Authors: Jess Parry
“Oh well for shit’s sake, I told you it’s freaky deaky time!” Sarah cried out
“Sarah, just shut the hell up!” Jason boomed
“This is my fault” Siobhan cried out as she rose and started to run to the door.
“Don’t you dare go outside” Claire’s voice boomed out stopping Siobhan just as she reached for the door knob.
“God, please let me go, if I get away from you and everyone else you’ll be safe” Siobhan sobbed
“No, it won’t” Claire answered calmly “Please, sit down; just give me a minute to finish cleansing my body of the spirits. Then we’ll talk”
Turning away from the door, Siobhan reached over and picked up Shawn’s chair as she made her way back to hers. Falling into the chair, she watched as Jason pulled his chair over to her. Reaching for her, Jason pulled her into his arms tightly.
“I love you” he whispered
Shawn walked over to his chair, pulling it closer to Sarah, he sat tiredly into it. Sarah reached over and grabbed his hand. Their gazes fell onto Claire as she returned to her seat. Color was slowly returning to her features, but Shawn noticed his grandmother looked older than he had ever seen her. Her eyes were shadowed, the wrinkles around her face seemed deeper, and her mouth trembled slightly.
Clearing her voice, Claire raised her eyes to her grandson holding them for a moment before turning to Siobhan.
“This is all my fault. If my grandparents hadn’t told my parents the only way I could go on this trip was if we went to Ireland, to my grandmother’s home.” Siobhan shuddered “We would be on some beach somewhere now instead of sitting here.”
“Your family is from here?” Shawn asked
“On my grandmother’s side” Siobhan responded
“What is your family name?” Claire asked quietly
“My grandmother’s maiden name was McAllister”
“There were McAllister’s in this land hundreds of years ago.” Claire suddenly rose
“Gran, where are you going?”
“I need to grab my book”
Claire went into a small room off to the side of the kitchen, they could hear the shuffling of objects. She walked quickly out of the room carrying a huge book in her arms. Sitting the leather bound book onto the kitchen table, she started flipping through the yellowed pages. Siobhan caught beautiful writing on the pages as Claire continued searching. Stopping abruptly, her finger on a single name, she quickly looked at Siobhan, eyes widening.
“So it is true”
“What is true Gran?” Shawn asked quickly glancing at Siobhan
“The curse” responded Claire so softly they almost didn’t hear her
“Curse…what damn curse!” Sarah wailed
“Your name, how did you get it?” Claire asked Siobhan
“My mother said the name just popped into her head after a long labor with me” Siobhan whispered
“Yah, like you believe that” Jason snorted
“Oh no boy-o she was telling the truth, but that name only appears every hundred years” Claire responded as she flipped several pages before stopping again “Here it is again, but this girl died at a very early age, she died of sickness”
Turning a few more pages, Claire stopped putting her finger on another name “This one died in a tragic accident at sixteen” Clearing her throat, Claire set down and sighed heavily.
“I still don’t understand what this has to do with Siobhan?” Jason asked
“Siobhan is the name of the girl that died hundreds of years ago, she was a McAllister, a curse was placed on her before she died. Over the years any daughter of a McAllister that was named Siobhan died at a very young age.” Turning to Siobhan, Claire took her hand, she jerked slightly as the icy touch of Siobhan’s skin against her warm skin.
“You are a descendent of that family, so with your name comes that curse”
“Oh this is just bullshit!” Jason roared
“Why was she cursed?” Siobhan asked trembling
“She fell in love with the one person she never should have met”
The finality of the statement rang through Siobhan’s core. Blinking back tears, she turned to Jason as he squeezed her hand. His finger grazed the ring on Siobhan’s hand, a shooting pain shot up his arm, rearing back he let go of Siobhan.
