by N. M. Howell
“Someone’s here,” I whispered.
We all turned towards the far side wall of the mill, but the windows were too clouded, and we couldn’t see much through the glass.
I heard two car doors slam shut, and the quiet sound of footsteps through the snow.
A moment later, the front doors creaked open, and then a knock sounded against the inner doors leading to the inside of the mill.
I peered through the hole in the wall unblinkingly, desperate to catch every last movement that I could.
Soft voices echoed in through the room, and the boy led the newcomers into the main space, the front doors shutting behind them.
The spirits had pressed themselves up against the side wall. Many of them, I noticed, were looking the other way or covering their eyes with their hands. Whatever was about to happen, they didn’t want to watch.
As the boy and the couple neared the center of the room and removed their coats, I noticed the two newcomers were a young-looking couple dressed in a tuxedo and a long, formal dress.
I inhaled a sharp breath. “Oh shit.”
15
“Wow,” the woman said. “This place is amazing.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty neat,” her partner agreed, “but it doesn’t look like there’s anything going on here. Did we get the right address?”
The teenager nodded to them and held out his tray. “Indeed, you have come to the right address. Unfortunately, there has been a last-minute change in venue.”
“Oh,” the man looked confused.
“Just wait here, and a limousine will come take you to the correct venue. I was instructed to stay here and inform our guests of the change. Why don’t you have a drink while we wait?”
The man nodded. “Okay, sure. Thank you.”
“You must be River and Jordan,” the boy said, as he adjusted his tray in his hand so he could pour the drinks.
I gasped suddenly and clamped my hand over my mouth. I then glanced over to Jordan, who looked back at me with worried eyes.
“No, Jules,” the man said. “And this is Bernie.”
I turned my attention back towards the main room.
“Ah,” the boy said, setting the decanter down on the tray without pouring anything. “You’re early. Quite early.”
It could have just been me, but I thought the boy’s voice suddenly sounded a bit nervous. He began fidgeting awkwardly with his left hand and stepped nervously back and forth between both feet. He craned his head sideways to look out the window but seemed content with what he saw. Or what he didn’t see, I supposed. I had a feeling he was looking for Jordan and me, as it was now just past the time our invitation told us to arrive.
“We weren’t sure how the roads were going to be, so we gave ourselves some extra time,” the man named Jules said.
“And good thing we did,” Bernie added. “We might have missed the limousine!”
The teenager nodded and regained his composure somewhat. He finally filled the glasses from the decanter and offered them to the couple, who accepted them graciously.
“Was the event actually supposed to be here?” the woman asked. “It’s so… old.”
The teenager laughed. “I suppose they were going for old country charm. Fortunately, they found a much better venue. I assure you, the wait will be worth it.”
I watched the interaction anxiously through the wall and wanted desperately to go in and intervene.
Unfortunately, I knew that would ruin any chance we had of figuring out what was going on, and Sheriff Reese would never forgive me.
It wasn’t easy sitting back and watching, though. It felt as if a bomb was about to go off, and there was nothing I could do but watch the clock count down.
I glanced back at the group, who all stood up against the wall quietly. Sheriff Reese and Jordan were looking through gaps in the wall, and the rest had their ears up against the rough wood, listening intently to what was going on on the other side.
“I’m going to go wait in the car,” the woman said. “It’s cold in here.”
I watched her walk towards the door and push on the handle, but nothing budged.
She turned back towards the teenager. “The door is locked.”
“That’s funny,” the boy said. “It shouldn’t be.”
The woman tried pushing the door again with one hand, but she couldn’t get it to open. “No, it’s locked.”
I turned to look at Bailey, who had gone ghostly pale again.
I never understood that term, actually, as ghosts weren’t actually pale. Not that it was the time to consider such things, though, given the circumstances.
“What do we do?” Bailey whispered.
I turned to look at the sheriff, who held his hand out signaling for me to stay put. I could tell he recognized the expression on my face. He raised both hands together in a pleading gesture, and I sighed and nodded my understanding. I would just have to sit still and let him manage the situation. He was the sheriff, after all.
“We have to wait until we have reason enough to stop him,” the sheriff whispered.
I nodded. “I know, I know. But what exactly are we looking for? We have no idea what he’s going to do.”
“Keep an eye out for any sort of weapon,” he replied.
I shook my head and peered back through the wall. “I don’t think he’s going to use a weapon.”
I waited and watched as the three people in the next room conversed. The woman, Bernie, was standing near the door, and the two men were chatting between themselves in a friendly manner. Everything seemed normal enough.
I looked sideways towards one of the nearest ghosts. I didn’t see any wounds or anything suggesting they were brutally attacked in life. There was absolutely no sign of struggle at all, in fact. I looked around at the other ghosts around and noticed the same on them, too. They all simply looked like they dressed up in their finest outfits and stepped away from their human bodies.
“Sheriff,” I whispered. “He’s not going to use a weapon. None of the ghosts show any signs of being attacked.”
The sheriff looked toward me and considered a moment. “Okay, then what? What do we look for?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know.”
