Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 63214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
I sighed. “When Margarite and he broke up, we started hanging together more. He volunteered to get my tea because he was so bored and depressed.”
The cold wind blew by. Worry for Faith rose in my heart, but I stifled it. Although Addie Mae’s image was difficult to swallow, if she could be this being, then she could save her daughter. I had all belief that it would be okay. There was no other option to hang on to. I had to believe.
“The path led Brett to my daughter. I had to pay. And Remington came around still not satisfied with the power of my tea. Margarite had broken up with Brett and agreed to one date with Remington.”
“By now Remington has talked to Margarite?” I asked.
“I’m not sure how long he was or wasn’t talking to Margarite. I just knew that he had a date with her that night and wanted some powerful stuff to shift her heart to him.” She shook the head-face. “Greedy. I was greedy. I knew it was wrong, but I had a love for money then. It’s never the money that darkens your soul, it’s the love for money that taints and turns good people evil.”
“That powerful spell killed Margarite?”
She kept on talking as if only having a conversation with herself. “Hair and nails. Dead skin. Blood and bones. There’s even power in people’s stuff. Get their family’s grave dirt and do almost anything to them. I figured love wasn’t a bad thing to break the rules on. I should’ve known better. When I made the potion, and saw that damn boy Brett stealing Faith away, I added the wrong things. I wasn’t paying attention.”
She went silent for several seconds as if not ready to confess anymore. I couldn’t blame her. Had I played her part, guilt would’ve sat at the pit of my stomach for years.
May 1995. So many fucked up things happened that month.
We hiked through more trees.
There was still no sign of Faith.
Addie Mae remained calm and steady on the bloodied path, while my heart boomed in my chest.
Can I survive this? Can Faith?
I couldn’t deal with the silence anymore. The quiet let me sit in my head and stir negative thoughts. Anxiety drummed at the very center of my bones.
I sighed. “What happened to Remington?”
Addie Mae’s words came out tense and without emotion. “He took my potion and picked Margarite up. They went to a restaurant that night. He’d rented it out. No one was there, but him and the chef. He poured the liquid for her when she wasn’t looking. She took a sip and then. . .”
“What?”
All those heads gazed sad at me. “Then she died. Remington said black liquid poured out of her mouth and she slipped out of her chair and fell to the ground.”
“She died,” I mumbled.
“Conjuring is that way. I. . .I didn’t mean to kill her. I don’t know what happened.”
We walked on and I had nothing to say. What could one say that Addie Mae probably hadn’t already beat herself up about?
She’d probably been thinking of the guilt for all these years.
“My grandma would hide her things in the walls, when she had problems with enemies,” Addie Mae said to the breeze.
I didn’t think she was talking to me anymore.
Her tone shifted.
Her pace sped up.
“She didn’t let nobody get her hair,” Addie Mae said. “When grandma did her hair, she burned the strands and sometimes the brush and comb. Put the shoes and socks she’d worn that day, right under her pillow so no one would touch it. People could use the dead muck from your toes and have you out there crazy.”
Why is she talking about this? Addie Mae, don’t breakdown on me. I need you. Faith needs you.
I cleared my throat.
Maybe if I kept her talking, then we’d both feel better.
“That’s scary,” I said. “How do you protect yourself from all of that?”
“Times are different now. More people know about the power inside of them. Not like in the old days. People thought only one person or two had the magic way. In reality, we all have it.” She touched the tiny heads that formed into her chest. “It lives inside of us. You should meditate after this.”
“I’ll definitely be doing something, after this. I pictured lots of liquor, but meditation could help too.”
“It’ll save your life.” She slithered on and it seemed she had more confidence or perhaps I’d calmed down.
There was no telling with this night.
“The Bible is powerful too,” she whispered and looked around. “It’s full of spells. But you don’t have to read or know them. Having it around is enough. I make my grands carry small bibles with them for protection. Sometimes all you need is certain pages facing the right direction, and you’re safe from anything that comes your way.”