Nightmares Vs Magic

Annabelle led the two over to the large barn just at the outskirts of the campgrounds, far away from the tents and certainly further away from the friendlier entrance of the place. It had black painted on the roof as far as they could tell from their perspectives, and the walls were painted dark as well, but they could see that it was a wide building with at least two large, noticeable doors. Painted white at least.

"Vernon!" She cheerfully called out after kicking both the large doors open. Both of her hands were still holding either of Joon and Dove's. 

"Our friends made it! You can show them the cool things you found!" She shouted inside the already lit-up building. 

Dove took one sniff at the air, Joon took several whiffs. Dove looked hesitant to make a guess, Joon, however, happily blurted out, 

"Is that liquor?" 

His voice echoed into the place. 

Sure enough, when they walked further inside, off to the sides where barrels and tanks placed and stacked against the walls and divided, each with labels for different types of liquor. On the other side were shelves with empty bottles, organized by shape. 

There were bottles commonly used for wine, some for whiskey, others for the typical Jack Daniel, and the rest couldn't be recognized. 

"Well, damn."

"I haven't seen this big a collection of spirits in years." Dove said with a hint of that southern drawl that she usually hides, continuing to follow Annabelle inside as she counted the number of barrels and tanks. 

I can't give you the exact measurements since all the kegs were of varying sizes that I didn't understand, but I can tell you that there were about 28 small metal kegs, and 10 big ones. There were like 15 wooden barrels, and they all looked about the size of half my body, but I'm not quite sure since I didn't get too close to any of them. All I can tell you is that it smelled in that place, pungent and charred like coal, you could smell whiskey and some sweet fragrances of rum, but that would get quickly overwhelmed by something sour. 

Annabelle let go of their hands as they explored the place further. Dove looked around, frowning. 

"Where's Vernon?"

Annabelle giggled and with perfect timing, a happy sounding bark erupted soon after. 

The sound erupted from behind the rows of wooden barrels. Dove followed the row further inside the barn until she found where it stopped, then she made a turn at the stop and walked back down the row from the other side, finding a big silhouette in the near distance. 

So, you might've been piecing the things together with me and wondering, "The barn is clearly an important building if they're storing things like liquor to make extra money, depending on how much the parents will spend to send their kids to this place. So, shouldn't there have been some security or at least guard dogs blocking this place? Surely not everyone went to the middle of the camp and got caught." And for that, you'd be correct. 

It's just that a new note to make about Vernon is that mother nature loves him very much, no exceptions. That or he's very good with dogs. The other people apparently got knocked out, the little plant pot he carries around can grow literally a hand-size plant of whatever he wants, that includes a mushroom that induces paralyzing pores. 

There was only two guard dogs found with him, the traditional Pitbull and Rottweiler. There used to be more, based on some rows of dog bowls I saw outside the barn. The rest must've run away when Green's necromancer puberty happened. 

However, I don't know how to feel now that I know Vernon can very easily paralyze anyone he pleases.

"Don't go near the colored clouds until it dissipates." He told her after explaining the purple-ish colored mist surrounding the piles of security guards and people dressed in overalls. The two dogs weren't alarmed in the slightest, only laying off to the side, away from the spore cloud, maybe even wagging their tales, completely at ease with the witch. 

They were wide-eyed scared, twitching, some had their mouths left open, drool coming out the corners of their mouths. You could see the red veins around the whites of some of their eyes. He stepped out of the fog and made sure to keep a distance from her, knowing there were still some remnants of the paralyzing smoke emitting from the little plant in the small pot of his hand. Dove took the sign and also kept her distance, not that she really needed a sign but she appreciated Vernon's consideration. 

"Should we at least close their mouths? So that they don't choke on any bugs? Or at least lay them in more comfortable positions?"

"Any bugs that come near them will also get paralyzed. It's fine, but sure, I can move them if you want." He said as he stepped into the range of the clouds, suddenly remembering to check their pockets whilst also dragging their bodies to lay neatly beside each other. 

The paralyzing spores of course had no effect on their wielder.

"They were yelling a bunch of things like 'who are you?', 'how did you get in here?', and tried to shoot me, but the dogs helped me by biting them." 

