Venator : Devil's Moon

XXVIII A N A H I T A

"Pam, can you check out Laura; she's not waking up." Sebastian said. He did his best to hide his worry. For some reason, he always tried to look tough even if he was melting inside.

"Seb, it's been just one day. Forget the sleeping beauty and get back to work. Have you asked - " She began with her usual blah blah blah.

Last night, when Sebastian had been sitting beside Laura, trying to subdue a volcano of worries and trying out every method of waking her up, Pamela was up all night gaping at her laptop screen. She'd then switched to her self-invented master phone when her similarly built up laptop finally refused
to execute her long tedious programs. And the entire system crashed as one of her programs generated a deadly virus. Now, she'd also destroyed her phone in frustration and had switched to the traditional method - scanning every page of a heap of scriptures and handbooks she had in her limitless depository. And the fury and frustration in her eyes was so intent, she would perhaps end up ripping apart every book of her treasure, including the 'Psychiatricana Ritualis'

"No, you gotta check her. Look, she's not even breathing." Sebastian said.

"It's supposed to be that way, Seb!" Pamela said. She was tired of answering the same question over and over again. And not finding anything about the Mark wasn't helping her mood.

But then she noticed 'breathing' and paused.

"Actually, then there might be some problem." She said and saw Sebastian's eyes widen with fear.

Pamela hurried and checked Laura's pulse and even her eyes bulged out. The pulse was about to die, if it hadn't already.

"Seb, can you pass me on the Silmethella?" Pamela said hiding her fear.

"Pam, what's going on?" Sebastian said worriedly.

Pamlea said no word and kneeled down to find Silmethella. She found the goblet in which the liquid was still frothing giving out nasty vapours. But now, the liquid was no longer blue green. It had now turned grey.

"Pam?" Sebastian asked again. But the petrified statue won't answer.

"Well, I think I added the wrong ingredient." She said.

"I made Promethella stead of Silmethella and-" she paused.

"And?" Sebastian asked, clearly not understanding the difference between the two.

"Promethella is a strong poison. Very strong." She completed and Sebastian felt as if someone has dragged all the blood out of him. Was he having hearing problems?

"Wait, I...I can heal her."

"I think."

She tried to lift up the atmosphere but Sebastian needed no psychic eyes to see what was going on in her mind. Nothing. She'd no clue of reviving Laura.

She closed her eyes and thought for a moment, while Sebastian struggled to form words or maintain his brain straight. How could the best researcher in the world make a mistake this huge?
Pamela then hurried further inside the house while Sebastian still stood still like a statue, dazed.

Before Sebastian would loose his control, Pamela quickly returned, holding a huge pot, a burner and an ancient looking hat, the kind witches wore.

She again went in and brought a set of beakers filled with a variety of shrub juices and chemicals.
She then mixed small quantities of the chemicals and poured the mixture into the pot. She placed the burner beneath the pot and switched it on.

At first, nothing happened. Then the mixture started frothing and becoming denser. The green liquid grew more and more violet as it kept on frothing. Soon, a dark violet layer formed over the surface of the mixture.