Leanna Renee Hieber - The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker

London, England1867

The air in London was grey. This was no surprise; but the common eye could not see the particular heaviness of the atmosphere or the unusual weight of this special days charcoal clouds: the sky was pregnant with a potent wind, for The Guard was searching for new hosts.

On to London they came, and that wind full of spirits began to course through the streets of the city; merciless, searching. Around corners, elbowing aside Londons commoners and high society alike, nudging their way through market crowds and tearing down dirty alleys, they sought their intended. A candle burst into flame in the window of a marquesss house. The tiny cry of a young boy summoned his mother into the drawing room. Similar sounds went up in other parts of the city, confused gasps growing into amazed giggles before being subdued into solemnity. One by one the intended targets were seized.

Six. Five

Where is Four? AhFour.

Now, Three.

Alone and unaccompanied, the children left their respective houses and began to walk.

And, Two.

Searching for the final piece, the greatest of the possessors paused, a hesitating hunter. Deliberate. And, finallythe brightest, boldest, most promising catch of the day.

One, and done!

A sigh of relief. The citys infamous fog thinned.

Only a bird above espied the six drawing toward Londons center; weaving through a maze of clattering carriages, stepping cautiously over putrid puddles, a sextet of children looked about the cluttered merchant lanes and sober business avenues with new eyes and saw strange sights. There were ghosts everywhere: floating through walls and windows, they rose up through streets and strolled beside quiet couples! One by one, each transparent form turned to the children, who could only stare in wonder and apprehension. In ethereal rags, spirits of every century bowed in deference, as if they were passing royalty.

Drawn in a pattern from all corners of London, the six children gathered in a knot at the crest of Westminster Bridge. Nodding a silent greeting to one another, or curtseying, the youths found each others faces unsettlingly mature. Excitement tempered only by confusion crept into their expressions as they evaluated their new peers, in garb ranging from fine clothing to simple frocks, their social statuses clearly as varied as their looks.

A spindly girl whose brown hair was pinned tightly to her head kept turning, looking for something, clutching the folds of her linen frock and shifting on the heels of her buttoned boots. It was her tentative voice that at last broke the silence: Hello. Im Rebecca. Where is our leader, then?

A sturdy, ruddy-cheeked boy in a vest and cap, cuffs rolled to his elbows, gestured to the end of the street. Hello, Rebecca, Im Michael. Is that him?

Approaching the cluster was a tall, well-dressed, unmistakable young man. A mop of dark hair held parley with the wind, blowing about the sharp features of his face, while timeless, even darker eyes burned in their sockets. His fine black suit gave the impression of a boy already a man. He reached the group and bowed, his presence magnetic, confidentand somewhat foreboding. In a rich, velvet voice deep as the water of the Thames, he spoke. Good day. My name is Alexi Rychman, and this has turned into the strangest day of my life. He glanced at the spindly brunette next to him, who blushed.

Hello, Alexi, Im Rebecca, and I feel the same.

Alexi firmly met every childs gaze in turn, prompting introductions.

Elijah, a thin blond boy said, his features sharp and his eyes a startling blue. He was garbed in striped satin finery that seemed rakish if not foppish on such a young man, and he was clearly the wealthiest of the lot.

Josephine, added a soft French accent belonging to a beautiful brunette, olive-skinned and sporting the latest fashions. Two shocks of white hair framed her face.

Michael, chimed in the sturdy boy with a brilliant, contagious smile.

Lucretia Marie OShannon Connor, replied an Irish accent, shyly, and its owner stared at the cobblestones, dark blonde hair falling to veil her frightened face. Her plain calico dress bespoke modest means.

Pardon? Elijahs drawn and angular face became even more pinched.

I suppose you could call me Jane if thats easier, the girl murmured with a shrug, still staring at the street.

Ill say, Elijah laughed.

Alexis eyes flashed with a sudden unfocused anger. And here I thought all my life Id be a scientist. It seems forces at large have other plans. I dont suppose any of you has the slightest idea what were supposed to do?

Everyone shook their heads, just as surprised with their new destinies as he.

Then, let me ask a mad question. Alexis tone was cautious. Does anyone, all of a suddensee ghosts?

Yes! everyone chorused, relieved that if this were madness, they werent alone in it.

Can you hear them speak? he asked.

No, was the universal reply.

Neither can I, thank God, or wed never have another moments peace. Alexi sighed. Well, I suppose wed better get to the bottom of this. Isaw a chapel. But Ive never been there and dont know where it is.

Rebecca, still blushing, pointed. II think that raven can show us.

Above, a hovering black bird was waiting for them. The new Guard looked up and nodded, then followed through the bustling heart of the city.

The crow stopped at an impressive edifice labeled ATHENS ACADEMY. The red sandstone building had appeared all of a sudden, nestled impossibly among several less-interesting lots. The multistoried construction was shuttered, clearly unoccupied by staff or students. It was the summer holiday, after all. Yet it was occupied by ghosts. And, as the wide wooden doors opened for the six children, these ghosts pointed the way toward an interior chapel, as if everything here had been waiting.

While the others walked ahead, Alexi lingered, studying what seemed to be a normal school, normal halls and stately foyers, hoping to find further clues. When he at last reached the chapel doors, the candles upon the altar burst into flame. The ladies in the group gasped.

Alexi lifted his palmand the candles extinguished. He furrowed his brow. A young man of methods and proofs, he was; such happenings defied his knowledge of a more definite world.