“So! You see the black paint?”
“Yeah.”
“This mirror was a receptacle.”
I leaned over and looked at the mirror again. “What do you mean?”
“Spirits, demons, whatever can be trapped in a mirror, but they can only be trapped in a silver backed mirror.”
“Why does it matter?” I asked.
Tabby put her hands on her hips. “Because silver has purifying properties, that’s why. It is an ancient thing because it’s an element. Silver has been used to fight evil elements for a long time. Only a very powerful witch could have done this.”
I really had no idea what she was talking about. “You mean like a spiritualist?”
Tabby stared at me. “No, I mean a witch. Who told you about a spiritualist?”
“You won’t believe me,” I said.
“Out with it.”
“The town librarian.”
Chapter Seventeen
Trial
1950
O’Dell stood in the foyer of Blackmoor. He hated being there, hated the feeling of the whole damn place. Ever since Jones had killed Black, there were reports of strange things going on in the house. The Black brother wanted to sell the house, but wouldn’t step foot in the place.
Left it all up to O’Dell. The Blacks still ran the town, even though they didn’t live there. If he didn’t take care of this, he knew he’d be out of a job.
Finally, he saw a black Ford pull into the drive. She was the last resort. The minister couldn’t do anything about the feel of the house. The priest had tried to exorcise the house, but had had a heart attack during the ritual. Another priest died trying to fix the damn house. It had taken some time, but he’d found Eldora Williams. Eldora Williams was the most revered spiritualist in the country. She’d helped police from all over on a variety of cases – murders mostly. If she couldn’t help, he didn’t know who could.
He’d tried to get the other Black to just burn the damn place to the ground, but Black wouldn’t have it. “If I can’t fix it, let him live in the fucking thing.”
Mrs. Williams got out of her car. She was dressed in a large black mink coat with a hat to match. She opened the back door of her car and pulled out a large black satchel.
O’Dell opened the front door of the house and waited.
Mrs. Williams smiled at him, adjusted her hold on her bag and walked through the doorway. As soon as she crossed the threshold, she froze.
“A powerful spirit you’ve got here,” she said in a voice that sounded like a croak.
O’Dell coughed. “Ma’am, I need you to move so I can close the door.”
She looked at him, a puzzled expression on her face. Finally, she stepped aside.
O’Dell closed the door.
She sniffed and began walking towards the staircase.
“Wait, ma’am,” O’Dell said. “Can I take your coat?”
She ignored him and began walking up the stairs.
“Damn woman,” he mumbled. He followed her. She didn’t stop until she entered a bedroom in the east wing. The Blacks hadn’t used it in years. The furniture was covered in dusty sheets.
Mrs. Williams sniffed again, then she looked upwards. “What’s up there?” she asked.
O’Dell cleared his throat. “Attic. I think there’s a storage room up there too.”
She nodded. “Take me to it.”
O’Dell took a deep breath and took her back downstairs.
“You sure I can’t take your coat?”
She shook her head. “Just take me to it.”
O’Dell led her through the dining room and to the steps that led to the attic. Once they got up the stairs, she practically knocked him down and darted towards the extra room.
She pointed at the door to the storage room. “That’s the heart.”
O’Dell furrowed his brow. “The heart of what?”
“The heart of the house of course.”
###
He watched her prepare, never having seen anything like it. Then, she entered that storage room. Mostly, he heard bumps and growls coming from inside the room.
“Mr. O’Dell!” She yelled from inside the room. “Get in my bag and bring me the
“Yeah.”
“This mirror was a receptacle.”
I leaned over and looked at the mirror again. “What do you mean?”
“Spirits, demons, whatever can be trapped in a mirror, but they can only be trapped in a silver backed mirror.”
“Why does it matter?” I asked.
Tabby put her hands on her hips. “Because silver has purifying properties, that’s why. It is an ancient thing because it’s an element. Silver has been used to fight evil elements for a long time. Only a very powerful witch could have done this.”
I really had no idea what she was talking about. “You mean like a spiritualist?”
Tabby stared at me. “No, I mean a witch. Who told you about a spiritualist?”
“You won’t believe me,” I said.
“Out with it.”
“The town librarian.”
Chapter Seventeen
Trial
1950
O’Dell stood in the foyer of Blackmoor. He hated being there, hated the feeling of the whole damn place. Ever since Jones had killed Black, there were reports of strange things going on in the house. The Black brother wanted to sell the house, but wouldn’t step foot in the place.
Left it all up to O’Dell. The Blacks still ran the town, even though they didn’t live there. If he didn’t take care of this, he knew he’d be out of a job.
Finally, he saw a black Ford pull into the drive. She was the last resort. The minister couldn’t do anything about the feel of the house. The priest had tried to exorcise the house, but had had a heart attack during the ritual. Another priest died trying to fix the damn house. It had taken some time, but he’d found Eldora Williams. Eldora Williams was the most revered spiritualist in the country. She’d helped police from all over on a variety of cases – murders mostly. If she couldn’t help, he didn’t know who could.
He’d tried to get the other Black to just burn the damn place to the ground, but Black wouldn’t have it. “If I can’t fix it, let him live in the fucking thing.”
Mrs. Williams got out of her car. She was dressed in a large black mink coat with a hat to match. She opened the back door of her car and pulled out a large black satchel.
O’Dell opened the front door of the house and waited.
Mrs. Williams smiled at him, adjusted her hold on her bag and walked through the doorway. As soon as she crossed the threshold, she froze.
“A powerful spirit you’ve got here,” she said in a voice that sounded like a croak.
O’Dell coughed. “Ma’am, I need you to move so I can close the door.”
She looked at him, a puzzled expression on her face. Finally, she stepped aside.
O’Dell closed the door.
She sniffed and began walking towards the staircase.
“Wait, ma’am,” O’Dell said. “Can I take your coat?”
She ignored him and began walking up the stairs.
“Damn woman,” he mumbled. He followed her. She didn’t stop until she entered a bedroom in the east wing. The Blacks hadn’t used it in years. The furniture was covered in dusty sheets.
Mrs. Williams sniffed again, then she looked upwards. “What’s up there?” she asked.
O’Dell cleared his throat. “Attic. I think there’s a storage room up there too.”
She nodded. “Take me to it.”
O’Dell took a deep breath and took her back downstairs.
“You sure I can’t take your coat?”
She shook her head. “Just take me to it.”
O’Dell led her through the dining room and to the steps that led to the attic. Once they got up the stairs, she practically knocked him down and darted towards the extra room.
She pointed at the door to the storage room. “That’s the heart.”
O’Dell furrowed his brow. “The heart of what?”
“The heart of the house of course.”
###
He watched her prepare, never having seen anything like it. Then, she entered that storage room. Mostly, he heard bumps and growls coming from inside the room.
“Mr. O’Dell!” She yelled from inside the room. “Get in my bag and bring me the
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