What Lies Beyond

by B. B. Palomo

  “Adira,” Noah warned.

  “Kidding, of course,” she said.

  “Yes.” I chuckled. “She absolutely is spunky. Everything went—fine, for the most part.” I searched for the right words to say.

  “Fine is—good,” Adira said.

  “In theory.” I rubbed at my neck, nervous about sharing the news. “We, umm, well—”

  “Burning the board didn’t do anything,” Noah cut in, saving me.

  “I’m sorry, what?” Adira risked a neck injury to look between us. Cora sat up straight, startling Sasha, who bolted for the bedroom. “But you feel better, right?”

  “I do, sort of. It’s kinda like he—”

  “He.” Adira’s eyes grew, and I gave her a look that warned her to stop cutting me off. “Sorry.”

  “It feels like he was just locked away. I’m not doing it myself. My dad, he helped us that day, is still helping me keep the demon at bay,” I said, and despite it being a serious conversation, I found myself biting back another giggle when I saw Adira hold her breath to let me finish what I needed to say.

  “Did you see him?” she asked when she was sure I was done.

  “I think.” I thought back to the alley and the man with golden blond hair. “I caught a glimpse of him, but I haven’t seen his face. Hell, I’m not even sure it’s true sometimes. However, when I feel the scratch of a presence other than my own in the back of my skull, I get this type of warming sensation that sends it away. It’s kind of like being covered with a blanket while stuck in a blizzard. You’re still cold, just not as much.”

  “What do we do?” she asked, face haggard from the news.

  “No,” I corrected. “Not we. Me. I’m going to exorcise him.” I wanted to sound confident in my ability to do something so crazy, but the truth was, I was petrified.

  “I’m sorry.” Adira pinched her features. “I think I heard you say you didn’t want us there? I’m sure my ears just need to be cleaned, though.”

  “It’s not that I don’t want you there. It’s just not safe, and they’re Grammy’s orders,” I said.

  “We’re in this together, Willow. Even if it’s dangerous, we want to be there. Right, Noah?” She urged him to be on her side.

  “It’s not up to us,” he said.

  “See?” She adjusted herself, sitting up straight. “Wait, what? You can’t be serious! You’re going to let her do this on her own?”

  “It’s not like I don’t want to be there,” he jabbed.

  “Well,” she said. “Then it’s settled. We’re going.”

  “No,” I said firmly, surprising her. “You have to promise not to go. I mean it. I don’t want either of you at risk.”

  “But we’re supposed to be in this together.” She pushed.

  “I know how much you want to help, Adira. Really, I do. I love you both so much for that, but this is something I need to do on my own. It’s hard to explain. Just promise?”

  “Fine.” She threw her hands up. “I promise, but I don’t like this.”

  “Thank you.” I sat back, breathing a sigh of relief.

  “How do you exorcise a demon?” Adira asked. “Is it like the movies? Is Grammy bringing in a priest?”

  “Something tells me no priest wants to be associated with my family.” I laughed. “I don’t really know how it’s going to work. The only thing I was told was to practice using my gift. I guess if I can control it better, learn not to be so intimidated by it, it’ll really help me tomorrow.”

  Wheels turned in her head, and I bet she was running through her list of horror movies to see if she could conjure up a scene of what would happen. Honestly, I was doing the same. Grammy talked about protections, and I knew it would be behind her house, but all I saw there were trees. The images coming to my mind of people strapped to chairs and Holy water burning their skin as they screamed, not a pleasant stroll through nature.

  “D-did you lie to me?” Adira asked quietly, suddenly not sure of herself.

  “What?” I shook my head, not understanding.

  “Do you remember that night at the graveyard?” she whispered. “Everyone was saying that you had these crazy supernatural powers. I thought back then that you might be able to see spirits, maybe see if my aunt was around me, but you said you couldn’t.” Adira leaned back. “Was that a lie?”

