Samantha's Flat - Trading Spaces

[Narrator]

At some point during the early evening of the 15th, Samantha will get a call from her landlord indicating that there is some kind of water leak in her flat, if she has not already come home.

If she has come home early, she will be witness to a small marsh, complete with reeds and stink, taking up about a quarter of her living room.

[Samantha McManus]

Samantha unlocked the door and went in to see what the fuss could be about, quickly spying the oddity that had settled into her living room.

"...what the bloody?"

[Narrator]

The minute Samantha closes the door behind her, all the lights in her flat go out.

She can hear crickets.

[Samantha McManus]

Alright then, it's likely just a student prank...

She shifted her eyes to adjust to the dark.

[Narrator]

As her eyes adjust, Sam makes out the figure of a hunched woman. She's hideous even in the dim light. Long, warty nose, long scraggly hair, sharp, broken nails on her fingers, broken teeth. Eyes like sunken pools of tar.

[Samantha McManus]

"...right, then. What's all this about?"

[Narrator]

The hag speaks in a croaking, burbling voice. "Greedy child. What right have you to the Phantom Queen's power?"

[Samantha McManus]

She narrowed her eyes at the crone.

"This? We're honestly doing this?"

[Narrator]

"Rude child! Have you no respect for your elders?" The hag stumps forward, points a filthy claw-like nail at Sam.

[Samantha McManus]

"I have very little respect when my home is invaded."

[Narrator]

The hag laughs. "Oh but child, the Painted Man brought my home here. Do you like the housekeeping I've set up?"

[Samantha McManus]

"You're obviously under a mistaken assumption. Leave, and I won't express to you just how mistaken."

[Narrator]

"I'm not leaving without it, girl. The Phantom Queen's feather cloak. You have it, and you must give it to me!"

The hag follows this statement up with some kind of magical compulsion... but it has a psychic effect and is quite a bit below the level of power that would stress Sam's shields.

[Samantha McManus]

She frowned.

"I've nothing of the sort that I can give you, and I've met bean nighe before..."

[Narrator]

The creature rushes Sam, but more clumsily than she would expect of such a night spook. Sure, they're clumsey when they walk about, but when one rushes a soul, they are usually fast, and deadly.

[Samantha McManus]

Samantha broke up into a flock of ravens, which rushed around and at the crone, pecking and scratching as they passed. She reformed on the opposite side of the bog once most of the flock had made it there.

[Narrator]

In her brief contact, Sam felt some kind of strange... astral chain around the hag. None of the ravens were harmed, though the Hag screamed in rage at the attack.

She huffed at Sam, gnawing on a fingernail to break it into an even more nasty, ragged blade. "You shouldn't have done that, no, shouldn't have done that at all..."

[Samantha McManus]

"I don't think the 'painted man' twigged to who he was sending you after."

"I can free you of that chain, though..."

[Narrator]

The hag pauses, as if to comment on that, but all she can do is open and close her mouth like a fish, as she struggles against the powerful Geas that binds her.

[Samantha McManus]

"Whatever you think I am, I do have enough power to do that."

[Narrator]

The hag claws grotesquely at her face, caught between the power of the Geas and her desire to enlist Sam's aid.

[Samantha McManus]

Samantha manifested a large hammer and chisel in the Astral. Though the physical flock had gone when they reformed into her, the Astral flock was very much still present as she brought the chisel into position and sent the hammer crashing down on it.

[Narrator]

The hag screams, but it quickly becomes a happy noise, or as happy a noise as a creature like her can make.

She smiles amidst the tatters of her face. "For that, girl, ye get one question answered, fairly, according to the nature of my kind, without any cost."

[Samantha McManus]

"Only one I'd like answered before you go. Who is the 'painted man'?"

[Narrator]

"He's the one who's blessed by the three, by prohecy. Student of the druids, apprentice to the Strange one. Three gods in one man child, I'd be careful... but I know you won't."

She cackles, retreating to the deepest part of her swamp. "Rough times for you ahead my dear. Beware the Hungry Man..."

[Samantha McManus]

She sighed, watching for the swamp to retreat so she could reclaim her clothes on the opposite side of the room.

I bloody hate magic...

[Narrator]

The hag and her swamp slowly vanish... and when they're gone, there's a little talismen left on the ground.

It's shaped like a stag-horned skull.

[Samantha McManus]

She shook her head as she crossed the room, picking up the trinket before gathering her clothes.

And the worst part is, they act as if I've chosen this...

[Domanic Taylor]

Samantha's phone rings. Her light bulbs are still burnt out though, even the ones that were off at the time.

[Samantha McManus]

Oh, lovely timing.

She walked gingerly over to the phone and picked it up.

"Hello?"

[Domanic Taylor]

It's Domanic's voice. "Sam, are you alright? My sorcerer finally arrived, and he says that there was some kind of power spike at your house."

[Samantha McManus]

"I had an unexpected house guest. It's dealt with."

[Domanic Taylor]

"Alright, good." Dom sighs. "I was worried. Anyway, the sorcerer says he can start doing a widespread tracking of this stuff soon. Sorry for bugging you, I'll let you get back to your evening."

[Samantha McManus]

"I'll bring what's left by after I've had a chance to clean up a bit, aye?"

[Domanic Taylor]

"I'll be in my office all night I'm guessing. You're always welcome."

[Samantha McManus]

"See you soon, then."

[Domanic Taylor]

"See you then." Dom hangs up.