The battle in my mind had a lull and gave me the clarity I had been searching for as it merged back together. It was a surreal moment to be sure, for in that instant, no matter how slight, I knew what I had to do.
I would have to sacrifice myself but I didn’t want to do that either. And why should I? The war began anew as my mind echoed those words, waging another war, this one with my subconscious that was not ready to lose the war that was nearing an end but had yet to begin.
“Yes, you can,” Dythius assured me in that melodic captivating voice of his. “Just focus,” he instructed, and then I felt him release his hold on me, and instead of squeezing me, he was pushing me forward again.
My body butted against Simon’s. Heat emanated from him. I tried to look at him. I wanted to tell him how sorry I was, but no words would come from my mouth. Not that it mattered. How do you tell someone sorry for taking their life to save your own?
His face was remarkably void of any emotion at all as he stared straight ahead.
Tears blurred my eyes as the Cragmire glittered in front of me. Sparks floated in the air like a fire was burning but the sparks weren’t red, they were blue. I was mesmerized by the flickering glowing blue light. It was the same glowing blue color as Simon’s tattoo—the same as Adriane’s. My body and mind recoiled from the thought of Adriane as I stood there shaking to my core.
Simon moved slightly. It was so subtle I didn’t at first notice until his deep gray eyes bore into my own.
“I—I’m so sorry.” My hand pushed the dagger even closer. I struggled to pull it back. Stop! My mind yelled even though I could not. Frantic now, I pulled against my other hand as my mind kept begging to make me stop. “Please, don’t make me do this.” I wasn’t sure if I actually said it out loud or if I was saying it in my mind.
“Too late,” Dythius said, hearing me or reading my thoughts, I didn’t know which. “The moon is in position. It has to be this way, little bird.” His voice was so soothing, lulling me as the alluring chants were growing louder, pushing me to do the inexcusable horrible thing that I couldn’t even imagine doing and yet even as all these things were going on in my mind, my heart was pounding uncontrollably against my chest urging me onward to do just that. I felt another hard push against my arm, like someone was trying to make me plunge the dagger into his chest. I fought against it.
And then I felt another push, this one against my mind and one word slipped through the hypnotizing allure of his voice and the deafening chants… “Duck.”
In one swift movement, Simon wrenched the dagger from my hand.
I ducked.
The dagger was a blur in my peripheral as it flew past my head and plunged into the middle of Dythius’ chest. He staggered backward and his hands clenched the knife. “Nooo!” The word froze on his lips and so did he.
Sybarite appeared from nowhere. “You idiots!” she seethed, her hair moved of its own volition as she took a purposeful step toward us and then she stopped. Her body turned to stone, just as Dythius’ had done.
Before I could react, Simon wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into the flickering blue light of the Cragmire.
62-A NEW BEGINNING
“Evie…”
The sound of someone calling my name whispered its way into my subconscious, waking me suddenly.
“EVIE!”
I jolted awake and instantly pushed whatever was in front of me—hard.
“Shit!” Moriah jumped backwards. A McDonald’s bag dropped to her feet along with the soda she had been holding as the liquid drenched her clothes in the process.
Bright morning light glared down through the windows into the foyer of Briarcliff Manor. I felt strange, not quite myself and my body hurt. I squinted up at Moriah. Soda dripped down the front of her shirt, making it see-through. She looked like she was ready to kill me. Kingston was there too, but he didn’t look mad, instead he looked like he was biting back a laugh. A red flush crept over my face. “Sorry,” I mumbled and pushed my hair out of the way and winced from the pain it caused.
Kingston touched Moriah’s arm and said something to her before he walked outside. I couldn’t hear what he said but it was just as well.
Moriah turned towards me and twisted her shirt. Dark liquid splashed onto the floor.
“Where is everyone?” I stared at darkness on the floor.
“Huh?” Moriah looked at me strangely.
