Golden Calf, Part One

27 February 2005

Six bodies lay strewn about the room. Two of them were barely recognizable as human, just dry husks whose shriveled faces were frozen into screams. The others had died of stabbing or slashing wounds, the room covered with splatters of blood and bullet holes. In the center of the room stood a man with hair that was just barely starting to gray on the edges of his sharp, light bronzed face. He waved his hand slowly over a knife, and the blood on it rose from the blade to follow.

"I did warn you," he said, flicking his wrist so the floating blood flew into the face of a dead man in a suit. "I told you it was dangerous to get in my way, that pushing me would not end well for you." He straightened his posture and tucked the knife into a holster in his jacket. "Really, you've no one to blame but yourself. Pity you had to take your associates with you." He turned to walk out when a woman's scream ripped through the room. He turned suddenly, raising his hand in the same posture as it had been over the knife, and found the ghost of a young woman. Her hair was blonde and drifted through the air as if it was in water.

"Matteson!" She yelled, floating toward him.

"Who are you? What business do you have with me?"

"I smell him! Where is Matteson?!"

"I am Jeremiah Matteson," he said, lowering his hand, "and I would appreciate some answers." She stopped just in front of him, her toes danging a foot off the ground so her eyes could be level with his.

"Where is John Matteson?"

"John? I don't...wait, Henry. Did Henry have a son? A son who draws the attention of ghosts?" She took a deep sniff of him, then scowled.

"You share blood with him, but you have nothing more of value to me." She began to float away from him.

"Wait! What do you know about John Matteson?"

"You are not him." With that, she vanished. Jeremiah stood for a moment, then smiled.

"It's been a long time, Henry. Perhaps too long." He turned and, with a wave of his hand, vanished.

Beginning (Jeremiah)

Beginning (Alethea)

Beginning (John)

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