Mystery: Black Feathers: A Secret Hope ( Book 1 of Series)

by Brent Schneider

  The first person who popped into my head was Jane with her thick rosy lips, mesmerizing freckles and a broken heart.

  “Could this person have hired someone to do this, or should they have done this themselves?” I asked.

  “Just like I’m here to help you, someone else might aid them, yes.”

  We agreed to meet later on at my house with the potions. Carmen said she would also make a protective puppet for my son and my task was to find something pure that belonged to him, something from his childhood to keep on him at all times, like an amulet.

  I called Mark to let him know of this new development. He was frustrated.

  “What’s wrong, honey?”

  “Listen, mom, I can’t talk right now. Our damned servers crashed! Our guys are working on it right now. They think it’s some kind of virus that broke through our walls. I’ve never seen anything like this! Our data is getting erased as we speak.”

  “OK, OK, but call me as soon as you can,” I pleaded.

  “Yeah, it’s anything but OK... I’ll call you, I’m sorry. Bye, mom!”

  I haven’t heard from him at all that day. I figured he was busy, but I was also very afraid. When Carmen came by and I mentioned the chaos that was unfolding at Mark’s office, she wasn’t the least surprised.

  “Listen to me, Hope. You have to get your son over here. The weekend is just around the corner and he could use some time away from the city. Because whoever is causing this, lives in the city. So get him over here and we’ll both explain why all this is happening to him. He probably won’t believe me, so you’ll have to convince him. Did you find an amulet?”

  I did. It was a pin from NASA that we got when the three of us visited Cape Canaveral. He wore it every time he had a test at school, for good luck.

  “Perfect!” she said. “He’ll have to keep it on him at all times, as well as this puppet I made.”

  She pulled out what looked like a voodoo doll resembling a man with pants and a tie around his neck.

  “Now, this here,” she said, showing me a small cloth satchel, “is a blend of rue, hyssop, salt, sage and frankincense. He has to burn these and recite the 37th Psalm.”

  “Oh, you’re going to throw him off right there,” I muttered. “His faith in God is weaker than an old man’s hips. There’s no way he’ll do that.”

  “So he’ll just have to burn the incense, then! Listen, he has to pitch in on this, too. Otherwise, there’s no telling what could happen.”

  That’s not what I wanted to hear, not by a long shot.

  “As for you, Hope,” she added, “you need to stay rested, calm and focused, and by the look of if, you haven’t been doing any of it lately.”

  “Does it show?” I asked, touching the sacks under my eyes.

  “Are you kidding? You look ready for retirement, dear. I brought you this - it’s valerian root. All you need to do is put half of it in lukewarm water before going to sleep. It will relax you and you’ll feel rested in the morning. Remember, lukewarm, not boiling water.”

  Chapter 10

  Good morning, Cape Cod! It’s 7 AM, the weather is nice and breezy, and, what do you know? It’s Friday again! So put on your smiling faces and get ready for the weekend! Here’s George Harrison with “My Sweet Lord” to keep you company, here on 107.2 FM.

  I reached for my phone and saw a message from Mark. Just left church. I’m gonna make a quick stop at Jane’s university before work. See you tonight.

  I wrote back, pleading him to stay away from her until this haze clears up. His reply was short and comforting: Never mind. She wasn’t there.

  “Who are you texting, honey?” asked Pete, groggy as always in the morning.

  “Morning, dear. Mark sent me a message saying he’s going to see Jane, but didn’t find her at her school.”

  “Is he still coming over for the weekend?”

  “That’s what he said.”

  “How do you think he’ll take all these Wicked Witch of the West news?”

  “As long as you stop mocking Carmen’s efforts, I think we’ll be fine.”

  I was getting really tired of all the negativity around my son’s life and Pete was not helping at the moment. But later that night, Pete joined the Hope team, which pleased me.

  Mark came alone. He had asked John to join him, but he preferred to be by himself for the weekend. I didn’t blame him. It was a tough week for everyone at their office. The virus that damaged their servers made them lose two big clients and pay a significant amount of money in damages. “What’s weird is that it only affected clients who only worked with the Boston branch,” Mark told me baffled.

  It’s not weird, it’s black magic I thought to myself.

  We spent the evening just the three of us. Pete took the opportunity to do a little Spring cleaning in the attic and with Mark there, the chore turned into a pleasant stroll down memory lane. Most of the boxes gathering dust were filled with Mark’s stuff: his drawings, toys, cassettes, stickers, stamps, and tons of pictures.

  “Here’s when we went to the San Diego Zoo and a lama spat in your face! Remember that, champ?” asked Pete laughing.

  “You mean the day we spent two hours in the parking lot because you forgot where you parked and it turned out the police towed away the car because it was next to a fire hydrant? Yeah, how could I forget!” said Mark, joining the cheer.

  “Oh, here’s a good one! Your father and I on graduation day! Look how young and slim I was back then!”

  “What are you talking about?” asked Pete. “You’re a dozen times more beautiful than you ever were.”

  We laughed and enjoyed our past. It gave me strength to see beyond the darkness of this damned confusing present. And beneath it all, my mother’s words would glitter through the shadows - We must not lose Hope.

