by Jen L. Grey
If he starts asking questions, I’ll never get to leave. I hurry out of the house before he can begin his interrogation. I just need this done and don’t want to hear all about the negatives to my options.
It doesn’t take long before I’m on the main road that heads into town. The sun is beginning to lower so it’s late afternoon. At some point, I’m going to need a good night’s rest, but something tells me it’s going to be a while.
As I walk past the graveyard, a cool breeze blows in my direction carrying the smell of fire and ash. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and I turn behind me, expecting to find Damien. But no one is there.
“Expecting someone?” A dark tone laced with humor comes from where I had just turned.
I spin back around and find who I had been searching for. “What the hell?”
He’s leaning against a tree with his hands in his pockets. “Didn’t mean to scare you, but I will admit it was fun to watch.”
What a jackass. “Well, I’m glad you got to amuse yourself.” I roll my eyes and begin heading back toward the town.
“Hey, what’s the rush?” He pushes off the tree and in just a few strides is beside me.
Shit, how does someone turn down a deal with a demon? I’m sure they aren’t used to that. “Sorry, I’m just on a time crunch.”
“Have you given any more thought to my deal?” He raises an eyebrow and narrows his eyes at me.
Okay, here goes nothing. “I’ve decided to go with someone else.”
“Oh, really?” He tilts his head to the side. “You’re going with the witch?”
I fumble back a step. I shouldn’t be surprised he knows this, but it just caught me off guard. “Yeah, I am.”
He lets out a sigh and shakes his head. “That’s a shame. You know it’s not as innocent as the witch made it seem.”
“Don’t be a poor loser.” I don’t want to deal with this right now.
“No, really.” He reaches out and touches my shoulder. “Did you ask anything about the witch’s dying sister?”
“Why does that matter?” My body feels hot where his hand is touching, almost to the point to where it feels as if I’m being burned.
“Oh, come on.” He drops his hand but doesn’t step back. “You don’t think something is off when they are so sick and it’s not even close to their time of passing?”
My stomach lurches at the comment. That’s what’s been bugging me.
He smiles. “See. You know what I’m talking about.” He takes a step back, letting me have some air. “Let me tell you an interesting fact about this sister, Christina. She has a special diet she likes to eat.”
This is not where I expected this conversation to go. “Okay, I’ll bite. What is it?”
“Have you ever heard of the fable ‘Hansel and Gretel’?” He walks back over to his tree and leans up against it.
“Yeah.” Who hasn’t? “But what does this have to do with anything?”
“What did the witch do to Hansel and Gretel?” He crosses his arms and watches me.
This is very strange, and I’m not sure I like where our conversation is heading. “She fattened them up and then tried to put them in the oven.”
“Let’s say that fairytale is a true story in this case.” He curls his nose up.
My stomach turns sour. “Are you saying the witch’s sister eats children?”
“That’s what she does.” He rubs his thumb against his lip. “Do you really want to save someone like that?”
I’m at a loss for words. If that’s true, then of course I don’t want to save her, but I don’t know if it is fact. He could be manipulating me to get his way. I don’t know what to do.
He closes his eyes and shakes his head. “I tell ya what. I’ll give you some more time to really consider what you’re doing. You still don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.” He lifts his chin and raises his hand. A business card appears in his hands. “Here is my business card. Give me a call when you’re ready to unblock your power and make a deal.”
I take the card from him, nodding.
As soon as it’s in my hand, he vanishes.
Well, he didn’t want to stick around any longer than he had to. I don’t blame him.
Pushing on, I continue back to the witch’s storefront. I’m assuming, at this point, she knows I’m coming. Both she and Damien seem to know what’s going on without me needing to do anything.
After a short distance, I get to the now familiar streets leading to the storefront. The same people are out and about that were here earlier. It’s almost as if they all are still hanging out in the same exact spot.
When the storefront comes into view, I pause. I don’t want to go back there. That witch is a little off her rocker. But, the clock is ticking, and half my time is close to being gone to find a solution.
At least, this time when I get to the door, it’s already ajar. I walk in and the lights are already on. The witch is sitting in the middle of the room on a blanket with some herbs surrounding her and a bowl in her hands. Her eyes are closed, and she’s murmuring words underneath her breath.
Not sure what to do, I stay put by the door, not wanting to disturb her.
Her eyes all of a sudden open and she looks at me. “Well, hello there. I’ve been expecting you.”
“Hello.” I take a deep breath. “I hope I’m not interrupting you.”
She stands up and walks over to a table, placing the bowl on it. “Not at all. I’m glad you’re here. I take it you’ve come to a decision.”
“Well,” I take a tentative step in, “I had, but I heard some alarming news that I wanted to discuss.”
Her green eyes narrow. “What kind of news?”
This is going to be fun. “I heard that your sister likes to…” Ugh, it’s hard to get these words out because they sound so crazy. “That she likes to eat children.”
“Who told you that?” Her tone is short, and she crosses her arms.
