I struggled against the restraints but the wood that had just woven around my limbs had solidified again. I was pinned in place. I shot a frightened glance at Polly and, to my horror, her eyes were dark and sad. She looked resigned.
No.
"I'm sorry, Rach," Polly said, her eyes glistening for a moment before she blinked it away. "I didn't want..." She stopped herself and shook her head. "It's for the best."
"Shouldn't we at least talk about this?" I shouted. I thrashed against the chair, but it was no use. This was all happening too fast.
"What's to talk about?" Matilda sighed. She circled me in the chair, inspecting me, probably to make sure I wasn't going anywhere. I felt every gaze of her eyes as it trailed over every inch of myself. "You need an exorcism. There's a spirit in there."
Exorcism? The word sent a chill through me.
"But how do you know for sure? And how is that possible?" I shot back. "How could anything get in? I was in Luc's—" I struggled for a moment to think of the right word, "—cage. And—And I was wearing the key!" Unable to move my arms, I could only nod down at the golden chain and key that dangled from my neck.
Matilda laughed and then reached out and dragged her gnarled finger down the exposed skin of my scarred arm. Her touch was as light as a feather, but it felt like a red hot iron was being rolled down my flesh wherever she made contact. I hissed a breath between my clenched teeth.
"Stop!" I cried.
Mercifully, she did.
"As I said before, there's no sense in locking the door when there's a hole in the wall," Matilda said. She flicked at the key around my neck before pulling it off of me and wandering beyond the confines of circle. "This won't keep them out, now."
"Keep what out? Of where?"
"Who can say what thing might venture through?" Matilda muttered to herself, back to her riddles. She dropped the key into her pocket. "Nothing good, that's for sure."
"Can you not?" Polly snapped. "You're freaking her out!"
The old woman didn't seem to hear her.
Polly glared at the back of Matilda's snow-white head as it bobbed around the edge of the room, before she turned back to me. "She means that your scar is acting like a door," Polly said, her brow creasing together. "She explained it all on the long drive back. Or at least she tried to..."
"My scar?" I echoed. I looked down at the angry red burn that wove up my arm, or at least what I could see beneath the twisted wood. I could only see a little of the angry rivers of red welted scar.
A vivid memory played in my head... The heat as I shoved my arm into the flaming mouth of the Beast, tossing salt directly into its gut... The smell of burning hair and flesh... The pain...
And then afterwards what Luc had said, all those months ago, after I had woken up in the hospital.
"Magic that dark affects people in strange ways," he had said, when I had asked why my arm hadn't been healed away like the rest of my wounds. "People and places that have come in contact with that sort of stuff are forever changed."
And he was right. The scar was strange from the beginning. First the phantom pains, then the dreams, and finally the visions of strange ghostly girls. But I hadn't considered that it might all be connected, that the scar itself was the reason for all of it.
Had Luc?
Is that why he had been so secretive and overprotective?
Why hadn't he told me?
"She said that's the reason you and only you," Polly continued, "are able to see those girls. Because you can see between the... the..." Her brow furrowed. "The things." She waved her hands wide, like she was gesturing to the whole room.
"Planes. The girl can see between the planes of existence," Matilda corrected, not even bothering to turn around. She was still busy fussing over something in the corner.
"Between the planes of existence," Polly echoed, rolling her eyes. "You can see between the planes because the Beast left some kind of psychic 'hole' in your arm. Like a portal."
Chills ran up my neck. I was a fucking portal for spirits to enter this world?
"And because of that," Matilda picked up, returning from the corner with large, heavy looking amulet, "we must pull that spirit out of you as soon as is possible, and then close that portal before anything else gets out of—or into—you."
The way she said it, her eyes burning even behind the cloud of white. I felt her gaze on my face, and I shivered.
I knew what she meant by anything else—something like the Beast. I never wanted to face anything like that ever again, let alone allow it to pass through my body.
It did not bring me comfort, but Matilda was right.
I needed an exorcism.
I needed it now.
I straightened up in my seat. "Fine, then. Let's do this."
Matilda grinned and I realized she was missing quite a few teeth. "See, I knew you were a smart girl." She elbowed Polly. "It is the wisest of all to listen to those wiser than you."
Polly glared down at the strange tiny woman her but didn't say anything.
"Shall we begin, then?" Matilda said, putting the amulet over hear head and letting it hang heavy against her chest. It was so big on her small frame that it was a miracle that she didn't topple over under its weight.
I nodded, trying to look unafraid and failing miserably. My lip was trembling uncontrollably. "Is this gonna hurt?" I asked, my voice coming out small and childlike.
Matilda tilted her head in my direction. Her heavy gaze fell on me and she gave me a small smile.
"Yes, it will."
And she was right.
I don't know what she did, but one second I was seated, almost comfortably, in that chair. The next, I was being pulled in two different directions. It felt like I was about to be ripped in half, split right down the middle. I could almost feel the sinews and strands of my muscle and skin start to snap, one by one.
