Chapter 32 - Nancy

Lockwood Estates

Blackridge, New Hampshire

Tuesday 11 March 2008

Elicia yanks me backwards, over to where Edward is bound.

"Who are you," Sam asks, narrowing his eyes, "Really."

"Elicia Hill," she says smoothly, "But, you knew that already. What you probably didn't know is I am a direct descendent of Zephaniah Woodbury."

"But Nora is the last living Woodbury," Dean says slowly.

"Dean, there is a difference between the last of a family name and the last of a family line." Elicia gives a wicked smirk, adjusting her grip on the knife, "Nora Woodbury is the last descendent of Zephaniah to carry his name. Meanwhile, I am still his blood. The last one who is worthy of the name. You think Nora could do this? Even when she was still able-bodied?"

"And why are you doing this?" I ask, with a nervous swallow, careful not to lean into the blade. Elicia's nails dig into my arm, even through my jacket.

Edward stirs. Thank God he's alive.

"My family line is very special, Nancy Drew," she hisses into my ear, "Blessed by God to do great things."

"Is that right," I pant, trying to keep my footing on the wet floor. She keeps pulling me backwards, forcing me to stay on the balls of my feet.

"It is," she says cheerfully. "And when that bitch daughter of Zephaniah slept with Sherman Lockwood? Well."

"'That bitch daughter?'" Sam repeats in confusion, hands out placatingly, "You mean Agitha? Isn't she your blood too?"

"She betrayed the line," Elicia spits out, "She sullied the water. It had to be taken care of. Zephaniah should have just killed Caroline the moment she was born, but no, he had a lapse in judgement. A mistake he did not make again once he found out she was working for Sherman. And when Zephaniah found out that Sherman was going to publicly say Caroline was his daughter..."

"He killed him," I finish, gulping. I feel the blade cut into my skin. I grimace.

Elicia clicks her tongue. "I thought you were a better detective, Nancy Drew. No. Zephaniah killed Caroline in front of Sherman, with Sherman's own blade." She shakes me. "This blade in fact. Sherman felt so guilty, he hung himself."

"You guys are just one family of wackjobs," Dean says with a glare. His hands are clenched in anger.

"Call it what you want. The real wackjobs are the family members who decided to ignore Zephaniah's teachings. Such as that weak lump, Nora. I should have killed her too, but it would have been too suspicious."

"Ah," Dean says in mock understanding, clapping his hands together. "Makes perfect sense."

I glance over at Sam. He is slowly edging over to where Dean dropped his duffel. I see the silent request in his eyes.

Stall.

I chew on my cheek. "So why go after Edward? Why did you kill those people, huh?"

"I didn't kill anybody," Elicia says innocently, "Caroline did. HEY! Sam, stop moving please?" She tightens her grip on me.

He grits his teeth and freezes, and then takes a deep breath through his nose. "...But you lured them here."

"I did."

"Why?"

Elicia cocks her head, and I feel her hair on the side of my neck.

"Dear boy. It's all about Caroline. I couldn't figure out how to shut up Sherman's spirit, and then you three jokers found out she was the daughter. It was only a matter of time before Edward did the same. I had to get him out of the way. But he was just superstitious enough to keep away from the property at night, so I had to do something. Framing him for murder was a good go-to."

I glance over at Edward, who is fully conscious now. He looks confused and terrified.

"So now what?" I say, working my jaw and splaying my hands out. "Are you going to kill us all?"

Elicia gives a content sigh, rolling her head to the side. Sam takes the opportunity to slide over a couple more feet. "The Lord will decide your fate. All those who stay the night here do not survive."

"That includes you, ya know," Dean says, taking a step into a defensive stance, grabbing Elicia's attention.

"Maybe," she says lightly, "But I have offered myself in servitude to Heaven."

"You have an awful funny way of showing it," Dean counters.

"Whatever comes to pass shall pass."

A shot rings out. Elicia screams, drops the blade, and loosens her hold on me long enough for me to yank myself free. I spin around, seeing that Elicia is now on the floor, gripping the bullet wound in her right shoulder. I grab the sword and stumble out of the way, rubbing the small cut on my neck. Meanwhile, Sam is holding an old Colt revolver, whose barrel is smoking. He has a glare of death. Dean dives to the side and grabs his own weapon, holding it at the ready.

"You HEATHEN," she screams at Sam, shoving herself up.

"Don't move, unless you want the next bullet to be in your skull," Sam says evenly.

The lights flicker.

Elicia hesitates, eyes darting around. Then, her face breaks into a terrifying grin. "She's here," she says in a sing-song voice, "None of you will survive." She cackles.

"Shut up," Dean snaps, eyes scanning the walls and ceiling.

I am breathing heavily, and see plumes of steam. I drop to the ground, digging through my stuff for the salt. Elicia's laughing echoes through my skull. I clench my eyes shut to block it out.

Skittering, creaking. Every single sign that Caroline is coming.

I yank off the seal of the salt, ready to poor unGodly amounts onto the floor.

The lights all go out. I grab the sword with my free hand.

"Shit," Dean mutters. "Everyone QUIET."

"It's too late, Dean," Elicia wheezes, "It's too late…"

All I hear is mine and Edward's breathing, and Elicia's cackling. My grip tightens on the salt can.

Suddenly, a scream. I jump, spilling unseen salt. The scream cuts out, followed by an unsettling gurgle.

I swallow hard. The hair on the back of my neck prickles. As silently as I can, I carefully make a ring of salt around myself, praying that it is unbroken.

There is a tinny sound, a click, and then a small flame appears in Dean's hand. A lighter. He raises his hand to give the light a bigger radius. My eyes latch on the source of the scream.

Elicia's body lies on the floor, head nearly decapitated.

I grimace.

"NANCY, BEHIND YOU," Dean shouts, lurching forward.

I whip around, coming face-to-face with Caroline herself. She locks gazes with me, and raises her eyebrows. She cannot cross the shoddy salt circle I made in the dark, but it is almost as if she doesn't want to.

My breath catches. Something seems different.

"Nancy, stay still," Dean says quietly, the glow of his lighter bobbing around. He must be grabbing something. "Don't cross the salt."

I cock my head, staring into Caroline's eyes. She mirrors my movement. "Guys, wait," I breathe. Caroline smiles sadly, and extends a questioning hand.

I look down at what I am holding. The salt, and the sword.

"Is this what you wanted?" I breathe, setting down the salt at my feet and balancing the blade in both my hands. I stare down at the blood, both mine and hers. "Resolution? Justice?"

I look up at her. She smiles a little and gives an almost imperceptible nod.

"Please don't kill me, Caroline," I chuckle, kicking a break in the salt. Behind me I hear a loud whine of protest from Dean.

But Caroline doesn't try to decapitate me. Instead, she gently reaches out to caress the cut on my neck. She cocks her head, giving me an almost pitying look. Then, she turns her attention to the blade in my hands, and carefully takes it from my grasp. Something akin to a tear rolls down her cheek, before she flickers away.

The sword clatters to the ground as the lights turn back on. I jump away in surprise and shock. The room suddenly becomes much warmer.

I turn around to find that Dean is now holding his salt shotgun at the ready. He slowly lowers it now that Caroline is gone. I look over at Sam, who smiles and gives me a nod. Edward's eyes are wide.

I glance back to where Caroline disappeared. My heart aches for her. Nothing but a pawn in life, and nothing but a weapon after death. I pray she is in a better place now.