Rachael woke in a panic and fell off the couch.
Olivia, who was sitting nearby watching television, was startled by the sudden commotion, and asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Rachael swore in a less than convincing manner. She sat up and rubbed her face. “What time is it?”
“A little after five,” Olivia answered. “The sun’s just now setting. I was about to wake you.”
“We should get going,” Rachael said impatiently. “I’d like to meet Marcy as early as possible. We also need to pick up a tv, and I don’t know how long that’ll take.”
Emily stepped into the room at that moment, having been drawn by the sudden smack on the floor. She stood in the doorway with her arms crossed, trying to appear strong. But there was a pit in her stomach from so much anxiety. Confronting Rachael after what happened was difficult. Too difficult. Instead of making mention of the incident, Emily pointed at the television in the living room as she said instead, “Let’s just take this one.”
“So, you decided to come?” Rachael assumed, not able to look at Emily.
Emily felt great guilt from the avoided eye contact. “Of course, I’m coming. I want to save Andy as much as you.”
Rachael did not seem to believe that. Even so, “I won’t argue.”
The awkwardness became thicker. Emily realized there was no avoiding the problem. At least not if she wanted to keep her friend. “I’m sorry. About throwing the phone. About putting my feelings above what’s going on.”
“Let’s just get going,” Rachael brushed the apology aside.
“Rachael,” Emily emphasized her name hoping to start a dialogue.
“I get it,” Rachael assured. “You have reasons for your feelings, and I won’t hold them against you. But we don’t need to talk about it. I don’t think we have the time to talk anyways. At least not as much as we would need. We’ll just end up glossing over the situation, and I don’t want that. So, let’s put it aside for now. But I do forgive you. Now, let’s get going.”
The situation was not resolved, but the two of them were feeling better about each other. The awkwardness could be put aside enough for them to work together without conflict.
“Thank you,” Emily showed appreciation. “Let’s get the television put in the car, which Mark can help with. Then we can be off. Was there anything else we needed?”
“Items for making barriers,” Rachael listed. “And, if you haven’t destroyed the rotary phone yet, we should bring it.”
“Wow,” Emily shockingly realized, “We forgot to destroy the phone. I can’t believe we made such a mistake.” Her head shook disappointedly at herself for her irresponsibility. “But I guess that works out for us.”
“Sure does,” Rachael said with sass only to then draw back her attitude to reassure, in an exhausted tone, “It could have been bad by not destroying that thing but try not to worry too much. Today’s been very difficult and unpredictable. We’re all making mistakes.”
“You’re right,” Emily could not help but agree. “And it’s not going to end until we get this done.”
Everybody was in agreement, and there was no longer a need to discuss the problems, nor did anyone want to press the issues. They mostly kept to themselves as they packed the supplies into the car. Then the four of them departed.
On the outskirts of Darkess, Mark parked the car on the side of the road next to the woods. Though, this was not some out-of-place location. Civilization was one block ahead where houses lined a country road.
A familiar home was right around the corner. Rachael and Andy’s family once lived out here back when their parents were alive; the property now sold. In the backyard of their former home, into the woods a short way, was where the old clubhouse would be found.
Despair loomed over the group as they remembered this place both fondly and foully, the foulness feeling far more intense. At the moment, they existed in a hopeful reality where they still believed Andy was alive. Yet, each could not help the subconscious consideration of how things would change if he was dead.
So began the death march.
They got out of the car and gathered the supplies from the popped trunk. Emily and Mark carried the television. Olivia took a bag filled with various types of candles, crystals, incense, and salts. Rachael was responsible for the black phone.
Together, they entered the woods with caution even though they did not have to go so deep. The real concern came from how dark the day had already turned and for the rumors, which they knew to be true, about supernatural creatures that stalked the Olden Woods. Even close enough to still see the street where they parked, to see the houses along the other road, there was the underline fear that something would wander out from the depths.
The sight of the old clubhouse brought relief for they might find shelter from any possible evils that lurked. The little shack was well hidden behind the cover of trees.
It was not built but found one day when Rachael, Emily, and Marcy were children playing. They made the rickety thing, whose wood was rotten, nails were rusted, and completely infested by bugs and vermin, their domain, and their parents restored it for them. So many times, they filled bowls full of water, picked flowers, grabbed handfuls of dirt, and threw twigs into a brew to create a concoction that never would have worked. To see how far they had come was astounding.
“Looks just like it did when we were kids,” Emily reminisced.
“Those were fun days,” Rachael remembered them fondly.
They entered the old clubhouse without feeling the need to knock. The place they found was not the same as when they were kids. Real magic had been cast making the interior a larger space than the exterior.
The room was perfectly circular. Along the walls were shelves formed to the bend, filled with books and other materials. A circular area in the center was lowered and filled with a round table and chairs, creating an aesthetically pleasing place to commune and discuss. At the far end was a second-floor platform furnished with lounging chairs and a short table. Beneath was an open-concept, alchemy laboratory.
