Between Somewhere and Nowhere

The Memory Swallower

Mary felt a hand on her arm and opened her eyes to feel Diana looking at her; "Come on, I know where we can get more candles. Unless you'd prefer to stay here and wait for me?"

"Oh goodness no!" Mary shook her head vehemently, wondering if her prayers had manifested in helping quell Diana's madness and bring about more lucidity. Getting to her feet quickly, one hand clasping Diana's and the other pressed against the dirt wall, she allowed herself to be led, "Where are we going?"

"We're going to see the Memory Swallower, an entity that can pass easily between the threshold of Limbo and Earth. It resides mainly here in Limbo but will fetch items requested by those of us in Limbo for a trade." Mary was grateful for Diana's confident footing through the tunnels she'd created, still feeling very disoriented in the darkness.

"...for a trade?" Mary felt a sense of foreboding build within her.

"Yes." There was a lengthy pause and Mary thought Diana was finished but just as she was about to ask for further information, Diana continued, her voice shaking; "For each item requested, the Memory Swallower takes a memory."

Mary dug her heels in and forced Diana to stop, "What do you mean it takes a memory?"

Diana took a deep breath, "The Memory Swallower trades happiness for items from Earth so that it has something to occupy its time here. It steals good memories from those who request items from it and it replays them for itself like a film to pass the time. I don't remember how to bake, I don't know exactly when my birthday is, I can't remember what day it was when Edward proposed to me, I have very few memories left of my childhood as Hilda's best friend, and...." Mary could tell Diana was crying; "...I've forgotten exactly what my parents look like."

Mary felt the depth of Diana's sacrifice drive itself deep into her heart. "I've been here for so long, Mary, with each memory it takes, I feel myself slipping deeper into madness because it is easier to live there than it is to live within the darkness and evil of the only memories I have left."

Mary wasn't sure how much more of Diana's grief she could shoulder along with her own, it was a small mercy that she was still coming to grips with where she was and how she got there, unable to fully process her own emotions. Compared to Diana, the weight of her own grief was small. Squeezing the blonde's hand encouragingly, she remained silent to allow her to continue until the thick black gave way to a filmy grey and they climbed out into the fog.

"And now we have to run to keep ahead of the Soul Eater. Follow me and don't say a word!" Diana began to jog and Mary did her best to keep up. Weaving in and out of trees, it was clear this was a path Diana had run multiple times; every so often, the woman would stop behind a large tree to let Mary catch up and then continue on. Finally, they came to a massive hollowed out oak tree and Diana led Mary inside.

"Back again, girl?" The figure that turned around to face them both appeared to be a dapperly dressed man with a thick brown beard to match his hair and dark eyes, he startled in surprise to see Mary standing beside Diana and his voice lowered menacingly. "I told you never to bring anyone else with you."

Mary took a step back and glanced at Diana who seemed to be staring straight through the man in front of them. "I'm sorry, she just arrived and I was afraid if I left her behind the Soul Eater would get her."

Staring at the man in front of them, Mary frowned, her intuition urging her to speak up, "Can't you see him, Diana?"

"Him? The Memory Swallower is an entity, it doesn't have a physical form. What do you mean you can see....him?" Diana turned to look at Mary quizzically.

"I see a man dressed in a suit and tie with a bowler hat. He's got brown hair, eyes, and a thick beard." Mary watched Diana's eyes grow wide in horror as she spun around to face Edward Spellman.