by M. K. ROZE
screaming. “Answer me!”
Sula gave her a nasty grin. “The night she went to
Broom Mountain and her friends summoned me. That is
when I caused her accident, and that is when I first possessed
her. Are you satisfied?”
“No, but I will be.” Muma tilted her neck back—her
eyes rolling upward into their sockets—showing only the
sclera. Muma opened her mouth, and she inhaled her—Sula
transforming back into an apparition, letting out a guttural
screech that soon faded into Muma’s gut.
Muma transformed into a black mist and flew over to
Adelyn, where she shapeshifted back to her normal self.
People screamed as they ran to the other side of the
judge’s bench and took cover, while Adelyn’s parents and
Marissa stayed at her side, holding onto her.
Muma pointed at Adelyn—her body lifting off the
ground. She levitated over to Muma, where she lowered to
the floor.
“Are you going to kill me now?” Adelyn’s voice
trembled.
Muma stared into her watery eyes. “I should rip out your
throat and feed it to your mother. But I won’t. And it’s not
because I like you. It’s because I know it was Sula who hid
her possession within you and made you steel my mirror.
And I know it was her who prevented the real you from
returning it. For that, I will allow you to live.”
Adelyn nodded and let out a low sigh of relief.
Muma found Marissa, grabbed her chin, and made her
face her. “It was Sula who pushed you down the stairs. If it
were me, you wouldn’t be standing here right now. You
would be in my stomach with the old hag.”
Marissa cried in pure terror without saying a word.
Muma looked back at Adelyn, turned around, and
walked toward the table. She stopped and let out a guttural
growl. She glared around the room with fury in her red eyes.
“Where is my mirror?” she bellowed—the glass blowing out
from the other windows.
“One of those ghost hunters took it and jumped out the
window!” a man yelled.
Adelyn grabbed her parents—sure Muma was going to
kill all of them. “I love you guys,” she whispered.
Muma flew backward—embedding into a wall—Sula’s
apparition ripping her way out of her mouth. She stepped
out of the wall, shook the drywall out of her hair, and snarled
at Sula.
Sula transformed into her human form and hovered in
the center of the room, glaring at Muma. “You’re becoming
much weaker, I see.”
“Or am I?” Muma snarled at her and raised her finger.
“We shall see how strong you are when I find the
mirror.” Sula zipped around the room and flew out the
window.
Adelyn gulped. “What now?”
Muma hissed furiously, dropped to the floor, and
crawled toward Adelyn like a cat. Her hiss turned into a snarl
as she stood and pulled Adelyn close. “She escaped because
you are transitioning into me, and it’s causing me to become
weak. You will find the mirror before it’s too late. If you
don’t, everyone in this shitty town will die.”
Adelyn grimaced from her foul-smelling breath, shaking
her head. “I-I can’t do that. I’m not powerful enough to stop
her.”
Muma glowered at her. “Yes, you are. You have less
than twenty-four hours before you cease to exist within me.”
She backed up and transformed into a black mass, then
erupted into ash.
When people ran out the door yelling and screaming,
Adelyn dropped to her knees and cried uncontrollably, not
wanting to go after Sula or become Muma. She knew if
Muma took over her, she’d have to live the rest of her life,
seeing, feeling, tasting, and hearing what Muma did until she
died. Adelyn refused to al ow that to happen.
Dad hugged her. “I will find someone who can help
you.”
Adelyn looked up. “No, I have to do this on my own.”
“Honey,” Mom said. “You can’t do this on—”
“I resign,” Judge Garth called out. He staggered back
into his chambers and slammed the door.
Marissa grabbed her hands. “I will help you track her
down and kill the evil bitch.”
“No, I won’t allow—”
A black mass flew into the window and transformed
into Sula. Adelyn glanced at the mirror in Sula’s hand as she
grabbed Marissa and flew her backward out the window—
Marissa screaming.
“No!” Adelyn shouted and ran to the window, where
she watched the terror in Marissa’s eyes as she disappeared
into the woods. She ran out of the courthouse. “Sula!”
Adelyn yelled—her heart beating faster than she ever felt it
beat before. She was sure Sula was going to kill Marissa if she
didn’t find her in time. Adelyn took off running toward
Dad’s patrol truck.
“Adelyn, wait,” Dad shouted.
Adelyn got into Dad’s truck and took off down the road,
knowing she was running out of time. She had to think of
something to do before Marissa was found dead and she
became Muma.
She slammed on the brakes, turned around, and headed
toward her school.
t Beldam High, Adelyn jumped out of the truck
and ran into the school. She continued to her
Social studies class and yanked the door open.
