Cute. For a man so regal, Spiral looked like he was about to choke as he held back his laughter, and he winked at Abel. Isn’t she cute when she gets mad?
“Cute? There’s nothing cute about it. I’m pissed. And don’t ya’ll even try and pressure me into doing anything for ya’ll ever.”
Trouble in paradise, eh? Spiral sent to Abel.
Abel gave Spiral a pointed look of warning. Not now. Krystal, he pleaded. I know you don’t understand, but this is of utmost importance. Please hear us out.”
Closing my eyes tight, I plopped back onto my pillow. “I said I was done with all this. I told them. Doesn’t anyone hear a thing I say?” I lamented to my ceiling.
Abel patted my leg. I know you don’t want to do this, Krystal. I understand, but there is no time to find another to replace you. If it were not for this, perhaps Metatron would have agreed to release you from your contract.
“I thought he didn’t release me because of my grandmother.”
That is part of it. I am sure if circumstances were different, Metatron could have been swayed.
A moment of silence, mental and physical followed. I kept my eyes closed. Deny, deny, deny, I thought, yep that’s my card to play. I’ll ignore them, and they’ll go away and leave me alone.
I’m sorry, that’s not how it works, my love.
I shook my head, but kept my eyes shut. “Well, tell me what you came to say, damn it, and leave me the hell alone.”
We need your help to ensure the portal isn’t inadvertently opened during the party. I cracked open one eye, and peered at Abel and Spiral in turn. The Tramping Ground was once a portal to the Lesser Levels. When Abigail came into power, she sealed it shut. However with all of the recent activity, the seal has weakened. There is great concern that your classmates will succeed in reopening the portal as the veil is ever thinner on Hallow’s Eve. They have been conducting readings from a Satanic Bible…
“Wait,” I put my hands out. “Hold on.” I sat up, held my head in my hands. I took a deep breath in and looked them each in the eye. “A portal? A Satanic Bible? I thought you said Hell didn’t exist?” I accused Abel.
I said the Lesser Levels are akin to Hell as those beings are of lower vibrations. The higher your vibration the closer to God you are. No soul is destined to stay in the Lesser Levels for an eternity, each life guarantees them an opportunity to raise themselves ever higher. The Satanic Bible is demonic in nature; demons are the lowest of the low entities, parasites if you will, feeding on the energies of discord.
A shiver ran through me, and I hugged my arms around me. “Even if I was interested in working with ya’ll, I would never be comfortable with devil worship stuff.”
The children aren’t really trying to worship the devil, they are rebelling as many young ones do at this age. They aren’t aware of the true danger they’re in. Abel put his arm around my shoulders, warming me from the inside out. Krystal, there is only so much we can do if these young ones are set on exerting their free will. All we need you and your friends to do is, perhaps, misplace the Satanic Bible so it cannot be used.
No, Abel, she needs to go one step further. My heart stopped at the fierceness of Spiral’s gaze. Burn it, Krystal. If you get your hands on it, throw it in the fire, and don’t look back.
Chapter 24
Is she in shock?
In between the fluttering of my eyelashes, I caught glimpses of Spiral Spider staring curiously down at me.
Ah, she’s coming to. Someone was gently slapping my cheeks.
For the life of me, I couldn’t remember lying down, or anything as a matter of fact, not after Spiral said to throw it in the fire and not to look back. My brain felt fuzzy, my ears stuffed with puffs of cotton balls. What was it? I tried to remember and just when it seemed within my grasp, the thought flitted just out of my reach.
“Wh-wh-what happened?” I stuttered.
You passed out. Abel sat at the end of my bed, my feet in his lap as he massaged them.
“That feels nice.” I lifted my head from my pillow hoping to catch a look at my clock, but the room started to spin and giving up, I put my head back down. “What time is it?” I asked in a whisper.
A little after one in the morning. Your mom checked on you before retiring for the evening, Abel continued. She thought you were sleeping.
“I’ve been out that long? Wow.” I rubbed my fingertips along my lips, lost in thought. “So is something wrong with me?”
No, Spiral answered. An acute case of being overwhelmed I would say.
I looked Spiral dead in the face. “Why?”
You can’t remember?
“I think you said something about running? Burning something or other?” I snuggled deeper into my warm bed. “I’m so just so sleepy. Can’t I talk to you guys in the morning?”
Abel and Spiral exchanged a long look, much longer and it would have bordered on inappropriate.
“What’s got ya’lls panties all in a wad?” I joked. “Or whatever it is that you wear?”
Krystal, why don’t you drink some water? Abel picked up a glass on my nightstand and held it to my lips. I was thirstier than I’d thought and drank down the whole glass. He pulled my blankets up to rest underneath my chin. Why don’t you rest now? He kissed me softly on the lips, and I sighed, staring happily into his hazel eyes. He chuckled and placed another kiss on my forehead.
Let’s see how you fare in the morning. I always love you, rang through my head as I fell blissfully asleep.
