Paige jolted out of her dream. It had been about Levi again. She’d managed to slip out before she got too fired up, which was a damn shame, but she didn’t want to wake up with the steaming thigh sweats while sitting in coach.
“Uneasy flyer?” The older man in the seat beside her asked with a smile.
“Uh yeah, sorry.”
“No problem. Used to be one myself, but...” he rattled on.
Paige set his voice to white noise. Every once in awhile she’d nod or comment, focusing her attention elsewhere. Levi.
His sleek, muscled body kept dancing around in her thoughts and dreams. In fact, every time she tried to take a nap, she ended up in that luxurious room—with him. She was beginning to get a little concerned. The first few times had been fun, but she’d woken up feeling exhausted, and the effects of sleep deprivation had begun to show. She’d meant for the spell to be a one-time thing; a peek to see if he was real and verify Nova’s story. Something had gone wrong.
Maybe I put too much sexually-charged energy into it. The thought made her smirk, but it was dark humour. Nothing like being killed by an overactive imagination.
She had no doubt that the lack of sleep would become a serious problem if it continued. Her hopes of meeting these other witches had turned into a desperate need. She just hoped they could help undo the mega blunder of her first foray into the arcane.
Regardless of the danger, she was glad to have the book and to have interacted with Levi. The experience had reinvigorated her search for those who didn’t fit in with regular society because of their special abilities. It also sparked her hopes of finding someone to create a relationship with again. The dreams weren’t real of course, but they sure were nice. Being handled and pampered like that, by someone who genuinely cared, had been something she’d wanted for a long time. If only it’d been real.
The orgasms upon waking had sure been real. As nice as those had been, that didn’t change the reality that Levi didn’t know her. Once they actually met, he would probably think her crazy for telling him that his sister’s ghost wanted to save him from some horrible fate. Paige struggled coming to terms with it herself, and she’d been talking with the dead for years.
The flight attendant’s voice crackled over the intercom, alerting everyone that they would be landing at Will Rogers World Airport and to fasten their seatbelts.
“Landing has become one of my favorite parts of flying,” the man next to her said.
“That’s great,” she replied, still not paying attention. Flying didn’t bother her so much, she’d just said that to cover for the hot dream about Levi. Though this time she actually was a bit nervous. Not because of the plane, but because of the possibilities that awaited at the end of the flight. Witches and hotties, what a combination.
The wheels hit the tarmac hard, and the plane began to decelerate. Paige’s stomach pressed against the seat belt and her legs drifted slightly forward. A wave of nausea rolled over her, followed by the chilly sensation of being watched. As she bounced in her seat, she risked a glance at the older man sitting beside her.
He was staring right at her—sneering. His eyes had gone completely black and his skin was pasty white. His hand darted out, wrapping around her throat. “You shouldn’t have come.”
She tried to scream, but the man’s icy fingers cut off her windpipe completely. Her nails dug into his hands and arms as she clawed frantically to get away. Her vision blurred from the lack of oxygen. Consciousness was slipping away.
“Release her!” Nova shouted at the monster. Her words held more than the command. Power emanated from them, rippling through the air. The shockwave of her voice slammed into the dark-eyed man, tearing his hands away from Paige’s throat and the skin from his wretched skull.
Paige gasped for breath, and clawed at the seat belt.
“Wake up!” Nova commanded.
Paige snapped out of the second dream. She panted, bringing a hand to her neck, still feeling the man’s cold touch.
The plane bounced as it continued to slow.
“Are you okay?” the man next to her asked. He looked normal again, and reached out to pat her hand.
She yanked it away before he could touch her. “Back off!”
He frowned, raising his hands in surrender. “Okay.”
She stared at the seat in front of her, and forced her breathing to slow.
Fucking ghosts! She’d never felt a malevolent spirit like that before. So much power… she’d felt helpless in its icy grip. The ghosts in Salem were non-combative, and those that took offense to her presence were, at the worst, snotty and prankish. This apparition radiated hatred and rage far beyond anything she’d ever encountered.
The plane finally came to a stop. People began shifting around, preparing to disembark.