Marcy was waiting inside with Ligaya. The two of them were having a casual conversation which came to an end when they noticed the others had arrived.
Emily looked around with disbelieving eyes. She set her end of the television down and slowly began to walk around. Her head shook unhappily. “What did you do to the place?”
“Some renovations,” Marcy answered as she was making her way over. There was a nervous, excitement to her tone. She was a master of conversation when speaking to strangers. But, talking with people she respected and knew, much of her charisma was lost because she worried about their opinions and overthought much of what she was going to say. “When I arrived earlier, I found the place a total wreck. The roof had collapsed. So, I changed a few things around.” Then she recognized, “But you seem upset.”
“This was our childhood,” Emily accused, “and you just changed it? Dingy shack or not, we grew up playing here.”
“Sounds like you’re just looking for a reason to vilify me still,” Marcy recognized that, too. “Fine. But don’t make up reasons to hate me.”
“I don’t need a reason to hate you—”
“No, you don’t,” Marcy was aware.
Rachael physically and verbally interrupted the spat by placing herself between the arguing women, “Are we really getting into this right now?”
“You’re right,” Emily knew she was being antagonistic. “I’m just bringing up my problems. I’m sorry. We’ll deal with this later. Let’s get done with whatever we came here to do.”
“If it means anything,” Marcy said, “I am glad you both came. And you, Mark. And you must be Olivia. I’m glad you’re here, too.”
Emily had nothing more to say.
Mark offered a slight nod in agreement.
Olivia gave greetings that sounded somewhere between curious and nervous, “Nice to meet you.”
Rachael impatiently moved on, “What’s this plan you have for getting Andy back?”
“Opening a Gateway,” Marcy said simply.
“It’s not that easy,” Emily argued. “We would’ve done that if it was possible.”
“You limit yourself,” Marcy pointed out. “Come. I’ve already set up everything, for the most part. Though,” she picked up a small pillar meant for displays, “we will be needing one more of these.”
Marcy stepped passed the others and went back outside. They followed close behind and were led to a small sight not that far away that was deeper in the woods.
The space was open enough to perform the ritual but was still surrounded by trees. Five stick effigies that were decorated with skulls, which included that of a raven, a cat, and a dog, were placed to shape a pentagram, the lines of which were created using bones. On the dirt-packed ground, in the central pentagon was an intricate transmutation circle that had been drawn with spilled blood. In the center of that, on both sides of the very middle, were two small pillars.
Marcy carefully stepped around her arrangement to make a small adjustment. The third pillar was added and the other two were moved to make sure they were evenly spaced.
“What are you getting us into?” Emily looked at the display with deep distress. “Black Magic to this scale is begging for disaster.”
“That’s why I asked you to bring supplies to create a barrier,” Marcy rationalized. “I could’ve set some up on my own, but I’ve never been that versed in protection magic. I thought it best that you two do it. Also, by doing it yourselves, you can trust the barrier will work, even if you can’t trust me.”
“I think that’s fair,” Rachael accepted.
Emily took Rachael aside out of concern, trying to convince her against this, “We can’t really be doing this? What if she needs us to kill someone? What if this whole thing is a ploy so she can corrupt us?”
“I would never go that far,” Rachael assured she knew when to stop herself. “And I’m more than certain you wouldn’t either. But I’m willing to risk dabbling in this dark stuff if there is a chance to save Andy.”
“She’s extremely manipulative,” Emily reminded.
“Sure,” Rachael was aware. “But that doesn’t make her a bad person. Did you already forget? Marcy tricked the Devil. That’s the last bridge you burn if you want to be an Apostate.”
“… Fine.” Emily kind of understood and decided to stop arguing on this matter. But she was going to remain ready to defy anything that was suspicious.
Rachael and Emily went to do as was asked of them, the bag of supplies taken from Olivia, and the black phone given to Mark, him being the only one freehanded because Marcy and Olivia took it upon themselves to put the television in place.
Mark, terrified to hold the phone, could not help asking, “This won’t kill me, right?” to which nobody gave an answer as they were busy.
For the protective barrier, a circle was drawn using sacred salt. Then seven crystal jars were placed around the pentagram, each filled with a different bundle of incents that was burned to create a thick cloud of smoke around and above. Candles created the final circle around the rest.
“We’re ready,” Rachael and Emily declared.
“Good. Only a few more pieces need be put in their place,” Marcy made the comment which she then acted on, taking and placing the black phone on one of the pedestals. She returned to the other women carrying a glass goblet and a knife.
“Blood magic?” Emily understood the implication. “We’re making a packed with a demon?”
“Wormhollows are spatial entities,” Marcy corrected. “I wouldn’t consider them demons.”