  “No,” I said, willing her to believe me. “Please believe me when I say I had no idea I had this”—I stumbled before using Grammy’s term—“gift. It’s all so new to me. I mean, it’s so hard to determine who’s here and gone. Even now, I know Cora is gone, but she’s sitting right there, and she’s just the same as the last day I saw her.”

  “She’s here?” Adira jumped forward, peering around. “Cora?”

  “There.” I pointed to where she sat. She smiled at me, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “She’s sitting on the floor and telling you to stop yelling.”

  Cora shot me an I did not say that look, but I just shrugged.

  “Is she going to be okay?” She sniffled, trying to hold back the tears.

  “Tell her to stop worrying,” Cora said.

  I couldn’t help but gasp. It hadn’t been the first time she spoke to me, but knowing that she was gone now changed everything.

  “Are you going to be okay?” I asked again.

  “I’m here with you guys.” She smiled, lifting her hand up so I could see her friendship ring wrapped around her index finger. “This makes it easy to stay.”

  “Don’t you want to go to Heaven?” I asked, not actually knowing if such a place existed.

  “What, no!” Adira slapped my arm as the tear fell over. “Don’t listen to her. Stay with us, please.”

  “We shouldn’t make her stay just because we don’t want to say goodbye,” I said. “If there is a better place out there, wouldn’t we want that for her?”

  “But—” She squeezed her fist closed before relenting. “Yes.”

  “I’m not ready,” Cora said finally. “I think I had the option when it happened, but I needed to see you guys again.”

  “We’ll be okay,” I said. “You know that, right?”

  “Yeah.” She smiled. “But I’m going to stick around a little while longer to be sure.”

  “What did she say?” Adira pried, not being able to hear the conversation driving her nuts while Noah just sat back and watched.

  “She says she needs to keep you out of trouble.” I turned before Cora could scold me. “So she’ll be sticking around for a little bit.”

  Relief smoothed Adira’s features. She was just as unwilling to say goodbye.

  “Okay, but don’t go watching me shower,” she joked, and Cora’s face went ruby.

  Noah laughed and I told him not to encourage her.

  “She’s blushing, isn’t she?” Adira asked with a smile, knowing her well.

  “No,” I lied for her. “I think she’s figuring out how she’s going to haunt you first to get revenge.”

  “I’m sorry.” Adira shuddered. “I was just kidding!”

  I wanted to enjoy this moment longer, but pressure began to build in my skull. That same warmth I’d started to grow accustomed to spread across my back, but the feeling in my head only subsiding a little bit. Grammy was right. My dad wouldn’t be able to keep this up forever.

  “You’re gonna be okay, right?” Adira asked suddenly, and it was as if the air exited the room.

  I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about it. I couldn’t. I was more consumed with what would happen if I didn’t get rid of the demon. When he tried to possess me, successfully influencing so much of my life, I could sense his intentions. It wasn’t just about me, it was about suffering, and it didn’t take seeing my life through my eyes to see that my friends, my family, they were everything to me. Even that night at the party, I was furious with Timmy, sure, but I would have never gone that far. That rush of joy I felt when the rock connected to his skull was not my emotion, it was his.

  I also worried
what me not being able to vanquish the demon meant for my dad. I had no clue what it was doing to him to keep the evil spirit at bay. What would it mean if he couldn’t anymore? What if that sealed a fate worse than death for him? What would happen to his soul if that thing got his hands on him?

  “Of course,” I said finally, hoping I was convincing enough to not have to dive into it any deeper. I had to look away when Adira stared at me, trying to read between my words.

  “All right, that’s enough stressful talk.” Noah clapped his hands together before rubbing them aggressively as if he was forging fire.

  I nodded, but the movement brought the headache to my forehead. I pressed the spot as more warmth surrounded me.

  A slithering voice ran between my ears, warning me against fighting this.

  If you won’t let me have you, I’ll take them.

