The Ancestor

The Ancestor

 

                “You know, most teens spend Friday nights not trying to raise the dead.” Jenna brought up a valid point. Yet, there sat her friend Vivian in the middle of a circle of candles, her eyes closed.

                “We’re not normal teens,” Rudy, too, brought up a valid point.

                “Be quiet,” Vivian hissed.

                James lit the last candle, just with a wave of his hand, no match, no lighter. “Not normal,” he muttered and then backed out of the wax circle that surrounded his sister.

                “Now what?” Jenna crossed her arms, leaning against the wall of the small study room.

                “Now turn the lights off,” Vivian said in between clenched teeth.

                Rudy flicked the switch and soon it was pitch black, with the exception of a white ring of light around his girlfriend.

                “Okay, now what?” Jenna tapped her foot. This was getting uncomfortable.

                Vivian cracked an eye open. “Could you all sit down? You might make her nervous.”

                “Oh yes, I would hate to make your insane 600 year old ancestor uncomfortable as we summon her from the dead,” Jenna took a seat despite her bitterness.

                Vivian gave a calming sigh, eyeing the huge portrait of her great-great-great-so on- grandmother from back in the 1400’s. The painting was stored away in the Alleruzzo’s house basement. It wasn’t surprising how no one in Vivian’s family had found if prior since the house was so huge but, what was really a mystery was how the painting was in such good shape. The woman, Vivian Alleruzzo I as the plaque read (making 21^st century Vivian Alleruzzo the second) was such a realistic portrait, it was bound to have contain traces of the ancestor’s spirit.

                Despite Vivian being a Black Spirit, or having the powers of death sorcery, she never raised a spirit before. Zombies were a piece of cake to summon, considering they were just brainless meat sacks with legs (most of the time). But spirits were a whole different level. It was awaking an actual being that had been put in a sleep that was meant for eternity.

                Vivian sat there, now her eyes completely closed, trying to get in touch with the soul, trying to maybe find her ancestor’s presence around the room. She had to reach into the deepest parts of her own mind to accomplish such a thing.

                “I don’t think she knows what she’s doing,” Jenna’s whisper was enough to break Vivian’s concentration.

                “You know what?” Vivian got to her feet with a grunt. “Why don’t we try this another time?

 

***

James wiped his hands on his apron, eyeing the bacon with disgrace.

                He didn’t mind getting up early to prepare his huge family a big breakfast. Heck he enjoyed having some alone time just cooking. He just wished that they’d share his vegan diet.

                He moved to the coffee machine filled with freshly grinded beans. No self-respecting Italian family would use premade mix. He made a fresh hot mug, the warm smell of the drink filling the air. He moved from the kitchen to the living room, the hot cup in hand. On the leather sofa of the room laid his mother, as she did every morning. Passed out, empty wine bottle on the table nearby.

                James sat next to his mother and shook her shoulder gently till she woke. “Morning,” he handed her the mug.

                She gave him a smile, “James, you really are an angel.” She took the mug from her son, running a hand though his black curly hair.

                “I’m just doing my job as your son.”

                “Actually, you’re doing my job of being a mother,” she sighed. “And it shouldn’t be like that. I’m sorry,” she touched his hand. James went to respond but a noise from the stairs interrupted him.

                “Vivian?” he saw his sister coming down the stairs. He eyed the clock hanging on the wall to the left. “It’s Saturday. You don’t wake up for another few hours.”

                She didn’t seem to hear him; she kept coming down the stairs and eventually crossed the room.

                “Vivian,” Adela, her mother, sat up straight on the couch. “Where are you going?” Her daughter just kept walking on, heading to the front door.

                “Vivian?” James came over and stepped in front of his sister. He grabbed her shoulders and looked at her pale face through her dark behead hair.

                Her eyes were closed. She simply moved him out of her way and left out the front door, closing it behind her.

                “Hey!” Adela looked over at the window to the driveway. “She’s taking the car!”

                James could only watch as Vivian drove away in the old car, wondering if her eyes were still closed. Not good. He grabbed for the phone and started to call the first person who came to his mind whom he knew could help.

***

 

                “Your boyfriend’s calling!”

                Jenna woke to the beautiful shout of Charlie, one of her many older brothers. Following that wonderful greeting was a cellphone flying at her face. If it weren’t for her inhuman reflexes, Charlie would’ve had to pay for her broken nose. Again.

                She looked at the caller ID. “He’s not my boyfriend,” she threw a pillow out her doorway and hit her blonde sibling there.

                “I wouldn’t bet on it!” Charlie ran away after that.

