Part One

Several days pass, each hero spending as much of their free time working alongside Maria, learning the ins and out of the operation. Frank and Joe learn about the possible dangers, Joe taking an interest in how Maria finds the souled humans, and how to make contact. Sam in the meantime helps Maria with her research, helping her in trying to learn clues to the fabled ritual for the cup of souls.

As they become accustomed to what their new life entails, the heroes find themselves meeting Maria's friends, their allies in this war against time. The first to arrive are Abraham Steingard and his son Isaac. Abraham was the one who originally learned the truth of the events that are occurring now, and he is the funding behind all of their operations, money from a long line of inheritance. His son Isaac, a former Marine, has followed his father and joined his cause after witnessing the truth of things in the Middle East. Abraham and Isaac have similar physical appearances; both are strong Germanic men, sporting blond hair and green eyes. Their dispositions however are vastly different, as Abraham seems to have a more serious and dour personality, where as his son is a natural charmer, and pleasant to be around.

Maria arrives later with the last member, Elijah Engel, a former NYC Fire Fighter. This dark haired, blue eyed, man, seems to have the same equally pleasant personality of Isaac, but is more introverted, and almost shy. Maria introduces everyone and they get right down to business as to the changes needed in the group's tactics.

An argument arises over the safety of being together in numbers given past events, however it becomes generally agreed that the time for caution has passed, and events are moving faster than ever, and more openly than ever, to wait and see. They all agree a new time of action must occur.

Two important objectives are set for the group, the rescue and safety of souled humans, who appearance amongst the populous of the city seems to be increasing, and the discovery and ultimately completion of the Ritual of the Cup of Souls.

Maria informs everyone she has identified a possible souled human, a teenage cancer survivor by the name of Adam Walker. His recent miraculous recovery from a deadly form of cancer has sparked intense interest from the medical community around the world, and is a red flag in the possibility of his existence as a souled human. The heroes learn that both Elijah and Isaac are sensitive to the souls of other, and could sense their presence; Isaac's gift was more limited than Elijah's though.

Elijah at the same time informs the group that he was already on his way to NYC before the call to reunite came, as he found a solid lead on the ritual. He had finally discovered an expert Talmudic scholar, a woman who lives in a retirement home just outside the city. He believed that she could lead them closer to discovering the ritual than anything else before has.

It was decided that both were important, so the group split up. Elijah and Sam would go visit the scholar, while Joe, Frank, and Isaac, would try and discover if the kid truly had a soul. Joe, Frank and Isaac arrive at the children's hospital where Adam is staying and find to their luck, a donation drive is going on. The use the hoopla of celebration, events, and such to enter the hospital undetected and make their way to the cancer ward. When they get there, they discover Adam and his mother. Seeing as Isaac needs to get very close, Joe uses his role as a community leader to distract the mother while Isaac gets closer to the young man.

During this time, Elijah and Sam arrive at the hospital and find the woman whom Elijah said was the person who could help them. To Sam's dismay, the woman barely speaks English, understanding only a little. Elijah however is able to translate from German to English for Sam. They learn that it was not her, but her husband who was the scholar, but that he had taught her much, and that she had kept all his work. Safely tucked away in storage that only she knew where it was. She spoke how her husband died at the camp in Auschwitz.

Joe had successfully distracted Adam's mom when he noticed a young girl approach Frank, his gut dropped as he knew something was wrong about her. He saw her give Frank a balloon and went away. The three of them reunited, and Isaac confirmed that Adam indeed had a soul. They knew they had get Adam and his mom out of the hospital and to a safe place. Joe feared that something was nearby and was going to go after Adam.

As Sam and Elijah questioned the old woman, they are interrupted by the arrival of her Grandson and his wife and son. They are immediately berated and accused of taking advantage of a senile old woman. The woman argues against her grandson, Elijah translating for Sam, and they make the discovery that the Grandson is afraid they were reporters looking for a story about his grandfather, her husband, who was an SS Soldier. They agree to leave, but as they do, they both encounter the woman's great grandson, whose presence makes both of them shudder as if something was horribly wrong.

As Joe and the others try to figure out how to approach Adam and his mom, who seems to be hovering around him, Frank thinks he sees the little girl again. He follows the red balloon to a room where he finds the little girl in ICU. She immediately goes into cardiac arrest. Frank runs to find Joe, and along with Isaac, they see countless of these red balloons, and the same strange little girl near where they are being given out. Fearing the worst, they rush back to Adam's ward where they see several Code Blues being called. Not just patients, but nurses and doctors beginning to fall over from apparent heart attacks. Joe, seeing no choice, confronts Adam's mom, telling her as much as he dared to convince her to leave. It is Adam who tips the scale to Joe's side and they all leave the hospital, Adam witnessing the same strangeness that the other can see, but his mother cannot.

As Elijah and Sam wait for the family to leave, hoping to speak with the old woman again, they see the little boy, who seems focused on them. When the family finally leaves, they rush in, and are both overwhelmed by the same sense of death. They rush up to the woman's room but are too late, they find her being treated by a doctors, who are unable to resuscitate her. As she dies, they see a red balloon, the same one the little boy was holding, fly by the window. They rush downstairs but are unable to find the boy, instead they see another red balloon, and another resident collapses. Knowing it is no longer safe they, they rush back to the church.

Both groups arrive at the church around the same time. They learn from Maria that what they are facing is probably L’Enfant du Morte, the Children of the Dead. She explains their strength, and deadly powers. Adam's mother meanwhile begins to realize the strange and absurd things everyone is talking about. As she begins to panic, hoping to get son and herself away from the crazies, she begins to suffer a heart attack. Everyone realizes the children have followed them to the church. Adam begins to try to calm his mother down, aware what is near them, and seemingly able to hear what the children are saying to cause his mother's heart attack.

While he focuses on that, everyone moves into action. Joe and Isaac prepare to distract the children while Frank goes and get the van ready to get Adam and his mom out of here, knowing the children were after them. Frank encounters the little girl again, this time the string of her balloon tries to strangle him. He is able to escape and get the van ready. Adam calms his mother long enough for them along with Elijah to jump in. As they get in the van, Isaac and Joe confront the children, hoping to distract them. Frank peels the van out of the church parking and makes a run for it, meanwhile Joe and Isaac run inside as the little boy's form begins to change, and shadow tendrils begin to go after them

Frank drives hard and fast, realizing that not only is the little girl after them, according to Elijah, but seeing on the side of the road, as night begins to fall, hell hounds.

Joe, Sam and the others, however, find themselves trapped, as a the boy, or rather the creature using the little boy's image, begins to push his way through the door, ready to strike at them all.

To Be Continued....