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Beneath the Ministry’s abbey lie the crypts, where past members of the Clergy’s bodies take their eternal rest. Or so it is thought. Among those entombed deep within the bowels of the property, are the remains of the first three Papas: Primo, Secondo, and Terzo. Their stone coffins, each decorated with the symbols and lyrics that represented their reigns as Papa, are periodically visited by Siblings, who are in charge of keeping the crypts spotless, as well as renewing the offerings made to the deceased. They are mostly flowers (especially for Primo), but other objects are left as well.
However, and it shouldn’t be surprising to anyone, that isn’t the only interaction the residents of the abbey have with the former Emeritus title holders. Ever since they passed away, some Siblings have tried to communicate with them through the use of Ouija boards and similar artifacts designed to contact the dead. So far, all their attempts have proved unsuccessful, yet they are convinced that the clergymen’s souls still roam the premises, even from beyond the grave.
Proof of that, they claim, are all the UNO card game decks that keep going missing around the abbey.
As it was well known, the half-brothers enjoyed playing the game together. Probably one of the very few activities they could all partake in without anyone feeling out of place or bored. That’s why the Siblings who have lost decks and can’t find them anywhere are convinced that the ghosts stole them, as they still want to play.
Seestor has told them time and time again that their conjectures are unfounded and silly, telling them that they should look harder for their misplaced belongings.
The library also had a couple of decks to lend, alongside other board and card games. Those eventually disappeared as well in mysterious ways, with the workers and the patrons claiming to either not have borrowed or have returned them. Because of that, the head librarian, Beatrice, decided to not acquire new decks and delete the game from the library’s database and inventory books.
Nevertheless, and despite the Clergy members instructing the Siblings to stop trying to communicate with the former Papas, some still try to this day. And they aren’t the only ones that became interested in speaking with the dead, a few hellish creatures got curious as well…
“This is a stupid ass fucking idea. We’re fucking demons, for fuck’s sake!”
Dewdrop complains as soon as he sits cross-legged on the cold stone floor of the common room, crossing his arms as well. He is surrounded by his fellow demons, all of them gathering in a circle around the Ouija board (which they borrowed from a couple of Sisters) placed on the floor. They moved the furniture in order to have enough space to accommodate the seven of them comfortably, as soon as they got back from having dinner in the mess hall.
They got the idea to contact someone from the Afterlife after Rain and Aether overhead a conversation between a few Siblings. Although, unlike them, the musicians didn’t plan on trying to communicate with any of the Papas. They just wanted to fuck around experiment with the board to see what would happen if they used it.
Because, and despite the little gremlin’s last words, they wonder if as ghouls they can even make contact with someone or something from the other plane. They know humans can, but they never tried it themselves, nor do they know about others having tried before them.
“If you don’t want to participate then you don’t have to,” Aether tells him as he sets up the board and its planchette. “No one is forcing you.”
“No,” the fire ghoul denies quickly. “If you’re doing it then I’m doing it as well. Someone’s gotta supervise this shit.”
The lead guitarist’s patronizing words are enough to provoke the offense of some of the others, given the paradoxical nature of his claim. They are all well aware that he’s one of the two demons that require supervision, not the other way around.
“And you’re the right one for the role? Hard to believe,” Cirrus scoffs as she rolls her eyes.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Dew mock-apologizes, scoffing as well. “What the hell are you gonna do if we end up summoning something bad by mistake? Turn the fanning function of your powers? Blow them a little breeze?”
“You wanna see how much damage I can inflict? I’ll show you, little gremlin.”
Cirrus’ dare ignites the dormant fire in Dewdrop’s eyes. However, said flames aren’t born of anger but excitement, as the small ghoul is always up for a challenge, no matter from whom it comes or what it entails. Still, Rain decides to step in before a scuffle breaks out between the other two, also taking the opportunity to chide his friends.
“Guys, please stop. This is supposed to be fun and you’re ruining it.”
“Dewey started it!” Cumulus exclaims, coming to her bestie’s defense.
“Doesn’t matter who started it, just that you end it,” Mountain intercedes, tired of their nonsense. “We don’t have all night to do this.”
The interjection from the drummer is enough to put out the fire flaring in the lead guitarist’s eyes as well as to calm down the miffed keyboardists. And in the ensuing silence, they all take a moment to reflect on what will happen next and what they’ll do according to it. They all have their own expectations about how the whole ordeal will play out; they also have a few questions they want to ask to whoever answers their call.
Unfortunately for them, Swiss decides to take the chance to make a question he should know better than to voice in the first place.
“Do ya think we could talk to one of the former Papas?”
It is supposed to be an innocent question. But given their context and what they all know, it comes off as more insensitive than anything else.