  My stomach churned as I fought to keep my composure. My friends were so happy, oblivious to the threat lingering over my head. I wouldn’t let anything take this peace from them. I was going to end this.

  “I think you should lie down.” Noah helped me to my feet, and it took all my strength to keep them from collapsing out from under me.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I just need to nap, I think.”

  “Don’t be sorry,” he said. “This is probably taking a lot of you. Just get some rest.”

  “Okay.” I smiled.

  “Willow.” Adira stood up again, her eyes round with fluctuating emotions.

  “Yeah.” I turned, but she hesitated.

  “Never mind,” she said finally. “Rest well.”

  “Thanks.” I waved Noah off when he offered to help me to bed.

  The door clicked closed behind me and I breathed a sigh of relief. The throbbing had subsided, but the memory of its presence kept me on my toes.

  I dragged my feet to the bed, sitting down in a huff. Just as I went to lie back, my foot struck something tucked under the bed skirt.

  I rolled off the bed and got down on my knees to reach for it. As soon as my fingers brushed the corner, I knew exactly what it was.

  The canvas was face down and I wondered if Noah was painting a surprise picture for me. I knew I shouldn’t look, but my curiosity got the best of me.

  I flipped it over and froze.

  Black charcoal all but covered the white canvas. My eyes trailed the length of it as my breath was sucked away.

  The horns, the scales, those long, unnatural fingers brought me back to the vile creature that had been tormenting me, that had dug those sharp claws into my back. However, there was no way Noah would know what he looked like, so how did he draw him so perfectly?

  Those words came flowing back to my mind and I choked on a sob.

  I’ll take them.

  I was going to make sure that never happened.

  Chapter Twenty

  The dirt road was different this time around. I didn’t know if it was the departure of the wind or the all too bright sun that had sworn off the clouds after weeks of thunderstorms. Maybe the mixture of the two was what twisted my stomach into knots like it was preparing to resist being unraveled. Noah and I had sat in complete silence, the distance between us unusual as we both worked through the stress in our hearts. The only sounds that had given me something to focus on were the engine’s constant rumble and the clanking against the metal as soon as we went over a bump.

  There must be something in the back he’d forgotten to take out after work.

  We pulled up to the tree line. There was a path between two marked maple trees I’d been instructed to follow. Once the noise truck was off and I could focus, I searched to see if they were visible from here, but my untrained eye couldn’t distinguish a difference in any of them. Noah reached over for my hand, the nervous sweat coating it surprising me. He was always so calm and collected, and even though I appreciated him trying to seem unfazed, I wanted to assure him it was perfectly okay to be scared.

  I mean, I was.

  I opened my mouth to speak but was interrupted by hushed whispers and another banging in the trunk. I couldn’t stop my heart from jumping into my throat as Noah looked at me, curious if I’d heard the sound too. I shook my head, and he got out of the truck, with a hand swung back as a warning not to follow. I didn’t listen as his door screeched shut, just as mine mocked the tune while it opened. Ignoring the way his brows turned in when he realized I didn’t stay put, we both peeked over the walls on the bed of the truck.

  A deep blue tarp was thrown over a bumpy—moving thing. I didn’t need to pull back the cover once I heard that they needed to drive more carefully.

  Noah ripped back the tarp, exposing two people who had unambiguous instructions to stay far from this place today. Both pairs of eyes met mine, round with a deer in headlights look that only happens when someone has been caught doing something they weren’t supposed to.

  “Before you say anything”—Adira gulped guiltily before turning a death glare toward Noah while pointing a sharpened nail in his direction—“you need to learn how to drive! You almost killed me back here!”

  “Maybe I would have driven more carefully had I known a sleuth was hiding in my trunk or”—Noah took a breath to prepare for the end of the spiel—“maybe I would have driven faster, making sure to take the corners at ninety and find every bump in the road to teach you a lesson.”

  “Sleuths,” I said quietly to myself.

