The Witch Box

by Laura Ellison

  Chapter Nineteen

  The first thing Colbie noticed was the odor–too many cats.

  “Well, if it isn’t Joshie’s Angels,” Alice said.

  The joke fell flat, but the old woman chuckled nonetheless. “Have you come to save his soul?”

  Colbie and Anna entered Alice’s house. Junk all over, the cats living in it. A hundred years ago, the farmhouse would have been beautiful. However, modern days had left everyone less fortunate, even the remaining Victorian touches couldn’t help such a dark place. Antique clocks, the chandelier in the foyer, framed photographs, all covered in layers of dust.

  Anna and Colbie followed Alice to her living room. An altar had been set up on the buffet, which Alice had bothered to restore to its ancient beauty by using some furniture polish.

  Colbie and Anna noticed the care Alice put into her altar; the candles were there, in the same arrangement, but the pentagram, made from twigs, was on its own stand in the middle of the five candles. She had included fruit; apples, grapes, and pears.

  “You should always have an offering for Harvester,” Alice said. “Bad manners not to. No offering, he’ll just takes what he wants.”

  Colbie’s eyes widened and Anna’s cheeks grew hot.

  “Harvester is like having an abusive husband. You always have to be on your guard.” Alice turned toward the altar. “I suppose you want to see Josh’s witch box?”

  “Do you have it?”

  “I’ll get it.” Alice went to the kitchen.

  “She seems like the type that would put poison in your food,” Colbie said.

  “Her husband died of a heart attack, but no one believed it.”

  “Then he wasn’t poisoned...”

  “No. But I wouldn’t put anything past Alice White.”

  They grew silent when they heard footsteps. Alice entered with Joshua’s witch box in her arms. She set it on the couch, opened the lid. “There’s not much here of note, except a few spells and this stone. She turned around, a large moss-green stone in her hand. The top of the stone was engraved with a pentagram. “What was he doing with this?”

  Anna shook her head. “Josh used to go off by himself.”

  “What is he doing now?”

  “Nothing. He sleeps a lot. He won’t talk to me. Or Colbie.”

  Alice glanced down at Colbie’s swollen belly. “He doesn’t care about the baby?”

  Colbie shrugged. “He doesn’t care about anything right now.”

  “I’ve never done a spell to fix a broken heart.” Alice put the stone back in the box. “The only spells I found in here were for power or money. Joshua had other things on his mind besides fatherhood.”

  Colbie took in Alice’s long white hair. She was wearing a sleeveless T-shirt and knee-length shorts. Her hands were weathered and wrinkled. However, Alice stood tall, her back strong.

  “We tried my blood,” Anna said. “Harvester appeared. We need to summon him again. Josh needs help. He’s been very depressed—“

  “I would be down, too, if I smashed my brand new Jeep into a tree. Max should’ve made him work for a car...”

  “That’s the least of his problems,” Anna said.

  Anna explained what happened to Mrs. Hollander at the high school Christmas assembly. Brenda had also been a witness.

  “Josh went up to her and said a few words,” Anna said. “She collapsed, blood coming out of her nose and mouth. She had a stroke.”

  “Did she survive?”

  “No.”

  Alice nodded. “Blood is the best way to call on Harvester. The blood of virgins and children. His response will be strong. We can try.”

  Joshua didn’t get out of bed until past noon. He sat on his bedroom floor for the rest of the day, watching television. Before sunset, he returned to bed.

  Joshua had felt nothing but anger before the accident. In the days that followed, he had retreated to a cold, hard place. The warmth of his bed provided little comfort, but sleep shut his mind off to the pain of the truth.

  I’m nobody’s son, he thought. God, I’m so scared. I wish I could pretend I never knew...

  Max and Brenda had removed all sharp things and dangerous medications from the house. Joshua had threatened to kill himself and they were taking no chances.

  Joshua decided to return to bed. His head hurt. By morning, he would have a fever, his temperature continuing to rise. The next day, he would be taken by ambulance to Falls River Hospital.

  Alice was glad to see those girls leave. She was also grateful for Colbie’s blood, left in a separate dish at the altar.

  What use would Harvester have for the blood of an old woman, the girl he deflowered, and a pregnant teenager? Harvester had many faces, his intelligence more than human. But Alice knew what pregnancy blood could do if used by a skilled witch.

  Anna wanted Joshua to forget his pain, but pain couldn’t be wiped away so easy. Alice knew such things from experience. However, making Joshua forget what he knew could be an advantage for her and the others. There was no guarantee that he would survive, but Harvester could decide.

  The girls had been disappointed when the black candle did not light after the ritual. They assumed Harvester refused to appear, but Alice knew better than to assume anything with Harvester.