He fished out some keys, phones, ID cards, tasers, and some small pistols. Joon appeared behind them, unable to contain his wheezing laughter. 

"Is that a Ruger LCR?" He asked while pointing at it. 

"That model is even tinier than I expected!"

Annabelle snickered beside him, stepping forward and gestured for Vernon to toss it to her. Her tilted his head at her before shrugging. Joon and Dove stepped away from her as she caught the tiny gun, not caring about the tiny purple spores from the gun making contact with her skin. She held the gun between two fingers and crouched down in front of the pile of paralyzed people, dangling it in front of the first one whose eyes were wide open. 

"These guns were made for sneaky kills. And you guys were using these to kill kids? What? You couldn't afford the toys for big adults? Semi-automatic with silencers?"

"Or you know, the usual Glocks and magnums? The actual, intimidating ones?" Joon cut in. 

He then made a pose, both hands clasped together to imitate holding a gun. Only to then use a small voice. 

"Hey kids!" He said in an offensively mocking, tiny voice.

"If you don't behave, I'll have to put you down using this gun that's smaller than your hands!" 

"Let's be honest, the kids must've been laughing inside their heads each time they got threatened! Death threat aside, this thing must be the size of this man's phallus!" She said, now using the small revolver to point at one of the paralyzed men's groins. 

"Nah, his is probably still smaller!" Joon cackled. 

"No need to pick on them so much, they're already vulnerable." Dove said quietly, not really looking at them. 

"I get what you mean but they killed a bunch of kids, used most for labor, and have an illegal distillery. Plus, they chose the stupidest weapons!" 

Annabelle dangled another of the Ruger LCR pistols up for Dove to see, trying to make her laugh as well. 

She kept her distance, not just because of the spores but also because she just felt uncomfortable. Annabelle read this, Joon noticed Dove just wouldn't laugh, and they changed their jokes. 

"We won't do anything to them. Just verbal humiliation is all." Joon assured her, subtly yet subtly capping the marker he had taken out a second ago, wanting to draw on their faces. 

"We're not monsters. They are! And they deserve karma, but we get it." Annabelle gave her a thumbs up, playfully holding the tiny revolver upside down, keeping it aimed at the floor. 

Dove nodded in appreciation and her and Vernon both stepped back as they left the two cackling hyenas to entertain and bully the leftover camp leaders, if they can even be called that at this point. Vernon gave the rest of the items he took out of their pockets, over to Annabelle and Joon, save for the few keys he found and at least one ID card, just in case it came in handy. 

"Bring them over to be with the other accomplices in the middle of the camp." Dove yelled over to them. 

"Vernon and I are going to check out the rest of this place."

"Yeah, yeah, you got it!" Joon replied as he looked through each of the ID cards. He wheezed with laughter again. 

"Anna! The guy over there has Jr. in his name! And he was the one with the taser!" 

She cackled. Joon made another impersonation. This time with a finger over his lips to mimic the mustache one of the men had, and he deepened his voice into a raspy western accent. 

"Alright you little shits! Y'all better do whatever we say, or else you'll receive a mean beating from Bennett Jr.!" He said, his voice cracking up at 'junior', and he doubled over in laughter again. 

"The lousiest people who picked the stupidest choice of firearms!"

Dove and Vernon left them be as they explored the rest of the place. Vernon read each of the labels and explained all he knew about what fruits and wheats were used for which liquor. 

As her ears were busy listening to his explanation, her eyes scanned around, past more kegs, then passing by crates that were empty but likely used to help ship the kegs. 

They walked deep enough inside to find another room, an actual office and not like the pretend one near the front entrance. Dove already had her baton but wanted to figure out which of the keys in her hands would fit. Vernon had used his little flowerpot again, holding it close to the lock as multiple very thin vines began growing out. 

One reached out and slipped into the lock, like a tiny worm exploring, while the other few wrapped around each of the keys, taking them from her palm. 

