Response to Emily’s 5th letter.

WARNING!!! Spoiler alert for “Another World” for those who haven’t read that yet.

Dear Emily,

As always,, it as such a joy to receive your letter. It did my heart a world of good when ye called me a smart and nice grandpa. Och, lassie, I’m sorry ye never had the privilege of truly knowing a grandparent. There is something special between a grandparent and grandchild that cannot be matched.

I think you’re awesome yourself, Miss Emily. I like ye a lot too and would be right proud to serve as an honorary grandda to ye. I think we already have a special friendship, ye and I, so if the day ever comes where ye’d consider me an honorary grandda, ye will wholeheartedly have that from me. Ye may also call me Grandda Liam if and whenever ye wish. If we are fortunate enough to meet in person one day, ye will be treated like any other grandchild and be considered one of he family. I know for a fact that Lenora has taken quite a shine to ye, and there is certainly no better friend than my Lenora.

I am always here for ye, lassie, and I don’t mind talking about the difficult stuff. I don’t have to tell ye that life is full of difficulties, for ye know this already. A good listening ear can make them more bearable though and having a friend to talk it through can be very therapeutic. I am privileged that ye share this part of yourself with me.

Oh, aye, Mathilda does, indeed have worshipers! Many witches have a room set aside as a kind of shrine to her. This is where they ask for Mathilda’s help with some situation they have. They don’t often get the exact answer or solution they seek but Mathilda is very fair but firm in the ways she doles out her services.

Mathilda is basically the second-in-command to Ariadne, the First Goddess of Witchcraft and Magic. I hope ye like stories, Miss Emily, because Mathilda’s is a fascinating one. Here is the how and why she is who she is and why and how she became a goddess.

Let us just say that Mathilda…evolved. Her early life was completely different to how it is now. Centuries and centuries ago, she was born in a small village to a peasant family. They existed hand-to-mouth and of course, back then, diseases were rampant. Life expectancy was much shorter back then, and sanitation and hygiene weren’t what it is now. In fact, the poor conditions led to many a village being wiped out by one epidemic or another.

Mathilda was once betrothed to a man named Gunther Beckwythe who had also been a lifelong friend. Now even then, Mathilda was never one to follow tradition. She and Gunther had a premarital tryst, which certainly was unheard of at the time. Now, Mathilda had learned some basic magic by then and knew a fair bit about potions and the like. Although she concocted an anti-pregnancy potion, it wasn’t strong enough.

Mathilda became pregnant, the result of that pregnancy being Alina.

Now, let us backtrack a bit, shall we? Before Gunther and Mathilda could be wed and before Mathilda realized she was with child, Gunther became ill and died. It was a terrible death I’m told, for Gunther lingered for some weeks before the end came. Mathilda did everything she could to save him but lack of coin and limited magical knowledge got her only so far. The inevitable could not be put off but they devised a plan of keeping a part of Gunther with her for as long as she lived. I will get to that shortly.

Upon the death of Gunther, Mathilda knew it was time to move on. A child born out of wedlock was an unpardonable sin, so Mathilda would face shame and ridicule had she stayed in her village. She did not want that for herself or the child.

Packing all of her meager belongings, Mathilda stole away in the night and walked for days until she found respite in another village far away from where she’d come. By then, she was weak and virtually penniless, and she felt sure she would succumb to low morale, fatigue, and a broken heart. She persevered nonetheless and found refuge with a family who needed a maidservant. To explain the pregnancy, Mathilda told the villagers that her husband had died of influenza and had no other relatives to see to her or the expected child’s well-being.

When Alina was a small girl, Mathilda scraped enough coin together to buy a small dwelling for herself and Alina. By then, her knowledge of magic had grown by leaps and bounds although she had to practice in secret. it meant certain death to be accused of being a witch, ye see. Anyway, her knowledge of potion making and the healing arts was second to none. Although it was unheard of for a woman to hold such a position, Mathilda became the village’s medicine woman after she saved the village from being wiped out by a typhoid epidemic. This allowed Mathilda to obtain a place of prominence and respect within the village, which allowed her to provide more substantially for herself and Alina.

When Alina grew a bit older, Mathilda married Philip Attsworth and they had a son together. They were happy for a number of years, and Mathilda’s prominence as a healer grew. Philip was quite the unorthodox specimen, for he fully supported Mathilda’s magic and encouraged the teaching of it to Alina. Although the villagers respected and revered Mathilda, they feared her, too. Ye see, the powers-that-be knew she and Alina were odd in some way but nothing out of the ordinary was seen in public. As I said, Mathilda was different and anyone could see that in the way she presented and carried herself.

