New Salem by Christian H. Smith

Author:Christian H. Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: witchcraft, midwife, black magic, lynch mob, small town horror, offbeat quirky, lgbt horror, occult and superhatural, mass hysteria, satanic panic

11

8:43PM

The witches had built a roaring fire in the pit in the center of the stone patio, just below the elevated platform with the spacious hot-tub. The platform was half-encircled by tall standing mirror panels, arranged like a band-shell around the tub. The mirrors reflected and multiplied the flickering light of the flames, and also ensured there was nowhere Mark could glance where he did not see naked female flesh.

Being the only man in a churning hot tub with five nude women sounded on the surface like an erotic dream come true, but Mark felt no sexual desire at all. His libido might have been dampened by whatever had been in the “communion”—a foul-tasting combo of a “body of the goddess” wafer, spread with some kind of vile vegetable matter, and a bitter shot of “blood of the goddess” liquor. But there were also taboos in place that prevented him from seeing any of the women through the lens of sexual attraction. Roberta was too old, Gemma was too young. Sally was gay, Lizzy had the mind of a child. Ellie had stated her complete lack of physical interest in him, and that had rendered her likewise untouchable in his mind. Also, with the obvious exception of menopausal Roberta, Mark suspected that some or all of them were menstruating- synched as they were with the full round moon overhead. This was an ancient taboo, but in Mark’s pulsing mind the prohibition against touching them had less to do with patriarchal religious notions of uncleanliness than it did an awe-filled respect for the impenetrable mystery of the female body.

“We are the daughters of Adaleen Bell,” Roberta began.

The other four women echoed this invocation, chanting as one: “We are the daughters of Adaleen Bell.”

That name struck a deep chord with Mark. He’d heard it somewhere before, but could not at that moment place where.

“We’re Bell’s Angels!” Lizzy cried, smiling with delight.

“That’s right, honey,” Roberta said. “Bell’s Angels, honoring the legacy of a wise and powerful woman. Dedicating ourselves to continuing her struggle. Born into slavery in Louisiana, she escaped her captors and fled north, braving great peril and constant danger to come here, to Illinois. In fact, this house is built on the very site of Adaleen’s cabin. I reclaimed some of her hand-hewn beams to use for my rafters, and there is a section of my basement that retains the original foundation stones. From her cabin, Adaleen offered her services to black and white alike. She was a fortune teller and a midwife, and also—”

“A hoodoo lady,” Mark said, suddenly remembering where he had heard the name.

Roberta looked over at him, curiously. “You’ve heard of Adaleen?”

“When I was ten, I went with my friend Jess to see his great-grandmother at the nursing home where she lived. She told us about an old lady named Adaleen Bell who lived in the woods outside of town when she was a girl. She called her a ‘hoodoo lady.’”

“Yes.” Roberta beamed. “What else did this

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.