A Door Closes, Another Door Opens, Tag Annie

THE ORACLES

The ghost is ready. A lower being, yes. Inferior and weak, but strong enough to serve. No longer shall she serve outside of mere mortals - under utilizing her abilities granted by the Powers. She shall serve whom we serve. She is ready.

'She is not within the world of the living, sister. Caught between one world and the next.'

'Such is true, brother. However, we are also caught between one world and the next - ordained by the Powers to return and serve as conduit, despite being slain by Vocah. Those strong enough to overcome death are strong enough to be warriors.'

'The spirit has been summoned.'

'It has been summoned. It is here.'

A blinding light transports the ghost into the Conduit temple. An alter of fire is the only thing providing light in the room. Other than this, Annie can see no one, but can hear both oracles.

'It is ignorant.'

'Unaware of its own power.'

'Is the spirit ready?'

'It must be ready.'

'Time is short.'

'Time is plentiful.'

'The time is right.'

'The Powers deemed it so.'

'It wishes to speak.'

This post has been written by YOLS

Annie was well and truly terrified. It was a sensation she was familiar with, in small doses, and in parts and pieces – but it still wasn’t one that she liked, not at all. She had not been this frightened since the night that she’d watched helplessly as the priest – well, he’d called himself that at least – had killed her friend, tearing her through the doorway that had opened up and dragged her of, forced her away into Purgatory, where she watched herself slip away into close to nothing awaiting her sentence. That last day had been horrifying, gut wrenchingly horrible, but it had been fear, and dread, and panic, and a rabid sort of frenzy, just simple terror.

Then again, this hadn’t been just simple terror either. Terror, and pain. She had known that she could feel it, sure. Vampires and werewolves had grabbed a hold of her now and then, or pushed her bout, but this… this had been different. It wasn’t bloody, or broken bones – because she didn’t have them, really, and she didn’t bleed -- but she had felt it, felt broken and bruised, battered about by the dark-eyed creature that she had thought to be her friend – that she had thought to help…

Only he’d tricked her, trapped her, asked for something she couldn’t… wouldn’t give, and she had paid dearly for it.

And then there had been a sudden absence of pain. Of everything.

For a moment she thought she had been pulled, again, pushed through to the other side, torn apart or shoved into the box that they’d told her they’d made just for her in hell, but after the moment of disorienting movement… there was something. Blue. Cream. Gilded gold. Marble and Grecian… Roman? Arches? She was trembling. Though the pain was gone, the fear remained, the upset, the wound of the betrayal lingering even sharper than the pain. There were words, echoed, and swirling around her as the room finally stopped moving – until she finally stopped moving – a woman’s voice and a man’s, and something else, hollow, and beautiful, though it took her another long moment to gather her senses enough to grasp that the voices had some external source and were not merely some delusion or figment of her traumatized thoughts.

She didn’t know where she was, or who they were – but there was no pain, and they’d pulled her from his binding magic… which meant… here was definitely better than here. She took a slow breath in, her arms curled, wrapped around her stomach and ribs as she tried to fight off the tears that still trembled in her gaze as she stared at them. ”Am I dead?” She asked, shakily, her accented voice seeming to echo around the room with its endless hallway behind them that just seemed all too uneasily familiar. ”I mean… is this… Where am I?” She finally settled on, staring wide eyed at the altar of fire, and the room around her, trying to pinpoint exactly where the words were emerging from.

THE ORACLES

The ghost felt pain. Meaningless pain. Pain without consequence. For being on the outskirts of the world provide no consequence, her mortality forever waits. Betrayed by the demon, the spirit is confused. She is ignorant to her purpose here. She is ignorant to her purpose anywhere.

”Am I dead? I mean… is this… Where am I?”

’You shan’t ask foolish questions in our presence.' she stated promptly. The oracles were disappointed that her appearance had to be so prompt. The spirit was unable to provide an offering to them.

’Dead is a meaningless word.'

’For what is dead?'

’But an ending. '

’Disguised as a beginning.’

’You are in our realm now.'

’A realm in between realms.’

’We have summoned you here. The Powers that Be have chosen you. '

’You are chosen to bear the visions.’

