Chapter Text
Chapter 1 (A call at 4am)
“ My most sincere condolences. Accidents happen .”
It all started with a dream. Marcus was trapped in a dark theater, motionless, in front of a screen. A deep, eerie voice echoed through the speakers while the projector showed images of six teenagers spinning on a roller coaster.
“ Tonight I shall speak of these teenagers,Whose tales ended abruptly on a roller coaster in a small Canadian town in the middle of nowhere. The former Saint Cassian Chamber Choir ”
The image distorted. And the following voice was heard clearly:
“On monday @%&#&!! They would board the Cyclone roller coaster at 6:17pm. At 6:19pm this same roller coaster's front axle would break causing it to derail at the apex of the loop-de-loop, hurtling the children to their deaths.”
Marcus screamed. “Why me? Why this?” His chest burned, his mind was collapsing, and just before he woke up, the voice said:
“It seems our time is up, Marcus, but I won't rest until you change everything. Save the one who has no head... and if you can, change the destiny of others.”
He woke up drenched in sweat. Since then, every night is the same. Same dream. Same ending. And always, the same warning. Restless, Marcus went for a walk through the village in the middle of the night. The wind roared through the houses when, suddenly, a pamphlet slammed into his face.
"The Amazing Karnak a seer a Necromancer Come if you There!.. Call 555-666-01..No returns.”,
Marcus frowned. "Karnak... A necromancer and seer. Sounds suspicious... but, honestly, I have nothing left to lose." I dial the phone. I tried a couple of times. Finally, someone answered.
(Meanwhile, in Karnak's caravan, plus it's much bigger inside, magic.)
The phone starts ringing incessantly, squealing non-stop, generating echoes throughout the caravan. The gang and Virgil were fast asleep, since their tour in the USA had left them exhausted, and that's when it continued ringing and ringing... generating increasingly louder echoes.
"Oh... five more minutes," Penny muttered, half-buried under a fuzzy blanket.
She covered her ears with her pillow, trying to go back to sleep, but the noise persisted. It grew louder.
"SHIT! I'M COMING! I HEARD YOU! I have to do everything myself!" she growled hoarsely, reluctantly getting up.
She was wearing faded lion pajamas, her legs already loose at the ankles. As She walked, she tripped over a puppet lying on the floor.
"Ugh! Of course.. ." She grumbled under his breath, bending down to pick it up.
She felt her way to the main hall, dragging her feet.
"Uncle Karnak! The phone's ringing! Take charge!" She exclaimed, pointing at the phone in exasperation.
Her uncle Karnak, half-reclining in a tapestry-covered chair, didn't even flinch. He was still clinging to sleep tooth and nail. The noise clearly bothered him, but not enough to move. He raised a hand and waved it vaguely, indicating that Penny should sort it out herself.
She glared at him.
"Childish..." Huffing "Okay, I'll do it. As always."
The phone was still screaming, so Penny grabbed it sharply.
"What kind of Psycho calls at 4 in the morning?" she said in a venomous tone, holding it to her ear.
On the other end, an excited voice could be heard, almost on the verge of hysteria.
. Hello.. You're the wonderful karnak!? I NEED YOUR HELP AND I'VE HAD THESE DREAMS..!
.. “Listen, pal .…Penny interrupted him, in a dry and icy voice, Slay. First of all, shut up. It's 4 am in the Goddamn morning. Don't expect my ears or Brain cells to cooperate if you're yelling at me. .. Breathe, calm down, drink some tea or whatever. Then you talk.PERIOD”
There was a brief silence.
(...Lack of manners...Okay. That wasn't necessary.)
Marcus stared at the receiver, perplexed, not quite sure whether to hang up or pretend it hadn't happened. Then he took a deep breath.
"I've had these dreams...I need your help. I can pay. I work at a school, I can offer you a lot of money, even my...soul?"
There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Then Penny answered.
"Money? How much are we talking about?"
"A lot. We could even make a deal with the local fair. They could perform here. They pay well. A lot of families come."
Penny's tone changed immediately.
–Ah! Finally, we're speaking the same language… Why didn't you say that before, buddy?! Business, showbiz, and money! I love it. I'll just put it on to my uncle.
Marcus was about to say something, but he heard the receiver shake, and then…
"His soul says!? " a voice in the background exclaimed with theatrical enthusiasm.
A second later, a new voice took over the call, loud and very charismatic, with all the self-confidence. Delighted with himself.
"Hello! I am the wonderful, incredibly handsome—" the latter would say in a sensual voice. "A Great Sorcerer of the Arcane. The Master of the Dark Arts... The Amazing Karnak!"
Penny sighed in the background.
"Oh... my... there he goes again."
Karnak cleared his throat theatrically and added dramatically:
"And you, Dear mortal... have just caught my interest."
"I've had dreams. Always the same. My boys die on a roller coaster... and a voice tells me they can be saved. Even the headless girl," he explained, with a hint of sadness.
On the other end of the line, there was silence. Until Karnak's voice responded with a distinctly satisfied tone.
"What courage, what a man! Someone willing to give it their all, that's quite a sight, my friend! I like your attitude, mere mortal... You're worthy of my presence... So, my friend, where exactly is this place?"
Penny, in the background, brought a hand to her face and massaged the bridge of her nose.
(My God...) She sighed in resignation, while her uncle strutted around the caravan, talking on the phone as if he were in the middle of a performance.
There was total silence. Karnak slowly lowered his phone. His theatrical act evaporated instantly. The smile disappeared. His gaze became dull. Old, as if centuries had fallen upon him. Penny looked at him with concern. She noticed the immediate change.
"What's wrong?" she asked quietly.
Karnak didn't even turn his head.
"He said...Uranium City, " he murmured.
Penny froze. "That's...close to..." She tried to say.
"Elysium," Karnak said, his voice thin with something more than just disgust, but regret.
Karnak picked up the receiver again, this time firmly.
"It's canceled. This is over," he said into the phone. "Find another fortune teller, sir. Good night."
"NO!" Penny exclaimed, with sudden force. She snatched the phone away from him. "Dad, listen to me."
"We're not going back there," Karnak insisted. "Not after what happened... What you and your brother went through!"
"We can't afford to keep running away," She said firmly, her voice barely breaking. "Especially with what happened with Johnny Moon! And our tour in Ukraine lasted... What? A month." "We have nothing left!" she added, desperate. "This is an opportunity... even if it's there..."
There was a brief silence. Karnak glanced at Penny; her tone wasn't normal for her, but she was right.
"Please," the priest said pleadingly into the phone. "I'm willing... to do anything."
Karnak answered, his voice firm and low, chilling to the bone.
"Your soul, your dreams... Everything will be mine... Where exactly is that school?"
"I work at St. Cassian Catholic School... in Uranium City."
"Yes, yes, we understand, dear, " Penny interrupted in a sharp, annoyed tone. "We'll go... whenever we feel like it."
She hung up abruptly, and then there was only silence.