Meet The Weeper
Book Two of The Assistant's Plan follows the story of an entity called The Weeper Man as he becomes fascinated with our protagonist, a young girl by the name of Jade. Unlike the average person, Jade doesn't shy away from the eerie and uncanny appearance of The Weeper Man; in fact, she finds him as fascinating as he finds her, which becomes the groundwork for one of the most unlikely friendships.
Inspiration
The Weeper Man came about through a combination of events and ideas. The first part is pretty simple, I like creepy games that involve liminal spaces and strange creatures. I often spent my time growing up listening to tall tales, whether that was the old men in the pub with my grandad, or friends who had found a spooky tale hidden in some dark and dusty recess in the local library. No matter where it came from, I could never get enough of those kinds of tales, but that's not entirely where the idea for The Weeper Man was born. As a child, my mum worked as a chef in a pub that happened to be notorious for unusual happenings. Whenever she was unable to find childcare, I spent my time exploring the historical village it happened to be set in. Ghost stories and mysteries surrounded the village and, as an imaginative child, these stories embedded themselves into the deepest recesses of my mind. I don't know if the incident that gave birth to the idea of The Weeper Man actually happened or if the mountains of stories I had absorbed took physical form.
The Day He appeared
Rain pounded heavily against the sash windows of the pub as I sat in the box seat that overlooked acres of fields behind. Relegated to the upstairs living room, well out of the way of patrons who didn't want to be disturbed by the boredom of a child grounded by the weather, I watched as a hefty storm rolled in. Roxie and Rex, two terriers I often took on my adventures, curled up next to me as the clouds grew darker and darker. My mind wandered as the rain transmuted into a wall of water, the noise from below muffled by ancient walls that were built to keep the peace. Calm surrounded me as I fussed my furry companions, until an abrupt clap of thunder had Roxy and I pressing our noses to the glass. Me, hunting for the lightning, Roxy with her heckles raised ready to defend me from Thor himself (sadly, Rex had slunk away to hide under the settee, he could never be mistaken for a guard dog). It was as I searched for sharp spears of light that never arrived, I noticed that Roxy had gone deadly still. A low growl emitted from somewhere deep in her chest, and she didn't scan the horizon line like she usually would. Following her gaze, I noticed a faded figure moving slowly through the fields. The rain obscured my vision, so I couldn't make much out at first, it appeared male, but it was hard to tell much beyond that. My only thought was that it must be some crazed lunatic to be out in that torrential downpour, but Roxy's eyes never left him and her growls grew deeper and louder as he wound a meandering path through the rough grasses.
Another clap of thunder struck and this time lightning followed, and I finally got a good look at the strange man. Roxy let out a howl of rage and for the first time ever, I watched her back away, but I couldn't tear my eyes away. The figure was impossibly tall. Taller than the average man by a long way, but even at that distance, his eyes seemed to reflect an uncanny light. A greyish blue that shouldn't have been visible amongst the sheets of murky water, but even then, I still thought he was just a very odd, very tall man, until his eyes landed on me. I froze. It was illogical. There was no way he could see me, not in that window, angled furthest away from him, with no lights on in the room. And yet, I felt the weight of his gaze. I don't know how long we stared at each other for, it could have been moments or hours.
Another peel of thunder broke the moment. I glanced away for just a second, turning back as the lightning speared across the sky. Blinded by the glow, it took me several seconds to focus back on that spot where the odd man had stood, only to find it empty. I scanned the fields, but there was nothing. No sign of him. As though he had never existed. If it hadn't been for the reaction of Roxy, even I wouldn't have believed he had ever been there. For three days after, she refused to walk on that side of the fields.
That was my main inspiration for the character of The Weeper Man's appearance. The moment that haunted me for long enough to formulate the basis of his character.
Powers: What The Weeper Man can do...
Although The Weeper Man is a mysterious entity, there is something highly endearing about his power set. The Weeper Man has the ability to absorb human woes. Many are under the illusion that he takes away the experience completely, however, that's not quite accurate. The Weeper Man absorbs the power of the memory; a traumatic experience that leaves an imprint on the human psyche can never be fully erased, otherwise the person's life path could be irrevocably altered or could hold dire consequences for their future behaviours, but the pain that was attached to it no longer has sway over their future decisions.
As for summoning, he is one of the simpler entities to catch the attention of. All that is required is a rainy day, a candle and a quick chant. A chant that doesn't even need to be accurate to draw him in, especially if he already has a person in his sights. Nevertheless, be careful using his name. Although his role is mostly a benevolent one, he doesn't take kindly to those who call upon him without true reason. He is there to support those in true need, self-sabotage and self-inflicted woe does not satisfy him and he will ensure that the next time he calls, there will be something worthy of his attention to exchange... If he returns.
He's Not Alone
As an entity who interacts with humans, The Weeper Man can not act in isolation, so has to share the spotlight with another. This is where Jade comes into the picture. Jade is not your average child. In many ways she can be considered quite naïve, her world view is quite straight forward, if a person does good for others then they deserve good themselves. This is how she leaves a lasting impression on the ancient entity who, by all principles, should be outside of human life.
As the novel progresses, the reader follows Jade through her life and how she changes, joining her for each and every moment that The Weeper Man arrives in her life. A life full of promise and ideals that slowly gets ground away by the harsh realities of the world in which she lives.
Some Familiar Faces
Of course, any good series, even if one that borders on interconnected stand alone novels, has to have some familiar faces. This is where Jack has to have his moment in the spotlight. As the primary antagonist of The Summoning, him and some of his unfinished business makes its way into the story throwing a multitude of spanners in to the gears. Jack embodies chaos and he is far from above dragging an innocent girl and an impartial colleague into his schemes if it gets him what he wants. Of course, he's not the only one to get a cameo in The Weeper Man's tale, but we can't go too far with the spoilers now, can we?
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