Surrounded by Darkness

by Rachel Dylan

  “Is that a tenant of Wicca in general or just your group?”

  Eliza took a sip of her tea. “I’d like to tell you that it’s across the board, but it’s not. There are definitely those of us who use witchcraft in very damaging ways. If I’m being completely honest, I’m worried you might be in that boat. I was hoping to have some time with you to explain another path. A path that promotes peace and unification.”

  Stacey had wondered how long it was going to take for Eliza to try to convince her to change her ways. Stacey had no intention of doing that. This was a fact-finding mission. “I figured you’d say that, but I think I can learn things from you and would love to hear more though. Do you use crystals or other magical objects?” Stacey hoped she could keep getting them to explain and talk without having to shift back to her own worldview.

  “Yes, we do. We have a variety of items we believe are enchanted and help with our process. Do you want to see some of them?”

  Now they were getting somewhere. “I’d love to.”

  Eliza stood up. “Be right back.”

  “So how did you meet Eliza?” Stacey asked Randi.

  “We actually met at a yoga class. We both love yoga and we started talking one day, and before you knew it, we were great friends. Then Eliza introduced me to other Wiccans in town. At first, I thought it was all a little hokey. I never grew up believing anything, and I didn’t go to church. I also never really thought that the spiritual realm was real, but once I started spending time with these women, I realized I was wrong. Things I have felt in Eliza’s presence are unexplainable by pure logic and rationality. She’s really unique.”

  Stacey could relate. “I completely understand what you’re saying because I’ve experienced things too. Things that defy all human explanation, but I’m also one of those people who doesn’t want to throw out logic and rationality. I like having the mix of both worlds. I think that gives me the most likely chance to succeed in this life.”

  Randi leaned in toward her. “I can tell you’re very ambitious, but I can’t tell for what. What’s your plan? Do you want to actually be a leader of Optimism? Eliza told me about your involvement with them.”

  “Right now, I’m still finding my footing, but who knows, one day.” Stacey didn’t want to reveal her hand to this woman she just met. Layton had spies everywhere and the last thing she needed was for him to think that she was ready to launch a coup.

  “I’m back and I come bringing gifts.” Eliza, holding a large pink box in her hands, walked over to where they were all sitting on the sofa. She sat down and opened up the box. “Here are my goodies.”

  Stacey took a minute and examined the contents of the box. “It’s good to see you also use crystals. I’ve used them quite often, and I feel like I’ve been successful.”

  “Yes, we have a wide range of items here, but crystals are one of the most user-friendly. Why don’t you actually sit back and watch Randi and me as we practice some of our spells.”

  “That would be great.” Stacey thought she could learn a lot by watching them. Also, she wanted to determine whether they were playing around or actually had any real source of power. She wasn’t convinced they did have any magical powers, but that they were just a nice group of women who had convinced themselves they were witches of some sort and liked tinkering with New Age stuff and hanging out at yoga studios.

  What Stacey had seen and lived through was real, and she found it hard to believe these women had anything close to that, but she sat back and watched them do their thing. They turned off the lights, lit candles and incense, and started chanting. For a few minutes nothing happened, and Stacey was beginning to think this is was all a big waste of time. At least she had satisfied her curiosity.

  After a good ten minutes went by, a coolness crept through the room and hit her skin. That coolness was quickly replaced by flashes of searing heat. “Hey, what are you doing?”

  “A cleansing ritual,” Eliza responded, her eyes still shut.

  “You’re hurting me.” The pain only increased as it shot through Stacey’s neck and down her back. She’d had enough of this. If Eliza was calling on her horned goddess or whatever it was, she’d show her what real power was. Stacey took in a breath and started chanting to the evil one. He would listen to her because she had given over her life to serve him. The forces of darkness would show Eliza who had true power on this earth.

  Stacey looked over at Eliza as she continued chanting, and Eliza’s eyes opened. Her face became white as a sheet, and her chanting stopped. “We should stop. Like right now.”

  Eliza stood up, blew out the candles, and turned on the lights. “Stacey, come on. Let’s walk out on the back porch and get some fresh air.”

  Stacey rose from the couch feeling more powerful after the show of force. She knew what she had done. She was waiting on Eliza to tell her. The ladies all stood in silence for a moment on the porch.

  “What just happened?” Stacey asked, feigning ignorance.

  “You didn’t see them?” Eliza asked.

  “I didn’t see anything,” Stacey said.

  “Me neither,” Randi replied.

  “Are you certain you didn’t see them?” Eliza asked with wide eyes.

  “I didn’t see them,” Stacey said. Which was the truth, but she knew exactly what they were. What she had conjured by going to the dark side and seeking the Prince of Darkness.

  “I think we had some visitors.” Eliza’s voice shook.

  “What type of visitors?” Stacey asked, wanting Eliza to have to admit it.

  Eliza looked down and back up, her face still pale. “Demonic ones.”

  Stacey wanted to smile but held herself back. “That’s because I invited them.”

  Eliza’s hands shook as she spoke. “Why? Why would you do that?”

  “Your little séance was only getting us so far. I wanted to expose what lies beneath. What you could be working with if you accepted our way. You said you didn’t believe in demons. Now you saw them, so you know I’m telling you the truth.”

