A Late Halloween Report
"I hate Halloween. Well, the costumes, candy, and parties are nice, sure. It's the Underworld Halloween and Everything Between that bothers me. Underworld and Everything Between, places I hate going and -oh, right, I'm in a monologue, I need some appropriate mood setting music."
Nethaniel reaches for a remote on his office desk in his study room, reclining back in his Captain chair to rest his feet on the top of the paper covered desktop to fit the theme as Gumshoe Blues by Paul Pritchard (yes a real soundtrack) started playing followed by other film noir. The beat of the bass, chiming xylophone, the mournful sax, put the fox into his pensive mood as his computer recorded his audio journal.
"Oh yeah, that's better. Now, where was I? Oh, right. Underworld and Everything Between. I probably need to explain what I mean by those locations. This is for my own reference and for whoever follows in my footsteps, should something happen to me in the field. The Underworld, well, as the Name suggests, it's where you're going to run into a bunch of old, millennia old nasties that like to play with we mortals for their entertainment. One should note, that the Lords and Ladies of the Underworld are very heavy on old-world etiquette. Brush up on Latin as a secondary language, you'd be surprised how often it's put to use there. In summary, watch your ass and be respectful. The Lords and Ladies love to make deals to their advantage, so if something is too good to be true, run away...politely."
"That being said, let me quickly explain Everything Between. It's like a semi-mortal purgatory. I've only encountered spirits from there in the rarest of situations, each time only able to manifest themselves in the Midgard, our regular humdrum mortal world, for only important reasons. Until I know more, there's not much I can tell you."
"I've rambled too much, time to get back to the meat and potatoes of it all. Why I hate Halloween. It's from years of literature research that I'll be able to actually put this coherently. Right now, think of a set of glass lenses. All are focused to create a clear image, right? Now, around Halloween, starting around mid-September, the lenses begin to shift. Our world, the middle most lens, stays the same, while Everything Between, and Underworld, shift. I also believe that there are other "lenses" in play "above" our world, the figurative balance to Everything Between and Underworld. I have very little proof of this however, save for speculative events in mortal religions and from what I've seen over the years apart of the Company. Anyway, as the lenses shift, it distorts the clear lines of which worlds are which. Kind of easy to see where I'm going with this, huh? So, the boundaries of these worlds blend into one another, allowing free passage to and from. Unfortunately for mortals, in order to move between, it requires more. Most "supernatural" beings have an affinity for "magic". I'm unsure of what the technical term is for it because it varies from each individual. For some it's a learned skill, like programming. Others it is an inherent ability recognized from early in their life. It comes to them like breathing."
Nethaniel takes a break, switching off the music and standing up from where he was sitting in his chair. He moves around his office and shuffles some paper on his desk, looking for something that would help him keep better track of where he was going with this audio log. He sits back in his chair after a moment, keeping his feet on the floor and fiddles with a candy wrapper.
"Doc' says I shouldn't eat so much chocolate. Not healthy for me. Pft, I'm hardly getting sex so I might as well enjoy something...Oh shit, that's still recording isn't it? Fuck...."
Neth leans forward and presses the record button with his mouse, turning off the recording function and leans back into the chair with a tired sigh. His thoughts wander as he chews on the chocolate and peanut butter treat. After Halloween candy sales were the best part of the year for him. After he finishes eating his treat he leans forward again, presses the mouse button to start recording and lets out a frustrated sigh.
"Halloween, the busiest time of the year for someone in my profession. You see things in your lifetime, others, in the past and perhaps in the future when on the job and are "enabled" to do so. Hell, I know someone who can view this year round, and she...well, she is concerned. Not my business to say in this log but, I think something is coming, not sure when, or where, or how for that matter. But this year's Halloween was quiet, very quiet. The biggest issue we had was some of the Tiny Folk (I have no idea how to really describe them) running around and throwing toilet paper into people's trees, chimney's and wrapped their cars; so a pretty harmless night, and we didn't do anything as the people who got TP'd just blamed it on kids. For a little over five years, I've defended this world against unnatural and supernatural threats, this is the first year I've seen nothing happen...and it sets off my alarms. Why pass up a chance to mess with mortals? Trick some mortals into being unwilling servants, taste and fulfill their desires for once in the year. Why didn't they?"
A pause is inserted as Nethaniel pauses the recording, uncertain whether to continue recording or to leave it where it was. His suit jacket's inner breast pocket vibrates rapidly, causing him to pull out his phone and examine the message sent from his co-worker and partner, Annabelle. Silence falls upon the room as he shuts off his music and after a moment's hesitation of his finger over the mouse, presses the button to resume recording.
"It's come to my attention that Halloween's events are still in progress. Around the world as we know it, fewer and fewer reports are coming in from field teams prepared to engage in hostile entities are now alone. What's more disturbing is that known connections and pathways to the other worlds are simply missing. With the solstice of Winter approaching, another new year soon to be born, call me paranoid, but it doesn't sit well with me. Everything must remain in balance, and now, with current events, the scales are one sided. Until I have more information to indulge, this and possibly future logs will remain hidden as mere speculation. This is Nethaniel Emry Skytower, Fallen Templar, lover of good books, hamburgers, and women (when I can actually talk to them), signing off."