Haunting

Chapter Eleven & Twelve

You get two for the price of one today because it's been so long since I uploaded and because I hate Chapter Eleven.

Enjoy.

Chapter Eleven

Shannon led the way up the path to the front door. She heard the bell chime in the small house. The door opened and her grandmother poked her head out. She had thick, black hair that was unusually grey-free for an eighty three year old. Her face was withered and she had a frantic look in her brown eyes.

“What?” the woman snapped in a thick accent.

“Glory,” Shannon said drawing the old woman’s attention. “It’s me, Shannon. I need to talk to you about something.”

Glory’s eyed widened as they took in her granddaughter. A grin transformed her aging face and Shannon could see a beautiful young woman shining through.

“Shannon, child,” she cried happily, throwing the door open. Shannon and her friends trailed into the living room. “You did it. You found it. Where?”

“Find what? What did I do? That’s what I’m here to figure out.”

“The grimore, darling, our ancestor’s book of spells.” Glory placed her hand on Shannon’s forehead.

“What?”

“The women in our family have are special.” Shannon just stood there, her mouth hanging open. Glory rolled her eyes. “The English word is witch.”

“What?”

Glory turned to Joanie who was standing, speechless, behind Shannon. “I am speaking English aren’t I?” Joanie nodded. “Good, because I’ve been known to phase in and out.”

“I’m a witch.” Shannon sounded insane when she said it out loud, but it felt right. She knew it was right. Shannon caught the significant look Glory gave her and a switch flicked in her head. That feeling she gets, the one where she knows she’s right, is more than just instinct. It’s intuition.

 “Finally she catches on,” Glory said. “About the book…”

Shannon had to wrack her brain a little bit to realise what the hell Glory was talking about, but when she did she was disappointed. Her world was changed so fast it felt wrong to ignore it.

She did anyway. “It’s at home. We found it locked in the attic.”        

Glory’s eyebrows furrowed. “Of your new home?” Shannon nodded. “I wonder why?” she mused.

A chill ran down Shannon’s spine. She knew why, but the real question is how. How did a spell book belonging to a nomadic clan from Eastern Europe find its way into a secret room halfway around the world?  

“Do you want it?”

“No, thank you my grandbaby,” Glory said and cupped Shannon’s cheeks in her withered palms. “It’s yours to do with as you wish. My time is long past.”

“I love you Grandma.”

Glory began whispering in that language she seemed so fond of, Shannon couldn’t understand the words but the meaning was clear as day. It was a blessing. And a plea. Glory was begging someone to keep her granddaughter safe.

She hated being here alone, she really did. Reggie didn’t know why she didn’t just leave, she could have gone anywhere but she didn’t know where to go. The only place she could imagine going was to Shannon, but she thought that following her around everywhere might seem too clingy. Unlike when she was alive you weren’t expected to follow your husband around, not that she and Shannon were married. Or ever would be.