Chapter 18
"Good morning, Kaysi. I need to talk to you real quick," Baby said.
As I gathered my belongings and packed my backpack in preparation for returning to school tomorrow, I glanced over at her. "Oh, okay, what is it?" It was the final day of spring break before we headed back again.
She held something small in her hand. "I need to give you this device. It's called a Sourusensā. Keep it with you at all times and pay close attention to when it goes off."
"What is it? How does it work?" I asked her.
"You remember when I explained soul ties? How does every living being—human or spirit—carry an atmospheric aura? That energy can be tracked, all knitted into one spiritual thread across the universe."
"Yes, I do remember you telling me that."
"This device detects those threads. Specifically, it will help you sense demons so you're not caught off guard again. With more Waymakers gathering in one place, spiritual pressure is increasing. It's going to draw attention—dangerous attention. Guardians and Waymakers used to work solo for this reason. But now, Heaven's central command is trying something new."
"Awesome! This should help out a lot, and we might even be able to detect and locate whatever has been going on with Micah's family."
"I hope so. That little girl—she's been stuck in limbo for ten years. If we figure out what has been plaguing her, she may finally move on."
"I agree, she deserves peace."
After finishing my school preparations for tomorrow, the last day of spring break, I took the Sourusensa to work to show the girls.
I filled them in on everything Baby had told me about how it operated and how it may be able to assist the little girl.
Once all the work was done, we agreed to try again that evening—to see if we could make contact with her in the back alley.
Our shift was uneventful and even finished a bit early.
"I'm ready if you are, Micah," I said as we walked outside. "Hopefully, we can put this mystery to rest."
"I sincerely hope so," Beck added. "The story your uncle told us the other day pained me greatly."
We stepped into the alley. The cold shadows stretched along the walls. But the girl wasn't there.
Micah's uncle stepped out of the back door, drying his hands on a towel. "Are you girls trying to say hello again to my sweet daughter?"
"We're sorry if it seems disrespectful," I said. "We just want to see if we could communicate with her—if we can."
He smiled faintly, though sadness shadowed his eyes. "Your gifts may not fit in with the rest of us, but I've always believed they meant something. If you can talk to her… help her… please do what I can't." His voice wavered. "Just… tell her Daddy loves her."
"Oh gosh," Beck said, voice cracking. She walked over and hugged him tightly.
"We'll do our best," I promised.
"If she's not here… maybe she's at her memorial," he suggested. "The cemetery off Wabash Street."
"Oh, I know where that is. It is located at the end of town, near Thompson Park. I spoke up."
"Glad it's not far," Beck sighed. "I still need to finish packing for school."
"Oh man, Beck, you still haven't done it?" I teased. "How about you? Micah, did you get a chance?"
"I did it a couple of days ago. I've been working so much at Tenshi-tachi; I knew I had to grab time when I could."
"Are you staying on now that your mom's out of debt?" Micah asked me.
"Yeah. She was both thrilled and upset when I gave her the money. Said it wasn't my responsibility. But everything's stable now. I don't have to stay at the café... but I want to. I've grown attached to the place—and Uncle. I know he's not my biological uncle, but since I don't have many family members, he's essentially grown up with me."
Micah smiled, "Oh... Many of our customers say that now you see the bond he and his daughter had with them. It's great to hear that you will be joining..."
Micah started to reply—but then she froze mid-sentence.
Her eyes widened, fixated on something ahead.
We all turned.
A fire broke out.
Buildings bordering the graveyard were in flames. Smoke and embers curled toward the sky, staining the twilight. Then we saw it—the little girl's grave.
Ann Monk
The girl's name, the earth beneath the headstone had been disturbed, the flowers were kicked and crushed, and the memorial wreath placed there was stomped into the dirt.
"This… this can't be a coincidence," I whispered. "The grave and now this fire—it's connected."
"It has to be that kid," Micah said, her voice tense. "The teenager. Maybe that's why Ann can't rest."
I dropped to my knees, brushing away the dirt from the grave.
But Micah suddenly grabbed my arm and yanked me to my feet.
"What in the world has gotten into you? I snapped, "I looked at her sharply because she made me mad by stopping me from cleaning the grave."
"She's here," Micah said urgently. "I know you guys can't see her, but… She's standing next to the burning building. She's waving at us, frantic. She looks scared. We should go over there and figure out what she needs.
"Are you sure it's safe for us?" I asked. But just then—
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
The Sourusensā accessory on my wrist. I looked at my wrist and saw that the GPS was glowing red, detecting a demon nearby on the screen.
"Micah, wait!" I stopped her from making any further progress. "Look at this—there is a demon ahead!"
"I understand," she said. "But that's my cousin. I have to find out what's going on. She needs me."
"I get it. I just want you to be aware that there could be a demon attached to her, luring us, so be vigilant. Also, we will be right by your side just in case something happens."
"Thank you." She nodded with a soft smile.
We approached the burning building just as there was a substantial fiery shockwave that blasted us backward violently on the ground. Our arms and legs were scraped up.
We dusted ourselves off as we stood back on our feet.
Coughing, I scrambled up—and saw her.
Ann.
She stood before us in a shimmer of light, her form flickering in the smoke.
"Did she cause the explosion in the building?" I asked Micah.
Micah shook her head. "No—she's pointing at something inside the building."
"Inside?" Beck asked, horrified. "You think the demon's in there?"
"Up there? Up there... Micah repeated, squinting as she tried to understand. She keeps mouthing the words "up there."
Let me see something about the Sourusensa. Do you know how ghosts can be seen on cameras? This device could do that, so I flipped open the cell phone-like device and selected the camera feature. I was unable to see her very well, but I could see her silhouette.
"I can see her silhouette. I now know what you mean. She wants us up there—but the whole place is on fire. I don't know how much time we have."
Before I could finish, Ann bolted into the flames.
And Micah ran right behind her.
"NO, Micah, what are you doing?" Beck shouted in panic.
Without another word, Beck and I ran in after her.
"We have to find her before the building collapses!"