The woman drifted through the clearing to Aspen's side and she took a seat on the ground across from her.
"Hello, Aspen," the woman said. She had a strangely melodious voice.
"Hi," Aspen answered, not thinking to ask the lady's name, or how she'd known Aspen's. Things that made absolute sense were not always the things that occurred to eight year olds. Eight year olds sometimes operated on the level that existed just beyond what was obvious.
The woman began extracting flowers from Aspen's pile and assembling another crown. She began singing that same haunting song that had remained in the recesses of Aspen's memory. Somehow, Aspen knew all the words, and she sang along softly. And so the two sat happily, wiling away the time.
"MELANIE!"
Aspen's head snapped up, and she was instantly yanked from her reverie by the sound of her mother's scream as she came crashing through the trees.
"GET AWAY FROM HER, MELANIE!" Mrs. Briar shrieked. She sprinted across the clearing, and the look of sheer terror on her face prompted Aspen to leap up and scramble away from the woman in black and toward her mother.
Mrs. Briar reached Aspen and scooped her off her feet. Her mother's body trembled violently and she began to weep inconsolably as she cradled Aspen against her. She glared angrily at the woman in black who'd risen to her feet and loomed at her full lofty height, glaring evilly at Mrs. Briar.
"Go away, Melanie. STAY AWAY!" Mrs. Briar made her demand and then turned to run back the way she'd come, Aspen bumping in her arms.
The woman spoke a reply, in a quiet voice. It scared and confused Aspen, for her mother was putting distance between them quickly, yet she heard the response as though from inside her own mind.
She said, "I'll find you again. I will always find you."
Aspen sighed forlornly and sat up on her bed. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind of the memory of the strange woman. She hadn't seen her since, and sometimes she wondered if she was really just recalling some dream. They'd moved the same day as the incident. Just packed up and hit the road, as though they'd never been in West Virginia at all. But it could've been a coincidence. Maybe the incident in the clearing hadn't even happened at all. Maybe her childish mind had simply invented the woman to explain away the move.
She got up and walked purposefully out of her room.
Chapter 14
"Mom?"
Mrs. Briar sat at the desk, going through drawers, and putting papers into a back pack. She stopped at the sound of Aspen's voice and turned to give her a sympathetic smile. "Hi, baby," she said.
Aspen blushed. She'd come to an age where her mother's affection sort of embarrassed her. But her anger toward her parents lessened slightly in the face of her mother's love. And her father stopped what he was doing as well which was working on his laptop. He set it aside to stand up and wrap his daughter in a warm hug.
Aspen took a deep breath. "I have a question," she said, struggling to remain calm. Her parents tended to immediately shut down if she threw any sort of emotional fit.
"Yes, honey?" Mrs. Briar said.
"Who was the woman in the field? The one you called Melanie?"
Mrs. Briar's jaw dropped and all the color drained from her face.
Mr. Briar frowned deeply and shook his head. "Don't answer that, Alice," he said firmly to his wife.
"I didn't know you remembered," she whispered in a voice that suggested all the breath had rushed out of her.
"Alice! She doesn't need to know!" Mr. Briar exclaimed.
Aspen looked back and forth between her mother and father. She jerked away from her dad. "Know what?" she demanded. Her mother approached, arms outstretched. But Aspen sidestepped Mrs. Briar's embrace.
"Aspen, you don't need to know," Mr. Briar insisted. Mrs. Briar began to cry. He moved to put his arm around his wife. "Honey," he said softly. "We have to get through one more day! One more day and its over! Do not tell her!"
Mrs. Briar crumpled under the weight of gut wrenching sobs. She collapsed onto the sofa and wept as though the weight of many years had finally caught up to her. "She has a right to know, Alan," Mrs. Briar said. Aspen stared open mouthed at her parents. Clearly something more serious than she'd ever imagined had been going on all along.
Mr. Briar sighed and took a seat next to his wife. He gestured toward the rolling chair at the desk. "Sit down, Aspen," he said in a defeated tone.
