRINK THEIR LIFE ENERGY - THIS APPLIED TO DEAD SOULS OF HUMANS, BY THE WAY.

- "WELL, YOU ARE READY FOR YOUR JOURNEY NOW," THE BLUEBIRD CONCLUDED SOMEWHAT SADLY, "OUR PATHS ARE PARTING AND WE MAY NEVER SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN. BUT, IF IT'S NOT A PROBLEM, PRAY TO THE GREAT SPIRIT FOR ME TOO!"

HIS WORDS SURPRISED US A LITTLE, BUT BLUEBIRD HAD DONE A LOT FOR US AND DESERVED TO BE HONORED WITH DIGNITY.

BLUEBIRD THEN SANG:

"WE WILL WATCH THE SHADOWS OF TWILIGHT,

BY THE MOON'S ENDLESS COURSE,

YA, HEH, YO, HEH, YO,

NOW I'LL GO TO MY HUT,

AND WE'LL WATCH THE RISING SUN.

WELL, WELL, WELL, WELL, WELL, WELL[2]."

WE DECIDED WE HAD NO MORE TIME TO WASTE - BLUEBIRD HAD TAUGHT US THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE NEEDED TO KNOW. BEFORE WE LEFT, THOUGH, HE SURREPTITIOUSLY GAVE ME A LITTLE AMULET WITH THE WORDS:

- WHAT YOU SEE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE PATH OF TRUTH. BE IN