  Alice picked up the uncovered dish. She held the ceramic white vessel up to the candle. “Harvester, your servant Alice White calls for you, seeking your help. Make a troubled mind pure again. Purify by fire, make a fever burn...”

  The flame shot from the candlewick.

  “Make a fire burn, my Harvester...”

  Snow was coming down in thick flakes when Anna, in her old car, the brakes now repaired, cruised up to the front doors of the hospital. Joshua, already dressed and waiting, opened the passenger side door and slid in.

  “You better find something out,” Anna said. “My tires slid all over the highway to get here.”

  The roads were just as icy coming back into Fruit Ridge County.

  “Do you have any gloves?” Joshua asked.

  “There’s some in the glove—“

  Before she could finish, Joshua pulled out the jar. “What is this?”

  “A protection bottle.”

  Joshua stared at the Mason jar, full of water, tacks, and nails. His hands began to tremble as he remembered. “Whatever happened to me must have scared me half to death.”

  “You’re remembering how it made you feel.”

  “Ruth is the only one left. She has to tell me. If she’s dead, and I can’t remember, I’ll never know.”

  “That’s not true, Josh. There are others.”

  “Who?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe Max.”

  “Dad wasn’t in Mom’s circle. No males allowed.”

  “Except you. And Davey.”

  “They did something bad. Bad enough that they’re all being targeted. I’ll be left.”

  “Who do you think is targeting them? Who would want five women, all close to retirement, dead? And don’t forget Leo. Or Nick and Cole.”

  “What about my dad?”

  “He’s been okay so far. Let’s not panic.”

  The rest of the ride was silent as Anna maneuvered up the two lane highway to the dirt road, which had only been plowed once. “I should have taken Dad’s truck, but he’s home. I didn’t want him asking me any questions.”

  “Was he in bed?”

  “Yeah. He goes back on the road in the morning.”

  “Can you drive down this road? If not, I’ll walk.”

  “I’ll go as far as I can. If I keep going, I won’t get stuck.”

  They made it to the old church, covered in layers of snow and icicles at the eaves. The boarded-up front doors were not disturbed.

  “I don’t think anyone has been here,” Anna said.

  “Where’s the hammer?”

  “In the trunk.”

  Anna parked her car in the road, where the snow-drifts were not as thick. She turned off t
he engine and followed Joshua.

  “I can see my old house,” he said.

  Anna gazed out at the snow covered ruins.

  Too bad the snow can’t bury it forever, she thought.

  Joshua brushed the snow off the front of the doors. Anna stood on the decaying steps, watching him pull at the boards with the crowbar. The boards began to give, and Anna found herself helping with the hooked end of the hammer. One board, then the next, fell at their feet. Anna’s fingers were starting to freeze through her gloves. She was bundled up, but Joshua only had his coat, borrowed gloves, and boots on. His face was red from the cold and exertion.

  Two more boards and the doors were uncovered. Anna’s arms and shoulders were aching. “I hope it’s not locked.”

  “Just one little padlock for both doors,” Joshua said.

  Anna sighed. “If anyone could get in here, they would have to come in the same way—“

  “I think there may have been another way out. This church is old and so are these doors. I need a screwdriver.”

  “The hinges?”

  “I’ve got time.”

  “You used to be arrogant; now, you’re just stubborn.”

  “We all have to grow up sometime.”

  Joshua tried a Philips-head screwdriver, but the flat-head managed to turn each rusty, cold hinge, nine all together on one side. Joshua pulled at the old wooden door on the left side, just enough room to squeeze through. He had pulled a flashlight out of his coat pocket. Anna turned hers on.

  Joshua squeezed his head and the rest of his body through. He extended a hand to Anna. A few more steps and they were standing in the foyer.

  Gripping their flashlights, they took in the few remaining pews, which were tipped over. The pulpit was stripped. Dust and cobwebs engulfed the corners.

  “What’s that smell?” Joshua asked.

  They searched the area, but Anna’s light was the first to see the pale white feet. “Josh!”

  His light found the body. “Oh, God. Don’t let it be her...”

  Anna followed behind Joshua, but turned her face away. “No...”

  Joshua’s light moved up the feet to the bare legs. Ruth was never a big woman and, over the stretch marks, varicose veins, and surgical scars, he took in the designs on her body; rough drawings in red. She was on her right side, eyes wide open, her face in the direction of the doors. Her hair was pinned up, not touching her skin.

  “That’s a pentagram on her back,” Joshua said.

  Anna’s head was still turned away. “She was trying to protect herself.”

  “Her hand is gone.”

  “What other marks are on her?”

