Bram's Hollow

Tobias gazed stone faced at his newly discovered relative. Both his mother and Jerome gave him a second to soak this new information in. After wrapping his head around learning that he had a great uncle that was Phantasm, and was talking to him, Tobias finally managed to force out a response.

“Are, are you some sort of ghost?” He asked.

“A ghost?” Jerome seemed put off by the question. “Not in the slightest. Ghosts have no binding ties to the world. They can’t be seen by regular eyes.”

“Then, are you dead?” Tobias asked though he was scared to actually know the answer.

“I prefer to think of it as ‘relieved of my mortal coil’ if you don’t mind.”

“There is a lot I need to fill you in on Toby.” His mother said. “But it is just going to have to wait for the time being.”

“Quite right.” The pale floating spirit added. “I am here to guide you to Bram’s Hollow, tonight.”

Vivian, eyes winded. “We can’t tonight, you should know that.”

“I understand the difficulty of the situation, but I’m afraid we are going to have to make due somehow.” Jerome sounded sympathetic though his expression hardly changed when he talked.

“Once the night takes hold I’ll be unable to drive the van.” Vivian said as she shot a glance at Tobias with apologetic eyes.

“How about Tobias?” Jerome waved his arm in the teenager’s direction. “Surely he knows how to operate the vehicle.”

“He’s only fifteen. I’ve hardly taken him out to practice driving. He can’t handle something as large as the van.” Vivian said.

“Why can’t you drive mom?” Tobias looked concerned at his mother. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”

“There is a meeting scheduled as soon as you are settled in at Bram’s Hollow.” Jerome was trying to set Tobias’s mind at ease. “It is important we get you there soon.”

“Why does it have to be tonight Jerome?” Vivian asked. “Last time I talked to Rotigan, he told me I have plenty of time to pack and travel.”

Tobias couldn’t remember being any more confused than he was at that moment. But he could see in his mother’s face that she was taken aback by some of this too. He thought better of trying to figure this all out and decided for the time being to just listen.

“There has been an incident.” Jerome said plainly. “I wish I could tell you more my dear but I don’t really know all of it myself.”

“Then we need to leave, right now.” Vivian’s voice took a stern tone. “I want to get as much of the hard driving out of the way before Toby has to take over.”

“You really want me to drive?” Tobias asked, quite surprised by what he just heard. “At night?”

“I wish there was another way.” His mother talked sweetly like when he was much younger. “I’ll show you the basics as I’m driving.”

“I don’t want to be a bother.” Jerome interrupted. “But if I am to be your guide it will have to wait till nightfall. I am already quite exhausted from being in the daytime as it is.”

“Don’t worry. You can ride in the back with the furniture.” Vivian was becoming more authoritative. “It’ll be dark in there.”

“As you wish Vivian.”

“Once the night comes we’ll switch spots.” Vivian ran her hand threw Tobias’s black hair. “You think you can do this?”

Tobias was glad for his mother’s confidence in him, but he wasn’t so sure about the driving. “I’ll do my best. Just show me what to do, okay?”

“I think you can handle it.” Vivian turned her attention to Jerome who never took his vacant eyes off of the two of them. “Okay Jerome, get in the back of the van. Toby, shut the back as soon as he’s in. I’m going to change then we’ll be off.”

Tobias pulled his candle away from Jerome and he was surrounded by dark shadow as soon at the light faded. He felt cold once again but Jerome was quick the leave the house once Vivian opened the door for him. He waited for Jerome to drift into the back of the large moving van as his mother walked back into her room to change. Once Jerome was inside the light outside seemed to brighten once again. The daytime did not fully recover however until Tobias pushed in the loading ramp and pulled down the roll top door making sure not to look at Jerome without the lit candle.

After a few minutes Vivian walked outside with a box full of clothes that she quickly gathered and all the candles that she kept in her room. She had changed into a pair of tan colored pants and a purple t-shirt, though her hair was still in a state of disarray.

“Hop on in.” Vivian said to her son attempting to add some cheer for comfort. “We need to hit the road.”

Vivian didn’t hesitate for any kind of sentimental goodbyes to the house that her son had grown up in. The road was waiting and they had a lot of ground to cover. She pulled the moving van away from the curb and started driving west. The first leg of the trip was spent showing Tobias the basics of driving. He knew some, having driving dune buggies and ATV’s while visiting friends over the past summer. Fortunately the moving van was an automatic so he didn’t need to be taught about shifting or the finer points of the clutch pedal. It was the size of the van that worried him, that and fear of being pulled over and having to explain the Phantasm that was going to be in the seat next to him to the police.

I was about five in the afternoon, more than an hour on the road before Tobias had built up the courage to ask, “Why didn’t I know about any of this?”

His mother remained quiet for a moment as she tried to find the words. “It’s complicated Toby.” She knew this was going to be a hard talk to have. “There is more to the world than you know. There are things that have been hidden from everyone for centuries.”

“What are you talking about?” Tobias asked with bated breath.

