Case 20: Entry 1

Fun fact: a lot of my clients don't actually believe in the supernatural. I've had plenty of jobs doing fake rituals for mental patients, finding teenagers and college kids who got mixed up in neo-pagan cults, and analyzing crimes with occult elements. On cases like that, my clients don't need to believe in the supernatural, they just need to believe that they other people in the equation do. So it wasn't that out of the ordinary when I got a call from an attorney wanting me to testify as an occult expert this morning.

There's been a streak of violent murders in the greater Sacramento area over the past two months, and  someone is finally going to trial over it. From what I've heard from my law enforcement contact (including the person who called me this morning; it turns out wheedling information out of people is mostly a matter of being annoying and trying to seem innocuously idiotic), there's a ton of evidence connecting this guy to the crimes, but most of it is scattered around; there's only one murder that they can really pin on him. He also has a bunch of supernatural paraphernalia. The prosecution is hoping that I'll be able to tell them he was trying to use harmful magic so that it can add to the total weight of evidence and also prove premeditation.

Well, I'd better put on some pants. I've got some evidence to examine.

Case 18: Entry 6

According to most magical theory, a curse sort of like a photograph. It's a moment of time frozen and impressed upon some person or object. Within that moment is a conjunction of powers, some manner of doom, and the will of the caster laying the curse. Sometimes the curse in a "like calling to like" kind of way where misfortune is simply drawn to its subject, but other curses exude a kind of quasi-spiritual force that actively draws the external world into alignment. I'm pretty sure this is the second kind. Whatever the case, the important thing to know about fighting a curse is that it's not like slaying a monster so much as it's like solving a puzzle or playing a role. A curse is essentially a narrative, and the only to beat it is to do it in a way that fits into that narrative. It's like if you suddenly discovered your life was a tragic novel: the only way to avoid the tragedy would be to find the underlying conflict and create an alternative resolution.

Of course, this curse wasn't set by a gypsy woman who just wanted to be carried up a mountain. This curse was laid by a particularly nasty witch who wanted revenge on the dude who had cut his psychotic murder party short. I'm not exactly sure what role I'd need to play to break that curse. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure I've got a loophole of some sort. The bindings that kept the curse at bay have probably been disintegrating since Mr. Belmonte left the mortal coil, but the whole thing didn't really snap until I examined that chimera, a fact which seems to have brought me inside the whole matter. I'm still an outsider, but I'm also an insider. And there's the fact that the curse itself has been thrown out of whack as a result of being bound up. I think I can fight this. I just need some drugs. Probably a lot of drugs.

* * * * *

I can hear the curse stirring. It's almost time.

I made a second circle within the larger one. Right now Emily is in there while I get ready. I made some symbols on my forehead using her blood in order to fool the curse's animate presence into flowing into me, and I've got the drugs ready now. The concoction is mostly peyote with a few other psychedelics mixed in. All that's left to do is take the drugs and break the outer circle.

Here goes nothing.

* * * * *

I could tell when the vision began because my mind felt suddenly clear. The active quasi-spirit latched onto me as soon as the circle was broken, and immediately my mind and spirit were drawn into that same scene that had been unfolding in my mind every time I passed out. I could still feel the drugs working on me, but I could also tell that they were no longer distorting my perception of reality. Instead, they were allowing me to perceive the curse with a sharper clarity than would otherwise be possible. And they were allowing me to be there and no die or go insane. That too.

The witch had taken up residence in the ruins of a medieval tower. The place was full of talismans and totems all arranged much like Mr. Belmonte's home, except that where Belmonte's estate had been designed to bind and ward off dark magic this place had been designed to facilitate and amplify it. There were carved skulls, stuffed ravens, stone figures with leering eyes and wide, hungry jaws. What's more, everywhere I looked it was like staring at a professional photograph. The whole thing was a work of artistry with every little detail designed to convey the meaning and intention behind the curse. It was a work of crystalline art. And I had come for the explicit purpose of smashing the whole thing to bits.

Sometimes I just love my job.

Before I was quite sure what I was doing, I pressed my hand against the wall and began to recite the Beatitudes. At the point of contact a piece of parchment unfolded, and from it spread spiderweb cracks leaking golden light. When I had finished I went and repeated the action at another spot. Before I finished the second recitation I heard the fight break out upstairs. I had just until Belmonte killed the witch to finish my work. As I finished reciting the Shema (in the original Hebrew, of course) I saw something out of the corner of my eye. When I finished I took a look around and saw nothing there. I started another recitation and this time I clearly saw...something. I don't know what it was exactly, but it scared the crap out of me. But when I finished the recitation I realized that it was just an illusion formed from a particular conjunction of lighting and furniture. Of course, this was all just an artistic representation after all. Just because something was an optical illusion didn't necessarily mean it wasn't plotting to rend the flesh from my bones.

I'm not paranoid. I promise.

Anyway, I wasn't sure I had disturbed the curse enough, so I kept on going. Just as I finished one more recitation, something--some very not illusory thing--crawled out of the shadows. It's skin was grey, and there were several gashes glowing with pale, green light, but its shape was mostly human. It lunged at me. I raised my arms in a defensive gesture and it knocked me to the floor, clawing and biting at me all the while. I might have died if I had not spent so much time studying the Belmonte family tree and the ways in which the curse had claimed them.

