Summer Bay Horror Story: The Five Curses

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 10

 

 

 

 

Aden looked around the group and then at Morag's face. He read the same expression on their faces that he'd had himself when he'd answered the door and had first seen Belle on the other side. 
Albeit a different Belle, this one was covered with dirt, her beautiful hair matted and her fingernails torn and broken as though she'd clawed her way out of her grave. 
He'd welcomed her, the confused vulnerable Belle who'd slipped into his arms and dismissed the dark dank smell emanating from her body as though she'd brought the scent of the grave along with her. Unable to stop his recoil she'd reacted with a puzzled uncomprehending stare, her lips moving as though she was trying to say something before the first howls as she realised she wasn't supposed to be there.

 

"She's okay," he said to the assembled group, "She's come back to me."
Geoff stepped forward, "Who has Aden?"
"My Belle," Aden mumbled as though realising that in saying the words aloud just what they meant. 
"She's dead Aden, I don't understand how could Belle be back?" Nic shared a worried frown with Ruby before feeling the movement from Morag as the elder woman stepped forward. 
"Perhaps you should show us?" Morag suggested calmly. 
Aden nodded and rubbed at his face before he noticed the scratches on his hands. He held them out in front of him and suddenly he began to shake, whether in relief that he wasn't totally crazy or shock. 
"It's okay," Nic stepped forward and put her arms around Aden leading him over to the sofa where he sank down because his legs felt like rubber and no longer held him up. 
"She's in there..." he pointed to the room opposite them.

 

Dexter felt the twitch where he'd been bitten by the mystery animal as he faced the door Aden had pointed too. He gave the others a look seeing identical expressions on their faces that he suspected he had on his, aside from Geoff who was glaring at Aden and Nic. Erm, he thought, so the dynamics of the group were changing, followed by, so Nic isn't dating Aden.
As he daydreamed he missed Morag striding confidently to the door of the room and slowly opening it. At first there was nothing to see, the room was dark, a stray thought that Aden must have covered the window with something slipped out of his cerebral cortex and into memory as the sight of the long dead Belle Taylor-Jeffires presented itself to them. 
Dexter being the youngest of the group and the avid reader of 'The Walking Dead' comics emitted the first of a very girlish scream.


 

"Be gone Mistress of Satan!" Geoff screamed clutching the silver cross he was wearing at his neck. As the assembled group turned their attention to him no-one noticed Dex flinching as light reflected from the silver icon. 
"Over-react much?" Nic drawled standing up and moving over to the door as though to enter the room. 
"Nicole," Morag warned. 
"It's Belle," she said in explanation. 
The undead being in front of them snarled, reaching outstretched hands towards them, only the restraints that Aden had used were keeping her from attacking them. She tugged at them, pulling forward centimetre by centimetre, her teeth gnashing and snarling.


 

Ruby looked at them all in turn before speaking, "That's not really Belle is it?"
"It's not the Belle we know..." Nic finally said aloud. "maybe she just needs a makeover?"
"Or a stake to the heart...?"
"Geoff, Geoff, Geoff," Dex shook his head as though disappointed, "Stakes are for vampires. For Zombies you need to cut their heads off or.... "
"No!" Aden cried out jumping to his feet, "It's Belle for god's sake, can't you see that? She's come home to me... I've got a second chance to make things right... you can't... she's all I've got..." He collapsed back down again falling into noisy sobs and covering his face with his still shaking hands. 
Morag took charge, "shut the door Nicole, Geoff go get Aden a drink and Ruby what curse did you get?"
Without thinking about it Ruby looked up and with a wave of her hand she shut the door before Nic could even get her hand on the handle. 
"Ruby?" Geoff gasped out. 
Nic looked around everyone before she spoke quietly, "What do you know Morag?"


