Stir Until Petrified

by Theda Vallee

  I got up from the couch and went back to the bedroom without saying another word. I was pissed at Nerina for putting herself in danger. Luc was on my shit list for taking her side and butting in to a family argument. As for Brady, I was just mad at him on principal. He didn’t seem phased at all to walk into a room and select a person’s brain to possibly scramble.

  In a little over twenty-four hours I would do something crazier than what I’d already done by showing up here. God help me, I had no idea what the fuck I was doing.

  Chapter

  26

  “Are you scared?” I whispered to Nerina as we sat knee to knee on the loveseat.

  “Shitless,” she whispered back.

  “Me too.” I laced my fingers through hers and rested my head on her shoulder.

  We’d arrived home to our cold empty bakery that morning. The day had been spent in a frenzy of activity as we prepared for tonight. Everything we needed for tonight had been gathered in triplicate. We weren’t leaving anything to chance. The way things had gone my last few excursions with the Osservatori, I figured the odds of something getting broken or ruined were high. I’d learned the incantation that would trigger the spell on the black mirror. It was burned into my memory. There was no second chance at this. There was no room for mistakes.

  Brady had found an abandoned warehouse owned by a friend of the Osservatori, a few miles outside town that we’d set up base camp in. It was safer for the humans if we played with a demon as far away from them as possible. If the bitch somehow got outside the circle of protection, at least she wouldn’t have a ready bank of helpless souls to munch on.

  “What’s the first thing you want to eat when this is all over?” Nerina asked me, playing with my curls.

  “Do you think Nonna would kill me if I said a big fat cheeseburger?” I asked.

  “I thought you were going something else big and fat.” She snorted in my ear, trying not to laugh.

  “You’re so gross.” I sat up pulling her into a hug. I closed my eyes willing myself not to cry. She wrapped her arms around me, holding on like the slightest breeze would take me from her.

  “How do you people live with all feelings oozing out? It’s literally disgusting,” Leontyne said as she entered the room.

  “Did you want a hug too?” I asked over Nerina’s head.

  “Do it, and I’ll never help you with anything again.” She grimaced. “The other spellcasters are here. They need your sister to run through the ritual with them.”

  Nerina sighed deeply, holding on for a moment longer before letting go. She stood up and followed Leontyne, her steps sure and steady. I was so proud of her. She’d always been the one to fall apart the moment something went wrong. Usually she ended up in a crumpled heap sobbing while I patiently waited for her to calm down. She had a lot of Aunt Sophia in her. Yet, from the moment she’d insisted she was going with me to meet the Benandanti to everything today, she’d been a rock. The last thing I’d ever wanted was for her to be mixed up in this. But now that she was, I had to say my sister kicked ass.

  “Are you about ready?” Luc asked, leaning against the door frame. “We’ve got everyone prepped for phase one, so we might as well get going.”

  “As ready as anyone can be before fighting a bitch from the depths of hell.” I gave him a semblance of a smile. I walked over to the door, dragging my feet just a little. I was going to do what I had to, but I wasn’t anxious to get started.

  “Are you sure you want to do this? We can still back out. No one will judge you for changing your mind.” He softly ran his hand down my cheek.

  “I’ll judge me.”

  Leaning in he kissed me tenderly, before pulling me against his chest. “Please be careful. Let Charlotte and Bastian stay in front. They know how to fight. Let them do what they’re good at.”

  I nodded even though I knew it was a lie. I would not use the Benandanti as a meat shield. We were going in as a team. That meant I was going to pull my weight no matter what happened.

  “Etta, I need to tell you something before you go,” Luc said, still holding me tightly.

  “No. Save it for when I get back, please? Whatever it is, tell me tomorrow when all this is over,” I said, pulled away from him my heart thudding in panic.

  He’d professed his love for me to Brady, but I’d made a concentrated effort to pretend it didn’t happen. He’d been trying to get me alone the last twenty-four hours, I assumed so he could gage my response to his revelation. The truth was, I had no idea what my response was. Right now, I had people to save and succubus to slay. Talking about feelings was very low on my priority list.

