The Harbinger

by Wendy Wang

  The next morning, the five of them walked across the gravel road to the clearing. Rocks crunched beneath Charlie's feet.

  The air pressed heavier and heavier against Charlie’s shoulders the closer she got to the fire circle. Jen touched a hand to the center of Charlie's back and Charlie almost jumped out of her skin.

  "Sorry about that," Charlie said.

  "No apology necessary." Jen kept her hand flat against her cousin's back. The warmth soothed Charlie's ragged nerves and she hoped she was doing the right thing.

  Once they were inside the fire ring, Charlie stepped back and let her aunt assess the situation. Jen reached inside her messenger bag and pulled out several small linen sacks strung on long pieces of jute. She slipped one over her head and then began to pass out the protection bags. They each put one over their head and let it rest against their chest. Evangeline took five large stones from the fire ring and placed them inside the circle around the charred remains of some long-ago fire. Each stone represented the point of a star. A pentacle.

  Evangeline opened the canvas bag slung over her shoulder and removed five slender boxes. By the size of the boxes a stranger might have thought there was jewelry inside. But the boxes held something far more sacred, the wands belonging to each member of the coven.

  Evangeline had done a quick blessing before they left Charlie's house. Each witch removed her wand from the box and handed it back to Evangeline. Evangeline dug through her canvas bag for more supplies. Including five black candles for protection, five books of matches and five white tealights in glass holders, that she had already anointed with blessing oil, to form the circle. She distributed these to the cousins. She also opened a plastic container that held a slice of bread and a sliced apple. Offerings for the spirit.

  "Take your white tealight and place it on top of the stone in front of you," Evangeline instructed. "Charlie, since you'll be performing the ritual, you should stand at the top point."

  "Okay," Charlie said and moved toward the stone representing the top most point of the star. She glanced down at the rock, looking for a place for the candle holder. The jagged surface didn’t offer much for holding the candle so she turned the rock over. The other side was flatter. It took a little finagling, and digging but she got the rock to balance and placed the small glass candle holder in the center. She glanced around at the others. They were all stooped next to the rock in front of them, waiting.

  “Light both your candles,” Evangeline said.

  Charlie tore a match from the book with the logo of a local pizzeria on the front and dragged the tip across the striker on the back. The head of the match burst into flame and Charlie touched it to the wick of the white candle and then the black candle. She blew out the flame, folded the used matchstick back into the matchbook and put it into her front pocket.

  Charlie stood up with her black candle in one hand and her wand in the other. She looked to her aunt and then to her cousins to ensure they were all in place before she began the invocation.

  Charlie took a deep breath. She held a small faceless doll with some of Bethany’s hair stitched to its head and placed it in front of the tealight. "Spirits of the North and South, hear our call. Spirits of the East and West, hear our call. We bring this offering as a remembrance of your time in the mortal realm."

  Charlie looked to her aunt, and Evangeline bent down placing the bread and slices of apple inside the circle. When Evangeline stood up Charlie continued. "We invoke your guidance. We beseech you to assist in our time of need. We invoke your presence to assist in our time of need. We invoke you by name, Bethany Ann McCabe. Stolen daughter of the world, come forth from the shadows and cross the veil. Wronged child of the spirits come forth and show yourself."

  They all stared at the charred wood in the center of the circle. When nothing happened Charlie searched the faces of her aunt and cousins. It wasn't working. Maybe she just didn't have the power needed to do this. Evangeline must've seen the panic on her face. She gave her niece a reassuring smile and nodded. Keep going, her aunt mouthed. Charlie's hands shook a little and she called up a weak smile.

  "We invoke you by name, Bethany McCabe. Stolen daughter of the world come forth from the shadows across the veil. Wronged child of the spirits, come forth and show yourself,” Charlie said.

  The long dead embers in the center of the fire ring stirred. A thin stream of smoke curled upward. The coals beneath the blackened log glowed red for the first time in months.

  "We invoke you by name, Bethany McCabe. Wronged child of the spirits come forth and show yourself." Charlie said.

