She shakes her head and looks down at the ground. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Penn.”
I slip my finger under her chin and pull her head up to look at me then I give her a small smile. “I plan on keeping it.” The look of worry doesn’t disappear from her face, but she reaches up and places a quick kiss on my cheek.
I step around the girls. Bannen, Danny and I all head for the door that leads to the parking lot. As I leave the school building I look back at Olivette and I see a few stray tears running down her face. That’s not the image I wanted in my head but all I can do now is hope it’s not the last one.
Chapter 23
Olivette
As I watch Penn go I feel like he takes a piece of my heart with him. The few stray tears that make their way down my face are the evidence of my feelings for him. I could try to deny them but what’s the point? The funny thing is that you never know when you’re going to lose someone. I mean anyone can die or get killed at any time but when you’re facing something like we are, well it makes it more difficult to let someone walk away. My heart is slamming around in my chest at the fact that this could be the last time I see him. I squeeze my eyes shut and hope that it isn’t.
Once I get control over my emotions I turn to Chasity. “Did you drive today?”
“Yep. Bannen offered to pick me up but I didn’t want the twenty questions from my parents,” she explains.
We link our arms and start to make our way through the hallway towards the parking lot. “So, do you like Bannen?” I ask her.
I watch as the blush fills her cheeks. She’ll probably tell me no, but that blush tells me everything she won’t admit. “He’s a nice guy and super smart. He,” she starts to say something else but is cut off as a scream fills the now silent hallway. The only sound that could be heard until that frightening scream was the sound of the rain with its constant beating on the windows. Chasity and I both freeze and look at each other.
Another scream comes and we both take off in the direction of it. As we get closer Chasity slips, pulling me down with her as she attempts to stay upright. We both land on the wet floor. Water is coming under the door of the boy’s bathroom. I get up as Chasity waves off my help. I dart inside the bathroom. The floor makes little splashes as I make my way around the wall that keeps the inside of the bathroom from being seen from the hallway. I may not can see inside the bathroom fully, but I can see water spraying into the air. Slowly, I step around the wall and see that every sink, toilet and urinal has been shattered and the water is spraying into the air. The mirrors are shattered, and I watch as the glass floats around the bathroom floor in the water. The window at the far end of the bathroom is the only light since the electricity is still out but the glass from the window is missing as well. The rain is pouring inside.
Finally, I see him. He’s lying on the floor unmoving. The bathroom door finally opens, and I see Chasity limping her way towards me. I run forward to check on the guy. He’s lying face down in the blood tinged water. I cringe at first then I roll him over onto his back. I’m already expecting the worst, but nothing can prepare me for what I see. His face has long, deep gashes than run from his forehead to his chin, five of them to be exact. However, that’s not the worst part. His eyes are missing, nothing but bloody, hollow sockets remain. I scream and stumble back, landing on my butt. I continue to stare in horror at the boy. I recognize him. He’s in the grade below us but he’s on the second string of the football team. I think his name was Kevin.
I’m sitting in the water on my butt. My body becoming colder and colder with each passing second as the water soaks through my clothes. I don’t even try to move until I hear the scream come from behind me. I look over my shoulder to see Bloody Mary with Chasity’s arm in her grasp.
I jump up and move toward them, but Mary is fast, faster than me. Even with Chasity fighting Mary with everything she has it doesn’t seem to faze Mary. As I barrel around the wall I see Chasity being drug out of the door. By the time I reach the door and step out into the hallway, she’s gone. There’s no sign of Chasity or Mary.
I turn around in all directions, screaming her name over and over. “Chasity! Chasity!” I never get an answer. The thunder roars on outside causing my heart to beat faster. I grab my phone from my back pocket. The screen is shattered but I attempt to make a call anyways. I place the phone to my ear, but it just beeps to let me know that I have no service. I curse out loud just as I feel liquid start to run down my face. When I pull the phone away from my ear I see blood running out of the cracks of my phone’s screen. I scream and drop the phone.