It was when Aliina became of marriageable age that Mathilda acquired her immortality. In answer to your question, Mathilda did not seek her immortality at the expense of others. If Mathilda is anything, she is ethical. She studied Alchemy with a Master who showed her the secret to immortality. “I give it to you, Mathilda, because the gods have instructed me to do so. Guard it with your life and give it only to those the gods instruct you to.” By then, the Master was old and would soon die. Although he knew the secret formula for immortality, he chose not to take it himself. “I would go mad watching the world and those in it die while I remained ageless throughout all of time. But you, dear Mathilda, are the one the gods want. Take heed, my friend, for immortality may seem like a blessing but you may one day come to view it as a curse.”

“Never,” Mathilda replied in earnest. “It is what I’ve sought all my life and now I shall never die. I no longer will have to be afraid.”

“But others you love will die and you will outlive every one of them. Watch your heart, dear one, for it will be broken many, many times over.”

“I will, Master. I promise,” Mathilda replied. However, she had no way of understanding at that point in time what the Master meant.

“And do not be swayed to grant immortality to those you wish kept alive for selfish reasons. If you give in to such temptation, it will come back to curse you, and you, yourself, will wish you could die,” the Master warned.

“I will always seek guidance from the gods in all things, especially this. You have my solemn vow, Master.” These were the last words Mathilda and the Alchemist exchanged, for he died peacefully in his bed that night.

Over time, Mathilda began, little by little, to understand what the Master meant. When a smallpox outbreak hit their village, Philip and her son were among its victims. Mathilda was sorely tempted to use her knowledge and give immortality to all of them, including Alina. As you can imagine, this would have been entirely the wrong thing to do. Mathilda never wavered in her promise to the Master. She sought the guidance of the gods and goddesses and naturally didn’t always receive the answer she hoped for. Philip and their son were destined to die, and Mathilda had to accept that and let them go.

It appeared that Alina would be spared from the outbreak and was during the first attack. But then, another one came and Aliina fell ill. Although Mathilda was not allowed to grant immortality to Alina, she was determined to not let her only remaining child die. For Mathilda, Alina had so much promise with her magic and thirst for knowledge that it seemed a sacrilege to just let her die without a fight.

It was during Alina’s illness that the bottom completely dropped out of Mathilda’s world. It was discovered that both she and Alina were witches, the real McCoy, which spurred the villagers to form a mob. They wanted blood and fire, and Mathilda and Alina were to be their targets. Mathilda, however, was one step – or likely several – ahead of the bloodthirsty crowd, so she devised a plan. She had an elixir ready that would greatly diminish Alina’s symptoms, enough so that Alina was no longer contagious and her body would be strong enough to heal the rest of the way in time. Tine, however, was not on their side, but Mathilda found a way to make time work for them. There was not enough time to whisk Alina to safety, nor could she prevent the mob from taking Alina to her death, so she did one of the hardest things she’s ever had to do in her life. Mathilda sent Alina through a portal that took her to a time and place that wasn’t so hostile.  Alina ended up here in the preset day and was eventually reunited with Mathilda. As ye know, she is an irreplaceable part of our family.

The process didn’t come without great pain. The gods and goddesses told Mathilda that if she could find a way to save Alina’s life without using the immortality elixir, they were in favor, for it was destined for Alina to have much more life to live. Because Mathilda had to perform this magic in a hurry, she couldn’t complete all the tracking and protective maic she’d need to track Alina once she was in her new location. Something went wrong and to make matters worse, the angry crowd busted down Mathilda’s door to arrest her. Now, Mathilda, of course, could not die so she could not let them take her because it might expose the fact that she was immortal. There was no choice but to protect herself but in doing so, it caused Mathilda to completely lose track of Alina. One of her spells hit the still open portal, which caused Alina’s signal to be lost. There are millions and millions of parallel words and times that Alina could have landed in and finding Alina could, undoubtedly, prove to be an endless and fruitless search. It was Robin who found her completely by accident and reunited her with Mathilda.

