The Hollow Root - Chapter 38
First time? Here’s the table of contents:
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8
Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29
Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36
Silas was pacing in his frustration when he caught a glimpse of Fasaani walking out of the old house. She moved like a wild flame burning through the street, her pace intense and predatory, muttering to herself lost in rage. Even from this distance, Silas could sense the dangerous energy radiating from her - she appeared ready to desolate whatever stood in her way. Silas quickly moved back to his salt circle and drew in the surrounding smells. To his delight he felt the old wood tell him Amy was lost in a scent and could be coaxed. Silas focused his thoughts and asked the room to help him draw her in and hold her for him. The room did as it was asked, just as it had always done, after all Silas had built it for such purpose. Silas sat eagerly anticipating Amy entering the room and Kavin being left alone in his former home... then his nostrils filled with a burnt cedar smell that let him know the trap had sprung.
Silas’s face slid into a grin as he sat in the circle of salt feeling a great sense of relief. Silas felt alive in the success of his improv. Now just to put a little more fear into Kavin. He pulled his posture straight and drew in a deep breath before slowly releasing the icy air out of his mouth to carry his haunting whisper.
Silas stood slowly and moved to the window. He peered at the house. “Kavin, Kavin, Kavin... you stupid shit. You always were a victim of your own making. I cannot wait to see his face when I tell him who I am and why I did all of this.” Silas said while tenting his fingers.
“Okay... what do I do? I didn’t expect them to build and fall into a trap for me... I could make the lights flicker and... no no this isn’t some shitty horror film. I need this to feel big. Why don’t I ever plan the end. I played this out in my head so many times... think. Okay Silas. Calm. What do you know? Amy is trapped in the sacrifice room but seems to be getting some of her abilities back... she is the most unknown and most dangerous... except maybe Fasaani... she scares me. Kavin is weak though. He is just there, probably struggling to figure out a way to open the door for Amy. I should lure him out of the house, I don’t want Amy to find a way out of that box. The issue is where... the mill. I get him to go to the abandoned mill. It’s perfect.” Silas said frantically as he paced about the room.
He quickly sat back in his circle and drew another deep breath and focused his energy on pushing out another freezing whisper ‘Meet me at the old mill’. After he felt the air in the room return to the normal temperature Silas rose again and kicked the salt circle apart to avoid anyone finding it. He rushed down the stairs and giddily jogged to the mill to begin setting a fitting end for Kavin.
Kavin sat having just felt the cold whisper begging him to the mill. Could he really just leave Amy here? She’s probably scared, he thought. Then again, this is Amy... is she capable of feeling fear? Kavin stood and ran his hand down the now hidden door that was holding Amy captive. “I doubt you can hear me, but I need to go. I know it’s a trap but maybe I can get you out of there.” Kavin said as a singular tear formed in the corner of his eye.
“Don’t.” Amy’s faint voice slid through the door.
“Wait, you can hear me?” Kavin shouted.
“Barely. Help me find a way out of here, don’t go.” Amy pleaded.
“I... don’t know how.” Kavin said defeated.
“Kavin. I will say this plainly. GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER. Your whole thing is chaos. Be Chaotic and get me the fuck out of this room.” Amy said revealing a sense of stress.
Kavin looked at the dagger in his hands and felt the door. There was the slightest cut out for a handle. It didn’t respond to pulling or pushing but maybe it was not so good against stabbing. Kavin began striking the indent forcefully. He started to see flecks of wood fly off revealing the brown unpainted color below.
Fasaani marched down the street carried by frustration and rage. Her eyes burned brightly and her new youthful face had seemingly lost another year or two in age. She occasionally would reach into her pocket to feel the vibration of her knife. Her teeth felt as though they might break under the pressure she was holding them in. After some time she came to the center of North Falls where a few struggling businesses tried to keep their doors open. Then like a small beacon she saw the tavern still featuring an open sign. It was still here, sure time had changed its name and features but this building had always been an establishment of vice. Fasaani autopiloted herself straight to the tavern. It was now called The Northern Light. It was a single room bar featuring only one small window near the door. The chairs and stools were a myriad of design styles that had been purchased over the variety of owners and names the bar had. Fasaani felt her eyes cool just a touch as she entered the familiar dive. She walked with a confidence that turned the 3 patrons’ attention directly on her, then again this could have just been that she was by all appearances a young attractive woman and that was not something this bar had seen, and maybe it was just she wasn’t one of the 4 regulars who kept this bar’s doors open at the moment. Time would not tell and Fasaani wouldn’t bother asking.