“Damien.” I guess the truth is the best policy.
“You mean,” she says as she walks over to me, her jaw clenched, “that you’re trusting some demon?”
“That’s not what’s happening.” Great the crazy witch is back. “I’m asking if it’s true.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s true.” Her hands clench into fists. “Do you want to find the crystal or not?”
Holy shit. The demon wasn’t lying. She wouldn’t be this upset otherwise. I take a few steps back toward the exit.
She holds up her hands and takes a few breaths. “Wait. I’m sorry.” She puts her arms by her sides. “She’s my sister, and I just want her better. Will you at least meet with her before making your final decision?”
“That sounds fair.” I understand her wanting to save her sister. That’s what anyone would do.
“Thank you.” She smiles at me. “Give me an hour or two and meet me at her place. I just want to make sure she’s presentable since she’s been so sick.” She scribbles a name and an address on a piece of paper and hands it over.
I take it and realize it’s not too far from here. “Okay. I’ll be there in about two hours.” I head out the door before anything else strange can happen.
Now that I have a name, maybe I can go to the library and find some information on the witch. I head toward my normal stomping grounds and walk into the large library.
The inside is dark, and it smells of old books in here. Right in the front is a huge desk for people to check out books if they need to, and to the right is a huge room with tables and stacks of library books. However, to the left is a section of computers.
It’s been two years since I’ve been here. The last time was with Beth, and we were researching the perfect hair dye for her. Once again, the normal ache comes back. Ugh, I don’t have time for this.
I push away the normal feeling and head to the computer to search for Regina Felkner. Nothing comes up, which doesn’t surprise me. She’s a witch for crying out loud.
What if I put the address in? When I do that an apartment building pulls up. Huh, that’s not helpful. I then enter in the apartment building name with our city and a ton of missing kid reports come up. More so than any other locations in our city. If that’s not a red flag, I’m not sure what else could be.
I scroll on down the search results and click on several. After a while, I come across a listing dated a few years ago. I open it up and skim through. It talks about how this person has identified a witch near this address for years now, and how they see her with different children each day. It goes on to say, if you walk by the window at the right angle, you can see a mass collection of shoes from all her different victims.
Holy shit. Not only is she a psycho, but she’s a hoarder. I glance down at the time. Crap, I’ve been here for over an hour. I’ve got to go. I stand up and head for the door.
When I’m about to walk out the door, I collide straight into someone. My head runs into hard muscle. “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry.”
The person recoils from me. “What the hell are you doing here?”
I stumble back to find Charlie standing right in front of me. His blond hair is messy as always and his hazel eyes are glaring.
“I was just researching something.” I raise both hands up.
“Can’t you do it somewhere else?” He snarls at me.
Who the hell does he think he is? I push my finger in his chest. “You know what? I’m sick of your attitude with me. I have just as much right to be here as you do. I’m tired of you trying to punish me all the time.” I step in closer. “I am doing the best I can.”
Not wanting to hear any rebuttals, I turn and walk out the door. Suck on that, jackass.
14
As fresh air hits me, my body shakes in anger. He freaking acts like I shouldn’t be allowed to live. Doesn’t he know that I struggle with the guilt each and every day, with or without his anger?
The courtyard out front of the library is all grass. There is a couple about my age sitting together on a blanket. They’re leaning in close together, and he’s running his fingertips along her arm.
It’s funny, but at one point in time, I harbored feelings for Charlie. That was a long time ago, and I never had a chance even then. I just wish he’d tell me what I did wrong all those years before she died. But what was it Beth always liked to repeat from her grandmother? You can crap in one hand and wish in the other and see which one smells first. Ugh, how much I miss that girl.
All right, that’s enough wallowing. I’ve got to figure something out and fast. I’m running out of time. I walk around the grass, staying on the sidewalk, and head toward the witch’s sister’s house.
The information I learned rolls through my head. If she eats children, there is no way I can save her. Yes, I would only reap one soul, but more than three lives would be at risk. I swear, nothing can be easy.
What if I had been born a normal reaper? Would my parents have loved me then? Would my acceptance be just given? So many questions, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. This is my life… the hand I’m dealt. And I just need to get through it.
When I turn the corner, the familiar apartment from the internet site comes into view. It’s a large brick building with a fire escape connecting each unit. It’s in a decent area, unlike the storefront, and there is a park right across the street.
Ugh… I do not want to go there. Something is off, but I need to see it through. If I am wrong, I need to find out.
I force myself to move forward and walk toward the front of the building. There are a few people hanging out on the front steps and I smile as I pass them.
Don’t act strange. They won’t know who you’re here to visit. I enter the door and walk past the elevators in search of the stairs. I do not want to get stuck in the elevators while someone attempts to have small talk with me.
In the corner of the room, there is a stairwell, and I turn to climb up to the fourth floor. By the second flight of stairs, my legs are screaming at me. Oh goodness, I’m out of shape. I need to do something about that.
I take the next few flights of stairs slower, and soon, I’m on the fourth floor.