“You know…everyone?” I whispered, feeling like I needed to keep my voice low. It was weird. “Moriah, where is everyone?” I felt like I was losing my grasp on reality.
“Evie, what are you talking about?” Moriah dropped her shirt back in place.
“Where did he go?”
Moriah sighed. “Colton?”
“No! Not Colton,” I yelled.
“Whoa, calm down Evie. Who lit a fire under your ass?” Moriah stepped forward.
“Don’t you get it?” I swept my arm in the air. “This is another illusion.”
Moriah gave me a weird look and took a step backward. “Oh no, Evie…”
“What?”
“What did you do to your face?” Moriah leaned down to look at my face more closely.
“Am I losing my mind?” I rubbed my hands over my face. I was having a really bad déjà vu moment. “I fell…I think.”
“How’d you do that?”
“Like you need to ask,” I added sarcastically, trying to cover the slight tremor of fear that crept into my voice.
Moriah giggled. “Right…sorry…I kind of forgot about that.”
Yeah right, sure you did.”
“Does it hurt?”
“Duh,” I deadpanned. “What do you think?”
Moriah frowned. “You know, you don’t have to be a bitch. I’m just worried about you, okay.”
I suddenly wanted to say, apparently not too worried—since you left me at a haunted mansion all night. “Yeah, I’m fine, just tired and…” I didn’t finish my sentence. I couldn’t remember what I wanted to say. My mind was fuzzy.
“So what happened with Colton?”
“Nothing,” I told her and gave her a sideways glare.
Her brows drew together. “Seriously?” Clearly, Moriah didn’t believe my bald-faced lie.
“Seriously,” I repeated. I remembered being with Colton, but after he left everything else was a blur. “Why can’t I remember?” My heart hurt. I felt like someone died.
“Nah…” Moriah shook her head back and forth. “I don’t believe you. No way,” she said, giving me a ‘you-are-such-a-liar look.’
“Yes way,” I continued to lie.
Moriah gave me a pointed look, her face deadly serious. “Promise?” she asked.
There was that word again. I exhaled. “Fine.” I made a face. “We kissed.”
“I knew it! I knew it!” Moriah jumped up and down gleefully. “You have to tell me everything, tonight.”
I rolled my eyes and then shook my head. “Wait—what about the party?”
Moriah ignored my question and held out her hand. “Come on, let’s get you home.”
“We can’t leave.” I didn’t know why we couldn’t leave but I just felt like I needed to stay. I needed to remember something, something important.
“Um, yeah,” Moriah said. “We kind of have to and besides, I thought this place gave you the creeps?”
My heart sped up. “But I thought he was having it here.”
“Yeah about that, his dad and mom found out and freaked-the-fuck-out, so now he has to have it someplace else or… not.” She shrugged like it was no big deal.
No. No. No. I shook my head. This cannot be happening. “Where did you guys take…?” For the life of me I couldn’t remember what name I was about to say.
“Who?” Moriah gave me a look like I was a step away from crazy. “You’re freaking me out? Did you blackout when you fell or something?”
I hugged myself, I felt sick.
“Hey, what happened to the big-as
s statue?”
Turning, I looked at the big empty space on the floor. I heard a rustling sound above me and looked up. “What statue?”
“I could have sworn…” Moriah broke off in mid-sentence and turned towards the door.
“Moriah, come on!” Kingston yelled from outside.
“We better go.” Dried leaves crunched under her boots as she walked across the room. At the door, she stopped and turned back around. “Evie, aren’t you coming?”
“Um, yeah…” I rubbed my hands over my trashed leggings as unshed tears blurred my vision. “I’ll be with you in a minute, okay?” My voice cracked.
Moriah gave me a weird look. “Um, oh—kay,” she said slowly. “You better hurry though. Kingston wants to get out of here…like now.” She walked out of the door.
I pressed my fists to my eyes, trying not to cry. “Why can’t I remember? Am I going crazy?”