She tried to be patient as she watched her parents. They stared at each other as though communicating without words for a long time then finally returned their attention to Aspen.
"Melanie is my sister," Alice said.
Aspen gasped. The woman in black had been family. That explained why Aspen hadn't exactly found her scary. Somehow she'd sensed a biological bond and not to be afraid. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "That explains why she didn't scare me even though she looked kind of weird!"
Alan Briar's face darkened into a stormy frown. "Aspen, Melanie IS scary. You must know that. You must not be fooled."
Alice began to cry harder and Aspen moved to her side, putting her arms around her mother's shoulders. All anger dissipated, though she remained terribly confused. She hated to see her mother cry. "Momma," Aspen whispered. "Please don't cry."
After a moment, she composed herself enough to continue. "Aspen, Melanie and I… We grew up in a very, very bad family."
Alice launched into a horrific tale that left Aspen reeling, gaping at her parents in disbelief. She described a childhood in the remotest parts of the Louisiana Bayou. She'd been born into a backwoods family who hadn't mingled with regular society for generations. She weaved a wicked tale of inbreeding, crime, and a dark religion. Aspen began to cry as well as she listened to the story of Alice's nightmarish upbringing.
"Melanie and I are twins," Alice admitted. "Like most of the people from that world, my sister fully embraced the life. Nobody knew of any other life, so nobody ever contemplated leaving. Or realized the things that they did were wrong. Or knew they could be better."
Aspen's heart pounded. "What things, Mom? What things did they do wrong?"
A violent shiver passed through Alice.
"It's not important," Alan insisted.
"It's important to me!" Aspen pleaded. "Mom, please. I need to know."
Alice sighed mournfully. "Black magic," she finally admitted. "Worshipping the devil."
Aspen gasped, reflexively pulling away from her mother.
Eyes cast to the floor, Alice continued. "There were sacrifices. Sometimes human. Nobody from the outside ever knew. Nobody came to save us, to help the children trapped there. So, for the most part, the children grew up and carried right on in the depraved family tradition. But, not me," Alice said defiantly.
"Your mother escaped," Alan said, picking up the train of thought. "When she was fifteen, she somehow made it out of the swamps, and when I found her, she was barely alive. My family took her in. She told us everything, and my parents alerted the local authorities, but nobody would help. Nobody would travel into the swamps to investigate the people who'd been conveniently written off as local legend. So we just kept her, no questions asked. And when we both turned eighteen, we married."
Aspen stared enthralled at her parents as their account continued.
"After I escaped, and the Briar family found me," Alice said. "I thought I was safe for a while. But, my sister Melanie found me."
She went on to explain that apparently some people did leave the swamps but only to get what they needed and returned. She learned this the first time her sister appeared.
Melanie was unhappy about Alice's exodus from the swamps. She pleaded with her sister to return. Though Alice feared her sister, she hoped that Melanie would see the error of her ways and decided to escape as well; to allow the Briar's to rescue her.
But such a rescue was never to come.
Melanie grew progressively angrier and volatile. As she approached adulthood, she succumbed fully to the evil ways of the swamp. Even her appea
rance changed as she became entrenched in Satanic magic. She vehemently demanded Alice return to her home, and Alice vehemently refused.
"Shortly after we married," Alan continued. "Your mother became pregnant with you. We were overjoyed, and so was my family." Pain and sadness darkened her father's face as he spoke. "Once Melanie heard the news she came to us one stormy night. She demanded once more that Alice return with her to the swamp. Again, Alice refused. So, Melanie made one final demand. She said that we would either agree to turn you over to her once you were born, and she would release your mother… Or, on your fifteenth birthday, the same age your mother was when she left the swamp, Melanie threatened to return and cast a spell of eternal slumber upon you."
Aspen couldn't help but chuckle. "Eternal slumber?"
"Eternal slumber, Aspen. It's not a joke. Its death."
"Oh please," Aspen laughed. "It’s a strange retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Someone reads too many fairytales. What is she, an angry evil fairy?"
