Spirit World Adventures

Chapter 7 - The Spiritual Solidarity Society

It seemed that in the blink of an eye, we were transported back to a familiar place. The sky above was a dismal grey, with cracks from blocked sunlight. The ground was hard and unyielding, with no green within sight. But when I looked around, I saw that in the far distances was a large wall. We were outside of the Walled Cities. Suddenly I felt very vulnerable. It was one thing to visit beyond the Walled Cities on a school trip, travelling inside a bus, but quite another to be out in the open.

'Is it safe for us out here?' I asked, before receiving funny looks from the other kids.

I didn't understand why that was such a dumb question.

'It's clear where you're from, then,' said a boy with dark skin and long twisted hair.

'What's that supposed to mean?' I asked, folding my arms across my chest.

But Master Jack shushed us and pointed. We all watched where he had pointed, where a woman was carrying folders in her hands, her head drooped over them. Balls of rain fell in a swarm over her head, but the odd thing was, not a drop landed on any of us. It was her own personal raincloud. However, the raincloud wasn't the focus of our attention for much longer, as we witnessed a black van pull up beside her and three men jump out.

The woman screamed and I lurched forwards to help her, which made Master Jack squint at me, but the groundsman Sal grabbed my arm and held me back. Someone put something over the woman's head and her folders fell to the ground in a clatter. I gasped. Why weren't we helping her? What was the point in us coming here, just to watch her get hurt? A man ran some instrument down the length of her spine before sending her to the ground and tying her up.

And then they came.

I really couldn't tell you where they came from because it wasn't clear. They were just there suddenly and kicking ass. Four people in long coats were now in full-on combat with the kidnappers. They had shadow-kin but they were unlike anything I'd ever seen before. They were sort of more solid and bigger. They were shifting shape fluidly and attacking the shadow-kin of the kidnappers. I noticed that one of the newcomers wasn't fighting anyone, his shadow-kin was doing all the work for him. But when I looked closely, I saw his fingers twitching this way and that with little blue sparks of energy lingering at the tips. Was he controlling his shadow-kin in combat?

When the kidnappers were sufficiently ass-kicked, the newcomers grabbed the woman, untied her, and someone knocked twice on the ground and all of them jumped through some unseen hole, taking the girl with her.

I was in awe.

'What...what was that? Who...what?' I asked, clapping my hands together like a stupid fangirl.

Olivia was gasping still, 'That was the coolest thing ever!'

'Who were they?'

Master Jack was grinning from ear to ear, 'That was my team, the Institutes' Guides. If you would like to join us, you need only sign right on up.'

**

There was no doubt in my mind. I wanted to be this guide person Master Jack spoke about. They looked so cool! He told us to 'hold our shadow-kins!' as he knocked on the ground like his associates and brought us back into the conservatory. I was beginning to believe that this was, indeed, the Spirit World; a world beside/ beneath (whatever) our world.

'There is no way you can stop me from joining your crew, Master Jack!' I said, rubbing my hands together excitedly. 'Was that the-'

'The Spiritual Solidarity Agency? Yes. They harm, imprison and even kill thousands of people around New Independent England every year.'

Master Jack hung his head, so did Belle and Sal. I noticed that Lou had appeared in the room, and he was blowing his nose comically loud. Master Jack looked up at him and Lou ran from the room.

This was a job; a really cool, important job; something that looked like it would bring me joy and help me to be me in this world (my world and this weird one).

'How much does it pay?' I wondered.

Master Jack laughed loudly, manically; I was worried he wouldn't ever stop. Belle-Ame slapped him on the back as if resetting him and he became very serious.

'We do not use money in the Spirit World. Some use trade and spiritual goings-on in exchange for other things, but otherwise, there is no civilisation based upon the structure of currency and goods like Above.'

'What?'

'You will not be paid for being a Guide.'

'Oh, that sucks. Maybe my mom would be fine with it if she knows I'm still doing something good, though,' I surmised.

A girl with plated hair scoffed at me before rolling her hazel eyes, 'You haven't lived outside the Walled Cities, have you?'

'No, so what?'

'So, you will let mommy and daddy pay the bills while you go off saving lives, how perfect for you!'

I was utterly shocked. It was like a slap to the face, and I DID NOT like being slapped in the face. Ready to charge at her for being so rude, I balled my hands into fists but then I realised Olivia's face was begging me not to. So, I just sighed and shook my head.

'No, I have to work. I know I do. I don't know what your problem is with me but-'

'I just hate princesses who cry over spilled milk. You don't know what it's like for us outside in the wastes and the ashes, banging on those sacred walls of yours for scraps. It's harder for us.'

Master Jack looked over the both of us as if deeply intrigued before slapping his hands together and grinning. It cut the tension like a knife through butter.

'Right, well, I don't know about the Walled Cities versus the Wastes, but you're welcome to battle that out in your own time!' he laughed, and Belle threw him a stern look, 'All you need to know is that we do not take on just anyone here. I am very picky! If you truly want the opportunity to be a Guide, you need to complete several challenges for me to prove to me that you're dedicated and worthy.

'Are you up for the challenge, gang?'