07

In the past year, I have been pestered enough with emails to go ahead and post another chapter in the Soul's Divide. This is pretty much what I had written before I burnt out on writing. Enough feedback might entice me to continue. Enjoy.

Chapter 5 - The Doctor is in

"Mr. Pearson? The doctor will see you now."

"Ah, man," Pearson said, laying down his crayon and closing the coloring book. "I was almost done with my masterpiece."

"We could hang that in the waiting room for you," the nurse said, smiling.

Pearson stood up and stretched his arms over his head. "My mom used to put my finger paintings on the refrigerator. She said I would be a famous artist one day, like Van Gough."

The nurse motioned him to follow her and turned her head back towards him as she led him down the hallway. "But you decided to become a police officer instead? What a shame."

Pearson shrugged. "And what, become a depressed, self-mutilating weirdo? Nah, I decided to become the gruff, cynical and world-weary cop who still harbors a small amount of hope deep in his heart."

The nurse laughed. "Maybe you should have become a politician, with a tongue like yours."

"Or a porn star," Pearson added, winking.

The nurse stopped by the door to a examination room and looked at him, her eyes twinkling. "Are you flirting with me?"

Pearson looked her over, appreciating the curvy figure underneath the scrubs. "You would definitely know if I was flirting with you."

"And how's that?"

"If I was really flirting with you, our clothes would already be off and we would be laying on that examination table."

A smile slowly unfurled on her face. "The doctor will be with you shortly." She walked away, her backside swaying more than necessary. She was well used to his flirting by now, and even knew how to tease him right back.

Pearson whistled to himself and turned to sit down on the edge of the examination table. The paper crinkled underneath him as he adjusted his position while he waited. Finally, after many minutes spent thinking about his last conversation with Gabrielle, the doctor walked into the room.

"Detective Pearson, I haven't seen you in a while," Dr. Gray said, as he held out his hand. Pearson shook it. "You twist your ankle again chasing after those criminals?"

"Nah, bumped my head pretty good this time. What about you, Doc? You don't look too hot," Pearson said, noting the worn look on his face. "You look like you just hit your head, too."

"I just had an unexpected visit from an old flame," Dr. Gray said, his smile faltering. "You know how it is."

"If you weren't such a playboy, Doc, you wouldn't have to worry about ex-girlfriends stopping by."

"Hmm," Dr. Gray said, as he examined the paperwork on his clipboard. "I see you've gained some weight since your last visit. You might want to lay off those doughnuts."

Pearson smiled. The reason he chose Dr. Gray as his doctor was because the man was pretty good with the quips. "That's such an old cliché, Doc. Not all cops eat doughnuts. I can't even remember the last time I touched a doughnut."

"Is that right? Then what's that stain on your collar?"

"I had an accident with a jelly doughnut on my way over here this morning. What's your point?"

Dr. Gray smiled, his green eyes glinting with amusement. "So what happened to your head?"

"I got into a little scuffle with a suspect last night. He used my head to test the structural integrity of an alley wall."

"I'm glad you got away," Dr. Gray said, as he examined the back of Pearson's head. "Hmm, there's a small abrasion here. Nothing too bad. Did it bleed heavily?"

"Not that I can remember. Everybody always tell me how hard-headed I am."

"It must come in handy," Dr. Gray replied. He pulled out a small flashlight from his coat pocket. "Look straight ahead."

Dr. Gray proceeded to shine the light in Pearson's eyes several times as he had him look in different directions. "Any symptoms?" Dr. Gray asked, as he wrote on his clipboard.

"Immediately after I grew nauseous and vomited. I also lost consciousness for a while."

"How do you feel now? Are you still nauseous? Dizzy?"

"I have a small headache," Pearson replied. "But other than that, I feel pretty good."

Dr. Gray took out his blood pressure cuff and proceeded to take his blood pressure. "Anything else?"

Pearson just shook his head and stayed silent while he let Dr. Gray measure his blood pressure. He shook his arm after Dr. Gray removed the blood pressure cuff and stared down at the ground and thought about the entire night he had just experienced. Sometimes he wasn't sure if it really happened. Vampires? Were-bears?

"Can you...see things or imagine things after you hit your head?" Pearson asked, hesitantly.