No! Stop! I thought through the haze of pain.
There was a whooshing roar in my ears. I was sure I was screaming but I couldn't hear my own voice.
I could hear Polly's voice though.
"H-How long is this going to take?" she asked, her voice shaking. She sounded afraid.
"As long as it takes," Matilda replied.
"Will... Will she be able to handle it?" Polly asked again, her voice shaky and weak in a way I had never heard it before.
"She'll have to. There's no other way."
Stop! Please stop! I screamed in my head, but it was all drowned out by the roar. I can't do this! I can't! STOP!
Then, suddenly, just as I asked, something abided. Everything just stopped, almost like when something tries to go through a too small hole. It felt like something got stuck.
Everything still hurt, of course, but it was like something was anchoring my two halves in place. I wouldn't be torn apart after all. My vision returned, though everything was blurry and tinged with red.
"Hm, this might be tougher than I thought," Matilda mumbled.
"What is it?" Polly asked quickly.
"Whatever is in there... it's holding on. It doesn't want to let go."
You can't! You'll kill her! It was a voice I didn't recognize.
"Is there anything we can do?" Polly asked, panicked now.
"Of course, though it will not be pleasant for poor Rachel."
And just like that the pulling started again, worse now than ever, as if there were knives helping along, cutting through the parts that wouldn't break. It felt like I was about to tear apart. I kind of hoped I would. Then maybe, maybe this would all finally stop...
I'm in here for a reason, you fucking idiots! came the strange voice again.
A sudden shock echoed through me.
Matilda cried out in pain.
I could see clearly again. My body went limp in the chair, and the wood frame moved again and wove around my shoulders to hold me up. I was soaked through with sweat and my hair was matted to my face. My every muscle ached and burned.
"What the fuck was that?" Polly asked, her voice low.
Matilda hissed.
I could barely lift my head, but I forced myself to look. Matilda was on her knees, Polly at her side. She rubbing at her gnarled wrists. Her milky white eyes were hidden beneath her folded brow.
The old woman clucked her tongue. "I guess it really doesn't want to come out."
Polly's eyes went wide. "It did that?"
Matilda nodded.
"Then what can we do?" Polly asked, her worried eyes raising to meet mine.
"Try again," Matilda said, holding onto Polly to get back on her feet. "And again. And again. Again and again and again... Until the job is done. Until that thing is out of her."
"I... I can't," I sobbed, without even thinking the words. I dropped my head, letting it hang limp against my chest. It felt like my every nerve was smoldering beneath my skin. "I can't take it... I can't take it..."
"You have to," came Matilda's soft, unrelenting voice.
"Matilda, just a second," Polly said, her voice now a little frantic. "Maybe we can give her a break."
Matilda just looked at Polly.
"Just for a bit," Polly added quickly. "Give her a chance to breathe. Or maybe there's a way we can... dull the pain?"
"You have no idea what we're dealing with," Matilda snarled. "We need to finish this and we need to finish this now."
"Well, okay. But it's not going to hurt her permanently, is it?" Polly asked.
Matilda didn't answer.
Polly seemed taken aback. "Is it?"
"It might," Matilda finally admitted.
What?
Polly's mouth dropped open. "I thought we were doing this to help her! What if she gets hurt? Or... Or..." She couldn't even say it.
I didn't even want to think it.
"Then let her die!" Matilda snapped. Her voice was surprisingly powerful. "Better she die now that let unimaginable horrors into this world. That would be an honourable death!"
"What?" I croaked. An honourable death...?
Was I going to die? Was this crazy old bat going to kill me?
I wanted to struggle but I had no strength.
Polly seemed stunned for a moment before her face flushed to match her hair. She bristled to her full height, towering over the small old woman even more than usual. "No. That's enough. We're stopping here," she growled, slicing her hand through the air. "And we're leaving. There's got to be some other way that doesn't end in you killing her!"
"There is no other way," Matilda said, her voice easy and soft. She didn't shrink away. She was not intimidated by Polly. "And if you don't understand that, then perhaps you shouldn't be involved."
Polly opened her mouth to object—but it was too late. With the quick wave of Matilda's hand, Polly flew across the room. A door on the other side opened just in time to swallow her up before slamming closed. With another wave, Matilda toppled over a nearby bookshelf, blocking the door.
Polly pounded furiously on the other side of the door. "You fucking hag! Let me out!"
"I can't do that," Matilda replied, simply. "I must finish what I started. It is my duty to protect the world from these things."
"I should've known you were as crazy as my fucking sister!" Polly shouted back. "Don't you dare touch Rachel!"
"Your sister," Matilda said, almost smiling, "was no match for me."
And then she turned back to me.
Tears were pouring down my face as I shook weakly in the chair. I don't want to die. I don't want to die.
"Please..." I begged. "Please stop... Please... Let me go."
"We both know that I can't do that, my dear," Matilda said, giving me a soft look of pity. "Now, where did we leave off?"
🔮
What the hell is Matilda's deal?
What do you think she means by "my duty"?