GAME ON - GoM 2

3

"There you are, Red Riding Hood."

Claire giggled, like every time Alex called her that because of the big basket. She was alone in the bookstore, opening a box. Claire took her basket to the tiny space behind the large bookshelf and left their lunch on the small table.

"Thought you'd forgotten about my poor empty stomach," said Alex from the counter.

Claire joined her and saw the books inside the open box. "Didn't know we had a shipment coming today." She read one of the titles and frowned. "Reiki? Who ordered it?"

"I did."

"Oh...?"

Alex shrugged. "It's a basic form of channeling, so I thought I should take a look at it."

Claire felt the twitch in her belly. She always felt it whenever Alex mentioned channeling. It was like a hunch. Well, more like a bad feeling. And the girl hated feeling it.

"I didn't know you were still looking into it."

Alex's glance was a clear warning. "I never dropped it. I just can't find the right material."

"Alright, no need to get mad. C'mon, let's eat. Weren't you starving?"

Claire's light words defused Alex in heartbeat. "Sorry," she said, following the girl to the table. "It's just that you and Tom keep telling me to quit it and-"

"I know."

They sat down and Claire served their food. "So you haven't found anything more in Grandpa's books."

Alex shook her head, her mouth too full to even try to speak before swallowing. "The only one with some data is the book where I found his letter," she said then. "But both the book and the letter speak of such extreme things..." She shook her head again. "I refuse to believe there's only extremes to it."

"What d'you mean, extremes?"

"Well, they talk about channeling as a weapon against powerful demons. Like, turning yourself into a 'vehicle' of this energy they call 'angelic' and unleash it against evil creatures you can't take down any other way."

"Fine print?"

"It's such a powerful energy that it burns away your human core-they call it 'span'. Nobody's ever survived doing it more than three times."

"Channeling can kill you?"

"Yes. No. Not exactly. Kill you inside. But it'd be the other way around in the physical sense. I mean, it's the purest, most benefic energy in the universe-so they say. So if you end full of it, you'll be healthier, stronger and smarter than ever."

"But?"

"But it wouldn't be really you anymore. You see, this core or span they mention? I think it's what we'd call 'soul'. Your personality. Whatever makes you be you, yourself. And going nuclear with such a powerful energy burns that up. So you stay alive, but your span is gone. You become some kinda glove, driven by this angelic energy. And it can be as pure and full of light as they say, but it's definitely not human. Maybe your body is better than ever, but it's not you steering the wheel. Not anymore."

"Sounds like what garthlings do to wolves."

"More like a Goret."

"Whatever. Not nice."

They ate in silence for a couple of minutes, both of them musing about what Alex had explained.

"And what about the man Grandpa mentions in his letter?" Claire asked.

"That Gregory Thames? Grandpa wrote that letter fifteen years ago. Whoever this man was, if he was old enough to know Grandpa, chances are he's long dead. I didn't even try to locate him."

"Bummer."

The bells hanging from the door jingled.

"Al? Girls?"

Alex looked out from behind the bookcase. "Hey, Dave! I'll be right out!"

Claire patted her own forehead. "Right! Forgot to tell you Sheriff Graham was coming."

"Yeah, well."