I continued to watch through the wall, hoping the teenager would show some sort of sign of pre-emptive attack so we could run out and stop him before he hurt anyone. I bet he didn’t have a team of cops, ex-cops, and witches in the building during the last time he did this, so maybe we would get lucky.
“Here, let me try the door,” the boy said. “Sometimes these old buildings do that. I’m sure it’s just the rust.”
Bernie stepped away from the door and took her partner’s hand as the boy approached the door.
“So, Jules,” the boy said as he fidgeted with the front door handle. “Congratulations on your retirement. What made you decide to leave the force?” The kid’s voice took on a bitter tone as he asked the question, but Jules didn’t seem to notice.
“Had a bad case with a lost kid,” Jules replied. “It was just too much for me, I couldn’t take on another case like it. Being a cop just wasn’t for me, I guess.”
“So, you abandoned your job?” the boy asked.
My breathing quickened as I listened to them speak.
“Get out,” I whispered. “Get out, now. Can’t you tell he’s angry at you?” I wanted to shout through the wall for Jules and Bernie to run, but I did my best to hold my tongue. The moment the sheriff gave the okay, I would be ready, though. The kid obviously had some serious anger towards cops. Or ex-cops, rather.
“You can put it that way, I guess,” Jules sounded defeated, as if he had been carrying the guilt of leaving with him for a while.
Bernie wrapped her arm around him and squeezed. “You didn’t abandon it. You put in your time and your energy, and now it’s time for you to move on.”
“Tell me about this kid,” the boy said.
Jules sighed and took a long sip of his
drink. “I haven’t talked about it in a while, actually. There was a young kid who lived down the street from my parents. He had gone missing, and me and the boys spent a week out searching for him.”
“What happened?”
“We found him ten days later, in the woods, naked and missing his right arm. He was about the same age as my little nephew.”
I listened in awe as he spoke. From the stories Jordan would tell me about his time as a cop, it seemed that gruesome stories like that were far more common than one might think.
The teen remained silent as he stood in front of the door with his back towards us, listening to Jules tell his story. I had a feeling he wasn’t actually trying to get the door to open, but he stood still with his hand placed against the door handle.
“Have there been any more incidents like that?” the boy asked.
Jules shook his head. “I’m not sure. I quit the force not long after. I remember something similar happening not too long ago, though. A young girl, if I’m not mistaken.”
There was a long pause, and I watched in silence as Bernie rubbed Jules’ back in small circles with her hand.
“And there was nothing you could do about it because you didn’t work there anymore,” the boy said.
“No,” Jules agreed. “I was long gone by then.”
Another long pause. My sight wasn’t too great through the crack, but I could faintly see the kid’s hand clenching and unclenching against the door.
“And you didn’t stop him from leaving? You didn’t insist he stay so he could help more people?” he said to the woman.
Bernie started a moment, then paused. “Well, no. I encouraged him to leave, actually. It did horrendous things to his well-being.”
The room filled with silence after she spoke, and I could hear my heart beat again through my chest.
The boy suddenly turned back towards the room with a big smile spread across his face. “How do you like the drinks? It’s my mother’s recipe. One of our family’s favorites. Do you like it?”
Bernie and Jules sipped their glasses politely and nodded.
“Oh, yes,” Bernie said. “It’s lovely. What a curious flavor. What is in it?”
The boy’s smile turned into a sideways grin. “Secret family recipe. Drink up, I’ve got lots left and no one to share it with. The limo should be here any minute.” He glanced out of the window quickly, and then smiled back at the couple as they took another sip. “Any minute, indeed.”
The woman raised her hand to her forehead and leaned in toward her partner. “I’m feeling a bit woozy. Maybe I shouldn’t drink too much before we eat.”
A moment later Jules sidestepped as he nearly lost his balance. “Me, too. What’s in this drink?”
“Secret family recipe,” the boy repeated, smiling at the pair as they swayed on their feet, clutching to each other’s bodies for support. “Don’t worry, it will all be over soon.”
The sound of a glass shattering echoed through the room as Bernie collapsed onto the floor.
A moment later, Jules collapsed next to her, and both bodies were lying still on the floor.
“Go, go, go!” Sheriff Reese shouted, and raised his gun as he ran around the back wall and into the adjoining room.
16
“Put your hands where I can see them!” the sheriff shouted as we ran into the room.
I bolted after him, running towards the spot where the couple had collapsed on the ground, but Jordan held out his arm and held me back. “Stay back, we don’t know what he’s capable of.”
I looked down at the two forms on the ground and knew we didn’t have much time. They didn’t seem to be breathing, and I didn’t know if they were even dead or alive.
The boy looked confused and simply stared at each of us in turn with a look of mild awe on his face.
Looking at him from this close, now, he looked like he could easily have been fifteen. What could have possibly happened to someone so young to hold this much hate in their heart?
“Hands in the air,” Sheriff Reese shouted. He aimed his gun at the boy, and Brett did the same beside him.
The boy cocked an eyebrow and looked amused, then slowly began lowering the tray to the ground.
