Sean clears the table in the clubhouse while you check the Libra and set to work crafting a new sigil on the table. When that's done, you and Sean empty the bags of grave dirt on top of it. Sean measures and mixes the ingredients, finally pouring the concoction over the pile of dirt.
You're just checking the Libras and glance up to see Sean holding up a lit match. "NO!" You yell. He looks over and with a yelp drops the match shaking his burnt fingers.
You snatch the matches pushing him hard. "What was that for?" He moans.
"You fucking idiot!" You growl. "You almost screwed up the spell."
"How?" He asks. You show him the book stabbing with a finger at the text. He gasps, "Damn! I missed that. So we need someones hair?"
Sean suggests it should be your hair as the Libra belongs to you. So you sit in a chairs and remove Sean's mask, you resurface with a start as Sean pulls some hair from your head, "Ow!"
"Stop whining! it's only a few hairs." He snorts.
You replace the mask again, and wake to see Sean studying the book. "Are we set to go?" You ask. He nods sprinkling your hair over the dirt.
You throw the matches and he lights one holding it to the pile of dirt.
Whooosh! Your breath is taken away by the heat from the fire, but it dies down almost immediately to the same blue flame you see when making the masks. You both watch the flames and after thirty minutes or so they flicker and die.
Sean asks you if its done. You tell him it needs to be kept alight until it wont light anymore. You light a match and stretch a shaky arm to the mound of dirt, eventually you just throw it and jump backwards but this time there is just a quiet 'pop' and it re-ignites.
It continues to flicker and go out at randomly through the evening. You check the Libras again, and your face drops as you discover it could take days to complete the spell.
"I've got an idea." He says diving out the door.
He returns with what looks like parts of a BBQ; a gas canister, tubing and a burner. He sets it up and turns on the gas, a small flame comes from the burner which he rests next to the burning dirt. It's not long before the dirt goes out and then there's a pop and it re-ignites from the burner. Sean gives you a huge grin.
Throughout the following days, you and Sean take turns to nursemaid the smoldering pile of dirt. As the days pass you notice it starts to melt and change shape. It appears to be elongating, with a definite top and bottom. Appendages bud from the larger mass on Tuesday, and on Wednesday evening you get a call from Sean, 'It won't light any more, and its changed shape again."
You drive to the clubhouse and burst through the door. On the table lays something resembling a human shape with a dusty grey covering. "The book says we need to polish it like masks." He groans.
You dread the thought of having to polish the thing but it's a lot easier than you thought and it's done in a couple of hours. "What now?" You ask.
Sean rests the book on the pile, and it appears to glow releasing the stuck page. He reads the new text several times. The Latin is complicated but he tells you that he thinks the spell creates something called a golem. "And I'm not sure, but I think it says 'A mask gives it life and it becomes the slave of the master.'"
"OK, lets give it a go." You remove Sean's mask struggling to remain conscious. Your head throbs as you hold onto the table supporting yourself.
Tentatively you place Sean's mask on the golem, suddenly waves wash over it changing it into a perfect copy of your friend. Moments later its eyes open lazily, you poke it but it does nothing. You can feel it breathing, but there is no reaction as you slap it around the face a couple of times. You look up at Sean who is pretty creeped out by his brain dead duplicate on the table.
You snap your fingers, "Of course, your mask doesn't have a memory-band attached." You explain to Sean.
You remove Sean's band, and feel genuinely empty as you hold it in your hand. You place it on the forehead of Sean's golem, but it doesn't sink in. "Maybe it needs to go on first?" You say. Sean recites the release spell and takes the mask off the golem which returns to its original stone like form. You place the memory-band on what you believe to be its forehead, only this time it sinks in. Sean replaces the mask and his duplicate returns.
Suddenly it bursts into life, sitting bolt upright grasping the edges of the table. "AAAAAAAAAAAAH!" it screams at the top of its voice. Sean tries to calm it down but it's in a state of panic, but when you tell it to calm down it goes quiet almost immediately.
