“Clarice.”

A voice on the wind. A voice from nowhere. Spectre called quietly to the young witch. It called out to her from the Beyond, letting just the tiniest fraction of its Voice reach her; just enough to make her think she heard something, but of course there was never anyone there.

“Clarice.”

At first it only called to her when she was alone, when it was easiest just to dismiss the sensation. But as the days went by, it spoke to her more often - in the company of others. Others who have no knowledge of the Voice.

“Clarice.”

Subdued as it was, Spectre’s Voice would have had little physical effect on the girl, even if it had been trying to provoke a sensation. No, these were mere whispers, just enough to get her attention. But slowly, they grew stronger, harder to dismiss or ignore; and more frequent, but always with at least enough time between to make her wonder.

“Clarice.”

Then the day came; the time was ripe, the calls frequent and strong enough to prove a true distraction. And they stopped. All that morning, the strange sensations never came. Not when she first awoke. Not while she was preparing for the day. Not even during her first class. Perhaps the ordeal was over? But no, Spectre was just biding its time. Waiting patiently and watching. Watching for the perfect time to strike.

“Clarice.”

These past few months were starting to meld together...ever since she and Kanoe became an 'item'. The first two weeks have been rather easy going with classes.

But...something strange has been happening with these 'easy' days.

At first she could've sworn she was hearing a whispered voice call out her name, but she soon dismissed as being paranoid. Sometimes it was with the wind and carried a rather eerie tone to it, but still she just thought she was merely hearing things.

But...something strange has been happening with these 'easy' days. The voice was getting becoming harder to ignore, and now it was even calling her name out in public. Still it was just to hushed to be anyone trying to pull a prank on her from behind. Maybe it was still just being paranoid? Even at nights when she was asleep she could faintly hear some one or something calling her name. Still she sleeps well with it.

But the past two days have been unbelievable. Now its seemed to becoming even louder, a hushed voice that made her shiver kept following her all over school. No matter how hard she shook her head, no matter how she'd wipe her forehead, no matter how many times she would try to hum it away...no matter how many times she told it to shut up in her head...it never went away. This morning proved to be different, however. The voice had stopped. All of her goose bumps and shivers hadn't come the whole morning. Perhaps it was nerves? She was thinking of Kanoe calling out her name? Nothing made perfect sense, but she had a funny feeling it wasn't her imagination or her imagination of Kanoe's voice. it wasn't her, or anyone she knew as a matter of fact.

Maybe today was the day it would stop. Her first period and no sound of that eerie voice in her head. She finally relaxes and tries to concentrate on her work for once in awhile. She may lay down after this period was over. She would've gone to the clinic but there were too many students in her way to get to the door. It would be to much of a hassle. Plus it was Calculus her first period. They always gave important things each day for tests and quizzes. She could survive surely only what-50 60 minutes? She wasn't having that bad of a problem with her head, maybe...

~Clarice~

"Hmm? Oh...oh no..." she mumbles upon hearing something very distinct as someone calling her name once more. Once more she was having those chills run down her neck and into the pit of her stomach. Her small mumbling didn't go unnoticed. Two or maybe three students peered to her for a second but dismissed her as coming upon a hard question in their class work. Clarice however, wasn't having any problems with her math. Her eyes wonder back and forth across the classroom to see if anyone was trying to spook her. Anything to prove she wasn't actually hearing something out of this classroom would calm her nerves.

No such luck...

Oh...please tell me its not louder then before. Am I...going crazy or something? No...its nothing...its nothing...its...nothing...please let it be nothing.

Still it hadn't dawned on her about Her and Kanoe's first 'togetherness'. That Voice Kanoe had heard, that had driven her to the brink of shivering in her arms-she had never even thought it was the same Voice, now stalking her.

Everything seemed to be going according to plan. Clarice seemed suitably off-balance. Time to start the next phase.

“Clarice,” Spectre called clearly, as though someone in the room had spoken her name. None of the other students gave any indication of hearing. Not a look, not a twitch; nothing.

“Invite me in, Clarice,” its Voice faded again, like a radio going off station. As before, the invitation was utterly unnecessary except as part of Spectre’s game.

The Thing purposely kept the power of its Voice restrained, provoking only enough physical sensation to keep the chills and goose bumps going.

The young was utterly losing any focus she had earlier. Now she was merely staring horrified at her desk covering her ears though it was fruitless effort. It calls her name once more, clearer then ever. It not only sounded like it came from the room but it gave her more goose bumps and chills. Her shivers obvious to the sight as she tries hard to keep her calm, but it was failing. Who was it calling to her? It didn't even sound human.