This was never part of the legend. A thought occurs to me then, Oski. He’s the only hope I have left. I make my way to the parking lot unsure of how I’m going to get home when I see Sarah, a fellow cheerleader, heading to her car. “Sarah! Can you drop me off at home?” I ask.
She smiles from under her umbrella. “Of course, hop in,” she replies. Once I’m sitting inside her car I start to shiver. I don’t know if it’s from the cold weather and the fact that my clothes are soaked or it’s because I’m really scared for Chasity and Penn and everyone else. “You poor thing, you must be freezing,” Sarah tells me, turning the heater on full blast. As soon as the hot air hits me I’m thankful.
We slowly make our way through the town. We pass the electric company’s trucks as they work on the outage. I feel sorry for them. They are out in this weather trying to fix something that I doubt can be fixed. It’s not something that their equipment caused. Finally, we reach my house. I thank Sarah then make a dash for my house. Once I’m inside I shut and lock the door then slide down until I’m sitting on the floor. I rest my head on my knees as the weight of everything comes crashing down on me.
Once I’ve cried out my tears I formulate a plan. I take the stairs two at a time until I reach my room. I change into some dry jeans, my Panic! At the Disco t-shirt, I slip a flannel over that then grab my jacket. I lace up my black combat boots then go to the bathroom. I stare at my reflection for a minute before I reach down and grab the soap dish on my counter. I slam it into the mirror over and over.
When I step out of the bathroom I grab my car keys and pull my hood up over my head. I jog out to my blue Camaro and slide in. My car roars to life and I pull out of the driveway and head to Concord. Oski will know what to do and since Penn and them haven’t gotten back yet that must mean they’ve found him. I feel that spark of hope inside me.
Chapter 24
Penn
We take Danny’s Jeep since it has the most room. I was expecting it to be messy but it’s actually super clean. As I sit in the passenger seat my mind keeps drifting back to Olivette. Leaving her was the last thing I wanted to do but I also couldn’t send these guys out on their own. Bannen only knows the basics of the legend and Danny knows nothing except for what he witnessed the other day on the football field. As much as I wanted to bring Olivette and Chasity with us, I worry that makes us a bigger target. If Bloody Mary or Cordelia are trying to target us like I assume they are then the last thing we need is to all be in the same car at the same time. However, a part of me wanted to turn around and tell Olivette everything. It felt wrong leaving her standing in the hallways and her not knowing how I felt. I’m not sure when everything shifted for me, but it did.
I sigh as we make our way into Concord. It’s been a slower drive than I would have liked but with the weather we can’t exactly be speed demons. I’m mentally cursing Trivitt and the fact that he’s tried to take matters into his own hands. I don’t what he was thinking by coming to the Conjurer’s Apothecary by himself with everything else going on.
We get out of the car and make our way into the store. I’m actually shocked when the door opens without any hesitation. I expected the store to be locked up and dark since we hadn’t heard from Oski in a few days. When I enter the store, nothing seems out of place, but the air feels different, almost as if something is off. Oski appears from behind the curtain where the k
itchen is at. Bannen and Danny are behind me. “Penn, my boy, it’s good to see you,” he says coming up to me.
“Have you seen Trivitt?” Danny asks from behind me.
Oski cocks his head to the side which is not something I’ve ever seen him do. “You mean the dark-haired boy that was with you last time you kids were here?”
I nod. “Yes, he supposedly came here on his own.”
Oski shakes his head. “I haven’t seen anyone except for you guys.”
“Have you found anything else on the legend?” I ask him. “Where have you been anyways? You were supposed to be keeping in touch, but you haven’t answered your phone or anything. What’s going on Oski?”
Oski motions over his shoulder for us to follow him to the kitchen. “Come along now. I’ll make us some nice, hot coffee and we’ll discuss all that.”