 

It was a dark and stormy night, Morag was sitting in the lounge of Summer Bay house trying not to let on she was stoned or drunk or a mixture of both of them, her elder brother Alfred would not approve she thought with a high-pitched giggle. She caught Martha, Alf's girlfriend, giving her a look and she dialled back the crazy giggle. 
"The parents are out in this?" She found herself muttering to distract them. 
"They said they'd wait before trying to come home," Alf muttered back his eyes on the storm outside the window. 
Just then the lights flickered and went out casting the room in darkness aside from the flickering yellow flames in the fire place. 
Louise Megan cried out, "Ouh exciting!"
"Maybe we should do something..." Martha suggested after they had lit candles and placed them around the room. 
"Like what?"
Alf walked over to the fridge and took out beers for himself, Don and Thomas, he caught Morag looking at him and he sighed as he took out beers handing them around the room to the others. 
Morag stood and walked over to the cupboard where the games were kept and looked through them. "We have scrabble," she announced finding herself peering at the box with a squint as she tried to read it. 
"I think we need something else..." Martha announced heading over to sit next to her. 
"We should do a ouija board," Louise suggested moving to pick up the scrabble box and giving it a shake.
Despite a general reluctance they spread out scrabble letters on the table, a through to z with yes, no and goodbye spaced out evenly, and placed a crystal tumbler in the centre. The atmosphere had become sober as they sat around the table and looked at one another. Just as they reached for the tumbler to place their fingers on it a great gust of wind blew open the kitchen window. Wet leaves flew in along with the driving rain. Lightening flashed outside followed immediately by thunder. As the group cleared up the mess none of them heard the series of bumps coming from an upstairs room as though someone or something was trying to get out. 
Sitting once more at the table the group began the séance. 
"Is there anyone there?" Alf intoned in an ironic voice. 
"Alf..." Martha muttered his name, indicating her ire at him. 
"We call upon the four towers to protect us in our search through the darkness," Louse murmured quietly. 
"Four towers?" Don scoffed. 
"We have to open and close the circle," Louise said with a roll of her eyes. 
More muttering followed before they began the séance the crystal glass moving around the board spelling out the words they would later grow to hate, five curses coming. 
Upstairs in an empty room a small wooden board dating back to the 18th century with hand painted black letters lay on the bare wooden floor, a small triangle shaped planchette discarded on the floor next to it. The scrabble letters displayed on the table downstairs were just a facsimile of the cursed ouija board.

[pembie]

Hope you enjoy this chapter

Chapter 11

Summer Bay High school’s legendary reputation of being the top choice, the number one place to be educated in the whole of Australia had been on the ropes for quite awhile. The numerous rumours of student and teacher relationships (stemming from students and teachers seeming to take to the supply closets long after the school day had come to a close) along with a reputation that anyone in the school principal post becoming crazier than a box of frogs or even the fictional Jack Torrance from the horror novel 'The Shinning' by Stephen King.
Dexter had often daydreamed when bored in class that these wild and darn right batty claims about his school might just turn out to be true. Heck, maybe the reason why so many students went home for their lunches was because they were afraid that if they stayed they would soon become part of the school’s lunch menu. He didn’t fancy being passed off as a new chewy beef stew. However as Dex watched Ruby float the small collection of worn and dusty tattered books across from their shelves and passed the sleeping and snoring school librarian down to the desk they both shared, Dex came very close to choking on his own saliva. The book Ruby had set down in front of him bore the title 'Witchcraft and known Curses of the Ouija Board' by some writer whose name he'd never heard of.
“Go on Dex open it, you can speed read it and give me the highlights” Ruby said while she twirled her fingers through her glamorous locks of blonde hair.
“Like seriously have we stepped through into The Twilight Zone or started a new term at Hogwarts without realising it Ruby? I mean why would our school have books on witchcraft?"
Dexter started to work his fingers through the yellowish pages of the book as Ruby shrugged.
‘I don’t know, you’re the brainiac.
Dex rolled his eyes as a response rather than verbalising it.
“I guess you could also ask why is it that I can now move things with my mind, and why Nicole can see the future when she dreams and why Aden’s old girlfriend has returned as a zombie and…” Dex interrupted her whilst she was off on her tirade of questions.
“Shush Ruby please stop trying to freak me out,” he begged “I don’t like it.”
Ruby muttered “Wimp.’
Dexter quickly peered backwards pretending to have not heard Ruby to see where the glow of the silvery moon was casting itself against the glare of the huge sheets of glass that was the library’s windows. Lighting up the library bookshelves for any midnight bookworms who might be out late with sudden urges for a spot of casual reading amongst the doom and gloom of the shadowy library. A contrast if he ever saw one, only the most daring would want to read about witchcraft whilst in a setting that emulated the very scene that they would most probably read about.
Dexter looked back to Ruby with a red like glint in his eye.
“Dex first you read then we make out okay?” Ruby smiled. A smile that had Dex questioning Ruby’s teasing offer, for just a second until he realised that he had just misheard her. During this time that he had misheard her which was just a matter of seconds; the wolf had started to stir from within him and his hunger for blood and gore was already working itself up into its stormy rage of midnight bliss.
“Dex, Dex hello can you hear me?” Ruby asked worriedly as Dex shook himself from the wolf’s murderous haze and attempted to gain control of his body.
“Yeah sorry what, it is just that moon out there, it is so bright,” he spoke, “Ruby how do you feel about oh I don’t know chaining me down?” Dex asked while blushing the colour of the ripest batch of strawberries that he could ever remember his dad picking down on their farm.
“I would forever be grateful if you would Ruby. My dad keeps some very strong chains in our shed on the farm. They should do the job of stopping me from going all angry wolf on this town.
Ruby quickly grabbed the book from Dex’s hairy hands/paws and shoved it into her navy blue school bag. The rapid hair growth freaked her out more than the actual reason for the hairy hands, women problems, she thought to herself.
“Come on lets get back to yours before you start howling” Ruby said grabbing and pulling him along. The bus journey back to the farm was going to be a very hair rising experience
“What about the research and the reading what about the destruction of the Ouija board?”
Ruby flinched at the last part of this question because Dex had asked it in such a deep-grounded voice one that sounded like Dex was hitting puberty all over again that it had Ruby sweating even though the night outside was chilling to the bone.
“I guess I will be the one who will be giving you the highlights, while you busy yourself with howling up at the moon.”