After all, Dew told all of them about what his role was in the death of the former Papas, so it stands to reason that the fire ghoul wouldn’t want to talk to them, either because of fear or pain. And that much is obvious from the way he tenses as soon as his mind registers what the multi-instrumentalist said.
“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” the rhythmic guitarist retorts, brows furrowing slightly behind his mask.
“Yeah, fuck that,” Dewdrop seconds, a bit more aggressively.
Nevertheless, both of their objections aren’t enough to discourage Swiss, who just presses on. He even goes as far as to give Dewdrop a suggestion regarding the matter.
“Oh, c’mon, maybe you can apologize to ‘em!”
Yet despite his best intentions being behind it, all he gets in return is being yelled at by Cirrus, Cumulus, and Mountain. “Swiss!”
“Not cool, man,” Rain adds, shaking his head.
“What?! I was just tryin’ to be helpful!” The multi ghoul exclaims, lifting his hands in a gesture of surrender.
Swiss’ defense falls on deaf ears as both air ghoulettes, the water ghoul, and the earth ghoul glare at him, silently ordering him to shut up for once and for all before he makes Dewdrop even more upset than he already is.
On the other hand, and ignoring the conversation completely, Aether urges the rest to get on with it, his voice carrying a tone of worry and unease.
“Can we just get on with this? This thing is giving me the creeps.”
“Aeth, you moron, you’re a goddamned demon,” Dew points out, ignoring Swiss altogether in favor of dunking on the quintessence ghoul.
“So, what? Like you aren’t scared of anything.”
“Well, at least I’m not scared of something as pathetic as ghosts,” the smallest ghoul sneers. “And how ironic for you to be anyway.”
Dewdrop isn’t only referring to the fact that Aether, like the rest of them, is a creature from Hell, but that he (again, like the rest of them) plays in a band named “Ghost”. Still, his point proves nothing, and the matter is abandoned for the time being in favor of focusing on getting on with the program. Otherwise, they might as well stay there all night without even as much as asking a question.
While Cirrus, Cumulus, Mountain, and Aether try to agree on what they should ask first, besides “Is there anyone with us here right now?”, Rain, Swiss, and Dew are left engrossed by their own thoughts.
Despite not wanting the lead guitarist to get upset, Rain silently agrees with Swiss’ suggestion of trying to contact the former Papas, wanting a chance to speak to Primo and get some good gardening tips from him. Meanwhile, Swiss himself is looking to get advice from Secondo on how to improve his pick-up/flirting game.
Dewdrop is the only one that is truly concerned about who or what will answer their call. That much is evident from the way he’s worrying his bottom lip as his clawed nails dig into the palm of his hands and his tail swishes nervously behind him. His anxiety is rising with every minute that passes by and the growing possibility of making contact with any of the former Papas growing.
The last thing he wants is to be confronted with the sins he committed that day, having to carry out Sister Imperator’s orders to kill Primo, Secondo, and Terzo. And even though he wants to apologize to them, especially to his former master, he fears having to endure the deceased men’s wrath. Thus why he decides to firmly object to any more suggestions of getting in touch with the Papas. And, in the case they ignore him and decide to do it anyway, he’ll just leave the room and won’t go back until the “game” is over.
“Okay, so, we should all place one finger on the planchette, and then ask something.”
As Aether instructs the others, he places his right index finger on the small object atop the board, waiting for the rest to follow his lead. Then, one by one, the ghouls and ghoulettes repeat his actions, placing one of their index fingers on the planchette as well. By the end, there’s barely any room left on the surface, and the shorter demons have to strain a bit in order to see what the object is marking.
“If any of you, fuckers, moves this thing on purpose, I’ll burn you alive,” Dew threatens before anyone can ask anything.
However, and with as many of his past warnings, it goes largely ignored by the group, some of them even rolling their eyes at the empty threat. And instead of paying him any attention, they put their focus on Aether, who was silently appointed as the medium of their little séance.
“Alright, let’s do this,” the quintessence ghoul begins before taking a deep breath, stabilizing his trembling hands. “Is there anyone here with us?”
Right after the question is uttered, suspense takes hold of the demons. Some of them even go as far as to hold their breath, waiting to see if the planchette will move or something else will happen. Yet despite the thick tension that can be felt in the air…nothing happens.
“Are we sure we are doing this right?” Cirrus asks, frowning while staring at the unmoving planchette.
“Yes, I followed every instruction the Sister who lent me the board gave me,” Aether assures quickly. “Maybe it’s not working because of, well, us.”
“Nonsense,” Swiss retorts with a drawl, maintaining a cheerful disposition. “If ’s going’ to work with anyone, it should be us. We are from the Pit.”
“Then maybe no one wants to speak with us?”