"There is a phenomenon called thigmotropism, where plants will grow vines that have special structures, such as tendrils, which are sensitive to touch and help the plant to detect when they've come into contact with something that they can latch onto and climb in order to grow bigger. They are typically the very thin threads that grow out of the vines like fingers, and curl and take hold of things like fences or other plants."

"Ah I see, and you're using that same feature of these thread-like vines to find out which key fits into the lock, by using the first vine to explore inside first?"

"Close." He shook his head. "Take a look!"

The top half of the door had a window on it. 

Vernon's vine had made it past the lock to the other side. He puppeteered it to curl into a small fist and knock against the glass, unfortunately he did not take into account the weakness of the thread vine until realizing it didn't have enough power to make a knocking sound. 

"Aww. :("

Dove chuckled for the first time. 

"It's alright, that's still really impressive. At least it can open the door." 

"Yeah."

They entered the office and found a laptop on top of a large desk with a printer, a table with some chairs in front of the desk, a fridge filled with ice cold energy drinks, water, and frozen food, a counter with a microwave, and folders. Multiple, scattered around the desk and the table.

She used her phone to take multiple pictures of the room before they began searching.

They both searched the room, Vernon went to collecting all the scattered folders and stacking them neatly because the mess bothered him. Dove gave him a hand and took that as an opportunity to open one and read the papers inside. 

They were ledgers with many transactions recorded, along with the dates and names of the orders. The next folder contained a chart with the first column having names, the second having the title of a job or position on the farm, and the third column had groups of other names. 

She took a look at the ID card they chose and then opened up the laptop. A password was required, and she already knew to give up on trying to search through the device. Vernon observed the room, looked through all the shelves and the fridge, even behind it. He made a comment about how the office gave him a strange feeling. 

"Shouldn't there also be a restroom here?"

"Maybe, but it wouldn't make sense to hide it if there was a bathroom."

Dove used her phone to take more pictures of the room again, now in its current state after they messed with some stuff and were about to lock the door on the way out. Dove paused.

"What kind of feeling did the office space give you?"

"Like there was another presence in the room, but it didn't feel like a person or a ghost. I mostly felt uncomfortable being in the middle of the room."

Dove thought to herself, standing still for a moment before going back inside the room again. 

Everything was still just as they left it, but now with Vernon's input, Dove too felt like she was being watched. 

He had already checked behind the fridge, and the shelves. I already sifted through the desk, and it couldn't have come from the laptop because I only opened it for a bit before closing it again. But you know, you never realize how un-self-aware you can be, until you do the simple action of looking up and yep! There's the camera. 

It was moments like that where I realized how much overestimating someone could lead to your downfall. I kept thinking there were hidden cameras in clever spots, but I really should've thought better considering the workers here had the tiniest choice of firearms and apparently made the dumb decision to bury the kids they killed, right next to the property where all the crimes were being committed. How I know that? Well....

Right as Dove was using a chair to reach and unscrew the camera off the ceiling with just her hands, she felt a presence behind her. She turned, letting go off the camera and getting ready to take the baton out of her sleeve. 

A man stood there at the doorway, raising his hands up to show he wasn't armed, and that he wasn't going to attack her. 

"Where's Vernon?" She asked, tense. She didn't recognize this man, but he also looked nothing like any of the workers at the camp. 

He looked like a civil servant.

Vernon stepped out from behind the man, showing he was still there. Dove gave him a deadpan stare. 

"Could've at least told me about this guy, instead of letting him startle me."

"But you were focusing on the camera, I didn't want to bother you."

"Yeah, but it's no issue to warn someone if something else is about to bother and scare them." She said as she stepped down from the chair, still keeping eye contact with the finely dressed stranger. 

"Sorry to scare you like that." He said as he offered her a handshake. "I'm Chris. I was called over here to help sort out this issue." 

"Dove. I wasn't actually called here to help, but it's too late so I just started snooping around." 

He only chuckled, then looked up to the camera on the ceiling she was trying to pry off without breaking. He pointed to it. 

"Let me help you with that first." 

He stepped up onto the chair next, reached up to grab the camera with both hands, but instead of any prying or pulling, he had one hand holding the thing whilst the other reached behind it. Two fingers pinched the plastic rod and wires connecting it to the ceiling, and a low, sizzling or simmering noise could be heard as he patiently kept his hands still. 

