Seventeen

Seventeen

A Chapter by Isemay

The house was the same. Grace wandered through, she felt like she wanted to laugh and cry at the same time as she looked for Eli, he was the one who was supposed to be here looking for something and instead… A loud sound startled her awake. It seemed to do the same to Genevieve, the woman sat up in confusion and started to sing a song that sounded so familiar… kept the right ones out, let the wrong ones in… It wasn’t until she hit the chorus that Grace could name the song. 


She tried to cover the woman and speak calmly even though she felt a growing nervousness. “Oh! Amazing! Aerosmith! Right?” Grace paused but the woman kept singing. “Yeah, that’s-that’s a nice song…” 


The way the dark-haired woman was moving it was clear that something was horribly off.


“Mercy, I plead for mercy.”


“I had a feeling you were here somewhere. You haven’t been at our home in thirty years or so, my father said the only reason you'd leave was if a Sibyl was born. I hope you still remember me, I was a kid back then. We just want to meet her, to make sure she’s ok. Is she with the wolf pack there? There have been rumors that a rogue witch from one of the lines had fallen in with them.” The voice came from somewhere above them.


Grace tried to answer him. “I don’t know anything about any of this, she needs medical attention. Her brother keeps a bag and her husband-”


“They watched Father train me to do some terrible things in that room. They can’t take me because I’m dangerous, I’d fight them. Sibbi… Sibbi won’t fight. They would have seen at least some of what he did to her in his workroom and the worst she did to him was put him to sleep.” There was a pause and Bas’ voice came again. “She is the Bathim’s purpose as she is mine. But I don’t think they understand the harm they’ll do to her.”


The first voice spoke. “You know you can trust my family. I just want to help. Will you let me help?”


A rope dropped down and someone with a headlamp rappelled down it. “Are either of you injured?” The voice was the same as what had been coming from above.


“Yes. She was-we were both in a-a car wreck and she has a seizure disorder.” Grace couldn’t help but feel relieved now that an actual person was here.


“She has health problems?”


Bas’ tired voice came from above, “She suffered from the lack of silence and from abuse. She’s strong, but you’ve seen her health. That is the cost of her life spent alone.”


“I see. You’ll both get the help you need, I promise you.”


“Good wolves, including her mate, are out hunting for her right now, Bas. They’ll bring her home.” Hearing Eli’s voice made her shiver.


“So that’s how she got tangled up with them.” The light from the headlamp turned from Genevieve to Grace, “What are your names? I’m Fitz.”


“Grace, this is Genevieve. Please get us out of here.” She glanced up at where she knew the stone creatures were nervously.


“What’s her true name?”


“I don’t know what you-”


“Justice.” One of the stone creatures spoke in a familiar voice.


Genevieve shuddered, breaking into a raspy whispered song, 


“You can't unring a bell, junior

It'll cost ya to get out of this one, junior

Cause he's got big plans

That don't include you-”

(Waits, Tom. “You Can’t Unring a Bell.” One From the Heart, CBS, 1982, side 2 - track 4.)


The man’s hand moved in a complicated gesture as he repeated the word ‘justice’ along with a stream of something incomprehensible and the song stopped. The woman next to her bent and began to dry heave.


“I never liked Tom Waits. A Sibyl that sings pop music is-” 


The stone creatures began their grinding sounds and whatever else he said she couldn’t hear, she stopped trying to hold Genevieve’s hair back and clapped her hands over her own ears. The man began making other gestures and suddenly the retching woman jerked upright and wailed out, 


“You don't, you don't, you don't see me

You don't, you don't, you don't see me

You don't, you don't, you don't see me

You don't, you don't, you don't see me

You don't see me

You don't, you don't

You don't see me at all.”

(A Perfect Circle. “3 Libras.” Mer de Noms, Virgin Records, 2000, CD single.”


The sound from the creatures became almost a keening, there was a scraping sound, and then silence.


“If you could do that before…” Grace took a moment to realize that if the creatures had been sent away before they’d have been trapped with no way out.


“I didn’t expect you to help me.” Fitz sounded amused. “They built a solid prison to keep you but I need to move you. Fortunately for me, I don’t need both of you.” He pulled out a knife and Genevieve lurched to her feet unsteadily putting herself between the man and Grace.


“The Sibyl protects.”


“I have your name, you’ll behave or suffer.”


“The Beautiful could not break us, neither will the Grey.”


“You’ll both behave or we’ll find out.” He put the knife away, “And don’t call me the grey. Fitz will do.”


Grace felt her heart beating in her throat, all of this was too much like being in a nightmare. “I don’t-I don’t understand any of this.”


“You’re not a witch or a wolf. That’s probably why they took you to take care of her. You’ll be fine as long as you do as I say,” his pleasant tone didn’t make her forget he’d been planning to kill her a moment before.


“Come on, Genenvieve.” She wrapped the woman back in a blanket like a dress and fitted her own around her. “How are we getting out of here?”


“No rescuers with a pulley and a basket are going to be coming, if that’s what you mean. You can climb or you can stay in the hole and die.” Fitz sounded cheerful and she shuddered taking hold of the rope. 


“I’ve done a little climbing with my uncle, but Genevieve-”


“I can manage.” The woman put a hand on her back, “I’m stronger than I look, all Mesnys are or so my father said.”


“Mesny.” Fitz sounded pleased. “I’ve heard of that line. Let’s get somewhere safe and warm, Sibyl of Mesny.”



© 2021 Isemay


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Added on January 11, 2021
Last Updated on January 11, 2021
Tags: witches, werewolves, drama, romance, supernatural


Author

Isemay
Isemay

Germany



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Spent some time away from here but I've come back to peek in and post again! Review my writing and I will gladly return the favor! I love reading other people's stories, and I try to review hone.. more..

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