Several days before Descolauchâs disappearanceâŚ
I couldnât help but chuckle as I looked at the circumstance in front of me. Life was getting much stranger now that alternate realities were mixing, and as such an entirely different Professor Layton was speaking with my Desmond â my fiancĂŠ. In some ways, the two of them were complete strangers. But at the same time, they were still brothers in a sense. The two of them were discussing various supernatural phenomena that had been occurring lately. It certainly made sense, there seemed to be constant weirdness everywhere I looked these days. An unexplainable shift in the air here, strange sounds there.
âBlay? Are you well?â Desmondâs voice suddenly broke me from my thoughts, causing me to blink back into focus to look at him. He had a mildly concerned look on his face. Why was heâŚ?
âIâm just relaxed, Des. Itâs really nice to listen to you talk sometimes.â I reassured him with a smile, giving him a gentle bonk with my forehead. It was very easy for me to forget that I have a Resting Sad Face when Iâm completely relaxed, which is a state that Iâm not commonly seen in. I usually find myself get fidgety and needing to work on something, which causes my face to express a variety of focused emotions. âI didnât mean to worry you; this is just how my face looks resting.â I added with a content sigh, earning a relaxed sigh in response.
âGood, good. After all the stress youâve had, lately, I didnât want to ignore youâŚâ He admitted, gently stroking my hand with his thumb, before I shuffled back to where I was seated with my cup.
âNow donât let me interrupt your talk! Itâs been a while since Iâve heard anything Paranormal!â I chimed with a smile, getting myself cozy. My excitement earned a lighthearted chuckle from Layton.
âYou seem quite used to the subject, yourself. Youâre familiar?â He inquired with a curious smile.
âI actually grew up in a haunted house, but I didnât witness much of it. Mostly just the sound of someone running up and down the hall when everyone else was in bed.â I admitted, earning a soft âAhâ in response. âBut weâre not talking about my childhood house, you two are talking about the now!â
âOf course, of course.â Layton chuckled.
The two of them continued to discuss the going ons as of late, an exciting mix of what Desmond himself was dealing with now and other instances happening around. As they spoke, I began reminiscing on the house I grew up in. It was one of those ambitious projects that a lot of younger couples attempted to have at that time; The classic American Dream of a spacious house with a yard, two kids and a dog kind of situation. Given that mom had been managing a Pet Store at the time, the dog dream upgraded to a veritable zoo of animals. But the dream always seems so impossible when it all only grows more and more expensive. The house itself needed a mortgage to obtain, and needed plenty of TLC that would have required a second one to be able to fix. And then having kids? I had a pretty good idea of how much money me and my brother costed in order to raise.
I started thinking about my brother again. God, how long had it been, now? Five years? Time was relentlessly marching forward. I thought about my momâs plan to have brought him to Las Vegas for his 21st birthday, wondering if I would have tried to find a way to go with them. Wasnât I working two jobs at the time? Yeah, I think I was. I probably could have worked it out if I wanted to. My 21st was so mild and boring in comparison. At the same time, would I have? A sharp pain burned in my chest, and seeing Desmond and Hershel speaking to each other honestly probably wasnât helping. These two specific instances of Desmond and Hershel may not have been each otherâs brothers, butâŚÂ That connection that only siblings have was still clearly present. Despite Desmondâs more⌠Dramatic and illegal tendencies, the two of them still had some level of closeness to their corresponding brothers that allowed them to get along well. Was there a chance I could meet a Ben from a different universe? One where everything was fine? One where I was the one who was gone, instead of him? What would we do? How would we cope with having to return to our own lives without each other? What-
âBlay!â Desmondâs startled voice was only just enough to return me to the present as a sudden searing pain shot up my fingers, causing me to drop my cup. Tea that was now suddenly violently boiling over spilled onto my hand, forcing me to bite back a string of curses as my skin turned a very angry red. I flinched slightly at the sound of the porcelain shattering against the floor, the remaining liquid almost instantly cooling back to its original temperature.
