Part 9 (2/2)
”I don't know . . . ,” Sadie replied. ”It feels kind of silly.”
Abruptly there was a loud bang and everyone jumped in their chairs. Sadie noticed with relief that the closet door behind her had simply fallen back off its top hinge and sat at a wonky angle. The heavy door had landed with a thud onto the solid wood floor.
”That scared me to death!” Sadie exclaimed through a bubble of laughter.
”It's definitely a sign,” Rosemary said. ”The spirit is trying to connect.”
”Don't be getting your hopes up. Owen was fixing the hinges on that door just before you all came. Obviously he's not the best repairman.”
The words were hardly out of her mouth when the door swung open with a ma.s.sive crash against the wall. Sadie nearly dropped Osbert. Abruptly Maeva and Rick each clasped one of Osbet's hands, careful not to touch Sadie.
”Concentrate,” Maeva hissed. ”Thank you for joining us,” Rosemary said to the room. ”We are not here to harm you, only to make peace and-”
A wild whoosh of a hurricane-force air exploded from the gaping, dark closet door. The candles blew out and the wind picked up, circling them in a vicious, icy-cold vortex. The skirt of the tablecloth, as well as Louise's bright hair, all stood straight up. Sadie found it difficult to breathe in the strong wind, but Osbert remained cool, as if this were no different than watching an episode of Elmo.
Suddenly Sadie's chair was yanked back a foot and she nearly fell from the chair.
Maeva was on her feet and s.n.a.t.c.hed Osbert from her grasp just as Sadie's chair began slowly sc.r.a.ping the floor, moving backward toward the closet door. Sadie tried to get up but she was unable to move. It was as though invisible ropes held her. Her Nikes dragged on the ground but did nothing to stop the sc.r.a.pe of her chair across the floor.
Rick, Maeva, Rosemary, and Louise ran to her, each of them grabbing part of the chair, but they were no match for the intense vacuum drawing Sadie toward the closet at a painfully slow rate.
”Do something!” Sadie screamed.
”We're trying!” Maeva shouted back.
Sadie thrashed violently in the chair, trying to release her arms. She was almost at the closet entrance. Stealing a look over her shoulder, Sadie stared inside the dark void that was a swirling ma.s.s of black. Suddenly the ink-colored cloud parted and Sadie saw the translucent spirit of a young girl with her back turned. The girl turned to face them and her face transformed into that of a monstrous demon with jagged teeth.
Chapter 7.
The howling gale of wind pushed at Sadie's friends, making their grip on her loosen with every inch as invisible ropes reeled Sadie closer. Swiftly, a howling current of air flung Sadie's friends against the wall and pinned them behind the table and chairs as Sadie slid within inches of the dark, yawning opening in the wall.
This is it. I'm going to die by getting eaten alive by a monster in a closet.
Just as the thought formed in Sadie's mind she saw Louise tug a crooked stick from her pocket and point it in Sadie's direction. She yelled against the punis.h.i.+ng current of air.
”Evil, we banish you! Positive energy, flow through us and surround us with light. G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses, surround Sadie with light! So mote it be!”
It felt as though Louise's stick released an electrical force that punched Sadie in the chest. Suddenly the wind stopped and Sadie's chair fell backward, banging her back and head against the hardwood.
”Ouch,” she whispered.
The closet door slammed shut with such force the entire room shook.
Louise, the Thingvolds, and Maeva, carrying a sniffling Osbert, surrounded Sadie and looked down on her.
”Thanks for d-doing that th-thing with your s-stick.” Sadie shook violently, and her friends helped her as she got uncertainly to her feet. Her fingers rubbed the middle of her chest where she'd felt the blow from Louise's spell. Sadie lifted up the pendant and looked at it. ”Wow. You dented my necklace.” The two-inch gold disc now had a concave look.
”It's my new elder wand,” Louise said, holding the piece of wood out proudly.
”It's a stunner,” Rosemary said admiringly.
”Did you carve those little hearts in it yourself?” Maeva asked.
Sadie's eyes were wild as she looked from one to the other.
”Can we take this discussion outside?” she demanded. As she dusted herself off she glanced worriedly over her shoulder toward the closet. ”I'm a little freaked out.”
”We'll do a circle of protection first,” Louise said. ”You're welcome to wait outside.”
”I think I'll go home. I may have peed my pants,” Sadie said.
”You have the key to lock up,” Maeva reminded her. Osbert just then began sobbing and leaning out of Maeva's arms toward Sadie. ”Why don't you take Osbert downstairs while we finish up?”
”C'mon, Blizzard of Ozz.” Sadie took the baby and allowed him to nuzzle into her shoulder.
Downstairs Sadie walked the rooms on shaky legs. Without the presence of furniture, she sunk down onto the floor and sat cross-legged, with Osbert gnawing his tiny fist and eyeing her curiously.
”This isn't how I usually spend my evenings,” Sadie said.
Osbert stuck out his tongue and blew spit at her in reply.
Sadie's cell phone began to vibrate in the pocket of her jeans, and when she saw who it was she s.n.a.t.c.hed it up anxiously.
”Hi!” she said, then corrected the wild excitement in her voice by clearing her throat and saying calmly, ”How are you?”
”Okay,” Zack replied. ”Tired. I tried the house first. Are you out at a job?”
”Um. Not really.” Sadie looked up the stairs toward the sound of chanting. ”Just hanging out with Osbert and Maeva.” Zack tolerated her supernatural side, but that didn't mean he enjoyed hearing about it.
”Just wanted you to know I'm driving back tomorrow. I'll stop by and get my things.”
”Oh. Okay.”
Sadie closed her eyes and stemmed the flow of tears. She hugged Osbert tightly against her chest. She'd honestly felt like he was calling to apologize. She'd been hoping he'd beg her to take him back and she'd, of course, say yes. Instead, as she was trying to adjust to what he'd told her, he was already saying good-bye.
Sadie stared at the dead phone and her hand shook as she stuffed it back in her pocket. Just then she saw the group coming back down the stairs, and Sadie got to her feet and moved Osbert to her hip.
”So I think we should have a chat about what happened here. We need to a.n.a.lyze why the evil that's possessed this house wants Sadie,” Louise announced.
”Tell you what,” Sadie said, handing over a reluctant Osbert to his mother. ”Why don't you four have a discussion about that, while I go home and drink myself into a coma?”
”Aren't you the least bit curious?” Rosemary asked.
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