  “Listen, tomorrow we’re having Carmen over for lunch, OK, Mark?”

  “Yeah, that’s fine with me. She’s a little cuckoo, but she’s cool.”

  Chapter 11

  Mark slept on the couch, but when I woke up, he wasn’t there. The house smelled like fresh coffee and toast. By the time Pete and I went through the daily morning rituals, Mark had come back sweaty, in his jogging gear.

  “Sweet Jeez,” exclaimed Pete. “It’s freezing cold outside. Who are you? Rocky?!”

  “Haha! You know, dad, you should try it. Maybe you’ll get back in shape.”

  “I like my shape just fine, thank you very much. I’m going with the lumpy look now. Chicks dig it, you know.”

  We all shared a good laugh and a cup of coffee.

  “How did you sleep?” I asked Mark.

  “Can’t complain. I had another strange dream, but it must have been the sofa or the clean air, I don’t know.”

  “What was it about?” Pete was curious to know.

  “I don’t remember much of it, only that I was on a tall mountain, looking in the distance and down below was a huge cemetery with angel sculptures. There was a roaring noise approaching and I saw the sky turn black - it was filled with planes that were bombing the fields. They came closer and closer, a bomb exploded next to me and I woke up. Do you think it means anything?”

  “I’m not sure, but Carmen should know. By the way,” I said, “I wasn’t completely honest with you. There’s a reason she’s coming over - she thinks you’ve been cursed.”

  “Yeah, no kidding. You know, under different circumstances, I would have dismissed the idea in a blink of an eye, but now, with everything that’s going on in my life, I think she might be right.”

  I was surprised. So was Pete. We didn’t expect this reaction from him, but it took a massive weight off my shoulders. There was finally a positive feeling that we all shared - that everything was going to be alright. We talked about Aruba. Snorkeling and horseback riding were definitely on the list. “As long as the sun is up and there’s a drink in my hand, anything goes” was my husband’s motto, which we happily adopted for the entire family. The boys then left for a dr
ive, which gave me plenty of time to prepare lunch - a vegetable stew with sweet and spicy chicken.

  “Knock, knock! What’s cooking, little missy,” asked Carmen, walking in with a round plate in her hands.

  I was very happy to see her. “Hey, Carmen! Watcha got there? Something delicious, I’m sure.”

  “What, this?” she asked, as if the platter just magically appeared in her hand. “Just a white and dark chocolate cheesecake. You know, to lighten up the mood.”

  “My mouth is watering already. Come in, come in! The boys are out for a while and I could use your help.”

  She put on an apron and got busy with the chicken breast.

  “So how’s Mark?”

  “He’s fine. I told him you were coming to help us, and, to my surprise, he was very receptive.”

  “Good. His faith will go a long way, you’ll see.”

  When the boys came back, they had a big round frame with them, covered in bubble wrap. I thought it was a painting, but instead…

  “We got a mirror from the antique market in Hyannis. For only five bucks, I think it’s pretty neat,” said Pete, happy as always to get a bargain.

  “We don’t need another mirror, Pete!”

  “It’s for me,” said Mark. “I’ll have you know that I did a little research on the internet about this curse thing and I read that a mirror can repel any dark energies coming at me. Am I right, Carmen?”

  “Indeed, you are. I’ll consecrate it and you can take it home with you. From then on, it will repel any hostile intent back to its sender. Well done, Mark!” she said, patting him on the back.

  We waited for the sun to set before even mentioning any of the rituals that were going to take place. And once the twilight took over, it began.

  Chapter 12

  We put on candles at the windows and covered every mirror in the house, including Mark’s - it had to wait its turn. Carmen set up a small altar on the dining table - Pete brought a lump of dirt from outside, I lit up a candle and Mark placed a bowl of water on the table. Then Carmen filled the rest of the space with stuff from her bag: a book, incense, a small wand and five colorful gems.

  She then created a purifying circle surrounding the table, with a candle at each cardinal point. After going around it with another candle in her hand, she approached the table from the east side, saying “Let it be known that the circle is about to be cast. All who enter the Circle may do so in perfect love and perfect trust.” Each of us joined her, took deep breaths and followed her instructions.

  I provided the pin from Cape Canaveral, which she consecrated first.

  “Take this with both hands,” she said to Mark. “You will keep this with you at all times. At night, you will put it close to your head. It will keep the demons away from your dreams.”

  He took it and pinned it to his shirt.

  “Bring us the doll, Hope,” she said, and I gently obliged. “I have made this doll for you to take any wrongful wishes that might be addressed to you. Mark, tell me a name that doesn’t belong to anyone in your family or dear to you.”

  “Henry,” he whispered.

  “Now hold it tight with your left hand and repeat after me: I have made you, and your name is Henry. You shall receive the negative energy sent towards me in my place.”

  After the incantation was done, she gave the puppet to Mark and told him to keep it in his home and his car. “When you feel that the curse was lifted, you have to destroy the puppet - tear it apart and burn it in an open space, away from people’s homes. Let it burn to ashes.”

