Cryptidcore

friday, november 5: halloween part 2

Hi okay, sorry I'm back. I know I kinda left this sordid tale at a cliffhanger on Wednesday, but I heard my mom hovering outside my door, checking if I was awake and I panicked and posted it.

SO. We're in the woods, we're chanting a spell to light Madelyn's way home, the candle we were holding inexplicably lights, and Tilly faints.

I think at that point I screamed. Honestly I don't really even remember. The hum was still inside me, demanding to be felt, and Tilly was lying there unconscious at my feet, and everything felt strangely bright and cold — and I could feel something coming. I could feel something coming towards us. I don't know how to explain it except that I could feel it out there, huge and hulking just outside our circle where it was too dark to see. 

Tilly began to convulse at my feet. Her foot knocked over the water bowl and it spilled into the circle. In a strange, clear place in my head I thought: We're going to die out here.

And then suddenly there was someone very tall standing before me.

"Shiloh," said Neal Hawthorne in a calm strong voice that cut through the humming. He took both of my hands. "Is this what you wanted to happen?"

I noticed that my cheeks were wet. I shook my head, staring at Tilly.

"I need you to say it out loud," he said patiently.

"No," I managed.

"No what?"

"This isn't what I wanted to happen!"

"Repeat after me," he said. "I am not a lighthouse, I retract my promise and rescind my invitation."

"I am —" I stumbled and he said it again, slower, so I could copy him.

"Look in my eyes Shiloh," he said and then repeated it again, and I copied him again. "It has to be true," he said, near shouting over the hum. "It has to be as true as the invitation."

I was crying full stop. Sobbing.

He put one hand on the center of my chest and one at the back of my neck, looked right in my eyes. "Mean it," he growled. "This spell is yours and you can control it. You have to mean it."

"I am not a lighthouse," I sobbed. "I retract my promise and rescind my invitation." And then, "Tilly," except I was really sobbing so it sounded more like Ti-i-i-ill-yyy and Tilly's mouth was literally foaming and her eyes had gone all white.

"Damn it," Neal said, pressed his forehead to mine and closed his eyes. "This hum is mine," he said and took a deep breath and as he did so it was as if he were swallowing all that horrible noise we'd created, all those layered voices and whispering. He said it again: "This hum is mine," and his voice was a thousand voices all as one. And then, echoing, terrible silence. Tilly lay still at my feet. Neal released me and I collapsed at her side, scrabbling at her throat for a pulse.

Above my head I was vaguely aware that someone else had arrived in the clearing, someone very tall — Julian Hawthorne. He said, "whatever was out there is gone now. I think we're okay. Did you get her to cancel the spell?"

I glanced up in time to see Neal's frantic expression as he shook his head.

"Did you swallow it?" Julian gasped and Neal shrugged sheepishly, a panicked oops what can you do shrug and Julian's mouth fell open in horror.

"Shit," he said. "You have it?" Neal gave him a dirty look that didn't answer the question. "Can you release it?"

Neal coughed, choked, and I swear to god I saw smoke.