The students gasped and looked her way.
“She is the devil. Look at her face,” a boy said. “She’s
here to eat us like she did those ghost hunters.”
Adelyn ignored him and scanned the room for Brittany.
“Miss Mae,” the teacher said in a calm, but shaky voice.
“Please leave.”
Adelyn ignored her and pointed at Brittany. “You need
to come with me.”
Brittany shook her head, got up, and ran with the other
students to the other side of the room.
Adelyn ran up to her and grabbed her hand. “Please, I
need you. Sula took Marissa. I know you can help me get her
back.”
“She’s fucking lost her mind,” a boy shouted and ran
out of the room.
When some kids laughed, Adelyn felt an energy come
from within, she’d never felt before. She pointed at the kids
who were still laughing at her, and they dropped to their
knees, cradling their heads. She knew she was becoming
Muma and needed to hurry. She grabbed Brittany’s hand and
pulled her out of the classroom.
“Let me go!” Brittany screamed as she desperately tried
to get out of her grip.
“Miss Mae, let her go,” Mr. Rogers ordered.
“That’s not happening.” Adelyn stormed down the hall
while pulling Brittany.
Kids ran out of the classrooms and looked at Adelyn
while they walked backward—Adelyn watching their every
move.
When someone grabbed Adelyn, she whipped around
and pointed at a boy—sending him to his knees. “Stay back!
I don’t want to hurt you.”
“What
the hell are you?” a boy yelled out.
“She’s possessed,” a girl shouted.
Adelyn walked out the front door and forced Brittany
into the back of the patrol truck. She got inside and took off
down the road.
Brittany shook the cage and pounded on it, crying.
“What do you want with me?”
Adelyn looked in the rearview mirror into her fear-filled
eyes. “I need you to help me cast a spell on Sula.”
“What? Sula isn’t real. And even if she were, why would
I want to help you after you beat me up and after you killed
all those people?”
“It wasn’t me. It was Sula.”
“You’re fucking nuts.”
Adelyn slammed on the breaks and turned to her. “I will
show you how crazy I can be if you don’t help me save
Marissa and trap Sula’s soul.”
Brittany covered her face. “Why are your eyes glowing
red. What are you?”
“I’m becoming an evil witch. Now, are you going to
help me or not?”
“Okay, I will, but don’t hurt me.”
“I won’t, but when Muma takes me over, she won’t
hesitate.”
Brittany stayed quiet for a minute then lowered her
hands. “I think I read about her a few years ago. She’s the
witch from Romania, right?”
“Yes.”
“What does she want?”
“She wants her mirror back. That is why I look like this.
She’s slowly taking me over. And if I don’t find the mirror
and get it back in time, I will cease to exist inside of her, and
you and everyone else in town will end up in our gut. Now,
where are we going?”
“Go to Annabel’s Fortune. It’s next to—”
“I know where your mother’s psychic shop is.” Adelyn
drove into town, cutting down side streets, trying to avoid
being seen by the cops. She parked in the back of a small
purple building, let Brittany out, and followed her inside.
“Mom,” Brittany called out as she walked down the dim
hallway.
Adelyn glanced at the sconces on the black walls, not
wanting to be there, but she knew she needed the help.
When an older woman walked out of a room, Adelyn
glanced at the black medieval robe, wondering if she was
about to sacrifice someone or something.
“Why are you out of school?” Annabel asked.
Brittany glanced at Adelyn and back at the woman.
“Mom, my friend needs your help.”
Annabel looked at Adelyn and grimaced. “Where did
you meet your older friend?”
Brittany looked at Adelyn. “Tell her.”
After Adelyn quickly gave her a run down, Annabel
walked into the room in shock and sat on a black velvet chair.
Adelyn and Brittany sat across from her with a round table
in between them.
“Mom?” Brittany yelled, snapping her out of her trance.
“I know you’re in shock, but we need to hurry up here.
Do you have a spell or not? I need to find her, so I can find
the mirror.” Adelyn observed the tarot cards to the side of
her, waiting for her answer.
“Yes, but the spell would be useless without knowing
where Sula’s resting place was. That is the only way you can
force her to come to you.”
Adelyn clenched her fist and jumped up, knocking over
a candle on the table—wax splattering everywhere. “Who
would know this information?”
“You would,” Annabel said.
“How would I know that?”
“You said Muma is taking over you, so use her powers
and find out what had happened to her.”
“How do I do that?”
“You need an item Sula was connected to so you can
see her past.”
Adelyn folded her arms. “And where am I supposed to
find that?”
Annabel thought about it.