"In the name of Adonai," I shouted. "I rebuke you, o doom of Thomas Eckhart Belmonte."

With that, the bit of the curse's spiritual presence that had absorbed the death of Thomas Belmonte screamed and shattered into a thousand blackened shards. I had only a moment before I was attacked by another warped reflection. And then another. And another. I fought them all until a door banged open above me and Caleb Belmonte slammed Raphael Guntram against the railing of the balcony leading into the tower's second story. I slammed my hand down on the floor and began to recite Psalm 49. I didn't notice then, but I think time slowed down in the curse while I did that. I believe Caleb Belmonte tossed the witch off the balcony as I began, and he struck the ground a few moments after I finished. Perhaps it was the damage I had already done to the curse, or perhaps because it was climactic (like I said, curses are all about narrative structure and power), or perhaps it was during that fall that Raphael Guntram laid the curse. Whatever the case, I had time for the recitation. And when the witch struck the paved floor, the whole curse shattered.

I was back in the Belmonte estate, and before me I saw a vile, green shadow of Raphael Guntram writhing on the floor. I saw a cloud of something come out of his mouth, something full of tormented faces and obscene sigils. And then I saw it all collapse back into itself as the house shook with the final dying spasms of Raphael Guntram.

* * * * *

Well, the curse is lifted. Time to get back to the actual job. A lot of the inheritance was lost in the struggle, but there's still a considerable fortune left over, and I've got a good idea of the people I should be selling to. Some of the items are a bit too dangerous so I'll have to give them to the Agency. That'll come out of my commission, but at least it'll buy me some good feelings with them. I'm pretty sure I should still come out making two or three hundred thousand off these deals. Of course, quite a lot of that will go to research, materials for arcane instruments, and "investments" in new contacts. That last part is about bribes. Just in case that wasn't clear. This business does get expensive. Anyway, I think I'll take a few months off. Go on a road trip. Visit local supernatural landmarks and all that. Until the next job.

Case 18: Entry 5

Well, the progress was great while it lasted. So far everything I've tried to learn more about whatever is in here with us has failed. I tried some basic rituals for calling up ghosts, and none of them have had any result. I tried some wards and rituals against djinns, and those actually did result in some odd noises and shaking objects but nothing I tried got a clearer reaction than that. There wasn't even the tiniest fire or shattered vase or anything. It was all very disappointing. I also went around taking pictures of the whole place, and I found some spots with unusual amounts of arcane energy that couldn't be explained by the house's defenses. However, when I took pictures of the same spots again there was nothing, so I can't count on the thing having a particular place it's tied to. Oh, and I'm pretty sure I've passed out at least three more times. As before, I didn't even notice until I realized there were blank spots in my memory. And I did it in front of Emily once. She says I fell over and started bleeding from my nose. Except that the blood was writhing around and it evaporated, which is all very unblood-like behavior. Oh, and she keeps hearing whispering noises and rustling sounds that get closer until they seem to hit the circle. So that's holding up okay for now.

I suppose all that's left now is to go back to research. And if that doesn't get me anywhere I'll have to call up Tina.

* * * * *

I am so, so dumb. There is no ghost, or demon, or monster of any kind stalking the Belmonte family. It's a curse, one cast upon Caleb Belmonte and all his descendants by the dying witch. That explains so much. Nothing I tried worked because everything I used was irrelevant. Mr. Belmonte didn't leave a warning note behind because the curse was bound to him just like the rest of his bloodline and he was afraid of doing anything that might set it free again, even something as small as acknowledging its existence (don't laugh, it's been known to happen). The misfortunes of the family follow a cycle because that's how curses work.

The bad news about all this is that my defenses are even less effective than I thought. The good news is that I think I finally know how to beat this.

Case 18: Entry 4

Nothing. I've set traps baited with my own blood, put up little arcane alarms, and tried rituals to purify the house and none of it has done anything. I would have assumed that the thing was gone, except that I've been getting nosebleeds and and the whole house has shaken a few times. They just haven't had anything to do with any of my efforts. At least the circle around Emily has been holding out. So far. I've reinforced as best I can, but I've noticed a few of the other chimeras and other artifacts around the house have disappeared. If this entire house and everything in it is designed to keep this thing bound and it's still running rampant, what hope does one little protective circle have?

So...I think I might have just blacked out. I didn't notice anything had happened until I stared down at the screen and tried to remember what I had just been thinking about and I immediately got a vague memory of two figures, one human and one inhuman. The human figure seemed familiar somehow. Anyway, I had a nosebleed and it was about eight minutes after I had started this entry. I write slowly sometimes, but not that slowly. Experimentation isn't working. I've got to do some more research. If that doesn't provide a lead soon, then I'll have to call up one of my otherworldly contacts. There's only three with enough power and knowledge to be useful, and of them only one is the right fit for this kind of trouble. To be honest, the thought of summoning Tina makes me more scared for her than of her. I know it's been two or three hundred years since she was actually a little girl, and I know she sometimes can't tell the difference between harmless fun and homicidal mania, but I still don't like the idea of calling her here when I don't know what's prowling around. For all I know it could be something that eats ghosts. Maybe the research will turn something up.