  “There’s another pentagram on her chest. Swords on her arms. Someone took their time...”

  “A red ink pen?”

  “I don’t think that’s ink, Anna.”

  “I gotta get out of here.” She turned her light away and stepped back to the unhinged door. He could hear her sobs as she squeezed her way out.

  Joshua came closer to Ruth’s body, reminding himself that she was no longer there, only the shell. The blood had dried, in parts, to a brownish color. Joshua took in stars and half-moons on the thighs and knees. Her shins had also been marked as well as her cheeks. Joshua shined his light on Ruth’s head and face. He found the dried ribbon of blood around her neck, the same as Bonnie.

  Did Ruth do this to herself or her killer? he thought. Ruth would never cut off her own hand, no one could do that. Would Bonnie? For some kind of spell?

  The fingers of her left hand were stiff, almost a fist, resting against her hip. He noticed something between her fingers. He pulled at what he realized was a piece of paper. He couldn’t feel her skin underneath his glove, but the smell of her blood and flesh was starting to overwhelm him. He realized the material was more rigid and smooth. Before he could get a grip, it fell to the floor, but his light soon found the object. He snatched it up, stepping away from Ruth’s body.

  He unfolded a photograph, shining his light on the image.

  He and his mother.

  “Josh? Your dad is coming. I see his SUV.”

  Joshua shoved the photo in his pocket and joined Anna on the porch.

  “He’s going to hand your ass back to you,” she said.

  “I’m going to show him Ruth’s body.”

  “Don’t!”

  “Why?”

  Anna pushed the door back into place. “Let someone else find her. Trust me on this.”

  “How will I explain—“

  “Tell them anything. That we wanted to be alone together.”

  “That might piss them off more.”

  “Let’s get in the car. Steam up the windows.”

  Joshua couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across his face. “Colbie will be so pissed...”

  “Why do you care?”

  “I don’t know why.”

  “Have I ever kissed you before?” Joshua asked.

  “No.”

  “I’m surprised.”

  The two of them were back in Anna’s car. From the rearview mirror, they could see Max and Brenda approaching in the SUV.

  “Why?” Anna asked.

  “When I came back to work, on that first day, I knew that I knew you. Everyone else at the plant felt like a stranger except for you.”

  “I called you before—“

  “Right. But it happened when I saw you in person.”

  Anna let Joshua put his arms around her. They were both bundled in their coats. Joshua’s cold fingers touched her cheek. “I’m sorry, Anna.”

  “About what?”

  He kissed her and she didn’t need the answer; they were simply picking up where they left off. No one, not even Colbie and the baby, could change their connection. For the first time in months, Anna let herself relax, because she knew she had him. When their lips parted, she continued to hold him tight, until they heard Max knocking on the window next to her.

  “What the Hell were you thinking?” Max asked. “You don’t just take off from the hospital...”

  Joshua remained silent in the back seat of the SUV, his father driving him back to Falls River. Brenda sat in the passenger side seat, confused by the picture of Joshua and Anna embracing.

  Anna, explaining nothing, but with a smug smile on her face, drove herself home, leaving Joshua at the mercy of his parents.

  Joshua had to hold back his laughter, the hysteria more from shock and exhaustion than embarrassment. He tuned out his father’s diatribe and thought about how he felt when Anna kissed him; not the same as Colbie, but he knew he had crossed a bridge with her. Being with Anna made sense when nothing else seemed to. Then his mind wandered to Ruth, the marks on her skin, and his euphoric mood dropped.

  He closed his eyes, resting his head against the seat.

  “Dad? How did you know where to find me?”

  Max’s sigh was loud. “I knew you would come back to look for Ruth. After the hospital called, I thought of every place you might go. I knew how upset you were about Bonnie.”

  Joshua did not reply. His father was lying, but Joshua was too tired to argue.

  Colbie let Anna into the house. “Is Josh okay?”

  “He’s fine. Spoken to Ruth lately?”

  “No.”

  Anna took off her coat and placed it on a chair. “Colbie, do you have any idea who would want Leo and Ruth dead? The others?”

  Colbie sat at the couch. “It’s not like I haven’t thought about it. I’m scared, too. Don’t tell me you feel safe, either.”

  “I don’t.”

  “You can leave town. There’s nothing tying you down, Anna.”

  “You don’t give a shit about Ruth or Leo. And if Josh is smart, he’ll get a DNA test.”

  Colbie rose from the couch. “I’ll tell him everything about that night—“

  “Not if you love him.”

  “I love my baby. And Josh will forget all about you as soon as this baby is born.”

