by Sarra Cannon
She didn’t look up as I entered. Her head was lowered, her eyes closed, as if she were in some kind of trance. She did not seem afraid or disturbed by my entrance. Instead, she seemed perfectly calm, and her energy flowed through me the moment I laid eyes on her.
To my surprise, I breathed deeply and fully, the lump from moments ago completely dissipated and gone.
“Sit down, child.” Her voice was as worn and weathered as her face, but there was a sweetness to it that comforted me.
I glanced at Jordan, unsure where she expected me to sit. There was another old recliner next to her covered in a blanket and a small loveseat across from her.
He motioned toward the loveseat, and I moved toward it carefully, trying not to make much noise in the stillness.
Strangely, the loud clinking sound of the wind chimes out front didn’t penetrate the walls of her home. It didn’t make any sense, because the building looked as if it could fall over in a strong wind, but I knew with sudden certainty that the power of this woman consumed the room so thoroughly that no sound could disturb it.
Despite my previous nerves, this was the most peaceful, welcoming place I’d ever been in my life.
When I was settled on the couch, a wave of calm washed over me, and my eyes closed without thought or effort.
I felt Jordan take the seat next to me, but it was the medicine woman’s presence that I felt connected to in that moment.
We all sat together for a long time—I couldn’t even guess if it was one minute or twenty—before she spoke again.
“Look at me, girl.”
My body obeyed, my eyes wide and clear when I met hers through the flames of the candles between us.
She smiled at me, her eyes widening as she saw my face for the first time.
“I know who you are,” she said, shaking her head slightly. “You look so much like your grandmother. If I didn’t know any better, I would think a young Eleanor sat before me now.”
My lips parted in surprise. Eleanor had been my grandmother’s name. I was too young when she died to have any memories of her, but my dad had shown me pictures of her. She was right, I did look a lot like my grandmother.
I wanted to ask how she’d known her, but Jordan had told me not to speak unless the medicine woman woman asked me a question, so I kept silent.
“There is a light inside of you that shines as bright as the sun at its peak,” she said. “I could sense it when you were still miles away, and now that you are here with me, I feel its warmth.”
This was not at all what I had expected her to say to me, but I knew from her tone that there was more she had to say. Something unpleasant from the way her eyes darkened and tensed.
“But there is also a darkness,” she said. She closed her eyes and rocked slightly back and forth. “This darkness is new to you, but it is old. Ancient and wise and manipulative. It wants to control you, but you’re resisting it.”
She opened her eyes and looked directly at me.
“The darkness does not like to be resisted. This is why you’ve struggled to rest lately. You’ve been plagued by nightmares?”
It was a question, but also a statement of fact. She already knew about my nightmares. She simply wanted me to confirm it.
I nodded, not sure if I was supposed to speak yet.
She closed her eyes again, but I kept mine open, watching. Her body rocked back and forth, and a low humming noise sounded from her throat. Her eyebrows lifted and fell, her lips tensed and then opened.
She stopped suddenly, her eyes still closed, but behind them, she was seeing something important.
“You were not the one who released this ancient evil, but it found its way to you by accident,” she said. “Did you lose someone close to you recently?”
“Yes,” I said, my voice timid and small compared to hers. “My best friend, Hailey. She died last year.”
The medicine woman—Maria—kept her eyes closed, but nodded. “Yes, yes. She stumbled upon the power of the Ancient One,” she said. “She fought against it as long as she could, poor girl, but in her death, the darkness found its way to you.”
“The Ancient One?” I asked, forgetting that I wasn’t supposed to speak unless answering her question, but she didn’t seem to mind.
She opened her eyes and stared at me, as if she could see much more than just my physical form.
“An evil almost as old as this land,” she said. “One of the Three Sisters, so the legend goes.”
Jordan gasped, his hand rising to cover his mouth.
“Their sins against our people knew no limits or boundaries,” she said. “They murdered for the joy of it, and slaughtered innocents just to watch them die. No one knows where these spirits came from or why they killed so mercilessly, but these Sisters appeared in our lands centuries ago. Their terror continued for more than a decade, touching every tribe of every nation with their evil.”
I glanced at Jordan, but his eyes were locked on the medicine woman’s face. His hands trembled.
“The legend says that all the tribal leaders appointed one representative to a special council tasked to defeat the Sisters. In a sacred ceremony, each of these warriors were blessed with a special power, gifted to them by the Great Creator,” she said. “Together, they battled the Three Sisters for many years. Many of them lost their lives, but those that survived figured out a way to trap the Three Sisters inside three idols. These idols were separated and hidden in caves here in the mountains of North Carolina, guarded by the souls of those who dedicated their lives to ridding this land of their terror.”
I listened to her story, knowing that it was much more than a legend. It was history.
“If these idols were being guarded, how did one get loose?” I asked.
