The Sheriff requested the excursions be cancelled because the woods were unsafe at night, and because of all the injuries.
Mrs. Throckmorton-Frosst definitely had something to say about that. “Don’t be silly, Sheriff. The woods are perfectly safe. People are just enjoying themselves.” She hesitated before she continued, “So get your…er…man parts back from your wife’s purse,” she said haughtily, her chin jiggling around her pearls.
The Sheriff growled and fingered his gun as he stared at the now flustered, and wild-eyed, Mrs. Throckmorton-Frosst, who backed away and left his presence.
He definitely had a score to settle with Patrick O’Callaghan, once he found him. It appeared that Patrick was now missing as well.
Word spread quietly that the Barrington Estate was officially the headquarters for the good gang.
“The GGHQ,” Luke said quietly, “Good Gang Head Quarters,” I came up with it myself.
“Guck?” Dean asked Luke.
Luke rolled his eyes. “Okay, Dean, THAT’s what it sounds like.”
“Just call it HQ, if you need an acronym,” Nathalie said, ending the conversation. She looked at Luke. He was irritable and sad. She wished she could do something to help him.
The Bugle was full of strange stories every day now. When O’Callaghan wrote about how Sadie Kellar and a band of ruffians took over the church…well, that was crazy talk. Heimler thought for sure he’d caught O’Callaghan in a WUI, “writing under the influence,” but he was unpleasantly surprised when he went to check himself.
“It’s like ‘The Bugle’ has become ‘The Inquisitor,’” Heimler was heard to have muttered in disgust. (“The Inquisitor” was a fanciful rag that reported on alien abductions and three-headed babies.) But his disgust didn’t stop him from publishing enthusiastically.
DAY 4
The Barrington Estate
A few days after Willow took the church, Nathalie and Dean headed over to the Barrington Estate to see Luke, who had been pretty much non-responsive since that terrible day. They forced him out of his room.
“Get him to eat something,” Claire Barrington said worriedly. “Nothing I’ve said has had any effect.” She handed them a tray of sandwiches to bring to the living room. “I’ve left a jug of chocolate milk on the coffee table in the salon.”
Dean had gone upstairs to get Luke. Nathalie could hear a slight scuffle and then stomping down the stairs.
“I got him,” Dean said cheerfully, “but he looks like shit.”
“No swearing,” Mrs. Barrington said from the kitchen.
“She’s got ears like a hawk,” Dean said with awe.
“Yeah, and eyes at the back of her head, too,” Luke said wearily. He took one of the larger couches and lay his long form on it.
Nathalie sat beside the couch and pushed his hair out of his eyes. “Eat something, Luke. You can’t help Sadie if you get sick, or are too weak to fight.”
“She’s gone,” he said with despair, flinging his arm over his eyes so they wouldn’t see his tears. “Willow’s so powerful, so ruthless, so mean. I saw! How is Sadie supposed to fight that? How can she? She’s not like that.”
Nathalie looked helplessly at Dean, but he just shrugged, at a loss himself. Then a new voice piped in.
“She can be defeated, Luke. She was defeated before. What you and Sadie share, she can’t fight.”
Luke sat up at the sound of Nettie’s voice. Nettie walked over and squeezed herself beside Luke on the couch. She smelled like sunshine and baking. She smelled like hope. She sighed. “Luke, Sadie loves you so much it’s painful to watch. She glows when you’re around. She beams at your attention. Those types of feelings are anathema to Willow because they are polar opposites to her feelings of hatred and vengeance. When you feel love it’s possible to put aside hate. Those feelings are torture for her because she’s evil and has done very evil things. Love is the light that shines into the dark places we don’t want to see into. I guess you could say her conscience kicks in.”
Luke showed a spark of interest. “So, what are you saying?”
Nettie laughed. “Och, if I was you, boy, I’d torture her back. Use your love, and Sadie’s, to give her a hard time. It’s love that made Sadie strong to begin with. When she made the decision to protect you from her aunt, she was invincible. Made so over the summer. Love, romance, support, companionship, happiness, all contribute to a strong character and a strong WILL to endure and succeed. She needed you to build that in her.”
