Circe’s Stories Chapter 1

(here is hoping this is well recieved)

The young couple walked down the dark tunnel, glad to finally be alone. They had come to the mine with a group of friends, in such a small town there wasn’t anywhere else for the kids to hang out. The boy was sixteen, the girl fifteen. They had only been going out for a few weeks. They just wanted to get away from the others because they had started drinking and these two didn’t agree with it. They thought it foolish, but didn’t condemn the others for it; they just went their own way. As they walked the girl noticed a glow ahead. Pointing it out, she grabbed the boy’s hand and started to run toward it, thinking it was the bonfire their friends had started. When they reached where the glow was coming from, there was a flash of bright white light. When the light faded, the kids were gone.

As the woman walked down the street, she knew she was being followed but was not scared. She also knew that the mugger tailing her believed her to be an easy mark, when she first knew that she laughed. This young woman was afraid of nothing; in fact she was thinking the mugger to be foolish, that he should be afraid of her. The mugger followed her, keeping to the shadows, seeing only a small young woman who would be an easy person to steal from, and possibly rape. This young woman knew what his objectives were for her, and also knew, though he didn’t, that he would be unsuccessful. Deciding to get it over with, she turned down a dark deserted alley knowing that he would follow her and think that it was the perfect spot to do what he wanted. About halfway through the alley, she stopped and rummaged through her purse as though looking for her keys. He chose that moment to make his presence known.

“Give me your purse and lie on the ground,” he said menacingly brandishing a gun at the woman.

“I will not do any such thing. In fact, I suggest you drop your weapon and leave now” she warned him calmly and firmly.

As he stood there and laughed at her, he didn’t look at her, had he done so he would have run then and there. Her eyes had started to glow with a bright white light, her body appeared almost translucent, and her hair had started to blow about her face as though there was a strong wind, in spite of the still, warm night. He stopped laughing long enough to get off one shot before his gun melted in his hand. The bullet passed right through her chest, not leaving a mark. The mugger’s hair caught fire and then his face. The flames worked their way down his body, and though he was screaming, there was no sound. She was blocking the noise to avoid drawing attention to the alley. Even the flames made no sound. She cried as the man died, for she hated taking a life. The only consolation to her was knowing that she had saved the life of another young woman who would not have been able to protect herself, that this man would not hurt any other innocent young woman again. When she saw that the body had been reduced to ash, she checked for any bones or anything else that hadn’t burned. She found only a few and made those vanish. After scattering the ashes, she left to go home.

This young woman’s name is Circe. Her parents had powers and abilities of their own, but were not as powerful as their only child. They gave her the name of a powerful sorceress from Greek mythology. While she was still young, they sent her to the most powerful sorcerer in the world to be trained and taught to control and use her powers. The student soon surpassed her teacher and he sent her on telling her there was no more she could learn from him, she needed to gain some experience in the real world. After returning to her parents to finish her schooling in non-magical things, she started traveling.

Her parents were wealthy, and had set up a fund for her, so she didn’t need to work and spent all her time working with her powers and she used them to protect herself when needed. She knew she would soon need to move on though, since she had arrived in this city she had felt as though she was being called from a distance, and felt that whoever it was had gotten more urgent over the past few weeks. She was trying to decide where to go next and felt that the southwest part of the country was where the call originated. She felt it was from somewhere in Arizona or New Mexico.

Looking around her room about an hour later, she decided only to take one suitcase of clothes with her, if they were in as much trouble as she felt them to be then she didn’t have much time to pack. She grabbed all her cash and important papers, and put them in one bag, and put her clothes in another. She looked around the apartment one last time, made everything in the room vanish, and disappeared herself.

The girl woke and looked around seeing nothing, no plants or animals, just nothing. She called for the boy but he didn’t answer. The girl started screaming. Nobody answered, her voice just echoed all around her. Suddenly she heard a pop, but it came from inside her head. She realized she could hear voices but they were very far away, so she just listened. After a few minutes she realized she was listening to people’s thoughts. Listening and concentrating on making them out, she realized the voices were echoes of thoughts of others that had been here in the past. Again she yelled, but this time she did it with her mind as well as her voice. She heard a reply so distant she almost didn’t hear it at all. The voice was that of an old man. He told her he would help and to be patient. She sat and waited as the voice had told her, praying help would come soon.

