Indigo Shadow - Hemlock

Chapter 22

Samhain

"Hemlock. Wake up." He could feel Ange's firm grasp on his shoulder, shaking him. Hemlock opened his eyes and saw familiar surroundings come into focus.

"We're here." Hemlock breathed and unbuckled himself. He had a restful nap; no dreams. Just the way he liked it. But he noticed how his body was cold with sweat. His hair was plastered to his forehead, and the back of his shirt stuck to his skin. He squirmed uncomfortably, hopped out of the Jeep and into the frigid night air. It was about 9:30pm; the sun had set, coyotes howled in the distance, and the mountains were ominous shadows that caged them in the canyon. Stars were in bright blazes above him, but what caught Hemlock's stare was the Moon. It rose in the distance, over the horizon. Glowing a dazzling silver; it was massive, hovering only slightly above the shadowy treetops; its light made them towering silhouettes against a navy-blue sky, dotted with constellations. The snow from a week ago had all melted, leaving the earth soft and squishy.

Seeing his breath, Hemlock felt the presence around him close in. The suffocating sensation was familiar to him now, goosebumps rippled across his arms. Clenching his hands into fists, he felt the veins in his arms pop as the adrenaline filled his blood. Hemlock felt disconnected from Loretta, since Nox had crushed her physical tie to the world. But he remembered that the other half was in the Lodge. Gazing at the windows, Hemlock longed to see her hand reach back and draw the curtains away. But nothing happened. The shadows inside the house remained still.

He heard behind him the sound of Ange unloading the Jeep, and Brigid's cheerful voice echoed from the porch; she was accompanied by another woman. She had round cheeks, and long black hair that rippled down her back; she eyed the group of men warily, her fierce brown eyes sparkled in the darkness. Hemlock studied her face and then felt a wave of recognition hit him like a boulder. It was the woman from the cemetery, the funeral home owner. He turned to grab his bag and walked towards the Lodge, trying not to bring attention to himself.

"Guys, this is my friend Tober; she recently moved to Half Moon. We went to middle school together in Lander, but grew up in Fort Washakie-" Brigid's voice echoed behind him, and Hemlock resisted the urge to fall into conversation with the group. He straightened his chin and went forward, through the front door, hoping that Tober wouldn't connect the dots. The atrium was dark, the only source of light coming from the kitchen to his right and the fireplace in the living room to his left.

Climbing the steps to the second floor, the ancient wood groaned under Hemlock's bulky boots. He felt the familiar intuition of death, painful upon his neck, like a sympathetic noose tempting him with salvation from the sorrow he felt in this world. The sounds of his friends and family became muffled by Hemlock's sensitivity to the supernatural. He wanted so badly to give into the house's darkness, but the realization of the task at hand cleared his head.

Hemlock realized he was already in the attic. He let his duffle bag drop to the floor with a thud and winced. He could hear the gear inside the bag bang together. Luckily, it wasn't electronic gadgets, but things that were still as fragile. He bent down and drew out candle tapers, crystals, packets of incense, chalk, salt in a mason jar, and charcoal disks. Nox had given him a shopping list. Of course, he would be bringing ceremonial supplies too, the majority of them. Hemlock gasped as he realized he had forgotten one ingredient. An offering...

Scurrying down the attic steps he was welcomed by the crew. Brigid was handing out what looked like pumpkin cookies and coffee; a snack before the investigation. A half eaten birthday cake was on one end of the dining room table. Since Ange thought they were waiting on Hemlock's friend, who he hadn't mentioned was Nox, to show up, it gave Hemlock some leisure time to gather his supplies. He remembered Brigid saying there was a wild crabapple orchard north of Howling, behind her home.