“Evie,” a deep voice called out as a shadowed form appeared in the doorway. My heart beat out of my chest, about to explode. “Adriane?” The name burst from my lips.
Barnaby stepped into the foyer and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Who’s Adriane?”
My heart sank when I saw him. “I’m not sure.” I shook my head. Whatever I remembered quickly slipped from my grasp. “I guess no one.”
“Um, okay,” he said and looked around the room, nervously.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was just…oh, it’s nothing important.”
“No. Tell me.” I was hoping he would say something…anything to jolt my memory.
“Nah,” he said and shook his head. His dark curls bounced around his head. “It was dumb.”
“Come on, tell me…please.”
“Okay.” He bent forward and flourished his arm. “Your knight in shining armor has arrived, milady.”
I blinked hard.
He stood up awkwardly. “Told you it was stupid,” he muttered.
I sniffed back tears. “No. It’s great…” He gave me a look like he didn’t believe me. “Really,” I added quickly.
“You think?”
“Yeah, it’s really freaking great,” I assured him even though my heart felt like it was getting run over and a few burnouts put on the top for good measure.
“Yeah, I am pretty freaking great.” He smiled, making his dimples deepen as he rocked back on his heels.
I looked at him, really looked at him. “Yeah, Barnaby, you are,” I said and was surprised to find that I actually meant it.
“That’s what all the girls say.” His face reddened.
“Ah…” I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“Too thick, huh?” he asked and gave me a lopsided grin.
“Nah.” I wiped my eyes with my sleeve. “It’s just right.”
“Well then, milady…” He stuck out his elbow in an exaggerated gesture. “Your carriage awaits…”
Giving the empty space beside the stairs one last look, I stood up and took a breath. “Okay then…” I walked up to him and put my hand through his arm. “Let’s do this, shall we…”
“Yes…let’s do this.” And with that, we walked out of Briarcliff Manor arm-in-arm into the bright morning light as though the night had never even occurred.
63-DAYBREAK
“Well, Charles, that didn’t exactly go as planned.” Marion Hayward crossed her arms and looked across the room at her husband.
“No, my love, it did not.” Charles Hayward pushed down the hood of his cloak and stepped up to the statue of Dythius. They had one hell of a time putting him back in his designated spot next to Sybarite. It always amazed him how glorious they both looked frozen in time like priceless pieces of art.
“So who are we using this time?” Lola asked as she reached up and patted her face. “We’ve got to do something soon,” she said. “My damn skin is starting to sag.”
“Calm down, Lola,” Bill Bixby said and pulled down his hood. “It doesn’t happen that fast.”
“Tell that to my face.” Lola glared at him.
Bill rolled his eyes. “Drama Queen,” he muttered.
“What did you say?” Lola fisted her hands.
“Nothing.” Bill gave her a winning smile.
“Well, she’s the youngest.” Shirley Winters pointed at Jenny Jenkins.
Jenny let out a horrified gasp. “I have babies. You can’t use me.”
“She’s right,” Margie, aka Principal Levinson said. “It would be too obvious if she went missing, and who wants to deal with those kids?”
Jenny smirked at Shirley and flipped her blonde bob behind shoulders.
“Not me.” Meredith Bishop said and shook out her long mane of curling black hair. Just like her daughter Heather, her hair was her crowning glory.
“Well someone has to do it.” Lola picked absently at her nail polish.
“Isn’t anyone left over from the party?” Annabelle Kincaid asked, eyeing her husband Edward as he whispered something to Meredith.
“No, the damn dogs ate them,” Winfred Stevens said indignantly and crossed her arms over her ample bosom.
“Well at least we don’t have to worry about the dogs or the lowlings now that Dythius and Sybarite are indisposed,” Shirley Winters said.
“Aren’t there any out-of-towners visiting?” Jenny Jenkins asked.
Marty Dodson stepped forward. He owned the only hotel in town. “No, unfortunately it’s been really slow of late.”