**

Aden hugged his knees tight to his chest. The kitchen cabinets harbouring their pain filled way into the small of his back. Aden’s eyes kept darting their way towards the sound of the fierce winds that were blowing against the sturdy strong hinges of the door latches belonging to the kitchen door. The bed sheets that Aden had dragged downstairs had left muddy tracks, which made it confusing for him to tell the difference between the two sets of dirt trails. The other was made by Belle as she had wandered off into the night after refusing Aden’s sexual advances, for a whole new kind of weird and strange foreplay that Aden just didn’t feel at all right with. The antics that seemed to get Belle going and turned on, involved her trying to tear a chunk out of Aden’s neck. Aden couldn’t deny that did surprise him seeing as Belle looked to be drained of all her energy by the pale colour of her skin, and since her return she had seemed to lose the sexiness grace of the way she used to harbour. Her pace of movement was somewhat zombie like so when she had tried to snack on his neck, Aden had screamed therefore grabbed hold of the bedcover and dashed downstairs. Belle had followed but by some miracle Aden had somehow managed to usher her outside with a few jabbing shots of a long broom and now Aden waited for the return of his girlfriend with fear.
The church shone upon the hill like a beacon of hope, with the blue glow of its enlightened cross which had been built into the centre of the churches brick work for the idea of decoration at night. Geoff gazed towards it and walked closer. In his hour of need he had always turned to God to help him with the answers when he felt lost. The five curses were not going to keep that much needed guidance away from him any longer. Geoff had been pondering how he would be able to slay his demons and fear of entering the house of God again and he now had the answer: exorcism. He was going to have to exorcise the demons away. Geoff gulped as he entered; the hair on his arms already stiffening with the untold and unseen horrors that probably waiting for him.
Ruby stood holding the cold metal chains as Dex licked at her fingers. People had looked at them oddly when Ruby had tried to casually tell them she had been out walking her oversized and very vicious looking dog, and that they had gotten lost and that was the reason she had no choice but to bring the fearsome beast on the bus after all it didn’t feel safe enough to hitchhike home given Dex’s monstrous size. The people didn’t believe her but the lack of complaints was enough for Ruby as she tried to control Dex and her growing fear that something bad was just about to happen.
“Get in the shed Dex” Ruby said pointing while Dex growled.
“Now come on, it was you who wanted this” she reasoned but realised that it was very and most probably likely Dex wouldn’t or couldn’t recall any conversations that they have had previously due to the wolf taking over.