Vivian once again paused, as if she wasn’t sure if now was the right time to tell Tobias. Though the time it seemed had arrived weather she was ready for it or not. “What if I told you that almost every fantastic creature you had ever heard about was not only real, but lived together in a private community away from the rest of civilization?”

Tobias’s eyes winded with frightened fascination. “Bram’s Hollow?” He asked his mother.

“Bram’s Hollow.” She confirmed.

“And we’re going to move there?”

“That’s right.” Vivian replied almost musical in her tone.

“This is all so unbelievable.” Tobias shook his head expecting to wake up at any moment.

“You saw your great uncle. You’re just going to have to start believing.”

Both Tobias and his mother remained silent for a few miles. Tobias thought of what Bram’s Hollow was, what it might look like and what he might see there. What did his mother mean by creatures anyway?

“Mom?”

“Yes?”

“Why are we going to live in Bram’s Hollow? We’re not creatures or spirits.”

Vivian remained silent as she avoided the question. After another mile or so she finally said, “We’ll need to stop for gas in a while. It’ll be a good time to swap with Jerome.” Vivian avoided looking at her son. “It’ll be dark by then.”

The next hour or so was driven in near silence after Tobias failed to get any more information about Bram’s Hollow from his mother. He chose not to press the issue, deciding instead to try talking to Jerome after he moved to the front of the van.

The sun began to set gently behind the mountain in the far off horizon. Vivian pulled into a gas station and began to pump in the fuel, sending Tobias into the store with some money to buy something to eat for dinner. It was a solemn looking gas station and was all but deserted. Tobias walked inside and looked about the snacks and candy. He saw plenty of treats that he would normally enjoy eating, but none of them appealed to him on this occasion. After browsing through the store he chose a bag of beef jerky and a large bottle of water as his makeshift dinner. Tobias paid for the snacks and headed back out to the van as ready as he would ever be to drive to a town supposedly inhibited by all manner of creatures. As he approached the van he noticed several lit candles in the front and the engine already started with the headlights already lit. He opened the driver side door and saw that Jerome was inside having already switched with his mother.

As Tobias buckled himself in the driver’s seat Jerome said, “Nighttime at last. The skies look favorable for the long journey.”

“If you say so, sir.” Tobias replied.

“Please, call me Uncle Jerome.” The Phantasm tried to sound cheery. “I would hope to get to know you on this voyage of ours.”

Tobias took several deep breaths before putting the van in drive and gently pulling out onto the open road. The large van jerked at first as Tobias was unsure of the amount of pressure to place on the gas pedal. Once the van was up to speed it was actually a remarkably straight drive on the highway. Tobias constantly looked out his side mirror hoping to not be pulled over or anything.

“You’ve seemed to taken to the road with ease my boy.” Jerome complemented.

Once he felt comfortable enough to talk and drive, Tobias finally asked. “Why is my mom in the back? Why can’t she see be in the night?”

“It is not a matter of being unable to see the night.” Jerome said in his low almost raspy voice. “It is this night in particular.”

“But, what about it? I don’t understand.”

“Frankly I’m surprised she has managed to keep it from you your whole life. She must have left the house often.”

Jerome was right, now that Tobias had thought about it. His mother was often gone at night though not always. She did have mostly nighttime jobs though. “I guess she had, Uncle Jerome.”

“I’m sure she has her reasons for not wanting you to know. It is not my place to intervene.”

“Well, can you tell me about Bram’s Hollow at least?” Tobias asked.

“You’ll never see another village like it in all your days, my boy.” Jerome did his best to smile, though Tobias figured that that was the best he could do to muster one. “It is your true home you know.”

The moon was starting to rise and Tobias realized how hungry he really was. “Can you open the bag of jerky for me please?” He asked Jerome.

“I’m afraid not, I am utterly non corporeal. My hand would just pass through it.”

“Right, sorry.” Never taking his eyes off of the road Tobias reached for the bag and tore it open. He took a sizable hunk and began to chew. The jerky, like his breakfast and lunch before was unsatisfying. He chewed anyway as to ward of the hunger for the time being. “So, about Bram’s Hollow, what or who lives there?”

“The four guilds are all represented if that is what you are referring.”

“Guilds?” Jerome had managed to give Tobias more questions than answers. “What guilds?”

“All manner of creature in our world living or otherwise are designated into one of four guilds. Each guild is headed by a representative in the Arcane Chamber.”

“But what is the Arcane-.” Tobias’s question was interrupted by a muffled crashing sound coming from the back of the cargo van. “Do you think my mom is alright back there?” He asked.

“As good as she is able to be for tonight.” Jerome replied.

More noises emerged from the back of the van, ripping and tearing noises and the sound of items smashing. “Should I pull over?”

“That would be most unwise at this time Tobias.” Jerome expressed caution. “Vivian will be right as rain come morning.”

Tobias thought of pulling over anyway but realized that he had no idea what was going one and decided to listen to Jerome. “If you say so, she’s you niece.”

“Oh, I am not her uncle.” Jerome said rather casually. “I am your fathers.”