by Lisa Rayns
I remained silent.
“Didn’t you, Miss Patrix? You admitted to being responsible for Chad Landchester’s and David Allvy’s deaths?”
“That’s not what I said. You’re taking me out of context. I’m only responsible because I’m the one who’s cursed! That’s where my bruises come from.”
Concern touched his face momentarily. “Your necklace does that?”
“Yes. A giant, invisible snake wraps around me and constricts until I can’t breathe!”
“Are you kidding me here? Is this a joke?”
“No!” I persisted. “I’ve tried to stay away from people for years. Why do you think I’ve never had a boyfriend before Chad?”
Cade slammed his fist down on the table. “I don’t give a flying fuck why you’ve never had a boyfriend before. People are dying and damn it, it’s gonna stop!”
“That’s why I went to Egypt. I was trying to find a way to break the curse.”
He stood and shook his head with disgust. “I can’t believe I’m listening to this. If you think you’re going to get off on an insanity plea, you’re sadly mistaken.”
“Watch.” Reaching behind my head, I unclipped the necklace, held it in my hand, and then I threw it against the wall as fast as I could. It didn’t hit.
Cade stood there dumbfounded. “Where did it go?”
I pulled it out of my shirt to show him.
“So you do parlor tricks,” he scoffed. “You better get yourself a damn good lawyer.”
“Wait!” I called desperately when he turned toward the door. “I’ll prove it to you. Let me keep the necklace. Tomorrow night, I’m going to be attacked again around midnight. Put me in a cell by myself and get all the other prisoners out. All you have to do is show up and watch and hope it doesn’t go after you.”
He scowled, but curiosity sparked in his eyes. “You’re telling me these attacks are planned? You know when they’re going to happen?”
I nodded. “Normally they only happen during the new and full moon but lately they’ve been coming every week in between too.”
He scratched his brow, like he was trying to decide if I was insane or just very confused.
“You said you wanted the truth. Do what I ask and you’ll have all the truth you can handle.”
He stared at the floor for long minutes before he finally nodded. “All right. I’ll make you a deal, Miss Patrix. I’ll do what you ask and if no phantom snake shows up, you admit to the murders. And not just the last two. All of them, your parents and all your relatives, any one whose death you say that curse is responsible for.”
I agreed without a thought. “And when he does show, I go free.”
“Agreed.”
****
Within the hour, Cade escorted me a 12 x 12 room, half of it enclosed by strong metal bars. The only items inside the cell were a cot and a small toilet. “Nice,” I teased, but my voice echoed off the brick walls and made me feel uneasy.
He nodded. “Yep. Consider this home until 12:30 tomorrow night when I take you out to get your full statement and finish booking you.”
I winced at the threat. He’d let me keep my clothes and luckily he hadn’t made me go through the really uncomfortable parts of being booked–the body search. I shuddered at the thought.
When he locked me inside the cell, I lay down on the cot and slept for twelve hours. I rolled onto my stomach when I absolutely couldn’t keep my eyes closed anymore. I wanted to sleep all day so I didn’t have to think about what the night held, but the attempt was futile.
Normally, I’d be three sheets to the wind by noon on the day of an attack, but that wasn’t an option this time. Calvin wasn’t even here to fight off the snake like we’d planned. For the first time in two years, I would have to face the serpent stone cold sober. The idea scared the hell out of me.
I also worried because it was an off-week, a week in between the new and full moon. The last off week attack was the first, and I found myself praying that it hadn’t been a fluke. I buried my head in my hands and sighed. I never would have dreamt in a million years that I’d actually be hoping for an attack.
I’d never let anyone watch before either, which seemed creepy the more I thought about it. I would be unconscious with an almost complete stranger. Nothing about the day felt right, and my anxiety grew by the minute.
Officer Daniels brought me a TV dinner for my meals and let me make a short phone call. He’d received specific instructions that I was not to leave my cell, so he let me use his cell phone. I called Calvin, of course, while Jack stepped out the door to give me privacy.
“Can I post your bail yet?”
“No. I’ve agreed to stay in jail for one more night.”
“What?” He shouted so loudly I had to pull the phone away from my ear.
“Calm down, please. I told him the truth like you said. He didn’t believe me, of course, but he’s coming to watch me tonight. Once he witnesses the attack, he’s promised to let me go free.”
“He can witness that damn thing here where I can protect you.”
“Calvin, please, this is important. I’m facing life in prison and besides, I already agreed.” I did my best to sound confident and strong, but I was hanging onto his voice like it was the last time I’d hear it. “It’ll be the last time, I promise.”
“I don’t like it,” he growled before his voice turned calmer. “God, I miss you. I just want you safe. When I think about that thing squeezing the life out of you, I can’t stand it.”
“You did it in Egypt,” I reminded him.
“Hey, I couldn’t get into your hut, no thumbs.”
“You tried?” I gasped as my heart filled with admiration. “But I thought you hated me.”
“I’ve never hated you, Cleo. You’ve always been my girl. I was just hurt because I thought you blew me off in New York.”
“Never.”
“I know that now. I love you, Cleo.”