Paige tore off her seat belt and scrambled to her feet. Once she had her bag, she shoved past the few people who’d already gotten out of their seats. The disapproving glares didn’t slow her in the slightest. She was getting off this plane, now.
One of the flight attendants worked at the handle to the exit as Paige approached. “Miss,” another attendant said. She was young and perky. “We aren’t ready to unload yet.”
Paige bit back her retort, reining in the fear and anger. It’s not this girl’s fault you’re terrified. She held her spot at the front of the line, fidgeting nervously.
The door might as well have been the entrance to Fort Knox, it took so long to open. She was on the verge of screaming when the thing finally swung wide. She didn’t wait for a cue before rushing out of the plane and into the hallway. The walls seemed to close in around her as she jogged for the terminal. Once free of the tunnel, her sudden claustrophobia lessened, though the queasiness didn’t. She hurried past the sea of chairs near the gate, the TV monitors that scrolled flight schedules non-stop, and the tiny gift shops filled with overpriced souvenirs. She kept going until she pushed through the door of the ladies room and quarantined a stall for herself.
She retched up the snacks from the flight, along with a combination of bile and Sprite. Dry heaves followed for what seemed like an eternity. After a few painful minutes, she wiped her mouth with some sandy-ass toilet paper, and composed herself.
She staggered out of the stall to one of the sinks and started cleaning herself up. A glance in the mirror revealed a haggard young woman that looked as if she were at the end of her rope.
I look like shit. Dark circles had formed under her eyes, and the florescent lighting did wonders for the age lines that shouldn’t even be there for another decade or so. Shadows from the man’s icy grip marred her neck, providing proof that the encounter had been far more than just a dream. She touched the spots where her necklace had cut into her skin.
A chill went down her spine, bringing tears to her eyes.
“Are you okay?” Nova asked. The dark-haired spirit walked up behind her, concern in her eyes.
“Do I look okay?!” Paige accused through the mirror, unable to face the woman.
Nova wet her lips. “No... I’m so sorry. I didn’t think we’d be found so quickly.”
“What the hell was that thing?” Paige croaked, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand.
“I’m not sure. A touch from the creature that killed me perhaps.” Nova looked around the bathroom. “We need to leave, before it comes again.”
Paige didn’t need to be told twice. She grabbed her stuff and headed to the luggage area. Fear crawled its way into her thoughts, as she waited for her bags. She glanced around, wondering who might attack her next. Could it be the little old lady standing beside her? Or perhaps the boy with the red baseball cap spinning in front of the luggage conveyor?
What have I gotten myself into? A world of shit seemed to sum it up pretty well. There was going to be a serious come-to-Jesus meeting with Nova, once she found a safe place to get her bearings. If that was even possible.
Her set of black bags came out from under the partition on the conveyer.
“Sorry, kid,” she said, as she pushed past the baseball hopeful. She grabbed her luggage and headed toward the exit.
Nova appeared beside her again. “You need to rent a car. It’s this way.”
Paige fell in line behind the ghost, and followed her to the car rental station. It didn’t take long to get the paperwork in order before she was out the door. Once outside in the sun, she felt a hundred times better. There had always been something comforting about daylight; the banishing of all things that go bump in the night, or some such nonsense. Today she found no nonsense in the sun’s protection. She took a deep, calming breath. It was cool, crisp and felt like home, which surprised her as she’d never been to Oklahoma before.
“C’mon,” Nova said, crossing the street. She pointed to a shuttle parked across the airport entrance. “That one goes to the car lot.”
Paige didn’t argue, she just got on and took a seat. The shoulder-to-shoulder spacing made her nervous as hell, and she put a hand on her necklace. Nova was nowhere to be seen, but the spirit always popped in and out. That didn’t change the fact that it would have been nice to have someone familiar close by, instead of being left alone in the unknown.
The shuttle made a few stops at other car lots before dropping her off. Once everything was processed and the keys obtained, she found Nova waiting for her in the passenger seat of a blue Toyota Corolla.
“About time,” the ghost remarked.
“You could have stayed with me,” Paige retorted as she buckled up and started the car. “I was scared shitless on that damn shuttle.”
“I would have come if you were in danger.”