  �
�Why do you care? If you don’t love him, what difference does it make to you what he remembers or forgets? Oh! I know why! You can live here as long as he thinks that baby is his. No going back to the trailer! To Hell with Grandma and Grandpa. They don’t even own—“

  “You’re just being nasty because you’re jealous.”

  Anna opened her purse, pulling out Liz’s black cloth. She unfolded it and came up to Colbie’s, shaking it in the girl’s face. “I’ve been keeping this for Josh. He found it on the Curtis property.”

  Anna lifted the cloth, and Colbie took a step back. “Liz embroidered all of the designs on this. Joshua remembers watching her do it. Bonnie, Ruth, all of them, were trying to help him, but they were afraid. I don’t think any of us are going to survive to see your baby get born. You should leave town, Colbie.”

  Anna gathered the cloth up in her arms. “I don’t like you, never did, but you helped me help Josh, so I don’t hate you. But give a lot of thought to what you want. You can’t really manipulate people. Eventually, no matter how smart you think you are, the people you’re screwing with figure it out. You get nothing. Think of the baby. Is this how you want your child to think of you after he grows up?”

  Colbie was still staring at the cloth. “You know, your situation isn’t much better than mine. What do you have? A crappy office job and an old car. Big deal. You live with your dad, but he’s always gone. You’re lonely.”

  “So are you. Except for the baby in your belly. You have more to lose.”

  “I know that. But there’s nothing I can do.”

  Anna took in the bloat in Colbie’s face and legs. She looked tired. “Has Brenda told you anything?”

  “About what?”

  “Her suspicions. Someone cut off Ruth’s hand.”

  “What?”

  Anna revealed discovering Ruth’s body at the church with Joshua, leaving out the bloody symbols. Anna watched Colbie become pale. She was shaking as she sat back down on the couch.

  “I wasn’t going to tell you any of this. Joshua didn’t want me to. But you have to understand how serious this all is. Joshua thinks that since all of the circle is...gone now, he might be next. Or one of us. If you don’t leave town, you need to find every way to protect yourself and the baby.”

  “I think you need to see something. A book Alice White gave to Brenda. It’s up in the attic. You’d be surprised what Alice knows.”

  Joshua’s mood became worse by the time he was discharged from the hospital the next morning. Brenda, with little to say, brought him home. Colbie had gone to school and Max was at the plant.

  He went up to his room to change. Max was going to take him to work after lunch. When he opened his bedroom door, he received another shock.

  Everything was gone, except for his bed. His dresser, TV, computer, and all electronic gadgets were gone, along with the crystal and cassette tapes.

  “I need your phone, Josh,” Brenda said.

  She was standing behind him.

  “What is this about?” he asked.

  “Your father just wants to protect you.”

  “I understand. But how is watching TV going to harm me?”

  “We’ll give you back your stuff as soon as you prove you can be trusted.”

  “What do you think I’m going to do?”

  “Give me the phone.”

  He pulled his phone out of his pants pocket. “Here. I’m going to the plant.”

  “You’ll have to wait for your father.”

  “I have two legs.”

  “Don’t be stubborn, Josh. It’s cold out there.”

  He went back downstairs and bundled up. He started to regret his decision as soon as he stepped out, but wouldn’t give Brenda the pleasure. She had been getting on his nerves with her silence. She was keeping her secrets, but Max had been more revealing. He needed his father to listen to him. He would tell his dad about Ruth and her hand, which the police must have found by now.

  He had a long walk ahead of him. He was hoping someone would offer him a ride, but no such luck.

  He still had the photo of his mother in his coat pocket. Max already knew he had the cassette tapes. But his crystal, his protection, he would demand back.

  He tightened the ski mask around his face. He was now walking up the two lane highway, the plant almost three miles away. He tried to run, but the cold air would fill his lungs, making him cough.

  Joshua had an hour of walking ahead of him. He thought about Leo, who had said that Joshua shouldn’t let others hide anything from him, to be careful who he confided in. He was afraid for Anna and his father. Colbie could go into labor at any time. He tried not to think about it as he felt his fingers go numb under the thick gloves.

  He was still a mile and a half from the plant when Max’s SUV came up the road, his father at the wheel. He parked on the other side. Joshua walked over. He wouldn’t tell his father how grateful he was; he just wanted to be warm again.

  “Son, I thought I was bad, but you are pig-headed.”

  Max was rubbing his left shoulder as they entered the front doors at the plant. Joshua knew the lecture was coming, but he didn’t care.

  He expected to see Anna at her desk, but her seat was empty.

  “Where’s Anna?” he asked.

  “More surprises,” Max said. “She quit.”

  “Oh, come on, Dad!”

  “Quiet down. Let’s go in my office. Jesus, I’ve got a headache.”