Mr. Black

By Cameron McCurry

**Flaming
Feather**

There is a boy that is confined to a mental institution and from the looks of things, he may be there for the rest of his life. All that is known about him is that he was horribly abused by his parents and that information is only known because of the doctor that examined him. The boy's parents are dead and there are no known relatives.

The boy, who the staff have taken to calling Todd, is very withdrawn. He doesn't speak except during private counseling sessions and during those, he prefers to interact with an imaginary friend called Mr. Black.

There are two things that have gotten the attention of Heaven and Hell. First of all, the boy has a sixth Force. This seems to be a product of the trauma of his life. He would be a good candidate for recruiting as a Soldier, but he's not talking to people yet.

The other factor is that the boy's imaginary friend seems to be quite real. One representative each from Beleth and Blandine have tried to make contact with the boy through his dreamscape. Both were torn to pieces by a shadowy figure that called itself Mr. Black. He seems to have the power to use Todd's dreamscape as a source of power and he fights off intruders with a viciousness that is rarely seen in the Marches.

So what's going on?

Todd's traumatic life has caused him to seek safety and shelter in the Marches. An ethereal spirit took pity on the boy and began to talk to him. The spirit could see what had happened to the boy and was horrified at what it saw. In response, it took the shape of "Mr. Black" and stayed with Todd. The spirit learned how to shape Todd's dreamscape and use it against invaders.

The problem is that Todd is not interacting with the real world like he should. Mr. Black refuses to let people talk to the boy unless he is present. He is wary of attempts to bring Todd away from the dreamscape. As it stands, the boy is so secure in his dreamscape that removing Mr. Black by force would harm Todd, perhaps irreprably. Mr. Black isn't truly malicious either; he doesn't want Todd being hurt more than he already is. He has no idea of the damage he is doing to his young "charge" and would be very upset to learn it.

**Flaming
Feather**

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