The Deep Dark Stone Path

Chapter 38 *Sam*

Two hours later, we are walking back home, feeling confident. I’m walking next to Dalilah and James strides ahead of us, proud of himself. Dalilah nudges me and my shoulder explodes in goosebumps and I shiver. I nudge her back and we keep hitting each other acting like little kids until I smell something awful. “James.” He stops and looks at me. I sniff the air trying to figure out what that smell is. I haven’t smelt this in years.

“Run!” I shout and we all sprint towards our house. I hear footsteps running close to us. I let the two of them get in front of me and I tag behind. We are almost home, we can make it. Or so I think. I look behind me and see nothing, but when I look in front of me Dalilah is gone.

“Dalilah!” I stop running and scream for Dalilah. James stops and starts looking through the bushes. “Dalilah! Where are you?” The two of us look for an hour before we decide to go home. I change into my wolf form and start to sniff her out. I catch the faint scent of vanilla and I know it is her. I let out a rumbling growl to get James’ attention. He walks over to me and says, “What is it, Sam?”

I start following the scent into the woods. The sun going down and it is getting chilly. “Dalilah!”, James keeps calling for her. Her scent is getting stronger. I run ahead and chase the scent. She is close, and we will find her. Soon we come to a small clearing and in the middle, there is a cellar. I change back into a human and James hands me my shorts back.

“She is in there.”, I tell James. We walk over to the cellar and open it. It smells like rotten meat. I go first and hurry down the stairs. It’s a tunnel. Her smell is really strong now and I can tell she was here not that long ago. I run down the tunnel and James struggles to keep up.

After walking for a long time, we reach another set of stairs. We try to push open the door, but it is locked. I am about to break it when I hear talking. “Oh, shut up! It will be over soon.”, a rude voice I don’t recognize, snaps. I hear Dalilah gasp. “It was exhausting to kidnap the two of you. And I have more to get tomorrow, so I am going to rest. Nighty night.” I hear a door slam.

“Dalilah.”, James whispers. “Who is there?” she is scared. “Sam and James.” I push on the doors and they won’t open. “What is on the doors to the cellar?” she shifts and then answers. “There is a lock on the door-.” Before she can finish her sentence, I break the door open.

 She is strapped to a chair. A tube leads from her arm to a huge jar. “What is this?”, James asks. “She is taking my blood and is using it for a potion. She has Audrey, too. I don’t know where she has her.” James and I unstrap her arm and legs.

 Dalilah stands up and takes the needle out of her arm. Blood leaks down her arm and drips onto the floor. It sparks as it hits the floor. “I am not the only one who saw that right?”, James says. I wrap up her arm and I turn to James. “Take her home and do not let her out of your sight. Take her to your room because there are no windows in there. Keep the other kids around you two, she will leave you alone.” “Sam who is she and what is going on?”

Dalilah grabs my arm as I try to walk away, and I turn to her. “That woman is the last witch. Her name is Annalise. She killed my mom and all the other supernatural creatures. Only girls can be Elves, so that means you and Audrey got that blood from your mom. To be honest, Annalise probably staged your mom’s accident.” James looks at her. “What happened to your mom?”

“It was in winter and the two of us had went to an art contest in the next town over. I won first place. We were on our way home when snow flurries started to come down. Mom turned up the heat and I fell asleep. When we were almost home she tapped my shoulder to let me know. I leaned over and cuddled against her. After a while I let go and sat up because we passed a cop car. Then we went around this big hill and a car swerved and hit us. We flipped back down the hill. She died instantly.”