“That doesn’t really do anything for my peace of mind. I need a way to protect myself when you’re not around.”
Nova frowned. “I know.”
Paige put it into drive, then realized she didn’t know where she was going. “Where is Norman from here?”
“South.” Nova guided her onto the highway toward their destination. She didn’t say anything after that, just looked out the window as they drove.
“What have you gotten me into?” Paige finally asked.
“Serious danger.”
“Yeah, kinda figured that one out on the plane,” she replied. “What ‘specifically’ have you gotten me into? What killed you?”
Nova took a moment before answering. “I don’t know exactly. It was on me so quickly I didn’t get much of a chance to see or understand what was happening. I know now that it was some kind of apparition, but know nothing about its motive.”
“How do you know it wants your brother?”
“It told me so, as it tore me limb from limb.” She actually shivered.
Paige let that sit for a minute. How terrible to have experienced such a horrible death, and to know that what had killed you, would be looking to do the same to your brother. Now, this monster could be coming after her. She rubbed the bruises on her neck. “We need those other witches.”
“I agree, but my brother needs to be warned.”
Paige could understand that, though it didn’t make running straight to reinforcements any less tempting. “I’ll warn him, but I kinda need to be alive to do that.”
“You will be,” Nova replied. “I’ll make sure of it.”
That was the second time she’d made a comment about protecting Paige. She’d done it once already, for sure, but who’s to say she’d be there the next time, or the time after that. It was too big of a chance to rely on the promises from someone already dead.
“On the plane, where did you go after you... saved me?” she asked.
“I used myself up, I guess. Everything went black for a while.”
Not surprising, spirits only had so much energy. Granted, Nova had more power than any ghost Paige had met, but apparently even she had limits. “Thanks for that by the way. Saving my life.”
“Well, I did get you into this,” Nova replied. “It’s the least I could do.”
Paige chuckled. “Glad you felt so obligated.”
Nova smiled and looked out the window again. The sun was already sinking into the horizon as they passed through a town called Moore. “We’re close. You’ll want to exit onto Tecumseh road.”
“It’s so flat here,” Paige commented. “It’s weird not seeing the ocean.”
“I get that, you not being from a landlocked state and all. There are quite a few beautiful sights despite its flatness though,” Nova explained. “This place will surprise you. And it’s like what people say…nobody moves north to retire.”
Paige laughed. “Yeah, but this isn’t far enough south for most people. Though I figure January is a lot nicer here than back home.” She glanced out the driver’s side window. A kid in the back seat of an SUV was staring at her like she was crazy. You’d think he’d never seen anyone talking to themselves before.
She pressed on the gas, and pulled ahead of the curious kid and his family. She took the exit off of I-35, and after few more directions from Nova, ended up at an Embassy Suites.
“I’m going to check on my brother,” Nova said as Paige got out of the car.
“Whoa. I need you to stay with me. What if that thing comes back?” She glanced around, fearful now that the sun had gone down.
“I won’t be gone long.”
“But—”
Nova disappeared.
“Shit!” Paige stomped across the parking lot into the hotel. She was able to get a room, though it was on the seventh floor.
Things are lookin’ up, she thought sardonically, as she threw her luggage on the bed. I made it to my room alive.
It was a standard room. One bed, bathroom, table and chairs, and a dresser with a TV sitting on it. There was no time to lose, so first things first; protection from people-possessing wraiths. She unzipped her bag and dug out Belladonna’s diary. If there was any resource she had that could help her, it was the blue book.
While thumbing through the pages, she hesitated. The last spell hadn’t gone so well, or not as she’d expected as least. This time she might really mess herself up, but what choice did she have? Nova wasn’t going to be reliable as long as she thought her brother was in danger. That left Paige to fend for herself. She had to try.
The symbols she’d used before wouldn’t work for this, she’d have to find the ones that corresponded with her current needs. The pages turned like molasses through her fingers as she read. Every second of research was another moment that one of those things could attack.
The sharp knock at the door jolted her out of the diary.
A chill ran down her spine. She ignored the knock and continued her search, though at a more frantic pace.
Another knock, this time more insistent. “Miss Eastick?”
