* * *
Her room has its own kitchenette. The front office clerk told her there wasn't a lot going on in Albuquerque this week, so she's lucky it's only she and a few other guests.
* * *
She takes a shower before she gets into her favorite pajamas and snuggles under the covers sipping chicken noodle soup, took some medicine and channel surfs.
* * *
Camryn woke up around 11 pm. She has forgotten to charge her new phone. She turns on her old phone finding 12 phone messages and 48 text all from Andrew. Her phone rings again, she answers.
* * *
"Where the fuck are you?" He said. "I've been calling you for hours. Where the fuck are you? You didn't come to work and you're not here." He said.
* * *
"Andrew, you and I are not working. I'm not staying with a guy who's abusing me. "Camryn said. Her hands shook.
* * *
Silence.
* * *
"Andrew?" She said.
* * *
"What?" He said.
* * *
"I'm breaking up with you." She said.
* * *
He laughs, "Are you kidding me? It's a fight Camryn. Fucking get over it!" Andrew said.
* * *
Camryn closes her eyes. "Andrew, you choked me until I fainted. I'm not kidding. "She hopes she sounded confident.
* * *
"You threw me against the wall and broke my fucking hand!" He said.
* * *
"I did not!" She said.
* * *
"Oh, so I went from fucking you to throwing myself against the wall and breaking my own hand?" He said.
* * *
"I figured Martin did." She said.
* * *
"What?" He said.
* * *
"What?" Camryn asked.
* * *
"You're saying you don't remember?" Andrew said, the tone of his voice Camryn realizes he didn't believe her.
* * *
"Andrew you blame me for everything. So in your mind, I guess I did break your hand. So, since I'm breaking bones its best we end things." Camryn said.
* * *
"I end this not you! I'm the best thing ever happened to you." He said.
* * *
"No you're not, I'm going to find someone who really loves me." She said.
* * *
"Who is going to love you?" He asked. He laughs.
* * *
"I don't know, but my problem." She said.
* * *
"Remember when we got the eviction note and you called your aunt for help. We heard her calling you stupid for calling her. Come on Camryn you have nowhere to go, no one will or can help you and no money. "He said.
* * *
Camryn burst into laughter.
* * *
"What the fuck is so funny? Are you cheating on me? Why are you laughing?" Andrew said.
* * *
Camryn hangs up. She sits on the floor and continues laughing hysterically. Fuck you Andrew. She laughs. Her cell phone rings continually from Andrew calling her. She shakes with laughter.
* * *
She continued giggling as she wrote her text to Anna. "Anna, hi it's me, Camryn. I'm in Albuquerque. I'm getting over the flu so I'm going to stay at a hotel for a few days. Talk to you later.” Text sent.
* * *
Camryn turns off her phone. She stood at the mirror for a few moments looking at her dark brown eyes, her full lips, her brown skin with red undertones - can't beat Cherokee blood she thinks. She smiles at herself. She gets many compliments on her smile.
* * *
She gets back into bed. Snuggles against the pillows while drifting off to sleep with a smile on her face.
Katrina gulps her third bottle of water. She told him she wasn't worried or scared, but her thirst betrays her. Richard ran his hand through his black wavy hair. He rubs his face and wished he shaved. Ayiti coven been created 1714, three years before the rumored Free Mason's.
* * *
When something unseemly to be done the coven expected the matter handled. The indiscretion of Abigail Crawford continues to be an unspoken failure of the coven.
* * *
Katrina's a special interest to the coven she and her brother Richard earned a reputation of tracking witches. They could locate people intentionally or unintentionally living obscure lives and the coven needed their talents to track down ancestors of Abigail Crawford. Ayiti members have believed for centuries when the Crawford blood line removed the power of the coven would be restored.
Heading the order now Minerva Scott, she's a tall handsome woman. Richard wants to impress her. Katrina told him others suspect Minerva cast a fertility spell preventing the elder's children from having girl babies. Only a female in an elder bloodline could be a contender for leadership.
* * *
"We have good news Ms. Scott." Katrina said. She spoke deliberant hoping her voice didn't indicate fear.
* * *
"You located the last of Abigail's ancestors?" Minerva asked.
* * *
"Abigail had two daughters Josie and Mathilda, there are over 7 billion people on this planet. Abigail's ancestors could be in any corner of the world. My brother and I successfully tracked down the children of Mathilda. "Katrina said.