As she arrived at the bar she sat gently on a seat and motioned to a bottle of whiskey on the middle shelf that had collected some dust. Without protest the bartender grabbed the bottle and poured a very large shot in front of Fasaani. She tipped the shot glass towards him as if to say cheers and threw the shot back as fast as she could before pointing again to suggest her cup needed refilling.
“What brings a young thing like you here? We don’t get many pretty girls.” A patron at the bar said.
“You don’t get many pretty ‘girls’ because if they do come in you ask why they are here. Kindly fuck off.” Fasaani said coinciding with a flash of her fiery eyes.
“I didn’t mean to...” He started.
“Well you did. You likely always do. Do better.” Fasaani said coldly before she downed her second drink and requested a third.
“Uh... I... I.” He stammered confused by the hostility.
“You gonna let her talk to you that way?” Another man said walking towards the bar.
“Please come put me in my place. I’m some lost and confused little girl just needing held from a big strong man like you.” Fasaani said in a blatantly mocking tone.
“Hey everybody let’s let the young lady have a drink and just calm down.” The bartender said politely trying to deescalate.
“The ‘young lady’ would like you to have another. The ‘young lady’ would also like to inform your customers they are moments from being emasculated and they should probably pay for her drinks.” Fasaani said.
“You don’t have to be...” the second man started.
“I’m done with this. As much fun as this trip down misogyny’s lane is I do need information and not your bullshit. Do any of you know the fuck head that lives or lived in the house up the way?” Fasaani gestured towards Silas’s old home.
“That place is haunted. That weird kid and his wife used to live there. Nice folks just a little off.” The bartender said quickly latching on to a way out of the tension in the room.
“The guy... he owes me and I intend to take what’s mine. He still live there?” Fasaani said burning her eyes into the bartender.
“Oh, I don’t know it was a while ago that they... well we don’t know what happened just rumors.” He said nervously starting to clean glasses by hand that he had just pulled from the clean rack.
“What about you other idiots? You see that guy? Got a name? Want to be useful? Also just a tip, do not start by calling me girl, or lady.” Fasaani said scouring the room.
“Uh his name was Silas or something. She was Molly her and my wife were close. Shame what happened.” the first patron said.
“What happened?” Fasaani said peering into his eyes.
“Molly disappeared one day. No one really knows why, but people suspect he had something to do with it. She was such a sweet...” The man continued.
“Girl.” Fasaani’s eyes flashed with rage and the faint vibration of her knife could be heard by anyone within a couple of feet of her. “At least you people are consistent. Let me be real clear. HAVE any of you old useless fucks seen this Silas recently?” Fasaani said pointing to her shot glass implying the emptiness needs immediate correction.
“I saw him... he got here a couple weeks back. Looks different but... it’s him. Saw him go in and out of the old house a couple of times.” The third man in the back said.
“Great. I like you sit next to me.” Fasaani said pointing to the stool next to her at the bar.
“Uh... okay.” the man said uncertainly.
He walked slowly to the stool and sat down. Fasaani motioned to the bartender to provide a new glass and fill both hers and this new one with whiskey. Then with a new sinister looking smile she raised her glass and tilted her head forward toward the man.
“Cheers buddy.” She said before downing her whiskey in one sip.
The man drank his shot and grimaced at the taste of the whiskey.
“Now that we are friends. Have you seen him around anywhere else?” Fasaani said in a tone that almost felt genuine in its warmth.
“Well he used to work at the mill. I think he sometimes walks around there.” the man said while looking back to the other patrons hoping they might give him advice.
“The mill huh? Maybe I’ll go look there.” Fasaani said. “What’s your name?” She questioned.
“What? Uh... Rich.” The man called Rich said.
“Rich... since you were so helpful and such a charming fella, I’m going to give you some advice.” Fasaani said while sliding her right index finger down his stubbly face before grabbing his chin and forcefully pulling it close to her face. “Find a better spot to hang out, these idiots are a bad influence.” She continued with a slight laugh.
“Oh... okay.” Rich said confused by the strength with which she displayed grabbing his chin.
Fasaani got up from her seat and started walking towards the door. As the bartender opened his mouth to ask her about payment she turned and said “Put it on Rich’s tab.”