by Shady Grim
“Thanks, Jim,” I said.
“Don’t mention it.” Jim swung the rifle around to admire it a little more. “Is this your rifle? It sure is a beauty.”
“It was my father’s. He was a collector.”
“Did he serve?”
“Yes, Royal Air Force.”
“Oh, not American...shame.”
“You’ve known me a long time, Jim. At least have the decency to tell me why you’re doing this.”
“Alright,” he said pleasantly, “for old time’s sake. You two have just become a nuisance, it’s that simple. Mrs. Fitzgerald wants that old house of yours out of the way, but you two insist on fixing it up.”
“What does Mrs. F. have to do with this?” I said.
“She’s going to burn down that house.”
“Why didn’t she burn it down when it was empty?” said Ethan.
“She tried to, but every time she came to do it someone was there, or it rained unexpectedly. There was always something to stop her. This time she’s got help, so the job’ll get done.”
“I don’t understand what you have to do with this? I didn’t know you knew anyone up here,” I said.
“I served with her son, Byron, for a while. He’d probably still be in the Navy if he hadn’t hurt his leg so badly. I came home on leave with him and the old lady took a liking to me. That’s how it all started–for me anyway. I spent years trying to turn Shelly around, and she convinced Rick.”
“Convinced him of what?” I said.
“Of what real power is; that’s why I’m here. I couldn’t care less about that run-down old house, or you for that matter. I don’t know why the old bitch is so obsessed with it, but if it gets me what I want then I’ll go along with her.”
“I don’t understand,” I said.
“I do,” said Ethan. “Yer gonna burn in Hell, yeh sick fuck.”
“I’m going to rule it, not burn in it,” corrected Jim. He knelt in front of me, his expression earnest. “I didn’t believe in any of this religious bullshit before, but Lizbet showed me things I still can’t explain.”
“Flim-flam,” said Ethan.
“Power,” countered Jim.
“Come on, Jim, Earthly power...ruling in Hell in the afterlife, you don’t honestly believe in this farce, do you?”
“Money is very persuasive, Heather. As for the afterlife shit, I don’t know if it’s real or not, but just as the old saying goes, ‘I’d rather rule in Hell than serve in Heaven.’”
“And where is this grand fortune coming from? Is it going to drop out of the sky...oh, excuse me, I mean pop up out of the ground? If it’s my money you think you’ll get, guess again. Ethan’s already spent it all.”
“Oh right, blame it on me!”
“Knock it off! I know this trick, no cross talking!” Jim pulled up his sleeve and revealed a gold watch. “I had a long talk with Lizbet one night after Byron went to bed. She asked me to think of something I really wanted, but not tell her what it was. Five seconds later this watch fell out of thin air and landed in my lap.”
“A stupid magic trick,” said Ethan.
“It’s real!”
“You would do this to us for money, Jim? We’re friends. Shelly and I–”
“Shelly hates you. All those years of trying to make ends meet, and Rick busting his ass working a dead-end job just to put food on the table. Then there’s you, the trust fund baby with a fancy medical degree, raking in stacks of money. It took years for me to get Shelly to see what you really are. She knows the truth now, and that’s what matters.
“I offered to help her–”
“Don’t apologize to that asshole, Heather! It ain’t yer job to support people who don’t wanna earn their keep!”
“Strong words coming from you,” laughed Jim.
“So, this whole thing was set up by you and Mrs. Fitzgerald. All the talk about Jimmy being a monster was a lie. You and Shelly didn’t have a fight. Jimmy didn’t push her down the stairs...”
“She did fall down the stairs. She tripped and fell and lost the baby she was carrying. That part was all true, or nearly all of it.” Jim cleared his throat a couple of times, and wiped sweat from his forehead. His stood without saying a word and strode to the porch. He called for Shelly to get him some water as he sat down on the back steps. The rifle was cradled in his lap.
“I know yer gutted right now,” whispered Ethan. “But yeh need to pull yerself together and put that big brain of yers to work so we can get outta here.”
“Yeah...okay. You still with us, Tim?”
“Yes.”