’Only a being strong enough can bear the visions. '

’Not someone who discredits their strength.’

’Is the spirit strong enough for this responsibility?’

’Or does she believe her afterlife’s purpose is reduced only to searching for a purpose for her afterlife.’

’Such is not adequate for the bearer of visions.’

This post has been written by YOLS . Sorry for the wait on this!

”No, I didn’t --- “ Annie faltered, at the rebuke that was uttered by the female voice, a flush of color creeping over her cheeks as she realized exactly what had crept out of her lips without her permission before. Her gaze turned up, and around, still seeking some sign of whom, or what, was speaking. ”Yes, I’m dead, I knew that I just meant… is this… Heaven?” She questioned, before she fell silent as the voices continued on, a back and forth that almost but not quite overlapped as questions answered themselves and asked more, a debate between the two voices, the two powers – powers that be? She had the feeling that she should recognize that particular turn of phrase, and had a sinking suspicion that she should have paid more attention at some point, though as to who and when, she was at something of a loss.

Her forehead creased, a frown furrowing her forehead as the voices spoke, of visions, and debated her strength, her shoulders stiffening reflexively, her lips creeping downwards at the edges as she spoke, again. ”You know I’m stood right here, you know that I can hear you, right?” She asked, her tone somewhere between incredulous, and honestly curious, not sure whether she should be offended by the words that they were speaking – who was speaking? – or if they were actual questions intended for her to answer. ”I don’t -- what visions?” Annie questioned, feeling all too clearly like she had been caught up in a conversation that had been going on for quite some time and that she was being dragged into the tail end of it.

”I’m grateful for whatever you did that brought me here, what you took me from, but – I haven’t got the least idea of what it is you are talking about, or who you are – as for my purpose, or my strength, or… what… not…” She spoke, the slight bluster that she’d tried to present failing a little as she faltered over her words. ”I’m happy to help, really, but would it be too much trouble for you to maybe… start at something closer to the beginning?” She questioned, a few cautious steps carrying her in a slow semi-circular sweep around the brazer in the middle of the room. ”I’m going to assume that you know me, who I am, what I am, given that you’ve brought m here, and have… chosen me for this – so, do you think you could return the favor just a little bit?” she questioned, her hand raising up, her thumb and index finger held about an inch and a half apart from each other as a visual aid for her last inquiry, her tone hopeful.

THE ORACLES

The ghost spoke but was slow to listen - as such with most lower beings. The Oracles expected this, were unimpressed by it, and wanted to send her away without a second thought. But the Powers would not be pleased. This talkative ghost was a soldier for them now. She shall not be discarded. Still, such a being should not feel appropriate to even open her mouth out of turn in front of the Oracles. The ghost was lucky to even be in their presence, and if she were to see their true form now – the door would come for her just by their power. Ignorance poured from her essence just as much as her voice echoed in the mystical space.

Yes, the Oracles knew she was standing right there - the obvious statement warranting and deserving no response. The Oracles would only bother answer questions worth answering, and longed for the days in which lower beings would finally learn the right questions. Eons of time has passed and the oracles had seen a sad display of development. Pity.

’The visions are given to only those who are deemed worthy by the Powers that Be. From now on, you will see what is unseen.' she answered.

’You will see what the powers want you to see.'

’And what has yet to be seen.'

’Great peril awaits'

’Destruction comes now.’

’You were selected because the Powers that Be have deemed you a worthy soldier.'

’Certainly a big responsibility for such a lowly being.’

’But the Powers have ordained this. It is so. '

’Chances are you will perish in the end.’

’Fade away from existence.’

’Like many before you.’

’And many to come.’

’Consider your strength tested.’

’And your purpose ascended.’

The voices paused, marking the end of any information they were willing to give her. Despite what Annie might have wanted to say at that point, the voices started again – paying no mind and interrupting unapologetically.

’You shall be granted no more questions. Our message to you has been delivered. It is time for you to leave our presence.’

And with that, in a flash of light, the Oracles transported Annie out of their realm and right to the living room of her home. Mere seconds after the transportation, Annie received her first vision from the Powers that Be.

This post has been written by YOLS