It stutters nervously as it tries to explain. It tells you that just before it screamed, it felt totally trapped. It could think, it knew who it was but it was unable to move, totally isolated and in total darkness; until it would seem the mask was put on. Sean nods, "It's one of my fears; claustrophobia."
Frowning you look at Sean, "I think we need to fix the band to your mask." He nods and removes the mask and band from the golem as quickly as he can.
It's not complicated to retro-fix the band, just a bit fiddly. You're almost done when you hear a yell, you turn to see Danny Russo sitting up on the table. "Whoa, where the fuck am I? Wait! I was in the pickup, with..." It pauses, eyebrows arched searching its memory, "... Sean Mitchell?" The Danny golem looks down and realises it's wearing nothing. "What kind of sick party is this? Did you drug me?" It lunges at Sean, grabbing him by the collar. "You little creep, I remember you from the parking lot!"
"Hey!" It turns and does a double-take between you and your duplicate, "Let him go!" You shout. Immediately it releases Sean holding up both it's hands. You pull a face at its naked form and turn away, Sean throws Danny's clothes at the golem and it quickly pulls them on.
Walking over, you look into its eyes. it looks directly back and then turns away, biting it's lip.
"Who are you?" You demand.
"Danny Russo" He replies.
"Anything else?"
He thinks, looking a little confused. "What do you mean?"
"Can you remember being Sean a couple of minutes ago?"
He looks around, "Sean? No just me." He shrugs.
"So you don't remember screaming your head off laying on the table?" Sean asks.
He looks as Sean with distaste, "I don't have to talk to you creep."
You raise an eyebrow, "What do you mean, we are both the same."
He looks over at you with a slightly annoyed look, "Look, I can tell you're different from him," He nods in Sean's direction, "and something inside me tells me I need to do what you tell me."
You think for a moment and click your fingers, "The hair!"
"Danny?" He looks at you, "Does that mean you need to do everything I ask? Like a slave?" He shrugs again and nods.
"What about me?" Sean asks
"You can go fuck yourself, pervert." It sneers.
"Hey!" You shout, "Treat him nice!"
The golem blinks, and then smiles. He gives Sean a playful punch to the arm, "Sorry bud, no hard feelings. We're cool right?" He grins. Sean nods giving an uneasy smile.
"Danny, get me a soda from the pickup will you?" You ask, he nods and you both watch as he jogs out the door humming to himself. "What do you think?" You ask Sean.
"I dunno, he certainly acts like Danny. Do you think we can trust him?"
"I guess we have to for the moment." With the memory-band attached to Sean's mask you put it on again. When you wake Danny is standing over you with a soda in his hand.
"Hey Sean! Wow! certainly blew the rest of the guys out the water last night, WE ARE BEER PONG CHAMPIONS, OOOH YEAH!"
"You remember that?" You ask
"Sure, why wouldn't I? We where both there."
You tip your head, "You know I'm not the real Sean don't you?"
"Well, sort of. I know you look different now but I still know I'm meant to do what you tell me."
You explain to the golem about the masks and stuff, and bite you lip as you tell him that he's not the real Danny Russo.
"So I'm just a copy of Danny?" He says, you nod slowly. "Ok, kinda weird but what the fuck!" He does a little dance an a circle, "I feel like the real thing!"
"For all intents and purposes I guess you're just as good as the original" You say to him.
"Better." He grins.
"But you know you can't leave here for the moment, last thing we want is you bumping into the original Danny." You snort, he give you a salute and sits back on the table.
Danny's pre-occupied in his own little world of pent up energy dancing away quite happily. "He's kinda freaking me out." Sean whispers, but as he lifts his hand to the face of the golem it bats it away.
"It's OK, let him remove the mask." You reassure it. Sean tries again, and this time the golem only flinches as Sean mumbles the spell pulling the mask away. Danny's image melts and the golem returns to it's original featureless shape although still clothed in Danny's shorts and vest.
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