A Pocket Full of Posies (Book 1)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Carmen goes to step forward, but Ava shoots her arm out to stop her. No one's speaking. Despite the fact both of Jamie's irises have pissed off to who the hell knows where, I can feel his gaze on us. Staring. From all my experience with the paranormal, I have never seen this before in my life.

"What's wrong with him?" someone asks, and it takes me a moment to realise it's me.

"He's--I think something has possessed him," Ava replies, her voice shaking. "I've heard of it, but I've--but I've never seen it happen."

"What?" Tom exclaims. "How has--You said we'd be safe here! How did something get in?"

"We are," Ava snaps back, "it must've gotten to him before we entered here, it--it takes a while."

While the two of them argue, I'm fixated on Jamie. His twitching has subsided, and he's standing perfectly still. Inhumanely still. Annabel has manifested beside me now, her body huddled up to mine, and I don't like that I can't reassure her. The cave daze is making me feel slightly sick now, and my mind is muddled with its calming effects and an unprecedented fear.

Tom and Ava have stopped sniping at each other, and all is silent again. I don't think anyone has any clue what the hell to do. We're just standing motionless, like sitting ducks waiting for whatever the hell is messing with Jamie to do something. I turn to Ava in hope of something--anything, to see her with her eyes shut. Her expression is calm and controlled, like she's focusing on something. I'm about to question her when for the first time, Jamie speaks.

"That's not going to work, quack, though the effort is rather charming." It's his voice, but it doesn't sound right. Like there's something off.

"What?" It's Tom who responds.

Jamie laughs. My eyes are still locked on Ava, and at Jamie's comment, she flinches slightly but quickly regains composure. What's she doing?

"Well, perhaps less charming, and more pathetic. In fact, didn't you call us pathetic a short while back? Rather hypocritical, don't you agree?" Jamie continues, and I'm trying to put my finger on what's different about his voice, but I'm struggling. "I've met worms who have possessed powers stronger than yours. I can barely feel a thing, bless your heart. A pathetic excuse for a quack, though you know that, don't you? You agree. You'll never be like your mother, Ava, try as you will."

Ava is visibly shaking. She's biting her lip, her eyes still shut, and she's muttering under her breath. What's he talking about? If this isn't really Jamie, how does he know Ava's name? Shit, shit, shit. What do we do? What does it even want?

"You three work on the door," Ava eventually says with strain in her voice, her eyes still closed and her mind still focused on whatever it is she's trying to do with Jamie's captor. "I've got its energy preoccupied, it'll be easier to open."

Jamie laughs. "You're going to require far more than whatever this is, quack."

Ignoring the comments, Ava snaps at us to go to the door again, and this time, we obey her. Tom's switching between yanking on the handle and desperately trying to turn the lock, but to no avail. I turn back around to face Ava and Jamie just as Jamie steps forward. The footstep is heavy, and he almost loses balance, but he's closer.

"Help her," a voice whispers, and it takes me by such surprise that I jump. Annabel stands beside me, her eyes boring into me. "Whatever she's doing, you can do it--You must be able to. Help her!"

I stammer. I can't. I don't know what to do. I don't know what she's doing. Tom is still bashing the door and trying everything imaginable to open it, but it's not working. Nothing's working. Jamie takes another shaky step forward. Shit, shit, shit.