When she reappeared, the sun was blazing and the temperature was at least ninety degrees. She wasn’t sure where she was because when she teleported, she had let the calls pull her to her destination. She knew she was in the desert but what desert she wasn’t sure. She closed her eyes and reached out with her mind. She sensed a town about fifteen miles to the west, a small town with few people. She could tell she was in western Arizona. She decided to save time and energy and fly until she got about two miles outside of the small town. From there she would walk the rest of the way, she didn’t want to alarm anyone. She had flown right into a town in Louisiana once, and the people of that town had chased her out before they even talked to her. She wouldn’t make that mistake again. She would also create a car where she started to walk so they would not be suspicious. She knew the road was about a half a mile to the south so she started flying and found it, after that she followed the road to the point she decided on. Once there she created the car out of minerals and metals that occurred naturally in the nearby soil, deciding that an actual physical car would be better than a temporary illusion this time.

The young woman drew attention when she walked into the gas station, as she knew she would, after all how many people just come walking out of the desert. After buying a bottle of water, and drinking it down, though she didn’t really need it, she just wanted to keep up appearances; she found the mechanic and started talking to him. He was an old man, on his late sixties and very grandfatherly in appearance, like a skinny beardless Santa Claus.

“Excuse me sir, but I need some help. My car broke down about two miles outside of town and I was wondering if you have a tow truck that could go get it and tow it into town?” Circe asked.

“Yes, ma’am sure do, but there will be a little bit of a wait, our driver is out for the day with the flu. Until then there is a motel down the road, about a five minute walk, they have a couple of vacancies, if you need a place to stay for a few days.” He replied kindly and patiently, “If I may ask ma’am, where were you headed when your car decided to give you trouble?”

“ Well, I was looking for a small town to stay in while I wrote a book. I saw a road sign for this town, and had decided to check it out when my car died on me.” She lied, she had used this excuse before, it had worked then, and it would probably work now. “I was wondering sir, has anything strange ever happened in this town before? You see, I like to investigate the myths and legends of small towns. You know, the haunted house on the hill, strange creatures in the woods beyond town, that sort of thing.”

“That is a mighty strange hobby for such a lovely young lady as yourself. But, in answer to your question, there is an old mine outside of town, there have been quite a few people who have gone to explore it and never returned, a couple of times the people who disappeared were state troopers who went searching for kids who went in there.” He replied after some thought, “Nothing has ever been found of them, and you’d figure that if some of the teens who vanished had just run off, like some people seem to think, at least a couple of them would have contacted their parents. That’s why our town is so small, kids disappear, and their parents move out of town. Too many bad memories for those poor folks.”

“Thank you sir, I appreciate the help. When you get my car in the shop here, please let me know. I will stay at the hotel you suggested. If you need me, contact me there.” She finally said, ”Have a good day.”

After leaving the garage, she walked up the street and found the motel mentioned by the old man. After checking herself in, she went to her room, unpacked and settled in. She lay down on her bed and decided to contact Merlin. Clearing her mind, she mentally called out to her mentor, friend, and teacher. When he replied, she told him what she was told by the old mechanic, and he told her what he knew of any supernatural occurrences and creatures in the area, he also told her that one of his student was nearby and suggested that she enlist his help, he also needed the experience in such things. She thanked him for his help and then woke out of her trance. When she looked out the window, she saw it was after dark. She knew she couldn’t go to the local library till the next day so she decided to pay a surprise visit to Merlin’s student, and see what help he was going to be. She knew the person’s name was Christopher, but did not know exactly where he was. She decided to try to use her mind to find him. She reached out, calling for him, and told him to meet her outside the motel in about a half an hour, and then got in the shower and got ready to meet him.

When she stepped outside to look for Christopher, she heard the calling again and replied with her mind. She told the voice to be calm, that she was close and ready to help however she could. When she opened her eyes, standing in front of her was a man in his mid-twenties, about average build, a normal guy, at least where his appearance was concerned.

“Hello Christopher, how long have you been standing there?” she greeted him as she looked him over.

“Just a minute or two,” he replied, surprised she knew who he was without him telling her,” I came right after I spoke with you.”

“Don’t be surprised, though I doubt Merlin told you much about me.” She said lightly, half laughing “I am probably the most powerful magic user you will ever see in your lifetime. Yes, I am even more powerful than your teacher, though I was his student many years ago.”