"You can definitely become disoriented and confused," Dr. Gray said, as he wrote on his paperwork. He stopped and looked up, concerned. "Why? Did you see anything out of the ordinary?"

Pearson hesitated. Why was he even asking? What did he want to hear? That he imagined everything that happened? If that was true, then that meant that Gabrielle wasn't real...

"No, I just had some weird dreams," Pearson said at last.

"Understandable," Dr. Gray said, as he turned back to his paperwork.

Pearson remained silent as Dr. Gray continued to write. Did vampires really exist? Gabrielle was dead serious, he knew that. And he definitely saw that monster in the alleyway, saw the deep red irises in those inhuman eyes, and the hideous fangs.

"Dr. Gray, do you believe in...an otherworldly power?" Pearson asked, hoping his question sounded innocent.

Dr. Gray lowered his clipboard and frowned thoughtfully. "You mean do I believe in God?"

"Sure," Pearson said, though that wasn't exactly what he meant. But it was a good start to what he really wanted to talk about.

Dr. Gray's eyes stared past Pearson, apparently in deep thought. "After the things I've seen..." he trailed off, shaking his head. His eyes focused on Pearson. "As a doctor, I mean. No, I can't say I believe in God."

Pearson was silent for a moment, as he decided the best way to approach the topic he really cared about. "Ok, maybe you don't believe in God, but what about stuff here on earth? Do you believe in...monsters? Like Bigfoot or something?"

Dr. Gray laughed. "You really must have hit your head pretty good. No, I'm very comfortable in saying there is no such thing as Bigfoot."

Pearson nodded. He was getting very close now. "So you think we've discovered everything there is to discover? There's nothing out there? No beasts or creatures we've never encountered?"

Dr. Gray cocked his head to the side. "Like what? I'm sure there's microorganisms we haven't discovered yet. Maybe some insects and small animals. But large, ten foot tall creatures? No, I think we would know by now. Why do you ask?"

Pearson shrugged. "No reason, really. I was seeing stars when I hit my head and thought I saw something. It just made me think if there was anything supernatural in the world, like ghosts or...vampires."

Dr. Gray's head snapped up. "What exactly did you see?" he asked, his voice eerily intense.

Pearson leaned back a little, suddenly feeling very uneasy. He hadn't expected such a strong reaction. "Uh...nothing, really. Just some stars."

Dr. Gray sat down his clipboard and pulled over a stool. He sat down in front of Pearson and took out his flashlight again. "Look straight ahead again," he said, his whole manner taunt with some unknown tension.

Pearson blinked. "Um...ok," he said, as he looked straight at Dr. Gray. Didn't they just do this?

Dr. Gray didn't even lift the flashlight. "Look straight here," he said, pointing towards his eyes.

Pearson leaned in a little closer. Something strange seemed to be going on. It looked like the pupils in Dr. Gray's eyes were expanding, almost completely suppressing the green iris. It was like a deep pit a person could almost literally fall into...

"Robert," a voice said sharply. "Come back, Robert."

Pearson blinked slowly and then shook his head. What the hell just happened? "Doc?" he asked, confused.

"You kind of drifted off there," Dr. Gray said, chuckling. He was standing and writing on his clipboard. When had he stood up?

"I did?" Pearson asked, surprised.

"Yes, I think it was a lingering symptom from when you hit your head. Sensitivity to light caused it, I believe. It looks like you suffered a mild concussion. Nothing to worry about. You will just need a few days of rest."

"That's it?" Pearson asked. "Get some rest? No CAT-scan or anything? I suppose this is where you say thanks for coming, that will be $500."

"Something like that," Dr. Gray said, smiling. "Rebecca will check you out up front."

"Thanks," Pearson muttered. He walked past Dr. Gray, who seemed eager for him to leave.

"Detective Pearson," Dr. Gray called out.

Pearson stopped and turned around. "Yeah, Doc?"

Dr. Gray looked at him, his eyes serious. "Take care of yourself out there, ok?"

"You got it, Doc."

***

Dr. Daniel Gray stood staring at the doorway, long after Detective Pearson had left. His mind was buzzing with all the information he just learned.

He hated using his hypnosis like that; there was always the chance that the person would remember some small piece of it. And he hated not giving him a full medical checkup, but he had to make sure Detective Pearson wasn't in trouble. That comment about seeing a vampire...