  “Stacey, I saw them clearly surrounding you. I can’t even put into words how they looked, but I know what they were.”

  A powerful point had been made. “I think you found out tonight why I’m a member of Optimism. That’s where the real power is.”

  On Sunday morning, Nina Marie sat in the passenger seat of Abe’s truck in the parking lot of Windy Ridge Community Church. She looked over at Abe. His normally unruly jet-black hair was combed back smooth. His dark eyes held so much kindness and light—such a difference compared to what she was used to.

  “Are you ready to go in?” Abe asked.

  Nina Marie was afraid of the whispers and looks. It was inevitable and human nature that people would talk about her given the situation. How many reformed witches did they have in the congregation? One! She’d attended services a few times before her attack, but this was her first time back since then.

  Abe reached over and squeezed her hand. “I’ll be by your side the entire time.”

  She smiled. “I know that. You’re too good to me, Abe.”

  Now it was his turn to smile before he got out of the truck and walked around to her side, opening the door for her. Always a complete gentleman. Unlike Layton, who would put on the gentleman act in public only, Abe was this way twenty-four seven.

  “You’re going to be fine. Remember the reason you’re here. It’s not about the people and what they will think. It’s about God.” Abe’s voice held a firm conviction.

  It was ironic that it took Nina Marie’s experience to bring Abe back to his childhood faith. But now he was all in, and they were all in together.

  Abe took her hand in his, and they walked toward the church. When she saw Olivia standing and talking to Grant and Pastor Dan, she let out a sigh of relief. Friendly faces.

  When Olivia noticed her, she smiled broadly and motioned them over. Olivia embraced her tightly. Once her great foe, this woman was now one of her only t
rue friends.

  “Nina Marie, Abe, so glad you’re here.” Pastor Dan greeted them.

  Nina Marie told everyone hello, but she couldn’t help but notice that Grant didn’t seem like his normal self. Instead of standing right beside Olivia, he was one step back. Maybe it was nothing, but she sensed something was off.

  “You two should go in and have a seat,” Pastor Dan said.

  “Come sit by us,” Olivia encouraged.

  Nina Marie was most afraid of entering that sanctuary. Would the whispers start the moment she walked in there?

  Abe must have sensed her hesitation because he leaned down and gave her some encouraging words and then said something in Spanish that she couldn’t decipher but knew was an endearment. He often said sweet things to her in Spanish, and while she spoke zero Spanish except the few words Abe was teaching her, it warmed her heart to hear him speak to her in any language. She felt the emotion behind his words. Thank you again, God, for sending Abe into my life.

  Nina Marie prepared herself for the worst, but as she walked down the aisle, she didn’t see much response at all. Most people were engaged in their own conversations and didn’t pay her much attention.

  Flanked by Abe and Olivia, she felt safe. Coming today was a big step. Once she was seated, she let out a breath.

  It wasn’t long before the worship team hit the stage and the music was playing loudly. Not much of a singer herself, she stood and bobbed her head to the beat. She willed herself to focus on the words of each song. They weren’t familiar to her, but in time, she hoped she would learn to be comfortable listening to worship music. How could she ever explain to anyone how she felt having transformed from a person of darkness to a person of light? Jesus, I know you can help me. Open my eyes to what I need to hear today.

  By the time Dan started preaching, she felt more at ease. His message was about God’s relentless love and redemptive grace. It was like he had tailored the sermon for her, but she knew that wasn’t true. For the next forty minutes she allowed herself to solely focus on what Dan was saying and block out the concerns and fears about those around her.

  Even though she was born again and forgiven, her decisions had consequences. And those consequences would still follow her the rest of her life. If people wanted to talk, then she had only herself to blame.

  When the service was over, Nina Marie steeled herself for the aftermath.

  Abe leaned over to her. “That was a great sermon.”

  She nodded. “Yes, it was just what I needed.” She looked over at Olivia who was focused on Grant. Yes, something was definitely off with them, but Nina Marie didn’t want to start poking her nose in. Olivia would tell her if she wanted to.

  They stood up and began to make their way out of the row and down the aisle. When she heard someone call her name, she came up short.

  Nina Marie turned around and saw a petite, black-haired woman walking toward her. The woman was probably in her fifties with red cheeks. “Are you Nina Marie Crane?” the woman asked.

  Nina Marie was afraid to answer, but at least Abe was right there by her side. “Yes, I am.”

  “I’m Patrice. I’ve heard a lot about you, but I wanted to meet you in person.”

  Nina Marie’s stomach sank as she feared the worst about where Patrice was going with this. Abe squeezed her hand, assuring her he was not going anywhere.

  Patrice took a step toward her. “My daughter is Stacey Malone.”

  Nina Marie started to feel ill. This couldn’t be good.

  Patrice reached out and grabbed onto her arm. “You are my only hope right now.”

  “What?” Nina Marie was confused.

  “If you can turn your life around, then I think there may be hope for my little girl.”

  A wave of emotion washed over Nina Marie. Ever since the attack, she was more emotional than she ever had been before. Her eyes welled up with tears. “Patrice, God can reach anyone. Even someone as far off as I was.”