Dex’s eyes glowed yellow and the jingle of the chains in Ruby’s hands seemed to be anger him.
Ruby tensed as Dex lunged at her, maybe she would be safe herself if she locked herself in the shed? Dex was licking his lips now Ruby was looking good enough to eat or maybe Dex was getting his wires crossed. Maybe he was confusing the wolf’s hunger with his teenage thoughts of finding Ruby hot. He wasn’t sure of anything now had he for example just imagined Ruby running around to his dads chicken crop and then chucking one of those chickens into the shed or had…
“Go see Dex in there, hmmm tasty chicken go on boy” Ruby watched Dex jump into the shed. Even though the sight of the poor chicken being ripped apart and the endless white chicken feathers swirling through the air around her; despite all that Ruby managed to chain Dex around a post and secure him.
Ruby then ran out and towards the farmhouse where she would study in great depth of how to destroy that damn Ouija broad.
There was a light tapping sound at the kitchen door that had Aden shivering with fear and in a very hoarse sounding voice Aden managed to speak……
“Hh…..hello Belle babe is that you?”
With a huge gust of wind the hinges on the door gave way and the door was blown back as Morag stepped through.
“Aden get up you will catch your death down there on the floor. What on earth are you doing? Morag asked grabbing and tossing his blanket away from him.
“Morag is Belle with you? she left too I don’t know why but she looked very pale kind of ill kind of not herself.”
“Yes she’s here and she looks just fine to me.”
Aden glanced over Morag’s shoulder to see Belle’s bright and cheerful face. Her eyes sparkled and her smile had Aden going weak at the knees.
“Aden don’t look so worried babe I’m here. Belle said cheerfully.
“Belle what the heck has happened to you er I mean you look beautiful.”
“Oh wow thanks for that Aden you mean to say I don’t always like beautiful? Belle asked laughing.
“Well you looked dog rough when we were upstairs in bed earlier.”
“Oh my God Aden that is nice isn’t it Belle?” Morag questioned rising her eyebrows.
“Now come in here Belle you look great and Aden if you would just sign this form here Belle will carry on looking the way she does now forever.”
Aden glanced down at the form that Morag had presented him with caution in his eyes.
“Oh yes what is this what does it say in the small print, what is the catch?” not believing that it could be that easy, it never was!
“Aden. I am a lawyer, I can be trusted, oh and yes this is David Reaper he has often been in town but nobody’s really noticed him before.”
Aden glanced to a smartly dressed man, who seemed to be fully dressed from head to toe in a long black flowing cape, just about hidden from view was the whiteness of a well ironed shirt. Upon his carefully combed and gelled jet black hair he was wearing a black top hat.
“What’s going on he looks like some sort of over the top undertaker?” Aden said grabbing hold of Belle which caused her to kiss his cheek.
“Yes Sir I’m the towns unseen and unnoticed undertaker. I hide amongst the shadows until the dead come knocking”
“Yes Aden David is only here to oversee you sign the permission papers for Belle’s treatment” Morag said handing Aden a pen.
“Yes that’s right and can I just say I’m dead sorry for your loss.” David said with a gloomy deadpan look upon his face.
“But I haven’t lost Belle, she’s alive?”
“In a matter of speaking yes she is, Aden follow me through to the other room Morag can see to the coffees and Belle she can help her.”
David pushed Aden through to the living room.
“What kind of sick joke is this?” Aden questioned the oddly looking man.
“Aden do remember or have you ever heard of Donald Fisher aka Flathead?”
“Yes I have why?”
David ushered Aden to take a seat.
“Donald was a zombie too just like Belle is now. Had you ever noticed that about him Aden?”
No you’re lying, there was no way stop it now. Stop trying to make out I’m brainless or dumb” Aden stopped talking as David seemed to chuckle.
“Its funny how you mention brains, you see that is what we used to feed Donald when he was getting the hunger for human flesh. Feeding him human brains made him remain normal as long as he stuck to the diet. Some of the students at school got wind of the rumours that Donald might have been a brain dead zombie and was being fed on brains.” He chuckled before he continued. “That is where his nickname flathead came from seeing as he no longer had a functioning working brain of his own I mean.”
Aden was stunned as Morag and Belle joined them.
“Do you understand Aden? Belle will need human brains from now on if she misses any of her meals she goes back to being a zombie and then…”
Aden looked to Belle who was snuggling up to him looking lost in his eyes. The love they had always shared shinning through with clarity.
“What happens if she misses one of her meals? It is ok she’s not listening”
“Belle will have to be put down Aden just as Donald was.” Morag finished to the sounds of a very dramatic sounding ringtone.
“Sorry I will have to take this call” David said allowing the flow of his long black Dracula style cape fall to the floor before he made his exit from the living room with a long sweeping motion.

