The Second Plane (#Wattys2016)

3.

"What do you mean?" Savannah stared the boy down. "You're the one glowing and spewing fire."  The boy's eyes widened.

"You can see it then?" The words were little more than a whisper, almost lost in the breeze. 

Savannah scowled, lowering her hands.  Gesturing to himself, he spoke up, "My name's Delocray.  I'm a creature of the Second Plane."

Her gaze flickered away before landing back on the boy.

"Savannah." she said, voice quiet.  Delocray smiled, sticking out his hand.  She bit the inside of her lip before taking it.  They shook hands, then let go.  Delocray nodded toward the rosary around her neck.

"Are you a Catholic?"

Savannah shrugged.  "My dad is the priest at Saint Benedict's Catholic Church."

Delocray quirked an eyebrow. "I thought-"

"Adoptive dad." Savannah cut him off in monotone.  Delocray nodded in understanding.  With a sigh, Savannah dug her phone out of her pocket, checking the time.  "I've got to head back to the parsonage.  My dad will worry if I don't get home soon."

Stuffing her phone back in her pocket, she turned to leave.  As she was about to go, Delocray grabbed her hand.  His grip was loose, barely holding onto her fingers. 

"Wait." he said.  Savannah shifted to look at him.  A strand of hair slipped out from behind her ear.  "Don't you have questions?"

"Thousands." She combed the loose stand back to its rightful place.  "But...this is insane.  I need to think."

"Then let me explain.  I can walk you home." Delocray pleaded.  Savannah nodded.  He had saved her life, she owed him a chance to explain at least.  Letting go of her hand, Delocray came to her side.  They began walking.  At first in silence, until Delocray started.  Savannah listened, watching as his hands moved with his words.

"The Second Plane is an overlapping dimension to the First Plane, your world.  For the most part the two dimensions are kept completely isolated from each other.  There are rare occasions where the two will meet.    For instance, the stories of ghosts and demons are actually stories about powerful Second Planers.  They gathered enough strength to make it to Purgatory.  It's the space between the two planes."

"Wait, are you serious?"  Savannah exclaimed, shifting her bag.  Delocray furrowed his brow.

"I'm surprised you didn't already know this, considering the Catholic Church had vowed to destroy the Second Plane."

"Why would they do that?"

Delocray shrugged.  "People fear things they don't understand.   They believe we're the root of all evil.  I guess an attack like todays doesn't help anything."

"But you saved me."  Savannah mumbled, playing with the end of her ponytail.  Pink flushed Delocray's cheeks as he let out a chuckle.

"Have you always been able to see the Second Plane?"

Savannah shook her head.  "Today's the first.  It started after I got out of school.  There'll be flashes of blue or images of people flickering in and out.  Sometimes they'll stay solid and just pass through things."

"Strange, going by just that, I would say you're a powerful psychic, but..." Delocray stared at his feet, rubbing his chin.  His tail wrapped itself loosely around one leg.  "If that was the case, there is no way those two could have grabbed you.  They aren't physically powerful enough to pull out of purgatory and into the First Plane."

"So I'm a mutant or something?" Savannah wrinkled her nose.  "You called me something in the alley to get those guys to back off, what was it?"

They made their way around the street corner.  A few blocks away the bell tower of the church could be spotted.  The parsonage sat just behind the church, out of sight from the street.  Savannah slowed her pace.

"At first, I thought you were a Divine Soul.  They're creatures of the First Plane that are fully apart of both dimensions.   They can travel freely between the two with exerting an exponential amount of energy.  Except, those people are rare and they live their entire life seeing the Second Plane.  Unless..."

"Unless?"

"The church blocked your abilities.  I guess it's possible.  It would explain everything.  Is there something you normally wear that you aren't now?"

Savannah halted at the crosswalk, taking a moment to process his words. Her glasses.  Did her dad know about this?  For how long?  Questions reeled through her head.  She thought back to her attack.  Delocray kept walking.  He was halfway across the street when she spoke up.  "You said earlier that Divine Souls were under royal protection."

Delocray stopped and looked over his shoulder.  "Yeah, there's a prophecy that when a Divine Soul and royal blood unite, the Second Plane will be forgiven and the dimensions will reunite.  An old superstition, but the royal family takes it seriously."  Delocray chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Crazy, right?"

Savannah nodded, catching up and taking her place by his side. "Crazy." she confirmed.  They crossed the street, nearing the iron wrought fence of the church.  Delocray nudged his head in its direction.

"Saint Benedict's?" he asked.

"Yep." Savannah quipped as they reached the gate.  She twirled around to face him.  "Would you like to come in?  If I'm the only one who can see you, it shouldn't be a problem."

Delocray eyed the spiked fence. "I-"

"Savannah!" a voice shouted from the church.  Savannah spun around.  Jericho was making his way down the cobble stone path, hands stuffed in his pockets.  "Where were you?" he gasped, reaching her.

"Taking the long way home from work." Savannah lied smoothly. 

"Father Crossheart is freaking out-" Jericho cut off. "Where are your glasses?" he asked worriedly.

Savannah glanced to her side.  Delocray had vanished.  She looked back to Jericho. "I forgot them in my gym locker."

Jericho scanned the area around the church.  He snatched Savannah's arm, pulling her into the confines of the fence.  Shuffling her past, he closed the gate and latched the lock.  He pulled a small vial of clear liquid from his jacket pocket.  Sprinkling the water, he chanted, "Diabolus Recedemus." and crossed himself. 

Taking Savannah's arm once again, he guided her to the church doors.  His grip was tight as he dragged her further into the sanctified grounds.  Savannah gulped.  Something wasn't right.

(A/N:  And the Second Plane is finally explained!  However, it looks like the secrets and the lies only continue...what is Jericho hiding?  Why did Delocray disappear?  How will you ever get answers?  Do I even know the answers?  Come back next week to find out! Also, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the stories progression in the comment section below!
💖Lots of Love,
Librarian's Cat)