Chapter 29 / part 2

[simtopi]

 

29: Invocation / Part 2

Read Part 1 here

The rooftop of the old building was generally quiet as the hours grew late. But the silence wouldn't last for much longer.


Sibyll did not have time to react as Clara teleported her with a spell. She swore softly realizing as she began to materialize that there was nothing beneath her feet except for open air.


She stared up to see Clara grinning at her from the rooftop as she began to fall.


Clara must have known that it would have been just as easy for her to escape the fall. But it had given her an advantage.


The bat swooped quickly past Clara's head before she was able to do anything else. The witch ducked and swore as its claws grasped at her hair.


Clara: What did you think I was just going to stand there and let you bleed me in my own home, Sibyll?
Sibyll: It would have been a decent courtesy to you. Not many get the same treatment.


Clara: I don't know what you want, but I'm not about to become vampire chow.


She blasted the spell that would have engulfed Sibyll in flames but the vampire dodged it quickly before it struck her.


Sibyll: It's just as well we don't have our little discussion. Simply killing you would be much preferable anyway.


Sibyll closed the distance with impossible speed and struck Clara hard knocking her down.


Clara: You hit me.


Clara: I can't believe you just hit me!
Sibyll: You're lucky that was all. You could be bleeding now.


Sibyll: I could let you live, dear. But there is a matter of this little blood oath between you and Wesley.
Clara: What? Is that all. That damn bloodsucker hasn't been around forever.
Sibyll: Then simply say the pact is broken, love. You should know by now how this works.
Clara: Oh please...


Clara surprised her with the spell exploding between them.


Clara: I don't have to say or do anything. I'm not saying the words that will break his oath.


Sibyll: Well then the other way to break it is to simply kill you then. Which quite nicely works for me.


Clara: Uh uh, not in my schedule, honey. Oh, by the way, I'm sure you're all too familiar with this little number....

Sibyll knew as she was casting what the spell was.


But she wasn't able to escape. Pain flooded her body. She clenched her teeth to suppress a scream.


She fell to her knees as the spell engulfed her.

---

Cecilia: There's something really creepy about this place Willow.
Willow: I'm glad I'm not the only person that's noticed.


Cecilia: No... I mean it's really, really creepy. I think there are ghosts here.
Willow: Why would you say that?
Cecilia: Because it's true. I can see them. Dead people. I have a feeling this mansion is full of them.


Willow remembered why she had ran from this place when she first got here; Carl admitting to her that they kept the ashes of the dead here for some strange reason. She also remembered what Wanda Tinker had told her earlier on in the day. "Some people... well, put it this way. They're closer to the dead than the rest of us."

It wouldn't be that hard to believe that Cecilia was a medium, after everything Willow had encountered recently.


Willow: This is really an old mansion. I could imagine this place would have a lot of... history.
Cecilia: Well the only history I'm interested in here is knowing what happened to Brittany Upsnott. Like everyone on campus has a portrait in this room except for Brittany.


Willow's looked down for a moment, thinking. The word "history" seemed to ring in her mind like a distant bell. She also remembered what Gabriel and Carl had been talking about in the foyer. The Mansion was old. Older than the Society even.

Willow: Cecilia I know you don't think I do, but I do believe you about the ghosts. I just think maybe you're the only one who can really see them. It's a gift.
Cecilia: Well if it's a gift, I kinda want a refund.
Willow: I read that ghosts sometimes haunt because there's something they need to do. Brittany's ghost  said she wanted to open up the third floor is that right?
Cecilia: Yeah. Lucky me I'm living with the ghost with unfinished home decorating projects...


Cecilia: ... but wait a minute. You're talking about this place, aren't you?
Willow: That old photo implied that she was a member here.
Cecilia: And this is the type of building that would even have a huge attic for that too.


Before too long, Carl had managed to break away from his conversation with Gabriel and find Willow and Cecilia in the archive room.
Carl: Willow she really isn't supposed to be here.


Cecilia: You don't have to talk about me like I'm not here, you know.
Carl: I'm not even sure why it's necessary to give anyone a tour here. Willow please ask her to leave.


Cecilia: Just because you ignore me doesn't mean I'm going away.
Carl: I'm not obligated to even address you!


Cecilia: Come on, you at least wouldn't mind helping us with a few questions, would you? Really, I'm harmless and I promise I won't tell anyone what's going on in here.

She smiled warmly, her voice softening slightly. It was the same tone she used frequently on other boys whenever she wanted something and whether she was conscious of it or not, it was there. It annoyed Willow incredibly.


