The Suicide Lake (Book of Shadows 2) by Michael Penning

Author:Michael Penning [Penning, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Michael Penning
Published: 2020-10-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 27

Keenan had never been so afraid in his life. He held fast to Abigail’s hand, his blood thundering in his ears as Jed Hawes’ gruesome head took on a life of its own.

It began with a flicker of light somewhere within the bloody bowl of Hawes’ skull, like lightning seen through a porthole on a dark sea. Keenan thought it had been his imagination until, ever so slowly, the blood began to move. A ghostly mist appeared, swirling below the crimson surface. As if trapped behind a thin plate of glass, it filled the shallow bowl, churning and coiling with a life of its own.

And then, Keenan’s very soul shriveled in terror as the mist rose up and came through the blood.

Too spellbound to move, Keenan trembled as Abigail’s familiars spewed from the portal like smoke billowing through a hole in the roof of a burning house. His mind became a chaotic riot of terror. One thought rose above the others, insisting itself over and over: This isn’t right! This isn’t right! This isn’t right!

Abigail stood like a rock cleaving through a rushing stream as the unnatural mist flowed past her to the outskirts of the protective circle. Her familiars remained there, encircling the large pentacle. Defying the howling wind, they slithered with a life of their own, a sinister white mass blanketing the darkened woods.

Keenan went cold all over as a chilling sense of evil rolled over him like a dark wave. All at once, he was overcome by an instinctive, panic-stricken impulse to break away and flee. He tried to swallow but his mouth had gone dry. He wished Father Carnes were there to reassure him of the righteousness of their actions.

As if reading his thoughts, Abigail tightened her grip on his palm and held firm as her incantation climbed toward a frightening pitch.

Keenan’s heart raced and slammed against his ribs.

This isn’t right! This isn’t right! This isn’t right!

Just then—very suddenly—Keenan heard a voice whisper into his ear.

She wants you dead...

He froze, muscles going taut, ears pricked. He glanced around at the others. Their shadowy faces appeared disembodied in the dim light of the jack-o’-lantern. Abigail was lost in her chant. Her eyes were closed and her face had taken a feverish shine. Colvin and Josiah were both mesmerized by the sinister mist slithering around the outskirts of Abigail’s protective ring.

Who had spoken?

Keenan was sure he had heard a voice. Even through the pandemonium raging around him, it had been clear and crisp and strangely familiar. He tried to place it but found he couldn’t. Had it been a man? A woman? Keenan’s breaths came fast and heavy and his gaze remained riveted by the white mass crawling around the perimeter of the protective circle. There were shapes in there, the vaporous forms of Abigail’s familiars undulating within the murky depths. They rose and receded like figures made of nothing more than smoke.

Abigail’s chant came to an abrupt end. Her chest heaved and there was something frightening about her face as she spoke.

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