  “What if you don’t make it back?” Luc asked, poorly masking the frustration in his words.

  “Then it won’t matter because I’m dead,” I said. “Come on, I can see Charlotte pacing like a bull out there.”

  I turned sideways sidling past him out to where Charlotte stood. They’d set up three cots for us to use while we slept. There’d be a contingent of agents guarding our bodies. Leander was there with a team of medical staff ready to provide medical attention should we need it. My body had been through so much the last few weeks, I had no idea how much more abuse it could take.

  l laid down on the unyielding hardness of the cot, forcing my mind to relax. Brady handed each of us our black mirror to carry into the dream world. Charlotte and Bastion were across from me, clearly as uncomfortable as I was on these freaking cots.

  Counting backward as I had been taught, I pushed my mind to cycle to delta waves. Moments later I was standing inside my brain with Stella buzzing about furiously. My nerves had been in frayed since we’d finalized the plan. She’d been agitated for days now, threatening to bust through my control at the slightest hint that I was in over my head. Now that the moment was here, she’d gone into overdrive.

  It’s OK, Stella. We just need to get through tonight, then we can have a little vacation.

  She twinkled in acknowledgment like the good little magic she was.

  Charlotte and Bastian appeared next to me within a few seconds. I’d beat them here. I had to remind myself to gloat about it later. With nothing more than a nod, Charlotte strode off headed down the path that led to the dreams. I followed behind woefully aware that this whole night would be a bust if I wasn’t able to correctly identify the dreamer properly. They’d said that I’d sense who the person was. It was different for each person, so there wasn’t a way to truly describe it. I didn’t know what to expect.

  “She may be a bit down the path since she’s an acquaintance. The connection to her dreams won’t be as strong as the people you’re closest to,” Charlotte instructed.

  I was assailed with emotions as we walked past the paths. Some of them were wonderful. I wanted to stop and rub myself on the opening like a cat with catnip. However, the emotions didn’t stay fully separated from each other. It was like an emotion bomb had exploded in my brain. Happiness fought with anger which fought with lust. All these emotions dueling for equal space within my mind. I tried desperately to clear my head and force the emotions away. I’d be glad to have just the happy thoughts. Anything to supplant the panic that was growing as I moved forward. Too bad you didn't get to pick and choose what emotions you’d take from the dreamscape. It could be better than a bottle of wine.

  We walked along the path for what felt like hours. My feet began to ache which really pissed me off. You’d think being in the dreamscape should afford me some small boon, like not having to deal with the reality of a mortal body. What was more unnerving was the thought that if I was wounded here, there’d be no reprieve from the pain. Double-dicks-in-a-basket that sucked!

  I was about to whine to Charlotte that this was hopeless, when I smelled the strong chemical odor that always seemed to hang in the air at the salon. I felt pretty and smiled, wanting to touch my hair. There was no doubt in my mind that we’d reached the path we were looking for.

  “This is it,” I said stopping.

&n
bsp; “Are you certain?” Charlotte hesitated at the edge of the path waiting for me to seal our fate.

  I nodded slowly. Acid rose up into my throat. There was no turning back once we stepped over the line. The air around me felt like water as I struggled to breathe normally. Charlotte sighed. She wasn't one for sympathy.

  “Have a little faith. We very well may live through this.” She laughed, as she pushed me over into Holly’s dream.

  We walked into what appeared to be an abandoned elementary school. If there were creepy killer kids in here I was going to lose my shit. There were a million other spooky things I would happily deal with as long as there weren’t any juvenile monsters here. Trepidatiously we moved down the hall, hoping to find Holly somewhere in the building.

  The hallway was black except for small patches of light that snuck their way in through the open classroom doors, shining on what had once been green linoleum covered floors. Our feet shuffled through a layer of filth. Debris covered the ground haphazardly. It felt like we were walking in a forest with leaves and twigs crunching beneath our feet. It was bizarre how tangible everything seemed, even though it was all a manifestation of someone’s subconscious.

