Harlan County Horrors (3 page)

Pris had eleven days to prepare for the ritual. According to
her great-great-grandmother, the Waking Moon of April could bring
the dead and dormant back to life and was at its most powerful when
full.

She
wished the ceremony could be performed sooner. Her heartache was
constant. Guilt and grief warred within her, wracking her body, her
mind, her soul. All those years ago, Bobby Lee had left her and
she’d suffered and cried for him. But she’d brought him home
again.

Priscilla had confidence in her abilities. She knew she had
the power to summon Bobby Lee’s spirit. He wouldn’t be able to stay
with her long, but she could look into his eyes and tell him she
was sorry and that she’d always love him.

Then she would say goodbye.

And
time? Time would never heal this festering wound. Not even if she
lived forever.

On
the morning of April twenty-seventh, Priscilla stayed home from the
diner and made a list of the items needed for the ritual. The
forecast called for clear skies that night. Over the last week, she
had read Millicent’s instructions over and over again to memorize
the steps involved. Pris paid particular attention to the narrative
parts that described the precautions to be taken and what to expect
from the deceased who were called back to the land of the
living.

Heed my warning: This greatest of all spells cannot be cast
if the Caller does not love the person who has died. Love is the
most powerful ingredient in this ritual and it must be true. The
best results will be obtained if the spell is worked on the night
of the full moon. The spirit will more easily materialize and will
be tied to the earthly plane until the Waking Moon begins its
descent in the western sky.

Be
aware that the spirit of the deceased will have no memory of its
death. When they are first called back, the man, woman, or child
may seem confused or disoriented. Have patience and explain to them
how they died, then state your purpose for the Summoning. Say your
peace and be sincere, for this ritual can only be used once to call
your loved one home.

Priscilla found a wicker picnic basket in the pantry and
placed one of her mother’s sharp paring knives inside, along with a
container of table salt, a vial of eucalyptus oil, a bandage, a
small garden spade, a flashlight, a matchbook, and one white
candle. She also put in a photograph of Bobby Lee, taken the
previous Christmas, and a lock of his dark hair, which she had
stolen when they were twelve.

When the moon began to rise, she donned her tea-length ivory
lace wedding gown. She had planned to wear her hair in an
old-fashioned upsweep to match the Victorian style of the dress,
but then decided to leave it unbound the way Bobby Lee had always
preferred to see it.

Since she had to climb a mountain trail, she put on a pair of
beaded flat slippers instead of the expensive high heels she had
bought for the wedding.

Her
mother was working late at the diner. There was no one to question
her plans. And there was no one to help her carry them out. Granny
Maeve had been dead a year.

Pris left the house, remembering the night her grandmother had
first shown her the power of moonlight.

“
Guide me, Granny, if you’re able. Help me bring him home
again.”

The moon shined so brightly over the mountain trail that
Priscilla didn’t need to use the flashlight to find her way.
A
whippoorwill
seemed to follow her for most of the climb, its mournful song
sounding loud in the reverent silence. The sweet-smelling wind
played with her hair, making her heart ache for the feel of Bobby
Lee’s gentle fingers.

His
gravesite was an inviting place to visit now. The mayor had donated
a wrought-iron bench and the Blackburn family had erected a marker
made of marble. Pris had planted red tulips and yellow daffodils
around the base of the memorial.

Bobby Lee would always be loved and missed, and Priscilla
wished she could go back in time and change what had happened. But
she could only go forward.

Pris set the picnic basket down on the bench and took out the
container of table salt. She walked over to the mountain break,
being careful not to step too close to the edge, and began pouring
the salt out in a thin line away from it. This would keep Bobby
Lee’s spirit from wandering away—he would not be able to venture
over the line of salt for any reason. Pris didn’t want him to see
his name on the front of the marble marker, so she was careful to
stay behind both it and the bench as she circled back to the other
side of the grave.

She
took out the garden spade next and knelt beside the deep, dark
chasm. She began shoveling crumbly soil from the edge of the break
onto the ground in front of her, making a thick circle. If Bobby
Lee had been buried in a normal grave, the circle would have been
made in its center, but hopefully this would do. Inside the ring of
dirt she placed Bobby Lee’s picture and the lock of his hair. She
poured the eucalyptus oil onto the items, making the shape of a
pentagram. Then she lit the candle, letting the wax drip down onto
the photograph before touching the flame to the oil.

While the circle of fire burned, she stood with the paring
knife and pushed up the lacy sleeve on her left arm. Tears would
not be enough to wake the dead. It would take her blood.

She
did the deed quickly, knowing that it would hurt worse if she
hesitated. The razor-sharp blade cut lightly and cleanly across her
upturned wrist. She winced only a little, letting the drops of
blood fall into the fire.

Pris dropped the knife and raised her face to the night sky.
The wind made the grey smoke from the small fire spiral high into
the air. It seemed to caress the glowing moon.

As
she stared at it, the bright orb appeared to move closer to the
earth. It was time.

She
turned toward the grave and stretched out her right arm as if she
were about to take her lover’s hand.

“
Bobby Lee, come back to me. Come back to me now.”

The
silence of the grave seeped out into the night and everything
became still. The breeze died, the birds and insects made no noise,
and the smoldering remains of the fire were snuffed out.

Pris cleared her throat and took a deep breath.

“
Come to me, Bobby Lee. My love is true and I command you to
return.”

Her
voice had sounded overly loud in the stillness. She could hear her
own nervous breathing as she waited for a sign.

But
nothing—nothing was happening. Bobby Lee’s spirit did not
appear.

Why? She still loved him. She would always love
him.