Daniel knew all too well the ways of vampires. If a mortal happened to escape the clutches of a vampire, his life was still very much in danger. Most vampires would pursue a mortal who escaped, in order to tie up the loose end.

Daniel walked back to his office and sat down at his desk. He had a lot to think about. He had learned some interesting things from Detective Pearson while he was under his hypnosis. He learned that he had indeed run into a vampire. But the vampire was already dead, killed by a mysterious woman...

Daniel had no doubt that this woman, Gabrielle, was connected to the Organization. There wasn't a vampire hunter in existence who didn't operate without approval from the Organization. Most hunters found it easier to work directly with the Organization, rather than circumvent it.

Daniel tapped his fingers on his desk, his mind rapidly processing everything that had happened recently. Too many events were converging for this merely to be a coincidence. His time of change was upon him, Amara was in town, and an agent of the Organization was operating in the city...

A mortal could dismiss these events as mere coincidence. Indeed, Daniel was tempted to do just that. But in the supernatural world, these events were almost always portents of powers converging.

If powers really were converging, then the best thing to do was find the source. And he knew the best source of power there was. "Rebecca," Daniel said, buzzing the intercom. "I'm going to need you to reschedule the rest of my appointments today. I have a personal errand I need to take care of."

"Sure thing, Dr. Gray."

All roads, it seemed, led back to Amara.

***

Chapter 6 - Detectives Wanted

"They just found three more victims," Roberts said, as he plopped down in the chair in front of Gabrielle.

Gabrielle sighed, closing the book in front of her and putting in on the pile with the others. Roberts and she were the only ones in the library at the moment. Not that it was rare, considering where they were.

"Three?" Gabrielle repeated.

Roberts nodded, his face grim. "The police discovered all three of them within three blocks of each other. All three were torn to shreds, their hearts chewed out of their chests."

"The monster is picking up its pace," Gabrielle muttered, as she thought about the implications. "There's just been one victim the past two nights."

"Maybe it's getting hungrier," Roberts mused, as he toyed idly with a book in front of him. "Whatever the reason, it's not good. It's getting out of hand."

Gabrielle dropped her head into her hands and stared at the desk. "And the mystics still can't pin this thing down?"

"They're as stumped as we are. They can't seem to get a bead on this thing. They droned on about chaotic energies, or something like that. Really, I just think they're making up excuses for their failures."

"They aren't the only failures," Gabrielle said, disgusted. She waved her hands at the pile of books on the table.

"Still can't find anything?" Roberts asked, as he thumbed through the pages of a book.

Gabrielle grimaced. "The Organization has gathered the most extensive collection of books about the occult ever assembled in human history. And they still haven't bothered to develop an indexing system!"

Roberts shook his head. "What did you expect, Gabs? They've relied on magic to solve all of their problems for many years now. I don't think they've ever seriously considered how useful knowledge can be. You would think they've never heard how knowledge is mightier than the sword."

"The pen is mightier than the sword, Roberts," she corrected him automatically. "What you meant is that knowledge is power."

"Smarty pants," Roberts said, smirking.

Gabrielle shook her head. "Be serious, Roberts. This isn't the time for humor."

"No? Then I guess it's time to head to the morgue so you can get Echoes off of those bodies. Hopefully you can get a better read than you did with the last two bodies."

Gabrielle shot him a dirty look but got up anyways. "Fine, let's get this over with."

"And Gabs," Roberts said, as he stood up. "When things are this grim, it's

always

a good time for humor."

Gabrielle had no retort for that. So she just silently made her way down the aisle between bookshelves, heading for the large double doors in the distance.

"So many books," she said, as they passed the towering shelves on either side. "And hardly any are found out in the normal world."

"It fills you with awe, doesn't it?" Roberts said. "To know that the supernatural has existed in this world for thousands of years."

"What surprises me is that anybody would bother writing books just for the supernatural community," Gabrielle replied, shaking her head. "It seems like such a waste."

"There will always be people hungry for knowledge. And let's face it, research in the supernatural world is a lot more juicy than anything you will find in the mortal world."

"I guess so," Gabrielle said, as she pushed open the double doors. Beyond was a small square room. The only distinguishing feature of the room were the complex diagrams and symbols painted on the floor in what she hoped was only red paint.