“I have a sheathed knife clipped inside my pants. Can you get it?”
“I’ll try.”
“Don’t touch ‘er ass!”
“Now is not the time, Ethan.” I reached back and felt for Tim’s bindings. My hands were so sore and blistered that it was very difficult to untie them. The pukwudgies had followed us and were gathered at the tree line. They were very slowly sliding us toward the lake. The howling forest beasts raged behind them, trying to get at us. Each time they moved in to grab one of us, they were forced back by a barrage of tiny luminescent arrows that disintegrated on contact.
“We’re gonna have to buy those guys a shit-ton o’ strawberries when this is all over,” said Ethan.
“Lizbet said something about desecrating the house,” I said. “What does that mean?”
“I could mean a lot of things,” whispered Tim. “There are many ways to defile a sacred object or place. I don’t know what Lizbet is planning, but she’s attempted to damage the house from the outside and none of her schemes have worked. I think, this time, she’s trying to destroy it from the inside.”
“I thought that was Shelly’s purpose.”
“Shelly was just the beginnin’,” said Ethan. “Like tappin’ a nail into a piece of wood before hammerin’ it in. Ol’ Lizzie’s gonna need somethin’ much more powerful than Shelly to bring down that house.”
“This is beyond me, Ethan. I...I don’t know how to get out of this.”
“Relax, Heather,” said Ethan. His voice sounded weaker, and it worried me. “Do what yeh do best, and think yer way out.”
I looked over at Jim. His head rested on his hand. He was clearly feeling ill. “Psychiatry isn’t my area, but I’ll give it a try.”
“What?”
“Shush, Tim. She’s thinkin’ things through.”
“Jim is greedy, arrogant, and has some narcissistic traits. Shelly is weak-willed, selfish, and greedy. Rick is the same, but add low intelligence to the list. I don’t know Byron and Gerald well enough to even guess.”
“I haven’t known them since they were children,” said Tim. “But I suspect they’re just trying to avoid Herbert and Lizbet’s wrath.”
“Okay, I’ll move on to Persephone. She’s obsessed with the past, is highly narcissistic, sadistic, and has some psychopathic tendencies. There’s something else there too–”
“That’d be the evil part,” chimed Ethan.
“Herbert is deeply disturbed and very sadistic. He might even be psychotic. Oh, this doesn’t make sense! I can’t find a pattern!”
“Maybe the lack of a pattern is the pattern,” said Ethan.
“What?” said Tim.
“Ethan, you’re a genius!”
“I been tellin’ yeh that for years.”
“What is the nature of evil, Tim?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Think of it this way; most benevolent religions worship a single deity, or a deity that is superior within a group of deities. Everyone works together, including the deity, toward the same goal, which is whatever benefits the community the most. Individual wants are less important than communal needs. On the other side of the fence, there are the malign groups that may worship one or more deities, but their goals are often selfish. They only work together so they can get closer to their personal goals. For example; Jim, Shelly, and Rick are motivated by greed. P
ersephone wants revenge. She thinks if she kills me her life will be perfect. Byron and Gerald are controlled through fear. Herbert is a homicidal maniac–”
“So what is the point?” said Tim.
“Everyone has a different goal. They’re going to turn on each other. They may have already started. Jim is looking quite ill over there, and he hasn’t even noticed that we’ve moved.”
“He might’ve been poisoned. Poisons are Lizbet’s specialty.”
“Yer mom’s a real charmer, Tim.”
“Lizbet is the one I can’t figure out. She won’t leave the dock for some reason.”
“Water is an important element of the second ritual. She’ll have some sort of altar down there. She will also have something that will draw the attention of the spirit she’s trying to contact. It will be a personal item; something the spirit was strongly attached to when it was alive.”
“She just lit some lanterns,” I said.
“What shape do they form?” said Tim.
“A cross.”
“She’s begun the second ritual.”
“How can she?” said Ethan. “We’re still alive.”
“She’s got a back-up plan. The fourth isn’t here, so separating the three of us is pointless. Lizbet will need representations of the four elements, which may or may not be us, and she’ll need to place one male and one female next to the personal object that I mentioned.”