Cumulus postulates, sounding disappointed. She was one of the few who were the most excited about holding a séance in the first place, attempting to contact anything from the other side of the veil.
“That’s just sad,” Rain adds, tail sagging to the floor.
“I would say it’s more annoying than anything else,” Mountain grumbles.
“Whatever, this just goes to show that this entire shit was a waste of our time–”
Before the fire ghoul can end his sentence, he gets cut off.
“What about…” The multi ghoul interrupts, a wicked smile forming on his lips. “Are there any former Papas here with us?”
Dewdrop goes rigid and his eyes dart straight toward the other demon, glaring at him. He also has half a mind to yank the planchette from the board and everyone else’s hold in order to throw it straight at Swiss’ head. However, before the idea can fully formulate, he feels something. Something that is also felt by the rest.
The planchette is moving.
Ever so slowly, the heart-shaped wooden object moves from the center of the board all the way to its upper left corner. The one which has written “YES” in big, bold black letters. As soon as the planchette lands on the word, Dewdrop wrenches his hand from it as if he had been burned (as ironic as that would be). He doesn’t even say anything; he just stands up abruptly and exits the common room at once, leaving behind six flabbergasted ghouls and ghoulettes.
They don’t know it yet, but the real reason why the fire demon left isn’t only because he doesn’t want to be in the supposed presence of the men he helped murder but because he wants to get as far away from the board as possible before whoever answered says anything else. Still, they decide to soldier on and see if the entity they are speaking to is actually who they claim to be or not.
“Wait, which one of the three it is?” Cumulus curiously asks
“Dunno, could be more than one, though,” Swiss suggests. “Or the three of them.”
“Why don’t we just ask them?”
The drummer is getting a little fed up with everyone’s stalling, preferring to get it over with so they can go look for Dewdrop once they are finished. He’s already worried about him, considering how he stormed out of the room.
“Right,” Aether concedes as he nods once. “So, which one of the former Papas are we talking to?”
Just like before, the planchette begins to drag slowly over the board, aiming for the numbers portion of it. The circle in the middle of the object shows the number 1 for a brief moment before it moves on to the number 2, pausing for a couple of seconds again before finally stopping at the number 3. In that manner, the spirit –or, it would seem, spirits– communicating with them confirms that Primo, Secondo, and Terzo are present in the common room.
“Damn, all three of ʻem? Lucky us,” Swiss snorts before Cirrus hits him on the right arm.
“How do we know it’s really them?”
The smaller ghoulette inquires with worry, fearing that they might have awoken something that could be trying to pass as a former member of the Clergy for nefarious reasons.
“Guess we ask them questions only they would know the answer to,” Aether offers.
“Like what?” Rain asks. “We barely know them.”
“Well, Monty and I know Terzo, so we could start with him, maybe,” the rhythmic guitarist replies before turning toward the tallest ghoul. “Right?”
“I guess.”
“Oh, I know!” Swiss exclaims, coming up with a question he knows the three Papas would know the answer to. “Ask ʻem who killed them.”
“Swiss!”
Unlike the first time the multi-instrumentalist got called out for posing an insensitive question, now all the other demons jump to chide him in unison.
“Ya need to stop doin’ that already,” Swiss complains with a flippant tone.
Despite his lack of ability to take the situation seriously, before he can be scolded any further, Rain steps in to refocus their attention on a more pressing matter.
“Um, guys…”
They were all so engrossed in their conversation that none of them even noticed that they had lifted their fingers from the planchette, which then began to move freely across the board.
Little by little, the object spells out a word. Or rather, a name.
D-E-W-D-R-O-P
The dreaded answer to the question they didn’t want to ask yet it got answered anyway.
“Well, at least now we know we are really speaking with them.”
The earth ghoul’s nonchalant comment could have broken the tension into a joyful fit of laughter any other day. But in that moment, none of them feel even remotely like laughing. Instead, they begin to worry about what the consequences of their actions might be since they are the first ones to make successful contact with the deceased Papas. For all they knew, the rumors about the ghosts of Primo, Secondo, and Terzo stealing UNO card decks were just that, rumors. But now that they have proof of their presence beyond the grave, they are uncertain about what other things the phantoms might get up to around the abbey.
More than anything, they fear a certain ghoul might get…haunted.
Despite wanting to get as far away as possible from the séance taking place in the common room, Dewdrop doesn’t actually make it that far from the ghoul dens. In fact, he makes it as far as the library since he stops dead in his tracks once he walks in front of its open entrance and does a double take to see if his favorite librarian is working there.
Since the two of them managed to resolve their differences thanks to realizing and admitting their feelings for each other (by using a romantic novel as a trigger that eventually led them to have the conversation they were both avoiding), the fire ghoul feels more comfortable hanging out around or with the Sibling. Thus why he has started going to the library more often as of late. Although, when you compare that to the fact that he used to never set foot inside, it’s still not regular visiting by any means.
