We arrived at the site of Lillie's Little Love bugs, home for children or at least what was left of it. The home was a pile of rubble and rocks and nothing was left. Even the banner was ripped to shreds.
"What happened?" Her voice was shaky and filled with grief.
"Probably demolished it. It was quite old, being built in the early 60s." I examined the rubble as she stared at it without moving.
"Something...I don't...I can't..." Her words were jumbled as she suddenly put her hands over her ears and let out a piercing scream.
"What?! What is it!" I yelled as she crumpled to the ground, screaming in pain as I tried to push pass her voice and get a scent of the being at present.
"Show yourself " I growled as I was almost successful at pushing past the barrier when I felt a searing pain in my head and I had to let go.
Whatever this was, it was strong and powerful. Packed full of energy that didn't appear to deplete.
Ursula's screams had died down as she looked up to me with a pained look on her face, her hands sticky with blood that dripped down her ears.
"What was...that." She groaned as I pressed a finger on her forehead, healing her and removing the blood.
"I'm not sure. Perhaps it's some sort of demonic presence. Are you haunted by any spirits?" She shook her head as I got more frustrated by the mystery that shroud Ursula.
"Well? Do you remember anything?" She shook her head.
"This was useless." I pressed a hand against my eyes and sighed in frustration.
"Wait..." Ursula's voice was a mere whisper.
She sank to the ground and started digging through the rubble as if trying to excavate treasure of fossils. She was determined to find something that was for sure.
I sank down beside her and watched her dig, curiosity striking me down as I watched her tiny fingers scrape through the dirt and dust in search of something.
Eventually, I started pitching in. I didn't do dirty work, I dreaded getting my hands dirty but I suppose there's nothing wrong with helping someone out, not like I actually care but for the sake of curiosity.
We worked tirelessly under the gaze of the wretched sun burning holes into our backs and causing sweat to flow down our necks. We had made a hole so deep and huge yet there was nothing other than rubble.
"What are we looking for?" I coughed.
"Something." She replied mysteriously.
"And is that something important?" I questioned, slightly annoyed at her absent answers.
"I don't know." That was her curt answer.
If we did all these digging for nothing, I would personally drop her soul into the middle of the Atlantic ocean.
"Well then why are we-" I stopped as I felt something solid touch my fingers. I started scrambling through the dirt until I lifted a furry teddy bear out from the ashes of the rubble.
"What-" I barely had enough time to speak before the bear was snatched out of my hands and into Ursula's.
"Oh my dear teddy!" She squealed and pressed its dirty face against hers.
"All this for a bear?" I sighed.
"It's not just ANY bear. I Remember bits and pieces of my life in this orphanage now. I had a friend...no...it was my brother...no...I don't know the details but I do know that this bear was given to me by him. I don't remember his full name but I remember the bear's name and I named the bear after him." She said as she snuggled deep into its crusty fur.
"And? What's his name?" I tapped my foot impatiently, watching Ursula snuggle the bear made me quite uncomfortable that she had so much love for an inanimate object. Another thing that I did not understand was humans and their attachment to objects like cars, money, dolls and such. Once you die, those objects become meaningless, appearing like a mirage of their former being.
"His name was Hermes." His name rung a bell deep inside my head but I couldn't quite put my finger on why he name sounded so familiar.
We went back to the adoption clinic and to continue our search for anyone named Hermes in the files when we realised that the files were all gone, every single one of them. Someone didn't want us to meddle in Ursula's affairs. Curiouser and curiouser.
"What's going on?" Ursula sighed, exasperated.
"I don't know but I have a feeling..." The pieces were starting to fit.
"Huh? What are you-" Her words were cut off as we reappeared in a post office.
"Why are we-" I didn't let her finish her sentence before I disappeared into the back room which was strangely deserted, there were packages and parcels littering the area and letters overflowing the letterboxes.
"God of boundaries and transitions! Show yourself!" I demanded as Ursula burst into the room with a look of confusion.
The silence was overthrown by clapping, slow and even claps as the trickster himself reappeared from the shadows. He was short and stumpy and had the eyes that shown of whiskey and the life of a young boy. This was Hermes, the god of trade, thieves, travelers, sports, athletes, and border crossings. He was also our personal chauffeur to the Underworld.
He was Hermes, the god of thieves.