  I wanted to be mad, but instead, I found myself slapping a palm over my lips to stop the laughter that shook my shoulders. Cora averted her gaze while nodding in agreement like that punishment would have fit the crime. My heart broke that no one else could see her face as she blushed with guilt.

  On the other hand, Adira stood up and dusted herself off before slamming both hands on her hips. Before I knew it, I was her new target.

  “And you…” Her voice didn’t have the same playful tone she’d just used. Now it carried the sharp edge of disappointment that dried my humor. “We are a team. Best friends. I know what your grammy said, and I know you’re more than capable of doing this on your own, but the thing is, Willow”—she wiped moist from her eyes as if trying to hide that it was there at all—“you don’t have to. You’ve got us.”

  “I can’t.” I shook my head feverishly. “I won’t put you in danger over this.”

  “It’s not your choice.” She stood her ground and shot a look at Noah, who chimed in.

  “Willow.” He sighed. “She’s right. This is dangerous, and if you have no other option but to do this, the least we can do is be there for support.”

  I’ll take them.

  “No,” burst from my chest, and they took a step back. “He’ll use you against me. You don’t understand.”

  “But—”

  “I’ll take Cora,” I said quickly, cutting Adira off. Cora’s eyes bugged out, but I shot her a look that said it’s not like they’ll know if you come.

  “Cora’s here—oh, right.” Adira chuckled to herself, still getting used to the idea.

  “Then it’s settled.” I jumped in front of the idea, forcing it down their throats. “She’ll come and you’ll both”—I added emphasis, so no one got any funny ideas—“stay here, where it’s safe.”

  “We should get going,” Noah said.

  “Yeah.” I moved back so a sulking Adira could jump out of the truck, somehow not breaking an ankle in the knee-high boots she wore. “Look for markings on the trees. Grammy said that would put us on the right trail. She should be back there already.”

  We spread out. I didn’t exactly know what type of tag we were searching for, but I hoped it would be significant enough for a group of undiligent fools by nature to spot it. Cora went left while Adira took a right so Noah and I could scope out the middle. I was surprised to see so many trails leading between the trees as if we were centered in between a national forest where hikers frequented.

  I scrutinized the bark of every tree I passed, wondering if the chipped pieces or the claw sc
ratches from the critters were what I was looking for. I moved past one that didn’t particularly stand out but still drew me in. There was the slightest curvature in its shape, matching wild limbs that curled inward, creating a type of labyrinth. I reached out my hand, immediately sensing the energy vibrating from the strong roots well before I ever touched it.

  “Guys,” I called out and turned just in time to see Cora mimicking my actions on the tree to my left.

  She yanked her palm down to her side and gave me a small smile before Noah and Adira made their way back to us. I glanced down the path, surprised that it looked different from the rest I passed. The sunlight shone brighter, slicing through the thick branches like lasers that painted the ground. Despite it being off-season, bright green moss coated the earth, moving to lick the base of tree trunks. It reminded me of a fairyland, pure positive energy radiating in the atmosphere.

  “I don’t see a marking,” Noah said, searching over the area.

  “This is the path,” I answered. “I’m not sure how I know. I just do.”

  He took one final look around, making sure he wasn’t missing something, and stepped onto the walkway, the explanation being more than enough for him.

  “Wait.” I stopped him. “We’ll part ways here. I don’t know how long this will take, and you don’t have to stay around and wait for—”

  “We’re staying,” they both said, and if it had been a different time, they would probably jinx, then double jinx each other.

  “Okay, I’ll be back,” I said, stepping past Noah.

  He grabbed my arm, his fingers twitching against the skin as they begged him not to let go.

  “Be safe,” he said finally.

  “Always.” I smiled and pulled away. “I’ll just be a while.”

  I stepped into a path covered in rocks and fallen branches, moving farther into the grove quickly before I could change my mind. I didn’t look back, sensing Cora behind me and knowing if I met the eyes of my friends, I’d cave.