As I walk out onto the floor, I find the apartment that is the last one on the left. I raise my hand to knock on the door but pause. Do I want to do this? I’m not sure I do.
Before I can make my final decision, the door opens and the witch from the store smiles at me. “Oh, hello. I’m so glad you’re here.”
Well, there you go. “Yeah, I hope I’m not early.”
She smiles, but her body seems tense. “No, not at all. Please, come on in.”
Everything inside me screams in protest, but I take a deep breath and step inside. The room is bright blue with a dark green couch placed against the wall. A large burnt orange rug is in the center of the room, and a pink lamp sits on a teal painted table in the corner.
It’s almost as if a kid colored the room. I can’t stop staring.
“Oh, don’t worry.” She heads over to the door across the room in the right corner. “She won’t mind if you come in.”
I’m already here so I’ll just see it through. Maybe this is one huge coincidence. Maybe? I follow her into the room, and it seems as if I’ve walked into another dimension. This one is dark. The walls almost seem black and the wood a dark cherry.
The woman lying in the bed is frail. She has jet black hair and appears to be in a deep sleep. She doesn’t even stir when we come into the room.
I walk up to the bed. “How long has she been like this?”
The witch walks up beside me. “It’s been about a year. She’s been declining in health in the past several, but something tipped her over a year ago.” She frowns and reaches down to pat her sister’s arm. “I miss her so much. She’s been my constant companion all these years.”
“Do you know what caused it?” What reasons could a witch just get sick like this before her time?
She glares at me. “I have no clue.” She crosses her arms. “Why the twenty questions all of a sudden?”
And there is the defensiveness again. She’s hiding something, and I’m about ninety percent sure I know what it is at this point. “Do you have a bathroom?” I need to get away for a minute and figure out what I’m going to do.
Her face smooths out. “Oh, sure.” She points out the door to the right. “It’s the room on the right across the hall.”
“Thanks.” I head out the door and walk down the short hall to the bathroom. The bathroom is right across the hall from the second bedroom.
When I’m about to turn into the bathroom, I notice the second door is open. I glance down the hall and notice that the witch is still occupied in her sister’s room. I hurry into the room and turn the light on.
This room is more of the generic apartment room. The walls are a beige color, and there is a desk sitting in the middle of the room against the wall.
I walk over to the desk and find pictures of a dozen kids taken in the crayon room. My hands tremble as I reach for one and pick it up. There is a little girl that appears to be around five years old with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Her mouth is taped up and her arms and legs are hog tied. Tears are streaming down her cheeks, and she has gashes all over her body.
Oh my God. I flip to another one of a young boy that looks to be about nine. He is thicker and has red hair and brown eyes. Once again, his mouth is taped and he’s hog tied. I flip picture after picture and see different kid after different kid in the same pose.
My stomach rolls with nausea, and I’m shaking so hard that I drop the pictures on the desk and they scatter all over. I hurry out of the room and turn off the lights. I run into the bathroom and hover over the toilet. Soon, I’m vomiting everything in my stomach up.
The images roll through my head over and over again. I can’t shake the raw wickedness of them all and how she kept them as prized memories. Soon, there is nothing left to come up and I sit back on my butt.
&
nbsp; There is a knock on the bathroom door. “Are you okay in there?”
Shit, I need to get out of here before she realizes what I found out. “Yeah, I’m sorry. I don’t feel well. I need to get home.”
I force myself to stand and open the door.
She stumbles back when she takes me in. “Yeah, you need to get out of here. I don’t want her catching whatever you have.”
At this point, I’ll take it. “Okay, I’m sorry. I’ll be back in touch soon.” When I open the front door, she takes a few steps to me.
“Wait, here.” She hands me a card. “Call me when you’re ready to make the deal. I’ll come to you so we can locate the crystal.”
“Thanks.” I take it and head out the door.
When I get out the building, I gulp in the fresh air. Children’s laughter from the park fills the air, and a cold shiver runs down my spine. Holy shit, she picked this apartment because of the close proximity to the park. This is where she gets most of her victims.
I will never go back to that place and won’t be able to forget what I just saw. I need my power unblocked, but there is no way in hell I could live with myself if I saved someone like her. That’s something I can’t justify.
So, what options do I have left? The demon seems to be it. I close my eyes and picture the crystal again, hoping the problem just vanished. But, of course, blackness still surrounds it.
Whatever sin I did in a past life must have been a doozy, because I’m sure paying for it now. I open my eyes and head home.
But, as soon as our front porch comes into view, something swings down from the porch. I glance around but there is no one there. When I look back at the porch, my heart stops.
15
There is a baby doll hanging down from my porch with a noose tied around its neck. Please, tell me my eyes are deceiving me. I blink, but when I open them back up, it’s still there.
I rush up the steps and follow the rope to where it’s hanging from a main board. Shit, I can’t reach that. I climb up on the railing and hold on to the roof above me as I follow the railing to the corner place it’s been tied at.