Enclosed: an Ancient Manuscript discovered most fortuitously by Albion (apprentice necromancer and writer here), detailing methods by which ordinary mortals may Pierce the Veil and return One Dead to their Former Living State. It resembles numerous similar texts in its Dire Warnings of the dreadful consequences of enacting the spell and the Hideous Acts required of the Caster. It is unique, however, in the presence of various Marginal Notes employed by (I daresay) its final attempter, detailing not only his (clumsy) efforts, but also his Undying Love for the Unfortunate Lady he wished to retrieve from the Hereafter. Far curiouser, intensive study has revealed a SECOND set of notes visible only by the Light of the Moon! These appear to be the commentary of the Lady Herself, penned from Beyond the Grave! Her opinions on her champion’s efforts to resuscitate her are best read in the original, in this writer’s view. Their Hidden Presence on the page, apparently undetected by the Lovelorn Cavalier, throws prevailing theories on posthumous communication into Great Question. Extensive further study is clearly required, and I humbly request the University’s support for my continued investigations. Surely no one in our field can deny the significance of such a document!
Addendum: The scorched state of the parchment suggests that the spell contained herein possesses a greater thaumaturgic efficacy than the numerous Pseudo-Necromantic spells peddled by Charlatans. The Unfortunate Fate of the Gallant who so unwisely attempted to raise his Lost Love is likely revealed by the nearby Blackened Remains. Upon meticulous examination, a crucial letter appears to have been changed by the Pale Hand of the Deceased Lover! The effects of the spell in its unaltered state remain unknown.
Albion’s Postscript: It is not my imagination. I saw the shade of the dead woman as she passed through the moonlight last night. If she is bound to the Earth by her lover’s actions, unable to pass on to the afterlife, a partial reconstruction of the final spell should set her free. I will attempt it tonight.
Wait, don’t you dare–
Lauren J. Frantz is a writer and teacher from Alexandria, Virginia. She studied writing at Davidson College, Middlebury’s Bread Loaf School of English, and SUISS. She lives in Worcester, Massachusetts with her husband, a rotating cast of uninvited mice, and a mountain of books and board games that keep spreading across every surface of the apartment no matter how hard she tries to confine them to the shelves.