The old woman frowned and shook her head. “I can’t answer that question,” she said. “Over the years, many people have searched for the caves that hid the idols. Some hoped to prove the old legends, while others sought to use the power of the Sisters for their own purposes. But the entrances to those caves have always remained hidden. Something must have happened to reveal that cave to your friend.”
She stared into the light of the candles, their reflection dancing across her brown eyes.
“The darkness fights for control inside of you,” she said. “You must not let it win. You must open yourself to the light and learn to control both sides of your destiny.”
“I don’t know how to do that,” I said.
“You must learn,” she said, her eyes snapping to mine. “You must fight back with the light and learn to master the darkness. It is the only way.”
“Can you teach me how to do that?” I asked, scooting to the edge of the couch. “I don’t know how—”
“Do you honestly have no idea who you are?” she asked, straightening. “Has no one taught you the power of your ancestors?”
I had no idea what she was talking about. I was no one special.
She narrowed her eyes at me.
“You are a Spiritwalker, child. A gifted one, blessed by the Great Creator,” she said. “Your grandmother knew who she was, and she gave her life to save thousands. Has your father never told you her story?”
I shook my head, completely unable to speak. My grandmother was a Spiritwalker?
“I knew him when he was just a boy,” Maria said. “He was such a sweet child. Quiet, but always observing. Always watching.”
She shook her head.
“He should have told you who you are,” she said.
Jordan shifted his weight on the couch, and Maria smiled at him.
“Speak, Jordan Greycloud,” she said. “Say what you need to say.”
“How do we get rid of the Sister’s spirit?” he asked. “Can we put it back in the idol, somehow? Or banish her?”
Maria’s eyes grew sad, and she looked at me again. “I’m sorry,” she said. “According to the legends, once a Sister’s power has entered a human body, there is no way to draw it back out witho
ut killing its host.”
I froze, my eyes wide open and my body rigid. I couldn’t breathe.
“There has to be something we can do,” Jordan said.
“Marayah,” the medicine woman said.
A few seconds passed before it registered that she had said my name. I looked at her, terror bubbling under the surface of my blank expression.
“You have to keep fighting,” she said. “As long as you can learn to control the darkness, it cannot hurt you. When you are scared and you feel the evil moving within you, give thanks to the Great Creator. Feel your connection to the earth around you. You are a part of its energy. The power that flows through the sea also flows through you. The power that flow through the earth and the trees is also available to you. You are one, but you are many. In your time of need, remember to call on your ancestors for guidance. They will help you.”
I felt the truth in her words, but I still didn’t understand how to access that power for myself. I wasn’t like her or Jordan. I didn’t know what to do, and it terrified me.
Jordan leaned back, shaking his head. “There has to be more we can do,” he said. “It’s already tried to kill her once. What if it happens again? Next time, I might not be there to help her.”
Maria studied him for a moment, her eyebrows pinched together. “Tell me what happened,” she said.
I explained the voice in my head on the bridge and how it urged me to jump to my death. Maria closed her eyes again, her body swaying as she hummed. Many different expressions crossed over her features, as if she were having a private conversation with someone in her head.
Finally, she opened her eyes.
“There is something more going on that I cannot see,” she said. “I’ve asked the spirits for answers, but something is blocking them from the truth. I need more time.”
“We’re running out of time,” Jordan said.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “There is nothing more I can do for you tonight. Come back to me during the next full moon. I will sit with the spirits and do what I can to help you then.”
Jordan shook his head, obviously not happy with the medicine woman’s response. “There has to be something more we can do to help her,” he said. “Please.”
Maria studied him. “There is one thing you can do,” she said. “Find the cave that held the idol. Bring the pieces back to me. That might help me communicate with the spirit who used to guard the cave.”
“I’ll find it,” he said.
She nodded. “Now, you must go,” she said. “I need to sit with the spirits for a while.”
I wasn’t sure of the customs for leaving a medicine woman’s home, so I waited for Jordan to move. He finally stood.
“Thank you,” he said. “I’ll bring the idol back to you as soon as I can.”
“I look forward to seeing you again,” she said, standing and offering her hand to me.
“Thank you for meeting me,” I said.
I was surprised she was willing to touch me, knowing that there was an evil power living inside my body, but she seemed unconcerned.
Her hands were soft and warm. “Tell your father I said hello,” she said. “Tell him he should come to visit me sometime, and ask him to tell you the story of your grandmother’s life. She was an amazing woman. I see so much of her in you, Marayah. Call out to her when you’re feeling weak, and she will always be there to guide you.”
“Thank you,” I said.
Jordan walked to the door of the small home and stepped out in the cool night air. I followed him, reluctant to leave the medicine woman’s calming presence.
When he closed the door behind me, the truth of what she’d just told us truly began to sink in, and my knees grew weak. I nearly collapsed under the weight of it.
I was either going to learn to control this dark spirit that lived inside of me, or I was going to die.
