Year Walk

Chapter 5: Alicia

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The delicate snow fell softly on the ground. It's been snowing all December. Yet again, it snows almost all the time in these woods.
I look down at the journal with the flashlight I grabbed from dad's bag. It had all the directions on what I had to do to get my mother back.
I heard Charlie's collar dingle behind me. I stop to lean down and pet him.
"We've both been through a lot, huh?"

After walking for a few minutes, my slippers became soggy and the woods seemed to get even more dark. Charlie started to become more silent as well. I look down to the opened journal to study the sloppy map. I haven't been to church since Mom left, so I'm not familiar with the area. And they always locked it after church sessions.
I didn't care though, I missed the outside. 

I realized the dangling of Charlie's collar stopped, and I turned around. He was playing in the snow behind a tree at least two meters back.
"Charlie!" I called for him. He watched me a bit and whined.
I sighed and continued walking.
"The church isn't too far away. Don't wander off, mister!"
I left him to play in the newly fallen snow and tightened the blanket around me as I broke out of the woods, approaching the church. It was absolutely beautiful. 'Big and old,' my mother use to insult it. I didn't care though, I missed it. I looked behind me and tried to get sight of Charlie, but he must have moved onto another pile of snow.
I felt lonely. The church seemed lonely as well. I didn't know what time it was but I might as well start circling the building now.
I started at the front of the doors and made my way around it. While I was walking, I read the journal. Not aloud, but in my head. It says I'm suppose to sing a small song but I can't understand it. It's in Latin.

"Tempus edax rerum
Quod cito acquiritur cito perit.
Abyssus abyssum,
Abiit nemine salutato,
Abiit nemine salutato!"

Unknowingly, I whisper the words out of my mouth. It doesn't say how many times, so I say it seven. For each demon my dad wrote about in his journal.

It was a pretty tune, and by the last walk around, I ended back where I started.
Lonely, quiet, and in front of the church door.
Next, I had to blow into the hole on the big wooden door. I walked silently up to it, took a deep breath in, and let it all out into it.
I jumped at the noise of Charlie's bark. I turned around and he was standing there, looking past me, his loud barks making him bounce each time. I smiled and hushed him.

Turning back around, I notice the church door creaked open, and a small whisper came from the inside:

"Time is the devourer of all things,
that which is quickly acquired is quickly lost.
Hell calls hell; one misstep leads to another,
He went away without bidding anyone farewell,
He went away without bidding anyone farewell..."

It was the song I hummed, as I circling the church.

And it wasn't Mom's voice.