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Chapter 6
“So, you’re telling me, said Jackie to Peter. “I’ve just been walking around this Hall, alone, with a 17th Century witch!”
“Warlock mum, that’s what they could a male witch. Anyway, I was with you.” Graham said reassuring his mother.
“No disrespect sweetheart, but you’re hardly Jean-Claude Van Damme.”
“Who?” said Lucy, butting in.
Both Sir Isaac and Lady Catherine reappeared back in the lounge after visiting the family cemetery.
“Well?” said the Chambers.
“Lily had been at the grave, like what Lucy said. Her spectre footprints where still visible.
“But nowhere else?” asked Jackie.
“I’m afraid its looking like she may have been…”
“…captured!” said the Shadow Flicker.
His sudden appearance made Jackie scream and the others huddle together. Except for Sir Isaac and Lady Catherine, who didn’t bother to hide this time. They both fanned out cornering the warlock, “What have you done with our daughter?”
The Shadow Flicker gave a laugh that sounded like a thousand screaming hell hounds. Then opening his coat, he exposed a large black hole in the middle of his chest. Plunging his hand inside, he pulled out a large bell jar. Inside they could see a grey swirling fog. Then Lady Catherine howled as the face of Lily appeared out of the fog!
“My heart Sir Isaac, I believe you have hidden it. If you want your daughter back, I suggest we all go looking for it!”
“Damn you man!”
“Already have been, now let’s just get moving.”
All of them climbed the wide-sweeping staircase to the first floor. Sir Isaac then counted under his breath thirteen portraits of long deceased Harrowing’s. At the thirteenth portrait, Lady Catherine floated forward and held aloft her hands. “OPEN DIURNAL!”
The portrait and the wall shimmered, becoming soft as cloth. Lady Catherine parted the wall as if it were a curtain to reveal a door.
“Well! My Lady. You certainly kept that sorcery a secret from the Witchfinder General!” exclaimed the Shadow Flicker.
“Not all witches are evil.” Then looking over towards Peter. “Would you care to open the door?”
Peter stepped forward and turned the handle. It creaked upon opening, breaking down centuries of cobwebs. Once inside the candles self-ignited to reveal a private library, locked in the seventeenth-century.
“Wow!” said Lucy, “this is what the rest of the Hall must have looked like years ago!” Old leather-bound books filled the shelves that surrounded the walls. In the middle of the room standing on a deep red woven carpet, stood a dark oak wooden table. Silver lampstands stood in each corner, their candles blazing away.
The Shadow Flicker barged through Lady Catherine looking around the mini library, “Where is it! Where is my heart?”
Pulling the bell jar out from the centre of his chest, he shook it agitated the fog inside. It swirled violently and Catherine could see it was making Lily choke.
“STOP THAT!” she ordered him.
“Then stop playing games with me your Lady!”
Catherine took a deep breath then holding her arms aloft once more gave the command. “OPEN CREPUSCULAR! This time the candles dimmed, creating a twilight in the library. Gradually the room melted away and in its place a different room appeared. Another wooden table stood in the middle of the room only this time upon it was the iron box.
The Shadow Flicker clapped his hands and made his way to the table. But then he stopped and looked at Lady Catherine. “You must think I’m stupid. You know I can’t touch iron!”
Lady Catherine moved to the box waving her hand through it. “I would say I’m not much use either.”
The Shadow Flicker looked around the room then he pointed to Graham, “You, boy! – Open the box!”
Graham looked at his father. Peter nodded and Graham moved forward, glancing at Sir Isaac, Lucy, his mum and then at Lady Catherine.
All watched with interest as Graham got near. Once at the table he stretched out his hands and placed them on the iron box. Gently, he opened the lid to see in the half-light a black heart pulsating.
Reaching down he brought out the black slimy organ. It twitched in his hands as he carefully walked over to the Shadow Flicker. With one hand, the warlock fetched out the bell jar and with the other free hand held it out waiting to receive his heart.
Just as Graham was about to hand it over, Catherine shouted out. “NOW GRAHAM PUSH IT INTO HIS CHEST!”
Without asking why, Graham did as he was told and pushed the heart back into the Shadow Flickers chest, pulling his hands away in time to see the hole in his chest heal up. The Shadow Flicker tossed the jar in the air and Graham manged to dive and catch it before it smashed on the floor.
The Shadow Flicker laughed as he felt himself become whole again. But his jubilation was short lived, as four hundred years of immortality ebbed away. Clutching his chest, the Shadow Flicker felt a warm sensation around his heart became increasingly hot!
An orange glow appeared around the him as small fires started to break out over his body. Jackie and Peter flung their arms around the children, attempting to shield them from the developing inferno. Sir Isaac and Lady Catherine watched, as for a second time the Shadow Flicker burned.