Aden looked once more to Belle where the brightest glow of life seemed to be radiating from her very core. Could he live with the fact that the girl he had always loved was now going to have to eat the brains that would otherwise have been disposed of at Summer Bay’s morgue?
Geoff heard the huge doors of the church slam behind him as he walked nervously towards the fountain of holy water. He had grabbed the first thing that had come to hand and that just happened to be one of Irene’s best pieces of china. The simple fact that it was most likely going to be smashed into tiny pieces hadn’t entered Geoff’s head as he had left the house. The Five Curses had to be stopped and a china cup was going to have to do play its part. It was going to be blessed with holy water after all.
Geoff sank the cup within the cold glistening water of the Holy Lord’s goodness and closed his eyes. In his pocket with his other hand he felt for the folds of leather that was his bible. He lifted the full cup of holy water from the depths of the fountain and started to sprinkle drops from his fingers around the church he then opened his eyes and started to read from the bible.
“Oh be gone evil spirits, demons go back from where you came let not darkness fall upon this heavenly and safe place.” Geoff was yet to notice that the drops of holy water upon the churches pews had started to sizzle
The huge black and darkened shadows rose against the church’s stonewalls which caused the sound of raging thunder to rumble just above the church.
Lighting bolts shot right down to the ground. The pews started to fly around Geoff who was so lost in the art of exorcism that he fell to the ground and started to howl as the procession of evil latched upon his very soul. Meaning that the ouija board was free to cause untold terror upon the small town of Summer Bay, which was now without its religious leader.

[Zetti]

Chapter Twelve

The pages were torn, the creases of the spine being stroked by Nicole’s index fingers as if she was lovingly adoring a book. There was something special about a well-read book, the feel, and the love that has been poured into it. The book suddenly morphs from a romance cover into a dark grotty book with a leather cover.

The corners are upturned and marked in several different areas as Nicole decides to open the book and explore. The first page has gothic font splattered around the page elegantly yet with some small ink stains in the corners. 

The OCD bookworm would be freaking out but Nicole didn’t even notice as she flicked slowly through the pages gently tracing her fingers over the words and the chapter heading.

Every little part of the book had torn corners and even some missing pages but Nicole was entranced. There was a force that kept her turning each page and unable to stop.

She then she reaches a page titled “Curses”, she felt a cold chill quiver throughout her body. 

There are 2 curses on each page that she looks at. The coffin and crosses overlap each other and are glaring back at her. The cold chill reoccurs but Nicole cannot bring herself to close the book. She flips through each page and traces each picture. There are several different ones such as gothic symbols, and werewolf prints. She tries to close the book but the force of the words overwhelm her and the book refuses to close.

Nicole jumps up with a start muttering to herself, ‘Weird dream.’ She looks over to her bedside cabinet and sees that it is just about time for her to get up for school. She pulls the cover off and makes her way towards her en suite. The en suite was handy when she wanted to walk around not worried about who can see her in her underwear or just wearing nothing at all.

Time for me to get to school, though it feels like I’ve had absolutely no sleep. Make up saves the day then!

**

Lessons of double geography, English and History have Nicole in her daydreams yet again.

Coffins with crosses engraved, the pages torn and yet seem to be screaming out at her. Nicole slowly thumbs the spine to feel the creases that show the book has been well read.

Surfaces of the book are bumpy and lined with stains but the general feel is forceful and compelling. Nicole touches the book but finds herself unable to step away from the book.

Some of the images begin to jump out at Nicole and she freaks out at the hallunications, her body begins to shake as she is brought out of the mini daydream she was in.

‘Miss Franklin?’ she hears but the words seem alien to her as her mind is garbled up with the images in her head.

‘Sorry, I don’t know what happened then.’ Nicole replied but still feeling slightly uncertain as to what had just happened.

‘Do you need to go to the nurse?’

‘Yes.’ Came the instant response.

‘Right, I’ll send someone with you.’

‘I’ll be okay on my own.’

‘Of course but it is policy for someone to go with you in case you hurt yourself on the way.’

