reached down and held out his hand to Sarah. “Come on, let me help you up.” But Sarah didn’t move. She just continued to stare at her mother.
“Sarah,” Travis whispered, “take my hand. It’s okay.” Finally Travis’s voice broke her reverie. Shaking her head, Sarah slowly placed her hand in his. She was still trembling. Travis lifted her to her feet and then looked her in the eyes.
“We are going to be okay, you hear me?” It took a second, but finally Sarah nodded. Travis smiled reassuringly.
“Mom, are you okay?” Sam asked, but Alisa still did not answer. “Mom?” Sam asked again.
“Stay behind me. Do not move from my side,” she said sternly, still staring ahead.
“I think you killed it, Mom,” Sarah said, holding onto Travis's arm and peering over his shoulder.
“No, it’s still here, I can feel it,” Alisa whispered back.
There was a bright flash from the kitchen followed by a crack. The circuit popped and all the lights went out. Immediately the sapphire gem on Alisa’s staff illuminated, immersing the room in a blue tinge.
“Mom …” Sarah gasped.
Alisa’s stare intensified as if she saw something the others couldn’t. “Nara,” she whispered, “it’s here, close by. I can feel it moving against the air. Do you feel it?”
But no one answered, at least no one Sam could hear.
“Mom,” Sam whispered, “who are you talking to?”
“Shhhhh,” Alisa snapped.
Sam looked over at Travis and Sarah, but all he could see were the whites of their eyes, intensified by the blue glow of his mother’s staff.
Sam looked down and watched his mother reposition her grip on the staff. It was at that moment he saw the staff vibrate.
“I’m scared,” Sarah said softy, reaching down and taking Travis’s hand. Travis had been scanning the room closely but he stopped when he felt Sarah’s hand on his. He looked back at Sarah, who stared back at him.
“Sorry,” she whispered, her eyes pleading with his.
Travis squeezed her hand gently. “We’re going to be okay,” he said again.
Alisa had not spoken for the past few minutes; she and Nara were too busy scrutinizing the dark room, looking for the Viper. Her grip on Nara tightened as she braced herself for the inevitable.
Then out of nowhere came a hiss from the darkness just beyond the hallway. Alisa turned, Nara flashed, and a crack like a whip rang out around the room.
Sam felt a gust of wind erupt from his mother’s staff, followed by a loud explosion on the other side of the room. Shards of polished wood, vertical spindles, and pieces of the handrail from the staircase blew back into the living room where they stood.
Sarah yelped and squeezed Travis so tightly his hand started to turn blue. The sounds of wood creaking and pipes bending could be heard from the second floor and water began to drip from the ceiling.
“Sarah, listen to me,” Alisa finally said. Her voice was soft but stern. “You must suppress your fear. You need to remain calm. Calm places you in control.”
Those words, her mother had said something like that before. “What? Mom, I … I don’t understand,” Sarah stammered.
Alisa moved Nara from side to side in a sweeping motion, trying to feel the Viper on the air. “Yes you do. You know what I’m talking about. You can feel it—you can feel the water.”
Hearing this, Sam and Travis looked at one another; Travis raised one eyebrow and Sam shrugged his shoulders, baffled.
But Sarah wasn’t baffled. She was scared. But she knew her mother was right. She could definitely feel something. It was as if the water was an extension of her body that she could not control. Like an arm or leg that would jerk on its own and she was powerless stop it. She could feel the water but she could not move it. It was below her in the ground. She could feel it above her too. It was everywhere. She could feel the moisture in the air moving all around them. It was like a sixth sense that had finally awakened
“Sarah,” Travis whispered, “take my hand. It’s okay.” Finally Travis’s voice broke her reverie. Shaking her head, Sarah slowly placed her hand in his. She was still trembling. Travis lifted her to her feet and then looked her in the eyes.
“We are going to be okay, you hear me?” It took a second, but finally Sarah nodded. Travis smiled reassuringly.
“Mom, are you okay?” Sam asked, but Alisa still did not answer. “Mom?” Sam asked again.
“Stay behind me. Do not move from my side,” she said sternly, still staring ahead.
“I think you killed it, Mom,” Sarah said, holding onto Travis's arm and peering over his shoulder.
“No, it’s still here, I can feel it,” Alisa whispered back.
There was a bright flash from the kitchen followed by a crack. The circuit popped and all the lights went out. Immediately the sapphire gem on Alisa’s staff illuminated, immersing the room in a blue tinge.
“Mom …” Sarah gasped.
Alisa’s stare intensified as if she saw something the others couldn’t. “Nara,” she whispered, “it’s here, close by. I can feel it moving against the air. Do you feel it?”
But no one answered, at least no one Sam could hear.
“Mom,” Sam whispered, “who are you talking to?”
“Shhhhh,” Alisa snapped.
Sam looked over at Travis and Sarah, but all he could see were the whites of their eyes, intensified by the blue glow of his mother’s staff.
Sam looked down and watched his mother reposition her grip on the staff. It was at that moment he saw the staff vibrate.
“I’m scared,” Sarah said softy, reaching down and taking Travis’s hand. Travis had been scanning the room closely but he stopped when he felt Sarah’s hand on his. He looked back at Sarah, who stared back at him.
“Sorry,” she whispered, her eyes pleading with his.
Travis squeezed her hand gently. “We’re going to be okay,” he said again.
Alisa had not spoken for the past few minutes; she and Nara were too busy scrutinizing the dark room, looking for the Viper. Her grip on Nara tightened as she braced herself for the inevitable.
Then out of nowhere came a hiss from the darkness just beyond the hallway. Alisa turned, Nara flashed, and a crack like a whip rang out around the room.
Sam felt a gust of wind erupt from his mother’s staff, followed by a loud explosion on the other side of the room. Shards of polished wood, vertical spindles, and pieces of the handrail from the staircase blew back into the living room where they stood.
Sarah yelped and squeezed Travis so tightly his hand started to turn blue. The sounds of wood creaking and pipes bending could be heard from the second floor and water began to drip from the ceiling.
“Sarah, listen to me,” Alisa finally said. Her voice was soft but stern. “You must suppress your fear. You need to remain calm. Calm places you in control.”
Those words, her mother had said something like that before. “What? Mom, I … I don’t understand,” Sarah stammered.
Alisa moved Nara from side to side in a sweeping motion, trying to feel the Viper on the air. “Yes you do. You know what I’m talking about. You can feel it—you can feel the water.”
Hearing this, Sam and Travis looked at one another; Travis raised one eyebrow and Sam shrugged his shoulders, baffled.
But Sarah wasn’t baffled. She was scared. But she knew her mother was right. She could definitely feel something. It was as if the water was an extension of her body that she could not control. Like an arm or leg that would jerk on its own and she was powerless stop it. She could feel the water but she could not move it. It was below her in the ground. She could feel it above her too. It was everywhere. She could feel the moisture in the air moving all around them. It was like a sixth sense that had finally awakened
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