Southern Belle by Stuart Jaffe

Author:Stuart Jaffe
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Mystery, Private Investigators, Magic, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Witches & Wizards, winston salem, Paranormal, North Carolina, Thriller & Suspense, Fantasy, Supernatural, Paranormal & Urban, Ghosts
Publisher: Stuart Jaffe
Published: 2013-08-25T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Nobody moved. Sandra squinted as she looked out the doorway, raising a hand to shield her eyes. Max followed her gaze but saw only darkness. He could imagine it, though, plenty clear. Bright, pale women forming a circle around the church, their faces twisted in pain, their necks slit open and bodies baring the brutal scars of the curse Drummond had participated in casting.

Like a summer shower opening up without warning, Max heard a steady rat-a-tat striking the walls. "What's happening out there?"

Keeping her eyes on the witches, Sandra said, "They're throwing rocks at us."

Since any contact with the corporeal world caused ghosts sharp pain, repeatedly picking up and throwing rocks would not be pleasant for them. It might not be excruciating but it certainly signaled to Max that these witches were more than ticked off.

"Wait a second." Max scrunched his face, puzzled. "Why aren't they coming in here?"

"I noticed, too." Sandra walked back to Max and sat on one of the remaining pews. "It's a good thing. It means that one of the lessons I learned growing up was true — that evil and good are natural forces like the opposite sides of a magnet. They repel each other."

"See that," Drummond said. "That means that this isn't just an old building. It still has its church mojo, and that's what is protecting us."

"He's right. Whatever the history of this place, I have no doubt that when it was built, it served an honest, good sort of people."

Max sat next to Sandra. "This means we have time to find that body, right? They can't get in, so we don't really have to worry about them."

"Until we want to leave."

"It's not like that." Sandra hurried back to the doorway. "Most places in the world hold a mixture of the good and evil, so some turned ghosts can manage to get inside. But this church appears to be filled with a lot of good energy. Enough to hold them back for the moment, until they break through the barrier. That's why they're throwing rocks — rocks handled by evil witches. They're looking for weaknesses, some spot that isn't as holy as the rest."

Max planted his head in his hand. "You mean all they have to do is find the one spot where somebody had an illicit kiss or an evil thought or something and they can break through that?"

"Pretty much."

Without lifting his head, Max stretched out his arm and indicated the office door. "You mean like that pentagram over there?"

Before she could respond, Sandra dropped to the ground, covering her ears and wincing. Banging his hip into the pew, Max rushed to her side. Tears leaked from her eyes, and she clasped her ears ever tighter. She groaned and curled into a fetal position.

Max looked to Drummond for help, but he had fallen to the ground, too. "What's going on?"

Through gritted teeth, Drummond said, "The witches — they're screaming."

The wood floorboards rattled and the walls shook. Puffs of dust exploded from every crevice choking the air.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.