“Slowly,” the sheriff said, watching his every movement with keen intent.
The boy placed the tray on the ground, and on his way back up he flicked the decanter over and spilled the contents on the floor.
“Oops,” he said with a cheeky grin.
The clear liquid spread across the uneven floorboards towards the sheriff, and I noticed a strange shimmer to the surface of the spilled drink.
“Hands up where…” the sheriff teetered suddenly in place, and a strained expression spread across his face.
I looked around, and Brett, Jordan, and the other officers had the same woozy expression.
“Sheriff,” I said. “What’s going on? Are you alright?”
A moment later the sheriff collapsed to the ground, his face pressed up against the wet ground. His eyes remained open and were glazed over.
One by one the other men fell.
Brett was next, as he was next closest to the spilled liquid.
The other two officers followed, each landing with a loud thud on the ground.
Jordan fell next, and I did my best to catch him, but he fell like a dead weight and landed hard on the ground on his shoulder.
“The drink,” Bailey said in a panic. “It’s spelled.”
“What did you do to them?” I shouted at the boy.
He grinned at me, the amused look growing even brighter on his face.
“My, my, what an interesting turn of events,” he spat.
I was shaking Jordan by the shoulder, and Bailey had run over to Brett.
I shook and hit him, but he wouldn’t move. I pressed the side of my face up to his to try and hear his breathing, but it was so faint I could hardly tell. I felt for his pulse, and it was there, albeit extremely faint.
“Why are you doing this?” I shouted at the boy. “What the hell is going on?”
The boy crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow at me. “Curious. Why didn’t you both fall, too?”
I glared at him and continued to shake Jordan by the shoulder.
“Help!” I shouted at the top of my lungs, but it was no use. No one would hear us out there.
“Good luck calling for help here, lady,” the boy said. “No one is going to hear you.”
The spirits around me were in a mad panic, moving back and forth around the room, chattering excitedly amongst themselves. They no longer seemed scared, they were outright angry.
“Devil,” I heard one shout. “Monster,” another said. “You sick, twisted mother…” I didn’t want to repeat the entire curse, but I could tell you it definitely wasn’t polite.
“Ah,” the boy finally said, realization dawning on his face. “You must be witches. Welcome, sisters.”
I pushed myself up on my feet and balled my hands into fists. “We’re no family of yours, you sick little monster.”
“That’s not very nice talk for someone who’s trapped inside a room full of dead people. You don’t want to join them, do you?”
My heart raced in my chest, and I motioned for Bailey to go look at the couple who had fallen before we arrived.
She crawled over to them, tears streaming down her face, and listened for their heart beats. She nodded up at me with a faint smile on her face. “They’re still alive. Barely.”
I sighed a loud sigh of relief. At least we had a small chance of getting everyone out alive. We just had to figure out what to do with the evil kid in front of us.
“They won’t be alive for long,” the boy said. “Their hearts grow weaker by the minute.
“Why are you doing this?” I demanded.
The boy laughed. “So curious, you are. No matter. I’ve got just the thing for you, two.”
The kid spoke strangely for someone in his teens. He definitely didn’t sou
nd like he was local.
“Don’t even think about moving,” I snapped as the boy stepped towards his bag. “I’ve got a gun, and I’m not afraid to get it out.”
The kid grinned. “I don’t see a gun. I call a bluff.”
I glanced down to the sheriff’s still form. His gun was lying not too far away from him. If only I could just get close enough to grab it.
“Nuh-huh,” the boy waggled his finger at me as I slowly sidestepped towards the sheriff.
I froze in place, glaring at him.
“Don’t even think about it, lady. Look what I’ve done to all these people.” He motioned around the room towards the dozens of spirits around us. “Don’t you think I’m capable of doing the same to two more? Please.”
I stepped back and reached my hand out towards Bailey who took it quickly and squeezed. At least we had each other.
“Funny,” the boy said. “I don’t remember inviting all of you. Who did you say you were?”
I continued to glare the boy, but neither of us spoke.
The boy sighed. “Pity. It will be a shame to have to get rid of both of you.” He glanced down at the sheriff and the other officers, and his confidence wavered somewhat. “And it certainly isn’t ideal to have gotten active duty cops. What a shame.”
The boy turned his attention back to Bailey and me. “I suspect one of you is River Halloway, correct?”
We held our silence, and I squeezed Bailey’s hand even harder. We both remained transfixed on the boy, and I was trying my best to come up with some sort of spell to use in case he decided to attack us.
He glanced down at the men around him on the floor. “And which one here is Jordan O’Riley?”
“None of your damn business,” I snapped.
The boy raised his eyebrow again. He looked eerily like the Joker from batman, I noticed. All pale-skinned and wild-eyed. His mouth even did that weird lopsided grin. Looking at him sent shivers down my spine.
“Interesting. You must be River, then.”
The boy raised his hands and began chanting an incantation.
I screamed and lunged toward him, tackling him down to the ground with a loud thud. I did my best to pin him down, but he proved to be stronger than I was, being a full head taller than I, and he wrestled me onto my back with barely any struggle at all.