The Séance

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Anestasia made it under the porch roof at her front door before getting completely soaked. She unlocked the door and went inside, locking back up behind her. The cat jumped from her arms and headed insistently toward the kitchen. Anestasia laughed and followed more slowly, turning the lights on as she went. She stopped in the den to turn on the stereo system that had speakers scattered through the whole house, and started playing relaxing classical music. She had a feeling this would not be a good night for Nox Arcana, or Evanescence.  Anestasia pulled out another can of tuna for the cat, and walked over to the counter, where she put the tuna in a small bowl. The light was not blinking on the answering machine, but there was a note laying on the counter next to the crock-pot. She lifted the lid of  the crock-pot before picking up the note. Umm, pot roast. That sure smells good.

Anestasia looked at the note. "Hi sweetie, sorry I missed you. This project is at a stage where I need to keep an eye on it. I thought the roast sounded like a good idea with the weather acting so strangely. I will come up later to eat, but it may be pretty late. Oh - your brothers called. They have been invited to spend the rest of the weekend with their friends. I love you."

I never thought I'd be glad to be all alone in this house. This will let me read that journal in the comfort of the den. The couch in front of the fireplace will be nice and cozy. Anestasia poked a fork into the roast. Huh, I think another hour should do it. "Hey, Steve. Do you want to keep me company?"

"Mreow." Steve jumped off the table and led the way to the den as if he owned the house.

Anestasia ran up the stairs to change into something dry, and put on a handmade, blue, wool sweater, and black jeggings and went downstairs.  Anestasia smiled with more contentment then she had felt for a long time. She walked into the den and lit a fire in the fireplace. After turning on the table lamps next to the couch,  Anestasia turned off the overhead light. She pulled the journal out of her purse and sat on the couch close to a lamp. She opened the book.

This is a faithful account by my own hand of what

transpired when I hunted for witches and other evil spirits

in the town of Wardwell in this, the year of our Lord, 1680,

Antioch Maxwelle.

I arrived in Wardwell, named for the Wardwell family currently residing in Andover, in the Spring of 1680 after receiving a cry for help from the town elders. There had been complaints of people not acting like themselves, weather out of season, and an alarming number of "accidents." The townsfolk were worried, and rightly so. As soon as I stepped inside the cultivated fields of the town, I sensed an unholy presence. I had never experienced anything like this. The worst I had ever felt were patches of shadow, but this....

I called a town meeting at the church to meet the townsfolk. Everyone came, and while no one reacted to the holy symbols, the air felt heavy. Over the days that followed, I interviewed everyone individually. There were a few people that made everyone uneasy. Most of them were recent immigrants from eastern Europe with no local family. When I talked to the new residents all but three seemed perfectly ordinary. Of the three, one was a middle aged woman, Frederica Lansteiner, who lived alone. She had strange plants in her kitchen, and her home was set apart against the forest. There is something otherworldly about her, but it doesn't feel malevolent. The townsfolk are already going to her for healing, even through their unease. They normally wind up better. Unless I catch her doing ill, I will leave her alone.

Both of the others are brothers from Bohemia, Arlo and Braun Janni. They haven't told anyone how or why they came here. They spend most of their time out on the bay, but they never bring back any fish. They don't pay for food either. They bear more watching.

..................

I have followed those men. They are devoted to an austere, dark, bearded stranger. I have seen them abase themselves at his feet. He lives on one of the islands in a nameless cove off the bay just north of the town harbor.   Both the area and the island are heavily forested, so I was easily able to follow without detection. I have seen them bring Him game that He kills in secret. He keeps the furs, but gives them the meat. They roast it at His gate, leaving the best portions, and then leave for home.

Anestasia closed the book. The fire no longer looked inviting, now it looked as ominous as the storm outside. A thunderclap shook the house. It must be getting worse. Anestasia's head ached from reading the handwritten journal. I think I'll save the rest to read in the sunshine.

A bolt of lightning lit up the room. Maybe I should ward the house again, just in case. Anestasia had just finished the last window, when she saw a bolt aim for the window she was at and swerve. It hit the lamppost at the end of the driveway and all down the street, the power went out. The lights flickered, but stayed on in the house. I'm glad I had finished!

Anestasia went to check the roast in the kitchen. It was perfect. The meat fell apart at the touch of the fork. She got a plate out of the cabinet, and used tongs to serve up some of the meat and vegetables. She poured a glass of milk and sat down at the table to eat.

"Hi honey. I had to turn off my equipment because of the storm. I am glad to see you. How is the roast?" Anestasia's mother asked.

"Perfect! It is good to see you too. How is work going on the simulated heart?"

"I think we are really close, but I am still having trouble getting it set up to pump automatically like a real heart does. I am trying electrical shock using currents of differing strengths. Would you like ice cream for desert?"

"I would love some rocky road, but I am beat. I think I will try to make an early night of it."

"Ok honey, I'll probably go back down to the lab if the storm stops soon. Sleep well."

Anestasia gave her mom a hug and walked up to her bedroom. Steve was curled up on one of her pillows. Trust a cat to find the softest bed in the house, Anestasia smiled. She turned on her bedside lamp, started a wax melt with lavender wax, and turned off the overhead light, before getting into her nightgown. I don't think I want to try sleeping in the dark tonight. That journal is just ... creepy. She thought about studying her spell book for a while, but was hit by a wave of exhaustion. Maybe tomorrow.