Under the Cobblestones

by Aline Riva

  The look in his eyes was still intense, and it was then Zack saw his anger and pain, it was reflected in his gaze as much as he heard it in his voice.

  “Maybe, if the curse was real. I don't doubt that Thornton was a real warlock but who can say if that curse made you ill? Science says its a rare genetic illness that runs in the Brackenby family, and science has nothing to do with magic.”

  “But what you just said, that was the exact curse Thornton used?”

  Zack nodded.

  “That was the curse you used,” said Kyle.

  Zack stared at him. Kyle's tone had been deeply accusing, and it hurt deeply as he realised just how much his close friend actually did blame him.

  “It was Thornton, not me! I can't change my past life, Kyle!”

  “I know that,” Kyle replied, and his voice was choked with tears, “I forgive him,” he said as he blinked to clear his vision, “I forgive Thornton. I forgive you, too. Come here.”

  And Zack felt bewildered as Kyle stepped closer, wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly.

  “I love you like a brother,” Kyle whispered in his ear, “And I don't blame you for anything, I'm sorry!”

  Then he let go of him, and cast a glance down at the rash on his arm that either meant nothing or something that spelled the end, and then as he looked back at Zack a tear ran from his eye and he brushed it away.

  “Maybe you can find a way to destroy the curse for me,” he said, “If you think you can, please try, because I'm so scared.”

  Zack nodded.

  “I will do that if its possible,”he promised him, “I'd try anything to save your life if I thought I could help.”

  The sun stayed blocked by thick white cloud as the breeze blew warmer now and rustled the leaves of nearby trees as the two men stood talking together.

  Kyle looked away, then he met his gaze again.

  “You'd really resort to Thornton's magic? You'd become the Devil's servant?”

  “I said I'd reverse it, I didn't say I'd make a pact. I wouldn't trust the Devil to cut a straight deal.”

  “You're probably wise to mistrust him,” Kyle replied, and then as he smiled, all tension seemed to leave him, and suddenly he was more like his friend again, all trace of his dark intensity was gone in the blink of an eye.

  “I can't help feeling desperate,” Kyle added, “This rash has scared me half to death. I'm sorry if I'm a bit too much to handle right now.”

  Zack shook his head.

  “I understand,” he promised him, “There's no need to apologise.”

  And as light rain began to fall, Zack gave Kyle another brief hug, then as he let go Kyle said he would be in touch soon, and then as the rain fell harder, he made a dash for his car as Zack turned back from the garden and went back inside the cottage.

  As he closed the back door behind him and shut out rain that was now falling heavier, he turned to see Sarah standing in the kitchen, she was leaning against the sink where she had just turned from the window, where she had watched their conversation unfold.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, “It looked like things got a bit tense out there.”

  “No, it was fine,” Zack replied, “Poor Kyle's going out of his mind over that rash, that's all it is.”

  And then he left the room and headed for the stairs, needing to be alone and away from her questions as he thought on all Kyle had said and he wondered again exactly how far he would go to save his friends life...he knew he was responsible for the curse, because Thornton had laid it down – and that meant he was obliged to lift it, even if it did mean daring to try and dabble with some of Thornton's dark magic...

  Later that night as the clouds rolled in heavy and blocked out the stars, long after Sarah had gone to bed and turned out her light, Zack's bedroom was lit by the glow of his bedside lamp as he stood back, glancing to the doorway that was now blocked shut by his careful and quiet moving of the dressing table, to enable him to pull up and roll back enough of the carpet to kneel on the bare boards and etch the circle in chalk on the floor:

  The star within it had five points, and the symbols he had added within and above each point had come from memory, he did not know what they meant, nor did he know if they were entirely accurate – but as he snapped out the light and then struck a match and the flame burst to life with a spark and a spurt and the wick took the flame and began to glow, he looked into the mirror and saw his own face reflected by candle light, but he also saw a look of intensity about his eyes, a look that was identical to the expression of Thornton Ravencroft...

  “I don't know what I'm doing,” he whispered as he took off his bathrobe and stepped naked into the circle.

  Then he knelt on the bare boards and closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath as he tried to picture Thornton, summoning dark powers up from the depths.

  “I call upon the powers of old,” he whispered, “I, Thornton Ravencroft, call upon the powers used then to be used now to reverse the curse on the family of Brackenby...”

  Then he opened his eyes, and saw the dark sky beyond the window, where rain had started to spatter the pane and there was definitely no sign of a demon or devil of any kind appearing.

  “Reverse the curse?” he said aloud, “Oh, I make a shit warlock!”

  Then he cleared his throat, focussed on the window where Thornton had seen the horned man, and spoke again.

  “I, Thornton Ravencroft returned to this life, demand the curse be lifted from Kyle Brackenby! I demand this in the name of...” he paused, feeling very keen to avoid Devil, Lucifer, Satan and all other associated names that sprang to mind, “In the name of all that is good and right in the universe!” he declared, “So shall it be done!”

  And then he looked about the room, heard more rain fall outside, and then the wind picked up a little, rustling leaves on trees close by. But nothing remotely supernatural happened. He waited, watching for a sign, then wondered if he ought to ask for a sign, but surely now he had ended the session,or spell or ritual or whatever it was, didn't that mean he had to wrap it up now?