Carl: Regardless of whether or not you'll tell anyone, it's still against the rules for you to be here.
Cecilia: You've got to be kidding me. Gabe was right about my dad and my grandfather you know. The Bairds could be pretty helpful.
Carl: It doesn't matter, as currently you're still not a member here, therefore none of that counts.


It was at this point Willow was simply starting to get annoyed at the exchange. She didn't exactly want to spend the entire evening here while Cecilia tried to work her way into this silly "Secret" Society.


Quietly, Willow turned away and whispered a spell. It was a bit of a complicated spell. She wasn't really sure it was ethical at this point, but she was impatient.


It would seem as if the world suddenly turned over for Carl. He swooned slightly, not realizing what had come over him. 


When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Cecilia. And he was instantly in love.

Carl: Uh... Cecilia... Cecilia is it? That is a lovely name. It sounds like a song...  maybe I might have been a little hasty. I... um.. suppose I can let you look around a while.


Willow was fairly proud of herself. The spell worked!
Cecilia: Really? That's great! We won't even be all that long.


Carl: Please... tour the mansion. You'll be our special guest for tonight so what's ours is yours. Take as long as you want... Cecilia Baird.


She smiled warmly a little taken aback by the sudden change in his demeanor.
Cecilia: Thank you. 


Cecilia and Willow left the archive to join Gabriel as they walked around the old house. Cecilia had a lot to say about the architecture of the place. Willow was surprised how much she actually knew. She insisted that if there was an entrance to the attic somewhere then she would be able to find it. She was fairly good at figuring out the layout of old places like this.

Cecilia: But first I have to fix my makeup. Where's the rest room?


Gabriel: "Fix her makeup". What a stupid euphemism for needing to go.
Willow: Well that gives us some time to ourselves, doesn't it?


Gabriel: Miss Marlen, I like the way you think. I can't wait to get out of here and really get you to myself.
Willow: I think that'd be really nice. I had a long day. Maybe coming here wasn't one of my best ideas.


Gabriel: I'll be honest, I definitely had other plans for you.

Willow turned a deep shade of red as she remembered fondly the evening before.
Willow: Is this all you're going to be thinking about for a while?
Gabriel: Most definitely.


Cecilia: Okay seriously knock it off you two. This is getting gross.
Gabriel: Then do us all a favour and finish up here so you don't have to be subjected to people being happy.
Cecilia rolled her eyes.
Cecilia: Well, believe it or not, I found the entrance to the attic. Want to check it out?


Of all places it was in the bathroom. Cecilia looked up at the hatch in the ceiling, proud that she had found it, even if it was purely by luck.
Cecilia: See, I told you I'd find it.
Willow: Great. Now what are we gonna do with it.


Gabriel: I guess I'm waiting out here aren't I.
Willow: Just keep Carl away for a sec. I want to see what's up there.
Gabriel: Well be careful.


Cecilia kept looking up at the ceiling. Somehow she was getting a strange feeling from this. It was almost a strange sense of deja-vu even though she knew she had never been in this room before.

Cecilia: Do you think it's a good idea to go exploring tonight?
Willow: Well I really don't want to come back here to do it.


Willow grabbed a chair from outside of the room and reached for the hatch. She knew it would probably be easier to get up there with magic, but not with Cecilia watching her.




She grumbled as she managed to get the hatch open. She struggled against her own weight as she tried to pull herself up. After a few attempts she managed to, swearing mildly at the effort it took. The teleportation spell would definitely have been easier.


Gabriel couldn't help hearing Willow swearing from inside the bathroom.
Gabriel: Are you girls okay in there?
Cecilia: All good. Willow made it up.


Gabriel: Okay hurry it up. Now I have to "fix my makeup".


Oh great, Gabriel grumbled as he saw Carl walking up the stairs.


Gabriel: Sorry, Carl. Occupied. I'm waiting too.
Carl: I don't need to use the restroom. I was looking for Cecilia.
Gabriel: Oh she's in there, she'll be out in a second.


Carl: I guess I can wait. You never told me you had such a lovely cousin.
Gabriel: Lovely? That's not the adjective I'd normally use, but sure...


Carl: Listen... do you think you could maybe... you know... put in a good word for me? A favour for a fellow Society brother?
Gabriel: What, are you serious?
Gabriel stopped himself before he'd outright burst into laughter.


Gabriel: Uh you know what... sure. But let's talk about it away from here. Cecilia will probably be an hour or two.
Carl: You said she'd be out in a second...
Gabriel: Dude, she's fixing her makeup. That can take a while. Hey we still have that executive golf putter outside don't we?
Carl: Yes.. but it's probably buried in a foot of snow.
Gabriel: I have a sudden urge to play. Come on. It'll be fun.