Luke looked doubtful and unsure. Nettie sighed impatiently.
“Do I have to spell it out for you? I thought you were a genius!” Luke laughed as Nettie shook her head. “The summer solstice is the hardest time for a witch or a spirit to accomplish something evil. Their power is low when the days are long and bright. Yet, at her weakest point, Willow was able to manipulate Sadie. Once Sadie started hanging out with you, it became more difficult for Willow to manipulate and use her, and Willow was only getting stronger as we moved towards Halloween. What does that say? It says that Sadie was getting stronger, unconsciously maybe, but stronger. Love gives you confidence, and like I said, will and determination. You gave that to her.”
“Nettie’s right,” Nathalie said firmly, grabbing and holding Luke’s hands. “She’s a different girl now.”
“That’s true,” Luke said, relief and hope lighting his eyes.
Dean slapped him on the shoulder with approval.
Nettie put her arm around Luke. “Believe in her and believe in you, but don’t go sobbing and crying to the lass. Nobody likes a sissy boy. If she feels bad she’ll weaken. Shout your love at her. Be strong. Remind her what is waiting for her. Don’t let her forget or despair. Don’t worry about looking silly either. We’re at war. All our lives are at stake.”
Nathalie handed Luke a sandwich and a glass of chocolate milk. He started to wolf it down, looking at Nettie intently. He could do that. No problem.
In his room later on, Luke handled Jacob’s diary gingerly as he found his place.
The Good Lord hath certainly shined his favor on his poor suffering Servant. For I, Jacob Gabriel Stratholm Barrington know now that I am, indeed, a sane and God fearing man. After living the last few months with the vision of the demon-witch continually beleaguering me—an aspect of such vileness it hath been a horror to look upon, I was certain madness hath come upon my very being. I prayed with Father Brown in our blessed church, which did not reject me, and asked for guidance and deliverance from these terrifying imaginings. To the priest, I asked him, curiously and cautiously, if he bore witness to an unusual aspect presented in Willow Kellar, but he hath denied anything unusual.
After conferring with my beloved wife, we paid a short visit to Dr. George Bingham at Blackbriar Sanitarium. Our desire was to investigate whether I should take the prerequisite steps to commit myself before the madness progressed further, thus ensuring the safety of my beloved family as well as the denizens of Barrington town from any hellish or daemon proclivities within myself. However, there are no words to describe the evil vileness of that stone prison. The insane live in cells made of the same moist and dripping black stone as the manor itself. The cries and screams of the committed echo along the halls and reverberate into the rooms. A glance into one cell showed a woman with wild black eyes and hair, unkempt, thin, and diseased. I asked the man in outrage how human beings can be kept in such vile conditions, but he was an indifferent soul. “This ‘ain’t no luxury accommodations, good Sir. You gets what you pays for.” Promptly, I marched my wife out of the hellish place, but hath still deep concerns over mine own mental state and horrific visions. Perhaps after sometime there I, too, would lose all hope and would not deign to notice my pitiful and degraded state of living. Thankfully, Jane would hear none of it. She indicated to me that there was no way on the good Lord’s green earth she would commit me there, even in my madness.
Still, my vision grows. Many of the council members rave over Willow’s healing
powers and gentle skills, but this is not what I see when I look at the witch. Her powers grow every day, and her demon eyes grow more white. Yet, she has the whole town under her spell.
It is with great thankfulness that Dame Parquhar hath finally come to my home and revealed her knowledge of the witch, and the evil the witch hath spread through the town. Together we have made a bold plan to capture Willow Kellar, putting an end to her vile beguilement of the good townsfolk of Barrington, and bring to them the true sight of what Willow Kellar is, witch and demoness, for the redemption of us all. Should I not survive this night, I pray that God have mercy on my soul.
Luke skipped forward a few pages.
