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Muraille Island
December 31, 1952
The surf crashed against her body, yet she failed to feel the cold. Pulling herself to her feet she allowed the waves to keep coming. “Ella!” She screamed as loud as she could; surprised when her call failed to frighten the gulls away. “Ella! Where are you? Ella! I need you!”
No one answered her pleas. She pushed towards the shore. Standing on the sand clad in her cargo pants rolled up to just below the knees and the white men’s dress shirt she loved. She could feel the muddy sand between her toes. A feeling that usually brought her comfort. She knew where she was, it was the beach just below the island cliffs.
“Snow?” She looked down at her feet. “There shouldn’t be snow. Ella! Please, where are you?” She called out her anxiety rising with each passing moment.
“You’re safe now,” his low voice filled her with peace.
She turned and smiled. “Preston? What are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to get you.”
“I can’t leave,” she failed to understand why he would ask such a thing. There he stood in a shimmering light with his hand out, waiting for her.
“It’s time. Come with me?”
“No, I can’t. I brought it here. I can’t let that thing loose on the world. This is my fault. Where is Ella?”
“Ella is safe. You can go to her.”
“I can’t I need to keep it hidden. I’m to blame for it coming here.”
“You can let go now.”
“Preston? Why are you here? You can’t be here, you died near Belgium. We couldn’t get your body home.”
“That must have upset, Mother.”
“You know it did,” she laughed turning her face towards to warmth of the sun. “Where is Ella? I’ve been an absolute fright. I need to talk to her.”
“You can go to her,” he suggested hopefully. “Or come with me? We can run around barefoot and play all day just like when we were children.”
He came closer still offering his hand. She reached out to him when she spied the iron fence looming above them. “I can’t.” She snatched back her hand. “I’m to blame. I must keep it hidden.”
“I love you Tempe,” he whispered. She turned in hopes of telling him that she missed and loved him. He was gone, only the bright green ocean surrounding her. Turning back she was filled with dread.
Before she could think about it she was in the main house. Stunned by the sight of emptiness and divots in the walls she called out for Ella. Her voice echoed in the emptiness. She rushed to the basement, instantly filled with relief knowing that the seal hadn’t been broken.
“They didn’t get it.”
A low growl emerged from the corner, and terrified yet determined she turned to find a hideous sight. It was Gerhard his face distorted covered in blood and horns sprouted from the top of his head.
“You did all of this,” she spat out. “You and that other one. Where is the other weasel?”
“Hell.” He hissed and snarled revealing sharp fangs. “Care to join him?”
“You can’t get it.” She taunted him. She laughed at his attempt to frighten her. The laughter died as she flew across the room her body writhing in pain. The pain ebbed yet she still felt weak as she climbed to her feet. Looking around she was shocked to find herself inside her grandfather’s cottage.
“You’ll be safe here,” she heard her brother whisper. Still unsteady on her feet she sat down on the bed and waited. Unaware of how long she had waited she finally stood, fully prepared to go out and find Ella.
The moment she reached the end of the path she could feel it. The heavy darkness in the air. It wasn’t Gerhard. It was something darker and far more dangerous. It was then she realized that although she may have kept the boys from getting their greedy hands on the cauldron, that didn’t mean its power had diminished.
“I brought it here.” She wailed mournfully. “I can’t let it fall into the wrong hands.” She vowed as she recalled falling down the stairs. It was around that time she understood that she had died that night, the night Ella left. The realization filled her with sadness and made her determined to keep the darkness buried.
“I will find it!” She heard Gerhard howling in the wind.
“Piss off you ugly bastard,” she screamed. “I just realized I have all the time in the world.”