Life prepares to slap me again, but I motion for her to delay.
"I've heard you since the day that dark assassin took you from me. That day I began hearing a lot of voices. There were thousands of voices inside my head. Many of them were screaming, some were pleading to be free, others were whispering darker messages. I assumed the insistence of my wife telling me to get a grip and let her out was just further proof of my growing insanity."
"Well I've always said you need to listen to me more." Life says.
"I promise to listen to you for now on...just not from inside my head okay?" I say.
"So what made you decide I was real?" Life asks.
"When I was attempting to end it all I began to unravel. Fewer and fewer voices remained inside. I felt like those voices that left wanted to die as bad as I did. The voices that were clinging to me were very strong willed. I heard your voice calling out to Sunny. Thank you!"
"I could not have you committing suicide before I had a chance to slap you in the face for being stupid!" Life says.
"I think I will hold on to this existence for a while now." I say.
"Okay so now what?" says Joe.
"Well I assume saving the world is still my job, so let's get started." I say.
"Where are we going?" Asks Dawn.
I point to the cave mouth. "Out there." I say.
"Beyond that I can only say we need to head to Washington D.C. I think no government has to be better than what we have now."
We head up to the cave mouth. Several feet of snow blanket the area, indicating that I have been in the cave for longer than I thought. There are a series of signs and religious constructs as well as unlit candles and votive offerings at the cave entrance. There are no footprints in the snow. The objects have been here at least a few days, although some have been here for a while now.
Some of the objects are crosses. One sign reads, Devil's Cave. Do not enter. This cave is possessed by the devil. Death calls to any who hear his wailing.
"It's refreshing to know that people have become so enlightened since America lost its freedom." Joe says.
"We have been ignorant and superstitious for a long time. What else could I be but the devil himself." I say.
I notice some jars of ice labeled holy water. I pick one up, open the jar and touch it. "I guess holy water has no effect as a solid" I say.
"Stop goofing around and let's go!" Life says.
I drop the jar and it shatters on a rock. "Yes ma'am" I say.
We head southeast in the direction of our nation's capital. It is good to be uninhibited by weather or terrain. We haven't traveled too far from the cave when we notice a small town...perhaps a few dozen houses, a few shops and a large church in the center of town. Night has fallen but we are not inhibited by the lack of sunlight. A wood palisade has been constructed around the town with a few square guard towers sprinkled in for good measure. A large billboard sign has been painted with a warning. Welcome to Saranac Lake. Any Canucks will be shot on sight. As if to emphasize the point, there are a few heads attached to pikes near the front gate in various states of decay.
"Friendly place." Joe says.
"Yeah I am thinking we should avoid it." I say.
"Look, there are people out!" Life says.
About a half mile from the town of Saranac Lake is a cemetery. Lanterns and flashlights help to outline a half dozen people. They seem to be desecrating graves.
"I think we came out of that cave into the Medieval period dude. Those people get one look at us and it could start a auto-da-fé. Not only are we ghosts but we are atheists!" says Joe.
"Why are you so worried Joe? What can they do to us, we are already dead? Besides you have me here to protect you." I say.
There is a flash of blue-green light back near the village gates. The people near the cemetery stop what they are doing and rush back toward the gate. They erupt in cheers, but we can't hear specific conversation.
"Where is Dawn and Sunny?" Life asks.
"Sunny? Dawn???" we shout.
"Oh no." Joe says.
"What??" Life and I ask.
"Somehow that village has acquired some Society technology." Joe says.
"What kind of Society technology?" I ask.
"The kind of Society technology that traps ghosts." Joe says.
"Dammit! They've got Sunny and Dawn. I only took my eyes off of them for a second!! We have to get them back now." I say.
"If we get anywhere near that wall we will be trapped too!" Joe says.
"I'll go" I say, "But first lets see what they were doing at the cemetery, Perhaps it will give us some ideas to help get Sunny and Dawn back."
Before the others can protest I rush out to the cemetery. Joe and Life follow close behind. When we arrive we can see that a dozen recently dug graves have been exhumed. The corpses' heads have been cut off and holy wafers have been stuffed in their mouths. Empty bottles of holy water lie near. The entire cemetery has been surrounded by a circle and dozens of crosses have been staked into the earth on its perimeter.
"Dude, like I said these ignoramuses are living out of the Middle Ages." Joe says.
"I do not detect any ghosts nearby...other than us." I say.
"...and these poor saps were not vampires or demons." Life says.
"How does this help us?" I ask.
A loudspeaker blares out into the night.
"Revenant, we have some things you desire. Surrender in the name of the President of the United States of America and I promise they will be released unharmed. Fail to comply and they will be destroyed...slowly. You have two minutes to arrive at the front gate and give yourself up."
"How the hell do they know about me?" I ask.
"Don't go honey, its a trap. These people are barbarians. They are going to kill Sunny and Dawn anyway. " Life says.
"Dude, if they have society technology, they might have someone there that works directly for the government. Probably a priest. Best to cut your losses and keep moving." Joe says.
"I lost Sunny once due to government cruelty. That same cruelty cost Dawn her life. Someone has to take a stand. While I have been weakened by my unraveling attempt, I am still very powerful. Perhaps I can free Dawn and my dog and learn something valuable before escaping." I say.
"I'm coming too." Life says.
"I'm not going to hit you up with some macho B.S. when I know you are a better fighter than I am but I am going to ask you not to go in. Not yet. Give me a chance to work. I have a plan." I say.
"Dude, your plans never work!" Joe says.
"This one will!" I say.
"If you are not back in a half hour, we will construct a better plan." Life says.
"If you have a better plan, I am ready to listen to you now my dear." I say.
The silence is something I am unused to.
"Wish me luck!" I say.
Without waiting longer, I dart down to the gate of the town. The voice blaring over the loudspeaker says, "You have made the right decision demon. Now we will send you back to hell."
I am struck by beams of light from two of the guard towers. I feel searing pain wrack through my very essence. I see the gate door slide open and feel myself drawn inside by the intense beams of light. Inside the town I see a mob of angry Americans waving assault rifles and carrying torches. In the center of town is an enormous American flag. A pit is next to the flagpole and what must be the Society ghost trap is suspended over the pit. A fat priest emerges from the group and blasts me with another painful beam of light.
Behind the fat priest, a tall black man in a business suit comes out of the crowd. He is wearing an enormous American flag lapel pin on his suit and an equally enormous and expensive gold cross rests on a thick chain of gold from around his neck.
"Ah yes, you must be the revenant from Michigan. We've heard about you. Michigan has always been a rather unsettled place,,,murder capital of the world right? ...Plus it reeks of those filthy Canadians. America is founded on the back of businessmen and entrepreneurs. I am such a man. My name is Tyrone C. Sellers. Either we can come to an agreement or I will terminate your contract. Do we have an understanding?"
The fat priest says, "You can't do that. We have a deal. I get to send the demon back to hell!"
"Friar Durant, the US government honors all agreements it makes. Show me the contract you have signed on official government letterhead and I shall adhere to the very letter of the arrangement." Tyrone says.
"We...we have a verbal agreement. You said..."
"Verbal agreements do not hold merit according to US law. If we had a verbal agreement, I have chosen to alter it. Given that you are a friar I suggest you pray the US government continues to value your cooperation." Tyrone says.
Angrily the friar lashes out at me, firing his weapon wildly in my direction.
I am hit with an energy source that brings me to my knees in anguish.
When I am able to clear my head I say, "Name your terms...and I would like it in writing... on official government letterhead..."