"I-invite?" she blurts out accidently and causes many students to peer towards her in confusion. Though she cared less about other peoples opinions when her guard was up a soft blush was forming over her cheeks while the rest of her body became flustered. Invite him in? What is this-whatever it was talking about.

Her head suddenly jerked in realization as to the reference. Back with Kanoe and that...invisible monster...could it be?

She knew there was no waiting for the period to end or not. Fear was taking over and was conjuring into the fight or flight response. She couldn't very well see who or what was calling her so the best option would be to run.

"U-uumm...teacher may I be excused to the bathroom? I'm not...feeling well," she speaks up to the man behind the desk. True it was as she began to sweat in fear. Whether it was the same creature from before or not wasn't much of an issue at the moment. She just had to get out of this confinement. Though she wasn't prone to disobedience, she may just get up and leave if the teacher refused her meaningful request.

Already looking at her, due to her sudden outburst, the instructor just nodded silently before returning to the assignments he was grading. Heads swivel as curious students turn back to their own work. But, before Clarice could get up, the Voice came again.

“Invite . . . Clarice,” the message was broken, fading in and out. “ . . . can’t speak . . . long without harming . . . “ Spectre added a hint of pain to the sensations its Voice provoked, as though something in Clarice’s mind were tearing under the strain of continued contact.

Then it was silent again, the pain fading quickly. But a few short seconds of respite later . . .

“Invite me in Clarice,” Spectre called again, this time clearer than ever; and now its Voice was Pain. “ . . . Kanoe . . . danger . . .” The Voice and the pain, faded away, and this time, it came no more.

The trap was laid and the bait set. Now Spectre had but to wait and see if the young witch would bite.

She wasn't sure what way she could thank this teacher for not getting in her way of leaving. Splashing her face with cool water should help relieve the stress building inside her gut. But just as she got up the sound caught off guard and made the young witch hit her bottom back on the chair because of it. If anyone had ears they would've heard her thud and turn around, but she was already running into the hallway.

Pain seemed to edge its way into the middle of her stomach, making Clair grimance with an eye squeezed shut and gritted teeth. What was wrong with her? Was she becoming mentally ill? No one else appeared to hear the voice except her which was such an obvious sign of insanity. Now the pain begins to fade away and she takes the chance to rush to the bathroom. But before she pushes the door open she nearly doubles over in more pain. One clear word hit her and that was the name of her lover.

"Wh-what...the hell...who-who is this?" she calls out and finally was able to have some privacy. She was sure she wasn't crazy at this stage. Doing as she had thought she cups her hands while having the sink running and splashes it to her face for comfort. it certainly woke her up and cooled her flushed cheeks. But still she lifts her head and peers around as if to see someone in the bathroom with her.

"Who is this?" she repeats again with better talking, "What the hell do you mean Kanoe is in danger?!" she yells out now not caring if anyone heard. Whether the voice would speak she was unsure but one thing was clear, she had to resolve this problem before it escalated. Even now as the pain fades she continues to grasp her stomach.

Clarice’s voice echoed throughout the empty restroom, but quickly faded to silence. The only answer to her questions was the buzz of the flourescent lights overhead. A faint disruption in the otherwise oppressive silenced that pressed against her ears. That intense silence that only occurs when one is completely alone.

Spectre let that silence built for some time, waiting. It waited to allow Clarice to recover fully from the pain. It waited as the anguish over potential danger to her lover festered. It waited to let her begin to fear that it would not speak again as much as she feared the effects of its Voice. Then . . .

“Invite-,” the Voice brought intense pain but broke off suddenly as though the speaker thought any more exposure would permanently damage her.

So, that was it then; if Clarice did not bite this time - did not invite it into her consciousness - another tactic would have to be played. Spectre thought through the many possible alternate courses of action as it waited for the young woman’s response.

Silence, yet as much as she had wanted it before, was now weighing deep in her chest. Not even a small sound from whatever was speaking to her was heard. Had it left? At such a wrong time? How Kanoe was in danger was making her uneasy and unsure of what to do. She pacesonce to try and think what was going on. It was obvious she couldn't escape what other wordly thing was talking to her, but it wasn't exactly obvious on the why it was.

It suddenly speaks and it seems to hit her stomach like a fist. Not anticipating it this time she yelps and holds herself merely by her arms on the counter before it suddenly dissapears.

Invite? What did it mean by invite? It just wasn't clicking.

"I don't understand...invite? Where is it you need to be invited? What invitation do you need?!"

It seemed Spectre’s hints weren’t quite enough. It had a way of rectifying the situation, though. It reached out through the infinite planes, seeking and quickly finding that which it needed . . .