It works for them both anyway.
So, Dew finds Alex sitting behind the front desk, head lowered as they read something. The Sibling is also chewing some gum and blowing up little balloons every once in a while, remaining oblivious to the ghouls’ presence. It is only when said creature gets closer that they finally raise their head and look at him.
As soon as Alex’s eyes lock with Dewdrop’s, they just know something’s off with him. Or, more accurately, they can tell that the demon is going through something. From the way his fingers tremble slightly and how his tail curls protectively around his hips and waist. And the usual bright, fiery characteristic of his eyes is more dulled.
“What are you doing here so late? Shouldn’t you have closed hours ago?”
The demon questions the oddity of the librarian’s presence attending the library after hours as a form of greeting, showing not only his puzzlement with it but his concern as well.
“We have a special night-time shift that’s open for those who have rather nocturnal habits,” Alex replies with a flat tone.
That unknown piece of information makes the guitarist raise an eyebrow behind his mask, the gesture being missed by the Sibling in front of him.
“Really?”
“No, I just couldn’t sleep.”
Alex doesn’t elaborate on the reason why they can’t sleep and Dewdrop doesn’t ask further questions regarding the subject either. Thus, they silently agree to leave the matter to rest and the ghoul chooses to ask about what he’s looking for.
“Got anything I can read to take my mind of off…everything?”
He sounds sad, that’s the only way the librarian can describe his tone of voice.
Hell, it even describes his whole demeanor, they think, feeling bad for the ghoul.
“Of course, give me a sec,” they say before disappearing between the shelves.
Dewdrop is left waiting alone, taking the opportunity to prop his crossed arms on top of the desk and drop his chin atop them. He’s thankful not only for the Sibling’s seeming understanding of his predicament but also for the fact that Orange, the abbey’s cat, isn’t anywhere to be seen.
After all, he really isn’t in the mood to deal with the feline’s hatred toward him.
“Here, give this a try,” Alex says as soon as they return, offering what they found. “Might help distract you from whatever it’s bothering you.”
Dew takes the paperback edition between his hands, which had already stopped trembling, and inspects the cover before looking back at the librarian. His brows are furrowed and his tail begins to swish behind him once it uncurls itself from his torso.
“What’s this?”
“A Batman comic book.”
“Oh.”
He looks back down at the comic he’s holding, realizing a bit too late that he should have known that information just from seeing the cover. However, his mind is clearly somewhere else and in desperate need of refocusing. But, at least, Alex didn’t sound mocking or irritated when explaining what the reading material was; they just used a matter-of-fact tone that made clear they didn’t have any intention to patronize him in his time of vulnerability.
“Thanks,” he says, looking up again as his eyes regain a little more shine. “Can I stay here?”
Since the only reason why the library is open so late at night is because of Alex’s own whims, he is unsure whether his prolonged stay would be welcomed by the librarian or not. Nevertheless, the Sibling can feel that the ghoul needs someplace to be that isn’t anywhere else in the ghoul dens. Or at least, that’s what they suspect, because if he just wanted company other than his fellow demons, he wouldn’t be asking for something to read and would just talk to them instead.
“Make yourself comfortable,” the librarian says at large, pointing toward the sitting area to their right before returning their gaze to their magazine.
With permission being given, Dew walks over to one of the couches facing the wall and drops himself backward along the length of it, propping his feet on the right armrest as he gets comfortable on the cushions.
“Shoes off the furniture, please,” Alex reprimands with their accustomed bored drawl, not even looking up from the pages in front of them.
They just have a sixth sense for that kind of thing. Still, their tone isn’t harsh at all.
On his part, Dewdrop huffs in annoyance but complies, making it evident that he’s already returning to his normal behavior. That’s how he ends with his feet dangling over the armrest as the back of his knees rest on top of it and he raises the comic book above his head.
After half an hour passes with nothing disrupting the stillness of the library except for the turning of pages and the popping of chewing gum balloons, Alex lifts their head once more to look in the ghoul’s direction, noticing they can no longer see part of the comic book peeking behind the backrest of the couch he’s lying on. Curious as to see what the demon is doing, the librarian gets up from their seat and walks over as silently as possible.
Once they reach a new angle that allows them to have a better view of Dewdrop, they notice the comic lying atop his stomach and see both pale hands holding the open number before registering the slow rise and fall of his chest. Stepping a little closer, they can see that the guitarist’s eyes are closed, leaving them to assume that he fell asleep while reading. When the realization dawns on them, they look up at the clock hanging on the wall, which marks 5 minutes past midnight.