41
Ever Darker
When Jordan and I finally got back into the car, it was after midnight. I was too shaken to drive, so he offered to get us home.
“Are you okay?” he asked once we were back on the winding mountain roads.
How was I supposed to answer that question? I’d just gotten confirmation that one of the evilest spirits to ever terrorize this continent was living inside of me. I’d also found out that my own family had a history that my father had never told me about.
It was a lot to take in, to say the least.
“I’m not sure,” I said finally.
I wasn’t sure of anything anymore.
All this time, since I’d first woken up in a hospital bed a few weeks after the accident, I’d known there was something different about me. I’d felt a loss deep down in the core of who I was and always assumed it was the loss of my best friend that was chipping away at me.
Missing Hailey was the kind of loss that was supposed to get easier with time, but instead, the hole kept getting bigger. With every day that passed, I felt farther from myself than I had been the day before, and until tonight, none of it had made much sense. Not to me and not to my therapist or my parents or even my friends.
But now, I felt the truth I hadn’t wanted to face. It was there inside of me like a shadow that grew in the same way night fell over the earth as the sun faded each day. Only for me, the sun never came back up.
My life since the accident was just one long sunset, growing ever darker.
Jordan didn’t say another word. He simply reached over and placed his hand over mine, letting me know that he was there.
I curled up against the door and watched the trees pass outside the window, the constant light of the full moon filtering down through the branches. I fell asleep to the gentle hum of the road under our tires, and when I woke up we were pulling into the parking lot of an old diner.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“Sorry to wake you, but I’m starving,” Jordan said. “Are you hungry?
My stomach rumbled at the suggestion. We’d completely skipped dinner.
“Definitely,” I said. “I’ve barely eaten anything all day.”
“Great,” he said. “I’ve been here a few times, and it’s good food. Plus, it’s one in the morning, and it’s open.”
“Good enough for me,” I said, stretching. My body ached from being curled into the same awkward position for over an hour.
There were only three other cars in the parking lot, which meant it would be quiet, too. Right now, I needed some peace and quiet to still the fear inside my brain.
We walked inside, and a short woman behind the counter welcomed us.
“Take any seats you like,” she said as she refilled the coffee cup in front of her. “I’ll be with you in a minute.”
“Thanks,” Jordan said.
Two older men sat at the counter sipping coffee and watching some football game replay on the small television mounted to the wall.
They hardly glanced our way as Jordan led me to a table in the corner, as far away from the others as we could get.
“I’m glad we have a chance to talk a little more,” he said. “What time do you need to be home?”
A nervous warmth spread up my neck. I’d completely forgotten to tell him I had nowhere to go until tomorrow. I didn’t know if he’d be okay with me staying at his place tonight or not. I didn’t even know where he lived.
Please let it not be somewhere in the forest.
“Oh, well, about that,” I said nervously. “My parents think I’m staying at Nicole’s tonight. I’m assuming you have a place of your own somewhere in town, but I don’t want to invite myself over if that’s weird. Do you live in town?”
“I’m renting a one-bedroom over on East Street,” he said. “It’s not exactly the best neighborhood, but it’s a place to stay, and it’s cheap.”
He still hadn’t answered my question about staying with him, though, and I bit my lower lip. Maybe he didn’t want me there.
I picked up one of the faded menus and scanned the offer
ings, avoiding his eyes.
How much would the things the medicine woman said affect our relationship? Was he nervous to be around me now that he knew the truth?
“I can sleep in my car if I need to,” I said. “Or I could text Nicole and see if she’s still awake to let me in.”
He reached over and touched my hand. “You can stay with me, Marayah,” he said. “I want to help keep you safe. We’re going to figure this out, okay? No matter what it takes.”
Relief washed over me.
“Thank you,” I said. “That means a lot to me.”
I glanced at my phone again, double-checking that I didn’t have any messages from my parents. I had called from the car on the way to the mountains to tell Mom I was safely at Nicole’s, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d texted or called a few more times. It was hard to believe it was already one in the morning.
“I can’t believe we were really in the medicine woman’s house for four hours,” I said. “It felt more like an hour, but time was so strange there. Like it didn’t really exist the same way it normally does. Does that make any sense?”
“Completely,” he said. “My father took me to see her when I was only five years old, and I remember time flying by. I was in there for more than eight hours with her all by myself, but it felt like no more than half an hour had passed. I remember being so disoriented when I walked outside and it was dark out.”
“Wow, your dad took you to see her when you were only five?” I asked. “Why?”
He made a strange face, and I wondered if I had asked too personal of a question. At the same time, though, I felt like there were no secrets between us. He already knew my darkest one when no one else would ever even guess it. What could we have worth hiding from each other after that?
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” I said.
“It’s not that,” he said. He leaned forward, but before he could tell me about his trip to the medicine woman when he was little, the server appeared beside us.
