Crows and Crosses

VI

I open my eyes and am greeted by a bright blue sky and a light breeze across my face. Sitting up, I slowly look around and take in my surroundings. A never ending field of rolling grasses stretches out on all sides. I do a double take when a tree appears in the distance to my left that definitely wasn't there before.

I get to my feet and begin walking in the direction of the tree, thinking its probably safer to be under a tree than out in the open. After only four steps of I'm standing in front of the tree, a sheen of sweat coating my skin. I press my hands to the trunk of the tree, dropping my head and gasping for air. What is going on?

"You've traveled to the astral plane darling," A smooth voice replies to my thought.

I whirl around and am greeted by the grinning smile of a white blonde person who's features keep shifting, making it impossible to decide whether they're male or female.

"I'm Dane," the person extends their hand to me.

I shake it wordlessly.

"Magdalen correct?"

I nod.

"You're here to be warned," Dane's eyes pierce mine, sending a wave of goosebumps across my skin. "The demons that inhabit the land you are living on are too dangerous to be controlled by your uncle, especially with the sins he's hiding in his heart. But you may be able to harness them."

My jaw drops. "Me? I don't have any real training. I haven't been ordained. How do you expect me to stop them?"

"Andy will help you," Dane's lips quirk up into a small smile. "He will know what to do, I promise," Dane's face takes on a darker emotion. "And you must stop your uncle from trying to exercise the demons."

"Why?"

"His mortal sins will destroy him if he comes in contact with these demons. His own demons will destroy him from the inside out."

"But my uncle is a good and God-fearing man," I protest. "He's a loyal follower of God and has never been hurt during an exorcism before."

An expression of pity crosses Dane's face. "There are many things you are unaware of. You will have to uncover these things for yourself to gain the power to defeat the demons. I would tell you myself, but that wouldn't help you become the new hand of God."

"Hand of God?"  My eyes widen. "What do you mean?"

"You'll find out in time," Dane replies. "But now you must leave. Andy is calling you and he has more draw on your soul than I do. Goodbye Magdalene."

Dane waves goodbye as darkness clouds my vision and I feel myself being pulled backwards and upwards, away from the strange figure of Dane and the strange things I now know.