Aspen's parents stared at her, desperation etched in the worry lines on their faces. "Aspen!" Alan insisted. "Melanie is not to be trifled with, I assure you!"
"I'm sorry," Aspen replied defiantly. "Forgive me if I'm not too pressed about some swamp reject."
"That's what I said too," Alice agreed. "We rebuked her once more, certain she'd eventually go away. But, she proved her point to us."
Alice frowned, and she watched as tears glistened in her father's eyes. "How?" she whispered.
"That night, when she came to us, my parents happened to be returning home from town. A raging storm tossed outside our home. As they raced up the front path, Melanie ran forward and threw open the front door." Mr. Briar shivered and it took a moment before he could continue. "With an animal like shriek, she stepped out into the rain, raised her arms to the heavens, and a lightning bolt shot down, and… And…" He buried his head in his wife's shoulder.
"It struck your grandparents," Alice choked out. "It… It killed them, Aspen. It was so intense that there was nothing left but charred remains."
Alice's mouth dropped. She gaped blinking helplessly for quiet sometime at them. "That's terrible. I'm so sorry, Dad," Aspen said.
He squeezed her hand. "Me too, my love. I'm sorry you never knew them. They were wonderful people."
"But," Aspen continued. "The thing is lightning is natural. It happens. To me it sounds like a horrible coincidence."
Alice shook her head. "You wouldn't think that if you'd seen it with your own eyes, Aspen. Melanie is a frightening, powerful, and evil woman. We've run from her ever since. And she always finds us. We've only stayed here in Faraway for this long because; it seems she hasn't managed to hunt us down this time. But, we aren't taking any chances. Tomorrow night at midnight, we roll out. We will spend your birthday on the road. We feel that if we keep moving for the entire day, then your fifteenth birthday will pass and the wicked spell will be broken."
Aspen sighed dejectedly.
Alan leveled a serious glare on his daughter. "Now please, go pack," he demanded gently.
Chapter 15
After a restless night's sleep wrought with nightmares, Aspen and her parents shared a quiet and forlorn Christmas morning. They exchanged gifts in the light of the Christmas tree that ultimately, they wouldn't even be able to take with them since the car could only accommodate essentials. Mrs. Briar prepared a lovely lunch but all any of them could do was pick at their food until it grew cold and was eventually shoveled into the trash can.
In the late afternoon, Aspen informed her parents she was going to take a nap in her room to prepare for their travels. Both mother and father kissed her head and gave her hugs before she retreated to her room.
Aspen lay down on her bed, but suddenly an idea occurred to her. She'd wracked her brains trying to think of a way to convince her parents not to run. She felt that maybe if they went to the authorities, that maybe someone would believe them… Would help them… Would protect Aspen in a way that didn't involve fleeing the only home she'd ever loved. Plus, she still didn't believe this psycho could actually use some sort of magic to kill her. So, to her, it seemed all they needed was an important ally.
And she knew just who to call.
She used her cell phone to dial information. When prompted, she said, "Madre Bar, Faraway, Washington."
Mrs. Bar was a beloved confidant of Faraway's high school student population. It often puzzled Aspen that such a nice lady would have such a peculiar son. But despite the fact that Benjamin seemed a bit troubled, Aspen knew she could trust Mrs. Bar. She felt that Mrs. Bar would believe her, and help.
The automated information service provided Mrs. Bar's phone number and asked if Aspen would like to be directly connected. With a nervous fluttering heart, Aspen selected one for yes.
"Hello?"
"Hello. Mrs. Bar?"
"Yes?"
Aspen sighed with relief. "Mrs. Bar! I'm so glad to reach you! I feel terrible to bother you on Christmas, but it's urgent. I need your help."
After Aspen confessed the whole sordid tale to her guidance counselor in a hushed voice, she was immensely relieved to find that Mrs. Bar believed her. Even better, Mrs. Bar seemed optimistic and certain that she could help.