Brittany jumped up. “The tree where Sula was hanged
would work.”
“Yes, it would.” Annabel handed Adelyn a black leather
book. “The spell you need to send her back where she came
from, is on page eleven. I just hope she has the mirror when
you capture her. If she doesn’t have the mirror, you will need
to make her tell you where it is before you send her back to
hell, or you will never find it.”
Adelyn traced her finger over the silver pentagram that
was embedded into the book’s cover. “Thanks for your
help.” She looked at Brittany. “Come on, I need you to read
the spell in case something goes wrong.”
Annabel jumped up and pulled Brittany over to her.
“My daughter isn’t going with you.”
Adelyn glared her down. “Are you going to stop me
from taking her?”
Annabel gasped. “Oh, my God, your eyes.”
Brittany hugged her mother. “I will be fine. I love you.”
Adelyn looked at her red eyes in the mirror on the wal
and watched them fade from black to brown. She hated
seeing how evil she looked. She glanced at Brittany holding
her mother and frowned, not wanting to get her involved,
but she knew she needed her help. Adelyn walked out of the
room and continued outside, ready to get into the patrol
truck.
Brittany ran out waving keys in the air. “Let’s take my
mom’s truck so we don’t get pulled over.”
Good thinking. Adelyn got into the passenger seat of the
black F150.
When Brittany began the short drive to Broom
Mountain, Adelyn sank in the seat, not wanting to be
noticed. As she wondered if Marissa was okay, she got a
sharp pain in her hand and looked at her fingers stretching
into Muma’s. Adelyn’s heart pounded against her chest. She
lowered the visor to look at herself. “No,” she cried
“What’s wrong,” Brittany asked.
“I’m transitioning. Drive faster,” Adelyn ordered. She
watched in horror as more deep wrinkles slowly carved into
her ashen face. She turned to the window, hoping she would
be able to find out where Sula’s body was in time.
Brittany flew up Broom Mountain and pulled off on the
side of the rocky road.
Adelyn grabbed the book of spells, jumped out of the
truck, and ran up the hill with Brittany following her.
At the top, Adelyn slowed down and glanced at the
firepit, remembering being there with Marissa while kids she
didn’t know summoned Sula. Adelyn stopped thinking about
that night and continued down a pathway until she came a
few feet from a cliff. She stopped and glanced up at the tree
where Sula was hanged. “What do I do now?”
Brittany walked over to the tree. “Just touch it and focus
on Sula’s energy. You should be able to see what happened
to her.”
Adelyn sighed and walked over to the lifeless tree. She
looked at the town, wanting it to work so she could save
Marissa and get her life back. She concentrated on Sula.
Seconds later, energy went from the tree and flashed up her
arm—blue lights illuminating it—and went through her
body, the
n continued into her head. “It’s working.”
“That’s good, but don’t talk to me. You will lose
concentration, and you may not be able to get it back.”
Adelyn felt her eyes roll back, where she saw flashes of
children, men, and women, screaming as they were being
hanged. She focused on Sula, and a noose around someone’s
charred neck came into focus.
Sula’s body dropped from the tree, and she grunted in
pain as she pulled the noose off her neck—her flesh sticking
to it. She covered her mouth and screamed—her eyes filled
with pure hatred.
Sula staggered into the woods, down the mountain, and
came to a small hut. She continued inside and looked at
herself in the mirror. She let out a guttural scream as she
looked in terror at her burned flesh. “You will all die for
taking my beauty away from me.”
Sula slammed her fist on the mirror, breaking it. She
walked over to the side of her straw bed and lifted a
floorboard. She grinned. “Revenge is such a beautiful thing.”
She snatched her spell book and began reading from it as she
walked out the door—the hut catching ablaze.
Adelyn’s body stopped convulsing and started again
with flashes of Sula killing the hunters who hanged her, and
everyone else in her path.
Adelyn’s body jerked forward, and now Sula was
hunched over while looking into the rippled water. “I will be
back one day to kill you all for what you have done to me.”
She slowly walked over to a cave, turned around, and
looked across the lake at Spell Mountain. “You hunters will
never find me here.” She crawled inside the cave, where she
lay on the ground, and broke off a stalactite from above her.
She impaled herself in the heart and let out a low cackle.
Adelyn’s body stopped convulsing, and she dropped to
her knees, completely drained.
Brittany ran up to her. “Are you alright?”
Adelyn nodded. “Yes. I know where her body is. Help
me up, please.”
Brittany did as she asked and helped her back down the
mountain, where they got into the truck. “Where are we
going?”
“Hex Lake.” Adelyn leaned her head back and tried to
