PROBLEM - Anthony Lockwood

CHAPTER FOURTY SIX

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xlvi

i've run out of chapter titles so here's a vape instead (jk don't do drugs kids)

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"EVERYONE IN POSITION," Lockwood ordered.

Alice watched as George stepped over the circle of chains, "Be careful," she warned, "He knows you're there."

She observed in silent horror as George began to inspect the grave.

"This casket's not level or as deep as it should be, so we've got a rushed, illegal and very amature burial - which has been here as long as these other plots..." George began to explain.

"DEANE!"

Alice choked on air, the flashlight falling from her fingers. She could feel Bickerstaff's magic now, ebbing into the soil and the air and the shadows. It curled itself around her throat, bleeding away at whatever reserves of life she had left.

Alice staggered, trying to grab her knife.

"DEANE!"

She could hear his voice now, echoing and echoing and echoing. Reverberating through the air like a scream. Was this what it was like for other witches to approach her mother's grave? Was this why Alice was her only visitor after all these years?

Not even Bonny Lizzie dared to tred near to her sister's grave.

Magic buzzed in the air now, it was screaming with intensity. Bickerstaff was drawing power from the other souls buried here. Their skeletons, their ghosts, their spirits.

If he could draw from them, Alice could too.

She grabbed her knife and attempted to run it across her palm, but the entire world was spinning now.

"LEAVE ME BE!" she could hear him scream, "DEANE!"

The knife slipped from her hand, making a cut along her arm instead, mere milimeters away from slitting her wrists. Alice cried out, clutching her head.

Lockwood touched her arm, "Ally? What's going on? Everything okay?"

Alice forced herself to nod.

"Where's my light?!" George demanded.

Lucy clutched her head, groaning, "I don't feel so good."

Lockwood turned and grabbed his flashlight. "I've got you."

The moment light was put on the casket, George gasped, "It's made of iron."

Alice's head shot up, "Get out of there now, George!"

Lockwood grabbed George's hand, pulling him out. He blinked, "Okay, the coffin's made of iron, but was put in the ground way before the Problem started, so what exactly is in there that they needed to trap?" he glanced at Alice.

Alice held her bleeding wrist in her other hand, trying to stop the blood from dripping, "Don't look at me."

"And how did they know how to do it?" George exclaimed, "We need to research, regroup-"

"No time," Lockwood cut across, "There's a hole in the casket we need to open it and seal the source." He glanced at the two girls, who were both pale and sickly. "Lucy, Ally are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright," Lucy turned around, "But can you hear those flies? What is that?"

"No, but I'm getting these intense waves of nausea," George replied.