“A male and a female?” I said.
“They represent reproduction,” said Tim.
“Ugh, this just gets weirder and weirder.”
“I been thinkin’,” said Ethan. His voice was weaker still, and he sounded sleepy. “We got three of the four celestial events, all but the winter solstice. Ain’t that weird? I mean Lizbet is real careful about stuff. What are the chances of ‘er forgettin’ the winter solstice?”
“She wouldn’t have forgotten,” said Tim. “She might not have been able to find anyone born at that time.”
“But it’s a crucial element,” argued Ethan. “She would’ve waited until all the pieces were in place before takin’ on a job like this.”
“She is ninety, you know,” said Tim.
“Ethan’s right. Lizbet is patient, single-minded, and thorough. She’s devoted to the point of servility...Oh, that’s it! Ethan, you’re brilliant!”
“I know it.”
“Lizbet isn’t interested in material gain. She wants revenge, and she thinks that legendary witch can settle a score for her.”
“Revenge for what?” said Tim.
“I don’t know, and I don’t think we need to know. What’s important is her desire to destroy the house. If she does that, the older witch might be grateful and do Lizbet a kindness in return. I’ll bet anything that the fourth is here. Lizbet just hasn’t figured out who he is. What month is the winter solstice?”
“December,” said Tim.
“Thor was born on December twenty-second.”
“Holy fuck!” said Ethan. “That’s the winter solstice. Thor’s the fourth.”
“A dog?” said Tim.
“He’s a Capricorn, an earth sign. It’s gotta be him. Dude, it makes perfect sense. Dogs are fiercely loyal. They’ve been used for centuries to guard people’s homes and families. That’s why these nut-bags can’t figure out who it is. They’re lookin’ for a person.”
“I haven’t heard him bark,” I said.
“He’s gotta be fine,” said Ethan. “The pudgywucks know he’s here. They ain’t movin’ us to the lake; they’re gettin’ us closer to the front door. We gotta let the dog out.”
“Pukwudgies,” said Tim. “Get it right. They’re bad tempered, and we need their protection.”
“Sorry,” said Ethan. “Sorry about that, didn’t mean any offense, guys.” I thought I heard a clanking sound, but it was difficult to be sure because of the music coming from Persephone’s car. I saw motion in my peripheral vision, and my head jerked in its direction. The movement alarmed Ethan. “What is it?”
“I thought I saw somethi...Oh shit...It’s the kids!” Ethan sat up, ignoring the agonizing pain in his torn body. “They didn’t see us. Lie down, Ethan.”
“Herbert will definitely see them,” said Tim. He was wriggling to get the rope off our torsos, and over our heads. “Be still, Ethan. You’ll reopen your wounds.”
“Fuck the wounds! Those crazies ain’t gettin’ my kids!” Ethan struggled to stand and fell several times. Jim finally noticed that something was amiss and stood, rifle in hand. He swayed a little as he leveled the Ruger at Ethan’s back. He pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. I saw him pull back the breach and throw the gun on the ground in a fit. I’d unloaded it earlier in the day while Ethan was affixing the mezuzah.
“Dad!” shouted Emmy when she saw Ethan trying to run to her.
“Go, Emmy!” shouted Ethan. “Get to the water!”
My charred hands made it difficult to untie the bindings on my ankles, so I was the last one to stand. Jim broke out in an unsteady run after Ethan. Tim was on his feet in an instant. The injuries to his feet slowed him greatly, but he managed to catch Jim and take him down. Jim landed hard on the ground with Tim on top of him. He groaned a little and didn’t move again. I was finally on my feet and sprinted toward Ethan. Herbert was quickly closing in. Ethan dove at Herbert, and managed to throw him to the ground. Herbert was laughing. I ran straight for the children. In the blink of an eye, Herbert was sitting atop Ethan with his knife raised.
“No, Herbert!” shouted Lizbet. “Not yet!” Herbert stopped at the sound of Lizbet’s voice. He turned his hand so the blade faced away from Ethan. His hand gripped the knife handle tightly, and he pounded Ethan’s face until he was unconscious. Herbert rose to look for Tim, but he was gone. I’d made it to the water and turned the canoe over. The pukwudgies followed me and continued their attack on the shadow-beasts.