“I love you, Calvin.”
The main door to the cell flew open at eleven o’clock and Cade walked in batting a bag of popcorn between his hands. “I’m ready for the show, Emma. Or do you prefer being called Cleo now?”
“Cleo, please,” I said, looking up from the cot.
“May I ask why the sudden change?”
“Because you can’t change who you are no matter how hard you try.”
I rose and walked over the cell door. He tore open the bag and popped a kernel into his mouth. Fresh from the shower, he looked like a different man. His suit was neatly pressed and the circles under his eyes weren’t as bad as they’d been.
“You got some sleep, I see.”
“Yep. Wrapping up this case in a few hours so I thought I’d try to look presentable for the occasion.” He smiled wryly.
“Can I have a smoke?”
When he dug a cigarette out of his pocket, I couldn’t hide the way my hands shook. Pre-attack jitters were mostly unavoidable while sober, but Cade didn’t appear concerned. He lit my cigarette, and I inhaled deeply and then exhaled slowly to try to calm down.
“Do me a favor.”
“What’s that?”
“Please don’t try to stop it. I will scream and I will be suffocated but don’t try to stop it. You’re not equipped.”
He chuckled and put his hand on his gun. “What do you mean I’m not equipped?”
“Only Bast, the goddess of cats is able to slay Apep.”
“You’re really serious about this, aren’t you? So that thing you say is going to choke you has a name?”
I nodded. “I think you should stay behind the outer door too, just in case. I can’t afford to have you attacked tonight now can I?”
He stared at my shaking hands seriously and then raised his eyebrows, his face turning grim. “No, I suppose not.”
Chapter 11
As I awoke, I recognized the floating sensation and silently thanked the doctors for the morphine shot. My head was inclined and rested on a soft pillo
w. A clicking noise seeped into my senses like a time bomb, but when I opened my eyes, I realized it was the sound of a man pacing.
“I’m alive,” I assured him.
Detective Cade approached me with wide, worried eyes. His hair stood up in spots as though he’d been raking his fingers through it for hours. “I’m not sure what the hell happened back there, but I want to apologize. I never thought you committed those murders either. I was pretty sure you had the answers, but I didn’t expect…”
“It’s all right,” I breathed.
“How long has that been happening?”
“Ten years.”
“Christ! You were floating almost four inches off the mattress while it happened. I was scared out of my mind. I can’t imagine what you were going through.”
“I’ll never get used to it. So, am I free?”
Cade shook his head. “You put me in a tough spot here. It doesn’t feel right to just let you walk. You’re dangerous even if you’re not a murderer.”
“Calvin’s in town to help me break the curse. That’s honestly why I went to Egypt and New York.”
His forehead seemed permanently creased when he nodded. “You just see that he does. I don’t have to worry about finding him in a body bag next, do I?”
“No. He’s immune.”
“What do you mean immune?”
“He’s cursed too.”
“Jesus! You two deserve each other,” he declared, smoothing out his hair with his hands. “As promised, I’m dropping the charges against you.”
“And you can do that? Just like that, it’s over?”
“Yep. I was only charging you with obstructing justice. No one at the department thinks you’re a murderer. You don’t have the strength to inflict that kind of damage for one thing. But see that you get this taken care of.”
“Yes sir.” I smiled at Calvin who waited just outside the door with a dozen roses. I wanted to laugh when Cade left and sidestepped to avoid touching him.
“He believes you then?” Calvin asked anxiously.
“The truth has set me free. Thanks for the advice.”
“Good. Now let’s go live happily ever after. We’ll get a cabin in the woods or the mountains and then I’ll play kill the snake once a week. We can do this.”
I tried for a smile. “You’re pretty optimistic.”
“I’d rather go through hell with you then live in heaven without you.”
“All right. We’ll do it. There’s just one thing I have to take care of first.”
****
Two days later…
All day, I’d sensed a storm coming as the dark clouds rolled in over Madison like shadowy memories from my past. The overcast sky faded to black above me while I sat in my car and chain-smoked until I felt like vomiting.
“You have to face it. You’re never going to be able to move on until you do.” The reminder of Calvin’s words gave me the push I needed to get out of the car, though my body trembled. I hadn’t had a drink in a week.
As I stared at the quiet estate, an eastern wind snuck across the yard with an icy bite. I rubbed my shoulders and forearms that were overridden with goose bumps even underneath my long black sweater. The very blood in my veins seemed chilled.
With a deep breath, I put one foot in front of the other until I met my father’s ghost in the yard. He smiled and tried to hug me, but his limbs passed right through me. He pulled his hands back to rest on his heart and then he blew me a kiss.
“I’m sorry, daddy. It’s my fault you’re dead.”
“It’s all right.” His faint voice drifted into my ears like an echo. “Your answer is in the house.”
He pointed toward the house but I couldn’t look away. Stunned that he could talk, I mentally kicked myself for not coming sooner. I could have been talking to them for years. They could have helped me. They could have told me what to do!
He pointed again and I hesitantly turned toward the dark house. The image didn’t seem as haunting as it had only minutes before.
“What’s in the house?” I asked, but when I turned back, he was gone.