  “I guess that's all,” he muttered, and he stepped out of the circle, rolled back the carpet and then carefully slid the dressing table back into its usual place, then as he heard Sarah's door open, he grabbed his robe, blew out the candle, placed the candle on the dresser and snapped on the bedside light.

  “Zack?” Sarah said, and she tapped on his door.

  He tied up his robe and jumped quickly on to the bed.

  “Come in!”

  Sarah opened the door and stepped into the room. She sniffed the air, then saw the darkened candle on the dressing table, its wick still trailing a trace of smoke.

  “Are you okay? I thought I heard you talking -”

  “I had my TV on,” he said, indicting to the darkened screen, “I just turned it off. Was the volume too loud? I'm sorry if I woke you.”

  “I wasn't sleeping,” she replied, “I couldn't sleep. I keep thinking about Kyle. He's such a nice guy and he's already been through too much. If that rash is what he thinks it is -”

  “Maybe he's going to be just fine,” Zack said, “I mean, it could have been Frederick who caused it. He burned the paperwork, and he said things to scare Kyle. He's obviously capable of much more.”

  She sat down on the edge of his bed.

  “I hope you're right,” she replied, “I know how close you two are. I really couldn't bear it if the worst happened. I think it would break your heart.”

  “I think he's going to be just fine,” he assured her, thinking of his attempt at magic and hoping his former life as Thornton carried more weight magically than he was aware, “Maybe that rash is just a coincidence. We just have to hope for the best.”

  She nodded.

  “Yes, we do.” she agreed. Then her gaze shifted to the darkened candle.

  “Why have you been burning a candle in here?” she asked.

  He shrugged.

  “I just wanted to try and get
in touch with my former life.”

  “After what you witnessed last night?”

  “I wanted to try and focus on the past and see if I could recall where my bones are buried.”

  “Please don't say that,” she said softly, and her hand rested lightly over his and then she gave his hand a squeeze, “Your bones are safely inside you in this life. Try and leave Thornton in the past.”

  “But I'm starting to realise that's who I was and now I know that, I can't just let it go,” he replied, “I remember too much.”

  “I wish I did too,” she replied, “I had some dreams about Lillith and Thornton, but that was all. I can't seem to reach back like you can.”

  “Don't envy it,” he replied, and a haunted look reflected in his eyes, “All I seem to recall about Thornton's life is the pain of his death. Be glad you can't see and feel those things.”

  Then his gaze shifted from her face, briefly taking in how she still looked attractive even dressed in a big t shirt that came down to her thighs.

  “Want to sleep in here tonight?” he asked.

  “Because of the nightmares?” she wondered.

  And he wasn't sure if it was down to the magic he had tried to perform, or the fact that he felt closer to Thornton every day, but suddenly becoming closer to Sarah didn't seem such a difficult step to take.

  “I want you in my bed, in my arms,” he whispered, and as she looked at him in surprise, he felt sure she was not as surprised as he was that he had uttered such seductive words. But she didn't notice how amazed he was at his own actions, because she leant in and kissed him, and as she did so, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down to the bed, pushing up her t shirt and opening up his bathrobe. She caught her breath and her eyes darkened with desire as their bodies felt warm and close as they lay together, his skin against hers for the first time.

  “I used to think I was afraid to trust again,” she said as she looked into his eyes, “But since I found out about Lillith and Thornton, I feel like I've known you forever.”

  “You have,” he promised her, “because I feel it too.” And then he reached out and turned off the light, feeling much more confident than he usually did – but not so confident that he was rid of his natural shyness and ready to make love without turning the light out first.

  When morning came, Zack woke up to a kiss from Sarah, and as he moved closer to her and enjoyed the warmth of her embrace, as he looked into her eyes she smiled as his heart filled with love for the woman who had ended his loneliness.

  “I meant what I said last night,” he told her softly.

  “That's okay,” she said as amusement sparkled in her eyes, “I know you meant it, you said it enough times, and I don't mind being on top.”

  “I mean, I was serious when I said I loved you!” he exclaimed, and as he blushed, she giggled.

  “I know what you meant!” she said fondly, “I love you too.”

  And then she kissed him again and he welcomed her embrace, because with Sarah it felt so right that all his fears had vanished, and he felt sure he could love her without fear of facing more heartbreak, and he wasn't sure if this was a natural progression of their closeness, or if there could be more to it, but as he took her in his arms again, he wondered about the ritual, and felt sure a little more of Thornton Ravencroft had just slipped back into his soul...

  Chapter 10

  It was just gone eleven in the morning when Sally Brackenby finished up the morning phone calls and letters in the main office, and then she looked to the old office out the back where the old paperwork was stored, and she glanced at the time again and as the minute hand shifted on the clock and took the time past the hour, she frowned, wondering why her husband was still not up. The night before they had stayed up late together, talking about his fears as they sat together in the vast front room and occasionally he would glance up at the painting that hung over the fireplace, where a portrait of his father hung, and then the haunted look came back to his eyes as he said again that he was afraid this was the end. He had looked down at that rash on his arm so many times she had lost count, but after taking him by the hand and leading him into the marble bathroom, they had spent a long hour in the bath together, and the candles it around the room had soothed his nerves, and they had made love in the water and after that, he had seemed a little more relaxed, certainly relaxed enough to sleep soundly through the night. But it was gone eleven now, and there was still no sign of him even though she had left him sleeping three hours before, and he was usually up by now...