Alex has half the mind to wake Dew and tell him to go back to his room to continue sleeping, yet they can’t help but consider the downcast attitude he arrived with at the library. Because of that, they think that going back into the ghoul dens might not be a preferred option for Dewdrop at the moment, even if it is just to sleep.
Instead of kicking the demon out, the Sibling resolves to choose option number two.
They walk back to the front desk and open a cabinet there, extracting a wool blanket that’s kept around for when the winter days grow colder than the heating system can deal with. After all, spending a lot of time sitting almost still can lead to falling ill if not properly dressed.
As quietly as they can, they return to Dew’s side, trying their best not to wake him up as they pry the comic book from his lax fingers. Afterward, they cover him from neck to toe with the thick blanket, letting it pool on the floor below his dangling feet. They surmise that he’ll eventually drag himself into a more comfortable position without even realizing that he’s still in the library.
With all of that done, all they have left to do is scribble down a note for him and close the library.
Even though they could stay, they resolve it would be better to leave and return when it’s time to reopen the library. Or, actually, earlier than that to make sure they are the one to find the sleeping ghoul before anyone else. That is, if Dewdrop doesn’t leave of his own accord before that, given that they are leaving the extra library key along with the note on top of the coffee table next to him.
And without further ado, Alex closes the library doors behind themselves before they almost crash into Rain and Aether.
“Dear Dark Lord! You scared the shit out of me,” Alex yell-whispers.
The librarian almost jumped out of their skin at seeing the two ghouls standing behind them. Given that they didn’t see nor hear them approaching the library entrance, it’s understandable that they were caught by surprise. However, at least the Sibling managed to keep their voice low so as to not disrupt Dewdrop’s sleep.
“We’re sorry, Alex,” Rain apologizes, mimicking the librarian’s murmuring tone. “We were just looking for Dew and since we saw you coming out of the library we wanted to ask you if you have seen him.”
The water ghoul explained the reasoning for him and the other demon seemingly accosting the librarian, maintaining the same soft voice since he believes that the human is doing it because they aren’t supposed to be out so late. Despite not being a curfew for Siblings as an official rule laid out by the Clergy, it is understood by everyone around the abbey that staying out late while there isn’t a gathering or festivity being held is discouraged. That started to become the norm years ago when shenanigans amongst Siblings, and especially ones involving ghouls, became rather…problematic.
After all, Seestor is known to patrol the hallways, looking for anyone out and about to send them to bed. One must wonder if the woman ever sleeps.
Nevertheless, and without knowing it, Alex not only gives them the information the two demons are seeking, but they also explain why there’s a need to speak in hushed tones. All that while holding back the impulse to ask what happened with Dew, knowing that it’s none of their business no matter how curious they are.
“Yeah, I saw him, he came in earlier,” the Sibling recounts, standing more firmly between the door and the ghouls. “He’s sleeping inside, actually.”
If either of the musicians notices the protective stance the librarian has taken when mentioning Dewdrop’s whereabouts, neither acknowledges it. Instead, Aether decides to just ask for permission.
“Well, if that’s the case, we’ll just wake him up and take him back to his room, then.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” the Sibling quickly interjects.
“Why not?” Aether presses, furrowing his brows.
“He gave me the impression that he needed to be somewhere away from the ghoul dens,” they finally explain with some reluctance. “Also, I feel like if you wake him up right now, he won’t be able to go back to sleep so peacefully.”
“Oh,” Rain mutters, understanding what the Sibling is trying to communicate. “Okay, we’ll leave then.”
“Wait, but–”
“Let’s go, Aeth, he’ll be fine here,” the bassist interrupts, leaving no room for arguments. “Good night, Alex. Thank you for looking out for him.”
Rain’s last whispered words, spoken so softly yet carried by the wind, make Alex’s heart swell with pride and affection, even though they put up a front of unaffectedness that the water ghoul sees right through.
“It’s not a big deal,” they dismiss with nonchalance. “I left him a key and a note. He can leave whenever he wants before I kick him out early tomorrow morning.”
The harsh threat is feigned enough to make Rain smile under his mask, understanding that the forced hostility is there just to hide how much they care about Dewdrop, which is typical of Alex’s behavior, masking their affection with rudeness. Despite that, he feels grateful for someone like them to be in their lives, especially in the fire ghoul’s one.
Meanwhile, Aether looks confused between the other two, wondering what he’s missing. Still, as soon as they make their way back toward the dens, he’ll ask his friend what’s going on. As it is, he just limits himself to bid the librarian farewell as well.
“Good night, Alex.”
“Bye, guys.”
Alex waves them off with a lazy gesture as they turn their back on them, letting them go as they finally start their journey back toward the Siblings’ wing, where their bedroom resides.