  The smoke grew thicker and darker until the form of a woman's body appeared. The apparition flickered at first then became more opaque than any spirit Charlie had ever seen before. The woman’s long silver hair hung around her shoulders and her sharp angular features were echoed in the faces around her. Jen let out a gasp and Lisa muttered something that Charlie couldn't hear.

  "Mama?" Evangeline said.

  "Were you expecting the Queen?" the spirit of Bunny Payne said, then cackled. Charlie could not stop the smile from spreading across her face.

  "Bunny!" Charlie said.

  "The spirit turned and faced Charlie. Her face full of light. Even in death, good humor glittered from her eyes. "Charlie girl. Looks like you finally decided to be the witch I knew you could be."

  Charlie shrugged. "It took me a while, but I finally did."

  "That makes me happy,” Bunny said. "Now why have you called me back from the other side?"

  "Well that's funny, because we didn't call you," Charlie said. "I was trying to call the spirit of a young woman who was murdered. She's been reluctant to talk to me, but I think I can help her."

  "So she hasn't passed?" Bunny asked.

  "No, she's dead," Charlie said.

  "No, silly," Bunny said. "She hasn't passed over through the veil."

  "Oh, no ma'am, she hasn't," Charlie said. "I believe she's being held captive."

  "Held captive by who?" Bunny said. A quizzical look on her face.

  "It's kind of a long story," Charlie said. "But I believe that it's a demon."

  "Oh dear," Bunny said. "And you called me to help? I never figured you'd approve of necromancy, Evangeline."

  Evangeline straightened up a sick look on her face. "It's a rather desperate situation, Mama."

  "Bunny, it's not Evangeline's fault, it's mine,” Charlie said.

  "I understand," Bunny said. "But Evangeline is the leader of this ragtag coven of witches, is she not?"

  "Yes ma'am," Charlie said.

  "I take full responsibility," Evangeline said.

  "Well I can't judge too harshly. It's not as if I didn't ever call on my ancestors for help,” Bunny said. "You're gonna need a stronger invocation to pull her away from him. What we really need is a book of the dead."

  "I have that," Jen said. "That's where we got the invocation that called you."

  Bunny clapped her hands together. "Wonderful. Can you bring it here and show me, Jenny girl?"

  Jen glanced at Evangeline. She bit her lower lip and hesitated.

  "It's all right," Bunny said. "I'm not gonna disappear. That's the dangerous thing about calling a spirit from the other side. They may decide to stick around."

  Charlie felt the sting from her grandmother's words. She looked at the candle burning in her hand. Her cheeks felt hot.

  Jen reached into her messenger bag and retrieved the book of the dead. She tucked her wand into the front pocket on the flap and began to put the candlestick down on top of the rock next to the tea light.

  "Jennifer Elisabeth," Bunny scolded. "Don't you dare put down that black candle."

  Jen looked stricken and snatched the candle back into her hand. The flame flickered and almost blew out.

  "Sorry," Jen managed in a meek voice.

  "No, I'm sorry honey," Bunny said. "I didn't mean to scare you. It's just you should never enter a circle with a spirit without some protection, even whe
n it's someone you love. Especially if it's someone you love. What if I'd been some demon pretending to be me?"

  "Are you some demon pretending to be Bunny Payne?" Lisa asked in her best lawyer voice.

  Bunny cackled. "Of course not Lisa Marie. But it's good practice. And as we all know …" Bunny waggled her finger and they all echoed her words as she said them, "practice is the back bone of a strong craft."

  Charlie's chest filled with lightness chasing away the dread. "Could you find her?"

  Jen stood next to the spirit, rifling through the old book in her hands. Bunny cast a gaze at Charlie her dark blue eyes sharpening.

  "What was that girl?" Bunny asked.

  "You're on the side of the veil now. And you're a spirit. You can see things I can't see and I can see a lot,” Charlie said. "Do you think you could find the spirit that we’re looking for?"

  "Well I suppose I could try," Bunny said cautiously. "Could be tricky, I don't want to be captured by any demon, that's for sure."

  "Could he do that?" Daphne asked, a hint of panic in her voice.

