Shadows Burning

As the nurse led them to Calixte's bedside, Vinotri murmured to the others, "Should we ask?"

   Nariko gave a nervous shrug.

  "Uh, do you know what kind of sickness Calixte may have, if she's sick at all?" Nariko gave a nervous glance back to the group.

(Hello! Shadow and I are both on, and Raindrop and Jasmine are supposed to be on but aren't.)

"We're just wondering. I mean, it's really very strange, the way she's been acting," Vinotri added, backing Nariko up.

(Or I at least think Shadow's on. She hasn't posted for a while.)

(Hi!)

  "Ya, I mean just we're worried about our friend." Nariko silently thanked Vinotri and wondered what the nurse might say.

"I'm really not sure. I've never seen anything like it. She's definitely hallucinating some, because she thought Enya and I were the same person, but other than that, it isn't clear. Sorry I couldn't be of more help," the nurse answered.

 Hope sank in Nariko.

"That's fine. Would you have maybe any guesses about what's happening to Calixte?"

"Not really, unless it's something unheard of, like possession."

Vinotri looked at Nariko. Possesion? she wondered. It seems likelier every minute.

Nariko locked eyes with Vinotri.

"Possession? Could you enlighten us on that?" Nariko asked, hoping the nurse wouldn't be suspicious.

"I don't know much about it. If you wanted to research it you could go to the library. I'm sure there must be a book about it somewhere."

(There is now a library at the academy.)

"Thank you." Nariko said to the nurse. She turned back to the others and said very quietly," What now?"

"What else? We go to the library," Vinotri replied just as softly.

(I have to go now. Bye.)

"Okay. Sounds good. Lead the way." Nariko said.

(Okay. Bye.)

Raindrop walked with her friends to the massive library.  there were so many books, it would be hard to find what they were looking for.  She scanned the shelves, trying to work up the courage to ask the librarian.  He was an old man, ancient and withering, with knotted gray hair and a face set in a permanent scowl.  three long, ugly scars stretched down his face, and Raindrop was a little afraid of him. 

(Enya!)

Vinotri loved the library, and spent a lot of her time there, so she knew where she might start looking. "Over here," she whispered, moving towards a small shelf near the back. "I think I've seen a book or two about dark magic and curses and stuff like that back here."

Nariko didn't spend a lot of time in the library like she always saw Vinotri, she would rather practice sword fighting or just do something else.

"What if the old man comes back?" She asked nervously. "He could get us in big trouble."

"Oh, he'd rather get people in trouble from the comfort of his desk, and we're not in that range. Don't worry about him," Vinotri advised. Scanning the shelf, she selected a small volume.

(If anyone knows a good title for a book like that, feel free to have their character notice it. I would have included one, but I don't know what a good one would be.)

"Okay. Is there a chapter on possession in there?" Nariko asked, still glancing back towards the exit to the library, in case anyone came in.

"I don't know if there'll be that much, but there should be something," Vinotri replied as she flipped to the index. Looking at the P's, she saw:

pentagrams, 83, 117, 167, 284

phases of the moon, 78, 120

pluto, 90

pocket sized devils, 267

possession, 253

potions, 52, 104, 129 - 147, 172, 236

pox, 246

She turned to page 253, and read the passage out loud. "Possesion is a highly advanced technique, used only by the very skilled. It enables the user to take over another human's mind, usually in order to accomplish something they are unable or unwilling to do themselves. Being possessed often leads to hallucinations or even insanity."

(oh, sorry.  I called myself Raindrop)

Enya peered over her friend's shoulder.  "wow... " she breathed.  "that matches perfectly.  but who would possess her?"