"I think you're absolutely correct, Aspen," Mrs. Bar said. "You shouldn't run. Together, we can protect you. Here's what I think. Why don't you give me your address? In a couple of hours, I will come by, and I'll hash this out with your folks. I'll convince them to contact the authorities, and I'll stay right there with them to help look over you. What about that, dear?"
Aspen could've wept with her relief. "Yes, Mrs. Bar," she said. "Yes! Thank you so much."
She gave the kind confidant her address and disconnected the call to await her arrival.
***
The entire Briar family reconvened a couple hours later in their living room after they'd all rested. The car was loaded and they were all ready to go, but they had several hours left to wait before hitting the road. So, they decided to just spend a little time watching TV together, and trying to enjoy their last few moments in Faraway.
Aspen said nothing about her expected visitor, as she and Mrs. Bar had agreed it should be a surprise. But she excitedly awaited a knock at the door, or the chime of the bell. However, more and more time passed. Darkness fell outside, and gloom settled over the home.
She found herself feeling tired again. In fact, she could barely keep her eyes open, despite the nap she'd taken. She glanced at her parents and noticed them both nodding off. It occurred to her that something wasn't right. Something wasn't making sense. Her head was heavy and foggy. But, she was unable to latch onto a coherent thought.
Moments later, Mr. Briar leaned forward, appearing as though he struggled to stand. Instead of rising, however, Mr. Briar tipped forward and collapsed face first onto the floor.
"Daddy?" Aspen said groggily. She wanted to leap up and rush to her father's aid, but found her feet seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. But then, her mother who slowly reached out as though attempting to help her husband, also tipped forward. She collapsed on top of Mr. Briar, absolutely dead to the world.
Aspen struggled to her feet and took labored breaths and extraordinarily heavy steps forward. Suddenly it occurred to her. There must be some sort of leak in the air causing them to pass out. She headed toward the window, desperately wanting to let in fresh air.
However, she took only two steps before crumpling onto the floor.
The memory of Melanie's spooky face assaulted her mind as she drifted off to sleep.
***
"I'm not sure it's a good idea, Benjamin," Madre Bar said, glancing into the rear view mirror at her son who brooded darkly in the back seat. She sighed, wishing the boy would for once just ride up front with her instead of treating her like a lowly chauffeur. "Hasn't Mommy provided you with enough playthings for now, Son? Why don't we just let these folks alone?"
He simply continued to stare out the window and
shamelessly ignore her. Mrs. Bar sighed deeply.
As she swung onto Aspen Briar's street, she noted an extraordinarily tall and wispy form walking away from the very address she herself approached. The person seemed to glide like some sort of apparition. Her long black dress dragged in the snow so that she left no footsteps. The form was so odd and out of place, Mrs. Bar temporarily questioned her own sanity.
She pulled to a stop in Aspen's driveway which circled around to the back of the house and ultimately left Madre's car out of sight. Which was a relief. She sighed again. "I'll be right back, Benjamin."
***
Moments later, Madre Bar rushed out the back door of the Briar residence, with a body slung over her shoulder. With an uncharacteristic burst of activity, Benjamin opened the door and jumped out into the snow. Mrs. Bar stumbled to the car and plopped the body into the back seat.
Benjamin stared down at an unconscious Aspen Briar sprawled on the seat.
"Unbelievable!" Mrs. Bar exclaimed.
"What?" asked Benjamin.
As she ran around the car to hop in the driver's seat, she demanded her son get in as well, and he complied. She fired up the engine and hurriedly pulled out of the driveway and let out a squeal of laughter.
"Her parents! They're already dead!"
Benjamin frowned. "Is she dead?"
"No! Just passed out. It smelled funny in there, I think there must've been a gas leak! How about that for a stroke of good luck!?"
Benjamin giggled gleefully as a child. "Saved us a bit of trouble didn't it?"
She gave him a sideways smile and warmth pooled in her chest. She loved these rare loving exchanges with Benjamin and his simple delight. Seeing his smile was more than enough to reaffirm that she was doing the right thing to give him whatever his heart desired.
No Happily Ever After (The Fairytale Diaries #1) Page 7