“Grandma, it was a joke,” he smirked. “Come on. Let’s go meet Beryl.”
The drive back out was cold and windy. In the distance, it looked as if another storm was coming in and it instantly made everyone feel on edge. If this woman was a witch, powerful or not, she could be playing with forces she didn’t understand.
“She’s angry with me. Or she was,” said Hezekiah. “I’ll call out to her.”
Standing in front of the cabin, they all lifted their collars against the wind, only Irene and Matthew seemingly unaffected.
“Beryl! Beryl, I know you’re here,” said Hezekiah. “I know you’re angry with me and I know that you cursed me. Well, I’m out of that mirror and I’m here. Show yourself.”
Only the sound of the wind cutting through the trees could be heard. In the distance, the animals were sounding off, warning the humans of the impending storm.
“Try again, Hezekiah,” said Cam.
“Beryl? Come out you witch!”
“Shit. Did you have to say that?” asked Eric. Hezekiah shrugged and nodded.
“She likes confrontations. This might be my last.”
“You.”
They all turned to see the old woman walking toward them. She was in the same gown she was buried in, an old brown wool dress. Simple. Efficient. Inexpensive. Her brown and gray hair was twisted in a bun on the top of her head and she wore an amulet around her neck.
“I should have killed you when I had the chance!”
She started to walk toward him but Hezekiah didn’t move. Instead, the old woman stopped. Now blocking her path to the handsome doctor was a man that appeared to be glowing in the light of day. Not only him, but there were two women standing beside him.
“Don’t test me witch,” said Ruby. “I got my own powers and you’re no match for voodoo.”
She said nothing, just staring at the old woman and then looking to the smaller one.
“You’re not voodoo,” she said quietly.
“No. I’m much worse,” said Irene.
“And you?” she said pointing to Matthew. “You’re the most powerful.”
“Not the most but I’ll do in a pinch,” said Matthew. “You won’t hurt Hezekiah again. He was truthful with you and your daughter. Cressida didn’t want to marry him. She married the man she loved.”
“No,” she said shaking her head. “No!”
“She loved the Hymel boy,” said Hezekiah. “If you truly loved your daughter you’d be happy for her and happy that she found someone to love.”
“Why did you call me? Why am I here? Do you plan to punish me for what I did to him?” she asked staring at Ruby and Irene.
“No,” said Rachel stepping forward. “We want to ask you about the storm and what you did to the algae.”
“Algae?” she frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Everyone thought I created that storm but I didn’t. My power wasn’t so great.”
“Something on this property has spread and is killing people,” said Rachel. “I study the soil, the earth, and the only thing I’ve found is the tar and this strange algae that history says was red.”
“I didn’t do that,” she said shaking her head. “I’d claim it if I did it but I didn’t do anything like that. That storm came in and nearly killed everyone and everything around it. I think I died shortly after that.”
“She did,” said Parker holding a book in his hands. The old woman just stared at him, shaking her head.
“This ain’t 1831 is it?” she whispered.
“No, Beryl,” said Hezekiah.