Curiously, I made my way to the front door and went inside. A flickering light pulled me to living room where I found my mom’s ghost. She sat in her rocking chair near the fireplace and when I walked into the room, she smiled. “Welcome home,” she said in a faint, soft voice that reminded me of those nights she sat up telling me stories.
I could feel the heat from the fire warming my skin. “I’m sorry, mom. I stole the necklace from the dig site and it’s my fault you and dad are dead.”
“I know. Seshat bestowed a great gift onto you when you put on the necklace.”
“Gift?”
She bowed her head, sympathy and sadness in her eyes. “It wasn’t meant to be a curse.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Your answer is in the attic.”
I didn’t look away for fear that she’d disappear. “Don’t go, mom. I love you guys so much and I miss you terribly.”
“I love you, Cleo,” she said before she faded into nothing along with the fire.
Tears blurred my vision as the warmth of the fire receded and my skin prickled with a new chill. I wrapped my arms around my body, feeling as alone as I had after their funerals. They were gone again, but they’d come to me for a reason. I owed it to them to follow their direction.
I walked through the house slowly, trying to wrap my mind around what my mother had said. How could Seshat have bestowed a gift on me? As far as I was concerned, it had been a definite curse from day one. All the pain, the screaming, and fighting for breath couldn’t possibly have been a gift. What was I missing?
When the attic door creaked open, I flipped on the light switch in the large room. Hefty boxes stacked three high ran across the back wall and a few odd furniture pieces sat further in. A thick layer of dust covered every visible surface.
“It’s going to be a long night,” I mumbled before I took a deep breath.
Instead of plunging into the task, I lit a cigarette and walked down the row of boxes, looking for a clue. All were labeled Mom or Christmas, but when I made it to the end of the line, I spotted another box on top of an old dresser. The unlabeled carton was the size of a laptop. I stared at it while I finished my smoke.
The answer I sought was a way to end the curse, but what if I received an answer to a different question? What if it told me how many people I’d actually killed? Whenever I was unconscious, I always worried about people touching my necklace and dying without me even realizing it or acknowledging them. Or what if the answer told me how much pain my parents went through when they died? Dozens of questions ran through my head before my cell phone rang.
The ringtone bounced off the walls, sending chills down my spine. I had the phone opened and at my ear in three seconds. “Hello?”
“You’re packed…except for your bedding.”
I smiled at Calvin’s eagerness. “You packed everything already?”
“Well you’re not exactly a pack rat. All you have here is clothes. We won’t need anything else.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear you’re going to let me wear clothes.”
“On special occasions,” he teased. “Are you coming?”
“Yeah.” I smashed the cigarette under my foot and sat down in an old chair, pulling the box onto my lap. “I’m almost done.”
“All right. I’ll see you soon.”
I closed the phone and opened the box. Inside I found a green notebook and a dozen photos. I picked up the pictures and regarded them one by one; all were of me and Calvin. We looked happy and carefree like normal kids except for the last few when we wore our golden necklaces. We were both frowning.
No way were the necklaces a gift.
Setting the box on the floor, I replaced the photos and sat back with the notebook. Its worn edges appeared vaguely familiar and after minutes of deep thought, I remembered it was the one I’d used to write my story for Sesh
at. It had been missing since right after I finished it.
Anxiously, I tore open the cover and started reading only to gasp in horror.
Chapter 12
The Curse
by Cleo Patrix
After writing down the account of Apep and Bast, Seshat committed the tablet to the earth to bless it. Then she flew back up to the clouds and grew very sad.
“I record all these great events but I will never have an amazing story of my own,” she told her pet python.
“Write your own ssstory,” the serpent said.
“Alas, my existence is not one filled with adventure.”
“Why don’t you bessstow your own giftsss onto an earthly item? Let a human create a ssstory for you.”
She smiled and kissed the snake’s head. “You’re right. I shall grant one human the gift of the written words and whatever they write shall become truth.” Seshat waved her hand and created a silver box with two golden necklaces inside, one for Bast and one for Apep. “I will hide my great tablet inside Apep’s necklace and it shall urge the human to write a magnificent story. When their story becomes truth, all will hear of my grandeur.”
“Sssuperb idea.”
Seshat imbued the necklace with her gift and returned to Earth to bury the necklaces above the tablet somewhere deep within Egypt.
Many, many, many years later, a little boy and a little girl were chasing a little red bug in Egypt.
I couldn’t read anymore. The story came back to me so fast that my breath caught in my throat. Instantly, I knew how to break the curse, but I also knew I had solely created it. I remembered it all more clearly now. My mother hadn’t died days after touching the necklace. She didn’t die until after I finished the story.
Self-loathing tunneled into the pit of my stomach as I thought about my parents and Calvin and all the others who had suffered or died at my own hand. I had written it all because I wanted to be a great storyteller like my mother. It was only supposed to be a story!
My eyes bulged when I collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath. My muscles failed me as guilt and shame and hatred filled me to the brim. I could barely breathe. I didn’t deserve to breathe. All the innocent people who cared about me were dead. I should be dead too.