Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 87185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Theo, Devon, and Zeke left to take care of the bodies almost as soon as we walked through the door. How they’re being taken care of has yet to be shared with me. Right now, I don’t want to know.
“Ready?” I ask. We’re prepared for this guy to freak the fuck out once he wakes up in a strange place with remnants of his memory from the last hour flashing before him like some sort of fever dream. The plan is to have Xavier hold him spellbound so he can cooperate and we can send him packing.
“Go ahead,” Xavier tells me and I put my hands on the guy's forehead, removing the sleep spell. His eyes fly open and he sits up, stunned and confused. In an instant, Xavier has him spellbound.
“Good evening,” Xavier starts voice, calm and reassuring. “Thank you for agreeing to help us tonight.” The man nods eyes locked with Xavier’s. “What is your name?”
“Ryan.”
“Hi, Ryan. I need you to tell me everything you can about the last several hours. Start from the last thing you remember clearly.”
”I was on my way out of the office,” he starts, a dazed look in his eye. “Miranda and I were going to have dinner. It’s our anniversary. She told me not to be late.”
Mabel gasps. “Oh shoot, that’s not good. This poor woman's probably still waiting for him. We should call and explain what happened. Surely she won’t get mad when she finds out the truth!”
“I don’t think we can exactly tell her the truth,” I say to her. “But don’t worry, we’ll think of something.”
“Where is your office?” Xavier asked him.
“North Tryon Street.”
“You left your office and what happened?”
Ryan’s eyes narrow as he tries to remember. “I was walking to my car and there was a shadow?” There’s a question in his voice because he knows what he is saying doesn’t quite make sense. The funny thing about our brains is how we want to rationalize stuff. We want to have everything fit the reality that we know. It’s the reason why so many people are quick to write off a haunted house as the wind or the floor settling. Deep down we know it was something nefarious, but we don’t want to believe it. And watching Ryan struggle in real time reminds me how lucky I am to have grown up knowing the truth.
“What did the shadow do?” Xavier continues calmly.
“I think it grabbed me,” Ryan says. He closes his eyes and his panic and fear are palpable. He shakes his head at his own memory. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“That’s okay,” Xavier goes on. “Tell me what you remember.”
“I started walking and then running. I couldn’t breathe, but I didn’t stop. The next thing I know I’m in the woods and then… then… I saw her.” He looks at me. “And then I was here.”
I let out a breath and sit back on the edge of the coffee table. “ I don’t know if he’s gonna remember much more than this.”
“If he saw it happen, then it’s in his head one way or another. He’s remembering enough to make me think it’s there,” Xavier says, tipping his head as he leans closer. All of a sudden he has both hands on Ryan’s head. Leo and Antonio gasp and I grab Leo’s arm, keeping him from reacting. Xavier closes his eyes and Ryan’s widen, staring blankly in front of him unblinking.
“What do you see?” Mabel asks, apparently familiar with what Xavier is doing.
“The woods,” Xavier says. “He’s walking along the creek looking for something.” A few seconds of silence tick by. “There’s a box buried under a specific tree. There’s a cross on it and a name.” Xavier presses his fingers tighter against Ryan‘s head and Ryan whimpers in protest.
“Abigail Williams,” Xavier says. “The box contained her ashes along with some bone fragments.”
He lets go of Ryan who pitches forward, gasping for breath. Xavier just dug all the memories out of his head as if it was nothing, but in doing so, Ryan was forced to remember everything that happened while he was possessed.
“That’s what was on the altar,” I say, looking at Leo, who nods. “We found the bits of bone. He was trying to resurrect Abigail Williams?”
On the verge of a panic attack, Ryan starts to get up. I cast the sleeping spell on him again and he slumps back on the couch. Mabel covers him with a blanket, and we all leave the living room, following Xavier into his office. He grabs a piece of paper in his laptop.
“Does that mean something to you?” Antonio asked him.
“No,” Xavier says. “Give me a few minutes and I will try to find out.”
“What about Ryan?” Leo asks.
“I can make him food,” Mabel offers. “I’m really good at cupcakes.”