  "I couldn't say for sure, Cricket," Bunny said, using the pet name she had for Daphne when she was a little girl.

  "He’d have to let go," Charlie said. "He's possessing a human right now. My guess is he thinks he has her and has no worries about her escaping. Which is why she was able to come to me in my dream last night and warn me. Please Bunny? If you can help us it would mean the world to me."

  Bunny's ghostly hand drifted to her chest and she pressed it over her left breast. "Well I've never been able to say no to you, Charlie girl. I will try to find her."

  "Thank you," Charlie said. "Thank you so much Bunny."

  "You're most welcome child," Bunny said.

  "How long do you think," Charlie began but stopped when her grandmother's spirit flickered and then disappeared. Charlie let out a sigh. Spirits. They could be so unpredictable, even when they were your grandmother.

  "I was not expecting that," Evangeline said.

  "Bunny?" Jen asked.

  "I thought if anything, we would call up something dark,” Evangeline said. "I'm still not sure that we haven't."

  "Aren't you glad to see her, Mama?" Daphne asked. "I am. I missed her."

  "Oh no, it's not that. I'm glad to see her, if it is actually her,” Evangeline said.

  "It's her," Charlie said. "It feels like her. Plus it’s just like Bunny to warn us about stepping inside a circle with a strange spirit, even though she’s the spirit."

  "Yes," Evangeline said. "I suppose that's true."

  A loud popping sound like a bubble breaking rippled across the circle and Bunny reappeared with another spirit in tow.

  "Get back, Jenny girl," Bunny said, holding up her hand and putting her vaporous body between the other spirit and her granddaughter.

  Jen jumped out of the circle, taking her place behind the stone representing the third point of the star.

  The spirit of Bethany McCabe rounded on Charlie. “Why are you doing this? Why have you brought me here? I told you what you needed to know. He is hunting. Be vigilant."

  "I know," Charlie said. "But I need more than that. I need to know where he is. Where did he keep you?" Charlie's lips quivered with the next question. "Where did he kill you, Bethany?"

  Bethany let out a primal cry full of rage and sorrow. Bunny flickered in and out before disappearing.

  Charlie became vaguely aware that her aunt had begun a quiet chant and that her cousins joined in. Against the soft drone of her cousins chant —

  mother goddess hear my plea,

  protect us from the shadow's harm,

  bind the circle,

  let no spirit flee,

  until our mission here is done.

  Bethany swept her hand forward and the gravel surrounding the remains of the fire swirled up as if it were dust caught in a storm. She thrust her arms out toward Charlie and the dust moved with her motion. Charlie took a step back, raising her candle in front of her chest.

  Mother goddess hear my plea, Charlie began to chant along with her coven.

  The gravel smacked the edge of the circle as if it had hit an invisible wall, spreading up and down into a mushroom-like cloud before raining debris back to earth.

  The spirit screamed again – a wail so loud it made Charlie cover one ear in a vain attempt to muffle it. Bethany charged at Charlie and was thrown back toward the center when she hit the edge of the circle. She landed on the fire pit with enough energy to send the charred wood flying.

  The spirit charged at her twice more, each time she was thrust backwards. Finally, the spirit laid down in the center of the circle staring up at the sky. Her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, but Charlie knew this was just a habit, something left over from being human.

  "Please let me help you," Charlie said. "Please."

  "I've already told you. You can't help me." She sounded calmer, sad, broken.

  "Yes, I can," Charlie said. She knelt, hoping Bethany would look toward her. "If you take me to him we can banish him. We will break the tether holding you to him."

  Bethany's hands brushed across gravel and pieces of charred wood. The spirit sat up and set her gaze on Charlie. "You promise?"

  "I promise," Charlie said.

  Bethany shifted her gaze staring off into nothingness. "That's good. Perhaps we’ll be in time then."

  "In time for what?" Charlie asked.

  "He's found another, and he's bringing her home now."

  Charlie's heart sped into a fast steady drum against her ribs. "Bethany, you need to take us to him now."

  "I can only show you the way. And only you can come,” Bethany said. "I don't have the energy to lead you all."

