From Hell To Hammersmith
Floating calmly through a void of white light and a vast ocean of nothingness, Luca Underhill contemplated her interaction with Dr Henry Neville, the man who had somehow unwittingly tore a hole in space and time with his portal to the world beyond.
Luca did not fear her current predicament; she was no ordinary human and had used this void previously to pass from one plain of existence to another, even though it had been some time since then. She had other methods of travelling and could appear anywhere she wanted in Britain within a matter of minutes. The whisperer some called her; a moment seen and a moment gone, leaving one to ponder whether she was there at all, like a whisper.
Henry had tapped the surface of her powers with his portal machine; switching it on almost dragged her from her own 'pathways' and right into his lap when he tore the hole. Since that moment, Henry always appeared to be not far behind whenever she carried out her orders. There was a deeper connection between them than merely him chasing ghosts and she knew she would have to keep an eye on the doctor's work and how it might affect her, and the work of her master.
After watching Henry's progress she contemplated whether he could be the key to helping her stop her master. He, the harbinger of death, ruler of the dark realm and the spirit of the night; he who puppeteered her life, stalked the shadows of her movements and refused to let her love or live an ordinary human life with other people. However her doubts were confirmed that the doctor was nowhere near ready enough to join her fight after his ineffectiveness against the class four entity in Hammersmith. Luca decided the fight was still hers, and she alone would defeat him.
There was however, the matter of getting back to London, out of the void; something she was very adept at doing but she enjoyed the calm serenity of the nothingness surrounding her.
Alone with her thoughts, Luca looked back over the moments that led her down this path and the loss of her composure with the class four entity back in Hammersmith.
***
Standing silently on a sand covered strip of road, with fields of fresh green grass on the one side and the most golden of all beaches on the right, Luca watched idly as fresh new souls passed her by on their way to the world beyond. She had a job to complete, a job she was reluctant to follow through. She despised her work, and in all honesty, at times, despised herself; and that feeling was becoming more the regular the more she spoke to souls and diverted their paths from the promised peace of the forever beyond.
During a recent trip to west London, Luca had learnt that the real world was full of very bad men and women. People so cruel they needed to be punished. She always held some high self regard for herself, for in her young years studying in the north east, she helped piece together the puzzle that put an end to one serial killer, Mary Ann Cotton. A name that will forever be branded into her memory.
Luca's attention was caught by a particular elderly woman making her way down the path. She looked ordinary to most but Luca looked past the ordinary; she could see the elderly woman's entire world. Luca immediately knew the woman's name and that of her children and grandchildren. From that information she was also immediately aware of the dangers her still-living son was in. Piecing together a chain of information from the various souls that had passed through she could make out this elderly woman's adult son was about to fall into the same financial trap and death as many others she had spoken to.
If her master wanted her to send certain souls back to earth he would have to make do with an equal number of good ones too. She decided to approach the elderly woman and help guide her back home.
"Excuse me, Mrs Dibbs!" Luca called to the elderly lady, "May I call you, Mary?"
The woman looked confused but nodded.
Luca proceeded to tell Mary all that she knew of the man called Mallory and how her son was only weeks away from making the same mistake as many before him.
Luca had some history with Mallory and watched him closely, although she would never reveal the beginning of their relationship to anyone; she even had a brief period in his employment as a secretary, albeit to spy on him, until he caught her. She escaped and vowed to stamp out his evil businesses as best she could. Luca believed work houses were one of the worse creations by man and Mallory owned no less than ten of them across south east England. He held little regard towards his fellow human beings and only sought to extend his purse.
It did not take much persuasion to convince Mary Dibbs to return to the living, Luca hoped she was strong enough in spirit to communicate with her son.
After a few more souls were convinced to return to earth Luca was sure her master would be satisfied with the progress. His plan was blooming perfectly, much to Luca's dismay, she felt time away was justified.
Luca returned to London but was disheartened to find not all was well. There was a shadow and a foul aura over her favourite community in Fulham; something was terribly amiss.
"The children! They've had away with the children!" Most would cry.
"Who? Who has stolen them?" Luca replied desperately.
"The devil! That awful pincher prowling our streets!"
Luca could guess, and correctly so, who the prowler may be, "Do not worry yourselves. I will see to it that the children are safe. She spent that night gathering all the intel she could muster from the people and set about finding where the children were taken to.
It took several hours of searching Mallory's more well-known locations before learning he had acquired new dealings with one Mr Picking, a multi business owner who was in the market for cheap young labour for what, Luca had not found out.
The carriage was large and made of quality wood and fine fabrics. Luca approached cautiously, she spotted the straggly haired Mallory from some distance away. He stood with a short bald man who Luca took to be Mr Picking, and a great beast of a man who was likely a bodyguard of sorts. Another man was holding the horses reigns but he was paying no heed to anything.
Luca managed to get behind the rear wheel of their far side unseen and examined the lock on the carriage. She slowly peered through the window and counted the six children, three of them looked in her direction, tears and fear filled their eyes. She tried to give them a comforting smile before ducking for cover behind the wheel again. She looked around the carriage and saw the two men standing at a distance still talking. Two? Where was the giant?