This was a test by the gods and goddesses for Mathilda, who passed it. Yes, Mathilda saved Alina’s life but had to send her away to do so. Mathilda did it because she loved Alina even though it cost Mathilda dearly. Because she passed such a test and remained true to her promises, that was Step 1 for the gods and goddesses to realize that Mathilda was goddess material. Over the next few centuries, she was trained by Ariadne herself and the two became close friends and allies.

Mathilda did marry several times and even created families with a couple of her husbands. She tried to live as normal a life as she could but eventually realized after her last child died of complications of old age that it was probably best to remain single from then on. After all, how do ye explain your children growing old and dying while ye remained ageless? Mathilda finally realized, in full, what the Master Alchemist meant during their last day together.

Mathilda became a sort of junior goddess shortly before she met me. Now, keep in mind, this was a very long time ago, as I was but a teenager. I lived to be an old, old man by the time of my death. I remained dead for nearly forty years before coming back. Anyway, Mathilda took me on as an apprentice and taught me everything I know about magic. She was such an outstanding teacher to both me and her other apprentices that she got a promotion in goddesshood, if that is even a word.

Now, Mathilda and I lost touch shortly before Lenora came to live with me. I think ye know the rest. I abandoned magic for a time as I felt it was best for Lenora, given the circumstances of the loss of her parents. I asked Mathilda to stay away although it truly hurt both of us. Ye know, she never asked me to reconsider. She just said, “Are you sure you know what you’re doing, Lian?” When I was firm in my resolve, she just sighed and told me I’d know how to reach her again should she ever be needed.

I believed I would never see her again, but that was not to be. In desperation to keep Lenora alive, I contacted Mathilda and begged her to come save my Lenora. She could have turned her back on me for treating her so sorely, and she didn’t know Lenora from Adam. However, she came without question, treated Lenora with nothing but kindness and love, and never once threw my mistreatment of her back in my face. Because of that, Mathilda got yet another promotion because the sign of a true goddess is discernment and a forgiving nature when it is needed and warranted.

Each promotion gave Mathilda more power, but she never misused it. There were and are times that Mathilda can seem like a cold, callous person but it is because she must keep a certain amount of detachment so as not to turn into Atlas and carry too much weight on her shoulders.

Mathilda got another promotion when she didn’t interfere with my dying.

It was a hard thing for her to watch, but keeping me alive through extraordinary means would have gone against what she promised. I was meant to die and I was ready for it. It’s just hard knowing there are ones left behind to grieve. My Lenora didn’t take my passing very well at all in the beginning.

Mathilda came into her full power during the time she helped Lenora through the loss of Lincoln and Landon. When Lenora lost the will to live, Mathilda didn’t try to keep her here and even thought it might be kinder to let her go. Well, the long and short of it is that Lenora had a death experience, came back, and eventually was able to get on with her life. All of that was made possible because of Mathilda, who was greatly rewarded.

And so, that is Mathilda’s story. She helps Ariadne whenever needed, has her own worshipers to tend do, and I’m just along for the ride. 🙂 I was given the choice to come back and chose to return when I knew I was needed. I have no aspirations at godship and am happy to lend a hand whenever I can. I’m sometimes called upon because the gods and goddesses believe I have a gift of offering comfort in some special way and that I possess at least a degree of valuable wisdom. We all have our talents and quirks and I’m just glad to be here and share in the lives of those I love.

So, how does Mathilda keep all this straight, ye might ask. How is it that she can see things that most people can’t, and how can she do this when one of her gifts is not the gift of second sight under her own steam? Well, it goes back to Gunther. Remember how I said they devised a way for Mathilda to keep a part of him with her? He gave her a handkerchief as a gift. As he lay dying, she enchanted it in such a way that once she placed it inside a special mirror made of rare and enchanted wood and glass (the placing was all done by advanced magic), a part of Gunther would remain bound to Mathilda through the mirror. This means she can speak with Gunther who shows her things she needs to see. Don’t worry. It didn’t hurt Gunther’s soul or spirit. It was such a small piece that no damage was done and Gunther would never miss it should he have been none the wiser. Still, it’s a powerful and sacred piece of magic that could go very, very wrong if tried by the wrong person. Had Mathilda remained mortal and lived only a regular lifespan, that part of Gunther would have winked out at the moment of Mathilda’s death.This makes it so that it is only Mathilda or those Mathilda gives consent to who can use Gunther’s powers. As long as Mathilda remains alive, so does Gunther. His mirror is unbreakable in impregnable.

