Chapter 1 – Forbidden in Heaven and Useless in Hell
There was a man said to be so evil that people went to his funeral to make sure he was dead. They cut up and burned his body so many times until they were finally satisfied and yet, legends say he’s alive despite his body being in pieces and ashes. This man’s name is Igor and is said to subject people to the same death he had. Igor is said to appear in the homes of mostly good people. It is easy for him to get into their houses since he is nothing but ash and pieces.
After a long show, Roger gets invited to stay at a friend’s house for dinner. This friend’s name is Marcus and he’s a man who markets Roger’s circus for him. You’d think the two were brothers if you saw them together. Roger’s accepts Marcus’ invitation of course and brings his two other best friends along, Riley and Ebony.
He tells them along the way, “Be nice and don’t break anything. Even though I doubt he will ever hate me, I still want you to be on your best behavior so that nothing makes him want to stop supporting us, okay?”
Roger’s two best friends smile and shake their heads yes.
“Good.”
The two best friends then talk to each other in a language no mortal understands.
“This Marcus guy seems great! I’ve never seen him though,” Ebony says.
Riley says, “That’s because he always has the special seat in the tents and theaters so he can see everything. I’ve met him many times already. He was always interested in you the most.”
“Oh, I wonder why that is. I always thought you did the best tricks instead of me. I’m just a fat small elephant.”
“Exactly, that’s what I say-but I don’t mean any offense by it!”
“I wouldn’t even think you would. It’s okay.”
“Right.”
When the three get to Marcus’ house, they get settled in and eat dinner together. Of course, the animals are given different meals than the humans and eat in the backyard instead of inside. Ebony listens in on what Marcus and Roger are talking about while looking for ways into the house.
“Aren’t those big ears of yours enough to help you listen to what they’re saying?”
“Yeah, but I want to see the expressions on their face. Just listening to a person talking doesn’t really tell you how they feel.”
“I barely understand most of what they're saying and yet, you can translate it back to me. I swear you’re some kind of paranormal elephant.”
“I’m just special is all.”
All of the sudden, Ebony senses a presence near the house.
“Do you feel that?”
“What-Well I feel it now. What do you think it is? You’re the expert in this.”
“I can’t really tell but it seems to be coming in through different places in the house. You’ll probably have to do it alone since I can’t get in.”
“What about the basement window?”
“I’m not sure I can fit through it if you open it.”
“You never know. Hold on. I’m going to go open it from the inside.”
As Riley goes through the house, he comes across what his senses pick up. He finds little pieces of skin and ash sliding across the floor. He tries to sweep it away with his hands and it fades away once most of it is not together, but he still senses trouble. Riley then quickly goes to the basement and opens the basement window.
“Come on in now, Ebony! The thing is in the house.”
“I’m still not sure if I’ll fit through.”
“Hey, you didn’t teach me how to open windows just, so you can complain now come on, I’ll help you.”
Riley helps Ebony fit through the window.
“Phew! That was a tight fit!”
“No kidding. You’d think all those tricks would make you lose some of that fat.”
“I wish it did too, but come on, we don’t have time to waste!”
The two animals clean the skin and ash pieces from the floor where they find it. They do it constantly for almost an hour before whatever’s causing it to temporarily retreat before reappearing outside in the backyard to completely form itself. Riley and Ebony arrive just in time to see a man clothed in a funeral outfit. There are scars and burn marks on the visible parts of his skin.
“Who are you?” Riley asks.
“I am Igor.”
“I know you,” Ebony says, “You’re that horrible man I heard so many stories about! You better leave right now mister or else I’ll stomp you into itty-bitty pieces!”
“I’m not here to harm your master. I am here to destroy the man you know as Marcus.”
“Why?”
“Because he is a horrible man who is planning to kill your master tonight then take his circus. He planned this ever since he heard of the success of your master.”
“Why should we believe you? You’re supposed to be one of the most horrible people in the world!”
“Is that what people think about me now? My name has been defiled in the books of man then because I am a blameless man. You should be able to tell, elephant.”
“Is that true Ebony?”
“I…I don’t sense any malice in him.”
“Believe me when I say this then. The people that have dirtied my name might have seemed like nice people, but they were really devils as human beings. They wanted to redefine what good means because what good means is not what good means to them. I was killed by these people, but because I was blameless in my life, I was given anything I wanted, and I obtained the ability to get rid of the so-called good people of this world one by one.”
“But can’t we change Marcus in some way? He seems to be a good man.”
“Seeming to be a good man isn’t enough. He’s completely tied to be the man he is. Trust me when I say that the forces of good have tried to change him and failed. Now he is going to take the life of your master if we don’t move quickly. I know the relation between your master and Marcus, but he will gain another sponsor in the coming week.”
“Ebony, what do you say?” Riley looks over to Ebony only to see that she’s gone inside ahead to see if Roger is okay.
“That elephant is strange indeed.”
“You noticed she went inside?”
“Yes.”
“But why did you keep talking? Isn’t our master’s life important?”
“She can move faster than me when she has the right motivation. She is somehow more blameless than I.”
“Great, and I was going to ask you if you knew her secrets.”
“You’ll learn them in time.”
Ebony quickly reaches Roger to see that he’s looking at a painting that Marcus bought with Marcus behind him ready to strike with a knife. She quickly knocks him over and into a wall, which dents it and breaks the table in front of it.
“Ebony?!” Roger quickly says before seeing the knife held in Marcus’ hand. “What’s going on?”
Igor knocks out Roger with the scent of his ashes then says, “He will forget this ever happened. I will help you bring him back to the circus.”
Ebony asks, “What about Marcus?”
“If you didn’t already kill him with that slam of yours, there will only be small pieces of him, ash, and blood of him left. I will not go easy on him if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“I wasn’t.”
Ebony begins to carry Roger’s unconscious body out of the house.
“Ebony is weird I know. Even though I’m not much, I still help her as best as I can.”
“She’s blessed to have you, mouse.”
Once Roger wakes up the next morning, he immediately hears news of Marcus being dead. The murder scene fits the description of Igor. He sobs for his best friend, but the comforting hugs of his two animal best friends stop his tears from forming.
“It’s okay I get it. Thank you. I just know Marcus is where he belongs,” Roger says not knowing where Marcus truly belongs is a different place to where he thinks.
After about a week, Roger quickly becomes friends with another person who markets his circus even better than Marcus did much to the joy of Riley and Ebony. Meanwhile, Igor goes on to do what he does unaffected by the knowledge of his bad name but positively affected by the strange ebony elephant.
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