Life Passed -09-

Life Passed

A Transgender Paranormal Fantasy

From the Paranormal Visitor Universe

Chapter Nine: The Shopping Disaster

By Sasha Zarya Nexus

Can Laura and Minuet in the aftermath of Girl 102, face the challenge
of Elias and his followers and the revelation of Ruth?

Copyright 2008, 2025 by Sasha Zarya Nexus.
All Rights Reserved.

Author's Note:

This book, in it's entirety, is available on my Patreon. BCTS will get weekly postings on Tuesdays to complete it here. Patreon Free Members can read my new complete book by chapters, Things We Do for Love

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Elias Vire's first direct confrontation with Laura and me at the shopping center had left us both shaken but strangely empowered. Helen's cryptic protective intervention had forced Elias to retreat, but as we drove home with Michelle, I could feel the Celtic Triquetra necklace beneath my shirt still pulsing with residual energy from whatever supernatural force had protected us.

"Girls," Michelle said as we pulled into our driveway, "we need to talk about what just happened. That wasn't a coincidence—Elias was drawn to you specifically."

Laura nodded grimly. "My grandmother always said that when the ancient powers awaken, they call to each other. The fire elemental in him recognized something in us."

But as we entered the house, I felt a familiar warmth spreading through my necklace, and Helen's spiritual form materialized in our living room. Her energy seemed different somehow—more focused, more urgent than I'd ever seen it.

"Girls," Helen said, her voice carrying an otherworldly authority, "it's time for you to understand the full extent of what you've inherited. The confrontation with Elias has accelerated everything."

Michelle settled into her chair, while Laura and I sat cross-legged on the floor, both of us instinctively reaching for our necklaces. The Celtic Triquetra pendants had grown warm again, responding to Helen's presence.

"What do you mean?" I asked, though part of me already suspected the answer.

"Turn your necklaces over," Helen instructed. "Both of you. Look at the reverse side."

The Hidden Symbols
I fumbled with the clasp of my necklace, my twelve-year-old fingers suddenly clumsy with anticipation. Laura did the same, and we both gasped as we examined the backs of our pendants for the first time.

Where the reverse side had been smooth, uncarved metal just hours before, intricate new symbols were now etched into the surface. The Celtic knotwork was different from the front—more complex, more ancient, and somehow alive with its own inner light.

"Mine has three interlocking spirals," Laura breathed, tracing the pattern with her finger.

"Mine too," I whispered, "but they're moving. The spirals are actually moving."

Helen's spiritual form grew brighter. "The Triskelion—the ancient symbol of the triple goddess. Maiden, mother, and crone, but also past, present, and future. The symbols appeared because you've both proven yourselves ready to accept your roles as guardians."

Michelle leaned forward, her own necklace beginning to glow. "Helen, what's happening to yours?"

I looked down at my pendant and saw that the Triskelion was now pulsing in rhythm with my heartbeat, each spiral rotating slowly around the others. Laura's was doing the same, and as we held them closer together, the symbols began to resonate with each other.

"The power of three," Helen explained, "but not the same three that bound us together. This is the next generation—the guardians who will face what's coming."

"But there are only two of us," Laura pointed out.

Helen's smile was both sad and knowing. "For now. Your third sister is coming, drawn by the same forces that brought you together. When she arrives, your circle will be complete."

The New Circle Forms
As if summoned by Helen's words, my necklace suddenly flared with brilliant light, and I felt a presence I'd never experienced before—ancient, powerful, and unmistakably feminine. The energy flowed through the Celtic Triquetra, connecting me not just to Helen and Michelle, but to something far older and more profound.

"Helen," I gasped, "I can feel... everything. The forest, the altar, the fire elemental—it's all connected."

Laura's eyes had gone wide with wonder. "I can see the past. My ancestors building the altar, binding the elemental, trying to teach it control instead of destruction."

"And I can sense the future," Helen said softly. "The paths that branch out from this moment, the choices that will determine whether love or hate triumphs in our community."

Michelle reached out to touch both of our shoulders. "What does this mean for them, Helen? They're just children."

"They're guardians," Helen corrected gently. "Age is irrelevant when it comes to spiritual calling. Minuet has already proven her courage by facing Elias directly. Laura carries the wisdom of generations in her bloodline. Together, they represent hope for redemption rather than destruction."

The Triskelion symbols on our necklaces had begun to glow so brightly that they cast shadows on the walls, and I could feel Laura's thoughts touching mine—not invasively, but like the gentle brush of a sister's hand.

Can you hear me? Laura's voice echoed in my mind.

Yes, I responded without speaking aloud. Is this normal?

Nothing about our lives is normal anymore, she replied with mental laughter. But it feels right, doesn't it?

She was right. Despite the strangeness of telepathic communication, it felt as natural as breathing. The bond between us was deepening, strengthened by the ancient magic flowing through our necklaces.

Helen's Revelation
"There's something else you need to know," Helen continued, her spiritual form beginning to flicker slightly. "The confrontation with Elias today wasn't random. He's been drawn to you specifically because of what you represent."