And that, Emily my love, brings us to the end of Story Hour. 🙂

Ye are right that many people seek ways of staying alive through nefarious means. Sadly,, the quest for immortality corrupts most people and they become obsessed with succeeding. Just look at Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter series. He is a perfect example. He was so afraid of dying that he stopped at nothing to remain alive, even if it meant living in a form that would be worse than death. I would not call the way he existed living. He cheated and murdered, even ripped apart his own soul to try to achieve immortality.

That is a fictional story, of course, but there are plenty throughout the ages who sought immortality and were never the same again. Mathilda has witnessed it firsthand and could tell ye stories that would make your hair stand on end. So yes, motives and how pure or evil they are affect things in ways we cannot even fathom.

I delivered your message of thanks to Mathilda for the gemstone, and she sends ye a big hug and says ye are most welcome. We are both glad it helped chase away at least some of your nightmares. From reading between the lines, it sounds like ye have other dreams that are not based within normal parameters. Och, lassie, ye must have been through the works to have dreams like that. I’m sorry we can’t offer a simple solution to help with those. Dreams of paranormal origin are a wee bit trickier to vanquish. They can come from just about anything, and ye’d need a magical person who specializes in dream weaving to break them up. It can be a painstaking process because many times, ye have to go backward little by little until ye get right to the source. If ye try to work it too quickly, the mind can snap because it’s just too much for the mind to cope with. But then, if you go too slow, it prolongs the terror unnecessarily. The treatment can be scarier than the dreams, so some people choose simply to cope with the dreams and hope they don’t plague them too often. Dreams, at their mildest, are spider webs of thoughts that take many a twist and turn. Dreams at their worst and of non-normal origins…well, suffice it to say, they’re a mess.

Again, I am here for ye any time and if ye ever need to talk about that thing, whatever it was,  that happened to ye, I will listen and talk with ye about it any time.

Mathilda says by all means let your brother use the gem. Ye are a great sister to want to share it with him and help him with his bad dreams. If I were ye, just keep it within your immediate family. Otherwise, ye could very possibly get “friends” who come out of the woodwork and only want to be nice to ye so they can have access to your stone. There are those who are exceedingly cruel that way and are out for only themselves, and they’ll take ye for a ride, so to speak, in order to get what they want. Just share it with those ye completely trust and ye won’t go wrong.

Indeed, I do have a great-great granddaughter and yes, she’s enjoying the project very much. Ye are correct in that my entire family seems to be joining right and left. Silvan, Tara’s father, has joined and it looks like Aurora and Tyrone won’t be too far behind. 🙂 It seems that when one person gets the itch, it doesn’t take long for it to spread.

Ah, so your uncle DID join! And I am glad to hear he is enjoying himself. I reckon he is extremely careful about what he writes and how he writes it. I mean, there would be that potential for cosmic disaster if he wrote something like, “Hey, yo! Just call me Death.” 😀 Even so, that alone probably wouldn’t do much damage. He’d probably get a few strange looks and some might twirl their finer by their ear in a “Well, he’s crazy,” sign. The real damage, I’m guessing, would come if the recipient began to believe the words to be true. Sometimes if ye actually believe something to be true, that belief actually causes it to happen or makes something happen faster. Och! I don’t know if this is making any sense at all. Ye know how old men can wander off the main path, and I am certainly an old man. 🙂 Ah but anyway, your uncle is a smart fellow who knows what he can and can’t get away with. the cosmos definitely isn’t broken and lives to see another day. 🙂

Ah ghosts…and yes, so many possibilities! I went to the Elysian Fields, which was more beautiful than anyone can possibly explain. But yes, everyone has a different experience and it’s sad when a soul gets so lost that they cannot find their way home, wherever home is for them. i would not want such an existence and am glad I ended up where I was during my time as a dead person. Ye are so right that sometimes it takes the ghost, themselves, to figure out which direction to turn.

I think of yet another Twilight Zone episode as I write this to ye. This is one from the classic era called “Death Ship” where three astronauts begin to land on an unexplored planet to see if it can sustain life and can be colonized. They have a rough landing but apparently manage to come out of it unscathed. I say apparently because it turns out that they were all killed. I don’t want to spoil the rest for ye but I’ll just say that one person’s unbelief holds the others hostage, in a way. The episode is old and in black and white, but it’s available if ye do some digging. it’s a good one and well worth it.

My time as a dead person was nice, and I am one of the lucky ones. Not everyone’s afterlife works out so nicely, so I consider myself fortunate. Still, i am glad to be back nd here among the living once again.