                With a composed breath, Jenna answered the phone. “Hey, James.” She eyed the clock on her nightstand. “Kind of early, isn’t it?”

                “Yeah, I’m sorry, it’s just that something strange happened.” James proceeded to tell Jenna the incident that had happened with Vivian.

                Jenna gave a sigh. “Weird things always happen with Vivian and it’s always just because of her stupid powers.” Like that time Vivian had slept walked into Jenna’s pool. Or that time Vivian had accidently materialized into the boy’s locker room at school. And when Vivian had appeared dead for a whole week. (The second one was rather questionable as to if it was really an accident.)

                “I know but you know how I am, I always worry. Just help out, please?”

                 Jenna could just imagine those big gray eyes of his sparkling up at her. Lot’s had changed about James as he got older, but not those eyes nor her weakness for them. “Okay, I’ll help you look. Where do you think she could’ve gone?” Jenna put her phone on speaker and changed out of pajamas. “If this really is something with her powers, it probably has to do with dead people. Or my pool.”

                “Or the boy’s locker room,” James added.

                “Or that. Okay, well let’s think about what Vivian’s been doing recently with her powers. She had contacted that weird little girl spirit last week.”

                “A couple a days ago, she had talked to Marc about the other lost suicide spirits haunting that church.”

                “And just yesterday we were trying to raise Vivian Alleruzzo the First…oh wow, duh.”

                “You don’t think she’s…”

                “Oh, I know she’s.” Jenna pulled on her coat.

                “Well, let’s get going!”

                “Cool but,” Jenna looked out her window. “Charlie just took the car to go to the gym.”

                “Vivian took my car…”

                “Let me call Rudy. He could give us lift there,” Jenna tied on her shoes and left out her room.  

               

***

Rudy didn’t have time for pants.

                Nope, he had just jumped out of bed and left when Jenna had told him what had happened. He picked up Jenna and James and headed off according to Jenna’s directions. Now here he was speeding around town in his uncle’s BMW, wearing only boxers and an undershirt.

                Classy.

                “How can you be sure about this? I mean, what if we’re wrong?” He practically drove through a red light, his mind only focused on Vivian’s whereabouts.

                “It would only make sense that she’s there. I mean, you got any other ideas?” Jenna looked at him doubtfully. If there was one thing Rudy had learned from being friends with Jenna for so long, it was that she was pretty much always right. It was infuriating.

                “Okay whatever. Just keep giving me directions.” Rudy had given Jenna his smart phone to look up cemeteries in the town.

                “Turn right on the next block,” Jenna told him.

                “We’re probably going to the main town cemetery right? I mean there are a few others but…” James leaned in to the two front seats where Jenna and Rudy sat.

                “‘King’s Sun Cemetery,’” Rudy confirmed, seeing in the corner of his eye what Jenna had pulled up on the phone screen. “The cemetery has its own website?”

                “Apparently. But there’s more news then just that"turn here"listen up.”

                Rudy ignored the stop sign at the end of the block and pulled a sharp turn. “Is it news on Vivian? Oh Dios, did she get in an accident? Driving with her eyes closed like that! Don’t tell me.”

                “Just shut up, your precious girlfriend is fine,” Jenna rolled her eyes.

                “Yeah, Vivian’s a pretty good driver,” James mentioned.

                “Even with her eyes closed,” Jenna insisted.

                Rudy had to dig his fingers into the steering wheel. “I’m sorry for being so worried about Vivian being killed.” He lifted one hand gently touched the gold cross at his neck. “Then what’s the news about?”

                “According to this website"turn left on the next block"Vivian Alleruzzo, old Vivian not your precious one, was a major historical figure to our town of King’s Sun. There’s a whole shrine dedicated to her,” Jenna flashed at him the phone screen.

                “And you had no idea about this, Mr. Alleruzzo?” Rudy peered at James through the rear view mirror.

                He reddened. “I may have known a thing or two about her…fame. But I think the ‘shrine’ is more of a ‘reminder’ and it’s not dedicated to Vivian the first but more symbolic of her.”

                “You’re not telling us everything,” Rudy noted.

                “Let’s just say I don’t talk about the family history for a reason,” it was clear James said all he was willing to say.

                “We’re here,” Jenna announced.

                “There’s the car!” James pointed at the side of the road where the old family station wagon was parked.

                “That means Vivian must be here,” Rudy quickly parked the BMW and ran out. The crisp autumn air reminded him of his sparse amount of coverage by clothing.

                Yet, every goose bump rising on his tan skin was worth it.

