The witch of grays point, p.23
The Witch of Gray's Point, page 23
Before long, the “skinwalkers” had all been loaded up into squad cars. Skylar was whooshed away in an ambulance. They asked her if she wanted to go along, but the thought frightened her. He seemed so frail. The mature thing would have been to stick by his side. To be with him if he died en route, but she couldn’t stomach the thought of that, so she stayed behind and let Tanner and Macy go instead.
They hadn’t found Brynn yet, but the Jeep was gone, which meant she’d probably fled to safety. Once they got back to civilization, Miriam promised herself that she’d call the hospitals until she made sure.
Some of the police and rescue stayed behind to search the caves—just in case. No doubt, there’d be a ton of stuff to uncover down there. Hopefully a lot of evidence to make sure this cult had drawn its very last breath. Though the EMTs recommended she take an ambulance to the hospital, Miriam refused the help. She was okay. A few stings and bites. A busted ankle. Scrapes and bruises. Nothing compared to the beating she’d taken from the kraken.
One helpful officer gave them a ride back to the gas station, where they could find Macy’s old beat up Sentra.
“You think they’ll ever find her?” Gabe asked as they climbed inside.
“I don’t know,” Miriam said. “I hope so.”
She didn’t feel compelled to find the coyote priestess. Her job was to hunt monsters, not lunatics. She was happy to leave this one to the police. It bothered her, not understanding how the priestess had gotten away, but that cave was full of traps, twists, and turns. She didn’t have to struggle very hard to think up ways to escape the place.
Miriam drove. Her and Gabe alone. In awkward silence. She didn’t mind, though. She had grown quite accustomed to awkward silence.
“I’m sorry,” Gabe said suddenly. “I never wanted any of this to happen.”
“It’s ok,” she said, not really sure yet whether she meant it. It was just the easiest thing to say.
“My uncle found me when I was trying to find a way in. He offered a way to find you, and I took it.”
Fat lot of good it did. In the end, Gabe hadn’t saved her. But she was starting to accept that he’d tried, and maybe that meant something. Maybe for a girl like her, she couldn’t hope for a guy to do anything but try. Miriam had begun to learn that she wasn’t always an easy girl to save.
“Why?” she asked, surprising herself with the question.
“Why what?”
“Why work so hard to save me? I can handle myself.”
“I know,” he said with a chuckle. “Oh I know.”
“Why then?”
It’s almost as if he didn’t want to answer the question. Certainly, the prospect of the answer frightened her, but at the same time, she needed to hear it. She didn’t know what she’d do with the answer, but, like all unknown things, she’d figure that out when she got there.
“I guess I... I mean, I barely know you, but...”
Something foreign and warm filled up Miriam’s chest. It felt strange, as if she should suppress it or rip it from her bosom. But she sat with it as they drove. She vaguely understood what it was, but it would take a while to fully process.
Gabe continued with a new thought: “After we get all this sorted out. Get everyone safe. Wanna, maybe, go out some time?”
“Like on a date?” she asked.
“Yeah. Like that,” he said.
Miriam had never been on a date. She’d never had a boyfriend. Never held hands or kissed anyone. Never really even wanted to. Not because she never envisioned those things for herself, but because the emotional effort required felt so distant and impossible. It needed to be worth the potential pain when she decided to go down that path. She didn’t know if Gabe would be worth it.
She tried to concoct some meaningful response that would somehow capture all the hope and trepidation, but instead just answered, “Ok.”
Chapter 32
Miriam made the short drive across Rose Valley until she came upon the Skylar Brooks Center for Cryptozoological Research.
Such a mouthful.
Given her dad’s predilection towards grandiosity, she expected a state-of-the-art complex. Instead she found a modest, wood-framed building, likely converted from an old ranch-style house. Still, he’d given it a solid once-over, with fresh paint, new windows, and a parking lot that surely hadn’t been there before. And, what she assumed to be the newest addition of all—wheelchair access ramps.
The lot was empty except for a yellow van, so she parked the Sentra in the nearest legal spot to the entrance. She took a deep breath before flipping the visor down to look at herself in the mirror. Her makeup was understated. A faint hint of eyeliner. Some colored lip gloss. It took every ounce of her will to resist Macy’s insistence that she go for bolder colors. But Miriam wasn’t a bold-colored gal. He would just have to accept that about her if this thing had any hope of working out.
She stepped out of the car and surveyed the building. Other than the large sign at the entrance to the parking lot, one would be forgiven for thinking this might be someone’s summer house. A small sign on the front door said “OPEN,” with a placard underneath announcing the hours of operation. Miriam pushed her way through the door, only vaguely registering the bell that sounded, and stood at the entrance to take in the sights.
While the outside displayed a certain humble charm, the inside was anything but. Marble tile floors stretched across a large room with artifacts, newspaper clippings, and paintings of all sorts of cryptids. A quick scan showed space for Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and the locally famous Beast of Rose Valley. And in the center of the room stood what appeared to be a temporary exhibit, large and bold. When Miriam read the title, her heart stopped in her chest.
The Kraken.
