Blackwater Springs

Chapter Twenty-Seven

1

"Are you sure you don't wanna come back with me?" Nan asked Audrey. It was only a little after three, but the sky was dark and threatening. "We always have room at the house for you."

"No, Nan. I need to stay and take care of things here."

Nan nodded. "I understand, but I wish you were coming home, so I'd know you'd be safe. And don't even try to tell me you'll call. We both know how that works out." She smiled, but Audrey could see the worry that lingered behind Nan's brown eyes.

"I'll be fine, Nan, promise." Audrey tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. She knew there was no guarantee she'd be able to keep her promise, and she knew Nan knew it, too. Nan didn't call her out on the lie. Instead, she wrapped Audrey in a tight hug and inhaled sharply. Her face was buried in the fall of Audrey's hair, and her breath blew the strands. Was the woman...whispering? "Nan are you okay?"

Nan nodded her head, but continued talking in that barely-audible voice. She released her granddaughter after several seconds, and held her out at arm's length. "Here." She pulled something from the pocket of her jeans.

Audrey held out her hand, and Nan dropped the object into her hand. The necklace tinkled softly as the chain fell on top of itself. The chain itself was heavy, made of several different chains braided together, and the opal pendant that hung from it only added to its weight. Audrey couldn't remember ever seeing it in her Nan's jewelry box. "Where did you get this, Nan?"

"It was my mother's, and her mother's before that. I know it's not very fashionable, but it will protect you from harm."

"How?" Audrey didn't want to mock her grandmother, but the idea that an ancient necklace would keep her safe was more than ludacris.

"See the gem?" Nan pointed to the marbled opal. "Now it's white, pure. Get around someone or something evil, and it'll turn black as night."

"But what if it's too dark to see the necklace, or if I can't get to it?"

"Oh, it'll let you know. My mother said it ha different ways of alerting the wearer. For her, it was a whisper. For me; a faint electric shock down my right arm. Trust me, you'll know."

Before Audrey could say more, Nan pecked her cheek. "Be careful, Audrey. I love you."

2

Audrey slipped the heavy necklace over her head and tucked it under her shirt. The cold pendant settled in the valley between her breasts; she shivered, and the necklace shifted slightly. Thunder cracked overhead, and the sky split open. Rain poured down all at once. The drops bounced off the ground, they hit with such force. The wind picked up, blowing the sheet of rain sideways onto the porch. Audrey went inside before she could get wet.

"Did your mammaw leave?" Eileen asked from the recliner. It was odd seeing such a small figure in John's oversized chair; Audrey almost had to do a double take.

"Yeah. She's going back to Lexington. My Pap's been in the hospital."

"Oh. I didn't know. Is he gone be okay?"

Ugh. Small talk. "I hope." Eileen had seen Nan give Audrey the necklace, even if she didn't know what she'd given. She had to have; the recliner offered a perfect view of the porch and besides, the curiosity was plastered across her face.

"Oh," Eileen said, and turned her attention back to the downpour. It was better than the alternative; looking at the fading poem. The sound of the rain was soothing, but Eileen's brow was furrowed.