“Get to the Zee’s.”
“I think they’re dead,” said Jimmy.
“Go to the next house. It’s far, but you can make it. The family’s name is Williams. You can’t miss their house. It’s lit up like a Christmas tree all year round.” I pushed the canoe out as far as I could into the unnaturally cold water.
“Ain’t yeh comin’?”
“I can’t, Emmy. Go!”
Emmy and Jimmy paddled furiously until the lights of the old house were out of sight. When she felt that they were safely away, Emmy put her paddle down and removed the rifle from her back to lay it beside her. She took the pack off and pulled out a pair of goggles.
“I can’t see anything,” said Jimmy. “I can barely see you.”
“Gimme yer hat.”
“What for?” he said, unwilling to part with his favorite hat.
“‘Cause these goggles strap on yer head, and they’ll fit better if I have yer hat on.”
“What goggles?”
“They’re called night-vision goggles. They make yeh see in the dark.” She brushed her hair back and donned Jimmy’s cap before fixing the still-too-large goggles onto her head. “Now I can see everythin’. Jimmy, paddle to the left a little and try to keep ‘er straight.” She looked behind them for any signs of being followed, but saw nothing. “Okay, now all we have to do is wait ‘till we find Dr. Zee’s house.”
“What if there’s something in the water?” whispered Jimmy.
“That’s why I got the goggles on, so I can spot any zombies floatin’ around. Stay yer course, Jimmy.”
“Do you hear that?” A rustling sound, followed by the pounding of many feet, drew their attention. Jimmy could see a large group of animals and people running through the woods, very close to the water’s edge. He knew they were coming for Emmy and him. Emmy heard the figures running, but saw nothing through the goggles. A small disc of light emerged from the woods. It hovered over the water about fifty yards ahead, and seemed to grow in size as it approached the canoe. “What’s that?”
“I don’t see nothin’, Jimmy.”
&
nbsp; “I’m telling you, it’s there. Maybe your goggles aren’t working right.”
Emmy removed the goggles and saw the sphere. “It’s just the moon reflectin’ off the water.”
“The moon’s behind the clouds.”
“Maybe it’s a flashlight.”
“Floating above the water?”
“Okay, I don’t know what it is, but I’m not takin’ any chances!” Emmy picked up her rifle, cocked it, took aim, and fired straight into the center of the disc.
“It’s still coming!”
“Keep paddlin’, Jimmy.”
“I don’t want to steer into that thing.”
“Keep paddlin’ or I’ll beat yeh in the head with my rifle!”
“I’m scared, Em!”
“I’m gonna take care of it, I promise. Now do what I say.”
“Alright.”
“Lay yer cross on yer t-shirt and say the prayer that my dad taught us. I’ll do the rest.” Emmy rooted through her pack and pulled out Jimmy’s tiny penlight. She tightly held the cross her father had given her. She clicked on the penlight and aimed it directly at the disc. “I ain’t afraid. Yeh can’t hurt me. Go away!” Jimmy continued to softly recite the prayer Ethan had taught him while he steadily paddled along. The disc continued to approach, and was nearly over Jimmy’s head. “Go away, yeh evil piece o’ crap!” The disc disappeared, but the shadow-beasts continued to follow them. Emmy clicked off the penlight and dropped it in the backpack. “See, I told yeh it was nothin’. Just tryin’ to scare us, but I don’t like that we gave away our position.”
They saw the lights of the Zee residence and quietly paddled up to the dock. Everything looked as it had when they left. Emmy insisted that they keep low. Jimmy wanted to run straight for the circle of light that engulfed the outside of the house. Emmy pulled him down to the ground and whispered, “We gotta circle around to make sure no one’s here. Don’t walk in the light.”
“What if those shadow-things are out here? We’ll be safer in the light.”
“No, it’s more dangerous. If livin’ people are hidin’ in the dark, they’ll be able to see us in the light. Trust me.”