Days have gone by since the pack of demons made contact with the former Papas through the Ouija board and weird shit –well, weirder than usual– began to happen around the abbey. What used to be just UNO card game decks occasionally going missing turned into a bunch of things either disappearing or being moved. People also started to trip on nothing and feel phantom touches whenever out in the gardens, walking through the halls, or sitting in the mess hall.
In other words, the Ministry grounds became haunted.
And when all the complaints reached Seestor’s ears (and her desk, in the form of written complaints), she started an investigation. She dragged Cardinal Copia into it, and despite both of them adamantly insisting that it wasn’t necessary, Papa Nihil joined as well. Thus, the three of them began to interrogate Siblings of Sin and other members of the Clergy, compiling testimonies about the odd incidents taking place all over the property.
It is after three days of intensively questioning every resident of the abbey that Imperator, Copia, and Nihil are sitting in the woman’s office, discussing what they have learned so far as they drink tea.
“Could this be, perhaps, a case of…what is it called?” The Cardinal begins, looking down as he strokes his chin in an attempt to remember the term he’s looking for. “Oh! Mass hysteria?”
The younger man is sitting in front of Seestor, on the other end of the coffee table, and occupying the armchair opposing hers. The current Papa of the satanic church is seated on one of the couches between them, to the Sister’s right and the Cardinal’s left. He’s also manspreading in the middle of the piece of furniture.
“Mass hysteria?” The older clergyman questions with a scoff before giving a bitter rebuttal. “Please, they are a bunch of liars looking for attention.”
“How do you know that?” Copia inquires, quirking a brow.
“I just do! I got an eye for that,” Nihil assures with a dismissive tone, waving his hand in a vague gesture.
“Yeah, I’m sure you know a lot about looking for attention.”
The Cardinal’s attempt to go unheard by the other man proves to be futile as the Papa not only hears him –despite the fact that he should be suffering from some degree of deafness given his old age– but immediately dares him to repeat what he said louder. And the barked challenge is enough to subdue Copia for the time being.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing, Papa.”
“Can you two stop bickering and concentrate?” Seestor interrupts once she has had enough of their pointless argument. “It doesn’t matter if it’s all made up, real, or if they just think so. It’s getting problematic.”
Her chiding is effective enough to make the men stop squabbling and refocus their attention on the matter at hand. However, her unfazed reaction does catch the attention of the Cardinal, who fears she might be dismissing what could possibly be an occurrence of great significance. Not because a Satanic church that deals with the occult and works with freaking demons would be surprised to have proof of existence beyond death, it’s just that it’s been a looong time since the last time members of the Ministry contacted ghosts (according to their records).
“Wouldn’t it be important if it were real, though, Sister?”
“Of course, but we can worry about it once we deal with the issues caused by whatever is going on,” she answers Copia. “I’ve got terrified Siblings left and right refusing to sleep or even leave their rooms.”
“Bunch of pussies,” Nihil mutters in reply.
“Papa!” Seestor exclaims, affronted.
“What?”
The older man shrugs as if he did nothing wrong, still not understanding –or rather, not caring about– the gravity of the situation. Which shouldn’t be surprising to anyone, considering his track record.
“I don’t think it’s nice to insult the poor Siblings,” Copia reprimands in Imperator’s stead. “If we are truly dealing with the supernatural here, it’s understandable that they are afraid.”
Which is, again, ironic, considering the creatures from Hell living among them.
Nevertheless, in response, Nihil just stares at the other man as if he were stupid, leading to further explanation in the hope he’ll understand. And to do that, the Cardinal conjures as much patience as he can in order to continue in a level tone and calm demeanor.
“They don’t know better and neither do we, given that we don’t know yet what we are dealing with. If the abbey is being haunted by an entity, we need to discover what’s its nature, so as to be able to properly deal with it.”
It is one thing to have a ghost harassing people and another thing completely to be dealing with something far more powerful and sinister that they have no control of. After all, there’s an important reason why ghouls and ghoulettes are summoned through rituals. That is so they are bound to someone’s will and thus not be allowed to do as they please. So, they should worry about the possibility of someone invoking something without the proper measures put in place.
And as Seestor was left in deep thought while Copia dealt with Nihil, she remembered something that could be of significance to the case they are trying to solve.
“It probably was the fault of some of those naïve Siblings who kept trying to contact the former Papas.”
“Oh? I didn’t know any of this.”
Since Imperator hadn’t given the matter any substance until then, the Cardinal hadn’t been made aware of it yet. Still, the woman doesn’t want to get into too much detail about it. Or any at all, if she can avoid it.
“It’s been going on for a while.”
“Why would anyone want to talk to them? They’re dead!” The old man complains, showing that he is an attention whore doesn’t care.
