Whispers Beyond The Veil

Episode 3: Veil of Forbidden Knowledge

After school, Audrey and Wendy walked home together, chatting about their day. Audrey had a lot to share, especially about the boy she had a crush on and a wonderful friend she had made while Wendy felt drained and had little to contribute.

Once they reached their apartment, Audrey tossed her bag into her room, quickly changed, grabbed a quick meal, and cautioned Wendy, "Don't open the door for anyone, and be careful." With that, she left to search for job opportunities around town.

While Audrey was out, Wendy began browsing the internet, curious about ways to contact the dead, just like in the movies. After some time, she stumbled upon something called Babylon Rituals. As she read through it, she felt her heart race and goosebumps prick her skin. The content was terrifying.

"What the heck is all this?" Wendy murmured, overwhelmed.

The screen was filled with bizarre symbols, unsettling paintings, exorcism videos, and grotesque methods for performing the rituals.

"Don't be scared, be brave," Wendy reassured herself. "I just want to call my mom's spirit. It can't be that bad. I just need to find the right ritual and its requirements."

Wendy's plan was to keep everything a secret from Audrey, perform the ritual when she was home alone, and finally talk to her mom to ease the constant ache of missing her.

"I will call you back, Mom. You'll be with me forever. I love you so much... I miss you," Wendy said softly, tears welling in her eyes and her voice cracking.

After hours of searching, Wendy finally found the most suitable ritual: the "Erṣetum's Gate Ritual."

"Okay, here we go. This seems like the right one. It says this ritual opens a gate to the Erṣetum, the Babylonian underworld, allowing contact with the spirits of the dead or demons of the abyss. Yup! That's exactly what I need. Now, what do I need and what am I supposed to do? Ugh, let's see..."

"Ingredients? Who the heck calls these ingredients?" she scoffed. "I need seven black candles, red ochre powder that symbolizes blood, a ring of salt around the ritual space, and a skull." Wendy listed the items, her excitement bubbling over.

"Wait, what? A what?" she frowned, staring intently at the screen. "A HUMAN OR ANIMAL SKULL?!" she screamed.

Suddenly, Audrey walked in, looking puzzled. "What are you saying, Wendy? What skull?"

Wendy quickly slammed her laptop shut. "Nothing... I was just reading a novel, haha. When did you get back? Did you find a job?"

Audrey sighed. "Yeah, I did! It's at a small cafe across the street. The pay is good, and the hours are decent—7 PM to 10 PM. I can manage, but I'm worried about you being home alone."

Wendy approached Audrey and hugged her. "I'll be fine, sis. Just don't overwork yourself."

Audrey smiled. "Okay, let's go have dinner. You need to sleep early; look at those dark circles under your eyes."

"Mhm, yeah," Wendy replied, her mind still preoccupied with the ritual.

As they quietly enjoyed their pasta, Wendy contemplated where to get a skull. She knew she could easily obtain the other ingredients: black candles from the nearest mart, ochre powder from art class, and salt from the kitchen, but the skull was a different story.

"LIAM!" exclaimed Wendy.

Audrey nearly choked on her pasta. "WHAT? WHO IS LIAM? DO YOU MOAN HIS NAME EVERY NIGHT? WHAT THE HECK?"

Wendy, blushing, replied, "Hehe, well, Liam is in my class. He's kind of a jerk but cute, and I might like him. I was just thinking about texting him..."