Out of the Darkness

133

"I think I found something," Sam said, pulling my attention back to him. He had put the big MagLite down, balanced against the wall so that it was shining up. His fingers were pulling against a small lip in the wall that I probably wouldn't have noticed. My eyes trailed over it, noticing that it was like a barely discernable crack in the shape of a door. "That's gotta be the way out. How do we open it though?" I asked, running my own fingers over the wall, feeling a burst of energy from the new discovery. "Leaving so ssssoooon?" A disembodied female voice hissed through the air surrounding us, raising the hairs on the back of my neck. It sounded like Jafar when he turned into a snake on Aladdin, that old Disney movie. Only it was definitely a woman's voice. I turned slowly, Sam and Ash following my movements. My entire body was trembling now, from fear or lack of blood, I had no clue. Probably both. "Huh?" I blurted out, when I saw what, or who rather, was behind us. It was a woman, a very beautiful woman. Not what I had been expecting at all. She seemed familiar, just like this house had. It's Lilith. Wasn't that her name? The witch who had never aged. She looked different here, but it was her. I knew it. While she may have been beautiful, her eyes gave off evil vibes that shook me to my core. "Ah Colby. You've visited my realm before, yes? I believe you have something that belongs to me. I would like it back now, please." Her voice was pleasant now, almost too pleasant, like I could very easily be tricked into staying here with her. She would give me anything that my heart desired. I could be with Anna here. I could even bring Sam with me. I heard all of this in my head, as I stared into her black, bottomless eyes. "You can't have him!" I heard Sam's yell, and felt his hand snatching me back to him. It brought me back to reality. I backed up quickly, away from HER. I had taken a few steps towards her, without even realizing. She let out a light, tinkling giggle, and tossed her blonde hair back. "Oh dear boy. I can have whatever I want. This is MY HOME. You'd be smart to show me a little respect. Kids these days are so disrespectful of their elders, I swear. No matter. Leave Anna, and I'll give you one chance to go peacefully. For now." She smiled, slow, like a Cheshire Cat, knowing that we were caught in her web. "I won't leave her," I croaked out, still shaken from how easily she had taken control of me. "Why? What is she to you? A spirit? She has a job to do, a price to pay." I shook my head, and backed up in front of Ash, shielding Anna from her view. "NO," I said defiantly. She held her hand out, fingers up, with a smile on her face. A nail file smoked into it and she started to file her nails, looking down at them. "I had forgotten how tedious it was to be human. Ugh. Disgusting, emotional creatures. All of you. Fine then. Take her. You're free to go." The file disappeared from her hands, and she threw one of them up and out. I braced myself and closed my eyes, knowing that we were about to be hit with some kind of magical force, HARD. Nothing happened. I cracked my eyes open and saw her staring at me, grinning with a please expression. "Silly boy. If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead. If I wanted to snatch Anna from your arms, then I would. You can't stop me from getting anything that I want. Including your soul. ESPECIALLY since you have been marked." She nodded towards my bleeding arm. The blood looked black in the dim lighting. "Leave before I change my mind. I swallowed hard, and glanced behind me, when she motioned. The door that was in the side of wall was wide open. She had opened the thick slab of concrete with a flick of her wrist. "Let's go," I said, motioning towards the opening. I took Anna from Ash, and let him and Sam go first, before I started to follow. "Oh and Colby?" I wanted to ignore her and just keep going, but I couldn't. My feet stopped in their tracks and I turned back to see what she wanted. "If you take her, she will cease to exist," she said, shrugging. "She's just a soul. If she doesn't have a body to be tethered too, and you take her spirit from the spirit realm, she will be gone." She smiled and brought one of her hands to her mouth, mimicking air coming from her mouth. "Just poof. No more Anna. Of course, if that's what you want, then go right ahead. Take her. I won't stop you. She's starting to become more trouble than she's worth anyway." "You're lying," I forced out. She wasn't. I didn't know what had happened when I had gotten bitten by that demon, but I could feel that she was telling the truth. "Take her and find out then," she replied, licking her lips seductively. "What do you want me to do?" I begged. "I'll do anything. Just let her go." "Oh, you're a right knight in shining armor, aren't you? No, I don't think so. Not yet. I would like for you to put her back where she belongs. If you aren't going to snuff her from existence, that is." She waved her hand again, and the dreaded white coffin appeared in between us, lid already open. I met her gaze, and held it, unsure of what to do. I couldn't just leave Anna here, but if I took her, then she would die, for good. I sighed, and looked down at the white satin of the inside of the coffin. I lowered Anna down into it, and fixed her hair out of her face. "I'll come back for you. I promise. I won't leave you here. I WILL help you, Anna. I promise. Wait for me," I whispered. I leaned back up and glared at Lilith.