 

***

Vivian was pretty sure she was dead.

                The dark tombstone at her side that read Vivian Alleruzzo seemed to be there for her confirmation. She sat up straight, changing her position from lying on her side. She found that the stone was a lot bigger than she thought. It wasn’t as much as a tombstone as it was a pedestal for a statue. One quick glance and you may dismay the figure as Virgin Mary. But once you recall that Virgin Mary never held a scythe nor had skeletal hands, it becomes clearer that the statue is another person entirely.

                Vivian Alleruzzo the First, Vivian frowned. What a disturbing lady.

                Vivian got to her feet, observing the statue wearily. She noticed a small inscription at the boney feet of her ancestor’s sculpture. It was written in Italian, she saw, and the letters were faded away. Despite the different language and worn print, she knew what it said:

                “Life’s a journey, not a destination.”

                “Is it worth it, though?” Vivian spoke out loud. “I mean, look at you. It seems as though all you did in your life, whatever you did, led up to this.” She gestured at the awful shrine with her small hands. If the journey is the hardships of life, then Vivian must look into what that destination just might be.

                The destination is death.

                Vivian nearly fell to her feet as she felt someone speak behind her. When she turned, though, no one was there. “What?”

                The destination is death. Life is how you get there.

                Vivian made a full circle, looking for the source of the voice. All she saw were endless rows of other stones in the stiff grass. “I’m not quite sure that’s what the quote means.”

                Prick your finger on the scythe.

                Vivian stopped looking around and turned to the grave. “Yeah, you see. I saw sleeping beauty. I think I know where you’re going with this.”

                Prick your finger on my scythe. Then it shall become yours.

                “You’re talking to me, aren’t you?” She kneeled at the stone and looked at the eyeless figure of a woman in a cloak. “Vivian. Why would I want your scythe?”

                You are a destined to be Death. As I once was. You are to fulfill your destiny.

                Vivian frowned. “If my life’s the journey, then it’s not about me reaching my destination now is it?” Vivian could practically hear her ancestor give a sigh of annoyance.

                I brought you here to show you that you are different. Just one drop of blood and you will see the truth.

               The truth, Vivian thought. That word always seemed to dig into her mind. She brought her hand forward steadily, bringing her finger under the point of her ancestor’s weapon and pressed.

                Ouch. Her finger was slightly pierced.

                She waited for something to happen. Anything. “I’m not giving any more blood then that.” Vivian finally broke the silence. She got no response back. “Just a waste of my time,” she sighed.

                “Vivian!” A voice came from not too far away. This one she recognized.

                “Rudy!” she called back and ran towards the sound of him.

 

***

 

“Where are your pants?” Vivian pulled back from her hug with Rudy.

                “You’re more important,” he touched her face.

                “All right,” Jenna stretched her arms with a yawn. “Can I go home now?”

                “What happened anyway?” James came to his sister.

                “Ah, you know. The old ancestor just wanted to say a hello,” Vivian pointed to the shrine. “All right, time to go home. Jenna needs her beauty rest,” she rushed ahead.

                The others looked at each other with a shrug and followed her. Rudy couldn’t help from noticing the trail of dead grass that seemed to have appeared under Vivian’s footsteps.

                James turned back to glance at the statue. He wasn’t sure if it was just his eyes or not, but it seemed that the usual scythe in the woman’s hands was gone. He went to inspect it further when someone touched his shoulder, making him jump.

                “Let’s get out of here,” it was only Jenna. “This place is way too…weird.”

                “Weird,” James agreed and had no problem leaving with Jenna at his side.

                The truth was that Jenna was hearing things that she knew that the others weren’t. Probably because of her keen hearing. But it was creepy, all those voices in her head. She hooked arms with James and swiftly moved.

                It was the next night when Vivian woke from a nightmare.

                It started out as her reliving the day. She mysteriously appeared at the graveyard. She took a look at the disturbing statue. But this time, the figure’s face was clearer. This time, it had her face.

                She had to get up and walk around her room a little. Usually bad dreams didn’t affect her but this one sure did shake her up. She came to her window and opened the curtains, allowing the moon light to drown the room.

                It was just a dream, she sighed. After a few more minutes of her mentally repeating this, she was able to turn back to her bed.

                She screamed.

                Yes, life’s a journey, the woman’s voice echoed in her head. But that doesn’t matter because you are the destination. You are Death.

                The scythe gleamed at her bedside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

Quicky story I did for school...twist on my book series in progress, War of the Wingstons (story makes sense without reading War of the Wingstons anyway!)