* * *
Members of Ayiti murmured with excitement. "The curse this coven placed on Abigail's heirs been successful with Mathilda's bloodline." Richard said.
* * *
"Flora, Roosevelt, Maurice, Velma and Jennie all died before they have any children and all died from various... accidents on farms. Irma, Ray, Everett, Emily, and Mary were shot to death along with their spouses and children. Leona, Roland... well any others from 1930's into the present died in insane asylums, died from tuberculous or in prison. No one from Mathilda’s blood line been remotely successful or added value to this world. The last ancestor of Mathilda's bloodline died in 1988... her bloodline no longer exists. "Katrina said.
* * *
Minerva entwined a long black curl through her fingers. Her full lips covered with brown lipstick. Her dark brown eyes scan over Katrina and Richard's faces. "I hear a 'but' coming." Minerva said.
* * *
"Josie's been... cleverer than her sister. She gave birth, but a few months later the children were reported dead only to be seen alive by others later. She's feared by many and she always delivered on her threats. We've uncovered historical documents Josie leveled an entire town when the citizens attempted to retrieve her and hang her for witch craft... still tracing this bloodline." Richard said.
* * *
He and Katrina exchanged glances as various people groan.
* * *
"We vested considerable amount of money and time into this project." Minerva said.
* * *
"Ms. Scott." Richard stands by his sister and holds her hand. Her fingers trembling and he's certain the coven recognizes fear, but he didn't want the fear confirmed. "Ms. Scott, we've come the closest to getting this matter resolved. We do need more time. "He said.
* * *
"This coven waited over 150 years a few more weeks shouldn't be a big deal." She sounded annoyed. Minerva's patience's wore thin, but she's attempting not taking it out on the Sandoval siblings. They started the search a year ago and produced remarkable results in other areas for the coven. "After all this time we are wanting the correct person or persons don't we?" She asked. She smiled.
* * *
Richard and Katrina could feel everyone watching them as they left got on the elevator. Richard wanted to speed away, but he denied the panic. He drives for 40 minutes before pulling over to a rest stop. He and Katrina laugh.
* * *
"The next time we're in the room.... We better have a name to give them." Katrina said.
* * *
"Do you think they would have hurt us?" He asked.
* * *
> "God, yes! This Minerva chick is hardcore." She said.
* * *
"What did Abigail do?" He asked.
* * *
"She cursed the coven. They split into something like three covens and those all fell apart. They realized the members themselves Abigail cursed not the coven." Katrina said.
* * *
"Okay, but what did Abigail do for all this generational curse thing to start?" He asked.
* * *
"The million dollar question. I'm not sure. Whenever I ask the answer I'm only told she brought in discord." Katrina said.
* * *
"No shit." Richard said.
* * *
Katrina places her hand on her brother’s arm. "We can do this. A bunch of witches are no match for us." She assured him.
Camryn walks through a crowd of people. A young, slender woman wearing odd looking clothes stood in the center of the room.
* * *
"What say you?" The woman said.
* * *
"I say nothing!" The young woman said.
* * *
The crowd murmured in hysterics.
* * *
"You! Brought danger to the steps of this coven." The woman said.
* * *
"I delivered us from men who attack and kill us. I alone possess the courage to stop this. Nobody cares what's happening to us. We can't say yes. We can't say no because we are considered beasts. And beasts do not speak. One day there will be people sitting in this new world attempting to defend this behavior by saying captivity didn't start in the new world. "The young woman said. “I freed us! Freed us from the terror they claim is mercy and all any of you can do is cower, whimper and collapse under the freedom. What the hell is wrong with you?" The young woman said.
* * *
"You disrespectful stupid little girl!" The woman said.
* * *
Camryn sees her mother's distressed face, "Stop! You are not talking to human spirits. These things are demons!" Her mother shook her as she spoke.
* * *
"Gloria!" Camryn's father said, "You are scaring this child." He said.
* * *
"Ralph! She needs to be scared." Gloria said.
* * *
Tears streamed down Camryn's face, "I'm sorry, mommy." She said.
* * *
"Come on, let's all hold hands and pray." Ralph said.
* * *
Camryn placed her hands over her ears and screamed.