âFfffffâŚ. Sorry, thatâs my badâŚâ I hissed an apology, looking at the shattered remains of the cup.
âNo, do not blame yourself for this again.â Desmond suddenly demanded, gently pulling my face to look at him. âYou had no means of controlling what had just occurred, just like all the other incidents. I will not accept you taking blame for this, understood?â His voice was firm and controlling, but also loving and concerned. I stared into his eyes for a few moments, letting myself simply have this moment of being held.
âYeah⌠Youâre rightâŚâ I eventually sigh, earning a relaxed smile from him as he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.
âI will go find some burn cream for you while Raymond clears this mess.â He explained before walking away, Raymond soon taking his place, sweeping up the shattered pieces with ease.
âMay I inspect the burn, Mistress?â he asked, holding his hand out. I gave him a soft smile, letting him look at my hand.
âI donât think itâll be too bad⌠Itâll probably just sting for a couple of daysâŚâ I commented as he looked it over. During that period, I could feel it.
One from something immense.
Something from beyond what I can see was definitely watching me, but it wasâŚÂ Something new.
It wasnât whatever was responsible for the tea.
âI believe your observations are quite true, Mistress. Now, I must take my leave to dispose of these shards.â Raymond commented calmly, backing out of the room with a bow. I let out a soft exhale in amusement. Raymond always had this⌠Uncanny sense of timing with anything he said. Sometimes I legitimately wondered if he was capable of reading minds, or if the universe simply decided he was going to be blessed with the most comedic timing in all of existence.
But that piercing gaze was lingering. And it was lining up with where Hershel was sitting. It was probably going through him.
âSome cultures consider it quite rude to stare, ProfessorâŚâ I remind him gently, looking over the pattern of red that spread over my hand. Hershelâs sudden startled noise caused me to look in his direction, allowing me to catch a glimpse of his flustered expression.
âOf course! My sincerest apologies!â He blurted out, making himself quite stiff. Just about any Professor Hershel Layton you could meet was quite proper and gentlemanly to a fault, and this one was no exception. âI was simply⌠Quite curious about the events that occurred. You didnât seem to be present at the time, but your tea just⌠Started a very aggressive rolling boil.â
Had I been a conventional type of logical thinker, I would have believed such an incident would be impossible. And under conventional logic, it is.
But the universe is too expansive and unknowing to let conventional be the only thing that can fit.
âYeah, teaâs not typically able to self-boil like thatâŚâ I admit, gently tapping on the burn to gage how tender it was. Ow, yeah pretty tender. âStrange things have been happening for a while, so Iâve just gotten used to itâŚâ I muttered absentmindedly.
Maybe I should have kept quiet, I could feel the gaze get more intense. Whatever this being was, I definitely got its attention.
âWould you like to talk about it..?â Hershel asked gently, but another voice layered over his in the back of my head.
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I couldnât describe how the voice sounded to me. It was more like a tangible presence than an actual sound. But I could feel a strong urge quickly build inside me to talk.
Specifically about the most certainly paranormal activities going on around me.
Fortunately, I could stall it by doing a bit of memory digging. While I knew when the bulk of these events started, it certainly wasnât the actual beginning. I noticed the pattern pretty easily after a while, and my mom was quite sharp in helping me determine when something was off too. Even if they couldnât put the problem to words, we knew that there wasâŚ
But I wasnât exactly very enthused about the idea of something else compelling me to talk, even if itâs completely unrelated to whateverâs causing my other problems.
âI guess⌠I first noticed things happening when I was still a teenager⌠My grandpa had passed away from his MS. We all knew it was going to happen, but⌠I wasnât really okay as a result. My Depression spiked pretty bad, andâŚÂ There was this⌠Burning sensationâŚâ I explained, clutching the fabric of my shirt over my chest. Even now, that uncomfortable heat sat, like when you swallowed food that was too hot.
