Spirit World

Finding Clues

"What's your name?"

"Oh, so you're now interested in me, huh, Miss Cobb?"

A book came flying toward the spirit that only came past him and hit the wall behind, of course, coming from the woman who was seated at the side of the basement, surrounded with books that she didn't even understand because of its different languages. To say that her head had been so worked up and she was near on being drained because of all the things that she was trying to understand and make up on all the weird symbols that were in the book, but actually failed on getting any information because she didn't understand a thing written on it.

"I want to know your name so I can curse you like one and not generalize the spirits, I can't just always say, 'Curse you, stupid spirit!' can I?" Callie explained sarcastically, even smiling that was obviously fake to the spirit. She looked on the book and saw another page of gibberish words, at least for her, then threw it on the ground again and glared at the spirit. "You know what? Curse you, spirit! How can you give all of these books to me but you're just looking at me from there? I don't even understand a single thing from these!"

Callie had been seated there for a while now, and had been reading, or at least trying her best to, these books that the spirit had taken and suggested for her to read. She was a diligent student, her grades were high, she was on top of her class, and she loved reading, but if she would be reading something like this with symbols and shapes that she couldn't figure out the meaning even if she used all of her brain cells, she couldn't seem to form even a word with all these figures.

This spirit, when she thought that would be helpful at least rather than the spirit animal, was never lending her a hand and only floating at the side in front of her, which made it more irritating knowing that he was not doing anything and he was even flaunting how unhelpful she was for her in this mission.

She was regretting not saying those words to make this spirit vanish. By now, she thought spirit animal could at least be a little pleasing to the eyes even when it couldn't help her that much. At least she didn't have to expect anything better from it, and it would be at least cute to look at. But this human spirit in front of her who was just busy eating, forming different positions in the air, and giggling about the book he was holding in his hand was enough to piss her off, so she couldn't help but lash out.

"Well, first of all, my name is Free. Second, why don't you know how to read these books when you all have this kind of thing in your house? What are these, for display? Aesthetic of sort to brag to your friends?"

"First of all, too, Free the Spirit sounds like Free Spirit, whatever. These books are from my mother, and I don't know, maybe they are written by my mother's ancestors as well, who knows? But I've never been so fond of readings these symbols since I was a child, and before you say something, yes, I know I should have learned these, but keeping a tradition isn't my cup of tea so you cannot blame me."

"As far as I can remember, families like you who are preserving the culture of your predecessors, your mother should have at least taught you about this kind. Why does it seem like you're the coolest of your family?"

Callie scowled at that. She knew it was still her fault even if she was not much fond of these things. It was important for her mother, and maybe for her ancestors as well to preserve this kind of culture. This had been going on for so many generations already, and this had just to stop on her age because of her unwillingness to do so, and her mother understood how it gave her a hard time before when she tried to. It was something that they would not forget as it somehow traumatized her mother as well.

"What do you know? The generation of today has been so different from the way of life before. If this kind of culture and tradition had not been so weird before, then the period right now is something that no one could explain. The humans have been forgetting the way of life of before, the only acceptable to them is the new way of living, the standard, anything that meets people's preference, and this practice that my mother does is long gone if not for her. You don't know how we suffered because of the judgment we faced. But look at where this stupid practice would then lead us. My mother was kidnapped."

She was irritated, not on the spirit, well, maybe he was one of the reasons, but mainly because of the fact that her family, of all the families around the country, was chosen to preserve the tradition. If her mother didn't just follow them, then this shouldn't have been happening right now. They should be living happily right now, they should be enjoying their bonding together as mother and daughter than her being inside the library, reading some sort of witchcraft book, and dealing with this unhelpful spirit here in front of her.

"Well, a good thing for you, I'm not that stupid as you think of me," Free said and grinned at her. But, instead of coming close to her to see the things, he just crossed his arms and looked at her. "But before that, let me ask a few questions that might lead us to where these abductors are possibly taking your mother."

Finally, this spirit would be of help. Callie thought to herself as she nodded at the spirit. "Ask anything as long as it would be of help. Please make it quick, too."

"You're one little demanding girl, aren't you?" he remarked while shaking his head, clearly amused by her demanding tone. But that was how she should be, how else should she act? She was the one who summoned her so, of course, she would be demanding things that she expected him to do, yet as what she could observe in the past hours, he had not been any of good help on her. "First question, I want to know how did you know that these people took your mother because of 'immortality'. Are you sure this isn't something that you're just assuming? And are you sure your mother can perform something related to immortality?"

"When the men came that night and about to take me too with my mother, she pleaded the men not to take me. One man asked my mother if she knew how to prolong life, and my mother answered that she knew but there would be consequences that the men were not interested much enough so they spared me and took her. When I woke up the next day, I immediately went in here and seek for the books that might be of help, and I found her accounts, and read something about Immortality, basically put two and two together, prolonged life, immortality, same thing."

She saw the spirit nod with a hum, holding his chin as he looked up. "That's a good observation. Did your mother say anything to you about immortality? The process? The things to consider?"

Callie frowned then shook her head. "None. The last time that my mother taught me about this practise was when I'm eleven or twelve, I can't remember but around that time. I couldn't remember anything that she taught me before, she might or might not have said something about it but well, I can't remember so there's none at all."

"Then if that's the case, you have no other choice but to rely on books. I'm sure your mother is smart enough to recreate and translate these books in the language you understand that's why you got to call a spirit for your guidance. There must be something about immortality in one of these massive books around."

Callie watched as Free finally moved from just seating in the air and looked around the whole basement's line of books. The basement's walls were basically cabinets too where all the books were placed until the very top. He floated and looked at every book around, as if he was looming for something which made her wonder if he knew what he was doing because almost every title of the book were written through symbols or way of writing of before.

"Do you understand anything there? You don't need to pretend like you can read anything, Free Spirit, I won't say you're useless, that seems like common knowledge already though," she said while looking up at him, he was serious, and he was facing only his side. He was actually impressed with what he was showing her at the moment, his hand was under his chin, his eyes squinted and he was reading every title written at the side of the book.

She was completely ignored, he didn't remark after that so she scowled and had no choice but to watch him do whatever he wanted. She was just sitting there and watching him. Would he add another book when she was still not finished reading all the books that he gave her? That's...extremely severe.

After a while, he pulled one book at the very left side at the end of one cabinet and flew back to her with now a wide grin. He threw the book at her to which she got in reflex no matter how fast it was. Callie looked at the back in confusion, finding it actually written in English. She thought every book in there was written in the gibberish language.

The book's title was straightforward, she had already known what the book was about. It was titled 'Rituals and Practices for Immortality', she tried to look at the author but it was written in another language so she guessed it was written way before. She opened the book, turning the already old, yellowish pages, but still strong and beautiful, from back to back, and she was glad it was in English.

"Read that. The clues where the men brought your mother might be there. As far as I know, Immortality isn't performed anywhere, it's sacred and dangerous, there must be an indication to where should it be done," the spirit said and flew again, but this time he was ascending upward until he was already halfway through the ceiling of the basement.

"Wait! Where are you going? Are you seriously leaving me here like this?" Callie asked in turmoil, she even stood up abruptly, thinking she wouldn't be heard because obviously, the spirit's head was already on the first floor.

The spirit descended down a little with a grin and nodded. "I have to go for a moment and find a body to be in."

What?