When people think of things that move in the dark, no matter by what name they are called, they tend to picture them lurking in the woods, in the abandoned churches, in the small towns where the closed factory has rat kings reigning in the cellars. And yes, such places do have their…population, let us say.
But think about it. Where do predators hide? Where do they live? Don’t they follow prey? Don’t they seek the places where it is easiest to grab their unaware dinner?
And remember, all the rules, whether those engraved in grimoires bound with strange leather whose origin you do not want to know of or the lists passed across the creepypasta sites by bored teenagers, tend to agree on one thing – monsters lurk in liminal spaces.
In-between places. Places with no clear roots, places that might change so rapidly from one to another that there is no time to put down the roots. Places that fewer people settle in than pass through.
And what better than the cities? Those who are Other – whether benevolent, malevolent or just wanting to live their lives – tend to migrate to cities, to the places where you can disappear into the crowd if you choose…or build your own crowd around you should that be your choice.
The reasons are obvious.
Weirdness is, if not exactly tolerated everywhere, at least expected. You see the man in the subway talking to someone invisible seated next to him, you may hurry away to look for a different seat, but are you really surprised? And when the herd is so thick, the loss of a few rarely attracts attention.
Of course, it is not only the Other who are attracted by the cities, by the anonymity and freedom – it is anyone who has grown up being ‘other’ wherever they were. It is something to reach for. Some thrive. Some fall. And the fallen ones…
Well. Who is going to notice if there are four instead of five homeless people in the tent city? Who is going to notice if the new guy who moved into the apartment is acting a little weird one morning?
If the student apparently decides university is too tough to handle and drops out, not even bothering to file the paperwork? Someone overdoses under a bridge, someone doesn’t follow orders and makes an officer ‘fear for their life’, someone just wanders into traffic or passes out in the cold?
How many murders, suicides and accidents get a thorough investigation?
The sheer number is enough to hide in. But that is not all. Remember the creepypasta stories about how if you read this post, the monster will come lurk under your bed? Mostly nonsense, but in essence…
Let us just say belief plays a major role. Roots, connections, links… The Other follows or is brought, by the Mundane. And cities are where those from a hundred separate little worlds congregate, many bringing their own companions.
My friend D – she’s a museum curator - claims that it is not about the people themselves, that the ideas already spread through the internet, movies, YA novels. Who doesn’t know what the Slit-Mouthed Woman is after? Stories spread, Others follow.
That part doesn’t matter so much. Whether it is stories or people who bring them, it is too late to do anything about that. They are here. And we have to live with them.
That is sort of the key point, live. And for that, you need those who will keep the Watch.
That is the name we have come up with. The Watch.
Well, not exactly us. The Watch has been around long before any of us were born, and likely would be around long after we’re all gone. Cities without a Watch rarely survive long enough to, well, be a city.
H tried to change the name to Night’s Watch after the TV show came out. I managed to veto that. Questions of dignity aside, names have power. And taking on the name of a dwindling, broken down force standing watch against a threat that they are horribly outmatched against? No, not going there, doesn’t matter how ‘cool’ it sounds.
Of course, a city is a big place, hence the Watch is correspondingly numerous. But we tend to work in our own territory. One unit of the Watch, so to speak, consisting of seven to twelve members.
There’s no official recruitment, though some of us are Chosen by different Others who have their own reason to preserve the city – either conservation strategy or entertainment. I am not sure which. Or which would be more disturbing.
That needs further study, which I will get to if I ever have time enough – or survive long enough.
My unit has seven regular members, though there are semi regulars and consultants scattered throughout.
1) Yours truly. Day job – nothing much, which is why I have the time to be the official chronicler (Admittedly unofficial. I mentioned sharing this with the others, but almost all of them were of the opinion it will just get buried. H thought it was hilarious and wanted to co-write. No, thank you very much). I am one of the ‘Chosen’ bloodlines. Some ancestor who made their own deal with… Well, we needn’t go into that right now. In any case, the deal ensures we don’t have to worry about mundane little issues…as long as we keep up our part of the deal. I’m no millionaire, but my investments tend to do just well enough that I can make this my full time career, such as it is. Perks of the job. I’m never having kids. Though I guess it would pass to my cousins, but K has her own unit of the Watch… Never mind.
2) C. I am using only initials, for obvious reasons. I know no one here is going to think this is real, but all the same, I am not going to put names out there, thank you very much. Reporter. One of the few dailies that have still not gone under. Good guy. Freelances a lot. Changeling. Sidhe. Parents – human ones – knew. Decided to keep him anyway. I don’t know how that conversation went, but he still goes home every weekend he can.
3) D. Museum curator, as mentioned. She has never really opened up about where she is from – I have made my efforts to find out. Has not been of much use till now. She has a way of shutting down enquiries that makes you decide you don’t really want to know that much. It is not fae blood, unlike most of the Watch that are Other. I know how to test that.
4) B. Assistant Coroner. Way too bubbly for his job, both the day job and the Watch. Some level of fae blood in him, but not much – assume air elemental ancestry, given personality, reflexes and general speed. Smarter than he looks.
5) A. Marine biologist. Working at one of the conservation NGOs. Prefers to spend more time there than on the Watch. If there is conflict will pick the dolphins. Or even the turtles or starfish. Selkie father.
6) H. Former Air Force. Currently working occasionally as a consultant. And also as the champion/knight/agent for certain high ranking members of the Summer Court. Annoying. But also annoyingly efficient at his job. I was not – am still not – sure about having someone with potentially divided loyalties on the Watch, but it is not new. It has not caused trouble – till now. The Council is mostly aligned with human survival, though I suspect it’s less about morality and more about control/entertainment.
7) J. Psychiatrist. Also psychic. Possibly some level of fae blood. Career helps to point us the right direction occasionally. The Others tend to prey on the ones who will not be believed – and often can’t believe themselves. Functions as emergency medic if one of us gets hurt and doesn't want to risk offering explanations to the ER.
Which city? That doesn’t matter. Maybe you will be able to pick up details from some of the stories. But frankly, it could be any city. There are not too many differences – after all, they share the same essence.
The location does not matter. What matters is the rules. The warnings. There is only so much the Watch can do. We cannot be everywhere. And even when we are, we cannot always fix whatever it is that you have got yourself into.
Know the rules. They’re not difficult. Instinct is often enough to tell you, or the fairy stories – the old ones, not Disney. I will make other posts - I intended to make this one longer, include the rules, but H insisted the first post of a series must be short and attention grabbing if I am to have anyone actually read this. So this is all for today - 24 hours is the posting limit, isn't it?
You will likely never get to contact us yourself. Maybe someone else will make the call, or someone will send a message upstream or one of the shadows will whisper to someone in the dark. But if it gets to that point, you are already in deep trouble. Best not to let it get that far. Pray you will never see the Watch.