“Sheriff, what about some of those kids who like to party here from the neighboring town?”
“No, Francine,” he said and shook his head. “Besides, it’s just too risky using the kids from the nearby towns. We don’t want to draw any unwanted attention to ourselves.”
“Then who are we going to use,” Lola complained. “Time’s running out.”
“That lady we got a few weeks ago should hold us for a while,” Eugene said.
“She wasn’t very young,” said Cybil. She purposefully stepped forward to block her husband from gawking at Lola.
“It’s a shame that damn gargoyle took the Harrington girl. She was perfect,” Francine, sighed
“How did she get the dagger?” Scott Bishop asked as he walked over to stand beside his wife Meredith.
Margie shifted. “Do you think it was her parents?”
“No way,” Bill Bixby said. “Those two are as clueless as they come. I bet they’re trying to save a flock of geese or something.”
“They did leave,” Hanna, piped in. “I mean, who does that?”
“It’s because they are stupid,” Aaron said.
“Well, that’s true enough,” agreed Hanna.
“It’s just as well,” said Jill Collins. “I think my Barnaby has a crush on her.”
“Well there’s always next year,” said Shirley Winters.
“Help me! Please!”
“For God’s sake! Would someone take care of Iris, she’s giving me a headache.” Marion Hayward rubbed her brow with a perfectly manicured hand. There was not one age spot on it and considering her age, that was no small feat.
“Don’t worry, Marion,” said Jill Collins. “She won’t be awake for long.”
“What are we going to do about those retched gargoyles?” Cybil Hayward asked. She was Colton’s mother.
“One is gone and the other two will go back to sleep,” said her husband Eugene as he made his way across the room so he could get closer to Lola.
“We don’t know, he’s gone,” Lola cut in. “Evie made it out.”
“Yes, but he obviously sacrificed himself for her,” Bill Bixby said.
“Since when are you the expert, Bill?” asked Kenny Jenkins as he finally walked back out of one of the hidden rooms and took his place beside his wife Jenny.
“I got a live one,” Coach Gibbs said, interrupting the discussion and pushed the boy forward.
“Thank God,” sighed Lola.
“Where did you get him, Nathan?” Margie said a bit glassy eyed a
s she stared at his fine form.
“Found him hiding in the bushes by the door.” Nathan puffed out his chest.
A boy who was only wearing one sock and his underwear stumbled into the room. “Hey, what’s going on?”
“Don’t worry,” Marion Hayward said.
They all turned and smiled. “Let’s do this, shall we,” Charles Hayward said and rubbed his hands together.
“Yes, let’s do this,” they all repeated.
The boy screamed.
A short while later they all filed out of the hidden chamber, looking significantly younger and sprier than they were before they entered.
EPILOGUE
“So, I’ll see you tonight,” Barnaby threw the car into park and killed the engine.
“Tonight?” I held the handle and looked over my shoulder at him.
“Yeah, you’re going to the party, right?”
“Oh yeah…I forgot. I guess so.”
“Oh cool.” He pulled my keys out of the ignition and handed them to me.
Our fingers touched and for an instant, I felt like I had already done this with him. I couldn’t help but wonder if it happened or if it was another weird déjà vu thing.
“Evie…” A worried look crossed his face. “You okay?”
“Oh yeah, just tired I guess.” I took my keys and shoved them in my pocket.
“Oh cool. I get it,” he said. “So um, I meant to tell you I got your window fixed.”
“What?” I did a double take. “You did?”
“Yeah, a friend…”
“A friend of your cousin works over at the garage on the outskirts of town. He had an extra window that would fit my car and he installed it for you,” I finished his sentence for him.
“How’d you know that?” He gave me a strange look.
“Just a lucky guess…I suppose.” I scratched at a smiley-face sticker on my dash that someone had drawn horns on. “Thanks, by the way. You didn’t have to.” I had no idea how I even knew that.
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