Also, he’s terrified of the prospect of his own children haunting him as well.
“They surely were too focused on seeing if they could do it to even comprehend what the consequences would be if they succeeded,” Seestor criticizes as she shakes her head.
She had told the Siblings time and time again, after they kept complaining about the UNO card decks that disappeared, to leave the deceased Papas be and not even attempt to contact them. It would seem one or some of them didn’t heed her warnings and went ahead to do it anyway. And now, they have to deal with the consequences.
“So, it could be them then, yes?” Copia wonders with excited curiosity. “The phantoms harassing everyone around the abbey?”
The Cardinal never had the opportunity to meet any of the first three Papas, he only got the pleasure to see them perform live whenever they toured Europe and played in Italy. So, despite wanting to ensure the safety of everyone living in the abbey, he would be lying if he said he didn’t care for an opportunity to interact with them as well. Because the sad reality is that he hasn’t experienced anything similar to the reports of strange activity happening inside the Ministry grounds given by other inhabitants.
“Maybe. I’m not sure,” Imperator begrudgingly replies. “I guess we’ll have to interrogate everyone again just to see if they attempted to contact them and succeed in doing so.”
The prospect of redoing all the work they did during the last three days makes both men groan. However, the woman pays no mind to it as she not only worries about all the problems already being caused, but about what problems could arise if it turns out to be true that the former Papas are haunting the abbey and they also stay for a prolonged amount of time. Most of all, she dreads the possibility of the ghosts speaking of things they shouldn’t.
Thankfully for her, given that Copia notices her state of aggravated concern, the older man takes the opportunity to grab the Cardinal’s attention as he lashes out against the Siblings of Sin once more.
“A waste of time, I say. They all probably have their brains fried from staring at their phones too much,” Papa Nihil gripes, dismissing once more the possibility of something supernatural being the reason behind all the commotion. “Back in my days, we enjoyed other things, like going out and reading books! Not staring at a screen all day.”
“This is an abbey in the middle of the Swedish countryside, Papa, and the closest town is a small one. Siblings don’t have many options for entertainment around here,” Copia tells the other, sounding more exasperated. “Also, back in your days, people were already glued to the television screens. And, remind me when was the last time you read a book?”
The Cardinal’s last comment, made with enough courage thanks to him being done with the other’s bitterness, is enough to incite Nihil’s outrage. And as both men get into another pointless dispute, the Sister can only let out a deep sigh and count to ten to avoid screaming at them.
“Today’s gonna be a long day,” she mutters to herself.
“What about those ghouls of yours?” Nihil asks, seemingly out of nowhere, knowing well that the pack of demons is one of the Cardinal’s weaknesses. “We haven’t talked to them yet.”
“Oh, well, I doubt they would get in such trouble as to summon the souls of the former three Papas and allow them to roam free around the abbey,” Copia refutes with a small laugh, believing blindly in his musicians’ innocence despite the fact that he should know better. “They are good boys and girls.”
Hearing the last sentence, the Papa and the Sister share a doubtful look before turning their gazes back toward the Cardinal, already suspecting who the true culprits might be.
As per Papa Nihil’s request, the ghouls and ghoulettes were interrogated as well, despite Copia’s objections and adamant claims that his demons were innocent. That’s how the two men and Seestor came to find out that it was indeed the musicians’ fault that the ghosts of Primo, Secondo, and Terzo began to haunt the Ministry’s grounds. In consequence, not only did the creatures from Hell get scolded for all the ruckus they inadvertently caused, but the Cardinal suffered the same treatment. Although, the last case was more on Nihil’s side than Imperator’s, and more than a scolding it was straight-up derogatory verbal abuse.
The old man really gets a kick out of berating the poor Cardinal.
Anyway, for the safety of the residents of the abbey, all Ouija boards were confiscated and everyone was told to do their best to ignore all the odd activity caused by the ghosts and continue their lives as normal. They were also encouraged to not attempt to engage or communicate in any way with the phantoms.
On another note, knowing that striking a deal with the deceased clergymen would be easier than trying to keep all the Siblings and demons from ever pulling shenanigans like that again, Seestor made a compromise. By the use of one of the Ouija boards she confiscated, she spoke with the former Papas –despite their initial objections to even acknowledge her presence, given she was the one that ordered to have them killed– and the two parties came to an agreement.
It was obvious that the three brothers were having a good time hanging around the abbey. Or, at least, they claimed it was better than being in Hell. Terzo said that it could become a bit tedious, Secondo commented that it was too dull for his tastes, and Primo just missed the gardens. Because of that, Seestor decided to allow them to stay, meaning they won’t be banished back to Hell through a ritual, as long as they keep silent about the whole affair regarding their deaths.