I woke with a start. “Abel,” I growled, my memory returned. I fumbled among the mess on my nightstand, anything to silence the alarm blaring from my cell phone. Finally successful, I sat up on my bed enjoying a few moments of quiet, contemplating my situation before reality was going to force me to get ready for a day of school. Last thing I wanted to do was see Malcom and Tammy. I knew I would have to tell them—no way could I send them in blind at the Devil’s Tramping Ground. But, God, I didn’t even want to do it. But I felt, what was the right word? Obligated. I huffed through my nose. I knew if I didn’t do it, and something bad happened to anybody, I’d feel, what was the right word? Guilty. And I’d probably feel guilty for the rest of my life.
“Damn obligation and damn guilt,” I pointed my finger up at the ceiling. “I know ya’ll can hear me, and damn you too, for putting me in this situation.” I wasn’t surprised when I didn’t get an answer. Smart of them to lay low, I reckon, but I muttered, “Cowards,” under my breath anyway.
I got up and stood in the middle of my room, my eyes fixed ever upward, hands on my nearly nonexistent hips. “Just so you know, I’m not doing this for any of you. I’m doing this for….” I thought for a second, “for my community.” Because despite the fact I’d always felt like an outsider to some degree, I’d be damned before I’d let anyone or anything hurt a member of Settler’s Cross. I thought about my peers—Jett and even Tara’s prissy ass, my friends, their friends, and I knew I had to be there to look out for them.
“Let’s be clear—when this is over, and it will be over. I am done. Done with a capital “D.” Got it?” The answering quiet was a louder testament than any other answer they could have possibly given. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
As I turned towards my tiny closet, I flipped a nice gesture up into the air, and I felt better already.
Chapter 25
I heard a loud bang against the locker next to mine, and I jumped what felt like a mile high. Fisting my hands next to my sides, I turned around ready to give David, the mousey brown haired boy whose locker was situated next to mine, a not too pretty piece of my mind. I stopped short when instead I laid eyes on flaming auburn hair, and blue eyes brimming with an anger so fierce I felt like they were burning a hole straight through me. I took a step backwards, pressing up against the cool metal lockers.
“What the hell, Krystal? You’ve been avoiding me! And I’ve been trying to call you—I know you know, because I’ve left messages with your mama.”
“Well…I…I,” stuttered. I felt so bad, the guilt sitting heavy in my stomach. I watched as she took me in, lingering on my unkempt hair, baggy jeans and tee. Despite my resolve Monday morning, I had found myself actually lacking the gumption I needed to get the conversation with Tammy and Malcom out of the way.
“And where have you been for the past two days? I haven’t seen hide nor hair of ya and neither has Malcom.”
“I’m sorry, Tammy. You have to believe me. But really, I am sorry.” I shrugged. “You know how I can drag my feet when I don’t want to do something.”
“Well, yeah, but what does that have to do with me or Malcom?”
“Actually,” I gulped. “It has a lot to do with you. More than I’d like, truth be told.”
“Well, spill it.”
“I think it might be better if we all sit down together and have a talk.” I felt my insides twisting at the thought.
“Krystal, I’m sure things aren’t nearly as dire as you’re making them out to be.” She leaned over and gave my arm a quick squeeze. “How about lunch time?”
“That’d be okay. We just need to make sure it’s private.” We started off down the hallway towards our respective homerooms.
“So where have you been hanging out at lunch these days?” She asked.
“The library.”
“We looked for you in there. We didn’t even see you.”
“I was hiding,” I mumbled under my breath. “Um, in the back.”
Tammy shook her head, her curls springing about her face. “This must be good.” She paused in front of my homeroom door. “Later.”
I gave a pathetic wave in return, and I watched her as she walked off. Whispering softly, I said, “No, Tammy. I’d go with really, really bad.”
“Well, so much for private.” I looked around at the packed Courtyard, where apparently, many of our fellow students were also taking advantage of the beautiful fall weather. “Maybe we should hit the Commons.”
“It’s so gorgeous, though,” Tammy whined. The stern look I gave her hushed her quick enough.
“Let’s go back in and wait for Malcom.”
We stood guard outside of the double doors at the Entrance/Exit of the cafeteria. I stared at the silver metal handle bars, and realized I’d never look at those doors the same way again.
The surprise and confusion on Malcom’s face when we all but jumped on him had Tammy laughing in hysterics and me almost swimming in sloppy joe. I couldn’t help but laugh too, but the heaviness of my task didn’t allow me the freedom to let go quite like Tammy. I helped Malcom right his lunch tray, which for reasons such as this, was supposed to stay within the confines of the cafeteria. I figured if the worst thing we ever did was eat our lunch out of the Cafe, then we were doing good as or better than most our fellow peers.
“Kris, where ya been, girl?” Malcom asked.
“Just lying low, taking some time to think some stuff through.” Dragging my feet, I added in my head, the most relevant answer, but still, kept it to myself. “It’s nutso outside, so how about we find us a quiet little corner?”
