The Crimson Key (12 page)

“Look up
,” he said. I did and noticed that the stars were so bright. It had been so long since I had seen them. The light pollution here made it practically impossible to see anything in the sky. Out here it was different, almost like being somewhere else. He walked me to a little grassy patch and put out a blanket. We lay on it, watching the stars for a while, until he broke the silence. “I have been hearing some of the ghosts again. I don’t really know what to say to them.” My throat ran dry, like a desert, and I swallowed hard.

“What do they say?”

“Sometimes they want me to surrender myself to the house and get it over with. Other times they tell me they want me to kill myself somewhere else. They don’t want our spirits mixing with theirs.”

I remembered that they didn’t want the Mayhews with them in their afterlife. Regardless if the family feud had been over for years
, they didn’t want them there period. Nor did I.

“Ephraim
, how often is it?” I dared to ask.

“Not too much. Lately I have had more aggression. I try to take it out on my punching bag
, but I get mad at stupid stuff,” he paused, “like earlier. I know it’s all so strange, but it comes and goes. My only theory is that it’s trying to decide who to take first, me or Lynley.” I felt the same way. Looking at him now I would say the curse wanted him. He was the same Ephraim, but in his eyes he looked lost. His gaze was distant and empty. Grabbing his hand, I rested my head on his chest.

“I have the book from Hala in my purse
, we can read from it now if you want,” I suggested. I couldn’t read it in my home, so why not here? He shrugged. I pulled it out, its red cover looked deadly in the moonlight. The book from her great grandmother, Aliah, was going to help me. I knew it and felt it in the pages. That didn’t mean the pages were legible. The first page stated the facts; who she was as a person and why she was writing a diary. She hoped to help others in the future to either practice the arts or destroy the Barclay sisters. I was shocked at reading this. She wanted them dead, and here I thought she admired them. Aliah went on and on about how they used their craft to hurt others. Ephraim listened as I read about certain ways to banish a witch from your home, but nothing on banishing them once they were dead.

I dropped the book on the blanket
, giving up for the night. Laying back down, I looked up at the stars. Maybe going back to the library to see my new friend Angie would help me uncover some more truth. It wouldn’t hurt.

Ephraim kissed me in an attempt to distract me
, and for a moment it worked. I got lost in his arms as he held me gently. The kiss deepened a bit more, and then I opened my eyes. That’s when things went all wrong. I saw a misty cloud coming toward us. At first I thought it had to be low lying fog, until I started to see the eyes forming in the mist. I pulled myself away from Ephraim and he turned around to see what I was seeing. There was no way he would be able to see it, because he didn’t see the dead. However, they say those who are close to death can see death. It must be completely true, because he saw them. At first he was frozen as they walked closer to us. Then he got up and backed away, scared. He wasn’t used to seeing them like I was. Scratch that! I was never going to get used to this, but I had to try if this was my life now. I went toward the mist as the dead started to surround me, locking me inside a circle of their bodies. Their eyes were glassy and their faces veiny and gruesome. They didn’t look like their former selves, unless they were zombies in their life. A woman put her hand on my arm. I froze as her clammy palm rested on my skin. It felt cold at first, and then wet.

“Who are you?” I asked with a shaky voice. She tried to talk
, but her mouth was sewn shut. Her lips were moving so fast; she was desperately trying to tell me something. Only murmuring came out.

“Brylee
, get away from them,” Ephraim called.

I didn’t try to get away
, like an idiot stayed there. A man, whose lips were not sealed, came forward. “You surround yourself with the dead?” he asked as he pointed to Ephraim.

“He isn’t dead. He is alive. Why are you here?” I snapped.

“He isn’t dead yet, but he will be soon.” I shivered at his words. The woman pointed to a spot in the grass and led me to it. I was being shoved toward a place I had no clue of what it was. Once I was on top of it, I saw them … graves. The headstones bore the names of the dead that now surrounded me.

“We need your help to move on
,” another female said. “We haven’t seen anyone like you ever.”

“I can’t help you all. I’m sorry
, I am only seventeen.” Once I said it, I felt stupid. What did my age matter to them? Most of them were younger than me when they died. “Sorry, I mean I have other priorities. I have to save him.”

They looked at Ephraim
, who was now close to us. He looked at me protectively even though I was in no harm.

“There is no way to save him unless you have the sisters’ blood.” I froze. No one had ever said that to me before.

“Their blood? How would I do that? They’re dead.” Did everyone know about these menacing sisters? Did they kill these innocent people? Tons of questions ran through my head, but I had to focus on the important thing. I needed their blood for something.

“There is always a way to get their blood
,” the man said. “You have to find the one that survived.” You know when you ride a roller coaster and your head starts spinning? Well that is how I felt at this news.

“Who survived?” They started to leave now. They let me go and started walking away from me.

“No, you have to tell me! Where is she?” The girl with the stitches in her mouth pointed toward Ephraim. I didn’t understand. He wasn’t a Barclay sister, and he didn’t know the other sister.

“I don’t understand! Please.” I was begging her now
, but she couldn’t give me any answers. Before I could ask again, she was gone.

I was leaving on Monday and that left only one more day to spend with Ephraim and Lynley. I woke up early that Sunday. Ephraim was still asleep in my bed
, so I tried to tread softly on my floor, but the floorboards were impossible in this house. He woke and grabbed me, pulling me back to bed.

“Where are you goi
ng?” he whispered. The night had been so difficult. We drove back from the field, talking about possible options to get the Barclay sisters’ blood. We came up empty. He had climbed my tree later in the night and crawled in bed with me. We slept in each other’s arms, both of us needing the comfort.

