The Dark Stranger

Search and rescue

"So, you're a witch?" Aoleon is watching us wide-eyed.

"Yeah, I was a witch even before my father found of about me and took me up to heaven. Luckily I got to keep my skills when I returned."

"You fell deliberate...?"

"Your father is an angel?"

Esme's eyes flicker between us before she decides that Aoleon's question is the one she intends to answer. "Yup."

Aoleon's thoughtful face makes us watch her in contemplation for a while.

Esme is the one that snaps us out of it by getting in her feet abruptly. "Let's get this show on the road." She doesn't even turn to see if we are on her tail as she brusquely walks through the backdoor and head for a pavilion in the back yard. Amazed I watch her raise her hands towards the sky and dark clouds instantly appear and slowly but determinately block the sun.

Inside the pavilion there is a large pentagram painted on the floor and the shelves around the room is littered with candles. There is no doubt what this room is intended for; magic.

Aoleon and I hold back as Esme walks towards the section of books embedded into the wall. She raises her hands and out flop the book she searched for and she manages to catch it before it hit the floor. The book opens on its own in a way I have never seen before. I catch my reflection in one of the windows and remind myself to close my mouth.

Jeeze this is freaking Hogwarts all over.

This is a whole different game of balls than when she did magic with my cousin.

With a snap of her fingers all the candles are lit.

She actually starts to scare me.

With another snap she points at me to sit on the floor opposite her and I don't dare to do anything else.

With a swift hand motion she pulls a map from the cover of the book and places it on the floor next to the book in front of us where we sit. I am flabbergasted as the worldmap with a weak shadow over the US of A slowly starts to focus like the map in my room upstairs could do. All I can think of is; this is a map made on paper; this is not possible.

"Hold your hand over it and focus on Vincent," Esme orders businesslike and the second I hear his name I see him for my inner sight and it is easy to focus. 'Vincent' I breathe in my mind to get in touch with him. He has always instantly answered in my mind and I imagine his loving answer.

While I sit here thinking about the one thing that is missing in my life, Esme starts to chant words that I initially have a hard time to understand.

"Prodest, quibus potest...dat, qui cito dat...amor fati..."

Even if I knew the words, I can't seem to understand what she is chanting and she keeps saying a few phrases again and again. A picture of Vincent is emerging; he doesn't look good at all, confused and weak and finally I see him reach a hand towards me.

Suddenly a gust of wind sweeps in, blow out all the candles and the room lays in darkness. Everything is absolutely silent as the clouds slowly dissolve and the room eventually lights up.

"Ha!" Esme exclaims, making me jump two feet up in the air. A glib smile graces her face. "Got ya!"

On the map before us a dark burn is visible south of Phoenix, right next to Tucson. I sit there mimicking a goldfish for some time while Vincent's battered face is painted on my retina.

"Is that where he is?" My voice is breathy and I am anxious to see him. "Can we go now?"

"Hold on now! We have to think clear here." Esme is using her authoritarian voice for me to stay put. "We need an ally."