  Sally left the office, walked along the upper hall, paused to look down over the balcony but heard no sound, then she wondered what time Zack was coming over to help Kyle search the attic – the attic of this big old house was vast – and dusty - and as much as she wanted to lend a hand, climbing about over all that dusty old stuff was not her idea of a good time, it would be messy and was exactly the kind of job Kyle would enjoy.

  But he still wasn't up, and that was odd...

  She went into the bedroom, saw the bed was empty and the wardrobe was left open, but there was no sign of her husband.

  “Kyle?”she called out, “Where are you?”

  And behind the door of the en suite bathroom, Kyle looked down at the gun that felt heavy in his hands and called back to her.

  “I'm in here, I won't be long!”

  “Okay,” she called back, “I'm going downstairs.”

  “See you in a minute,” he called back, and then he leant against the locked door and breathed a relieved sigh as he heard her footsteps heading away towards the stairs.

  Then he looked down at the gun again, and wished he had never taken it from its hiding place that morning. At least Sally wouldn't know, because she never went near that shoebox, because didn't even want to look at the gun. But as he held it, Frederick's voice was loud and clear and echoed about the hollowness of the bathroom:

  “If you kill Thornton, it will be over. Show some guts, man! You only have to pull a trigger!”

  He drew in a shaken breath as he broke out in a cold sweat.

  “I don't want to kill him,” he said quietly, “He's my friend, a good friend. And he's not Thornton, he's Zack!”

  “But Zack must pay for his past sins,” Frederick reminded him, “You heard the words...poison to the blood. He recalls those words because he secretly rejoices in the knowledge that you will die by his hand, another Brackenby gone before his time because of the curse he laid down!”

  Confusion reflected in Kyle's eyes.

  “No,” he said shaking his head, “No, Zack's not like that, he said he wants to help me!”

  “He wants to watch you grow weak and sicken and die,” Frederick replied, “That is his true intention. You must stop him! Think of saving yourself, Kyle.”

  And Kyle held the gun as he leant against the bathroom door, closing his eyes as he wished he could block out the voice that would not leave him alone.

  Downstairs in the large white kitchen, Sally was on the phone. As she spoke quietly and glanced to the doorway to check there was no sign of her husband, she explained carefully as the medium who had joined them at the cottage listened to all she had to say.

  “And the paper just caught alight,”she added, “Grace, I'm worried because I know the other manor burnt down. I'm worried this house could burn down if Frederick becomes angry enough. Do you think that could happen?”

  There was a pause, and then Grace gave her reply.

  “I was very sure about this, Sally – as long as Kyle stays away from the family grave, no harm will come to him. The only reason I was able to contact Frederick at the cottage was because I'm very experienced and I was able to call on his spirit. You have nothing to worry about at the house. The Brackenby family home was exorcised back in the fifties, I remember hearing about it. Maybe that's something Kyle wasn't told about, apparently not many people knew – but Frederick would not be able to enter your home again. At least you can feel safe in the knowle
dge that he poses no threat to your family home. Kyle should be fine as long he stays away from his family grave, as I said before.”

  Sally felt her worry deepening.

  “So the fire in the office -”

  “Was just the sunlight catching the glass,” the medium replied, “Please try not to worry, Sally. I'm sure it will all be fine.”

  Sally thanked her for her time and then ended the call, and as she put down the phone worries ran through her troubled mind as she thought of how Kyle had been convinced Frederick had caused the fire and the rash on his arm. If Frederick was not responsible for the rash...She couldn't bear to think of her husband falling ill again, but it seemed that the ghost did not have the power he imagined, and could certainly not enter the family home, either...

  As she turned from the phone, Kyle walked into the kitchen.

  “Zack should be here soon,” he reminded her.

  Sally felt awkward, because there had been times in the past when she had felt the need to sneak about behind her husband's back, purely to get facts straight and mainly in his best interests, and as she decided to tell him the truth, she hoped he would take the news without falling apart.

  “I just spoke to Grace,” she said.

  “Grace?” he repeated, “Why?”

  “I was worried about the fire in the old office room. I remembered you said the first family manor was burned to the ground, and I needed reassurance. She told me this house was exorcised back in the nineteen fifties, and that we're quite safe because Frederick can't reach us in here.”

  He looked at her, recalling all the times the evil spirit had whispered into his ear.

  “Well maybe he's stronger than you think,” he replied, “Or maybe the exorcism wasn't enough. I have to believe he caused that rash on my arm, because the only other possibility is that I'm dying and I can't handle thinking about that.”

  “She did remind me that you had to keep away from the graveside, “she added, “Maybe, if he did cause the rash, it happened that day in the church yard.”