* * *
Camryn snorts awake. She wrote down the details of the dreams it might make sense. She has more vivid dreams when she got closer to her period. She wonders if this happens to other women. There's something familiar about the feisty young woman. Camryn wasn't sure why because she's never seen her before.
* * *
A bright light shines through cracks in the curtain. Camryn opens the curtain a little and she could see the moon, but the bright light coming from what she guesses the planet Venus. She stares at it for a few moments. She stood in her room. Glorious silence. No quiet tension because Andrew could wake up any moment.
She's alone at this moment feeling peace.
* * *
Camryn’s been distracted by things for years. Trying to finish school, pay off student loans, she or her grandpa handling the finances--- grandma almost gave away all the money to various charities.
She heard often her abilities is divination and evil. She never understood the difference between divination and prophecy. People doing horrible things in the name of God and saying its prophecy is the person evil, crazy or guilty of divination or all. Whenever she asked the question the answer always sounded like double talk to her.
* * *
Camryn being told her abilities was "of the devil" messed with her head. Two exorcisms attempts in her childhood. She didn't understand. Unlike Alison, she kills no one. She hasn’t thought about her in years. Camryn wonders if her sister is doing well or if she’s alive?
* * *
She needed and wanted to discover her own blueprint. She's lived a life so cautious, she hasn't lived. Her history of lame boyfriends, shitty jobs and a lot of debt and all this came from her careful living. Why is she the one supposed to take care of others, even to the point of her own destruction… still being told she needed to do more for someone else?
* * *
She's delayed things so often she's defaulted herself into a life she doesn't recognize. Camryn wasn't sure how but she decided she would change her life and the starting point simply getting active in her own existence.
* * *
Camryn sits on the floor. She relaxes her hands against her knees. She visualizes a pillow from the bed. She opens her eyes a few moments later to find the pillow a few feet from her. Camryn smiles. She’s able to move the pillow… this time with ease. She hasn’t forgotten. She just needs to practice.
3
Now
CAMRYN INVITED ANNA out for lunch. There isn't an easy approach to the topic Camryn places the driver's license on the table in front of Anna.
* * *
"You went through my stuff!" Anna said. She glares at Camryn.
* * *
A few weeks ago Camryn would giggle and apologize for bringing up whatever the person is angry about. Not this time! No fucking way!
* * *
"It's my information and your photo...why?" Camryn asked.
* * *
"You have the nerve to violate my privacy and ask me to explain myself!" Anna stated. A few people at other tables look over at Anna and Camryn.
* * *
"You don't get to play the outraged victim. Did you only agree to let me stay with you so you can steal my identity? "Camryn asked. She shoved away gnawing thoughts of where she would stay and how long could she afford it once Anna kicks her out.
* * *
"You ungrateful bitch!" Anna yells. She throws her tea at Camryn but she moves. The woman at the table behind them shrieks when ice cubes and tea lands on her back.
* * *
"I'm so sorry ma'am!" Camryn said.
* * *
"Camryn?" the woman said.
* * *
Anna grabs the driver's license off the table but Camryn snatches it out of her hand.
* * *
Anna shouts, "This woman my cousin had nowhere to go. Nowhere and she thanks me by betraying my trust." Anna stomps out of the restaurant.
* * *
The restaurant manager steps in front of Camryn. "You need to pay the bill and leave." He said.
* * *
Camryn scrambles around for her wallet. "How much?" She asked.
* * *
He hands her the bill $43.52.
* * *
"The woman who...Jessica?" Camryn stares at the tea stained woman. She went to college with this woman. "God Jess I'm so sorry. Anna was throwing it me… I moved" She said. Camryn scrambles to find her business card holder. "I will pay for the dry cleaning send me the bill. My cousin… I’m so sorry." She said.
* * *
Camryn gave the manager a $100 to pay for her, Anna and Jessica's meal. She hurries past him. She ran down the side walk to catch up to Anna.
* * *
Camryn grabs Anna by the arm and she jerks out of Camryn's grasp.
* * *
"Are you in trouble? Guys are paying you to sit on cake...which I'll never understand ...Anna. I'm trying to figure out what's going on here?" Camryn said.
* * *
"Fuck you!" Anna yells.
* * *
"You were arguing with someone about not taking care of it. Anna! What the fuck is going on here?" Camryn asks.
IF: Nowhere To Run (Camryn Morgan Series Book 1) Page 5