"What do we represent?" I asked, though I suspected the answer would change everything.

"Balance," Helen replied. "Elias and the fire elemental see only destruction and purification—burning away what they perceive as corruption. But you two represent transformation through love, growth through acceptance, healing through understanding."

Laura's hand found mine, and I felt the warmth of our connection flowing through both our necklaces. "So we're supposed to fight him?"

"You're supposed to save him," Helen corrected. "The fire elemental wasn't always destructive. Originally, it was a force of passion and transformation—the sacred fire that burns away the false to reveal the true. Centuries of imprisonment twisted it into something that can only see destruction as purification."

The implications of her words sent a chill through me. "You want us to redeem a fire elemental?"

"I want you to remember that love is always stronger than hate, even when hate burns with elemental fire." Helen's form was growing more translucent. "But first, you need to understand your own powers."

She gestured to our glowing necklaces. "The Triskelion symbols mark you as inheritors of the ancient Celtic magic. Laura, your family built the original containment, so you carry the power to bind and release. Minuet, your transformation was accomplished through love transcending death, so you carry the power to heal and redeem."

"What about our third sister?" Laura asked. "What power will she bring?"

Helen's smile was mysterious. "That remains to be seen. But I suspect she'll bring exactly what you need when you need it most."

The Growing Threat
As if responding to our conversation, the distant sound of sirens began echoing across the valley. Through the living room window, I could see another orange glow on the horizon—larger than the previous fires, more intense.

"He's testing his power again," Helen observed, her spiritual energy fluctuating with distress. "Each act of destruction makes him stronger, and each success convinces him more deeply that he's on a divine mission."

Michelle reached for the remote and turned on the local news. The reporter's voice was tense with barely controlled fear: "...the third suspicious fire in as many days has completely destroyed the Cedar Hollow Community Center. Fire officials are baffled by the intensity of the blaze and its resistance to conventional firefighting methods..."

"The community center," Laura whispered. "That's where all the children's art classes are held. He's targeting innocence itself."

I felt a surge of anger that surprised me with its intensity, and the Triskelion symbol on my necklace flared in response. "We have to stop him."

"Not yet," Helen said firmly. "You're not ready. Your powers are awakening, but you haven't learned to control them. Anger will only make you vulnerable to the same elemental force that's corrupted Elias."

"Then when?" I demanded, my twelve-year-old voice cracking with frustration. "How many more places does he have to burn before we're 'ready'?"

Helen's expression grew infinitely gentle. "When your third sister arrives. When you've learned to channel love instead of force. When you understand that the goal isn't to defeat Elias, but to free Ruth."

"Ruth?" Laura and I said simultaneously.

"The person Elias used to be, before trauma and fear twisted him into what he's become. She's still in there, buried beneath layers of pain and religious extremism. If you can reach her, you can save them both."

The Circle Strengthens
As the evening deepened and the distant fire finally died down, Helen began to fade. But before she disappeared entirely, she placed her spiritual hands over our joined ones, and I felt a final surge of energy flow through our necklaces.

"Remember," she said, her voice growing distant, "you are bound together by more than friendship now. You are sisters in the truest sense—chosen family united by purpose and protected by love that transcends death itself."

The Triskelion symbols on our necklaces pulsed once more, then settled into a gentle, steady glow that I knew would never completely fade.

"Will we see you again?" I asked, suddenly afraid of losing our spiritual guide.

"When you need me most," Helen promised. "But increasingly, you'll find that you have each other. The power of three is awakening, and with it, abilities you can't yet imagine."

As Helen's presence faded completely, Laura and I sat in the quiet living room, our necklaces still warm against our chests, the weight of our new responsibilities settling around us like a cloak.

"Are you scared?" Laura asked quietly.

"Terrified," I admitted. "But also... excited? Like we're finally becoming who we were always meant to be."

Michelle, who had been quietly watching our transformation, finally spoke. "You're both braver than you know. And you're not facing this alone."

She was right. The Celtic sisterhood was evolving, expanding to include a new generation of guardians. Helen had passed her wisdom to us, but more than that, she had given us each other.

As we prepared for bed that night, I realized that my education in being an authentic twelve-year-old girl now included lessons I'd never expected: how to channel ancient magic, how to face supernatural enemies, and how to believe in the possibility of redemption even when confronted by seemingly pure hatred.

The Triskelion symbol rested warm against my chest as I drifted off to sleep, and in my dreams, I saw a third girl—someone who would complete our circle and bring the final piece of the puzzle we'd need to face the fire elemental and save the soul trapped within it.

The war for our community's soul was escalating, but we were no longer just three individuals fighting alone. We were becoming something more powerful than the sum of our parts—a new generation of guardians bound by love, protected by ancient magic, and strong enough to believe that even the most broken souls could be healed.

The fire on the horizon had died down, but I knew it was only the beginning. Elias would return with greater power, and when he did, we would be ready—not to destroy him, but to save the frightened girl named Ruth who was still trapped somewhere deep inside his rage.

The Celtic sisterhood lived on, and love would be our greatest weapon.