“But you don’t appear to be any older than me. How can you have been his student many years ago?” he asked, shocked at her casualness to the whole thing.

“I graduated from Merlin’s teaching when I was about ten years old. I am only twenty four.” She smiled at him, not at all surprised by his reaction; she got it often from fellow mages. “Shall we go somewhere more private? I am not here for a vacation, I am here for a reason, and I was hoping you could be of some help.”

“Sure, we could go back to my place, it’s only a block or two from here. That’s how I got here so fast. I hope you will answer some questions for me while we talk.” He told her, pointing the way they needed to go.

“I’ll tell you what I am able to, though I know some of your questions are about me, and some of them I can not answer right now.” She replied, “Let’s go then.”

Not much later, they were seated at his kitchen table with two cups of coffee ready to talk. She told him of the voices calling and what she had found out from the mechanic. He nodded his head and sighed.
“Well, I do not know much more than that myself. I never heard the voices myself, but then I’m nowhere near as strong magically as you are. In all, over the past one hundred years, there have been easily as many disappearances. Mostly young people between the ages of thirteen and nineteen, though some police and miners have vanished. The main reason the teens have vanished is because they would go down there to party and make-out other then that nobody bothers to go down there, except of course for the police that go down there to try to find the missing kids. The strange thing is, nothing has ever been found of the victims, not even their clothing.” He told her after listening to everything she said.

“Well, that eliminates a few things. They couldn’t have all been eaten, there would have been bones, clothing, or something found.” She replied after thinking about what he had told her, “Merlin said he had never heard of anything happening in this area, and that is strange, especially if this has been going on for a hundred years, though he does tend only to record what he is told, not checking anything for himself. I think that he just never got any reports from anyone else, since he did say you are the first student he’s ever had from this area. And you also told me you never heard the voices yourself.”

“That is very true, the times I’ve actually been in the same room as Merlin, I have noticed he tends not to do something he can get somebody else to do for him. Now please forgive me but I am very curious about you, and your special abilities. Please tell me more about yourself. I don’t mean to sound nosy but I would like to know about the person I am going to be working with and helping.” He looked at her with interest and curiosity in his eyes.

“Well, there is not much to tell,” surprised at his interest in her, “I was born twenty four years ago on the island of Atlantis. Both my parents are mages, though they are not as powerful as I am. The day I was born, the leader of the island felt the magic emanating from me. My mother also knew that I would become a very powerful magician if I were able to control my powers. You see, besides being a mage, my mother was also a strong psychic and very clairvoyant. That is where I got my telepathy and other psychic abilities. I am also clairvoyant, but I have learned that when it comes to the future, there are too many variables to truly be certain of what will happen. When I was five, my magic was very strong but I had no knowledge of how to control it, so my parents sent me to be taught by Merlin. After five years, I had learned all he had to teach me, and then he knew that I was even stronger than he is even though I am many centuries younger. I went back to live with my parents until I turned nineteen and then my parents and teachers decided it was time for me to go and gain some experience in the real world. I have been travelling ever since, learning where I can and helping with the supernatural where it is needed. Now may I ask you, what is your history? I told you mine, it is only fair you tell me yours.”

“I lived a normal life till I hit puberty, that is when my magical abilities manifested themselves.” He told her, thinking back, “My parents saw me using my abilities once and threw me out, they thought that the things I were doing could only be done with the help of Satan. I started into the world with no way to feed or clothe myself. I had been wandering for about a year and a half when Merlin found me. He took me in and helped me to hone my abilities. He set me up with some money, and sent me out to learn about how my powers could affect people. I had only been here for six months when you arrived. I had heard a little about the mine, investigated it a little, and then you arrived. And from talking to you it appears that you are more than just an ordinary witch.”

When she heard him use the word witch she frowned and glared at him, causing his chair to fly back and hit the wall. “Do not EVER use that word to describe me or any other magic user. This is not Salem, that word has an awful meaning. There are things in this world you have yet to learn about and you will be learning fast, because there isn’t time to learn any other way. I suggest you refrain from labeling anything or anyone until you know what they are capable of or what they are.”

“All right I get your point, I am sorry.” He managed to sputter out after getting up and righting his chair, “Do you know what we will be facing in the mine?”

“Well, I am not certain yet, I must do more investigating before I will know. I will go to the local library in the morning to see what the newspapers have said about the disappearances.” She told him, standing and looking out the window in the direction of the mine.

