Your Worst Fears

Chapter 31: A Fighting Chance

"What about your job?" she threw in. "And school?"

I almost laughed that she'd still be worried about that, since, compared to what I'd just told her, they seemed minor. "Don't worry. I'm not going to miss work or school."

By the time we hung up, I'd lied to her. I didn't realize it at the time, but almost every promise I made to her—to be careful, that I wouldn't miss school or work, that I'd check in and keep her posted—I'd soon end up breaking.

***

Nick and I stayed up late that first night trying to devise a plan, but we had nothing. Our only lead was the woman that thing had possessed and we had no idea who she was or how to find her.

"He said she was dressed up like she worked in an office, so maybe we should start there," I suggested.

"How? By going into every office in town and looking for a woman with too much lipstick on?"

"No," I said defensively. "But it's all we've got at this point."

He leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head, stretching. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I just feel helpless and don't know where to start. I wish we had something to go on."

"Is Erik allowed to have visitors?"

"No, not now. And even if he was, you can't really get any information from him. Not any that makes sense, anyway." He rubbed his hands over his face, obviously frustrated. "I know you want to end this—like, tonight—but it's not gonna be that easy."

"I know we can't end it tonight. Heck, we might not be able to end it at all. All I'm saying, and why I'm here instead of at home sleeping comfortably in my bed, is that we can figure out what we're gonna do now. If this thing comes looking for either one of us, we need to be ready. Ready to attack, not run."

He nodded his head. "Ready to fight, not hide. I see what you're saying."

"Okay, then, let's figure out what to do when it shows up, because you know it will."

He got up and got us both a Mt. Dew out of his fridge, not saying anything else until he sat back down. "Oh, it definitely will, and I have an idea what we can do when it does."

"And what's that?"

"Have you ever heard of the Dibbuk Box? Or a Devil's Toy Box?"

"Yeah. What are you saying? You think we can trap it in one of those?"

He shrugged. "All I know is that we can't kill what's not alive, so trying to trap it may be our only option. I mean, we can get a priest or something and try to get rid of it again, but that only made things worse the first time, releasing it instead of getting rid of it. I want to know for sure that we don't have to worry about this thing anymore."

"How are we supposed to trap it?"

He leaned forward and took a sip of his Mt. Dew. "I know someone—a woman—who can help us."

"How well do you know this woman?" I asked, only half-joking.

He grinned, obviously thinking my jealousy was cute. "She's a pretty old woman who practices Wicca. She's a bit out there but knows her stuff."

"You think a Wiccan can help us more than a priest?"

"I think Father Tim, or any priest, for that matter, would be good for a place, like the asylum, or a person who was possessed, like you were, but not this. I think Edda will be better in this case."

"Then let's call her."

"We can't call her." He laughed. "Unless you know how to use a crystal ball, we'll have to go see her. But don't worry, I'm sure she'll see us coming."