“Dammit, that ring zapped me again” Jason shouted
Claire grabbed Siobhan’s hand, she felt the ringing pulsing as it shot currents into her hand, gritting her teeth, she continued to turn the ring reading the inscription. Shawn could feel the power emanating off the ring into his grandmother as he held her shoulder. Shaking, he felt the chaos within him begging to be released, but he was unable to let go of his grandmother.
“What the hell is happening?” Sarah hollered as she watched Shawn and his grandmother vibrating
“I don’t know” Jason reached for Siobhan’s hand, snatching it out of Claire’s grip. Claire and Shawn immediately slumped into their chairs.
Sarah pulled Shawn into her arms, running her hands down his shoulders. “Are you ok? Shawn talk to me please.” Sarah begged
“I’m ok, but wow, that ring sure has some powerful magick in it” Shawn’s voice shook slightly “I’m glad I didn’t get the full effect in the hotel room earlier.”
“You touched this earlier with no effect on you?” Claire asked her grandson
“Yes”
“Blasted witch” Claire muttered “When she put that ring on you, she told you it was to protect you, but it wasn’t.”
“How did you know that?” Siobhan asked
“When I held your hand earlier, I saw flashes of the past few days. One was of that cursed witch in the shop, I, that was a simple trick she played on you, with help of course.” Claire reached for her now cold cup of tea, taking a deep drink to calm her nerves before she continued. “I can’t give you the exact details of the curse, it was sealed from us years ago, but I can tell you a little of what I am to.”
Thunder rumbled in the distance, followed by the booming sound of lightning striking the earth. Everyone, but Shawn and Claire jumped as the deafening clap shook the house. A minute later rain pelted against the house, angrily pinging against the windows. The power flickered before going out, Sarah screeched as she blindly grabbed onto Shawn.
An audible click of a lighter brought a glimmer of red into the darkened room illuminating the faces slightly around the table. Claire brought the flame down to the candle wick, a small popping noise sounded as the wick caught. She then raised the candle taking the little light with her into the next room.
The kitchen fell into darkness again with the absence of the candles light, Siobhan shuddered as coldness began seeping into her just as a flash of lightning brought a quick blaze of light into the room. Luminous green eyes just outside the back door’s glass caught Siobhan’s gaze. Sucking in a breath, she watched as the eyes continued to stare into her. She watched as wind whipped golden hair around the strangers face obscuring his features. She caught streaks of blue and blank woven in between the pale strands. She felt a scream begin to bubble up through her, opening her mouth she started to expel the ear shattering fear that was consuming her.
Lightning raced across the sky before darkness blanketed the room. Blinking Siobhan tried to adjust her eyes to the sudden darkness; she looked back at the door expecting to see the figure there, but only caught the shadow of the woods in the distance as lightning rocketed across the sky.
“Here we are, that’s better” Claire said she came back into the kitchen illuminating the room in brightness of candles burning brightly on a tray.
The edges of fear receding from Siobhan, she watched as the rest of the group slowly calmed.
“Did any of you see the figure at the door just now?” Siobhan asked hoarsely
“What figure” Sarah squealed as she turned quickly to look at the door
“I didn’t see anything or anyone” Jason jumped up and ran to the door
“Don’t open it, they can’t enter my home without permission, which I have never given, but to one” Claire turned to look at Shawn briefly before setting the tray of candles onto the table. “I have protected this house for years, they will not enter, but they will always get as close as they possibly can.”
“Who?” Sarah squealed
“Gran, are you sure?” Shawn asked
“Oh hell no, I’m not staying here, this is just going beyond batshit crazy voodoo shit” Sarah wailed as she rose from her chair.
Shawn grabbed her arm pulling her sharply back into her seat “If you care as much as you say you do for your best friend, then sit down and be quiet.” Shawn barked before shaking his head and adding softly “please”
“My grandson is right.” Claire spoke directly just as the chimes of the grandfather clock upstairs began striking. Claire counted to ten as she listed to the clear chime of the hours past. Twice more the hilting clock announced the witching hour and Claire gritted her teeth.