“Good luck, I read those articles three or four times and didn’t see anything worth while.” He looked at her with respect, though he doubted she would find anything in the library.

“The reason you didn’t find anything is because you didn’t know what you were looking for. I will meet you in front of the motel at ten o’clock. Good night.” She said shortly and vanished, leaving him standing in shock gaping at the spot where she was standing only a second before.

The next day, Circe woke early. It was only six and she was not supposed to meet Christopher until ten. She showered and ate. She sat down on the bed and decided to meditate until it was time to meet Christopher. She leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. She blanked her mind and made all her muscles go limp. She lay there for three hours letting her mind and body rest and restore themselves. When she regained awareness, she saw the time, and realized she needed to get dressed to meet Christopher. She had regained her focus and would not need to do so again for quite a while, depending on how much magical energy she expended. After dressing, she walked outside and sat on the step to wait. Christopher arrived at ten and they left to go to the local library. He showed her the articles that he had found on the local disappearances. In a few of the articles the police mentioned some writing on the walls of the mine, these quotes caught her attention. She copied what the police said and finished looking at the articles that Christopher had brought her. She told him she also needed a written history of the town, which he brought to her right away. She read it and copied everything that pertained to the mine. After that they went for lunch.

“Well, there is not much here from the articles to tell what this thing is, but I think the answer lies in the writing that is on the walls in the mine. Unfortunately there are no pictures with the articles. I need to see the writing to know for sure.” Circe said after reviewing all the information they had gotten that day. “Another thing that might help would be talking to the locals and getting any legends or stories that might be told by the older people. They would be the ones who would know any legends that would have been started about the mines and they would know the history of the town.”

“I agree, I think the best place to start would be out at old Ned’s house. He is the oldest person left in the town that has full use of his mind. He’s a good eighty years old and his parents were one of the first couples who settled this town. We can go this afternoon around three. He will be home then.” Christopher agreed. After that they finished lunch and started walking over to the house of the oldest person in town.

They knocked for about five minutes before a small white-haired man answered it. “Can I help you young people?” he said peering through wire framed glasses at Circe and Christopher.

“Hello Ned, it’s Chris. Got someone who wants to talk to you about the town’s history. I know there’s nobody in this town that knows more about it so I brought her straight over. I hope you’re feeling up to a bit of conversation. Her name is Circe, by the way.” Christopher told the old man.

“Oh, hi Chris, hello Circe, you two come on in. I am feeling pretty good today so I don’t mind talking for a while. Let’s go on into the kitchen and have something to drink while we talk. I stayed here even though the rest of my family moved away years ago because the heat is good for my arthritis, but it sure makes one darn thirsty.” Ned responds while showing them the way to the kitchen. He pours them all glasses of iced tea before sitting. “So what can I help you with young lady.”

“Well, I was wanting to ask if there is anything significant in the history of this town, in particular related to the old mine and the disappearances. I would appreciate anything you could tell me.” Circe told him after thanking him for the drink.

Ned just looked at her for a moment as if trying to determine if she was being serious about what she wanted to know, as if he could see beneath her skin into her mind. He then set down his glass of tea and started to tell her everything he knew. “Well, young lady, I am the only one in this town even willing to think about that damned mine, the disappearances have had such a terrible affect on this town, but at my age nothing scares me any more, I know I might not have much time left in this old world so I want someone to hear the stories so they won’t be lost. Chris probably told you my parents were one of the first couples to settle in this town. Well, the mine was here before they got here, and they got here about five years before they had me. The disappearances started around that time, though I imagine there were some before then, but nobody was around to notice. Of those that disappeared, not many were past their twenties. I also know that there were some Indians that traveled through the area before the town was here, but they would never rest here for more than one night. The mine was just a series of caves before some people came looking for gold and added the supports and the rest of the mining stuff, most of it is still down there. The miners that didn’t disappear died less than a year after working down there, which is why they shut it down. It wasn’t long after that this town started being settled. I don’t know much about the people who disappeared down there, but I know there is some strange writing down in that mine. I had an Indian friend when I was a kid, and he told me that there were two sets of writings down there, one set was ancient back then, the other was written by those of my friend’s grandfather’s generation as a warning to people to avoid the cave. Kids would go down there to make-out or whatever else kids do, which is why so many of them weren’t over twenty, no one else had any reason to go down there till the kids did disappear. That’s all I can tell you, except Circe I know why you are here.”