âEvery time I dwelled on it, itâd get worse, too. AndâŚÂ Flames would just act on their own. Candles would lean towards me, smoke would intensify and follow no matter itâs source⌠Things like that. It wasnât really so severe, untilâŚâ I couldnât help but pause, taking some deep breaths to steel my nerves.
âUntil..?â Layton inquired, tilting his head slightly.
âWhen my brother was killedâŚâ I answered solemnly, giving him the time he needed to process that revelation.
âO-Oh⌠I⌠I see⌠Blay, I am so sorry, I-â Hershel started, but I gently held my hand up to pause him.
âItâs okay, Professor. Youâre not at fault for this, itâs beyond our controlâŚâ I gave him a gentle and knowing smile, watching his expressions as he processed what I had just said.
âWhen Ben was taken from us, everything just seemed to⌠Stop for me. I lived in a constant state where thatâs⌠All I could really think about, and that burning sensation became a wildfire inside me⌠Honestly, I wouldnât be surprised if thatâs what it felt like to be burned alive.â I chuckled hollowly.
âAfter I got over the⌠Initial mourning, thatâs when⌠This startedâŚâ I gestured towards my hand. âEvery time Iâd start missing him, things would just go out of their way to burn me⌠Candle flame almost jumping at me, things randomly heating up at inopportune moments. The more I miss him, the worse it gets, most especially around December. And thenâŚâ
âAnd then..?â He almost sounded exacerbated from how this was almost unending, and I honestly didnât really blame him for it.
âThings would happen⌠Close calls, near death experiences, or even just⌠Unexpected events to the people I love⌠Friends and family. As things kept happening, I⌠I got so easily afraid of losing them and⌠Every time Iâd get this⌠Intense fever. And itâd persist until I knew that they were okayâŚâ I simply trailed off, losing my steam. Good, it seemed that the compulsion was running out.
âHow long has that been going on?â Hershel asked with genuine concern.
âTiny bit over five years nowâŚâ I explained, scratching the back of my head, before letting out a chuckle. âI gotta thank you, Professor⌠It feels refreshing to be able to talk more openly about this to someoneâŚâ
âIâm glad I could be of some help for you.â Layton smiled, taking a drink of his tea.
âItâs not exactly⌠Common for me to find someone who can help me narrow down what sort of beingis causing thisâŚâ I explained further, refusing to hold back my punches now. If whatever was piggybacking off of the Professor was intrigued by what I had to say, Iâm gonna let it know exactly who itâs gonna be dealing with.
I watched as Layton suddenly grew very tense, a deep concern flashing through his eyes as they darted about rapidly.
He was trying to figure out how to avoid bringing them up.
âIâm not entirely sure I understand what you mean-â
âIâm not numb to it all, Professor...â I suddenly interrupt him, giving him an exhausted smile. âIâm all too painfully aware of... The sheer layers of Reality that exist around us. Every time something looks at me, I can feel the shift... Whateverâs been causing these burns has been doing this for years, and I felt its presence the moment it got itself involved in my life... A pizza oven that had been powered off for hours doesnât just spontaneously heat to the point of causing second degree burns to my arm the moment I brush past it unless something beyond the human perception of reality is at play... And I have the paperwork and camera footage to back that statement.â
The moment I uttered that word, I watched Layton become uncomfortably stiff, and the presence watching us was... Overbearing.
âPerhaps I shouldnât have gone that far...â I admitted, feeling myself buckle slightly under the pressure.
âPerhaps not...â Layton confirmed, fiddling with his collar. He proceeded to chastise me about my choices.
At least, I think he was.