© Alice White
“Warlock mum, that’s what they could a male witch. Anyway, I was with you.” Graham said reassuring his mother.
“No disrespect sweetheart, but you’re hardly Jean-Claude Van Damme.”
“Who?” said Lucy, butting in.
Both Sir Isaac and Lady Catherine reappeared back in the lounge after visiting the family cemetery.
“Well?” said the Chambers.
“Lily had been at the grave, like what Lucy said. Her spectre footprints where still visible.
“But nowhere else?” asked Jackie.
“I’m afraid its looking like she may have been…”
“…captured!” said the Shadow Flicker.
His sudden appearance made Jackie scream and the others huddle together. Except for Sir Isaac and Lady Catherine, who didn’t bother to hide this time. They both fanned out cornering the warlock, “What have you done with our daughter?”
The Shadow Flicker gave a laugh that sounded like a thousand screaming hell hounds. Then opening his coat, he exposed a large black hole in the middle of his chest. Plunging his hand inside, he pulled out a large bell jar. Inside they could see a grey swirling fog. Then Lady Catherine howled as the face of Lily appeared out of the fog!
“My heart Sir Isaac, I believe you have hidden it. If you want your daughter back, I suggest we all go looking for it!”
“Damn you man!”
“Already have been, now let’s just get moving.”
All of them climbed the wide-sweeping staircase to the first floor. Sir Isaac then counted under his breath thirteen portraits of long deceased Harrowing’s. At the thirteenth portrait, Lady Catherine floated forward and held aloft her hands. “OPEN DIURNAL!”
The portrait and the wall shimmered, becoming soft as cloth. Lady Catherine parted the wall as if it were a curtain to reveal a door.
“Well! My Lady. You certainly kept that sorcery a secret from the Witchfinder General!” exclaimed the Shadow Flicker.
“Not all witches are evil.” Then looking over towards Peter. “Would you care to open the door?”
Peter stepped forward and turned the handle. It creaked upon opening, breaking down centuries of cobwebs. Once inside the candles self-ignited to reveal a private library, locked in the seventeenth-century.
“Wow!” said Lucy, “this is what the rest of the Hall must have looked like years ago!” Old leather-bound books filled the shelves that surrounded the walls. In the middle of the room standing on a deep red woven carpet, stood a dark oak wooden table. Silver lampstands stood in each corner, their candles blazing away.
The Shadow Flicker barged through Lady Catherine looking around the mini library, “Where is it! Where is my heart?”
Pulling the bell jar out from the centre of his chest, he shook it agitated the fog inside. It swirled violently and Catherine could see it was making Lily choke.
“STOP THAT!” she ordered him.
“Then stop playing games with me your Lady!”
Catherine took a deep breath then holding her arms aloft once more gave the command. “OPEN CREPUSCULAR! This time the candles dimmed, creating a twilight in the library. Gradually the room melted away and in its place a different room appeared. Another wooden table stood in the middle of the room only this time upon it was the iron box.
The Shadow Flicker clapped his hands and made his way to the table. But then he stopped and looked at Lady Catherine. “You must think I’m stupid. You know I can’t touch iron!”
Lady Catherine moved to the box waving her hand through it. “I would say I’m not much use either.”
The Shadow Flicker looked around the room then he pointed to Graham, “You, boy! – Open the box!”
Graham looked at his father. Peter nodded and Graham moved forward, glancing at Sir Isaac, Lucy, his mum and then at Lady Catherine.
All watched with interest as Graham got near. Once at the table he stretched out his hands and placed them on the iron box. Gently, he opened the lid to see in the half-light a black heart pulsating.
Reaching down he brought out the black slimy organ. It twitched in his hands as he carefully walked over to the Shadow Flicker. With one hand, the warlock fetched out the bell jar and with the other free hand held it out waiting to receive his heart.
Just as Graham was about to hand it over, Catherine shouted out. “NOW GRAHAM PUSH IT INTO HIS CHEST!”
Without asking why, Graham did as he was told and pushed the heart back into the Shadow Flickers chest, pulling his hands away in time to see the hole in his chest heal up. The Shadow Flicker tossed the jar in the air and Graham manged to dive and catch it before it smashed on the floor.
The Shadow Flicker laughed as he felt himself become whole again. But his jubilation was short lived, as four hundred years of immortality ebbed away. Clutching his chest, the Shadow Flicker felt a warm sensation around his heart became increasingly hot!
An orange glow appeared around the him as small fires started to break out over his body. Jackie and Peter flung their arms around the children, attempting to shield them from the developing inferno. Sir Isaac and Lady Catherine watched, as for a second time the Shadow Flicker burned.
© Alice White