I stop dead in my tracks at the word coffee. Oski doesn’t drink coffee. He believes it’s a dreadful substance. He despises it. Oski doesn’t even own a coffee maker. I turn around and notice that Bannen is still by the door and Danny is only halfway to me. I motion for Bannen to open the door. He does but the bell alerts the Oski impersonator that we are on to them. “Run!” I yell at them.
I watch as Bannen and Danny make it out the door. I’m about a foot away when the door slams shut. I’m unable to slow down so I slam into the door. A musical laugh fills the room. I stare at Bannen and Danny through the glass of the door. I’m slightly relieved that they made it out. The worry and fear in their eyes though cause the pit in my stomach to grow.
The laughter dies down. “Penn, my boy, you should have stayed out of this. Now, what am I going to do with you?” the voice asks. Then I feel it, the sharp pain that hits me directly between my shoulder blades. The room lights up in a mixture of green and blue. The last thing I see is Bannen as he rushes to the door in an attempt to free me, but I know it’s too late.
Chapter 25
Olivette
On the way to Concord I try to keep myself calm. I try to tell myself that I’m just overreacting, but I know I’m not. I can feel it in my bones, down in my gut. Something is wrong, but I just hope I’m not too late. I’m surprised when I pull up to the Conjurer’s Apothecary and don’t see any cars in front of it. Maybe, they’re parked around back I think to myself but even that doesn’t make sense. Trivitt would have never went around back so his SUV should be in front.
The minute my hand touches the handle of the door I feel like I’ve been stung. I yank my hand back for a moment. Once I get my courage back I pull the door open and go inside. The air feels different, almost energized or something. I take a deep breath to calm my nerves that seem to have taken over my body. “Olivette?” Oski’s voice calls out to me from behind the curtain that leads to the kitchen. I can’t seem to find my voice to reply. Eventually, Oski appears from behind the curtain. “Olivette, are you okay?” I nod once. “We’re all back here if you want to join us.”
He studies me for a moment and I study him. If they we’re all here, then why hadn’t any of the others stepped outside to see what was holding us up? It didn’t make sense and my body was uneasy. I continued to study Oski when I notice a different necklace hanging from his neck. It’s nothing like he normally wears. It’s a large medallion like necklace with a blood red stone inside and gold intricate design covering the stone. I’ve never seen that on Oski before. I would have noticed something that stands out like this before if he’d had it on.
“Olivette, are you coming?” Oski asks.
“Sure thing…Cordelia,” I reply.
I watch as she stops mid-step and turns around to face me. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. You’re not Oski.”
She laughs. “What makes you say that?”
“Well, first of all you could call it a hunch but really it’s that fancy little medallion hanging around your neck,” I reply. She cocks an eyebrow at me and then she morphs into herself. I watch as everything Oski falls away from her and in his place stands her. All dark hair and eyes with slightly tanned skin. She clasps her hands together in front of her.
“Well, it’s nice to finally see Elizabeth,” she says quietly.
I scoff. “Where are my friends?”
“Locked away for safekeeping,” she replies bored.
“And Chasity?”
“She’s with Penn,” she replies. “She takes a step towards me. “Now, everyone can be fine if you just do what I say.”
I take a deep breath. “And what do you say?”
“I say that I want you.” I laugh but she continues. “You laugh but no one else has to die if you’ll just come with me. No more blood will be on your hands.”
“On my hands? I didn’t kill anyone. You’re the murderer! You used a naïve, vulnerable girl to your advantage for years! All the blood that has been spilled is on your hands, no one else’s,” I say.
Cordelia tips her head to the side and stares at me, her eyes unblinking. “You are the reason she is loose. Mary’s soul has always been connected to yours. I just forgot about the loophole that the universe would place on my spell. The universe is against my type of magic and because of that they place loop holes on every spell. In example, you, Elizabeth, being reincarnated. I have to end the loophole. I have to burn out your soul. It’ll only take a minute and it’ll barely hurt,” she says reaching forward to me.