Ye know, Miss Emily, ye can’t have happiness without some sadness thrown into the nix. Like I said before, ye can talk to me about anything, so don’t feel like it has to be all sunshine and flowers if you’re not feeling it. We’ve gone into some very deep, heavy subjects and I reckon we’ll be doing it again many more times.

And so, we get to teleportation. Your brother is right. With science, it would be impossible, do darned near for the exact reasons he mentioned to ye. Magic is a different story though. There was an entire thesis written by a wizard scholar explaining how and why magical teleportation works. It has something to do with the medium ye are traveling through, such as air or water. It’s more difficult through water because the lungs cannot breathe through water. I won’t bore ye with the entire thing but it basically comes down to this. if there is a moving element such as air and water and if the person has the magical skill to do it, teleportation can be achieved. it has been tried in space and on the moon but the results of those experiments were less than favorable. There was no air to move through, ye see, so most of the time, the person remained where they were. Teleportation tried by the correct means just doesn’t work in space or where there is no atmosphere. Unfortunately, there was one poor sod who tried an experimental teleportation spell to combat the issue of no air but he was lost in the expedition. What ended up happening to the poor, stupid bloke was the spell backfired and he went hurtling through deep space on a direct course toward the sun. Well, suffice it to say, nobody ever tried that again.

For that matter, it’s hard to perform most kinds of magic in space. Again, no air for the spell to move through so the particles, for lack of a better word, disperse and float every which way. Ye’ve heard of space junk, I’m sure. It’s where things like debris from satellites or pieces of detached space modules just aimlessly orbit the Earth. Well, there is likely some spell dust floating around up there due to magical experimentation.

As i was reading your brother’s explanation as to why teleportation wouldn’t work scientifically, another book came to mind. It’s The Bad Place by Dean Koontz. Before I go further with the explanation, I’ll warn ye that it’s a creepy, sinister read and it scared the bejesus out of my Aurora. Chris had asked her to bring me the book since he wanted me to read it. She put the book down on the table, hugged herself, shivered, and said, “Damn, grandda, the family in this book is the creepiest, most horrible one ever. Keep all your lights on after you finish it because it this doesn’t give you bad dreams, nothing will.”

I can see why it creeped her out so badly. it’s a story about what would happen if teleportation spiraled out of control due to the person doing the teleportation being unable to control it. Things happened, more or less, like your brother explained, and Mr. Koontz wrote it so descriptively, which makes it creepy and quite disturbing. But if ye have a strong stomach and enjoy quite the macabre read, ye would enjoy this one.

I think cosmic beings have their own unique way of traveling, like your uncle said. In their case, nothing is done by any stretch of traditional means. I don’t think there really is a word that describes their unique ways of doing things. However they do it, they must know what they’re doing because the universe is still standing. 🙂

Travel by broomstick is a one-of-a-kind experience. Aye, it used to be extremely uncomfortable. By the time ye got to your destination, your butt and thighs felt like they’d been a part of a jigsaw puzzle and put back together incorrectly. The broomstick enchantments have improved drastically, so that’s a thing of the past, thank goodness. ye can’t see the seat with the physical eye but once ye are on the broomstick and begin your travel, ye all but feel as though ye are sitting on a seat made of feathers. if we should ever meet up in person one day, I’ll take ye for a spin. I’ve a special one equipped for passengers. it was a must because my wee grandchildren always pestered me for rides when they were little. Even Aurora still enjoys a once-in-a-while spin with her grandda and I am always happy to oblige.

I’m so happy your sister’s wedding went well and so proud of ye for finding your courage to play for her special day. I knew ye could do it and ye did. 🙂 That is quite a feat ye have accomplished and if anyone could yelp ye with stage fright, it’s Lenora. She is good at taht sort of thing and is one of the nicest people ye would ever meet. I realize I’m a bissed grandda but I do know it to be true. it does me proud that ye like her so much and like I said earlier, she has taken quite a shine to ye just as I have, Miss Emily.

I reckon cosmic beings are like anyone else in regard to finding enjoyment in a sort of hobby when they get a second here or there to indulge. It does sound like your uncle enjoys himself with singing, which is good. His work isn’t exactly happy or rewarding, so it’s nice that he can enjoy himself with something relaxing. Perhaps it makes him feel more balanced when he can sing a little for ye. I also reckon it’s not something he’d share regularly, so ye are certainly privileged that he shares that part of himself with ye. After all, it’s not often a person can say they are on a first name basis with Death.

