From Darkness It Comes

Understanding the Darkness Below

Darrin furrows his brow, squeezes Lisa's hand to make sure she is still there, and looks up at Madame Laveau. "What is this dark energy you keep mentioning? The stuff below the school. Is that what's doing all of this? Whatever this is."

"Oh, child." She says in a soothing voice. "The dark energy is not a thing or what's effecting the school. It's the residue of the evil that resides here. The ancient evils that have slept below us for centuries stir and release the darkness. The darkness then touches those who are open to it and it changes them. Drives them to become agents of the dark ones dreams. Drives them to do their bidding."

"You're talking about those old god things the ghost mentioned, aren't you?" Lisa blurts out.

Madame Laveau looks intrigued and Darrin nods and chimes in. "Yeah, Kal Wrath Na..."

"Never speak those names!" The old woman interrupts with a loud and firm voice. "You must never utter the names of the ancient ones. Speaking the names brings attention to you. Turns their gaze upon you. Marks you as their next target in one way or another. These are things you do not want, child."

"What do you mean names have power? They are just words." Darrin looks confused.

"Yes, child, they are just words. But words can hold all sorts of power when used the right way. The same goes for names. I call your name from across the room, what do you do?"

"Look to see who said it?" Lisa asks with slight trepidation.

"Exactly. The same goes for those with great power. They just can hear those speaking from much farther away. Even when they slumber they can hear you. The ancients sleeping below us are close enough to possibly hear those who even think the name too loudly. I would forget you ever heard it and concentrate on the trouble at hand."

Lisa shakes her head. "There's no chance of that happening. The ghost, monster, thing kind of drilled it into our head."

"You've mentioned this vision before. Is this what drove you to come seek me out tonight?"

Both Darrin and Lisa nod.

"I thought I felt something earlier. I was worried it was another attack, like the other night. It seems the dark ones have chosen you for something after all. Jacob's meddling again, I am sure. What kind of apparition was it?"

"There are different kinds?" Lisa's jaw drops agape.

Darrin looks nearly as shocked, but manages to stammer out a few words. "It was a some kind of blue-white, bat winged, gaping mouthed, ghostly thing that scared the crap out of us."

"Did it manage to touch anything? Do you know if it had solid form or not?"

Darrin racks his brain, trying to remember if anything happened like that. "Not that I can remember. I don't think it did, but I was pretty scared. I may not have seen it."

Lisa doesn't speak, but shakes her head along with Darrin.

"That's good at least." Madame Laveau says with a troubled face. "Jacob may have caused more trouble since his return than I thought if he has already managed to somehow link you to the darkness. I don't know how he could have done it, unless he marked you somehow."

Darrin looks at Lisa, sharing a meaningful glance, and then turns back to Madame Laveau.