The Witches of Marble Falls

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The sound of Valerie's voice brought Emilia back to semi-consciousness. She struggled to sit up, feeling moisture on her forehead. A wet cloth fell to her lap as she pulled herself to a seated position. Her vision was still spotty, her throat sore, but she could make out the vague shapes of her twin, Agatha, and Alaric. They were in the room where Kittie had been sitting, and Emilia was on the couch opposite her silent aunt.

'Emilia,' Valerie called, her hazy figure rushing forward, 'don't move too quickly.'

Emilia wanted to speak, she wanted to know what happened to her, and what happened with the creature. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out; her voice was gone, as if she had been yelling and screaming for hours.

'Child, rest. You passed out, which means your body is not going to function properly for some time.' Professor Hale spoke, laying her back down on the couch. Emilia lifted an arm to signal that she was fine, but she couldn't raise it more than an inch from the couch.

'What caused this?' Agatha demanded, her voice filled with concern. Through the mist, Emilia could see her aunt standing near one of the far bookshelves, wringing her hands.

'Most likely, the energy from the demon overwhelmed her mind and she shut down. It is common amongst the highly sensitive, which Emilia appears to be.' Alaric explained, replacing the cloth over her forehead and eyes. 'We should see improvement in her condition within the hour.'

Her eyes closed as Alaric and Agatha and Valerie all continued to discuss what had happened to her, their voices running together, deafening to her ears. She willed herself back into the void of unconsciousness, to escape the cacophony of noise that surrounded her.

Emilia opened her eyes and saw the light pink damask wallpaper of the room she shared with Valerie. Her vision was clear, and she was able to move her limbs with little effort. She opened her mouth and called for Valerie, her voice still hoarse but effective—Valerie rushed into the room and jumped on the bed, her eyes wide and bright with tears.

'I am so glad you are awake!' She wrapped her arms around Emilia and squeezed her. 'I was scared, Emi. I was so scared.'

'Why were you scared?' Emilia was able to question. Her throat still scratched when she spoke, but she was able to talk through the pain. 'How long have I been asleep?'

'We brought you home six days ago, Emi. You regained consciousness long enough to eat, but your eyes were always closed and you never spoke. Aunt Agatha would sit here and feed you, your arms wouldn't work.' Valerie gushed, gripping Emilia's hands in her own. Her sister watched as she stood from the bed and stretched her arms over her head, raised one leg then the other to stretch her muscles.

'I don't remember anything. I remember Professor Hale making me lay back on the couch, and a cold cloth on my face. I don't remember how I got here, how I ended up in that state.'

'Professor Hale summoned a creature to get answers about Aunt Kittie.' Valerie stated, crossing her arms. 'It was stupid. It was unnecessary. There must have been an easier way, a safer way.'

The memories of the creature, bound to the spot where it had manifested, came rushing back to her. The smell of sulphur and decaying flesh, the smoke and the sight of the creature's horns and pitted skin and claws for fingers—she choked on air as she sat on the bed, a cold sweat covering her body.

'Did he get the answers he was hoping for?' Emilia's voice was a whisper. Valerie shrugged her shoulders and moved to sit beside her twin on the edge of the bed.

'That would be something to ask Aunt Agatha. They've been making the trip back to the university every morning since we brought you home, and they don't return until late at night. Daphne and Harvey have been spending the afternoons with their teacher, and I pick them up for dinner around six o'clock.' Valerie explained. She stood and retrieved a binder filled with paper. She handed it to Emilia and sat back down, silent.