---

There was a little light pouring in through the slits in an old boarded up window. Willow had pulled herself up into a dark hallway. Old plaster and brick lined the walls. There was definitely some usable space up here, unlike the attic of the Tri-var mansion.


Curiously, she peered down the hall. There was a door ahead...






She got to the door and tested the door knob. It was locked. But there was something strange about the lock...


There was something about what was behind this door that Willow suddenly felt a need to see.


Cecilia: Willow?
Again, Willow had gone off to explore what was up there without telling Cecilia what was going on. It was a few minutes after Willow had climbed up and Cecilia wasn't hearing anything from her. She couldn't imagine what could be up there.


As she waited, curious herself of what could be in the attic, Cecilia had the strangest feeling that she wasn't alone.




Willow pulled out the key that Wesley gave her. It was glowing brighter than ever now, the metal warm and lightly buzzing against her skin. Willow was surprised to see this kind of reaction. This can't be the key to this room, could it??? Of all the things in the world that this key could open, it couldn't have been to a room hidden in the attic of the Landgrabb Society? 






With a click the door opened and the key disappeared completely. This had to be more than a coincidence.   Chasing Cecilia's ghost couldn't possibly have brought her here...


But it did. Willow suddenly realized that she was meant to come here.


The room was fairly dark. Willow's eyes adjusted to the dim light within. Carefully she stepped forward seeing nothing except something covered by heavy drapery on the other side.




It was an old mirror with a tarnished frame. There didn't seem to be anything special about it.


And it was just her reflection. But as she continued to look down at the dusty glass, the image within began to mist and darken.


...until all she could see was a reflection of a face that wasn't hers. But no one was in the room with her.


Her heart began to beat fast now. There was a sense of danger about this all. Something here wasn't right. But even as she began to back up, she couldn't look away as the face in the mirror slowly began to look up at her.




As their eyes met, Willow's world began to change.

---

Across town, a beam of light stretched across the sky, from earth to the clouds. Anyone who looked up at the right moment would be able to see it. But there were only a few that would understand or at least suspect it's ominous consequences.


Rowan looked towards the light, clenching his fists. Something was happening and he was sure it wasn't good. What did Willow get herself into this time?

---

Clara: Well that was relatively easy. I've forgotten what it's like to destroy the likes of you, Countess.


Sibyll: You've forgotten more than that, Clara.


Clara: How did you...?
Sibyll: I've been alive for a very long time, dear. Did you think that I would be so vulnerable to that particular spell. I've learned a few things from your people over the centuries.

Clara wasn't able to utter anything to reply. With deadly swiftness, Sibyll had rushed towards Clara throwing her down.


Mercilessly she began to slash at Clara's perfect skin. The witch tried to struggle and block her but she was no match for the vampire's strength.


Something flashed in the far distance. Sibyll felt her heart tighten in the instant that she saw that light.


 "No..." she whispered.


 Sibyll knew what it was and was suddenly filled with dread.


It was the distraction that Clara needed. Sibyll fell back, blinded by the flash of light and the explosive energy of the spell.


Clara: Now you've gotten me really pissed off, Sibyll.


Clara: People always underestimate me. Soon everyone will learn never to do that with me. And you'll get your lesson first.


Dazed, Sibyll was peripherally aware of her the complex magic surrounding her. As Clara spoke the spell, the strange bars formed from nothing. Before Sibyll could move, the bars solidified around her.


Sibyll: Do you really think this could hold me?


Clara: I'm particularly fond of this spell. Unfortunately I only have one of these cages, but I'm pleased I can use it for someone of your infamy, my dear Countess. Go ahead try to get out.


Clara: Oh, what, poor widdle vamp can't just turn into a bat and squeeze through the bars? Sweetie, I think about everything. This goes back to the not underestimating me part.

Sibyll tried... the witch was right. She wasn't able to shapeshift. The cage itself was a spell meant to keep a vampire locked away. Sibyll felt something she hadn't felt in a very long time. It was the sensation of panic.


Sibyll: You bitch, you can't hold me here!
Clara: Don't worry, the building maintenance will come by in the morning, maybe if they aren't too lazy... oh silly me. You still have that pesky aversion to sunlight, don't you. Oh well...


Clara: I'd hang around and watch you burn, but really I had other plans tonight. Enjoy your last night on sim Earth, dear.