She nodded as she stood up and left the room accompanied by another female. A few moments later she found herself being checked over by the nurse who after a few mini tests declared that she was fit and well.

‘Thanks, I better go back to class then.’ Nicole left the nurses office to find that the other girl had already left. She had brought her books with her so she decided to not bother going back to class.

She found a bench in the grounds to sit down but found that she was drifting off to sleep. 

The book is in her sights and opening up; she moves towards it but cannot seem to get her hands on it. It moves slightly faster and faster with every grabbing motion from Nicole. She couldn’t feel the air as she moved faster; it was like a vacuum where the gravity was non-existent. 

The book carried on flying out of reach so she decided to run a bit faster so that she had a chance of reaching it.

‘Nicole!’

She shook herself awake and came face to face with a shocked Geoff. She took in her surroundings to find herself on the school roof with her books splattered everywhere.  She was teetering on the edge of the school roof but Geoff had a protective hold over her. He pulled her away from the edge but Nicole was in shock and shaking from the experience. This had never happened to her before.

‘What am I doing here?’

‘You were sleepwalking.’ He stated.

‘What?’ her facial expression was of disbelief. ‘What the hell is going with me?’ she asked him but Geoff had no response for her, what could he possibly say to her that would make her feel any better?

‘We need a meeting, with everyone, ASAP.’ She stated as she picked up her books and walked to the stairs at the side of the wall to get off the roof. She was not going to let this happen again. Something had to be done.

**

They all gathered at Aden’s house to avoid being caught by anyone, no one had ventured out to his place unless they were invited.

Geoff and Dex were perched on the sofa. Nicole was stood up with her hands on her hips and had a nervous expression on her face.

‘So what are we all here for?’ Aden asked as he walked into the room with Ruby carrying drinks and placed them on the table in front of the sofa before sitting down opposite to Nicole but adjacent to Dex and Geoff. Ruby sat next to him.

Nicole went on to explain what had happened to her before stating that something had to be done.

‘What can we do?’ Geoff asked her once she had stopped talking and pacing around.

‘Its obvious’ she told him with a ‘duh’ expression on her face.

‘Well please enlighten the rest of the us’ Dex asked before Geoff got a chance to reply to her.

‘We need to find the book.’

‘No. No.’ Aden yelled as he stood up and paced around. ‘No good will come of us trying to find that damn book!’ 

‘We have to! There is no damn choice in this, we all used that damn ouija board.’

‘I know but why are we trying to make trouble? I have just got Belle back. The curses are not good.’

‘Well duh.’ Nicole replied 

‘But,’ clearly ignoring everything that Nicole was saying. ‘I have just got my Belle back and I’m not going to risk anything to lose her, nothing. So I’m out.’

‘You cant just back out, you’re in this with us.’ Nicole told him. 

‘Do it without me, I’m out.’

‘Ruby?’ Nicole asked next.

‘I have to say I kind of like my powers.’  She looked wistful and not angry that she had been cursed. Nicole shook her head and turned to Geoff.

‘I’m lost, the church was my sanctuary. Nothing helps, the darkness is taking over.’

‘We need to fix it then.’ Nicole pounced on Geoff’s fear to swing him to her way of thinking. There was no way she was going to let this carry on, the curse was taking over her life and it had to stop. It just had to.

‘Dex?’ Aden asked as he watched each of the gang express their difference in opinion. 

Its not like I don’t get why Nicole wants to find this book. I do get it. She wants to be free of this curse but this curse brought back Belle. It brought back the one love of my life. Everyone thought it was a bad idea for her to date me but it worked. Opposites really do attract each other.

‘The wolf in me is powerful and takes over but..’ Dex tapered off.

‘But what?’ Aden asked him. ‘What is it?’

‘It gives me confidence. I don’t feel like a geek, I feel energised and like I can take on the world if I am being really honest.’

Aden sighed ‘I still think think it’s a bad idea.’

Nicole argued ‘The curses cannot last, that is not fair on us. Belle is not supposed to be here.’ She tried to reason with Aden but he was having none of it.

‘I’m not accepting that. I am not going to lose.

Forget this, I can’t do this.

Geoff wandered into the kitchen to get another drink, as all the drinks had been depleted. He found himself staring at the kitchen knives on the counter. The darkness seeped into him, the cold chill and the red mist descending. The power 
of his bodily function being passed over onto the dark side; he had no control over the next few movements. His hand reached out for the knife, ironically enough it was the biggest knife there.
 
