Staring out the window at the blue sky, I shrugged my shoulders and confessed that I had no real reason. However, I explained that I just felt drawn to the area. 'For about a year, there's been something inside me that keeps nudging me along. No, it's been more like a push.'
'Interesting. Any chance you'd…'
A large rock came crashing into the window, breaking our conversation. Sela was up in a flash. Grabbing a rifle, she went to the front door. Looking around the room, she spotted a pair of binoculars. 'Hand me those,' she commanded.
Passing her large Brunton binoculars, I whispered, 'You said you haven't had any visitors in a while.'
'Correct. Hopefully, I can scare them off,' she said, looking intently out the window.
'See anything?'
She didn't respond at first and then very slowly and softly announced, 'I see three large assholes.' She raised the rifle, looked through the scope and fired. A scream rang out across the front yard. She fired again. I grabbed the binoculars and saw two men running down the road.
'They're gone,' I said confidently.
'They're never gone,' Sela replied with a worried tone. 'If they smelled food, they'll be back. Shit. This isn't good.'
I tried to assure her that everything would be fine and that she definitely scared them off. My efforts at calming her down didn't work. She stood in front of that window for hours. I cleaned up the kitchen and peeked into the front room every so often.
Sela remained vigilant. Finally, toward noon, Sela stood up, opened the front door and went outside, still carrying the rifle. She walked around the whole house. I was amazed at how focused she was.
For some odd reason, Jerky didn't seem too upset about the commotion earlier. She discovered a well-used porch swing and was settled in for a nap. It was a warm, sunny day. The temperature was undoubtedly in the low 80s, but a cool breeze swept lightly across the porch. At first, I was nervous about being outside, but after being assured by Sela that all was well, I sat next to the cat and dozed off. When I woke up, Sela was sitting next to me with a rifle lying at her side and Jerky curled up in her lap.
'You okay?' I asked.
'Yup. I am now. Good nap?'
'Yeah, I slept like a log. I never get a chance to have a good nap.'
We sat in silence for a while just staring out at the front yard. An occasional large black bird would perch on one of the crosses. That pleasant breeze slowed down and it was getting hot.
'Do you always get this…um…scared?'
'Not scared, just cautious.'
I nodded my head slowly and smiled at her. We sat there in silence for the longest time as the afternoon sun started to ease its way onto the porch. It seemed as though she were deep in thought. I tried to initiate several conversations and each time she just grunted, that is, until I asked, 'Do you believe…um…in evil?'
Sela looked at me as if I had sprouted a third eye in the middle of my forehead. 'Come again?'
'Evil. Do you believe in an evil force or existence?'
'Absolutely. We've been up to our asses in evil for a very long time. Why do you ask?'
'I believe that evil is at the root of this shit we are in, and it has a name.' I went on to explain about Madeline, and how I discovered what she has been doing.
She nodded her head deliberately and with much assurance she said, 'I know that person. As a kid, I remember her being at my school for a while.'
'Go on,' I urged.
Sela recounted a story of Madeline working at her school for only about a few weeks. She explained that she was visiting all the schools in the area under some pretense. 'I think she was giving demonstrations or something. I have no memory about what it was except that she was left alone with us and-'
'All the kids in your class were…um….hypnotized or something,' I said interrupting her.
'Exactly. I remember looking at my classmates and they all had their eyes rolled up into their heads. Madeline was speaking softly. I couldn't understand what she was saying and didn't know if she was speaking English. I think my basic survival instinct kicked in and I ran out of the room to the nurse's office. When I got there, I threw up, which bought me a ticket home. I never said anything to anyone. I've kept that memory firmly locked away.'
I put my arm around her neck to comfort her. For the next two hours, I narrated all the information I had on Madeline Blackwell, all the way up to the death of Leonard.
Quietly, Sela said, 'We need to go tonight.'
'Why?'
'Those men. What if she sent them?'
I stared out across the front yard, noticing how ominous those spears and crosses looked. Suddenly, Jerky sat up, looked out toward the road, sniffed and hissed.
'We need to pack and go,' Sela demanded.
'So, now I've got two warning systems, you and Jerky.'
Sela grabbed my arm and led me into the front room. She rushed into her bedroom, appearing a few minutes later with a large pack as well as the two Glock pistols and large hunting knife.
'Here,' she said, handing me another handgun. Quickly, she opened a front closet door and pulled out two rifles and three shotguns. 'Take your pick.'
'Did your Dad do a lot of hunting?'
'Yes, he did, but he was also very protective of his family,' Sela said proudly as she went into the kitchen.
By now, the sun was beginning to shut itself off for another day. Shadows lengthened and the temperature was falling.
Jerky stood by the front door and gave a blood-curdling meow. I looked out, gasped and terror slid up my spine as if it were running a marathon.
'What's wrong?' Sela asked as she came out of the kitchen.
'Madeline,' I said catching my breath. A bead of sweat formed on my brow.
Standing in front of the crosses were three small girls dressed in dirty white nightgowns. Their feet were clearly a good foot off the ground. A pack of wolves or maybe dogs milled around behind them. A sardonic grin slowly stole across each creepy little girl. They shouted something that made my flesh instantly transform into chicken skin.
'Heckel, come out and play with us,' the three demons beckoned simultaneously.
'All three of them are Madeline?' Sela asked. 'I don't understand.'
'It's the same Madeline that I saw with Leonard. Only now, there are three of them.'
An earsplitting shot rang out. A bullet hole appeared dead center in the forehead of the middle Madeline. All three laughed. Two more shots echoed across the yard.
Jerky sank her claws into my worn jean pant leg and yanked on them repeatedly.
'I have a little defensive trick left that should slow them down.' Sela went to the side of the front porch. She pulled open a small wood door on the ground and pushed a button on a black box. From the sound, I could tell it was a piezo lighter. About a foot away after a whoosh of sound, a flame burst forward and raced down a small ditch that extended out past the spears and crosses. It made its way to the front, where Madeline and the dogs patrolled.
'Let's go now,' Sela said, pulling my arm. 'Out the back door.'
We ran through the front room, out the kitchen and toward a barn. 'In here,' Sela yelled.
Once in the barn, I heard the sound of two horses. 'Have you ridden before?' Sela asked as she threw one of the saddles on the back of a large black stallion.
'Once, when I was in college,' I muttered. 'It was fun.'
Sela grunted, finished saddling the first horse and quickly prepared a beautiful pinto. 'Here, you take Hope. She's really gentle, but very fast. She can keep up with her mate, Tempest.' Sela finished securing our packs and rifles to the horses, making sure the straps were tight. The sounds of barking and loud calls from the demons intensified. We looked at each other and practically jumped onto the horses.
