Maribel. She had pulled on an overlarge black sweater, leather patches on the elbows and over the shoulders, along with a faded pair of jeans.
“So,” she said, walking over to sit heavily on the couch. “How are you? How are you holding up?”
Maribel frowned, not wanting to examine herself, look too closely at what was going on in her mind, her heart. “I don’t know. Not well?” She trailed off, unsure of how to continue.
“I’m sorry, that was a dumb question.” Isobel hiked her feet up onto the couch, knees coming up beneath her chin, and looked moodily at where Maribel sat. “But ever since you left I’ve been haunted by what you’re going through.” A fine line appeared between Isobel’s brows. “I think you’re incredibly brave and strong to keep going like this, to keep fighting. I would have curled up and not left my room for a year.”
Maribel stirred uneasily in her seat, not wanting to follow this line of thought, to probe those areas of her soul. Instead she nodded and pushed on, returning to her original intention. “Thank you. I came to see you because I really need your help.”
“Hmm,” said Isobel, reaching out for her mug. The temperature in the room was chill, and Isobel clearly relished the heat baking off the mug. “My help. And you don’t want another reading. Maribel, if you need a friend, if you’re looking for somebody to talk to, then I’m happy to listen—“
“No,” said Maribel, cutting her off. Isobel raised an eyebrow and Maribel rushed in to apologize, “I mean, thank you, but that’s not why I’m here. I don’t—I don’t need a friend, or anything for myself. I need your help with Sofia. With this Kubu.”
“Kubu,” said Isobel, and then looked down into her tea. “I wish I hadn’t plucked that name out of the dark. It’s an evil name, evil in a way I can’t explain. In a way that doesn’t even make sense any more today, in our modern world.” She actually shivered, and held her warm mug closer. Looked up. “Maribel, we’ve just met and I already care for you, feel a connection with you—something strong ever since our reading—but I don’t know if I can help you in that way. I don’t know if I would even want to if I could.”
Maribel sat up a little straighter. Need brought out her strength, “I know this isn’t your problem. She isn’t your baby girl. But she’s all I have in the world, I’m all she has, and I can’t leave her down there alone. She’s down there right now , this very moment, and I have to get to her, I have to.” Tears had sprung into her eyes, and she rubbed them away impatiently. “So please. I’ll pay you whatever you want. Just take me to the place where you sensed Kubu.”
Her words hung in the air. Isobel stared at her, and then set the mug down. “Take you to Kubu.”
“Yes,” said Maribel, suddenly frightened that the woman would say no. “Please.”
Isobel shook her head slowly, “Go down into those tunnels. Just you and me to find that thing. Maribel, you don’t know what you’re asking.”
“Yes I do,” snapped Maribel, “Or, more accurately, it doesn’t matter what I’m asking because I need to do this. No matter what it takes. I am going. I want your help. I need your help. But if you don’t go I will still try it alone.” She realized she was sitting on the edge of her seat, glaring at the psychic, who was matching her gaze with a soft and compassionate look that unsettled her.
Isobel took a deep breath. For a long moment the two women simply looked at each other, and then Isobel took up her mug once more. “Ever since our reading, my… my ‘senses’ if you will, my psychic awareness has been awake in a manner I’ve never experienced before. It’s as if I was a lock and you were the key, and your visit opened something inside me, and I…” She trailed off, looked down into her tea. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. Or dreaming about… that thing down
“So,” she said, walking over to sit heavily on the couch. “How are you? How are you holding up?”
Maribel frowned, not wanting to examine herself, look too closely at what was going on in her mind, her heart. “I don’t know. Not well?” She trailed off, unsure of how to continue.
“I’m sorry, that was a dumb question.” Isobel hiked her feet up onto the couch, knees coming up beneath her chin, and looked moodily at where Maribel sat. “But ever since you left I’ve been haunted by what you’re going through.” A fine line appeared between Isobel’s brows. “I think you’re incredibly brave and strong to keep going like this, to keep fighting. I would have curled up and not left my room for a year.”
Maribel stirred uneasily in her seat, not wanting to follow this line of thought, to probe those areas of her soul. Instead she nodded and pushed on, returning to her original intention. “Thank you. I came to see you because I really need your help.”
“Hmm,” said Isobel, reaching out for her mug. The temperature in the room was chill, and Isobel clearly relished the heat baking off the mug. “My help. And you don’t want another reading. Maribel, if you need a friend, if you’re looking for somebody to talk to, then I’m happy to listen—“
“No,” said Maribel, cutting her off. Isobel raised an eyebrow and Maribel rushed in to apologize, “I mean, thank you, but that’s not why I’m here. I don’t—I don’t need a friend, or anything for myself. I need your help with Sofia. With this Kubu.”
“Kubu,” said Isobel, and then looked down into her tea. “I wish I hadn’t plucked that name out of the dark. It’s an evil name, evil in a way I can’t explain. In a way that doesn’t even make sense any more today, in our modern world.” She actually shivered, and held her warm mug closer. Looked up. “Maribel, we’ve just met and I already care for you, feel a connection with you—something strong ever since our reading—but I don’t know if I can help you in that way. I don’t know if I would even want to if I could.”
Maribel sat up a little straighter. Need brought out her strength, “I know this isn’t your problem. She isn’t your baby girl. But she’s all I have in the world, I’m all she has, and I can’t leave her down there alone. She’s down there right now , this very moment, and I have to get to her, I have to.” Tears had sprung into her eyes, and she rubbed them away impatiently. “So please. I’ll pay you whatever you want. Just take me to the place where you sensed Kubu.”
Her words hung in the air. Isobel stared at her, and then set the mug down. “Take you to Kubu.”
“Yes,” said Maribel, suddenly frightened that the woman would say no. “Please.”
Isobel shook her head slowly, “Go down into those tunnels. Just you and me to find that thing. Maribel, you don’t know what you’re asking.”
“Yes I do,” snapped Maribel, “Or, more accurately, it doesn’t matter what I’m asking because I need to do this. No matter what it takes. I am going. I want your help. I need your help. But if you don’t go I will still try it alone.” She realized she was sitting on the edge of her seat, glaring at the psychic, who was matching her gaze with a soft and compassionate look that unsettled her.
Isobel took a deep breath. For a long moment the two women simply looked at each other, and then Isobel took up her mug once more. “Ever since our reading, my… my ‘senses’ if you will, my psychic awareness has been awake in a manner I’ve never experienced before. It’s as if I was a lock and you were the key, and your visit opened something inside me, and I…” She trailed off, looked down into her tea. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. Or dreaming about… that thing down
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