I could see where the land had been diseased by the Kellar witch’s foulness. One child was unearthed from the soil that lay under black shadows only I could see in that foul room. Little Jenny, her poor throat slit and her heart cut out of her chest. The Stone’s were beside themselves with anguish. In Jenny’s honour we have named Stone Creek for her, in memory of her sacrifice. Small Peter Knotts is still missing these past two years. We now suspect he hath died by Willow’s hand and that it was the witch’s evil magic that confused our minds then forced his poor father to take his own life.
Luke rubbed his eyes. The diary was hard to read because the scrawled writing was faded and the book so fragile. Jacob thought he was crazy until Nettie barged in and made him act. Luke smiled wryly. I understand why he thought he was nuts. At least I have his journal, and we both have reason to thank the good Lord for Nettie.
The sight was a terrifying gift, more of a curse than a blessing. It was like sight on two planes, one overshadowing the other. Luke could now see the desecration of the church grounds easily, without any concentration. How long it had been like that, he wasn’t sure. What he was sure of was that he would probably become a target. With him around, it would be hard to do anything under the cover of magic, because he could see the alterations and aberrations around him.
Wow, he had come a long way from the hopeful boy he had been at the beginning of the summer, wishing for the chance to catch Sadie Kellar’s eye and romance her a little, to falling desperately in love and losing her to possession by an evil and vengeful ancestor who plans to murder a good part of the Barrington townsfolk.
Life certainly wasn’t boring.
Luke sighed, depression threatening to overwhelm him, but he remembered what Nettie had said. Sadie loved him. She loved him as desperately, completely and obsessively as he loved her. She wanted him and responded to him with great passion that shocked even her—a girl who was never taught how to love at all. He had brought that out of her. No matter what happened, he was going to make sure she survived, that she knew there was hope, and that love waited for her on the other side. He was going to fight like hell. Fight Willow and anyone else who got in his way. No more Mr. Nice Guy.
St. Thomas of All Angels Church
The church was dark. Night had fallen and Willow was alone. All her followers were out enjoying the revelry of a town full of visitors looking for a good time. Night was her time to reign as the pathetic denizens of Barrington cowered in their spell protected homes, meekly following the decrees of their idiot Mayor.
“Smart spell,” she had acknowledged to the consciousness that was Sadie. “It has caused me no end of problems.”
Her plans to terrify the Barrington residents with home invasions and other fun activities had to be killed. However, she had discovered an unanticipated boon. The happy, yet aggressive, party animals were doing much of her dirty work for her anyway, and providing great diversions. Fortunately, not all “denizens” followed the Sheriff’s safety suggestions. The ones addicted to Bethiah’s brew were out, ranging the fairgrounds and Town Circle for the magic elixir, and were fair game for her band of thugs and ne’er-do-wells. She thought of Venius and Clovis, her terrifying hunters. Both genders had to be wary of them because their favorite pastimes were killing and sex.
Venius stuck to killing men and fooling around with women, although lately Venius had been monogamous—sticking to Bethiah for carnal pleasure…the devil knows why, she thought, and realized that she and Sadie had both shared the same sentiment. Willow snorted.
Clovis wasn’t so discerning. He liked men and women. Clovis was a bit more like an animal. But she didn’t support rape, having herself been pursued for her looks and had her life ruined. However, she allowed him to use the full breadth of his coercive powers, which got him many seemingly willing partners. Too bad if they could be mind fucked.
In the end, she didn’t care who they had sex with, or why, as long as they left her alone.
She had ordered Clovis to stay away from Ella Croft. Apparently he had caught her scent at the fair and had hunted her down. She was not sure why she forbade him from taking the girl. After all, who would miss one of the many Crofts? Still, it reminded her of when Karl had stalked her. She wasn’t sure if it was her decision or Sadie’s, but it didn’t matter. She could ignore one little girl.