* * * * *

I've got something! I've got something! The two people I saw were a half djinn witch from the early 1800s named Raphael Guntram and a hunter named Caleb Belmonte, also known in a few Agency files as the Caleb Fiendsbane. I found a brief account of the showdown hidden among the journals. I'm still not quite sure what to make of all this, but my best guess is that I'm either dealing with the ghost of Raphael or else something he called up. Whatever it is, I'm a lot closer to understanding it--a lot closer to killing it--than I was an hour ago.

Case 18: Entry 3

I am an idiot. I took a second glance at everything and the entire house is basically one giant talisman. The variety of artifacts, the artistry of the place, even the geometry of the house is all designed to create a single matrix of seriously powerful mojo. I checked it out with a black light and there are even secret runes painted all over the place. And I'm pretty sure the point of it all is...protective. That's why there's so many dark artifacts and grimoires here: partially because Mr. Belmonte was researching how to beat them, and partially because like calls to like. He needed them to ensure whatever it was he was so scared of. Why am I so dumb?

Oh, and there's something else I found when I took a second look at everything. According to some family journals and old documents mixed in with all the lore in the library, the whole Belmonte family seems to have a habit of suffering disastrous tragedies once every thirteen years. It looks like something (maybe a ghost or maybe a darker, less human thing) has been haunting them for generations. It stopped when Mr. Belmonte finished putting all this together, but my guess is that the protection/binding is lifted now. Which is not my fault. There is no way a routine examination of one measly little totem thingy should be able to do that!

Anyway, I've got emily in a salt circle and I've been doing all kinds of blessing around the house. That should keep us both mostly safe for now. It also helps to have sacred symbols and protective sigils literally branded into your flesh. No pain, no gain. Not to mention that this isn't a thirteenth year in the thing's cycle. Which probably won't mean much since whatever Mr. Belmonte did already threw it out of its normal pattern, but at least it might make it a little out of wack. All together, that might actually give me some time to narrow down my fifty or so rough ideas of what exactly might be going on here.

Time to hit the books. I always work best when I'm facing a deadline.

Case 18: Entry 2

I'm trying really, really hard to not drool. I'm not sure how well I'm doing. Most of the furniture, financial assets, art, and other property was left to charities and close friends, leaving only the house itself and the arcane paraphernalia to miss Belmonte. But that portion is...well, to someone in my circles the whole thing could be worth up to four million dollars. Of course, when you limit the client pool to peopleI know and trust or are vouched for by people I know and trust then you get some lower profits, but still...

I'll need a few days to properly assess everything, but I've managed to give it all a cursory glance to start off. Scattered around the house are little taxidermic chimeras mostly made from cats, crows, snakes, and similar small animals. I'll have to take a closer look, but I believe they are intended to be guardians to ward against evil magic. Of course, there are other purposes such constructs can serve. Anyway, there are also a number of cabinets full of various artifacts such as ancient ceremonial knives, lots etched with runes, traditional charms, minor relics, and even a hand of glory. Some of this stuff is seriously dark. Then there's the greenhouse and the adjoining pantry. In there you've got mandrake root, more herbs and spices than I can name, and arcane plants that only grow under very specific conditions such as a flower that must be planted on a mountain under a full moon on the summer solstice, a shrub which must be fertilized with the remains of a blind sheep, and a weed planted during a thunderstorm by a redheaded changeling to name a few. And then there are the drugs. When you're dealing with the supernatural sometimes you need some unusual medication to get things done. Try summoning a big time spirit without something to stretch your mind out first and you might spend the rest of your life in an insane asylum. In fact, it looks like the plants and fungi in this collection have been breed specifically for optimized mystical use rather than recreational purposes. I suspect a junkie who tried any of these for fun would be in for quite a surprise. Lastly, there was the library. There are over eighty books in this collection, including journals, collections of lore, academic works, and grimoires. There are also several amulets, totems, and other magical artifacts including jars that look like the ones they put the organs of mummified pharaohs in.

I've got some buyers in mind for various items. There's plenty of herbalists who would kill for the stock here. I know at least one person in the wizarding community, I can probably sell some of the books to him or someone he knows. I think I might be able to sell the chimeras to Mr. Straub as long as they're simply protective in nature. He does supernatural security, and he has some very shady clients. Like I said, I don't think I can sell those to him if they have any uses beyond defense. I'm going to have to take a look at my contacts again. But first, I'd like to re-examine some of the artifacts.

* * * * *

Okay. I don't know what happened exactly, but I just woke up on the floor in front of one of the chimeras. I had some kind of dream, but it's slipping away rapidly. I still remember...blood, a forrest, some foreign words...I think I knew the language in the dream. Oh, and all my instruments have gone insane. 

I am a professional. I will not run away screaming. I will scold myself for jinxing this later. I will sit down, look at everything again, and figure out what is happening. I will not curl up into a ball and cry about how this was supposed to be easy and something is probably going to try to kill me. I will definitely not do that.