Phantom Town

Part 3

"Where have you been?" Carl asked. "Oh, just exploring. I met one of Mr. Jones's daughters." Harrison answered. "Oh, really?" Carl smiled. "I found a cafe nearby that sounds good for dinner."

Darkness fell, and the wind whipped through the trees while lightening illuminated the blackness and rain started to fall. It started softly, but quickly turned to a thrashing storm. Unable to find sleep, Harrison descended the dark stairs in pajama pants and an old t-shirt. The wind seemed to howl outside, and he wondered how his father could possibly be so sound asleep. He'd almost reached the lobby when he noticed two shapes in the dim light. Lightening flashed, and the slightly smaller figure bent down and let out a slight gasp. The other figure put a comforting arm on her shoulders and spoke softly. "Shh... it's alright. Nothing's going to happen to you while I'm here." Harrison realized then that he recognized the voice. It was Jones's daughter, Charlotte.

Descending further, Harrison could see her and the younger girl in the warm light of the nearby lamp. The girl didn't look terribly young, but definitely a bit younger and more timid than Charlotte. She had eyes just as sparkling, only they were more blue than green. Still, it seemed that she must have been Charlotte's sister. "Do storms scare you, Charlotte?" She asked. "They do sometimes, but there are plenty of other things that scare me." Charlotte replied. "Like what?" The girl asked. Charlotte was quiet for a moment. "The Council." She whispered. The blue-eyed girl looked surprised. "But you're..."

However, Charlotte hushed her before she could finish. "Who's there?" She requested. Harrison started to sneak away but suddenly felt himself pulled upwards, as if some unseen force had lifted him up. Before he could shout or make any noise, he found himself frozen in front of Charlotte. Her face was filled with severity, and her hand was outstretched with fingers bent upwards like she was holding an invisible object in her palm.

"How much did you hear?" She asked sternly. "Everything..." Harrison squeaked. Charlotte relaxed her hand, and Harrison fell to the floor. "Have you lost your mind?" Her sister said, sounding panicked. "It's okay, Moira. We can trust him. It's about time he knew what he's gotten into." Charlotte said before turning back to Harrison. "What's going on here?" He demanded. "Sit down, Harrison." Charlotte invited, sounding gentle again.

Harrison sat cross-legged on the floor and Charlotte began. "This town was founded by a man named Smith. You've probably seen him already." "Yes, he told us about this house." Harrison answered. "Smith and his friends were, and still are, warlocks." Charlotte continued. "They put a curse on this town that still governs it today. No one can know about it unless they find it, no one can leave this town alive, and any child who is born and raised here will become a warlock or a witch at the age of twelve. Some are more powerful than others, but at this point we have a town of witches, warlocks, and a few travelers who never left."

Harrison sat taking this all in for a minute. "So, you're a witch..." He finally put together. Charlotte nodded. "Our town is run by a council of witches and warlocks, and they meet under the full moon. Our mother was a witch, but our father was just a traveler like you and your father." She leaned closer to Harrison. "Then one day, our mother disappeared."

They were all silent for a moment until the quiet was broken by Harrison. "She just disappeared?" "Yes, and from then on our father got different." Charlotte said. "He got more controlling, and he acts like he's another one of the warlocks. I keep things from him, though. He doesn't know how powerful I am, and he's convinced that we're afraid of him. But, I know he's afraid of witches, that's why he tries to act powerful. You see, I'm trying to protect myself and Moira."

Harrison stood and began to run his fingers through his dark brown hair. "This is unbelievable... I'm dreaming or something..." He insisted. "This is no dream." Moira said. The severity in the girl's blue eyes told him she spoke the truth. "Wait, you said no one can leave here alive. What does that mean?" Harrison asked. Charlotte and Moira exchanged a few looks before Charlotte began to speak once more.

"First, they try to get you to stay. If you insist on leaving, you'll have to deal with the Council. No one really knows what happens to travelers who do that, but some people tell me they can hear sounds like animals fighting during those incidents. If you get past the Council, then you'll have to go through the forest." She explained. "There are monsters out there." Moira added. Charlotte rolled her eyes. "We don't know there are monsters... that's just what they tell us as children to keep us from going in the woods."

"What am I supposed to do, then?" Harrison inquired. "I'm confident that whatever is in the woods, I can handle it. Also, I keep having a dream that tells me that Moira and I will have to leave very soon." Charlotte said. "My dreams don't lie to me. I think that if the four of us, you, your dad, Moira, and I all go into the woods together we can make it out alive."

Harrison managed a smile. "I think that sounds like a plan." Harrison said. The wind had stopped howling by that point, and there had been less thunder. "We should all get some sleep." Moira suggested. "Alright. Just remember, we all need to keep our eyes open." Charlotte said. "Okay, good night!" Harrison answered. "Good night, Harrison. Sorry if we scared you." Charlotte replied. "Good night!" Moira added. With that, the three of them retired to their warm beds.