Residual Spirit
A Residual Spirit -- by thwale ©2011
I was in a Modern day castle, high walls, bell tower, large windows. It was storming outside and in the distance I could hear thunder and see lightning. A fur said to me "Looks like a big battle, and I hear the enemy is using stop frame for attacks" I agreed and wished I could see the battle, suddenly I was over the battle watching it happen.
Stop frame must have applied to the style of attack, groups of soldiers would move fast then freeze and suddenly a volley of energy would fly and explode on impact. Then the enemy would move into a new position freeze and repeat.
In a flash I was back at the Castle, I was feeling tired and let the lady of the house know I was going to rest for a while, she smiled and wiggled her ears, I then laid down and slept.
It didn't feel like I slept long when I was gently nudged by someone, I was comfortable and happy and wanted to stay asleep so did my best to ignore it, although some part of me said I would have to wake up. Feeling a need to, I turned over and sat up, looking into the vixens face, it was skeletal but still her, the lady of the house, she smiled and said "time to get up."
I now remembered the feeling of the paw that was nudging me to wake up, it was all bone, but at that time as now it didn't bother me. She then stood up and began to leave, I stretched and looked around, watching her skeletal frame exit the room. It was now daytime, the battle a distant memory. I stayed where I was and just sat there cross legged, mind blank, ears drooping and my head bent forwards.
Time was moving, but I wasn't paying attention.
Suddenly I noticed the castle no longer looked new. The masonry and bricks were worn and stained. Large holes in the wall and rotted wood met my gaze. There was a group of cubs being led into the room by a large Cheshire cat with a monocle and green Derby, presumably a teacher or guide, it would seem I was on display.
It didn't really effect me until a few of them began to poke at me with strange devices. Looking a bit like cattle prods, with a long silver tip and a baseball sized silver ball at the end. These had a trailing wire that attached to a trigger in the handle. It didn't hurt, just felt like a light vibrating touch.
They all seemed excited and interested, the teacher or guide began to lecture the class.
At this point I became slightly interested and turned my head to look at them, the teacher was suddenly quiet, monocle dropping from his eye. I tried to speak but it was very hard to make sound come out, finally I was able to whisper "what's going on?" Next thing I know I'm being rushed out the door and into an odd looking vehicle, everything was a blur, a moment later I find myself in a very modern looking hospital. I am in what seems to be a decontamination chamber, with glass walls and vents on the sides.
They are talking gibberish at me and spraying what looks like glowing gas on me, its at this point I find I cannot touch anything, nor can they touch me, except for the cattle prod devices and a few other things that are to alien to define. No one tells me but I know what's happening now, I was/am a spirit but not just any I was a full bodied apparition. This was the future and apparently I had been visible for many centuries in the old castle just setting there letting time roll by. I had been studied, then had become an object of learning for teaching students about incorporeal beings.
It seemed in this future they understood enough about the paranormal to interact with it, even manipulate it to some degree through technology (cattle prod looking devices and such) I was one of many "spirits" who had been thusly awakened. I was able to move, but unable to really touch anything, it seemed through technology and a lot of practice I could learn to manipulate solid objects.
I looked as real as anyone else but if you tried to touch me with anything it would just pass through me, I must have been well known because most furs knew who and what I was. There was no fear just a bit of curiosity, though walking on the ground took some practice, if I did not concentrate on the surface I would sink to my dew claws.
I was then asked (or forced) to wrestle this cyborg, I could see myself ready to fight and then the trainer looked at me and said "good, two of you will be better for the team." I guess I had somehow split into two entities while waiting for the match to start. Then my second self must have wandered off and I suddenly found myself at a strange type of futuristic store. This meant my other self was wrestling the cyborg alone, but I did not care or even remember this.
I entered the store through a shimmering curtain (doors didn't exist, just energy fields) and picked up a bottle of soda (yeah, although I couldn't drink it) the cashier cheered saying "that's very good! Congratulations!" I felt elated and tried to take some french fries from a small box on the counter, I was just barely able to manipulate them from the box (showoff.)
A mare with large eyes and an attitude suddenly spoke up "what's so great about that?" and in response someone had picked up a piece of metal and was waving it through my body at just below shoulder level. It was annoying to me but caused the mare to gasp and flee the store, dropping her groceries, I guess she didn't know about me.
Then as I was about to leave the store someone said "they lost you" I replied "what?" "It seems they lost you" then I realized I must have lost the match against the cyborg, I should not have abandoned my second self.
I knew now that I would fade or go where you go when you die. I then found myself in a small triangle shaped room, at each corner was another room with an occupant, one had the cyborg, one had a small group of somethings that I realized were similar to me but had split many many times.
This is where you go before you fade I guess, with no fear at all I said "I wonder what's next?"
End