Death's Ledger

Chapter 15 - Bad News

Nolan Woods was a legend in his own mind. A man of mystery to some. But to me, Nolan was a mystery wrapped in a puzzle, wrapped in bad cologne, who always wore the same awful radioactive sunglasses with reflective lenses. I felt as if I were talking to a brick wall whenever I spoke at him. I'm not saying he's a total douche, but not unlike many of us, his "act" might have deluded himself as much as it did others. Yes, we do become that which we think we are but does that necessarily make us authentic?

Though his act was severe, to say the least, the fact that Nolan became soul collector in 1955 made him the oldest collector in the city that we knew of, besides Gabriel. If anyone had information about what would happen to me, it would be him.

Blaire led me down the hall to Suite 23, which was next door to the party. As we approached, I realized that the door was ajar and I could hear music pouring out from the crack. Acoustic guitar.

Giving the door a gentle tap before entering, Blaire called out to announce our arrival. "Nolan; it's Blaire," but there was no answer.

We took the liberty of showing ourselves in and found Nolan sitting between his two bandmates on the couch, holding his guitar and wearing those ridiculous glasses with large yellow frames. After all this time he still had that 50s flare about him; a bit of a Crybaby pompadour hairstyle, he wasn't a square, no doubt about that.

According to Blaire, Nolan's band, Bad Juju, grew out of small jam sessions, Jack Daniels, cigarettes, and old Van Halen records. Pete was a wicked bass player. Every time he bent his head back to his bass, his brown hair hung in his eyes like mine, but only it looked better on him. Jerry, the vocalist, joined in when Nolan strummed a harder chord, then another. The music was strong, kinetic.

Despite all of his faults, Nolan was also one of the best guitar players I'd ever heard. I could probably listen to him noodle away for hours without the band. I wouldn't dare tell him that though - his head was too big already. Nevertheless, he could've been very famous if he were alive, I think.

Nolan's eyes widened as he looked up from his guitar at Blaire. He seemed pleased. "Come in, doll!" Nolan yelled, turning to his bandmates. "Looks like we have an audience."

Leaning forward, Nolan rested his acoustic guitar on the edge of the coffee table and quickly wrote some music down. Blaire tried to take a peek, but he covered his writings and informed her it was a surprise.

"Fine," she said, pretending to be annoyed until he stood up and kissed her.

Get a room! I thought, grimacing. Any other room but this one.

After a long moment, Nolan removed his gaze from Blaire and looked at me.

"Ah, you brought bad news," he began flatly, then broke off, adding in a hardly more friendly note, "Hello, Sage."

"Hi," I said, diffidently. "If this is a bad time -"

"When does anybody ever come see me at a good time?" Nolan said, looking down at me with a devilish glint in those grey eyes. "You're here because you're in trouble, aren't you? That's the only reason anyone comes to see me."

"Since when is your reputation my fault?" I replied candidly. "I thought you liked the attention."

"Yeah, yeah," he said, fidgeting with his shirt collar. Then, he turned to his bandmates. "Pete. Jerry. Haul ass, you dig?"

Pete nodded. "Heard," he said, smacking Jerry on the shoulder. It didn't seem like Pete smacked him hard, but Jerry jerked forward some then looked back at Pete with a nervous smile and a mention of "odd ball" under their breaths before heading out the door.

"So what's your tale nightingale?" Nolan stood, his hands on his hips. "Word is something's got you spooked."

Spooked? That was one way of putting it. Although if Gabriel had been just a hallucination, and I really hadn't seen those shadows move at the park, then maybe I had nothing to worry about at all. Maybe I was fine. Maybe -

"Sage, get a grip," said Blaire.

I shook my head. "Nothing. I just wish I knew where Gabriel was."

"Gabriel? You mean Gabriel Carpenter?" Nolan said, incredulously. I hesitated and he noticed. "The Gabriel Carpenter?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, what about him?"

"No one's seen Gabriel since before my time." He stopped, looking thoughtful. "At least not that I've heard."

I gave him an odd look, then asked, "Does it matter? He's here now."

"I saw him too," Blaire added. When we both turned to look at her, she added, "Sage thinks he's her boyfriend or something."

Nolan nodded, but it was more in agreement to what I had said than Blaire's observation. Gabriel was so not my boyfriend.

I took a deep breath, trying to focus my thoughts. What could I tell him, so he would believe me. Should I tell Nolan what I'd seen earlier and how I ended up at his doorstep? Talk it over with someone instead of driving myself crazy, wondering if I was crazy? I was still trying to make sense of what I'd seen. I was still reeling over the conversation I'd had with Death in the bathroom next door.

There were too many questions and not enough answers. The only thing I knew for certain was that I had lost a soul.

"You won't believe this," I said and laughed a little, to prove that I didn't take any of what I was about to say seriously. "I saw the strangest thing in the park over on the North end with the Gabriel Carpenter. And ... " I took a deep breath. "I think I saw them ... the monsters."

"You saw Shades on the North end?"

I had done it! I had convinced Nolan Woods to listen to me. Okay. This was it. "Yes," I said. "Yes, I did."

"What's a Shade?" Blaire said, glancing between us.

"Bad news," Nolan whispered. "Have you ever heard of what the Living think Death looks like?"

"You mean the whole Grim Reaper nonsense?" Blaire asked. "That's just a load of bollocks, everyone knows it."

Nolan nodded. "Not the Living. We have the Shades to thank for that."

"How are they connected to us?" I asked, noticing there was a slightly dazed expression on Blaire's face. She was on the border of confused and skeptical.

"They are us, goof," Nolan explained under his breath.

"How?" I spotted a dark expression on his face, and after a brief flash of shock thought, Gabriel was still out there with those things.

"Any collector who strays away from their duty to Death would lose all trace of themselves, shed their flesh, and prey on anything resembling the Living, including us." Nolan paused, momentarily placing a hand over his mouth. "Damn, if you saw them out there, then this isn't just bad - it's really bad," he said, shifting in his stance and narrowing his grey eyes. "But there's something else isn't there?"

"I lost a soul."