The Eight Amulets, Vol. 1

Chapter IX - Ms. Crainer

Hannah was frozen in her tracks. Everything started to click for Deputy Trevor, and he paused for a second. He reached for his handcuffs, intent on arresting her.

Suddenly William jumped from his room with a vase in hands, lunging at Trevor. He barely missed and scarred Trevor's shoulder, opening a wound in his flesh. Blood started building up, absorbing into his outfit.

Hannah elbowed the deputy, nearly knocking him over, and she turned around, grabbing Williams hand. They bolted from the room, faster than the other cops could realize what was even happening. The boost of adrenaline sent them spiraling out the room, heading for the elevators.

They smashed the elevator keys, sweating with fear. What would happen if the police got ahold of them? How long would they be put in prison?

They heard shouting from the hallway, and it followed them as it kept getting closer. The elevator took its sweet time, until finally the cops arrived, guns aimed.

"Freeze, with your hands up!" One shouted, ready to fire. It was quiet for a moment, until the elevator noise stopped, and the doors parted.

To there surprise, there was an old lady wielding a shotgun. She aimed it directly at the cops. The scene was wild, something out of a action movie. It seemed surreal, but Hannah and William sensed she was on there side. He remembered she was the one he saw in the card, and the one who donated money.

"Hop in. We don't have much time. I don't have much time." The old lady cautioned. Slowly but calmly William and Hannah backed away from the officers.

"I don't recommend you back away." The officer took another step angrily towards the children, but they were already inside the elevator. They had selected the buttons.

"Stay away from these kids, you beasts. Or say hello to Grandma Crainer's shotgun." She threatened, as the elevator started closing. One of the officers dived for the elevator but it closed just in time as they caught the breath.

"What- who are you?" Hannah asked as her breathing calmed and she fixed her hair.

"Me? I'm Ms. Krause. Err.. Ms. Crainer for your safety. I'm sorry about your mom William. Truly. I can save her though. I promise." The burst of information made William enthralled. His expression changed from tired to thrilled, smiling and hugging her.

"Wait what? Thank you- how do you know about my name? How can you save her?" He backed off from her, confused about her mysterious presence and what she has to offer.

"Again. We don't have time. I don't want to go over this. You can leave by tonight." The elevator dinged again, and the doors shifted to the side. She gracefully ran to the outside entrance.

"Why do you need us? Can you at least tell me that?" William asked, as he exited the building in the crisp air with Hannah.

"I don't need you. You need me." She informed, exiting the scene of the crime. Rob was waiting outside in his car, idle. She hopped in the back seat, forcing Hannah to awkwardly sit with her.

"Where are we even going?" Hannah asked as she tried to stay as far away as she could from the old lady with the shotgun."

Safety. Away from the Department." She muttered and clicked her seatbelt. Rob started the car and turned back to face them.

"Hold on."He thrust the car onto the road, bumping into a curb on the way. He made sure not to alert the cops as the my made there gallant get away in the vehicle.

"You still haven't explained why you- we need you." William spoke, looking back in his seat at his tired friends.

"I have the ability to bring your mom back. The book will explain everything." Ms. Crainer spoke, as they set route to her house.

"The book?" William sat back in his chair, trying to relax and think about what just happened. His clothes were now all wrinkled, ceramic dust from the cracked vase in his hand. He had minor cuts on his hand, his sleeve trickled with blood from Deputy Trevor.

"Yes, yes. Remember the book I was talking about?" Hannah said, looking ahead as Rob swerved through lanes of cars.

"It contains the research of my husband, Joseph. He was a sweetheart truly. He did it for my sister. She was incredibly sick as she moved while she tried to find her husband. They both passed. Now I have made a book for the next generation of hero's to finish his research and end the curse." She stated nostalgically, looking up and thinking about her days when her husband was alive.

They swiveled a bit more, pulling up onto a neighborhood, and turning down a few more streets.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Hannah said, guilty, they pulled onto the driveway and the engine stopped, letting them escape the car.

"Don't worry, he was begging for it. He was practically insane anyway." Rob exited from the car.

There was a sour taste left in the car, as they filed inside the building one-by-one. It carried into the house, where the guests awkwardly waited as the old Ms. Crainer searched through boxes of old materials. From under the pile of antiques and other old objects, she grabbed a large messy folder with eight gemstones in front. Paper slipped out from it as she laid it onto the floor.

Everyone crowded around the heavy book as she flipped it open. The pages were written in Latin and needed heavy deciphering.

"Feel free to look at what you like. I'll make you guys some tea." With slow pace, she lifted herself off the ground and started making some tea while the three kids placed the book on the table and hovered over it.

"Does anyone know Latin?" Rob said, his finger placed on the book. They were at a standstill, with nothing left to do. All there searching had lead them nowhere.

"No." William responded. Rob sighed, laid back, closed his eyes, and slapped his palm against his forehead.

"Son of a bitch." Rob slammed his hand against the table. Ms. Crainer waddled over next to them and handed them all a tea, sitting next to Rob.

"You just have to keep searching. I'm sure you guys will get to something. What's your guys names?" Her grey hair was illuminated by moonlight, like a werewolf.

"William." He said happily, reaching over Rob and Hannah and shaking her hand.

"Robert. But call me Rob please." Robert shook her wrinkled hand and looked back at the book.

"Uh, Han- Oh! I found it! It's- coordinates. To.. something." She searched throughout the paper and jotted those words down in a blank notepad.

"Coordinates?" Rob stated, confused. She tossed the paper to Rob, who looked quite curiously at the paper.

"Hannah. My names Hannah." Ms. Crainer reached out her hands to shake with her, but instead Hannah ignored her and stood up.

"Do you have a map anywhere by chance?" Hannah stepped past Ms. Crainer, as she pointed to a sprawled out map on a nightstand, just the thank you find at an elderly persons house. Soon everyone was looking at the nightstand, as Hannah searched for the coordinates.

"Ahah!" She pointed to the coordinates on the map. It seemed to be pointing to a southern point of Australia.

"Wait, we're going to Australia? For Williams mother? Seriously?" Robert called, backing away from the nightstand.

"It's not just for his mother, it's for all the citizens in Springfield. It's for justice against the department." Ms. Crainer argued.

"What department-" as Robert and her were discussing, Hannah noticed a truck pulling up in the front. Bill, his friend Jake, and his friend Chandler all piled out of there car, loaded with bats and other stuff.

"Shit."