“How do you know what I am here for Ned? The only person I’ve told is Chris.” Circe asked not really surprised at his statement because she had seen to many things in her young years to really be surprised by anything anymore.

“I told you I had an Indian friend as a boy, well, I grew into adulthood with him, you see my mom died giving birth to me and my father died when I was just seven, and my friend’s family took me in and taught me many things. I’ve heard the voices too, but at my age I couldn’t do a whole lot to help them, so I did the only thing I could. I took the lessons my friend taught me and amplified the voices to so someone younger and stronger would hear them, and come to help. Chris, I knew you were here and I knew of your abilities, I also knew that if you couldn’t hear the voices then there was no way you would be strong enough on your own to help either. However, when I felt your presence as you entered the town, Circe, I knew then that you had heard the cries and had come to help. I knew that Merlin would direct you to Chris. Yes, I know your teacher, he paid me a visit when I was about twenty asking me to study with him, I chose not to but we never lost contact. I never told him about the mine because I never felt it to be important enough to bother him with. So you see, things aren’t always as they appear, for I am not eighty, I am one hundred and twenty years old, this town is older than recorded in the history books, it wasn’t large enough to be considered a town until less than a hundred years ago.”

Chris looked in shock at the old man but Circe just absorbed what she heard and merely nodded her head. “I knew there was something familiar about you Ned, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I didn’t want to probe your mind unless I felt something hostile; I usually just allow myself to feel for general emotions. It’s your mind that lingered in the voice. Your friend taught you well, but he failed to mention a few things, though I doubt they would be important to you now. I do thank you for your help; I am glad you called me here. I will speak to Merlin for not telling me about you, though I think he probably just wanted to maintain your privacy. Well, Chris we should probably go, Ned, keep your mind open, if I need to talk to you more, I will talk to you that way now that I know I can. Good bye Ned.”

“I will and Circe, be careful, whatever’s down there is very dangerous.” Ned told her as he showed them to the door. He waved as they walked out into the night air; they had talked for many hours.

They returned to Chris’s house to eat before retiring for the night. During the meal Chris asked if she had any idea what they were dealing with. She shook her head and just told him that the next day they would be doing some traveling, so he needed to sleep.

“We’re going to go quite a distance, however we will be doing so in a way you probably have never traveled before. I will tell Ned that we are leaving and to listen for any further voices while we are gone. Hopefully it will only take a couple of days at most. Meet me in front of the hotel at six in the morning. I am going now, good night and be there on time or you will get a very rude awakening.” She again disappeared into thin air.

When she got back to the motel, Circe reached out with her mind and told Ned about her plans and how long she intended to be gone. He agreed and told her he would listen until she returned. Circe then reached out to Merlin and told him of everything she had learned and told him he should have told her about Ned, saying that he would probably make a very good ally in spite of his age and small abilities.

“I’m sorry I did not tell you about him Circe, but you were right, I wanted to protect his privacy. I figured if he thought he could be of help, you would find each other somehow. He never learned much more, but he has always been sensitive to psychic ability and the presence of magic. I think that you are right in going to visit the library in Atlantis to see if there is anything there on this type of thing. Do you want me to tell your parents you are coming?” Merlin said after hearing her story.

“No, I will tell them myself after I finish talking to you tonight. One more question for you though, has Chris ever teleported?”

Merlin just laughed. “No, he hasn’t. Let me guess, he’s coming with you tomorrow. He isn’t a very strong magician but his mind is quick at picking things up that’s why I thought he would be of help on this thing. Well good night and good luck my young friend.”

“Good night Merlin.” Circe then cleared her mind and focused her thoughts on her mother, since her father wasn’t as good at communicating telepathically. She told her mother everything and her mother agreed to help in any way she could and agreed to tell her father they were coming. After finishing talking to her mother Circe went to bed and rested.

The next morning Circe went outside and saw that Chris was already waiting for her. She laughed and told him to follow her. They walked out of the town to a place in the desert where they could not be seen from either the town or the road. She then told him to brace himself and close his eyes. She grabbed one of his hands and closed her eyes and concentrated on her home. She felt the familiar waves of magic flowing through her body. When they opened their eyes only a few seconds later, they were in a magnificently beautiful and peaceful garden.

Circe turned to her companion and simply said, “Welcome to Atlantis.”