The rain hadn't stopped.
It tapped in a steady rhythm against the roof of the car as Martha pulled up in front of a neatly maintained building surrounded by trimmed hedges and freshly painted fences.
A clean sign stood at the entrance.
Durnloop Children's Home.
Warm lights glowed through the windows, and faint sounds of laughter echoed somewhere inside.
Martha turned off her engine and took a deep breath.
"... Right."
She stepped out.
****
Inside the orphanage was bright and orderly.
The floors were polished and children's drawings decorated the walls— bringing life to the somewhat dull colors of the painted walls.
Her gaze lingered for a short while on the children playing with their dolls. Their laughter was like music to her ears.
Ah, to be young and ignorant to the ways of the world.
'Lucky... '
"Martha?"
A voice called out to her.
"Oh my, it is you."
Martha turned and saw a brown skinned woman with silver-gray hair.
Her name was Miranda, also known as the Keeper by those in Martha's line of work.
What did she do? Well, you are about to find out.
****
Martha followed behind Miranda as she led her to another part of the orphanage.
"I was quite surprised to see you come through the front. You rarely use that entrance."
Miranda smiled as she spoke.
"I just wanted to see them... " Martha muttered under her breath.
Her speech was barely audible but the Keeper was able to hear it.
"A lot on your mind, I see?"
There was no response.
"I heard you took in your brother's son. It must've been hard."
Martha's jaw tightened.
Her being the younger sister of the man who murdered Theo's Mother in cold blood was part of the reason why the two barely got along.
Even though she hated to admit it, she felt that Theo hated her for that.
"I don't know what to do, Keeper." Her voice sounded restrained. Like she was holding back tears.
Miranda pondered for a bit. This type of situation was one that needed to be handled with care.
One slip up could cause more damage than it already had.
"I can't answer that for you, my dear."
Martha smiled weakly.
The Keeper stole a glance at her and said:
"Y'know, you don't have to do this. I'm sure the others can manage well on their own."
She shook her head.
"No, I have to. It's my responsibility."
Her declaration caused the Keeper to smile.
"Well then, prepare yourself."
****
Martha and the Keeper made their way toward the basement of the building.
A steel door stood at the end of the hallway. As they approached it, Miranda reached into her pocket, pulled out a key, and unlocked it.
The door opened with a low creak.
Without a word, the two stepped inside.
A narrow staircase stretched downwards, leading them to a dimly lit room.
The laughter of children from upstairs slowly disappeared, replaced by the heavy silence that pressed against the walls.
By the time they reached the bottom, the warmth of the orphanage felt like a distant memory.
"You're late."
A silhouette seated at one of the chairs surrounding a small table spoke. His voice was deep and hoarse.
It had a heavy English accent that dragged over his words.
Martha did not respond and gave the former a sharp glance.
"It's alright, Oisin. Martha had other businesses to attend to."
The Keeper calmly explained.
Oisin leaned forward slightly, the dim light revealing more of him—an Irishman with a thick orange beard, a bald head, and a jagged scar running across his face. A few of his teeth were chipped, giving his scowl a rough edge.
"That's no excuse. We all had shit to do now, didn't we?"
He muttered.
Martha sat down and ignored the gruff looking man.
"Must you always complain, Oisin."
Another voice cut in, this time it belonged to a female.
"I reckon he just loves the sound of his voice."
Another added with a quiet chuckle.
Before Oisin could say anything, Miranda raised her hand.
There were 6 individuals seated around the table, excluding Miranda, who remained standing.
"I believe it is time we get straight to business."
Her voice didn't come out with its usual kind and caring tone. It felt calm and yet heavy at the same time.
"Now, regarding the body found on the hiking trail..." Miranda's gaze sharpened
"I have reason to believe it was not just murder but the act of the supernatural."
The room stilled.
Silence lingered for a moment longer.
"Supernatural?", One of them scoffed as he leaned back on his chair. "Bit of a stretch, innit?"
Miranda didn't look at him.
"No. The spirits of the ancestors have confirmed it."
What?
A wave of shock swept through the room.
"Yes. This is a request directly from the spirit realm."
Miranda confirmed.
"You consulted them?"
Martha asked.
The Keeper sighed and shook her head.
"No, they reached out to me."
Silence fell harder this time. A few hunters even shifted in their seats.
The Keeper was a witch, a powerful one at that, so when she said she sensed a great evil the hunters were more than happy to comply.
But this...
This was something else entirely.
Normally it was the Keeper, Miranda, who reached out to the spirit realm for help and never the other way around.
She reached into her pockets and pulled out a small object, placing it gently on the table.
"What's this?" Someone asked.
"It's a compass." Miranda answered. "This will guide you to the creature."
"Why not just use a location spell?", the female hunter asked.
"We do not have anything that belongs to this creature and so we cannot find it with that spell."
The female hunter gave Miranda a look of understanding as she explained.
Miranda glanced at Martha, who seemed to be digesting this information like she was in a trance.
"Kane, you'll lead this one."
What?
Martha snapped out of her trance when she heard that. She gave the Keeper a questioning look but the latter did not respond.
In fact, she didn't even look her way.
Kane smiled as he stood up and took the compass with a bow.
"Now gear up and move out."
*****
Back at school...
It was now lunchtime.
Theo went to the bathroom and took out a box of pills. He took one out and looked at it for a short while.
Then, without hesitation, he swallowed it whole.
Just as he did, someone walked out of the bathroom stalls. Theo quickly took the pills and hid them in his bag.
When he lifted his head, he saw Tim's reflection on the mirror, looking at him.
Almost like he had seen something he shouldn't have.