Psychopomp

Psychopomp

Kalkin had never imagined he’d be watching the chaos of a train wreckage two months after he’d died. It was one of those horrific incidents where it was wrong to casually watch yet he couldn’t take his eyes from.

            “What happened?” A gawker asked beside him, the man halfway through Kalkin just shrugged. Both couldn’t look away either. Perhaps they sensed it too; or perhaps they were feeling the horror of death someone still alive only could. Kalkin felt no horror anymore. This was something different.

            “It’s going to rain.” Someone commented. The sky tore open before Kalkin could see who had spoken.

            No one else seemed to notice as four horses descended from the gap, each carrying an Amazon woman above the train wreck. Their figures were too far away to admire but Kalkin could guess from old TV shows what they’d look like. His little sister had once watched a cartoon with figures like that. What had the cartoon character called them again?

            Valkyries. Kalkin had no idea that they were supposed to do outside children’s shows. Who knew they would be involved in something depressing like this?

            “Hey!” He shouted out, beginning to run to the scene. He needed to talk to them. He needed to know what he was supposed to do next. “I know you can see me!”

            The one with fiery hair and a white horse stopped moving, staring down at him before approaching.

            “What am I supposed to be doing? How do I move on from here? Please…”

            “Leave!” She barked out, pointing her sword at him. “Leave and pray to God the others don’t find you. They’ll use your ability for their own gain.”

            “I don’t…”

            “Do it on your own boy! You’ll be more effective that way. Now leave!”

            She left him there, sending out a battle cry to the other women before they left with the souls collected. Kalkin felt his body take heed of her warning as he moved away from the wreckage.

He had been in the town debating whether to visit his living family when he noticed them. At first only two sparrows surrounded the shop, but then it became twenty. Kalkin frowned, feeling compelled to head into the shop but hearing the Valkyries warning in his head. Leave and pray to God the others don’t find you.

            That’s when he heard the creature coming. Kalkin dissolved himself into the crowd of people going about daily life and watched. The black cart passed through people, never straying from the straight line. Two horses were attached, pulling it along. One appeared to be a young and eager black horse practically pulling the cart alone while the older white horse was dragged along. A whip against the white’s backside forced it to speed up, making Kalkin avert his eyes from the horse to see the creature sitting on the cart.

            It was a dark figure wearing a long black coat and a wide brimmed hat, hiding its face from sight. Kalkin wearily glanced at its side, noting the scythe that possessed a handle made of human bone.

            It this really the grim reaper? He wondered, watching as the creature heaved on the reigns and climbed off the cart, taking the scythe with it into the shop.

            Kalkin found himself approaching the cart, avoiding the horses while staring at the pile of bodies on the cart. On the top he could see the body of a teenage girl with a knife wound in her side. He sighed and turned away.

            “Please help me! What’s happening?” He turned back, seeing the girl’s spirit sat beside her body.

            I have to go. He told himself. His body wouldn’t listen, instead moving closer to the cart, climbing up onto the bodies.

            “What’s going on? I don’t understand what’s happening!”

            “Neither do I.” He said, his index finger whispering over her forehead. “We’ll just have to find the answers.” A brief light began to shine through her. Kalkin frowned, moving his hand away. The girl smiled as her spirit began to fade.

            “Thank you.” She said, and was gone.

            Kalkin could only blink.

            “Who the hell are you?” Came a croaky voice. Kalkin spun around, seeing the creature beside the cart with a dead overweight man slung over its shoulders. “You think just because your another psychopomp you can steal my souls? I’ll rip you apart!”

            “P-psychopomp?” Kalkin asked. He climbed off the cart, making sure he was on the opposite side of it from the creature. A hidden grin appeared on the creature’s face.

            “You don’t know what you are? You must be one of the newly dead who has psychopomp abilities, keeping you from moving on.”

            “What are you talking about?”

            “You have the power of a psychopomp kid. We collect the souls of the dead and ‘escort’ them to their final resting place. Of course no one notices if you keep a few souls for your own amusement.” Kalkin didn’t want to think about what that meant. “Tell you what kid, I’ll let you tag along with me if you like. You serve me and I’ll help you understand the powers you’ve been given.”

            Do it on you own boy! You’ll be more effective that way.

            “No thanks, I think I understand enough to work alone.” Kalkin said, turning to leave. He was stopped by a death grip on his arm, spinning him around. The creature was close enough for him to see under the hat, see eyeless socket staring into him.

            “You don’t have a choice in this.”

            Pray to God the others don’t find you.

            “Leave him alone Ankou, the angels are already angry at you.” Kalkin looked towards the voice, seeing a jackal and a droopy bloodhound amongst the human crowd.

            “This has nothing to do with you Choronzon; you already have your pathetic hounds. I want this boy.”

            “He’s strong enough to be on his own, you know that.”

            “He’s mine!”

            The grip on his arm tightened. The jackal shifted into the form of a man but he wouldn’t be able to help unless Kalkin was free.

            “Damn you Spitak!” Ankou screamed, releasing his grip. Kalkin looked, seeing the droopy bloodhound hanging from the Ankou’s arm. He didn’t stay to see what would happen next. He ran.

It had been three months since the encounter with Ankou and finally the creature was beginning to tire of chasing him. Kalkin sighed, resting in a quiet street while the two bloodhounds sniffed about the area.

            He had seen nothing more of Choronzon but he had a feeling he was the one that sent Spitak and Siaw to him. He had learnt that Siaw helped the sick and those in pain to die peacefully. Spitak tended to wander off alone when they were in the hospital so Kalkin assumed the hound had no psychopomp abilities.

            “Maybe we should go back to the hospital.” He sighed. Because of Siaw’s ability Kalkin had plenty of practice guiding the souls to the afterlife, giving them the strength to find their own path. It was a strength he himself had never obtained, doomed to become a wandering soul. A wandering psychopomp.

            Spitak gave a muffled bark, drawing his attention to a nearby house. Sparrows were flocking around it.

            “Are you coming Siaw?” The bloodhound just lay down in the grass, refusing to move. Kalkin sighed and followed Spitak into the house. “I guess I don’t need him all the time, I’m starting to learn his ability of helping people die anyway.”

            “Please breathe! Oh God.” Came the voice of a woman. As he watched her words became incoherent, mixed into her sobbing. Her shaking hands hovered over the still baby laid on the table.

            “No!” He winced in sympathy. The baby’s little spirit was already separating from its body. He sighed and began to move closer but was stopped by a bark from Spitak as the hound leapt onto the table.

            “What are you doing?” He asked, growing more alarmed when Spitak moved closer to the baby’s face. “Hey!”

            The psychopomp animal had licked the baby’s face before jumping off the table again. The baby twitched and opened its eyes, a carefree gurgle coming from its lips. The woman let out a choked sob before hugging her baby close, never wishing to let go again.

            “H-how did you do that?” Kalkin asked the dog. It just stared up to him, looking indifferent. “All this time you’ve been doing that, why did I never notice?”

            Between the three of them they provided all the choices. Guide the dead, help those in pain to die and save those who weren’t ready. Perhaps that was the reason the two hounds stayed with him. He had seen how corrupted the psychopomp Ankou was; he had witnessed the single task the Valkyries performed.

            Do it on your own boy! You’ll be more effective that way.

            He was learning Siaw’s ability, there was no reason he couldn’t learn Spitak’s as well. Then even if he were to be alone again he would not be a lost wandering soul.

            To heal, demolish pain and guide the dead. What was his purpose?

            He had finally found the answer.