Emily stared with a sudden epiphany. That correction came from a place of blind logic and was very telling. She sighed away her frustrations the way a parent does with a child. This truly was not an evil scheme it seemed. They were just playing with fire, but they were not arsonists. Still, “Did we really need to use my tv?”
“That’s your tv?” Marcy was impressed. “It’s a nice tv. And yes.”
“We’re opening a Gateway, so why not a mirror?” Emily suggested.
“Did you have one from the eighteenth century?” Marcy asked rhetorically.
Emily gave the expected answer with her moment of pause.
“I didn’t think so,” Marcy smirked. “Unless we had one of that quality, the television is a better conduit than any mirror you could get at a department store. Modern technology is making way for modern magic after all.”
Olivia leaned close to Rachael, noticing, “Do they look like they’re getting along all of a sudden?”
“I hope so,” Rachael would like that to be the case.
“Me, too,” Ligaya creepily inserted herself into their conversation, her head practically pressed between both of the other two.
Olivia was startled and flinched back, then held her chest and breathed easy when she realized there was nothing to worry about.
Rachael drew away with distaste as she wondered, “Where’ve you been?”
“There’s a lot of magic in the air,” Ligaya mentioned. “I was checking the surrounding area in case something might be drawn here. But I didn’t see any. We should be good.”
“Seems everything is working in our favor,” Rachael said with increasing optimism.
“We’re beginning,” Marcy called to them. “The phone’s already in place. When you’re ready,” referring to Rachael, “place the goblet on the pillar. And Olivia?”
“Yes,” Olivia straightened her posture as she intently listened to her instructions.
“I know this is a lot for me to ask but … your wedding ring,” Marcy treaded cautiously with her request, “would you mind placing it on the last pillar? You won’t be getting it back if you do so.”
Olivia looked at the ring. This was the greatest gift she had ever received from another, from her love, from Andrew who was so very important to her. It symbolized their eternal bond as lovers. Yet, novice Witch or not, she understood that that symbolization was most likely why it was needed for this ritual. There was no unwillingness to part with it if it was key to saving him. “I’m okay with that.”
“That’s noble of you,” Marcy approved. “Shall we head into the ritual sight? Oh, and Mark, please wait outside the circle. I can’t guarantee your safety if you try to join us.”
“You won’t hear an argument from me,” Mark was fine not playing a major role. He had only one stipulation, “Just make sure to get Andy back.”
Marcy made no promise, no matter how confident she was. Speaking of success before anything had already been achieved was bad luck after all. They needed none of that right now.
“I’ll wait here with Mark, so my presence doesn’t interfere,” Ligaya called out as she stood right beside him. He did not hear her, of course. Though, she wanted a reaction from him and poked his cheek. He twitched slightly and itched the spot reflexively.
“There’s a ghost next to you, Mark,” Emily revealed.
Mark suddenly tightened his posture as he became worried.
“She’ll keep you safe,” Emily then added with a snicker. All the women were smiling at his reaction.
The time for playing around was over. The four stepped through the haze of incents to take their places.
Rachael went first, cutting the palm of her hand. She scowled at the pain, then embraced it as she clenched her fist to draw out more blood. Plenty was dripped into the goblet until a quarter full. Her offering was placed on one of the pillars.
Olivia went next. She did the slightest pause at first by playing with her wedding ring before removing it. Then she held it tightly between her fingers for just a bit longer before placing it on the last pillar.
Last was Marcy. A swipe of her wrist caused the television to levitate from the ground. She approached with the iron key. The tip was inserted through the screen as if into water. She then turned and a loud click was heard.
Stepping back, Marcy posed to the others, “Hands or no hands? Always helps.”
“Then there’s no need to argue otherwise,” said Emily. So, the four joined together, hand in hand.
Marcy recited, “We offer you tributes, three. Blood. The Bond of Family. The strongest link between any peoples. Not severed by hate, or death, or time. A Ring. The Bond of Two Souls. The purest form of linking any two together. The choice to be bound forever. The Black Phone. A direct link to the one we seek. From this, his voice spoke through. We offer these to find him, Andrew Liminal, to open a Gateway to him.”
The key began to shake before suddenly being pulled through the screen. Splits appeared in the center where a hole had been left, spreading across the surface like a spiderweb. The lines deepened, bending inward, and then bloomed open like a fleshy flower. Inside the mouth was an array of lights stretching into infinity. The Wormhollow emerged from the television, bulbous in body, but beautifully black like the cosmic rift.
It hovered above the four Witches and swayed slowly as it inspected their will. Satisfied, it then turned to the offerings. The first pedestal was chomped, taking the blood, then turned to the next to eat the ring, then lastly was the black phone. With each consumed, with each judged, it reeled back and withdrew almost completely. Remaining was the mouth that spread open even wider, wrapping outward around the edges of the television. The Gateway was open.
The time to save Andy was now.