Little Spark

24 - Powder Receptacles

Over the next week, our little cemetery jaunt is all I can think about. What were the Shadows doing at that time of morning? Who was the mystery woman they were taking inside The Crypt? Why was she bagged and bound?

And then there's that other scary question: did Reign see me?

As the week wears on, I avoid him at school like I avoid swimming pools, rain, and most other forms of moisture when I get my hair straightened, but there's definitely a part of me that wonders if he really planned to show up at the bridge when he said he would.

In addition to those questions, I keep seeing that horn ceremony in my head... the way the ashes scattered, grasped in the tendrils of some invisible force and carried off to a different existence. It makes me think of mom and how much I miss her and how I haven't gotten very far in the Little Spark. I keep seeing that horn and remembering Mr. Tate asking if I found one with the gun, and I keep wondering if maybe there was one and Candis and I just didn't see it because we were too scared inside that freaky murder house. And then I think, no, the chances finding a super rare Civil War era revolver and a super more rare, one-of-a-kind Civil War era powder horn in the same place are like one in infinity... Right?

On Thursday night, I dream I'm going to the bridge. The river roar crescendos, so I know I'm getting closer, although it's never taken me this long before. I look at my watch (since when do I own a watch?): 12:21PM. Hopefully Reign is still there.

The bridge finally comes into focus, and I see him, aloof as usual, leaning back against the rail on his elbows. The sun makes his hair look like flaming cornsilk. He smiles as I approach, and I'm acutely aware of my hair sticking to my sweaty forehead and neck. I must look a mess.

"Took you long enough," he says, playfully shoving my shoulder when I get to him. "Come on. I have something to show you." He grabs my hand, and a strange calm settles over me even though I know he's taking me to the blue house.

When we step out of the woods, I'm shocked to see that the house looks brand new. The lawn is lush and green, the magnolia tree is in full bloom, and the hawk looks majestic at the foot of the porch steps.

We go straight to the study. It smells of lavender and old books. "It's here," he says, walking over to the bookcase. On the fourth shelf is a framed photograph of the gun Candis and I found. There's a hollowed-out cow horn with two capped ends right next to it.

I smile, excited. "Mr. Tate asked if this was here! I bet it's the next clue!"

I reach for the horn, but my hand passes through, and my smile fades. I turn to ask Reign what's going on, but he's not beside me anymore.

The light dims as dust and cobwebs appear on everything in the room.

"Reign, where are you?"

The front door slams against the wall, and my eyes open.

********************

"So, disclaimer," I say to Apollo as we tramp through the woods en route to the blue house Saturday morning, "this place is super creepy and possibly haunted."

"Ah," he says. "And, we're going there because..."

"Wait, Candis didn't give you any background?"

"Nope. I talked to her for all of forty-three seconds," he says. "She said she needed me to go somewhere with you this morning, and you'd explain on the way."

"Hmm. Unlike her to give no explanation."

"Yeah, she's different since—you know." His face clouds over. He can't even bring himself to say the word 'Von'.