  “Etta, put on a light. We need to be able to see. Bastian, please shift in case we have need of your wolf. I’ll stay as I am so that we can communicate as needed.”

  “I didn't bring a light,” I said sheepishly.

  “Use your magic. I can’t imagine I should have to tell you this.” Charlotte said clicking her tongue at me.

  If Charlotte could see me in the dark I’m sure she would notice my lovely olive complexion had turned seven shades of red. After so many years of not using my magic I forgot from time to time how handy it was. Looking down at my hand I concentrated on pushing out a beam of light. Stella was anxious to have something to do. She leaped at my intention slamming into my hand eagerly. The magic poured forth blinding us. Crap. High-beams. I quickly pulled back, lowering the pulse of magic pouring forth. That was much better. I thin steady stream of light shone out.

  “Thank you for searing my retina. Hopefully you can manage to keep the light at that tolerable level.”

  “Sorry about that.” I said, blinking to get the spots to stop flashing.

  Bastian had turned into his wolf form while I’d been figuring out the lights. He padded ahead of us sniffing the air. Moving down the hallway slowly, he poked his head into the open doors, looking for anything that may be lurking in the shadows. I was thankful he’d been designated for that job. There was no way my heart could handle peeking into each empty classroom hoping nothing would snatch me into the darkness.

  My light shone off the walls, highlighting the children’s artwork that adorned the walls. I peered at the bursts of color, a small pang in my chest as I realized my fridge should’ve been covered with these. I stared at the images, wanting to take in the colorful splashes of childhood joy captured on construction paper. I let my eyes settle on the one closest to me, taking in the scene. I gasped, stepping back in horror. Some screwed up dream monster had drawn a group of children in a circle around another child laying at the bottom of a slide. The children were eating their fallen companion. Cannibal children. That’s what the was in the picture. Evil little cannibal toddlers. What the fuck kind of school was this?

  I stayed close to Charlotte, keeping my focus on the hallway. I didn't want to see any more of the artwork that was on display here. At the end of the hall was a set of stairs that led up to a second floor. Having watched several horror movies over the course of my life I felt going up was a mistake. We needed to stay out in the open not trap ourselves upstairs with limited escape routes. Charlotte and Bastian didn’t seem to have seen the same movies I had. They climbed the stairs as if it was a perfectly acceptable thing to do. I followed begrudgingly. I wasn’t going to stay downstairs alone.

  As soon as we stepped onto the second floor I could feel something was different. Damn me for not following my initial gut reaction. A soft whimper was coming from one of the rooms ahead. Of course, there was. If it was a cannibal baby, I was kicking it. I don’t care who judged me for it later.

  I said a silent prayer to St. Jude, the saint for desperate situations: Dear Saint Jude. Please don’t let this be a trap. Also, please don’t let someone jump out and twist their head around like in the Exorcist. Lastly please don’t let there be cannibal babies or dogs. I’m sick of dogs. In the name of the Father, the Son. and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

  It was the best I could do.

  Bastion moved up the hallway, his doggy senses alert. His body rippled with tension. Underneath his fur the muscles were taut and ready for action. Charlotte put her hand up, motioning me to stop. The horrible coward in me was grateful. I was close enough to the stairs to run if anything happened to Bastian. He moved further down the hall checking the first two rooms. The darkness swallowed him as he moved further. I held my breath waiting for the moment I might have to run for my life.

  Bastian reappeared jerking his head for us to follow him. I wish he could talk. Was that an all-clear follow me, or a something is down here?

  “Stay behind us. If we see the succubus, I want you to work the spell. You’re not to engage her. We’ll try to hold her off for as long as possible. Understood?” Charlotte asked.

  My hand reached into my pocket. I’d forgotten completely about the mirror. The tips of my fingers brushed against the cold surface. I clutched it gratefully. It’d come through. Hopefully the spell worked here.

