The Great War

XV

I sit on the counter, my legs swinging softly below me, Theo pacing in front of me and Lilium. "So, you're telling me that theres some crazy fucking witch—"

"Celestial." 

He glares at me and crosses his arms, "Celestial," he repeats,

"Who some fucking how beyond the fucking grave cursed this town? And it somehow involves you? A 19-year-old girl with a high-school education."

I slump and groan, "Well, you don't have to make me sound like a failure."

He rubs his head roughly. "Okay. Explain to me how any of this is possible." He leaned back against the counter by the stove, his arms tightly crossed and his expression stern.

"Well, I remember her when me and Lilium went into town, we did some research. Found out the history of the town." I jump down off the counter looking up at Theo. "I have a note."

He gives me a tight-lipped smile, "A note?" I nod and lead them both into my bedroom. I open the bed-side desks drawer and pull out the old note.

"It's dated back to the 1950s. I think she was writing to someone but never sent it." I hold it out to him; he carefully took it from my hands and read over it.

"Okay. So, this 100 something year old woman is somehow roping you into this weird mess?"

I shrug, how he was wording it made it sound like a fever dream. "I think so. It would explain why this all started when I found out who she was. You remember that weird looking lady from our childhood, right?"

He shakes his head, exasperated. "What? No, of course not. I was like eight." I roll my eyes and take the note from him putting it back.

"The lady who told us a story about a town, full of creatures?"

He quiets for a minute, his eyebrows pinched in thought. "That creepy lady you ran into?"

I nod, pointing a finger at him like he just won bingo, "Yeah, her!"

He laughs disbelievingly. "I'm gonna need some proof other than this lady from our youth and some note." I nod and walk over to my closet grabbing out a pair of shoes.

"Well, c'mon then. Hurry up." I raise a brow looking behind me at the two confused young adults.

"And where are we going?" Lilium asks, looking up from where I was tying my shoes.

"We're going to the old school behind town." I explain, she slowly nods and follows me out, Theo groaning loudly and following after us.

𖤐

By demand, I hold Theo's hand as he helps me over some rubble. "I said I was fine." I mumble just as I slide and almost fall. Theo immediately reacts and holds me up by the hips.

"Yeah, fine, sure." Rolling his eyes and keeping one hand on me as Lilium holds a flashlight ahead of us.

"You really thought this was a great idea huh?" She mumbles looking back at us, a slight worry in her brows.

"I didn't think it'd reach sunset by the time we got here." I whisper, looking around at the dead trees.

"Well let's just get this over with. It's creepy," I nod agreeing with her as we reach the entrance to the decrepit school grounds.

I take the flashlight from Lilium and leave Theo's side. "I saw them at this weird hide-out behind the school." I say, pushing open the mossy door. It creaked loudly with the applied weight.

"Jesus, this place makes me nervous." She whispers looking around,

"I'm sure it's fine." I mumble, to which Theo scoffs at.