Telluric

Chapter XXII: Danse Macabre

XXII

Standing silently, Mayla waited for an answer to her knocks. Three knocks echoed in the house, and she could hear the patter of feet walking around. After thirty seconds, Diego appeared in the doorframe and invited Mayla in. The trio sat silently within the vicinity of the living room.

Tell them why you're here. Melliculus whispered in Mayla's mind, though it was sort of pointless as no one else could hear the demon's voice anyway. Mayla sighed and began explaining her dream, including Melliculus.

After she finished, Noah and Diego stared at her with awestruck eyes, processing what she had said about Death, the demons, the dream world of art.

"So Death told you to come here?" Diego asked. "Why?"

"I was hoping you could tell me..." Mayla answered.

Noah sat and thought for a moment, debating internally whether it was worth it to tell Mayla about the escapade at the clock tower. Numbness spread along his body as he remembered falling helplessly, saved only by the heroic Diego. The cool breeze that flew past him as he fell stories until he was caught by a net of shadows caused Noah to shiver, just at the thought.

"It might have something to do with what happened last night..." Noah recalled to Mayla. "We were summoned by the mayor to help her find some things at the clock tower..." Noah suddenly stopped, recalling the reason in which they were summoned by the Mayor. He muttered out the next few words. "Perhaps that's why..."

"Probably..." Mayla replied, crossing her legs loosely and thinking about it. "Tell me what you were trying to find," She began. "Maybe that's where we'll find our answer." Noah explained about the coins, the tower, and the mayor's anguish when she discovered they had only found one, and Mayla thought harder.

"I wish I could've been more help... I don't even really know why they needed us..." Noah sighed into his arms and laid sadly upon them. Diego rubbed his back and thought a bit, while Mayla also thought.

"We did the best we could..." Diego whispered in his ear.

Ask if he's seen the coins before. Melliculus suddenly butt in.

"Why would I ask that?" Mayla replied subconsciously.

Just do it.

"Have you seen the coins before?" Mayla suddenly burst to the two. Diego shook his head, but Noah had a sudden epiphany.

"THAT'S WHERE I SAW IT! DAMN IT." Said Noah as he face-palmed his forehead. "Parvati! She was the one who had it! We should ask her about it." Noah stood up and turned to Mayla. "How did you know to ask that, though, the exact thing that allowed me to remember?" Mayla shrunk back at the question.

"Was it the demon inside you?" Diego asked in a sympathetic tone. "Please don't lie to your friends... I can sense its presence. It's a pretty powerful one too." Mayla nodded ashamed.

"Its name is Melliculus, and it is sort of hitching a ride onto my body until it has the chance to kill the damned demon possessing Ms. Ramona." Mayla explained. In spite of its complete ridiculousness, this statement made complete sense to everyone as it seemed entirely rational due to the extremity of surreal events that have occurred in the past few months.

"Well we don't mind it if you don't mind it." Noah told her with a supportive grin, while Diego nodded with gleaming red eyes. The trio exchanged hopeful glances and made a plan to go to Parvati's. Noah went up stairs and grabbed his backpack. Just as he did however, the bow for his viola popped out of the bag. Diego was in the room also, looking through his closet for something that could be used as a defensive weapon for Noah.