The Healer and The Necromancer - mlm short story

The Healer and The Necromancer

The townsfolk were surprised when one day, when the dark and mysterious house of The Necromancer just outside of town vanished, leaving nothing but dead grass behind. It was an even bigger surprise when the heavily green and lively house a short distance into the woods became bigger- as if to accommodate another person.

One day, the baker went to the Healer's house because of a sprained wrist. You can't work dough if you have a bad hand. He came back with gossip for the people.

"He has an undead cat! I swear, it was all bones!" Everyone said they thought he was crazy, but people were suspicious.

The next week, the shoemaker rushed to the Healer's house because of a badly hit nail, which was now in his thigh. You can't make shoes if you can't move around your shop. He came back with gossip for the people.

"There's books that tell you how to raise the dead on the shelves!" Everyone said they didn't think it was that weird, but people were starting to wonder.

Last Tuesday, my best friend's mom went to the Healer's house because she needed medicine for a cold. You can't take care of your children if you're sick. She came back with gossip for the people.

"There were bones and pentagrams everywhere!" Everyone had said they didn't believe it, but now they were starting to talk.

Today I rushed to the Healer because my sister's condition was worsening. I was hoping to get some medicine for her.

The first thing I noticed when I knocked on the door was the sign above it. It still read 'Magick Healing", but underneath it, written in red paint was '(and more!)'. I wondered what that meant. The door opened and the Healer smiled at me.

"What do you need?" He asked.

"It's my sister. She's sick, and I need something to help her. Please."

He opened the door wider. "Come in."

I looked around the Healer's house as he led me through it. The shelves were cluttered with different plants and flowers, some glowing, some encased in glass, some emitting colorful spores. I noticed something moving out of the corner of my eye, and turned. It was a cat. An all-bone cat. Walking. It was the same cat that the baker had sworn he saw. The Healer must've noticed me pausing, because he spoke.

"That's Mercury. Don't mind them." He continued walking.

I noticed jars of bones scattering windowsills and bookshelves, and dark books with blood-red scripting on the spines sitting on those bookshelves. There was a black pentagram etched into the wall above a shelf with nothing but candles on it. Even though I had so many questions, I stood quietly in the middle of a small room that we had ended up in. A big parchment with a detailed diagram of human anatomy was hung on one wall, a diagram of cat anatomy on another. The Healer walked up to a shelf and riffled through different jars, murmuring to himself, before plucking a jar filled with yellow leaves. I watched as he held the jar closed to him, said something quietly, and turned around. The leaves started glowing, yellow light filtering though the glass.

"Boil these leaves into a tea, have your sister drink it, and she should be feeling better in no time," he stated as he handed the jar to me.

"Thank you so much!"

I was walking towards the door when there came a sharp pounding on it. The Healer quickly made his way to it and opened it. It was my brother. His face was flushed red and he was out of breath.

"It's Irene," He panted, "She's gone."

I dropped the jar, glowing leaves floating across the floor, glass scattering, the tin lid ringing on the wood. The Healer looked between me and my brother, then speed-walked off to somewhere in his house. He came back with a tall man dressed in dark robes. I recognized him as the Necromancer, the one who lived in the house that was nothing but dead grass now.

We all rushed to my house, where upon entering, we saw my mother and father weeping next to my sister's bed- whom of which was covered with a white sheet. Tears sprang to my eyes, but the Necromancer and Healer just calmly walked over to her. They joined hands and raised them over her body. After a few minutes, the Necromancer peeled the sheet off my sister's body. She sat up, blinking. My mother shot up and cried out in joy. The pair, hand still in hand, turned and smiled at me. Then they walked out, leaving my family to rejoice in the miracle. 

I turned around and ran out the door after them. "Thank you!" I shouted.

They were just beyond the treeline, but close enough to see them kissing in a patch of sunlight. I smiled as they separated, waved, and walked off. I looked around to see if anyone saw what I saw, but no one was out in the street but me. I went back inside, smile still plastered on my face.

The next day at school, everyone asked me if I had seen anything strange when I went to the Healer's house like everyone else had. Even though I knew why they saw that stuff, and I knew about the pair, I just smiled and shook my head, changing the subject to the homework we had.

Wednesday, my sister showed up to school, and word spread about what happened. Why the Healer had such strange stuff in his house, why the Necromancer's house was gone, and why people's pets were showing up from beyond the grave. I smiled, because from the play-yard, I could see two figures hidden in the trees, hand in hand.