As she shuffled over to it, she realized that the exhibit didn’t pertain so much to the legend of the creature, but to her specific expedition in Cape Madre. Attached were articles about her encounter, some she’d never even seen. A photo from her news appearance accompanied a carefully-written bio outlining her many achievements and skills. She pumped her knuckles, attempting to expend the overwhelming rush of emotion. In the cave, she thought maybe her father had been so scared of death that he’d said the things he thought he should. But maybe he hadn’t said those things out of desperation. Maybe, over all this time, he’d actually been... proud?
“One of the greatest cryptozoologists of our time,” a voice came from behind.
Miriam spun, and smiled at her dad, her eyes moistening. She supposed a wheelchair gave him the element of surprise. She hadn’t even heard him roll in. She tried to hide the sorrow she felt seeing him that way. He’d never walk again, and though he seemed resigned to it, she still wasn’t sure she could handle the thought. In some ways, Skylar Brooks almost seemed gone forever, destined to do nothing but run a museum in a tiny Texas town.
“How long has this been up?” she asked, some part of her insisting that surely he’d done this after the run-in with the cult at Gray’s Point.
“A while,” he said, rolling closer to her. “As soon as we heard. Can’t really have a cryptozoology museum without acknowledging one of the greatest finds of the day.”
Sound logic, she supposed, but that didn’t explain what seemed like an over-focus on her, specifically.
Eager not to let the moment get too sentimental, Miriam changed the subject. “Sorry to hear about Brynn.”
Skylar frowned. “Yeah. I really had high hopes for her, but she says she’s not interested in this line of work anymore.”
When Miriam didn’t have a response, he continued, “She’s still in town. Got a job at the Rose Valley Reporter, if you can believe it.”
“As a journalist?” Miriam asked.
“Not yet. I think they have her doing research.”
“Makes sense. I still don’t understand how she drove herself to the hospital after all that.”
Skylar shrugged. “Me neither. She says she doesn’t even remember doing it.”
“Weird.”
The conversation fell into silence. Miriam spent the time studying the exhibit. Skylar sat in his wheelchair nearby. Everything felt different now. With finals done and summer upon her, she finally had time to dedicate to building her cryptid hunting business with Macy and Tanner. She looked forward to it, but with her dad out of the game, she felt the weight of his legacy weighing heavily on her shoulders.
“You look nice,” Skylar said, breaking the silence.
She looked down at her brand new blouse and well-fitting jeans. Macy helped her pick them out specifically for this. Not knowing any better, Miriam went along with it. She supposed such an occasion called for a little special attention, but being so deliberate about her preparations just made the whole idea even scarier.
“Thanks,” Miriam said, feeling the heat in her cheeks. “Macy.”
Skylar nodded, understanding. Just then, the front bell rang. Her heart fluttered, and a lump formed in her throat. For all the nerves and adrenaline she’d felt in her life, this surge of emotion felt new. Her dad’s knowing smile didn’t help.
“Hey, Mimi,” Gabe said from across the room. “Long time.”
Only a month, really. And they’d talked frequently over that period. She’d worried that when she saw him again, she wouldn’t feel the same attraction. That maybe the stress of Gray’s Point had caused her to see things that weren’t there.
But the time hadn’t taken that away. It had multiplied it. For the first time in her life, Miriam thought that maybe she might actually like someone. Like-like.
Ugggh. Now she was one of those girls.
“You kids have fun,” Skylar said. “I’d tell you to have her home by ten, but something tells me I don’t get to tell her what to do.”
Maybe it was the fear of the impending date. Maybe it was the exceptionally flattering exhibit all about her, centered in the museum. Or maybe even the overwhelming mix of emotions that she couldn’t handle. But, without a thought, Miriam bent over and hugged her dad. He seemed surprised at first, taking a moment before wrapping his arms around her in return. It had been a lot of years since... well, that.
Maybe, this is what it felt like to be happy.
Embarrassed, she backed away and gave Skylar a half-smile. “Umm. I’ll stop back by before I leave town.”
“Promise?” he asked.
“Promise.”
By the time she turned, Gabe had crossed the distance between them and stood only inches away, his welcoming smile and warm presence filling her every sense. He smelled good; a far cry from their days sweating in the desert together.
In an old-fashioned move, he offered an elbow. “Shall we?”
She only nodded and curled her hand around his strong bicep. She’d work up the courage to say something to him eventually, but she needed to process it all first. What it meant for her. For her life. For her job. Though people went on dates every day, to Miriam this step felt incredibly abnormal.
But the abnormal was beginning to feel normal. The constant of change followed her. Every unbelievable encounter made her think that maybe she’d be able to relax, but Miriam finally realized that it was time to stop trying. Her life would be hectic. Dangerous. Frightening and death-defying sometimes. She’d never be normal, like Macy. Or naturally chill, like Tanner. Or even big-hearted, like Gabe.
She was just Miriam Brooks. A quirky girl with a need to hunt monsters.
And, for once, she felt totally okay with that.
Epilogue
She looked horrible. The mirror reflected a shadow of someone she barely remembered. Sometimes, she felt a glimmer of hope. A light at the end of the tunnel. But then she'd sink again. She didn't eat much. Slept even less. Somehow, she managed to hold down her new job at the Rose Valley Reporter as a staff researcher. Truth was, she didn't have much to research in the sleepy little town.