She threw herself back against the wheel of the carriage and took several deep breaths. Several moments passed before she dared to look again. Peering through the window again, Luca noticed the boys seemed frightened; taking a full second to notice the big lump of a man was also looking through the window on the far side. He did not appear to be aware of her at first and looked just as shocked before shouting, "Hey," at her. She immediately ducked back down behind the wheel again.
Something about the man's voice intrigued her a little, it was almost distant and feminine as if not even coming from him but a voice inside of him.
However, Luca had little time for wonder, and set about avoiding the large brute as he made his way around the carriage to catch her.
"Stop that menace at once!" She heard the bald man say. The giant was slow and cumbersome, and not quite all himself Luca thought; she easily kept the safety of the carriage between them.
After seeing an opening, Luca made a dash for the road she originally came from and out of reach and sight of Mallory and his cronies. She perched herself against a brick wall when she was sure the giant man, or whoever was possessing his body, was not going to follow and thought for some time.
It was time to return to the void and have a chat with the unusual guest possessing the great lump. Luca closed her eyes and focused all her thoughts on the carriage and the giant man. She discovered it was now moving, and by luck he was on it. She grimaced at the sight of Mallory sat next to him holding the reigns. Luca channeled her energy towards the big guy and found her way into his mind.
While in the void Luca learnt that the big guy was named Bill, an acquaintance of Mr Picking, and Bill was already finding out what Luca needed to know. The children were being taken to the docks.
Now what, father? The other female voice said.
Luca paused before helping. This woman was not here of her own accord; her name was Polly and she needed help, and the silence was long enough for Luca to know the father was not going to help. Luca was relieved, although shocked to learn that Polly was associated with the scientist that had been lurking in her shadows.
Coincidence or not Luca knew this was a good thing. Henry Neville and Polly could save the children. Luca had no power or strength over men in the real world but it appeared Henry was gathering allies who did have some power over the living.
Now all that was needed was to get Polly back to where she belonged. She was stuck in what Luca could only assume was a memory, either Bill's or her father's. Was Bill or Mallory her father? No, that was improbable. Was she from another time line? Unlikely but Luca had seen it before with a man named Merlai. She decided to step in.
Let me help you here, Luca replied.
"You can help me?" Polly asked out loud.
"I doubt it," Luca heard Mallory reply.
Not him. Me, I can help you, Luca replied.
After the brief exchange, Luca pulled herself out of Bill's mind and brought Polly with her. She had hoped to meet the woman in person but was disappointed to learn she had not joined her in the void.
"She was from a different time then," Luca said aloud to herself, "I know she can save those children." Her next move was to go back and comfort the families while figuring out what she could actually do to help.
Four days passed before Luca finally heard of the children's safety, they had done it and Polly was as not as far into the future as Luca may have feared.
Smiles, laughter and tears filled her with overwhelming emotions as she watched the police return the children to their families. She accepted thanks of the people herself, although reluctantly, believing her part to be small and insignificant. After three more days playing and settling with the children Luca decided it was time to move on from the community and get back to her master in the other place.
***
Luca spent several days in the void before her master finally came to her. Not in his physical form, that was not his method, a lowly mythoi like Luca was not worth the fortune of his presence. Besides his actual voice would likely rupture her ears so she was grateful he did not visit her.
Why are you not doing as I command? Came the deep roaring voice of her master.
"I have been diverting souls back to earth to carry out your bidding, Master," Luca replied, a slight tremble in her voice.
They are weak and pathetic. The lord has spoken and the lord wants chaos. You have not sent back the souls that will cause terror across the realm.
"That's not true, Master! I have done all that you asked. For our great lord!"
I fear you maybe mistaking our lord for that of the almighty. Do you know what happens to those that betray the powers of our lord? The bellowing voice became angry.
Luca fell to her knees, "Please, no, Master!" She begged. Suddenly her shirt ripped from behind, revealing her back and a single sharp fiery lashing struck her bare back. Luca screamed out in terrifying pain and sunk to the ground.
The voice continued, Don't betray me with these pure souls. Your job is to maintain evil upon that miserable planet. You will not forget that, or I will send the Shade to bring you to me!
Luca continued sulking on the ground, she knew her master had gone. It pained her deeply that she was caught in his web with no way out, she gained some comfort in knowing this only added to her determination to finally beat her master, freeing herself and the people of earth once and for all.
When Luca finally had the courage to sit up, pinning her shirt together with her arms to save her modesty she picked up a piece of parchment of the ground that her master had summoned there for her alone to see. It was a list of names and locations of souls and demons he requested she send back to earth to do their lord's bidding.
Next to where the parchment lay were several hexagon boxes of tin covered in elaborate markings. Portals from hell to summon some of the nastiest spirits that the underworld could mustur. Luca's first objective was to go to the burial site of a man named Thomas Banks, who was executed by trial near the Thames for the crimes of evil purpose he committed while alive.
***