Second Chance

Chapter Ten

Claire Broker

"Why do I look so much like," David starts, kind of trailing off at the end as he tried to figure out who he was talking about. "His name is Ignis, and he appears it whatever form will keep you calm. I guess in since that's how he appears to Eden, mom, and I he just looks the same for you too," I try to explain, but I wasn't sure if that was the correct answer or not. "Talking about pretty privilege," He jokes half heartedly. "Shit," Uncle Jeff mumbles, the hallway growing a little darker now. I close my eyes, picturing myself glowing. My chain grows warm, making me snap my eyes open. The faint yellow glow was coming from the bracelet, and it was growing. I look away, finding everyone was looking at me. I step towards the front of the group, following Dakota as he leads us deeper into the hallway. That's when I noticed the black hand holding on to my brother's shoulder. "Alright, where are you taking us?" I snap, placing a hand on Dakota's chest to stop him. "To Sophia," he said as if it were obvious. His voice was off, similar to an AI program mimicking someone. Our group watched on in confusion. "Where are you really taking us, John Harris?" I ask, crossing my arms as I stared him down. A dark chuckle erupts from behind Dakota. His eyes roll back, and then he hits the ground as the dark shadow releases his shoulder. I shine the light closer to the shadow, but it just shone straight through him. "You've got me right where you want me. What are you going to do with me now?" He chuckled, just standing there. "Even in death you have no conscience," I circle him, trying to figure out what to do with him. Conscience, Constance, "This is a trick!" I realize, "Everyone split up. There's no telling where Sophia really is!" I take off towards the bride with most everyone else. "What about Dakota?" David calls out, a shell of himself right now as I turn around. I had never seen so much fear and lack of bravery in him before. "You wait here with him. Most of us can at least sense the spirits around us. You're safest with him right now. They have no use for him anymore," I explain, and he nods before swallowing roughly and turning back towards my brother. I turn towards Uncle Jeff, the light emitting from my chain going out before it's replaced by the faint glow of the magical bridge I was creating. He begins crossing it all at once, and I hit my knees. "Hurry! I'm not strong enough to support you!" I cry out. Uncle Jeff freezes in place, the light and the bridge were flickering as I struggle to hold it. "Go!" I scream as I begin to sweat, and it got him moving. It wasn't enough, though. I couldn't hold it. "Uncle Jeff," I screech, my vision swimming in and out. The bridge was gone, and I couldn't see him. "Dad?" I faintly heard Sophia call out, "Dad, Claire, help!" "Sophia? Sophia!" Uncle Jeff heard her too, he's alive! My vision swims again as I stand up, but I push through it, I have to. "Uncle Jeff," I mumble, stumbling towards where the bridge collapsed. He was holding on to the edge, struggling to pull himself up. I try to conjure up a rope or something, but it just fizzles out the second it appears. "You're still very new to using your powers, they're very weak right now. Especially after I had blocked them for so long," Gee Gee V appears next to me, making me jump. "I have to help him," I argue, but she shrugs. "You can't save everyone," Gee Gee V sighs, but I shake my head. "I'm not leaving him." She sighs before placing her hand on my arm, "I will help you this time." A burst of energy consumed me, and I created a rope ladder next to Uncle Jeff. "It's okay, Gee Gee V is helping me, you won't fall," I promise him before Uncle Jeff accepts the help. As soon as Uncle Jeff is standing on solid ground Gee Gee V lets go of my arm, and I am once again left drained. "I'll check the lower half of the prison, you check the upper half. She's somewhere close. When we find Sophia we'll call the other and rejoin here," Uncle Jeff instructs before running off. I take my bag off, taking a second to drink my water. "Did you have powers, Gee Gee V?" I ask as I close the water bottle, glancing at my late great great great grandmother. "I did, actually. I had the same powers you do," She mused, as if trying to remember when she was alive. It was weird not knowing what she was thinking about. These last few days had been weird. "I have to find my cousin," I randomly announced, pulling my backpack all the way on. "Then let's do just that," Gee Gee V agrees, so I take a deep breath and make another bridge and cross it. I head towards the area where the rest of the hallways joined, calling out Sophia's name every few seconds. I heard her earlier, why isn't she responding now? I stop at the end of the hallway, taking a moment to think. "If I were luring someone the wrong way I would take them in the completely opposite direction," I mumble, so I go across the platform and head down that hallway. I pull my phone out, turning on the flashlight. I didn't want to strain my powers anymore than I already had. The entire prison was humid and stuffy, weighing me down just as the current predicament I was currently in. "Claire, is that you?" Sophia's voice was wavering, but she thankfully sounded close. "Yeah, it's me. Can you see my light?" I call out, peaking into each of the cells I passed by. "I think? You're still pretty far away," Her voice, I stopped in my tracks. "You're not Sophia," I spoke with confidence, shining my flashlight just ahead of where I was circling. A woman let out a chuckle as she came out of a cell with broken bars. "Constance, what could you possibly want with my cousin?" I stood firm in my spot, the metal chain around my wrist growing warm as I realized I was more than likely about to fight the dead. "Well, we had to find some way to rid the family name of the abominations. She was your bait," Constance chuckled. "Ellis," I whisper, I pull my phone out of my pocket, "Hey, Siri, call Mom." 'Calling Mom Cell.' I place my phone on speaker. "What are you doing?" Constance gasped, coming closer to me. I raise up my hand, a faint yellow glow emitting from my hand. "Is Sophia okay?" Mom asks, Eden's mother lunges at me. I hit her with a blast of magic, "We haven't found her yet, is Ellis with you?" I ask, hitting my knees as Eden's late mother came flying towards me. "No, she's in her nursery taking a nap, why?" She asks me, concern raising in her tone, "What was that crash?" I grunt, visualizing iron stakes before launching them towards Constance, "Get to her, now. I don't know who or what, but they're coming for Ellis."  She just laughs as they strike her in the chest, "Iron doesn't work on the dead. Really, iron doesn't stop any creature. Tell me something, what precious metal ails you?" I freeze for a moment, "Nothing." "Claire, Ellis is fine, but are you okay?" "I'm fine, I've gotta go,"I stutter, and then I hang up before I put my phone away. "Now then," Constance smiles sadistically at me, pulling the stakes out of her chest. I rise to my feet, trying to remember anything from the tae kwon do lessons I took as a kid. "I might be dead, but I am not part of the undead," Constance teased, clawing at my face. "Our bloodline was ruined the day your disgraceful Eden met that demonic boy of hers," She screeched as I ducked and rolled behind her. I had to think fast. Bloodline, demonic, it's right there, but what could it possibly be? Constance turned back towards me, fury evident in her eyes as she came flying back at me. I lunge at her, but I just go right through her. I envision a bubble around her, but my chain sputters out a soft glow and then it fizzles out. Constance lets out a cackle, watching me pant as I fall to my knees. Plastic hits the pavement, and I realize that my water bottle hit the floor. "Gee Gee V, I need your help," I call out, confusing Constance to stop her laughing. My late great great grandmother appears beside me, placing her hand on my shoulder as I pick up my water bottle. "Yes, child?" She greets me softly. "Do you know how to make holy water?" I gulp, my hands still shaking. "Yes, but you have to do it, holy water cannot be made by the dead," Gee Gee V kneels down beside me, but she does not touch me. Constance lets out a screech, lunging at us but never touching us. "What is the house's current water source?" Gee Gee V asks me, and I think for a moment, "We still haven't really had anybody out to turn the water back on yet, so we've been using the old well." She nods, and then disappears as Constance rushes her. Gee Gee V appears on my otherside in the same position. "Grandmother, for someone who speaks of manners and upholding reputation I certainly am not seeing you practicing what you taught me," Gee Gee V taunted her before returning her attention to me, not seeming to be shaken up as the screeching started up again, "Now, what pot was used to boil the water in?" I look at her in confusion, "Your cast iron boiler, why does that matter?" Gee Gee V smiles at me, and then my vision swims and blurs.