“I am gonna do some research
,” I said as I pulled out Aliah’s journal. “I will be back around ten.” I kissed his nose and he rolled back over. He would probably be leaving my room soon anyway; he never stayed too long. Never long enough for my parents to know he was here. I pulled on a light coat and grabbed my keys, off to the library to find my new friend. It couldn’t hurt to see if she knew anything. I carefully walked downstairs. My parents weren’t up, but I was met by Violet at the front door. She was staring at me like she normally did, with disdain. Even after I had saved her daughter she still didn’t seem to like me very much. I half smiled, but she wouldn’t let me pass. Even though I could walk right through her, I didn’t want to.

“Violet
, I have to go somewhere. Please move,” I whispered.

“You are treading on dangerous ground
, Brylee. Just let the curse do its work and move on. You will find another love. They will be safe here. I promise not to let the others hurt them,” she assured me. I felt heat on my cheeks at the anger that was rising inside me.

“Did you find another love
, Violet? After losing Oscar?” This was a low blow, bringing him up, but she shouldn’t have started with me. I would fight fire with fire. “You and your family can’t have him, do you understand?” I realized then that I was yelling at a ghost. It didn’t matter what I said to her. She had her beliefs and I had mine. Her’s were to take this curse lying down, and mine was not. “You know none of this would happen if you didn’t screw with those witches! Now, if you don’t mind, I have some studying to do.” She moved out of my way as I left the house.

The library was closed when I got to it. I should have known, nothing is ever open on Sunday. Stupid me. I took a seat on a bench near the door. I would have to wait until I got back home from Cali to see Angie. I pulled out the book and attempted to do some reading while I was here. Aliah’s passion for witchcraft wasn’t so much for the craft as it was to deepen her talent. She could see the dead like me. She wanted to help them move on instead of letting them inhabit the earth. She worked with the Barclay sisters for a few years, pretending that she wanted be an apprentice. At first the sisters were against it, but then they found out that she had something they wanted; a connection to the dead. With Aliah’s gift they could be better acquainted with the other side. They wanted to bring them back and have legions of souls following them. It would make them the strongest witches on earth. At times they would share things with Aliah. Especially Agnes, who wanted to try to get more followers to aid them if possible. She also talked about inhabiting their bodies to use once these bodies wore out. I felt a cold hand on my neck and turned to face Angie, who had a warm smile on her face.

“Did you find anything interesting in that book I got ya?” she asked with her twangy accent.

“Yes, I found out that you died in the house the writer lived in. Did you give me the book for a reason, Angie?” I asked.

“I’m trapped here. You’re the first person to see me
,” she acknowledged. “I knew if I gave you that book you would find out you were not alone, and that others like me need your help.”

“I wish I could help you
, I truly do, but I have to save my friends first, Angie. Do you understand why?” She looked out toward the tree line instead of at me. Her ghost form was trapped here on this land where a fire took her life. I couldn’t pretend to understand the feelings she had. I wanted to help everyone, I wished I could make her understand that.

“Yeah
, I ‘spose so. I guess I shouldn’t have thought you could help me.” She started to fade and I reached out, grabbing her hand.

“I will come back for you. Once I save them
, I promise.” She nodded and left me alone on the bench.

Later that day I found myself thinking of only others. Which in theory is good, but when you’re thinking of others whom are dead, it may not be so good. I let the sun hit my pale face in hopes of tanning it a little. A little color on my cheeks couldn’t hurt. I heard a sound and opened my eyes. Kayla stood next to me as I lay on my new car. She was checking it out and running her fingers along the side of it. If I didn’t know any better, I would say she felt envious, which she had all the right to be. She died too soon. She should be here with me enjoying the sun. We should be at the beach together splashing in the waves and shopping until dark. She would be one of my best friends. Not that she wasn’t already, but I knew someday she would move on.

“Nice car
,” she said as she looked through the windows. “I drove one once. It was a long time ago, but it was fun.”

“Wanna go for a ride now?”

Her eyes lit up. “Yeah!” We got in and I headed the only way I knew … south. I didn’t go anywhere but south because I still didn’t know the roads too well. I opened up the windows and let the cool air in. Kayla’s hair actually blew in the wind. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought she was alive and real. I cranked the stereo and we just drove. Finally we reached the beach and I pulled the car into an open space. The boardwalk was practically swarmed with people. Kayla’s smile faltered and she stayed put.

“You don’t want to get out?” I asked. She shook her head ‘no’. I didn’t ask why
, I just turned around and headed back. I would usually be upset about driving an hour to the beach and having to turn around, but not this time. This time I understood why. Kayla was scared to be around all of the living. Sure being around me was one thing, but others, no way.

It was a lot for her to take in. She stayed silent for the first twenty minutes of our drive back
, and then she started talking.

“I am so sorry.”

“It’s totally fine, Kayla. I think I understand,” I said as I put the windows up. “It’s too much for you.” She nodded and I knew I was right. How could I have thought that we could just go to the beach and have a day when the reality was, she was dead? We would never be able to hang out in public unless it was secretive. That made me a little sad. I wished that I could have known her while she was alive.

“So
, I talked to John a little bit. Don’t worry, I didn’t give anything away.” I could see the fear in her eyes as I mentioned talking to John. She was really scared of him. What could he possibly do to her? It wasn’t like he could harm her, right?

“What did he say?”

“He is a creep, first off. Secondly, he didn’t say much. I don’t doubt that he is in some sort of cult or something. He didn’t say anything to warrant my suspicion, but his answer wasn’t truthful and he told me to stay away from there. Honestly, I have way too much to worry about, and he is at the bottom of that list.” I parked my car and Kayla grabbed my arm.