At first, there was no answer and seconds ticked by in silence. Then, suddenly, a small rift opened in the fabric of reality. The tiny portal to elsewhere appeared near the ceiling, and a sheet of ‘paper’ slipped through to fall on the counter. Upon closer examination, the term ‘paper’ is obviously inaccurate, as it was quite definitely some other substance. It was an irregular soft pinkish color and was slightly greasy to the touch. On it, in ornate calligraphy, was written the following:


The Ritual of Invitation.

By these words dost thou signify thine intent to converse with powers from Beyond. By these words dost thou open thine heart and soul that the powers may converse freely with thee. Only speak these words and untold secrets may be revealed to thee:

I invite thee in.

More silence was quickly ripping through her patience. She's been having to deal with this voice for weeks on end and now it decides not to say much?

The few seconds eemed to last minues. Still on edge and tense as can be, she waits as patiently as she could for a reply or something. Upon reflex to such an aweful sound of reality spliting, she flinches. As im[atient as she was becoming she didn't near the fabric that floated from the rift onto the counter as quickly as she would've before. Slowly she edges closer to it. Cautious and wary she nears to picking it up and reads it carefully. One thing was for certain...she wasn't crazy.

"I understand now...I'm not sure...if your the same monster with Kanoe before, b-but if she's in danger I have no choice."

She looks up to see clear ceiling from where the fabric fell. Whether or not she was about to make a mistake, she had to know if Kanoe was hurt or something.

"I-I invite thee in."

The note, specially crafted for Spectre by a mad alchemist, disintegrated as soon as the words were spoken. But there was no other immediate effect. No earthshaking tremors; no rents in space and time; nothing. Then . . .

“I accept your invitation,” Spectre’s Voice boomed formally. Coming from everywhere and nowhere, it surrounded and washed through Clarice. Not really a sound, it was ‘heard’ by her entire being. There was no pain, however. Just a light, tantalizing tingle that seemed to linger in certain sensitive areas.

“Thank you,” Spectre kept the power of its Voice restrained. It did not want to overwhelm her too quickly, preferring, instead, a slow buildup that might initially go unnoticed.

She backs up as the note disinegrates in her hand. Had she done the right thing? Whatever she had invited him in wasn't of much concern, but she still was rather anxious to know if her lover was alright or hurt. This better had not been all for not. Its Voice was more powerful then it ever was, causing a slight discomforting tingle in sensetive areas of her body but she assumed it was merely because of its other worldly position.

"Y-Your welcome. Now tell me, what is wrong with Kanoe? Is she hurt? What?"

She asks quickly to get any information. Something played fuzzy in the back of her mind...like she might've made a wrong choice perhaps?

“The matter is not as simple as being hurt or not,” Spectre spoke, and its Voice flowed into its audience smoothly, almost as though it was gently caressing her, even in places where she could not normally be touched.

“She is in danger from her lack of control and she is in danger because she failed to subdue her familiar . . . “ the Thing let its Voice trail off, as much to regulate the sensations it caused as anything else. As usual, Spectre’s statements were at least half-truth, misleading though they may be.

The monstrous entity let its pause extend a bit, inviting questions from Clarice. It would not be surprised if its statements drew an indignant rebuttal. But, then again, it hadn’t really told the young woman much of anything yet, had it?

Whether it was calming her to know it was speaking clearly or because of some unnatural powers about she was already calming down. She didn't pay much attanetion to much of gentle carresses inside her body, though it was certainly something she never felt before. The tension inher shoulder and face were leaving because of it, making her more comfortable with what this Voice was speaking of.

"I already know she has little control of her powers. But...what do you mean she was unable to subdue her familiar?"

She was starting to wonder if this was the same monster from before, but doesn't ask anyways. She feared it may leave if it felt it was unwelcomed. It was confusing to know if she wanted it to keep talking to her or not. The thing had been stalking her for awhile now so she would be uneasy. But the uneasiness was pushed back by soft carresses. She was also confused on why she was feeling such sensations.

“The demon she summoned in the cave,” Spectre answered obliquely, letting its Voice grow just a touch more powerful. The soft waves of sensation it caused were perpetuated and reinforced, exploring Clarice's body almost like the fingers of an imaginary lover.

“Such failures are usually dealt with by the witch’s mentor,” the Thing continued after a brief pause, “but here she has none . . . at least none suitable.”

Spectre never even considered that Clarice might not connect its disembodied Voice with the one that had tormented her lover before. Perhaps illogically, the Creature fully expected the beautiful young witch to make the connection, even though she had never heard it speak before.