  "Okay," Charlie said. "How do you want to do this?"

  Bethany stared at Charlie. "You need to come inside the circle."

  Charlie threw a quick glance at her aunt. Evangeline continued to chant softly, but a new alarm darkened her eyes and she shook her head no.

  Charlie took a deep breath. "You promise you're not going to run away if I take down the circle?"

  "I promise," the spirit said.

  "Evangeline," Charlie said softly. "You can stop."

  "Charlie,” Evangeline said.

  "It's okay, really. I have to do this."

  Bunny reappeared as soon as the circle protection was lowered. "Charlie girl, I don't know about this."

  "You can come with her old woman," Bethany said. "You have your own energy."

  "Who are you calling old, young lady?" Bunny said, sounding offended.

  "Bunny, now is not the time," Charlie said. Charlie stepped inside the circle. "All right, what do you want me to do?"

  "You need to sleep. That will be the easiest way for me to show you,” Bethany said. "Lie down and close your eyes."

  Charlie glanced around at the hard gravel-covered ground. "I don't know if I can sleep here."

  "Lie down and close your eyes," Bethany said.

  Charlie scowled, blew out her black candle and stretched out on the ground next to Bethany. Tiny rocks dug into her back, head and butt. She shifted, trying to find a comfortable position. Then finally sat up. "This is not gonna work here."

  "He's not looking for me here, and your circle offers me protection, just as it does you."

  Evangeline, Jen, Lisa and Daphne all stepped closer inside the circle of rocks. "Charlie, I have a yoga mat in my car. Would that help?" Daphne asked.

  "It's worth a try," Charlie said. Daphne hurried off to her SUV parked behind Jen’s truck.

  "You know you don't have to actually fall asleep," Evangeline said. "You could go into a trance. The spirit should be able to guide you, just as easily as in a dream."

  "Evangeline, I don't think I've ever been in a trance before,” Charlie said.

  "Sure you have," Jen said. "You probably just didn't call it that. But any time you have a vision or you do a reading you go into a meditative state. This is just a deeper version of that
same thing."

  Charlie had not thought about it that way before, but Jen was right. She did meditate lightly whenever she did her readings. "I don't have to lie down for that."

  Daphne reappeared carrying a purple yoga mat. She handed it to Charlie. Charlie kicked some of the gravel out of the way until she formed a rectangle large enough for her to sit in a half-lotus position. Charlie unrolled the yoga mat and folded it in half.

  "I need something to help me focus,” Charlie said. "Do you have a black tourmaline or a sodalite crystal with you by any chance, Jen?"

  "Let me see," Jen said. She grabbed her messenger bag and dug through until she found a velvet drawstring bag that she always kept with her. She untied the string and pulled open the top, poking a finger inside. She looked over each crystal before removing three. A black tourmaline. A blue and gray sodalite crystal, and a clear quartz crystal. "Here."

  Charlie didn't argue. She placed the black tourmaline in her left hand and the sodalite and quartz in her right before lowering herself into a half-lotus position. She glanced up at her aunt and cousins. "Maybe y'all can form a circle around me. If that's okay."

  "That's perfectly okay, sweetheart," Evangeline said. "And a good idea. Come on girls."

  Evangeline, Jen, Lisa, and Daphne joined hands stretching as far as their arms would allow into a circle around Charlie and the spirit.

  Charlie closed her eyes, and squeezed the crystals, pressing them into her palms. She breathed in and out then held her breath for a half second after her lungs filled, and before she slowly released her breath to the count of ten. The air around her stilled and she didn't even hear birds and squirrels in the trees. She cleared her mind and focused on the feeling of the crystals in her hands. The smooth cool surface. The energy pulsing from within each stone. She counted backward as she released her last breath.

  Ten, nine, eight …

  “Charlie girl. Can you hear me?” Bunny's voice. Melodic and full of good humor.

  “I'm here," Charlie said.

  Seven, six, five …

  "Charlie girl, where are you?" Bunny called.

  "Here I am," Charlie said.

  Four, three, two …

  "Charlie," another voice whispered harshly. Bethany's voice. "Open your eyes."