𝐖𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞

EIGHT: Sink In The Walls

CHAPTER EIGHT: Sink In The Walls

Duncan stepped into the kitchen and without being seen he saw them first. His parents; arguing about something compressed with thick urgent tension in whispers and animated grand gestures.

His father's body looked weary as though he'd done back to back sessions of manual labour on land. His mother's face was a solid pale fearful face and her hair was an undone fright with red ribbon tied chicken feet tied into her locks.

Duncan took two steps behind falling back in the shadows of the light so he wouldn't be seen. The air was cold, the sky outside the window was gray but bright in a cunning way and he saw his sister tower back into the kitchen from out of the walls.

Literally out of the walls like...like...like!

Duncan threw a hand over his mouth to cover a shocked gasp. His sister had literally walked out of the walls. A full live roaster in her hands and neither of his parents had seemed surprised by this.

"I found this spy creeping outside." His sister said, holding the livestock by it's long feathery neck. "It had a purple tie around its left foot and everything. It didn't even run from me."

"Look Bernard! This is what I'm saying! Our ancestors are upset, how long before they are angry." their mother screeched, bending her knees in frustration.

Duncan was positively confused and hurt for not being included in the family secret. He recoiled into himself more, he couldn't risk making a single sound lest they heard him and stopped talking.

"We have to kill it and beg it's blood to take us to the Crowler." his father said, voice low and calculated as if he'd solved his most worrying puzzle.

"I agree." His sister stalked to get a knife and faced their parents, "Mom?"

"I agree too. Let's go find the Crowler, set target on the Sinclairs and rid the world off their venom."

Huh?

And then the three of them turned towards the wall and walked through it as though the bricks and concrete were nothing but air. Duncan watched them sink into the walls and disappear from the kitchen altogether.

The eighteen year old boy closed his eyes to let a moment of private pain cross his features and when he did. A memory from a part of his odd dream invaded his thoughts.  "Is he..." the Father seemed to marvel with disbelief.

"A witch. Yes." The boy with Peyton's face replied.

Duncan jerked upright, opening his eyes as though a light bulb had gone on inside his brain. He stepped into the kitchen right where everyone else was before they disappeared. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, this time in concentration.

A second later he had dropped to the floor with a painful thud and a merciless bump to his forehead. Confused and hurt blue eyes fixed on the wall he'd tried to walk through. It was a strong brick and concrete made thing that hurt to try and defy.  Even more confusion swarmed his mind, just a few moments ago he'd watched his family walk in and out of it with ease like it was air.

But why not him, the boy from his dreams seemed to think he was a witch.

His grandmother had once led him to believe that for himself once.

Well was he a witch or was he not?

It seemed everyone but him in his family was...or something else.

But not him. Why?

He got up off the floor and went to find something that would show his reflection. He found a microwave and just like he thought the gold locket was still locked around his neck. He fingered the beautiful glinting thing. Admiring how well it sat around his neck and stuck out elegantly in a masculine way against his tanned skin.

He tried again to unclasp it but he shrieked when the thing shot him with a sharp jolt of electricity. Sending him flying back down to the floor with a heavy thud. He stood up and looked back at his reflection in the timeless mysterious piece of jewel...how can something so pretty be so dangerous at the same time?

His left pocket vibrated a little too loudly.

He jumped; knees bent and hands formed into fists ready to fight any threat. Then he calmed down after realising it was only his phone signalling an incoming call.

"Hello?"

"Hi! Are you home?" A panicked Peyton asked through the line. Voice hurried, loud and frightened.

"Yea, are you ok Pey?"

Peyton's voice was wobbly, not confident and on the brink of tears. "I'm so scared Duncan, please come and get me. I don't know how I got here and everything is just...please come and get me."

"Ok ok Peyt, listen it's gonna be fine," Duncan started to say rushing upstairs to grab any pair of shoes and his car keys. "Where are you?"

"I don't know how I got here Duncan" Peyton started to cry. His tone was pessimistic in a dry way that showed his hopelessness. "Please help me, I don't know who else to call."

"Where are you?" He worried. Haphazardly jamming his keys into the ignition. "Listen listen Peyton, it's gonna be alright I'm coming to get you. Where are you?"

"The Forrest." the dulcet tones in his voice were weak and petrified. His voice tremulous in a way that broke Duncan's heart. He sniffed and spoke again, "I don't know how I got here but I'm barefoot and in the forest Duncan."

Duncan paused and echoed "the Forrest?"

This couldn't be good.

The Forrest was not only the location he'd just dreamed about but it was also a part of the large private property owned and controlled by the Sinclairs. Noone who wasn't a Sinclair had ever been allowed through it and nothing came out of it alive. Rumour had it the forest harvested mythical creatures of the night like vampires. Some rumours said dead bodies from the research facility were used to fertilise the forest lands. Some rumours said it was just a place of stillness with no life or noise.

Not only that but it had been clear that Harold had been infatuated by Peyton. Now Peyton couldn't remember how he'd gotten there. He wanted to deal out a mean hand to the Sinclair boy but first he had to save his future boyfriend. "Which Forrest?" He tested he waters.

"Belfast's one and only." Peyton sniffed some more and Duncan's could almost hear the tears falling from his eyes.

"It's ok, don't worry I'll be there soon."

And soon he was.

But...