Priscilla picked up the knife and walked closer to the rift,
standing on the very edge. She slashed her wrist again and let the
blood fall into the black hole.

“
Bobby Lee, come back to me. Come back to me,
please.”

Pris felt a slight tremor run underneath her feet. She threw
the knife over the line of salt and stepped back from the grave’s
edge, fearing that it might give way.

A
noise like a small avalanche reached her ears. She shivered as the
temperature dropped to freezing.

“
Prisssssssssssss. Prissssscilla.”

That couldn’t be Bobby Lee’s voice. It sounded so deep and
strange.

Pris felt like the air was being sucked out of her lungs. She
stood paralyzed, listening to the shifting movements of the earth
and the guttural utterances that emanated from the rift.

The
full Waking Moon lit the scene before her and Pris wanted to look
away from the grave, afraid of what she would see, afraid of what
she had summoned. But she could only stand there, transfixed and
trembling, as the thing she had once loved crawled out of the hole
and collapsed on its back a few feet in front of her.

What was left of Bobby Lee writhed on the ground, moaning in
agony. His hands clawed the air as though he were still trying to
dig his way out of the grave.

Pris’ eyes welled up with hot tears and she let out a
strangled sob. The white T-shirt he’d been wearing the day he died
was filthy and streaked with blood. His black jeans were torn and
his sneakers were caked in dirt.

And
his face…

“
Oh, Bobby Lee. I’m so sorry.”

She’d thought she would only be summoning his spirit, and he
would look as handsome as before. His body shouldn’t have been
raised. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

Priscilla hugged herself and stared down at Bobby Lee’s
mangled face. His sunken eyes were watching her, reflecting the
moonlight and his pain and confusion. She wondered why she couldn’t
smell the stench of decay—like they were trapped in a cold, sterile
vacuum.

His
mouth opened and closed, his blackened tongue darting sideways.
“Prisssssssssss.”

The
moonlight intensified, glowing bright around him, and Priscilla
watched, amazed, as his appearance began to change.

The
wounds on his face healed first—new skin filling in the gaps and
gashes, making him look normal. His dark eyes were perfect again.
When his hands and arms were healed, the glowing light around him
disappeared.

Bobby Lee struggled to his feet, his eyes filled with fearful
questions. He was shaking all over and Pris wanted to take him in
her arms.

“
Baby, it’s okay now. Please don’t be scared.”

He
took a faltering step toward her. “I’m so cold, Pris. What’s wrong
with me? I don’t feel right.”

I
can’t tell him the truth. I can’t do it. I just want to pretend
he’s alive again until it’s time for him to leave.

Pris forced back the tears and smiled. “You were chasing me up
the trail, silly, and you had a bad fall and hit your head. That’s
why you’re confused.”

Bobby Lee glanced down at his soiled clothing, and then gave
her a familiar lopsided grin. “I look like I’ve been to hell and
back. Why are you wearing that fancy dress?”

“
I
wanted to surprise you. We had a date here in this new special
place I made just for us.” Priscilla held out her arms. “Come here
and let me warm you up.”

“
But I’ll ruin your—”

“
I
don’t care. I just need to hold you.”

He
wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tight. His skin felt
icy, but he didn’t carry the scent of death. Priscilla thought he
smelled of moonlight and wildflowers.

“
I
can’t wait for our weddin’ day,” Bobby Lee said, stroking her hair.
“You’re about to make me the proudest man in Russell
Fork.”

His
words tore at her heart. “I’ve always loved you, Bobby
Lee.”

“
Well, you’re gonna find out how much I love you on our
weddin’ night.”

Priscilla let out a squeal as he lifted her off her feet and
twirled her around. When he set her down again, she reached up and
touched his face.

“
Babe, I’ve missed you so much.”

His
grin faded. “Missed me? What do you mean? I ain’t been
gone.”

Priscilla couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. She turned
her head away, hoping he wouldn’t notice.

“
Hey, look at me, princess. Tell me what’s wrong.”

She
could barely speak. “I needed to see you. I thought it would make
things right, but nothing will ever be okay again.”

“
Now, that’s just foolish talk.” Bobby Lee bent over and began
kissing her face, her mouth, her eyelashes.

Remember, child—the truth is in your tears.

Priscilla gasped and jerked away from Bobby Lee, but when she
stared into his eyes, she knew it was too late.

His
face wore a puzzled frown, as though he were trying to resurrect an
unpleasant memory. He grabbed hold of her arms.

“
Pris, tell me it isn’t true—what I remember, it can’t be
true.”

She
held her breath, unable to utter a sound.

He
shook her hard. “Priscilla, answer me.”

“
Please, stop. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

She
tried to back away from him, but his hands gripped her wrists,
causing her to cry out in pain.

“
You pushed me, Pris. You made me fall into that mountain
break. You made my nightmare come true.”

His
eyes burned with so much anger and betrayal that it made her
flinch.

“
No, please understand—I didn’t know what I was doing. I was
so hurt, so mad…I wasn’t thinking straight. I saw Kara kissing you
that morning and then when we were here together later that day,
you lied to me about where you’d been. I thought you were going to
call off the wedding.”

Pris collapsed to her knees, sobs wracking her body. “I wish I
could go back and change everything, but I can’t. Please, please
forgive me.”

He
abruptly let go of her. “Why are you bleeding? What magic have you
done?”

She
shook her head, not wanting to answer. “I had to do it. I had to
say goodbye.”

Bobby Lee suddenly staggered backward and let out a pitiful
wail. “What’s happenin’? It hurts…I hurt all over.”