Ah yes, my Aurora! She truly is an amazing person and is very skilled at what she does. I am proud as punch of her, I am. Everything about Aurora is fairy-tale like. Ye know, she was always convinced she’d meet a fairy prince and they’d fall madly in love. That’s exactly waht happened, too. I will tell ye in the next letter how she and Silvan met.

She is very much Lenora in many ways, so much so that it’s almost like going back in time and being with Lenora at that age. If ye like Lenora, I’m sure ye would like Aurora. I’m including one of her albums for your listening pleasure. She’s even signed it for ye and has included a little note.

Dear Emily,

Grandda and Ma have told me quite a lot about you and I feel as though I know you a little already. Consider this as a gift from me and I do hope you enjoy it. Also, please consider this a personal invitation to my upcoming wedding. We all would love to meet you and would be elated if you were able to come and share this special time with us.

Best wishes,

Aurora Landbraab

Her stage name is Aurora Lincoln, so that is why her name appears differently on the album cover. If ye can come to the wedding, ye will hear her sing in person. She and Silvan will be singing together at the wedding.

if ye are able to come, there are plenty of folks who’d be glad to put ye up. Lenora’s house is always a busy place and will especially be when the wedding date draws nearer. if ye want something more quiet and out of the way, Mathilda and I would love to have ye. Do give it some thought, Miss Emily. We’d love to have ye and will accommodate ye in any way we can.

it is lovely that ye have such a special relationship with your sister and consider her one of your idols. She sounds like a strong-minded person who knows what she wants and oes after it. And I like that, being a badass without being an ass. My Andrea (Aurora’s sister) says something very similar.

It pains me when natural settings are taken down to put up thins like factories and other buildings. We still need our parks and once natural resources are gone, they can’t be replaced. it displaces animals who need to find other homes. it is sometimes an uncaring world we live in and I am sorry to say that it grows worse in many ways. The world needs more people like your sister to stand up for what is right.

Ah, so ye are considering a dietary change, too. I admire your willingness for it, especially at your age. Most young folks your age live on junk food and processed crap every chance they get. Many hate the sight of veggies, let alone eating them. I think it’s great that ye are seeking a healthier lifestyle that fits well with your views in life.

My great granddaughter, Andrea, is struggling some with the little girl she and her husband Elton have adopted. Aye, it does seem to run in the family, adopting orphaned wee ones, that is. Anyway, Lisa is a pistol. Her greatest desire is to one day become a werewolf. She’s athletic and loves her sports, and that girl is a go-getter. But she’s at that stage right now where veggies are yucky. “Besides, what self-respecting wolf eats like a bunny?” she is apt to say.  Elton is a very clever cook, so he’s found ways of sneaking in veggies without Lisa realizing what they are. They want her to et her proper nutrition and protein, alone, just doesn’t do the job.

I’m lad ye are having fun looking for both magical and pretty sites in your hometown. I would love to hear about your lovely findings.

Lenora told me she invited ye to the wedding and as stated before, we’d love to have ye. Traveling alone can be daunting, so if ye decide to come and want to bring a friend or family member, that is perfectly fine. In fact, if I were sending one of my wee ones off somewhere, I’d insist that someone go with them or they wouldn’t go at all. A person in a new situation is always better off with a buddy.

Well Miss Emily, I have once again written ye a novel. I suppose I am the stereotypical grandda who loves to jabber and ye’re an easy one to jabber to. 🙂 Now, ye have a joyous and blessed day, and may your sunrises always be soft and colorful.

Your Friend Always,

Liaam

Author’s Note: I can’t find a YouTube link for “Death Ship,” The Twilight Zone episode Liam told Emily about. There are ways of getting to it though. it might be on Hulu, I don’t know, but it’s free if you are an Amazon Prime member. It’s in Season 4 of the series.

I’ve been trying to cone up with a description of what Aurora sounds like when she sings. About the best way I can describe it is she sounds a lot like Sarah Brightman but very sort of ethereal, even mystical. She has a powerful voice and can sing opera when needed but her voice is more like that ethereal sound that makes you feel as though you’ve been transported to another world. I wish I could explain it better.

The Bad Place IS a creepy and scary book so be prepared to be creeped out majorly if you read it. Lots of death, lots of twists and turns, and very descriptive gross stuff.