The witch disappeared leaving her in the cage by herself. Sibyll recoiled from the bars, horrified that she could be in this situation. For so long she had been overconfident about who she was and what her abilities were. She had never thought of herself as vulnerable, even as she could feel time and age creep up to her.  She had never been bound like this and the feeling of helplessness was crippling.


She collapsed to the cold floor. All she could do now was wait.

---

Malcolm: What is it, Carter? I'm pretty busy...
Carter: Sir, I think you might want to see this.
Malcolm: Can it wait?
Carter: No Sir. This is important.




As they reached the patio, Malcolm could see what he meant about this being important. Malcolm smiled broadly, feeling as excited as a schoolboy on Christmas day.
Carter: It seems that the Sorceress' heir has found her second gift, Sir.
Malcolm: So she has.


Malcolm: Carter, this is going to be a great night.

---

Gabriel and Carl had barely began to kick the snow off the executive putter  before the roof of the mansion seemed to start emanating a beam of light. Gabriel stepped forward, looking up at the strange light. All his thoughts went to Willow.


Carl: What... what's going on up there???
Gabriel: I don't know. I don't think that's good though.


Everything seemed to happen at once, too quickly for his liking. Carl was muttering incoherently, freaking out about someone setting fire to something. It wasn't a fire, Gabriel tried to assure him as he felt the back of his neck begin to prick and tingle. Gabriel turned around.


He immediately recognized the woman who appeared literally out of thin air before him.
Gabriel: What the... how did you even ... why are YOU here???
Samantha: Hello again, Gabriel.  Quickly, is Willow here?
Gabriel: Willow... yeah. She's in the attic.


Wesley: I'll find her.


Cecilia ran down the hall, her heart racing. For some reason she had grown suddenly afraid. Afraid for herself, for Willow and for everything around her.  It was as if she was connected to the ghost's memories of this place. Willow shouldn't be up here. No one should be.


She reached the door, hesitating slightly, unsure of what was behind there.
Cecilia: Willow? Willow are you okay? I think we need to go...


She gasped when she heard something behind her. Quickly she turned around.


Cecilia: You...?
She hadn't seen him since the night at Malcolm's club. And all this time she thought he had been a dream.


But he was real. This person she didn't know, who kissed her that night was suddenly here in the attic with her. She gasped when she looked at him. Even in the dim light she could make out his features and see his scarlet eyes.
Wesley: Is Willow in that room?


Cecilia: Yeah, I think so... who are you?


Wesley: My name is Wesley. I need to go in there. But it could be dangerous for you.  Please stay behind the door and don't look inside.
Cecilia: But why...?


Wesley didn't answer her. He gently pushed her away from the door and hurried inside. He nearly froze when he saw Willow lying there in front of a familiar mirror.


She was bathed in that strange light. Even Wesley could feel the surge in magical energies around her. As he looked down at her, he at least knew she had to be alive.


Wesley: Willow... please get up...
He began to panic as he lifted her limp body off the floor. He didn't know what he should do to help her.




Slowly, she opened her eyes.
Willow: Mr. Wesley?
Her voice was small and frail.


Willow: You... found me.


He looked down at her and smiled. She was alive. It was all that mattered to him at that moment. But there were too many things going on in Willow's mind. It was like opening for the first time the book Kimberly Cordial had given her, except this time the voices and the images in her mind inundated her more completely until everything was out of control.  She had invoked something terrifying simply by just looking into the mirror. She felt like she was drowning. Everything was wrong.


Willow began to cry out, pressing her hands to her forehead in a futile attempt to stop everything that was going on inside her head. She had to get away from here. She had to escape. Without thinking of it, the magic did her bidding. For the second time that night, Wesley felt his body begin to fly apart and scatter like mist in the wind. He tried to call out to Willow, to stop her from using the spell, but it was too late.

---

Staring up at the strange light in the calm night sky, little Sage only said one word.


  "Wi-wwo!"




next » [ chapter 30: Daybreak ]

--------------------------------------------------------
*with sims by amochan8878, leaths and simsinthecity

Notes:
* This chapter is completely ridiculous. I know, lol
*  before anyone starts to wonder, I will say that yes there is a reason why Malcolm had to go through Wesley (or some other particular person) to give Willow the key to the secret room. Hopefully I'll be able to explain everything in time.
* though honestly, it's really just fun to use "artistic" licence for a lot of this. ;)
* thank you again for reading. Sorry about the long chapter, as it goes, the next few chapters shouldn't be this long, or crazy.

Comments

[simsinthecity.livejournal.com]

You had me fooled with the beam of light. I thought it was something actually produced in-game!