Haunted Devotion

14.

Centuries ago

Young Nolan sits out by the lake skipping rocks on the water having it ripple not hearing Lin's footsteps sneak up as she whispers boo in his ear making him fall to the side shocked.

"It's Friday right?" She says smiling now sitting by him.

Young Nolan nods, clearing his throat trying to gain his heart back into his chest at it almost jumped out.

"Sorry, my mind wasn't here," Is all Nolan said then continued skipping rocks on the water.

Lin tilts her head watching, "Something happened?"

Nolan shook his head then sighed nodding while telling her about the bird and his dad.

"I have a mom like that except it's not with alcohol in her system," Looking off to the sky, Nolan looks to her liking that they both had something in common that they could talk about even if it was their messed up parents.

"Wanna try?" Nolan says holding out the rock to Lin.

Lin nods as Nolan begins to teach her and by both their surprises she does really well on her first try.

"That was awesome," Lin smiles out but soon her smiles fade as she hears her mom calling her name.

Nolan looks back to see if he can spot Lin's mom but could only see trees.

"Want me to walk you back?" Nolan offers.

Lin shook her head, "It's okay, I'll see you next Friday."

Standing, Lin dusts her hands then runs off waving back at Nolan.

Once Lin was gone, dawn started to come so he made his way back home only to see his father passed out on the couch.

Going to his room, he closes the door quietly then lays in bed listening to the crickets sounding at his window.

"Let me go!" A familiar voice shouts out in the distance, having Nolan sit up fast in bed.

"You can't be normal!" Another voice shouts out and what seemed to be chasing the other voice.

Nolan tiptoes to the front door carrying his shoes in his hands wanting to see if it had been Lin he was hearing or someone else.

Getting out to the porch, Nolan puts his shoes on and runs towards the voices to see both females levitating mid air.

"You need to stay in! You can't sneak out to see some mortal."

Lin has tears brimming down her face as she says, "He doesn't know I'm like you!"

Nolan started to back away, having a twig snap underneath his feet having both females turn their head his way.

"Oh no..." Lin says as her mom goes after him.

Chasing behind now grounded on her feet, Lin shouts for Nolan to keep running.

Nolan falls, tumbles, skids in the dirt only to be stuck by a boulder that seemed to have been moved in his direction.

"You're the one distracting her," Walking towards him, Rowen sees the frightened boy and bends down to get a better look at him.

"I-I didn't see anything I swear," Nolan squirms out.

Rowen sucks her teeth then grabs Nolan by the shirt collar, "I'll make sure you don't," Going to kill him, Lin pushes her mother with her mind and has Rowen go flying into a tree.

"Come on!" Lin holds her hand out to Nolan but being stuck he couldn't reach out to grab it.

Lin notices and pushes the heavy rock with her mind and Nolan springs up holding onto Lin.

"Hold on tight okay?" Lin says as both levitate into the air now.

Going far from her mom, Lin takes them to a place she hides out in being the museum with the archaic dome feature but more so as a tent made out of bricks.

"She won't find us here, It's cloaked."

Nolan looks at the scribbled wording and drawings on the ceiling of the brick tent, unsure if it was even safe to be there in the first place.

"You're a witch?" Nolan says surprised.

Lin nods, "Not by choice, it's a long story..." Handing Nolan a bowl of water, he takes it slurping down a few sips then passes it back wiping his mouth.

"Why is she so—" Lin turns to answer, "Mean? Why is she so mean?"

Nolan nods then sits wincing as his ankle might be sprained.

"Relishes, they use our kind as bargaining chips to level up their lives. Last winter my aunt's daughter was sold to them to help with their crops since they couldn't find a way to keep the cows from dying so frequently."

Nolan furrows his eyebrows, "Her magic? It kept them from dying?"

Lin nods, "With a relic, without her the relic won't work and vice versa."

Confused, Nolan asks, "But can't a vet help the cows from dying? Why do they need a witch?"

Lin takes a relic out in a form of a book with an old cover with wording not recognized by human eyes.

"It's all in here but you won't be able to read it," Lin touches the golden lettering then looks to Nolan, "It's mainly curses, some good, some bad. You just have to know how to use it."

Before Lin could go into more details, Rowen finds them having the roof peeled off having both crouch together afraid.

"You dare show him our relics!" Rowen screech's out with a demonic like voice having Lin tremble in Nolan's arms.

"I'll handle her, you run," Lin says to Nolan but he shook his head holding her more with his long arms.

Lin whispers a spell in Nolan's ear, having him stand to run having only Rowen and her there in a standoff.

"Why save him? He'll just betray you like your father did to me," Rowen hisses out angrily.

Lin squints defiantly at her mom saying, "Dad left because all you do is want power! You only want me around to gain more and then sell me off to the Relishes!"

Rowen licks her lips diabolically and smiles low, "You won't understand until you feel this type of power in your veins," Swooshing down to pick Lin up, Nolan pops back up out of nowhere and hits her with a tree branch, skidding Rowen off to the ground.

"You–I put a spell on you," Lin says, blinking rapidly at Nolan.

Nolan grabs Lin's hand and they both flee, not looking back.