Whispers Beyond The Veil

Episode 4: Promises and Plans

The day after Wendy's awkward but successful request for a skull from Liam, the weekend arrived. She spent her Saturday meticulously planning the ritual in her room, surrounded by open books and scattered notes. Determined to get everything perfect, she made a trip to the supermarket. Her shopping list was unusual: 7 black candles, an excessive amount of salt, and red ochre powder. Originally, she had planned to "borrow" the powder from the school's art supplies, but when she found it in the arts and crafts aisle, she decided to spare herself the hassle of sneaking it out of school and bought it instead.

Audrey, on the other hand, started her Saturday with a productive routine of house chores. She did the dishes, tackled the laundry, cleaned up the house, and finished her homework. By the time evening rolled around, she was off to her part-time job at the café, working her usual shift from 7 to 10 p.m. After her shift, instead of heading straight to bed, she spent the rest of the night chatting with Elia. Their friendship was growing deeper, and it seemed like they were becoming closer with every conversation.

Liam, determined to impress Wendy by fulfilling her odd request, had mustered all his courage to walk into his aunt's workplace on Saturday morning. A well-known animal shelter that occasionally provided skeletal remains for research. His mind buzzed with uncertainty about how to ask her for a skull without sounding completely insane.

As he stepped up to the reception desk, rehearsing the words in his head, a strong, familiar voice broke his concentration.

"Hey, Liam! What brings you here, kid?" His aunt, Leah, stood behind him with a curious expression, clearly surprised to see him outside of family gatherings.

Liam spun around, startled, his carefully rehearsed lines now scrambled. "Oh, uh, hi, Aunt Leah. I was actually here to see you... I need to ask you for a favor."

Leah raised an eyebrow at his awkward tone. "A favor, huh? Alright, let's go talk in my office." She gestured for him to follow, leading him down the hall towards her small office. On the way, she casually instructed a staff member to bring Liam some fruit juice, as if sensing he might need something to calm his nerves.

Once seated, Liam sipped his juice while trying to suppress his discomfort. The room was filled with posters of animals in various stages of skeletal studies, as well as detailed diagrams and sculptures, reminding him exactly where he was, and making his request feel even more bizarre. The quiet weight of the space pressed on him.

Leah studied him from across the desk, sensing something was up. "So, what's this favor you need?" she asked, half-smiling, but clearly intrigued by her nephew's unusual visit.

Liam glanced at one of the more eerie animal skull sculptures in the room before taking a deep breath. "Well... I need an animal skull. For a... research project."

Leah blinked, her expression a mixture of amusement and confusion. "An animal skull? That's... quite a unique request. What kind of project are we talking about here?"

Liam shifted in his chair. "It's not for me exactly, it's for a friend. She, uh, needs it for her studies." His voice trailed off, realizing how awkward this must sound.

Leah leaned back, folding her arms as she eyed him with suspicion. "A friend, huh? And what kind of 'studies' is she doing that involves animal bones?"

"Well... the thing is that... umm, actually, there's this girl I like," Liam stammered, his face flushing slightly. "The other day, she told me I was the only person she knew at school, and that's why she asked me for help finding an animal skull for her wildlife research, zoology and all that weird stuff. So, I seized the opportunity and told her I'd bring her the skull if she would go on a date with me. And she agreed! So, yeah, please help me out here and keep it between us, Aunt."