“It’s the witching hour on the eve of the summer solstice” Claire’s lilting voice broke the silence that had fallen over the house. “The storm will blow over before morn, but without power, I suggest we call it a night.”
“Oh no, I’m not tired, I want to get to the bottom of this crap” Jason’s voiced boomed over the grumbles from Siobhan and Sarah.
“No, we’ll not talk about this anymore tonight. Shawn, take everyone upstairs and show them their rooms. I have a couple of things I need to tend to before turning in.” Claire started towards the little room off the kitchen before turning back to eye each one still sitting firmly “This is not option for negotiation”
“Come on, I’ll show you where we’re sleeping” Shawn grumbled as he started toward the stairs.
Ash stood inside the shelter of the woods shaking with rage as he felt the chaos running rampant within him. The storm he had summoned had done little to disperse the hoarfrost yearning to rupture out of him. He could feel the sharpness of the bitter cold snapping through his fingertips.
Pacing he stared at the darkened house yards in front of him, roaring in anguish his voice was hidden by the sudden burst of thunder echoing in the night sky. He stopped suddenly as he felt the shimmer of air scatter around him.
“Go away” Ash snarled not bothering to look at Marcus
“No” Marcus replied calmly as he walked towards Ash. Watching as hoarfrost slowly began creeping towards him, he lithely stepped around it. Growling, Ash flicked his hand in the direction of Marcus shooting hoarfrost directly onto the path Marcus stood.
A chilling laughter escaped Marcus lips as he brought the chaos within out, flicking his hand, he shot a shimmering bolt of energy onto the oncoming hoarfrost. The sound of hissing steam erupted around them as the hoarfrost seared into the night air.
“That wasn’t very nice Ash” Marcus calmly replied as he continued to walk closer to Ash
“Dammit, why won’t you go back to the darkness?” Ash grumbled
“You are losing control, I can’t let that happen”
“The hell I am!” Ash boomed
“The hell you are! Look the bloody hell around you!” Marcus voice resonated powerfully “You have a damn storm running rampant against that house.” Sighing he turned to the house watching a single candle illuminated the blackness within. “You know you can’t get in, there has only been one who was ever granted access”
“Yes I know, your damn son, who I told you was taking my beloved here” Ash whispered hoarsely “I can’t even penetrate that damn house with a push”
“There is a way, you have already started the dreams, you can still reach her through them” Marcus turned back to Ash watching the emotions flicker over his friends face
“I have to touch her to bring the dream memory forward you damned fool”
“No, you gave her the book, your essence is in the words, it will call to her”
“I don’t know if she still has the book or if that damn boy has it”
“Watch your tone when you mention my son” Marcus clenched his hands to keep the chaos at bay and not strike out at Ash
“Tell me something…why did you let the only child you have ever had stay in this world?” Ash asked
“It doesn’t concern you”
“It does since now he has my beloved out of my reach”
Tension curled inside Marcus, he had never spoken of his son to anyone else. It had been a slip that he had even mentioned it to Ash. The image of Shawn’s mother flashed into his mind, the scent of the Beltane fires swarmed his senses. It always did when he thought of her; remembering the night he watched hidden in the darkness of the woods as the celebration went on around him. Several had started jumping over the fire, laughing as they skimmed the heat below them.
A few had scorched their clothes getting too close to the flames dancing in the evening air. He had watched transfixed when they had built one pyre into a massive tower of flames. The dancing red and orange colors of the flames beckoned him to get closer. It had taken an enormous amount of strength to stay within the confines of the woods. Beads of sweat had started on his upper lip as he felt his strength being pushed to its limits, it had been the sound of a girl laughing wildly that had stopped him. Snapping his eyes up he watched as a beautiful girl with hair as fiery as the flames below jumped over the pyre. He caught the glimmer of power in her indigo eyes; lust had punched into him instantly.