Brynn splashed some water on her face and patted it dry with a scratchy paper towel. Today, she had hope. A little bit. She knew she needed help, but she didn't have the money to procure it, until she found out about this place from a flier in the mail. A new clinic. An unproven therapist. But they offered her a free session.
This was her lifeline.
Convinced that she looked as good as possible in her current state, Brynn made her way back to the empty waiting room and collapsed into one of the two chairs. The walls were stark. The lighting was dim. Calming music echoed in the small space, agitating Brynn more than relaxing her.
Fragments of memory had started coming back to her, but she still didn't have the whole picture. She'd been sure she'd die up there, but someone had helped her up.
Or something.
In her broken memory, she pictured a dog lifting her to her feet, but that didn't make any sense. Whatever—or whoever—it was got her down the path and back to the Jeep. Had Brynn driven herself to the hospital? She couldn't really remember, but it's what she'd told everyone. The mysterious Samaritan had disappeared.
This therapist would help her piece it all back together.
Brynn haphazardly reached down to her purse on the floor and slid her hand into the pocket reserved for Gabe's mother’s journal. She should have turned it over. Admitted that she'd found it. But she didn't. She kept it with her. Always. Sometimes, she thumbed through it. It held a power over her that she couldn't justify. There was more to it than just the last words of a poor immigrant. A puzzle, of sorts. But Brynn hadn't cracked it yet.
It comforted her to touch it. Gabe didn't really deserve to have it anyway. He hadn't called even once since she'd quit working for Skylar. If he knew how far she'd fallen, though... Would he call her then?
Fresher air whooshed into the room as the door across from her parted to reveal the therapist standing in the doorway. A woman. Neither short, nor tall, with dark, inky eyes and raven hair. Though they fit the woman well, her clothes looked like they'd come from another century. Brynn tried to assess the therapist's age, but came up empty. She seemed almost ageless, though the makeup slathered on her face surely hid some of the years.
“Brynn!” The woman's eyes turned up when she smiled.
This was Brynn's way out of this hole. Her savior.
“Come in, my child,” the woman said. “Let me ease your pain.”
Brynn walked through the doorway, past a rack with a strange-looking fur coat, and sat primly on the couch across from a wing-backed chair. The therapist closed the door softly, sat in the chair, and trained her vacuous eyes on Brynn's. Brynn tried to hold the gaze, but ultimately turned her hazel eyes to the floor.
The silence hung, urging Brynn to look back up. When she did, she met the smiling face of her new therapist. Brynn returned the smile. It had been a while since she'd done that. It felt good.
“Now,” the therapist said. “Tell me about your family.”
But... don’t stop here. Please keep reading for more, including our Bonus Content—not just one, but two Special Sneak Previews:
THE HAUNT AT HOGG RUN by J.P. Barnett
and
MEMOIRS OF A TRANSFERABLE SOUL by W. Town Andrews.
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Mysterious screams and terrifying shadows haunt the woods of East Texas—horrors born of deadly secrets.
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PROLOGUE
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Ten Years Ago
Manda had been waiting for this day for years. Every Halloween, she’d watched her older siblings embark on this amazing quest of terror. You’re too young, they’d always tell her. To them, she wouldn’t be able to handle the deep, scary woods of East Texas. When they came home laughing and teasing and poking fun at each other for screaming, Manda felt sure that she wouldn’t be scared like them. She was tough. One day she’d show them she could handle it.
And today... today was that day.
Ten. The magic number, arbitrarily set by her parents, when she’d finally be old enough to enjoy the festivities. The trick-or-treating over, now she’d spend the rest of her Halloween night with the big kids.
She shook her hand free from her mother’s stalwart grip and drank in the tiny clearing. An old, ramshackle barn brimmed with all the frightful ‘vibes’ it had engendered. Farm animals stirred in pens that lined the edges, but the animals all seemed much more terrifying than the ones she was used to. The makeshift cages sat so closely together that they blocked access to the towering woods beyond. The inky dark woods seemed way worse than any man-made haunted house. She believed that ghosts and monsters might lurk out there. But here? Here felt safe.
“Manda.”
She didn’t hear; or rather she chose not to pay attention. There was just too much to see. Too much to do. Too much to prove.
“Amanda!”
She finally looked up, squaring her dark brown eyes on those of her mother.
“Be careful, okay?” Mom said. “And if you get scared, I’ll be right here.”
Like right here? Seemed silly to avoid all the fun by sitting on a bench at the entrance. Especially, since Manda wasn’t going to get scared anyway. It was all make-believe. People in rubber masks. Farm animals. And...
Directly across the grove, her eyes landed on one of the most amazing, impressive, magical human beings she’d ever seen. He wore a long-tail coat from another era, and a top-hat that stretched up to the heavens. His mustache twirled up at the ends, almost acting as a second smile that promised answers to the universe. He didn’t look scary at all. He looked inviting and exciting. This man surely knew real magic—nothing like her older brother’s lame card tricks.