Her mouth almost fell agape as Chris stepped back down after hearing a clink sound, handing the detached camera to her.

She could see the lower half of the rod attached to the device, severed via the plastic having been melted and snapped off easily. 

"... By chance, are you also a witch?"

"No."

He snapped his fingers and created a small flame, like the size of a tiny flame from a lighter, then his entire hand engulfed into flames. Dove leaned away from the heat but kept her eyes on how the flames moved, then watched as his hand turned back to normal. The cuff of his sleeve didn't look the least bit singed. 

"Spontaneous human combustion? But you did that at will." 

"Yeah, I make it look easy." He said in a humorously smug tone, massaging his wrist. "But it certainly took some time to get used to. Now then, since you're taking the camera, might as well take the rest of the folders and laptop here."

He put his hands on his hips, scanning the office until spotting the fridge, nodding towards it. 

"Anything inside that seems significant?" He asked the two. "And, is he alright?"

Vernon seemed to be standing close behind Dove now, peeking out from behind her. An action he has to make due to their equal height. He was like a cat peeking out from behind her, leering at the guy.

"Don't come anywhere near my gardens." Vernon said in the most monotone voice one could hear from a human. 

Makes sense. Plants get burned by fire. Unless Vernon had a soil issue that required some burning, or a vineyard that needed warmth in the winter, he would not want to be around this guy.

"Ah, he's a witch who does plant-based magic." Dove explained quickly.

"Vernon? Were there are any food or drinks left open or touched?" She asked, looking over her shoulder at him. 

He shook his head. 

She picked up the laptop and Martin carried the stacks of folders; they left the office. Chris explained as they exited the barn house that the situation at the camp is almost resolved. Bence taught Green how to get the undead they summoned to listen to and recognize Green as the summoner. 

When Annabelle and Joon were busy dragging the rest of the paralyzed camp workers to where the others were, they learned that the two necromancers had now put a face to each of the revenants. Bence asked for Ursa, Leon, Lucia, and Annabelle to split up and have the dead lead them to their bodies. He sent Martin to go retrieve Vernon to help with the funerals he'd be working on later. 

All that was left was to deal with the kratts, and some of the couple haunted campers that summoned the beings. 

As punishment for not doing as told, and risking their lives to come to a place that could've had very dangerous zombies, Bence put Dove and Joon in charge of convincing the campers to try and undo their deals with the kratts. 

She looked in confusion at the kids tied up. 

"Those are the only ones? But there are so many kratts. Just these two managed to summon ten?"

"There are no limits to how many kratts a person can summon, as normally the simple implications and deals with an actual demon are what stops them."

"They can't just, undo the contracts with Satan then? From what you've told me, they didn't do whatever it was that the campers ordered them to do." Joon said, hands on his hips as he looked around at the kratts Bence rounded up, each of them bound by chains to their spots. That or he was trying to avoid eye contact even after Bence finished giving the two a scolding for their reckless behavior. 

Dove handed the laptop to Chris as she was being scolded, and he gave an apologetic expression as he watched the two kids get scolded by Bence who was reiterating the orders he gave them earlier, and how they could've gotten severely hurt.

The kratts were rattling their chains, trying to move and about to come apart in order to be set free, and the haunted kids that they sifted through from the other campers were tied up, courtesy of Annabelle who eagerly volunteered when Ursa was about to do it.

Bence made sure Green was watching as he used more chains to bind them so that they could learn. 

Bence held back a smile as he watched Green make their first attempt to summon some chains, only to flinch and hide behind him as they only ended up making the grass under their magic circle act weird. He turned his attention back to the kids. 

"A deal made with the devil cannot be so easily undone. Luckily in our case and for the kids, because the kratts have not fulfilled any of their wishes, there's still a chance of breaking the deal. And I don't mean to be so negative, but I need all of you to understand the weight of the situation here." He said as he lowered his voice more, making Joon face him properly, as Bence lowered his voice just enough for only Dove and Joon to hear. 

