The Curse of Crow Hollow by Billy Coffey Page A

sickness what struck them girls. I’ll call Raleigh and let him know it’s a flu bug or something in the water. That’s what you’ll all say to anyone who asks. Nothing of what we know. Y’all understand?”
    They each nodded one by one. And I think they all really did understand the danger of word getting out. At least for a little while.
    -8-
    Medric was first to leave that day, and he didn’t take no time to do it. Never said a word to nobody, neither. Didn’t tell Scarlett or Cordelia he hoped they’d be fine, didn’t tell Wilson he’d be back in the morning. Now you can just imagine how worked up they all were, not only with what all had happened to the girls but how it had happened and by whose hand it had come. Oh friend, they was all worked up. But Medric? That man looked downright scared. You can bet Hays Foster made a note of it, no matter how much he liked Medric and appreciated all the time the two of them had spent together. That boy never missed much. The quiet ones seldom do.
    The Fosters went home after dark. What with Angela still fuming over Hays and Hays acting like he was a million miles away, both Kayann and Landis felt it was time for them to go. Hays left without kissing either of Cordy’s cheeks, the good one or the bad. She watched him close the door and laid her hands over her belly.
    The Hodges left soon after visiting hours were called. John David went with them, having grown too weary of being so near his daddy. Chessie said there was a delivery out to Stanley. She acted like she felt bad, sending John David out while Naomi was laid up under Alvaretta’s witchery. But business was business. Sooner John David learned that, the better off he’d be.
    A nurse brought in a chair for Bucky. Angela took the one already by the bed. The two of them remained at Cordy’s side until she fell asleep. Angela followed soon after. Bucky sat up for most of the night, staring out the window toward the mountains and wondering if Alvaretta and her demon were watching.
    Belle and Naomi were near settling when David left the room. To pray is what he told them, and maybe the Reverend did do some of that before he called back here to the Holler, I don’t know. Tell no one, the mayor had said, and David Ramsay had nodded along with all the rest. But sitting there watching Naomi struggle to keep her own body under control had changed the preacher’s thinking on that. Wasn’t no sickness, what had struck his child. Wasn’t no flu. Wasn’t anything in the godforsaken water.
    It was the witch. And Alvaretta knew him.
    How that could be—how it was even possible—David did not know. Maybe Briar had been right when he said it was Alvaretta’s powers at work, but hearing Naomi wail in fear as she’d told him and Belle of Alvaretta calling out Ramsay and then spitting (as though the mere taste of that word was unbearable) had frightened David just as much as it had the mayor. Frightened him more, even.
    He fished the phone out of his pocket and dialed a number, turned to see if anyone was watching. The line rang twice before Raleigh Jennings’s voice came through.
    â€œNaomi any better?”
    â€œNo,” David said. “It’s not good up here, Raleigh. Not good at all.”
    â€œWilson called a little bit ago, filled me in.”
    â€œWhat’d he tell you?”
    â€œTold me he thought it’s either the flu or something in the water. I guess that’s all he’s got to go on, but that’s what I’ve been telling the people who’re calling. And plenty are, David. Folks is going nuts down here. You think it really is the water? Lord have mercy, I drink that water. Every—”
    â€œIt ain’t the water, Raleigh.”
    The line went quiet.
    â€œRaleigh?”
    â€œYeah, I’m here. What’s going on, Reverend?”
    â€œRaleigh, you do something for me? And before you say