There was, in fact, one other distinguishing feature of the room: the man standing in the middle of the symbols. He wore thick robes of black that hung heavy to the floor and had the hood pulled over his head. He held his arms in front of him, each one resting in the opposite sleeve.

"Hello," Gabrielle said, uncertainly. If the man had a name, she didn't know it. In fact, she had never even heard him speak. Certain members of the Organization tended to have a flare for the dramatic.

"The Compound in Verfall, please," Roberts requested, his voice respectful.

The mystic bowed his hooded head in response. "Here we go," Gabrielle muttered under her breath.

The entire room began to shimmer, as though she was looking through a heat mirage. Only the symbols on the floor remained solid. Gabrielle gritted her teeth, as the familiar sensation of displacement threatened to expel the contents of her stomach. It felt like the moment when the rollercoaster reached the top and plummeted below.

The mystic raised his head and the room stopped shimmering. The room appeared to be exactly the same as before, but Gabrielle knew they were now thousands of miles away from the Compound in Antarctica.

"Sure beats flying coach," Roberts said happily, as he nodded his thanks to the mystic. "Come along, Gabrielle. Chop, chop."

She thought long and hard about punching him. He knew how queasy the experience made her and he took the utmost delight in teasing her for it. But her stomach still hadn't settled yet, so she had to make do with glaring at Roberts' back.

The mystic made no formal acknowledgement of their thanks. Gabrielle eyed the mysterious robed man uneasily as she left the room. She never could decide if the mystic transported himself along with them or if it was some type of relay system between multiple mystics. Those robes were good for disguising whoever was underneath them. Either way, the magic behind it was amazing.

"When am I going to learn that trick?" Gabrielle asked, as she closed the door behind her. The library was gone. She found herself in the familiar comforts of the Compound of Verfall, where she worked out of most of the time. She even had a nice little office. No windows, of course.

Roberts snorted. "That magic is well beyond you. I daresay you don't have the patience for learning the art of drawing symbols. You're magically illiterate; you can speak the language, but can't read or write it."

"Who can understand that gibberish?" Gabrielle muttered angrily, as they made their way down the hallway. She really had tried to learn it, but understanding it was beyond her intelligence. It simply wasn't like any other ordinary language. It was quite literally alien.

Roberts was wise enough not to comment further on the matter. He made idle conversation as they made their way to the morgue, passing several empty offices. But Gabrielle knew he was just trying to keep her mind off of what was about to come.

Unfortunately, the Displacement Room wasn't that far from the morgue. Before she could really prepare herself, Roberts was pushing open the doors.

"Three days in a row," Stan whistled, looking up from the body he was examining. "How did I get so lucky?"

"How's it looking?" Roberts asked.

Stan gestured to the bodies on the three metal tables in front of him. "Hot off the presses. I haven't even really started yet. I tell you, it's times like this when I wish they would hire me an assistant."

"Know anything yet?" Gabrielle asked, as she looked uneasily at the familiar horrifyingly disfigured bodies. Two of them were men and the other a woman.

Stan shrugged. "Like I said, I haven't had a chance to look at them yet. We just wrestled them away from the cops."

Roberts groaned and shook his head. "Just what we need."

"There's no covering this mess up now," Stan said, nodding. "The police are on high alert."

Roberts looked over at Gabrielle. "It looks like we're going to have to speed up our efforts in creating a partnership with the police. It's becoming too much of a headache to keep working around them."

Gabrielle sighed. "You still want Detective Pearson to be our liaison?"

Roberts said nothing for a moment as he studied her reaction. Gabrielle hated when he did that. "He already knows more than he should. He's perfect for the position."

Gabrielle made sure he didn't see the slight smile she fought hard to suppress. She rather liked Detective Pearson. "I'll contact him as soon as I can."

Roberts nodded carefully before turning back to the bodies. "We don't want to delay Stan any longer than we have to. Do your thing, Gabs."

Gabrielle stepped towards the bodies reluctantly. Her already upset stomach rumbled unpleasantly inside of her. Three bodies in a row? Could she even handle that? Whether or not she could, she was about to find out.

***

Gabrielle pulled away from the last body and stumbled against the wall and slid down hard. Roberts was immediately by her side. "Gabs, you ok?"

Gabrielle could only wave at him weakly. "Water," she croaked.

Roberts returned in an instant, pressing a glass of waters into her hands. "Drink."