Geoff wanders back into the living area, they are all still arguing so he approaches Aden and pulls the knife out. He heads straight for his spine but Aden can feel the movement behind him and disarms Geoff. In the process Geoff bangs his head against the edge of the sofa shaking out the dark soul that had possessed his body.

‘What the hell Geoff!’ Aden screeched at him.

‘What happened?’ he asked as he backed up and hugged his knees to his chest, slowly rocking back and forth.

‘Okay, this is why we need to fix this.’

‘Fine,’ Aden responded as Ruby spoke gently to Geoff using her witchy powers in order to calm him down out of the funk that he was still in.

**

Nicole finds herself dreaming again that night; she wakes up with a start and decides to get a drink.  She sits on the sofa and starts to watch some television before long she starts to dream again. 

The dream does not include the book but rather a path is lighted up and she follows it. It takes her through the bushes. Unbeknownst to her, all the other members of the gang bar Belle is being led down the same path.

They all gather around the old farmhouse, which had been deserted for years. Of course the one place that had been deserted for years would be the place where they could finally free themselves of the curse. The house was overgrown and the bush had taken over apart from a convenient hole where a human would easily be able to walk through to get into the house.

‘Nicole! Geoff!’ Ruby shakes them both awake at the same time. Soon enough the gang are aware that they are around the farmhouse.

‘Did we all sleepwalk?’ Aden asked perplexed as to how it was that they all got to the same place at the same time.

‘We must have.’ Nicole said not disclosing how scared she was but that fear was evident by her facial expression.

‘We should go in.’ Dex told them but no one made a move to enter the house.

‘Let’s do it,’ Nicole told them taking charge as no one else wanted to make the first move. ‘We are here now, we might as well.’ 
They enter the house, the wooden floorboards creak with their every step but they walk further and further into the house, the dampness evident on the walls. They reach a door and just next to the door, there is a wooden crate with candles placed on there. There were just enough for each of them to have their own. Matches lay there also.

‘I think we need to light them.’ 

‘I think we do.’

The gang each take turns and light the candles. Nicole opens the door into the cellar and walks into it. The rest of them follow not having any ideas what was going to happen, the general consensus was that it was not going to be good.

**

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter Thirteen - The Last Chapter

The curse had come upon them slowly, interrupting their lives in differing ways.  Dex was a werewolf.  Ruby was a witch.  Nicole had second sight.  Aden had his wife return back to him from the dead.  Geoff was possessed by the spirit of evil.  It was safe to say that none of them would ever be the same again. 
But tonight they were going to end the curse before anything else happened.  Geoff hadn't told the others that his dreams involved the end of the world, the rise of the four horsemen, the end of days.  He hadn't told them that he foresaw the birth of Satan and all that entailed. All those on Earth would be doomed to the fiery pits of hell, himself included.   
He never told them that but something he saw in Nicole's eyes as she looked at him told him that his dreams were not all imagination. She did have the curse of seeing the future no matter how much he didn't want to believe in things like that.
Settling his candle down on the floor he saw the five pointed star chalked on the dark boards.  Not catholic he nevertheless made the sign of the cross in front of himself as though that gesture would somehow protect him. 
"I think that might be a little late Bible boy," Aden drawled sarcastically.

"We have to form a circle," Nicole spoke in a deep voice as though channelling something.  As she looked to the others in the darkness she saw fear reflected on their faces. 
"Here," Ruby placed her candle on the floor and peered at it before she lifted her hands and waved around the small dark basement.  Left over candles from previous people's visits burst into flame and illuminated the space.  The walls weren't black as they first thought but dark crimson, as though painted.... 

"....in blood," Dex said what they were all thinking. 

