The Séance

Chapter 5

The next morning dawned bright and clear. Anestasia awoke, energized to the sound of chirping birds, and a cool breeze. She sat up quickly and looked at her window - it was open! How can that be? I warded that! Did I do it wrong somehow? As she was questioning herself Steve jumped in the open window onto her lap. He butted his head against her chest and started purring.

"Did you do this?" "Prupp" "How? Never mind, don't answer.  I don't want to know. I always knew cats were smart. I hope you did your business outside, but if you're going to be around a lot, I had better get cat supplies. Let me guess, wet food only." Steve nodded hard. "You sure are a strange cat." Anestasia went into her closet to pull on jeans and a Harvard sweatshirt. Somehow, she just didn't feel comfortable dressing in front of the cat anymore.

Anestasia went downstairs and fixed breakfast for herself and  Steve. She left a note saying she would be back for dinner, and left the house. Before she locked the door, Anestasia grabbed an old, worn out quilt, and made sure she had the journal. What a beautiful morning. I guess, I need to finish the journal, Anestasia thought with resignation. She decided to go a forest glade that had always felt holy to her. It was perfectly round, and while in spring it was filled with the purple of violets, in autumn, it was covered in the scarlet of bee balm, both of which always smelled wonderful.

When she got to the glade, Anestasia was surprised to find that the ground was merely damp with dew - not like the sodden mess around her house. Did it not rain here? Maybe the storm was more than a storm, maybe it was sent.  She spread the quilt on the ground, and lay down to read.

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As spring turned to summer Arlo and Braun visited the man two and three times a week. Oft afterward, there is a small storm that sends hail on this farm, or floods that farm, and once a great wind tore through the windows in town tearing the white linen curtains and fouling the homes with flies, locusts, and  wasps. The fishermen report strange seas.   Often there are violent swells and nets are frequently empty, or torn to pieces.  They say it must be Bangputys, a Lusitanian  god of sea and storm.  

The people of Wardwell are uniformly good churchgoers, but many know of the old ways, even if they no longer follow them.  People say they have seen their poor lost children as Lietuvens, haunting the night. In the morning people are found twisted in pain, and horror, unmoving, but still alive in their beds.  After the minister comes and performs his rites, they  are able to get up, but their bodies still suffer great pain, and they are very fearful and meek thereafter.

The cattle and horses are not so lucky.  There is terrified whinnying and bawling  in the night and in the morning animals are found some mutilated as if by terrible creatures, and some seem to have dropped dead of sheer fright.  All of the newcomers come under more and more suspicion.  Some have even started to shun them.  Mrs. Langsteiner is only visited under cover of darkness.  People avoid her on the streets. and when shopkeepers must have discourse with her, they make the sign of the cross and spit to avoid the evil eye.

When the Janni brothers  come into town the people turn their backs, and they are turned away from all shoppes.  Arlo frequently causes a ruckus,  but Braun ignores the treatment.  They have started going to Sturbridge, where the same events have started to  occur.  Braun goes off on his own into the forest more and more often, leaving Arlo at home to care for the few crops they had planted.

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Anestasia rolled over to continue reading, but saw shadowy forms gathering around the glade. Shapes that stayed just out of the light.  The cat came up to her meowing insistently.  After Steve had her attention, he batted at her with his paw until she got up, then he led Anestasia east where an amorphous blue glow waited at the edge of the glade.  She tucked the book into her shirt so she would have her hands free, and grabbed a fallen branch before stepping into the blue light.  The forms came right to the edge of the light emanating from the glow, which started floating over Anestasia's head, but the light, little as it was, continued to hold them at bay until she hit the road out of the forest.  Once on the road, she could see the sky to the west, and storm clouds were racing toward the town.  Anestasia took off at a run, with Steve running behind her.