A Requiem Eternal

Chapter 20 - All Hallows' Eve

Sara O'Duinn, Grimoire Entry, 31st October, 2008 - The alarm clock in her head wasn't functioning. Tasha woke up usually around 7:00 am every morning. Sometimes she woke up earlier on this day, her favorite of all. All Hallows Eve in New Haven. It was best place to be on her favorite of all days. The town doubled in size. There were so many new people to meet and to talk to. Even with the twinge of a migraine starting, she wouldn't miss it or let a headache spoil it. She took a pill and headed out towards the door. Checking the computer screen, there was a message. It would have to wait. She looked in the mirror and smiled remembering something from a dream. She thought a memory like that would allow her to handle even the inevitable Nori razzing for being late.

When Tasha arrived, late beyond belief he was at the door of the auction house, playfully tapping his foot and looking at his watch.

She knew he was kidding. Yet she still felt the need to assert her usual morning self. "Yeah I know, bite me. I'm not really feeling the best, but I'm here."

"Hey no problem, it's just looky-loos right now anyway. Geez, take a pill," he said.

"I did. And it's not helping," she replied.

She moved to her usual position at the jewelry case. To further annoy her, Nori followed. "So, do you have any big plans for tonight?"

"No, just the usual, I'll be passing out candy to the kids. It's just about the only time you see children anymore," she said laughing at her pathetic life.

Nori grinned.

"Well, once you are done with that exciting activity, there's some roasted pumpkin seeds and Young Frankenstein at my place."

Just as she was about to take Nori up on his offer her train of thought stopped dead on the tracks. She caught a dark figure in the corner of her eye. She turned to see a man in a jet black leather jacket. His long hair matched the jacket's color and shine. He was perusing the gun case at the far end of the store. The style of his clothes was so distinctively different from any of the locals she knew instantly he was from somewhere else; somewhere far away. She supposed a place vastly more interesting than her neck of the woods. She was deep in thought about the possibilities when Nori noticed her pretending not to notice a customer and grinned from ear to ear.

"Okay, I guess I can take this one," he said with an obvious false start to walk over to the stranger.

"You do and you die," she replied under her breath.

She cleared her throat and threw on her best confident smile. "Is there anything I can help you with?" she asked, though in her self-conscious state this sounded completely stupid to her as soon as she said it.

"Yes, I have some items I would like to have appraised," he replied, looking down at her.

His face struck her as classically good looking. Sharp features and a masculine square jaw. She thought his eyes were the most striking of all. They had a bright smile of their own. If you couldn't see the rest of his face you would still know he was smiling. So deep brown it was almost impossible to see where the center blackness began or ended. The kind Tasha could easily fall into the depths of. And she did, almost forgetting to respond to his request.

"I can help you with an appraisal." she remembered.

She moved behind the counter while he took out several items wrapped in handkerchiefs. He moved a handkerchief to reveal the first. It was a heavy gold ring with a large iridescent black stone in the middle of 13 smaller stones that appeared to be diamonds.

"This black stone I'm not familiar with, it's striking. Do you know anything about it?"

"I was told it is a Boji stone, it is said to give the owner the power to heal," he replied.