I steered us over to the farthest corner in the Commons. There was a window where Malcom could rest his lunch tray and our food, plus we could also stand guard, blocking the view from any nosy teachers happening by. We had plenty of privacy since so many kids were outside. The only other kids in the Commons were the diehard foosball players, and even their numbers were lower on this nice Indian summer day.
“So about tomorrow…” I stopped when I saw the crushed look on Tammy’s face. “I’m not cancelling or anything, but you should really rethink going. Seriously.” I gave my friends a moment to absorb the news.
“Why?” Tammy dragged out the syllables.
“I really don’t know how to say this.” I looked over to Malcom. “You might find this hard to believe, even after what happened at your house. But. But, since my grandmother passed away, I’ve started seeing and hearing things most others can’t.” I looked Tammy and Malcom both in the eye. I knew Tammy was aware already, but I couldn’t judge Malcom’s reaction, his face perfectly expressionless. “Malcom, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, but I just didn’t know how. And I’m not going to pretend I do now. I’m just trying to do the best I can.”
“You knew about this already?” Malcom asked Tammy.
“A little bit. I had suspicions back when we went to your place the first time. Do you remember on the recording? Krystal asking us if we could hear it?”
“No, can’t really say that I do.”
“Well, I was pressing Krystal about it, and when she slept over for her birthday I saw her up having a bona fide conversation with empty air in the middle of the night.” Tammy chuckled. “I guess she kinda had to tell me something, then.”
“I tried to get outta this,” I said. “I told them…I told them I didn’t want any part of this,” I shook my head, my voice wavering.
“You did?” Surprise filled Tammy’s face, her voice incredulous.
“I did. I told them I wanted to live a normal life and do normal things.” My body trembled. “But they won’t let me go,” my voice finally breaking, a tear sneaking past my resolve to hold them back even as they built.
“Who’s they?” Malcom asked.
“My grandmother. And some big to do angel I don’t know.” I looked into Tammy’s face as she grabbed onto my shoulders. “Abel and this, I don’t know what you’d call him….like a spiritual teacher? They tried to talk that angel into letting me be free, but it didn’t work.” The gravity of my fate seemed to punch me right in my stomach.
“I don’t understand. If you don’t want to do this” Tammy wiggled her fingers in midair, unable to find quite the right word. “Then there shouldn’t be anything else to it. Right, Malcom?”
“Absolutely.”
I shook my head. “No, you guys don’t understand. There’s like this whole contract thing I can’t get out of. And if I don’t do it…Abel said,” my voice cracked further as the tears finally brimmed over. “Abel said I’ll basically be,” I cleared my throat, “taken out. Know what I mean?”
Malcom and Tammy shared a look of utter confusion. My frustration at their lack of understanding stopped my tears at least, and I steeled myself with sheer will.
“If I don’t do what’s in my contract, I’m gonna die, you guys.” My friends stared at me like deer in headlights.
“Baaaahhaaaaa,” roared Tammy suddenly. “Oh. My. God. Kris, you really had me going there for a minute.”
I looked over my shoulder. The foosball players were all looking our way, trying to see what the fuss was all about before returning to their game.
“For goodness sake, Tammy, would you hush?” I hissed. “And G. D. it, I’m not joking.”
“Seriously?” Tammy’s asked as she stopped laughing.
I threw my hands out in front me, narrowly missing Malcom’s face. I winced, and he did too. “Who jokes about something like that?” They didn’t answer me, and I figured I’d better get down to the real business before we ran out of time.
“So tomorrow is Halloween. And I don’t know what’s going on exactly, but Abel, my Spirit Guide,” I added for Malcom’s benefit. “Said it was super important I be there at the Devil’s Tramping Ground tomorrow night. There is concern our” throwing as much sarcastic venom as I could muster into my next words, “blessed peers may cause some trouble. Which I don’t doubt in the slightest. They’ve been playing around with a,” I lowered my voice, “Satanic bible. I have to get it, and hopefully, burn the thing in the bonfire before they do something really stupid.”
“Sounds easy enough I’m in.” Tammy volunteered. She playfully elbowed Malcom, “What about you?”
Malcom stared at me for what felt like minutes but was surely only long seconds. “Krystal Abagail Haggart, I’ve know you my whole life. I would go to the ends of the Earth for my family. You are more than my friend, you’re my family. You don’t have to wo
rry, I’ll be there.”
“Alrighty then, it’s settled.” Tammy patted Malcom on the shoulder and gave me a sympathetic glance. “I’ll pick ya’ll up tomorrow night, and we’ll all ride in together. What time?”
“Sounds like a plan. We’re supposed to be there ‘bout 8 o’clock.”
“I can’t wait,” Tammy gushed. “This is going to be so much fun.”
“Whatever you say,” I mumbled.
Chapter 26
Time always flies when you’re having fun—and apparently time also flies when you’re facing a dreaded event with all your heart. The minutes should have passed slowly, like molasses, given the sheer number of times I looked at the clock during the day. Instead of time clicking a minute at a time with every glance, instead it was five or ten if I was lucky.
The Spirit Who Loved Me: Spirit Whispers Book One Page 19
