Magic Spawn Origins

Magic Spawn: Chapter 40

by Meredith Skye

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The police office had light and power, possibly from a backup generator, as all the other power nearby seemed to be out. Haley had shown the video several times to Frank, the beady-eyed dispatcher who looked like a librarian with his horn-rimmed glasses on. It showed a mage raising an army of zombies from the Old Mill pond with the help of Kyran. It also showed them killing a girl.

Frank peered over his little glasses at it. "You shot that against a blue-screen. That's just some kind of Special FX."

"Technically," said Anya, "I think you mean Visual Effect."

"No, it's not either of those," said Haley, irritated, ignoring Anya's outburst. "You think I have money to do these kind of special effects?"

"How should I know?" demanded Frank, irritated. "Kids these days ... and their computers," he muttered. "You know Daren is looking for you," he told Rian.

"I know. But you've got to listen to us. Something is going on," said Rian.

Frank shook his head.

Haley took the camera away and sat down at a nearby table, next to Anya.

Just then the door opened and Daren entered, escorting two ragged looking hunters. It was Vernon and Jesse. They spotted Rian.

"Oh hey, Rian," said Vernon. "Tell Daren that Jesse and I are clean. We are not high." He glanced back at Daren, indignant, but looking rather high.

"This is bullshit!" objected Jesse. He leaned in to Vernon. "We should move to Washington!" he whispered. Vernon nodded sagely.

"You again," growled Daren, spotting Rian.

Aldena stepped forward. "Now hold on Daren. We were just trying to convince Frank here that your town's in real trouble."

"You're the ones in real trouble!" Daren retorted. "Resisting arrest! What would your mother say?"

"I don't know. She's been kidnapped. You're her brother, for Heaven's sake!" said Rian. "You have to do something!"

"Yeah, I'll do something—lock you up for starters!" He came around the desk so that he was standing in front of Rian.

"We can help you," offered Vernon, confidentially to Rian.

"Absolutely," said Jesse. But they were both handcuffed.

"Shut up you two," said Daren. "You ain't helping no one."

"We have proof, on video," said Rian. "That someone's raising the dead and making zombies out near the Old Mill."

Daren snorted at that.

Frank shrugged. "They did have the footage. Pretty good, too, it is."

Just then the telephone rang. Apparently the landline wasn't effected by whatever was going on. Frank scurried over to answer it.

"I'm going to have to put you under arrest," said Daren.

"You can't!" argued Rian. "I can help. I've seen this wizard. I can fight him—you need me!"

"I have three dead bodies now and you were there every time," said Daren.

"Two dead bodies now," said Rian. "Westin is still alive."

Daren grabbed Rian by the arm. "I'm going to lock you up in a cell and throw away the key—maybe that will quiet things down around here from the twisted, hair-brained Halloween stunts you and your friends are trying to pull!"