  Bastian paused at the fourth room down. He whined a little before stepping over the threshold. Charlotte and I crept up to the door, peering in cautiously. There were no windows in this room. It was an empty pit of blackness. I lifted my hand, lighting a small swath of the room directly in front of us. The whimpering came from the other side of the room. Of course, it did.

  I stayed directly behind Charlotte. My hand raised close to her shoulder, so the light could help her see. How was she so calm? Watching the light in front of us bounce up and down, there was no hiding that I was shaking like a palm tree in hurricane season. I crept along, waiting for whatever it was to materialize.

  Bastian stopped, staring at something we couldn’t see clearly yet. He whined gently. It was the low whine a dog makes when it’s sad or dejected. Not the menacing growl that denotes danger.

  My light finally hinted at a shadow in front of us. A mass was suspended from the ceiling. I forced a little more magic to pump through my hand, turning up the brightness. My scream rang through the room echoing down the hallway.

  Holly was suspended a few inches from the ground. Both of her arms were pulled up, held taut by barbed wire wrapped around her wrists. The barbed wire was attached to two rings bolted to ceiling. Dark black lines of blood had dried in place along her arms. Fresh red rivulets of blood continued to coat her arms. Her head was slumped to the side. Matted blonde locks of hair covered her face. Instinctively I reached out to see if she was still breathing. Charlotte caught my hand before I could make contact. She shook head, aligning her body to block me from Holly completely.

  “Are you Holly?” Charlotte’s voice was crisp and clear. No hint of fear. She waited a moment for a response. “Holly? We’re here to help you.”

  A soft whimper escaped from between Holly’s cracked lips. She struggled to raise her head for a moment before it slumped back down. Fresh blood seeped from the wound on her wrists as the weight of her effort pulled freshly on the wounds. I stepped around Charlotte, moving to Holly’s side. Standing here waiting for her to respond was stupid. We needed to get her down from the ceiling. If the succubus decided to show up right now she’d be exposed and vulnerable. I didn't know what this was doing to her real body back in the hospital, but her mind had been pushed to its limit.

  There was no way I was getting the barbed wire off her by hand. I’d probably just pull it deeper into her skin, cutting myself in the process. We had nothing with us that we could use to cut through the wire. Mayb
e I could use my magic to cut her down? I could imagine a laser beam coming out of my hand. Was a laser beam powerful enough to cut through it?

  Holly’s body shifted sliding towards the ground. I stepped back ready to fight until I noticed Charlotte was gently lowering her.

  “How’d you do that?”

  She held up a pair of wire cutters.

  “Where the hell did you get those?” I asked my eyes wide with surprise.

  “Some of us know how to prepare,” she said shaking her head at me.

  I ignored the insult, instead kneeling next to Holly. I gently pushed the matted hair away from her face. She was pale, almost translucent in the glow of my light. Blood and grime covered her face.

  “Holly, it’s Etta. I brought some friends. We’re going to try to help you.” My heart was in my throat. Part of me knew this wasn’t completely real. It was the dreamscape. This was only happening to her in her mind but that didn’t make it feel any less real. The jagged scar on my leg reminded me of how easily the dreamscape could cross the line and become reality.

  She twitched a little, her blue eyes fluttering open. Panic, terror, and confusion stared back at me. “Etta. What are you doing here?” she whispered.

  “I’m here to help. We need to find the person who’s been doing this to you. If we can find them, we can get you out of here and back to your family.” I grabbed her limp hand.

  “You should go. You can’t be here. She’ll hurt you too.” She shuddered as tears ran down her face leaving trails in the dirt.

  “Don’t worry about us. Rest. We’re going to help you get home. The bitch who did this to you is going down tonight.” I felt the magic surge inside of me like a giant tsunami as my need for vengeance filled me. It seeped out whispering my threat to the world. I pulled back forcing it to stay contained in my body.