Paige frowned. How the hell does it know my name? She got to her feet.
“Miss Eastick, this is Stacy from the front desk. You left your driver’s license with us, downstairs.”
She checked her purse. You’ve got to be kidding me. Sure enough it wasn’t there. “Hold on a sec.” She crossed the room and looked through the peephole.
A short, heavyset woman with dark brown hair stood in the hallway. Her eyes appeared to be normal.
Paige sighed in relief, and cracked the door open.
“Sorry for any inconvenience,” Stacy said with a smile. She handed Paige the license. “If you need anything, just ring downstairs.”
“Thanks,” she replied lamely, and shut the door. Damn, I’ve got to chill out.
She tossed her ID on the bed, and went back to the book. Rushing the spell would only get her into more trouble, patience was the key. Granted, that was hard to come by when an unknown phantom was out to kill you.
She resumed her research. There were many symbols of protection to be found throughout the different cultures. The one referenced in Belladonna’s diary looked like a spiraling triangle. She had no idea of its origins, but the descriptions found in the text verified it as a key to shielding one’s self against harm.
Paige began to pace as she flipped to a page with the symbol corresponding with spirit. She’d used it before, on the last spell, so it was easy to find. Tying the two symbols together in purpose would be the hard part. She wasn’t sure what had gone wrong with that first spell, but had a feeling it was her lack of concentration at the time of casting, and the fact that she didn’t know what she was doing.
The text mentioned that when using a symbol of protection it was safer to bind the spell to an object, creating a talisman of a sort. Using protection magic on a living being was too risky; the spell could end up shielding the target from the wrong thing, like healing for instance. A talisman could at least be discarded or destroyed if the magic was faulty, while a person could potentially be cursed for a lifetime, or have their lifespan radically shortened.
I don’t need that kind of trouble, she thought, rubbing her bruised neck. I’ve got enough to deal with already.
Her hand brushed against the necklace she’d gotten from her grandmother. She unhooked the chain and studied it more closely. The moonstone glittered bright blue and silver in its chain setting. This would be her talisman, possibly even her focus. The thought intrigued her. She’d never really considered it before, but it would make sense that the necklace was her focus. She’d had the thing forever, and it always put her at ease when she touched it in times of stress. She may have had her focus all along and didn’t know it. Don’t get distracted.
She went to her bag and retrieved the bottles of ink and brushes she’d brought with her. Now all she needed was a place to draw everything out. She wasn’t keen on having to pay for damages, but there weren’t a lot of options here in the room.
Maybe the parking lot... She gathered up the book, along with the ink bottles, and headed for the elevator.
There was a family of four in the hall that she had to squeeze by. The little girl smiled up at her as she passed, doll clutched to her chest. Her red pigtails bounced as she hopped in place beside her brother.
Paige was about to smile back when the feeling hit her. That cold darkness from the plane skittered across her skin, raising the hairs on the back of her neck. She opened her mouth in warning, but it was too late.
The father was the first to turn. He looked past his wife at Paige, eyes black as coal.
“Tim, what’s the—” Tim’s wife froze in mid sentence once she saw him. The woman was about to scream, but a choking gurgle came out instead. She turned to face Paige with jet black eyes as well. Dark ichor leaked from her lips as she snarled.
Paige didn’t wait, she couldn’t handle watching the children turn. She spun around and sprinted toward the elevator. The doors were closed, but both buttons were lit up, most likely pressed by the children as a prank when they exited. She slammed into the metal wall, hammering at the already pressed buttons. “Open, damn you!”
“He’s coming for you,” a small voice whispered.
Paige clamped her eyes shut.
“He knows you’re with her,” another little voice continued, but closer.
A whimper tore itself from Paige’s throat, and she began to slide down the doors to the floor.
“He’s going to eat your soul.”
The elevator dinged as the doors slid open.
Paige scrambled inside, and slammed her thumb on the lobby button. She couldn’t hear over her own panting as she continued to press in vain. “C’mon!”
Finally, the doors began to close. Paige glanced into the hallway once there was only a sliver of visibility left. The little girl stood just inches away, smiling with those lifeless black eyes. Then the doors shut with a soft thump.