"What do we do Nic?"
She looked up at Aden's question and blinked.   "the curses were trapped in the Ouija board and when we used it we released them," she murmured. 
"We don't have the board here?" 
"No, but we can still send it back. Then the board has to be ..."
"Burnt," Dex said quickly. 
"How do we do this?"
Ruby reached into the bag she'd brought with her, unaware she'd even picked it up. Taking out a bag of salt she sprinkled it on the floor in a circle around them.   Nic placed a lit candle on each of the five points. 
"I call to the watchtowers of the east, the watchtowers of the south, the watchtowers of the west and north," Ruby intoned. 
"I'm not sure I can do this," Geoff began to hyperventilate. 
"I've got this," Dex stepped over to Geoff and spoke to him softly calming him down. 
"We want the Angel's," Nic told Ruby.
"Last think I want to do is call more demons to us," Ruby shuddered and completed the ritual of calling the watchtowers, Air, Fire, Earth, and Water.  She urged the Angels to come to protect them. 
"Done." 
Aden nodded and stepped forward, "Okay Nic?"
Ruby held up a bag of earth and they all took a handful before scattering it on the floor. 
"We cast this curse to the Earth," Nic called out.
"Cast this curse out," Geoff said his voice rising at the end of the sentence. 
"Cast out this curse," Aden said weakly. 
"Cast out the curse," Dex's voice joined them.
"Cast this curse to the Earth, neutral earth," Ruby called out. 

Aden frowned, "Is that it?"
"Join hands," Nic said giving Aden a look. 
They stepped forward and reluctantly joined hands. 
"This doesn't mean we are dating wolf boy," Aden said to Dex. 
"Not my type," Dex shot back blushing as Nic and Ruby looked at him. 
"We cast out the curse, back to the Earth, we cast out the curse and call upon the Angels of the Watchtowers to protect us, we cast out the curses...."
Geoff snorted and shook his head, "We repeat that?"
"Geoff I know it's not Christian. It's an older religion than that..." Ruby said trying to convince him. 
"Geoff no, don't break circle," Nic muttered tugging hard on his hand. 
"I wasn't... " he stopped and looked at her an expression of horror on his face. "It's not working is it? Is it?" he shouted. 
"You can't break the circle," Nic shook her head. 
"Come on, what do we say?" Aden directed the conversation back. 
They began to chant, five voices saying the same, "We cast out the curses,".....

 

Outside a strong wind whipped through the trees as though it was searching for something. Swirling around it cast up leaves and debris tossing them through the air as it surged.  Waves crashed on to the shore, a fierce storm headed for Summer Bay growing in intensity, louder and mover violent than any other storm  that had hit the town before.  With no defences Summer Bay was in danger. 

".....cast out the curses... cast out the curses... cast out the curses....." the five friends were transfixed on the single point in the centre of the circle as they chanted unaware of the gathering storm outside. 

The Ouija board slid out of the cupboard where Aden had hidden it away from Nic and landed on the floor. The planchette swivelled around the board spelling out the words 'cast out the curses'. 

The storm damaged the church further, ripping off the roof and scattering tiles like they were discarded trash.  The pier was ripped up, long boards spilt into splinters and tossed about as though they were tooth picks. Boats were sunk or capsized.  The Blaxland was driven on to the shore its mast broken and sails torn to shreds. Other smaller boats next to it as though they were just discarded toys. The diner and bait shop looked as though bombs had exploded inside them. Windows were broken all around the Bay scattering razor sharp glass shards like confetti.  With no Alf to direct the rescue efforts people slowly made their way to the only building that seemed to be unaffected, Angelos.  They they huddled together until the storm finally receded and dawn broke.  Across the Bay in the cellar of the abandoned house the five friends slowly awoke and looked at each other. 
"Did we do it?"
"Nic?"
"I think..... it's gone..." she whispered.
 

The Bay slowly recovered.  There were concerns about rebuilding the church but after Alf gave one of his rousing speeches donations started trickling in. Geoff led a prayer circle the night before the works started and the church grounds were once more consecrated.  He assisted with the building works where he could, bringing Aden with him.  
Nic returned to school for the retake of her HSC. Ruby joining her.  Although still friends they barely spoke about the events of the past few months, passing each other in the hallway they avoided eye contact. 
Dex awaited the first full moon with trepidation, if he didn't change he would start to feel safe.  Just in case he'd found a place where he could chain himself up if the wolf came upon him. 
After they emerged from the basement they made their way to Aden's house. There was no sign of Belle in the house, Aden had frantically searched for his wife before they found the ouija board.  Taking it into the back garden they made a fire pit and threw it in. It took three days to finally burn to ash with them taking turns to watch it.  Scattering the ashes on to the sea they hoped never to see another ouija board again.




........the end ???

 

 

 

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