  A single tear fell down Patrice’s cheek. “Can I please ask you a favor?”

  “Of course.”

  “If you ever get the chance to talk to my Stacey again, will you try to get through to her? Maybe she’d listen to you. She’s completely shut me out. It breaks my heart.”

  Nina Marie nodded. “Yes. I can’t make any promises about her reaction, but I’ll do what I can. She has to want to make the change, and sometimes that is difficult.”

  “I know,” Patrice said, “but you standing in this church right now shows me that God still does miraculous work.”

  “That He does,” Abe added.

  Patrice reached out and gave her a hug. Nina Marie was finally starting to understand what Christ’s love looked like.

  That evening, Grant looked over at Olivia as they sat together on the couch in her living room.

  “You’re quiet tonight,” he said.

  Olivia tilted her head up. “Tomorrow’s a big day. I think I’m trying to get in the right frame of mind.”

  Olivia would officially start working at her legal clinic tomorrow. “Have I told you how proud I am of you?”

  She smiled. “About a million times. What do you have going on?”

  Grant groaned. “My day will be unpleasant. I’m meeting with my lawyer to prepare for the initial mediation.”

  “So, they agreed to mediation? Isn’t that good?” Her brown eyes focused on him.

  Grant’s stomach had been in knots over the whole thing. “In theory, yes, but we’ll also get a sense of their settlement posture and how much they want. If it’s way out of bounds, then that means we could be headed for a trial collision course, and that would obviously be bad.”

  Olivia squeezed his hand tightly. “You are not alone, Grant. I’m not going anywhere, and God isn’t going to leave you either. In tough times, you have to rely on Him, not on your own strength.”

  “I know what you’re saying makes sense, but it’s a lot harder to do for a man like me who has always fought his own battles and been independent—not needing or wanting anyone else to help.”

  “We both know you’ve changed. I’ve seen the changes myself in the time we’ve known each other.”

  He felt it too, but there was something else. “I agree with you that I’ve changed, and it’s all for the better. But, Olivia, I want to be completely honest with you because I believe that’s been a foundation to our relationship.”

  She shifted on the sofa to face him. “What is it?”

  “I can’t shake the negative thoughts and depressing feelings. You know I’m not the type of guy to feel beaten down or to have a pity party for myself, but right now I have that urge all the time.”

  “Did the malpractice suit set this off?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “No. It was brewing in the weeks leading up to the suit. That just put the icing on the cake. I don’t want to bring you down with me, especially since you have such an amazing opportunity you’re about to jump into.”

  “Grant, you’re not going to bring me down. We’re a team. A partnership. Right?”

  He loved her more than he could ever put into words, and that’s why this was so hard. “I’m wondering whether we should be.”

  “What? Are you breaking up with me?” Her voice cracked.

  “It’s the last thing I want, but I really think you’d be better off with someone else.”

  Olivia shook her head. “That’s not true, Grant. I refuse to believe that.”

  “I know you believe God brought us together, and I think it too. But just because it happened doesn’t mean we’re supposed to be together forever.”

  “Are you worried we’re getting too serious too quickly? Is that what this is about?” The worry was evident on her beautiful face.

  “Honestly, I don’t know what this is about. I’m just telling you how I feel, and my gut is saying you’re better off without me. A lot better off.”

  “Have you considered that it’s not your gut at all but the negative forces
we deal with all the time in this town? We’re stronger together, Grant. Not apart. I love you.”

  “And I love you too. More than you can even imagine.”

  She leaned in closer to him. “Then don’t cut and run. Fight for us. I’m not going to bail.”

  Once again, Olivia’s strength was palpable. He wanted to believe her, but he still had his doubts.

  “Don’t overthink this, Grant. Our love is stronger than these obstacles you’re facing.”

  “I want to believe that. I really do.”

  “But?”

  “I’m not you, Olivia. I don’t have endless faith and strength and determination. You need a man who can match you. You’d be better off with Pastor Dan.”

  Olivia moved back away from him. “Now you’re being outright ridiculous.”

  He was making an even bigger mess of this than he had imagined when he had rehearsed this conversation in his head. “I’m not trying to be. I’m really not. I’m trying to help you. I’ve done a lot of thinking about this, and I believe you’ll be much happier in the long run without me.”

  Olivia shook her head. “This isn’t the Grant I know talking. You’re under tremendous pressure from the malpractice claim. It’s clouding your vision. As much as I hate to say it, maybe you need to get away for a few days. Try to clear your head and rid yourself of the influences of Windy Ridge. This town is still under attack, and you’re being unduly influenced by that. You have too much on your plate right now.”

  Maybe she had a point. A long weekend away could be nice. “I’ll think about it.” Now was the really tough part, but he had to go there. “But I still think we should take a break. I need some time.”

  The hurt in her eyes was palpable, and it was like a punch to his gut.

  “Don’t do this, Grant. Please don’t,” she whispered.

  “A break. That’s it.” He had to make her understand he needed this. That she needed this. “I love you, and I can’t stand to cause you pain. It kills me that I’m disappointing you.”