  He nodded and we proceeded to the next ritual - consecrating the mirror. She placed it flat on the table and poured black salt all over its surface.

  “Keep this in your home, in an open space. All curses that are directed to your well-being will bounce off it and back to its caster. Don’t wash it, don’t dust if off, don’t clean it all.”

  She then passed on the purple cloth satchel to Mark and gave him instructions on how to use it. She ended the ritual with a series of incantation to the Goddesses of the four elements, air, earth, fire, and water. We removed everything from the table, and only after all the candles were put out did we turn on the lights.

  Carmen was exhausted. We asked her to join us for the cheesecake she’d made, but she politely excused herself and went home.

  There’s wasn’t much we could talk about that evening - everything seemed trivial compared to what had happened. Nevertheless, there was a warm tranquility floating in our home. We felt blessed and safe. With no help from the valerian root, we all went to bed early, in peace.

  Mark joined us for lunch the next day, but he was anxious to go back to the city. He was going to surprise John, who’d been sitting around all weekend.

  Chapter 13

  When my son called me Monday evening and I heard sadness in his voice, I trembled.

  “How was your day,” I asked, dreading the answer.

  “Mine was fine… well, not peachy, that’s for sure. Mr. Thompson (that’s his company’s CEO) came to Boston today. He called out a big meeting with all the branch managers to figure out who was responsible for the break down last week. The guys from Texas and California kept pushing our guys under the train, but I know they all did their best. Besides, none of the specialists knew what happened exactly. Well, in the end, the CEO decided that we need fresh blood here, so he fired some of my crew.”

  “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry!”

  “The worst part is that they fired John, too. I feel so bad for him, especially now when he finally found a girl he likes.”

  “Oh, yeah?! Who is she? Is she nice?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t met her yet. I went down to his apartment yesterday to take him out for drinks, but he didn’t open the door when I knocked. I heard shushing inside, so I left. Imagine how I felt when he gave me the news this morning, and my reply was Mr. Thompson wants to see you in the meeting room. I felt like such an ass!”

  “There’s nothing you could have done, dear. Besides, a change might suit him well, don’t you think?”

  “I don’t know, mom. All I hope is that this new girl won’t be thrown off after she hears the news.”

  “Maybe she doesn’t care about that, Mark. Not all girls are the same, you know.”

  “Well, I told him I got his back. If he doesn’t find a job soon, I told him I’ll lend him money if he needs to borrow. I got so pumped up to help the man, I went as far as to ask him to come to Aruba with us, provided I pay for the whole thing.”

  “That was a long stretch,” I said.

  “Yeah, he refused and didn’t take it kindly either. Wished me a good time, and everything, like I wouldn’t see him again for the next two weeks. Pffft, I messed that one up.”

  “I’m sure he was just upset about the ordeal, don’t be so hard on yourself, honey.”

  “I know, I know. I’ve made a few calls around town to see if I can find another job for him. He was a very dedicated employee, you know, and very funny to work with. A little clumsy, but always professional.”

  “In that case, I’m positive you can find something for him,” I reassured him.

  “Thanks, mom. I really needed that.”

  “You’re welcome, honey. Keep me posted, will you?”

  “I will. Bye, mom.”

  That was the last time I heard my son’s voice for the next three weeks.

  That same night I got a call from a nurse in the MA General Hospital.

  “Is this Hope Brown?”

  “Umm, yes,” I replied, trying to make some sense through the pitch black room.

  “I’m calling from the Massachusetts General Hospital. You are listed as the emergency contact for Mark Brown.”

  “Yes, he’s my son.” A bolt of lead struck me on my head and shivered through my body. “What happened?”

  “He was brought comatosed a couple of hours ago. He is stable now. Do you live near here?”

  “Yes, yes. Do you know what
caused it?”

  “You’ll have more information from the doctors when you get here.”

  Chapter 14

  I blacked out. The bed split in half and my body fell through the dark crack that swallowed my entire home. With nothing to break my fall, I crashed on the jagged rocks covering the bottom of the pit. I realized I was wearing a wedding dress covered in lead marbles. With nowhere to run, a metal cage fell on top of me and trapped me like a wild animal. The platform underneath me crackled and lifted me higher and higher, like a rabid elevator. I went towards a light, the final level, a ball room buzzing with perfect people wearing expensive clothes and jewelry. They all seemed oblivious to the huge pack of dogs that were rummaging through every platter, bowl, and glass.

  Two dogs went at each other for the last piece of cake. Their jaws locked around each other's flesh. One bit a hind leg, ripping the muscle apart and exposing the bone. The other was gnawing at the tail, now a furless bleeding bone structure, wagging and hitting the aggressor in the face. Their blood and spit flew across the room and nobody seemed to mind. “Come, you don’t need to see this,” said a withered voice pulling me out of the cage and into another room. I looked back to the gruesome party - the dogs had begun to eat away at the guests. Mounds of cadavers and caviar. Some were still alive. They knew my name. They wanted me to help them. Their voices cried in unison “Hope! Hope! Hope! Hope!”

  “Hope, what’s the matter?” It was Pete. “Who was that on the phone?”