"If we don't do something to make the contracts be undone, these kids who didn't know any better and had already experienced a type of hell on earth, will end up going to actual hell probably sooner than later, because of how many they've created."

Joon gulped as Dove nodded, both of them understanding. 

Bence could feel Green grip his sleeve, having heard and become frozen with worry. He patted them on the head as he turned his attention to the new apprentice he would have to take in, as Green needed a teacher to learn about their powers, and Necromancers were already extremely rare. Chances were even if he didn't have time, there were no other Necromancers around. 

"It'll be alright, I'm just leaving them to just try and convince your friends to undo their actions. If that doesn't work, we'll come back and figure something out as well. Now then, let's go, I know it's pretty late, but you need to start learning now." He told them, wishing the two good luck as he beckoned the new Necromancer to follow him. 

Vernon lit up several paths of glowing flowers in the dark, like a trail following each of his coworkers who split, each being guided by a revenant to the spirit's unmarked grave. They picked one to follow and disappeared into the dark trees. 

Chris stayed behind to help them, still awkwardly standing off to the side, still holding the laptop and folders.

"No that's alright. This is something we have to do anyway. Besides, you already have your hands full." Dove said, looking down at his hands that were literally full. 

He quickly shuffled all the items to just one hand. 

"I may look like a rigid civil servant, but I have dealt with a ton of messed up folks. Teenagers are nothing, especially during the summer and October." He reassured her with a smile. 

"What was your name again?" Joon asked, stepping out from behind Dove to get a better look at the guy. "I didn't get to meet you before, but Dove seems to trust you, so..."

"Chris."

Joon choked on a joke he stopped himself from saying but really tried his best to hold back his laughter, unknowingly failing to keep a straight face. 

"Do you happen to have a younger brother named Martin?"

"No?"

"Wait, wasn't there another kid here named Martin? Do you think you might be here for him?"

"Enough." Dove stopped Joon from asking anymore, knowing where it was leading. 

"Chris, can you go gently interrogate the other campers? You'll be able to ask more relevant questions. Joon and I will handle the haunted ones."

"Are you you've got it? I can help you if you need. It's not going to be easy..." His voice trailed as he looked far behind her. 

Dove turned around and saw Joon had already began talking with one of the haunted ones who were tied up. 

They were hitting it off very well already. 

"You know what, never mind. I believe in you kids!" Chris said and gave her a thumbs up. 

He went to go consult and gently interrogate the other non-haunted kids just as she asked, and Dove went to work with the haunted ones. 

It felt like as soon as she stepped in to talk as well, they became difficult. They were very adamant about being let go along with their summoned kratts. 

Dove only sighed as Joon was about to use the same disciplining tone on them that he used for Theo, if they get any brattier. 

"You guys are like, paranormal cops, right? Are we gonna get arrested for demonic activity once this is over?" The boy asked, giving Dove this lazy stare. 

Dove didn't realize that he was actually trying to imitate the calm and emotionally unaffected expression she was wearing right now. Like a contest she didn't know she was winning.

"No, we just want to prevent you both from going to hell." She said as she kneeled in front of them both. 

"What orders did you give your kratts?"

"Annabelle and Leon already got that out of them." Joon interjected as he stayed standing with his arms crossed. 

"They summoned the kratts to help them kill all the people who ran the camp, and then were going to order the things to help them escape. Bence said that no one was killed tonight, but they may still end up going to hell because of how many bargains they had to make."

"We already went through hell." The girl them, gritting her teeth. "Real hell or whatever you religious folk believe in can't be that different."

Dove hummed as Joon clicked his tongue. 

"We were getting along just fine earlier! Why are you guys all pissy now? You know we're only trying to help."

"That was before we saw little miss detective and the civil servant guy chat and come over."

"Most people in suits who come here are not good, much less wanna help. They're liars for their own benefits and don't actually see us."

"What are your names?"

They looked at her as she interrupted their reasonings to Joon. She was still kneeling in front of them, still with that blank stare. 

"May I have your names?" She reiterated. 

"I want to speak with you both properly, person to person, because I want to be able to sympathize and warn you of how much worse of a hell is waiting for you both if you don't undo your contracts."