Nobody Can Say It's You

85

"What do you mean?" Chandra said.

"You did it," Dara said. "You did it, Chandra."

Chandra stepped back toward the ancient writing rocks.

"You took the plants from the Beyond," said Aurora. "Button has visited me. I know, Chandra. And your sister knows the truth as well."

"You can't prove anything! Nobody can say it was me! Nobody!" Chandra screamed.

"What did you do, Chandra?" Estill asked.

"I did it for you, Estill," Chandra said. "You told me about the will. About the spell you cast on Button to get him to write it. How you hypnotized him and fed him the herb. How he did your bidding.

He wrote it out, giving everything to you. You said that together, our combined powers could make it happen. And that one day, this place would be mine! You promised, Estill! You promised!

I was always asking you when, when we could set out plans in motion.

Soon, you always said. I got tired of waiting. I just thought if Button went ahead and kicked the bucket, you and Dougal could get what was yours. You wouldn't have to wait decades for that old man to die!"

"You gave him the crazy root?" asked Estill. "But I warned you never to take that from here! Chandra! Tell me you didn't do that."

"Yes! I did!" said Chandra. "I went over to his shack. I had it in my pocket. I didn't know how I was going to use it on him. I only knew that I was.

Button was dressed in his rags. I'd never seen him dressed like that before, but I knew what he did. I knew why everyone in the valley shunned him.

He was going to a funeral. He didn't want me anywhere near him. Told me to get off his land. He looked real mean, but I wasn't afraid. I noticed he was limping. He kept telling me to leave, but I wouldn't. He had someplace to go. He told me that much.

I told him I'd drive him. He couldn't walk that far.

'Ain't you a'feared this evil that I carry on my soul will blacken yourn,' he asked.

I just laughed. When he saw I wasn't afraid, he agreed to let me take him. It was way back in the hills. Button told me how to get to the place.

We got there early. It was a small family graveyard. Old stones. Thin, you know. There were a few people near the old house. He hid in the woods. I went up to them. Acted like I was part of the group. I made my way into the kitchen. They were preparing Button's bread and wine. It was easy enough to slip the crazy root into the jug they had for the old sin-eater."

"But child," Granny said, "that root is dangerous to use. It is forbidden!"

"What do I care about your stupid rules? It came out of the ground easy enough. I only took a small piece.

I thought it wasn't going to affect him. It really didn't at first. He acted fine. Got in the back of the truck," Chandra said. "I'd been driving awhile when I looked in the mirror. Button didn't look so good. His face was red, and he was breathin' funny. He put his black hood back on and started actin' crazy. I was scared. I drove toward town. I was just outside the city limits. He screamed at me to stop the truck. I did.

There was roadkill in the middle of the road. A deer. Crazy man grabbed a knife and a sickle from the back of the truck. Jumped out of it like a demon possessed. He ran up to that carcass and started stabbing it for all he was worth. Then he took off like a shot towards town. I drove the truck back to his house and left it."

"I knew you killed Button," Dara said quietly. "It all came to me in dreams. I didn't want to believe it. It couldn't be real, but I knew, Chandra. I knew. They will take you away. What will I do? Oh, Chandra."

Chandra's eyes rolled back in her head. Only the whites could be seen. She threw her head back and began chanting. The sky blackened. Lightning struck, scorching the earth around the group.

Estill screamed.

"No!" Granny Dilcie said. "Don't do this, child!"

The water stopped on the waterfall. The wall of rocks was exposed. It was like looking at a glass mirror, slick and eroded by the water's action from untold ages. The thunder rumbled. The winds blew.

Chandra continued to speak in her strange tongue.

A dark rolling cloud developed in the center of the rock wall. Sparks flew. Every color of the rainbow showed in the center of the black cloud.

Aurora stepped in front of Granny Dilcie and Dara. She raised her hands and bolts of light from her palms struck the roiling mass of energy. Chandra and Estill screamed.

From the depth of the unknown, Aurora began to chant. She had all the forces of the dead behind her. Together, they sounded like a massive ocean wave beating against the glass-like wall. A small opening appeared in the center of the turbulence.

What was going on? Hadley could not speak. She could not move.

The slit widened and a withered hand appeared from nowhere. It snatched Chandra and pulled her through the wall. She disappeared in an instant.

"No!" Dara cried. "Oh, no!"

Granny Dilcie grabbed the girl as she lurched toward the place where her twin had vanished. Aurora collapsed in a heap of rags and ashes. There was nothing left of the silent old woman. The ground steamed where she had stood.

Granny glanced toward Estill. She looked different. Changed, somehow. Her hair was solid white. Small strands flew wildly in the breeze.

"What on Earth just happened," Hadley said, finally finding her voice.

"I cannot tell you, Hadley," Granny Dilcie said. "I cannot even tell Dara. Some things are better left alone. They happen because they do."

"Estill," Hadley said, "are you all right?"

Estill stood looking at them. She no longer had a voice. She was as silent as Aurora had been.