Thoughts whirled through Willow, and she burned with anger as she studied the sanctuary. Here was the only hallowed ground left in this rotten town. They had not been able to desecrate it and claim it—her way of turning up her nose at God. Her entry was barred. Was she surprised? This was the same God who had turned his back on her when she needed him most, all those years ago. She wouldn’t allow the memories of her husband and child to haunt her. She felt Sadie’s sadness for her and her fury grew. She wanted to tear the place apart and destroy it, but she couldn’t get near. The force protecting the sanctuary absorbed whatever power was thrown at it and spat it back at her, and if she got too near, she began to burn painfully.
She understood the pain was physical and emotional. The physical she could take, but not the pain in her heart. She could hear a voice calling to her. A voice in the silence of the church. It called to her to come back, to turn back…but she wouldn’t. It was too late for that. She was on her path and determined to win. So, she wasn’t welcome in the sanctuary. A sound broke her thoughts. A sound from outside. Someone human was calling.
Willow turned and walked to the doors of the church and out into the night. It was warm for October and would remain so until she burned the town down to the ground and destroyed it’s inhabitants.
“Sadie!” she heard called from the Barrington property line.
Luke Barrington, she thought with derision. What the hell does he want? Doesn’t the boy ever give up? It’s over.
She started to walk over to the property line. She was dressed in one of Sadie’s new dresses, compliments of the Barrington clan. This one was white, but unlike Sadie, only buttoned up to mid breast and not the neck. She walked slowly, swaying her hips and straining the front of the dress. She could see that Luke devoured the sight of her. Such longing, always such longing. If she had a heart, she might actually feel sorry for the kid. She approached until she was just an inch away from his tall frame. She looked up and he looked down. They were close enough to share the same breath. She could sense he wanted to reach for her, touch her, put his hands on her face to keep it tilted so that he could kiss her, but he didn’t do any of those things. He just looked into her eyes and spoke the truth.
“Sadie, I know you’re in there my love. I want you to know that I’m here and I’m waiting. We’re going to win, and we’ll be together again. I love you, you beautiful, wonderful, gorgeous, incredible girl. I’m going to get you back. You belong to me and with me. There is nobody else for me but you. I live for you. You are my heart and my life.” Luke’s voice was low and sincere. The words were soft, fast, and pervasive. Willow swayed at the onslaught of the boy’s feelings. His words, laced with the power of truth, were spellbinding, and she couldn’t move or run while he was speaking. He poured out his heart. She could feel Sadie respond violently to the emotion and love pouring out of him. Willow forced her down and managed to take a step back from the magic of his eloquence.
“Very beautiful, Barringto
n. You’ve discovered the persuasive power of your true voice. Jacob did too when he convinced the town to hang me. Completely overturned my supporters. It was an unexpected twist. A voice like that can be a great asset…”
Luke smiled. “I cannot help you, Willow Kellar, but I love your many times over great granddaughter. I’ll make sure she is cherished.”
Willow was still for a moment, mouth agape in surprise, before her eyes filled with rage and madness. “It’s too late for that!” she shrieked. She tried to reach for him but her hands hit a wall. Purple power arced from her, but it was just absorbed by the boundary spell. She stamped her foot. “It’s not about her. It was never about her. It’s about me. ME! You’ll suffer for what you’ve done! I’ll destroy all of you!” Sadie’s face contorted in anger so deep it didn’t look like her beloved face anymore.
“We aren’t the people who hurt you,” Luke said calmly. “What do you hope to gain? Jacob Barrington has been dead for over four hundred years! They’re all dead and beyond your reach, Willow. You need to move on.”
“You are wrong, Barrington,” Willow hissed dismissively. “They WILL see and they WILL suffer. I have the power to touch them as well. I don’t have to explain myself to you, boy, or the power I will bring to bear.”
Willow turned and walked away, her hips swaying, taunting him, but there was a stiffness to her body that wasn’t there when she first came out of the church. His words had made a difference.
Although Luke watched her go with pain in his heart, it was not as debilitating as it was before. His heart was lighter. Willow didn’t know it, but for a split second, a second so brief that had he blinked he would have missed it, Sadie had won the struggle and looked upon him with eyes full of love. Thank God he didn’t blink.
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