The looming presence made the air around me so heavy that I just⌠Couldnât think straight. The sheer change in pressure was causing a very intense migraine to build, and it was only getting worse with every passing second. I knew that Layton was speaking, but nothing was being heard. All I could focus on was the intense pressure pressing this horrific migraine on me, the kind that makes that sharp pain you feel behind your eyes, and this constant ringing in my ears growing louder and louder and louder and-
âOKAY, I FUCKING GET IT! JUST BACK OFF FOR TWO SECONDS!!â I suddenly snapped, barely registering the way that Layton jumped at my outburst. It took me a couple of beats before I realizedâŚ
He thought I was yelling at him.
âN⌠Not you, Professor, Iâm sorry⌠IâŚâ I sighed, rubbing my temples. âI donât know⌠What is in the room with us, but⌠Iâve always been⌠Painfully sensitive to when⌠Something big has its attention on me⌠Itâs like a change in air pressure⌠And this⌠Thing thatâs looking at me right nowâs making that pressure so⌠Intense, thatâŚâ My words began to mumble as I trailed off, trying hard to massage the migraine out as best I could. The worst of it was my damned Tinnitus flaring up to such extremes. All I could hear was that high pitched whine.
I could see the Professor still trying to talk to me, but the words couldnât reach me. I simply shook my head in response.
âI canât hear you right nowâŚâ I explained slowly, focusing on how each word felt as it left my mouth.
âLook, I donât know what you are⌠But I can tell you like knowing things⌠I experience things all the time, and Iâm more than happy to tell you all about them as they happen, but⌠I canât focus with you staring at me so hardâŚÂ Iâm still a frail mortal, yeah? Take a couple steps back, pleaseâŚ.â I mumbled quietly, in a desperate attempt to appeal to this thing. It was absolutely stupid of me, I know. Trying to bargain with some unknowable entity beyond the human realm of comprehension. But I really shot myself in the foot getting its attention, so I was just gonna have to do some damage control and lie in this can of worms I opened.
To my relief, it seemed to at least humor me, and the pressure wasnât nearly as intense as it was. I let out a sigh as I massaged out the tension in my head, making small pops with my mouth to clear out my ears. Within a few moments, it wasnât completely clear, but it was manageable.
âI think... Iâm good now...â I sighed as I massaged behind my ears.
âYou ought to be more cautious... As you said, you donât know what you are trying to deal with...â Â Layton warned in a concerned tone, taking an absentminded sip of his tea.
âYeah, I... Definitely let my frustration get the better of me, there...â I admitted, scratching my head. âAlthough, in all fairness, I was frustrated in the first place because I donât exactly appreciate being compelled to speak.â
A slight cough sputtered from Layton as he looked around in a guilty manner. Yeah, he definitely knew about that. I let out a light chuckle at his reaction.
âNext time, just let me open up on my own, yeah? Iâm a lot more agreeable once itâs on my terms...â I suggested with a smile, looking around. Des had been gone for a while...
âNext time..?â Layton inquired.
âDid you think I was just talking out my ass trying to get them to back off?â I laughed, which only grew stronger as I watched him be taken aback by my choice of words. âI have a feeling a lot of strange things are gonna be happening from now on. And thereâs no one better to talk to than someone who understands you!â
âI suppose you are correct there...â Layton chuckled lightly, before noticing Desmond finally return to the room. âOh! There you are..!â
âAre you alright, Des? You were gone for a while...â I commented, tilting my head slightly as he looked at me with confusion.
âI... Was? I was sure it was only a couple of minutes...â He answered, thinking hard about what had happened. I let out a soft sigh.
âEverything weird is happening, I guessâŚÂ Câmere, that doesnât really matter anymore.â I comment, reaching my hands out and making little grasping motions at him.
âAlright, alright, Iâm coming.â Des chuckled, sitting next to me and wrapping an arm around me. âReaching out for me like a toddler, are we?â He teased, opening the bottle of cream.
âOh, my sincerest apologies, my good sir, wonât you join me on the sofa for a bit of canoodling?â I playfully mocked, presenting my burnt hand to him, earning a snicker and a playful shove.
I noted the slightest hint of ozone clinging to him as he massaged the ointment into my hand.