Not only do they have to keep mum about the fact that their murders were committed following Imperator’s directives, but also who was the perpetrator of them, meaning that no one is to know that Dewdrop is the culprit behind the act itself. If that clause of the contract is breached, it will result in immediate and perpetual banishing.
She made abundantly clear as well that the ghosts aren’t allowed to interfere with or disrupt any of the activities taking place inside the Ministry’s property. That means not bothering Siblings or Clergy members as they go about their business or partake in their daily tasks. They are permitted, however, to participate in gatherings and festivities as long as they don’t cause trouble.
Thankfully for her –and by extension, Dew–, they agreed to the terms, signing the written form of the contract with their own blood (which perhaps shouldn’t be possible considering they are dead and in spirit form, but stranger things have been known to happen).
Speaking of the fire ghoul, though…
He hasn’t been sleeping. Well, he hasn’t been sleeping in his room, nor alone. In fact, he hasn’t been alone at all except for scant moments throughout the ensuing days since the séance that brought back the Papas took place. He’s too afraid of something happening whilst he’s on his own, thus why he’s always looking for company. And whenever his fellow ghouls get tired of him, he seeks the companionship of other people.
He hasn’t spent any nights in the beds of other Siblings, given that his interest in Alex has made him uninterested in sleeping with other people. He usually either rotates through the other ghouls’ and ghoulettes’ rooms, staying a night with them each before repeating the cycle (either sharing their bed or sleeping on a couch or even the floor; all be it in the name of not being alone), or he takes residence from time to time in the library, having an unspoken agreement with his favorite librarian that no one else in the library knows about.
Alex hasn’t asked about what his reasons for doing that are, nor has he given any of his own free will. The Sibling surmises that he’ll tell them what’s going on when he’s ready to do so, thus they have no desire to pressure him in that regard.
Nevertheless, the librarian worries about him. Especially given that it has been weeks since he stayed the night for the first time and he isn’t showing signs of improvement in his anxious and depressed mood.
Everyone else has noticed the same, although the only ones aware of the reason behind his change in demeanor are the other musicians. Except for Copia, who was convinced by the other demons that it has to do with his interest in the librarian and that there’s no correlation between his odd behavior and the arrival of the ghosts. Unfortunately, they don’t know for how long that excuse will suffice and that’s part of the reason why they have been trying to help Dew deal with the issue.
They keep insisting that he just has to face Primo, Secondo, and Terzo and ask for forgiveness so he can finally move on from that horrific part of his past. However, he can’t bring himself to do it.
Not yet, at least.
And that’s why the decision gets made for him in the end.
After taking a hot shower in his en suite bathroom –one of those seldom times he braves to be alone–, with the steam left from the scalding water having fogged the mirror, Dewdrop finds a message crudely written in the condensation on the reflective surface.
The writing reads: “I don’t blame you.”
Upon seeing it, he stands still for what feels like an hour, looking at the words and his blurry reflection in the mirror. He has been left paralyzed by it, a thousand thoughts running a thousand kilometers a second inside his head, spinning out of control and making him feel dizzy and nauseous.
A headache starts forming in his head while he feels his stomach drop and his heart constricts painfully. An aborted gasp comes out of his closing throat, the first sound he has made since he stepped out of the shower.
Tears begin to stream down his face, flowing freely for the first time in what seems like ages. Silent sobs start to wrack his whole body; every limb shakes from despair. All he can do is stare at the mirror with glazed-over eyes, wondering, hoping… Yet it takes everything in him to utter a word, a name, asking without asking what he desperately wants to know.
“T-Terzo?” He tentatively questions the space around him.
Then, he feels something cold –or, at least, cold when contrasted to the high temperature of his body–, brush the wet skin of his back, feeling as foreign as reassuring.
He takes it as confirmation and proceeds to break down completely.
Dewdrop crumbles on the floor of his bathroom, his small body convulsing from his weeping as he wails almost hysterically. An overwhelming mixture of anguish and relief washes over him, making him choke on the breaths he tries to take. All the emotions he has been repressing for so long come out all at once, leaving him a crying mess on the stone floor.
By the time he manages to calm down a little, he feels cold and empty, yet a growing sensation of comfort appears inside of him.
Terzo doesn’t blame him for his murder, which means he probably doesn’t hate him for it either. And with that realization hitting him, he can now live a little more easily; a little more at peace.
He has been forgiven for betraying his master, by the former master himself. And even if Primo and Secondo might not feel the same way, it’s still enough for him.
It finally seems like the weight on his shoulders has lifted completely, making him feel kind of giddy with relief and joy. The world even looks a little brighter than before, if that’s even possible. And not only can he move on, but he can also open himself up to the desires he has been staving off for some time now.
He can allow himself to start chasing his happiness once more.