Page 34 of Haunting Salem

“Thanks.” I stepped away from her and entered the property first. I had a bad habit of stepping into trouble before allowing anyone else to do it for me. Plus, I also had protectors. I glanced around the space and shivered. Something dark was here. The not nice presence called me toward the center of the building, while the sensible side of me yelled at me to run. I hated when that happened. I always had a hair-trigger fight or flight response. Kael, Ember, and begrudgingly Gaspar, helped calm the urges, so I could understand where they were coming from, but the sharpness never went away fully.

I should have listened to the half of my brain that said run.

“Guys, please tell me you feel this too,” I whispered.

Jack shivered beside me. “Yes, more than I want to admit.” He rubbed his eyes while taking in the space. “Whatever is here, it’s almost like pouring black sludge down my back.”

Yeah, I felt it too. "They want us here, but also don't. I don't understand." I tip-toed farther into the first floor of the museum, almost as if I had to creep around so as not to be seen. "We have to remember this used to be Judge Jonathan Corwin's home during the Salem Witch Trials. He was called upon to investigate the accusations of witchcraft. His investigations and the trials following sent nineteen innocent lives to the gallows.

Most of the activity was attributed to a little girl, the youngest of those accused. People have said they hear her disembodied voice or have been touched by a small child. There have been several cold spots within the house recorded as well. This—whatever we could call it was more dangerous. Menacing. I didn’t understand why the oppressive air around us was getting thicker the longer we stood in one spot, but he had to push through and investigate the structure.

We broke apart, this time Owen and I went together, and Jack went with Lucy. They started upstairs while I continued to search the downstairs. Beside me, Owen trembled. The temperature had dropped a few more degrees since we started the show, so I didn’t think anything of it. When we heard footsteps behind us, we stopped and turned. There stood Chase and his crew.

“We were asked to join you,” Chase whispered. “This place doesn’t feel right.”

“No, it doesn’t,” I said. “I’m trying to understand why.”

"Do you think the spirit of John Corwin is still here, passing judgment on people?" Chase asked, coming up behind me.

The question had merit, I had to admit he might be onto something. “Maybe. A man who had that much power, who accused then convicted innocent people of witchcraft, might still be emboldened to continue his job even into the afterlife. But, the slithering blackness coiling its tendrils around us, causing the house to be darker than natural, was something else completely.

A child’s murmur caught my attention along with Chase and Owen. “Downstairs?” Chase pointed to the staircase leading to the basement. The door was opened for us for easier access if we wanted to go explore the area.

I nodded. “Sounds like it. Let’s see what’s going on down here.”

We went down the stairs in a single file line, keeping a few inches away from each other so we didn’t trip and fall. The air down in the basement was cloying. Each breath I took made my head swim. I’d experienced this sensation before. I knew I had. I couldn’t place where though. Then I was falling. I didn’t scream, I couldn’t scream. It’d been as if my body had been chained and bound from being able to speak or hear. When I landed, I screamed in agony as pain shoot through my body, but the sound of my cry was distant scaring the shit out of me. The room swam before me. My vision wavered as darkness encroached upon me. I couldn’t pass out. The unnatural fear I’d experienced when we first stepped into the museum returned with a vengeance. My heart hammered, my chest constricted, causing my breath to be labored. Anxiety prickled across my skin.

Something was wrong. The whole area was wrong. The dark oily tendrils Jack spoke about manifested down in this area. But, who called this beast of energy forth? It was negative. The wordsBlack magicfilled my mind and another shudder of terror worked through my injured body. I leaned against something sturdy, my ability to hold myself up, gone. I tumbled once again, limp and in a fog, unable to form the words or ask for help of any kind. Then there was warmth. The soft murmurs of someone, I couldn't place who drew me back from the darkness. I blinked several times, trying to orientate myself.Witches House.Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Chase flying through the air and hitting the wall in front of me with a sickening thud. I blinked again, convinced I was dreaming, trying desperately to understand what the hell was going on.

“Hey...” Kael was there. He had me in his arms. The illusion of his breath brushed against my neck, comforting me. Then Ember was beside him with Granger above the... Hole? Was I in a hole? How did I get into a hole? “It’s okay.” Kael’s voice was a bit tinny still. I shook my head trying to clear the cobwebs and figure out what happened.

“Cut the feed,” Owen shouted and all at once everything went dark once more as I slumped against Kael.

Don’t worry, Simone, we’re here. We’ll protect you...

The soft beep of a machine pulled me from the darkness. My eyes fluttered open and I closed them again at the brightness. Where was I? I recalled everything from the night including the hole. I gasped sitting up straight, then groaned as my whole left leg throbbed like a son of a bitch. What happened?

“She’s awake,” Lucy said. “I’ll go get the doctor.”

Doctor? I blinked a few times then peered up at Nolan, Jack, and Owen. "Hey. You guys look like shit."

Jack chuckled first. “You don’t look so great either.” He pushed a lock of my hair behind my ear. “You gave us all quite a scare.”

“What happened?” I scrubbed my face then winced at the pinch in my hand. Shit, I was hooked up to an IV and why did my leg hurt so much? In fact, why did I hurt so much?

“What do you remember?” Nolan hedged.

“I remember stepping into the Witch House and not feeling right. I remember hearing the little girl and Chase joining us. I remember going down the stairs, then the next thing I saw was Chase flying against the wall.” I swallowed hard. “Is... Is he okay?”

Nolan snorted. “The bastard is alive. We think he set a trap for you as a prank.”

What? That made no sense. How could he have done it without anyone knowing? “What happened to him?”

“Concussion from what the doctor told Henry. He’s going to be sore for weeks with those bruises too.” Jack took my hand. “Owen isn’t doing so good either.”

I looked at Owen. He was pale. His eyes were red from... Crying? He shook as he stood beside me, staring at me. "Hey you. I'm okay." I took his hand in my free one. "Did you get hurt?"

“I fell a little bit.” He rolled his shoulder. “Nothing a couple of bandages can’t handle.”

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