"What are we going to do, George?" Constance was pacing what looked to be the foyer, Mr. Clark stood under the chandelier with his hands in his pockets. "What is there to do? She is already with child. We must make haste with wedding preparations, and claim that the child is early," Mr. Clark seemed deflated as he inspected the floorboards. "This has gone too far, George. That daughter of yours is going to destroy our good name," Constance was calm, too calm. "Well, I don't suppose you have any better ideas," Mr. Clark couldn't have been more monotone, as if he wasn't even registering the conversation. "We could stop things now before they get worse," Her suggestion was so casual it was if she was asking him what he wanted for lunch. This caught George's attention. His head jerked up, an anger boiling in his eyes more fiercely than I had previously thought possible. "You better not be suggesting what I think you are," He warned, and then my vision swam and the images began to meld together with reality. "Claire, I need you to let go," Gee Gee V instructed, but I only saw Constance speaking to me. "Claire, I need you to repeat the words I'm saying," Her voice was bringing me back, but I was still stuck in the past. Everything was covered in a rainbow haze. "O water, creature of God, I exorcise thee in the name of God the Father Almighty, and in the name of Jesus Christ His Son, our Lord, and in the power of the Holy Ghost," Gee Gee V recited, but I just shook my head. The words wouldn't come out. I could see Eden, as she is now and then as she was the day she told her parents she was pregnant. The two versions of her kept morphing together and taking each other's place. "Your chain, use your chain," Eden pleaded, her voice's strength changing with her form. I close my eyes, creating a bubble around me to block out the dead. It grew warm, and the harder I focuses this yellowish orange light began to become visible through my eyelids. 

I opened my eyes, a protective bubble surrounding me. Even Gee Gee V was on the outside, which made me feel guilty. Despite this, she had a proud look on her face. I let the bubble go, struggling to keep the forcefield up. "Now, let's get the holy water made," I gasped, grabbing my water bottle back up off the ground.