Paige hugged herself as she wept. They hadn’t deserved that, those poor people. She trembled with fear and guilt. I shouldn’t have come. Maybe it’s not too late to leave.
Several loud clanging noises echoed from above, and the whole elevator shook, setting off the alarm. The whine of grinding metal filled her ears as the tiny room began to slow.
Panic clawed at the fringes of Paige’s mind. These monsters would devour her, not even an hour after she’d arrived. The spell had to be cast, and it had to be done now. She fell to her knees and opened Belladonna’s diary. Her fingers were all thumbs as she desperately fumbled through the yellowed pages. Once finding the symbols, she set the book aside and tore off the caps to the ink bottles.
The elevator rocked again, so much so she almost dropped everything to keep from losing her balance. She grabbed a brush, and frantically drew symbols on the floor. She made the circles and patterns smaller this time, and dropped her necklace in the center of the design once finished. She picked up the book, and found the Latin-like names for the symbols. There was no time to experiment with the enunciations and her thoughts were scrambled, but she had to do this.
Words poured from her lips as she whispered the incantation. All the fear and terror racing through her body went into the chant. She wished that she could just disappear, never to be seen by spirits or monsters again. All she wanted at that moment was to be safe.
Something in the elevator shaft above snapped with a loud twang, and the metal box began to free fall. Paige’s stomach went into her throat as she lifted off the floor. She screamed, and reached for the necklace as it began to float into the air.
High-pitched screeching grated against her eardrums as the emergency brakes clamped down. She and the necklace fell to the floor. The air left her lungs on impact, and she struggled to keep her newly-enchanted talisman in sight. It slid across the granite tiles into the back corner.
Searing heat burned her arm from the smoldering symbols she’d landed on. She rolled away from the pain. Her breath came in ragged gasps, as she struggled to refill her lungs.
What floor the elevator had stopped on, Paige couldn’t say, but she was too preoccupied to worry about it. The doors whined under the pressure of something trying to rip them open.
She scrabbled for the necklace. Her fingers wrapped around the elusive chain, and she fumbled with the clasp.
One of the doors warped and came free.
“C’mon,” she pleaded with her panic-stricken nerves. The hook finally clicked into place, closing the talisman around her neck.
The second door was torn away with a deafening screech. Wires dangled from the gaps where the doors had been, sparking with life. A pungent scent of decay permeated the room as a black cloud filled the door frame with roiling darkness. Tendrils of the dark mist rolled across the floor and coiled around Paige, chilling everything it touched.
She shivered, not from the cold, but from fear.
The dark cloud boiled with life, creating a solid form within. Large blackened hands reached out from the smoke. The tip of each ghastly finger tapered to a fine point. The arms that followed were long and covered in sinewy muscle. Black skin faded to pasty white at its elbows, and continued up the shoulders and across the skeletal torso. Some of the details were hard to make out as the creature’s entire body gently vibrated, but one thing was very clear. It had no head. Only a stump, covered in black ichor remained.
Paige would have screamed if not for the terror that seized her throat. The power and malice emanating from this unholy monster pressed down on her, crushing her resolve and chasing her sanity to the farthest recesses of her mind.
The thing lumbered into the tiny room, filling the space with its horridness. It searched the elevator, but not once did its clawed hands touch her. It hesitated on the smoking remains of her spell. Claws traced the various symbols and patterns she’d drawn. After a few moments of study the creature stood, and began to vibrate with greater intensity. All sound fled, save for the constant hum of the shuddering monster.
Paige’s necklace bounced off her chest, slapping against her chin. Several times, in rapid succession, the talisman jolted upward—each time with more force. The chain tangled in her hair, preventing it from coming off her head entirely. She grabbed hold of the necklace and yanked it down, suddenly realizing what the beast was trying to do.
The apparition shook harder, driving the edges of the necklace into Paige’s hand. Lines of blood ran down her clenched fist.
I’ve got to get out of here. She closed her eyes, too afraid to move while the creature was in sight. Shielded by darkness, she forced herself to her feet, and staggered out of the shaking elevator. She didn’t open her eyes until the frozen touch of the black cloud was gone. Once clear of the evil mist, she ran.