I try to dodge her, but she manages to wrap an arm around my waist. I scream and fight, but she’s got strength I wasn’t expecting. Then another voice fills the room in a loud boom. The voice says something in a language I don’t understand. A tiny red velvet bag is thrown at Cordelia’s feet. She screams, and I fall to the ground with her no longer holding me up. I look up to see who basically just saved me. An elderly man stands in front of me. Oski. “What?”
“I located Cordelia, but she didn’t want to be found. I tried to talk to her, but she didn’t want to hear it She broke the immortality link between us. I was out for days. I woke up earlier, but I had to break the wards on the room in order to get out. She’s desperate right now,” Oski says.
I pull myself up from the ground. “What do we do?”
“I found a way to talk to Mary,” Oski tells me.
I feel my eyes go wide in shock. “She talks?”
He nods. “Yes, the screaming is part of the curse. She’s trying to communicate but no one can understand her. Then she becomes frustrated and that is when everything starts to happen. All the items that are glass shatter or blow up and the next step of her process is to kill. It’s just how she processes. The killing is second nature for her because of Cordelia’s curse.”
“Okay, how do we talk to her?” I ask.
“We have to go back to Newport and you have to summon her to hollow ground. I know where Victoria is buried, that will be the best place to summon her to. You’ll have to explain to her that you can’t understand her because all we hear are screams but if she places her feet on the hollow ground then you’ll able to understand her,” he explains.
I nod. “Okay, I’ve got my car outside. What all do you need?” I ask him. Oski gives me a list and I go around the shop and grab what he needs. “Hey, I have a question?”
“Yes, Olivette.”
“What was that little red bag?”
A small smile comes over his face. “An old family vanquishing spell. It’ll move Cordelia ten thousand miles from here and render her magic useless for a few hours at least. It comes in handy from time to time.
Chapter 26
Penn
A musty smell fills my nostrils making my nose itch. I try to itch it, but my entire body is paralyzed. I’m so stiff I couldn’t move if I tried to. I groan in to the darkness. My glasses are gone and the room I’m in has no light. “Are you okay?” I hear a female voice ask. I know that voice.
“Chasity?”
I hear a sniffle. “Yeah, Penn?”
“Yes. Is Olivette okay?”
“I don’t know for sur
e. Bloody Mary killed a boy in one of the bathrooms at school. When we heard his screams, we ran to help. I slipped and hurt my ankle, so she left me to go check on him. Once I managed to get into the bathroom…I don’t even know. She just appeared behind me and drug me out of the bathroom and the next thing I remember I woke up here. Last I saw Olivette she was okay,” Chasity explains.
I take a deep breath at the relief that she was okay. “So, you don’t know where we are?”
“No, where are Bannen, Danny and Trivitt? Are they here or did Mary?” her voice trails off unable to continue.
I shake my head then realize she can’t see me. “Bannen and Danny got out of the shop. Trivitt, I don’t know. He wasn’t in the shop or at least not any place I could see. Also, it wasn’t Mary who did this to me. It was Oski or at least someone pretending to be Oski,” I tell her then growl in frustration.
“It wasn’t Oski?” she asks.
“No, I don’t know how it was, but it wasn’t him. I caught on when he offered me coffee instead of tea. Bannen and Danny were close enough to the door to get out,” I tell her.
Suddenly, a bluish green glow fills the room then a lady appears. A lady that I assume is Cordelia. Her eyes are angry slants across her normally beautiful face. She looks dark and sinister. She let out a scream of anger before surveying the room. “It’s much too dark in here,” she says before snapping her fingers. Light floods the room. “That’s better.”
I look across and see Trivitt lying on his side. A small puddle of blood dripping from his mouth. He’s either unconscious or dead. To my right is Chasity. Her shirt sleeve is ripped, and her arm is cut, whelped and bloody. She is paler than normal, and her eyes are as wide as saucers and frightened.
I scan the room quickly. I would say we are either in a basement or storage room of some sort. There is a small set of stairs off to the left that lead to a door. Everything that I can see has a thicker layer of dust. Spiders and their webs take up most of the room in here. There is water dripping from the ceiling above.
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