This is a continuation from the last chapter.
Lilly put her box of dolls back on the shelf where it belonged. She really needed to consider putting a lock on it, or better yet hiding it in a place that the others wouldn't find it. Ashley had no idea just how lucky she was to have survived the encounter. Moving over to her bed, Lilly thought about how she was going to handle her situation.
"There is nothing you can do." Lilly looked up to see a black mist oozing from beneath the lid of the box. The voice sounded like an old woman, crackly and rough with a hint of malice behind the words. "Soon I will be free."
Lilly stood back up and marched over to the box. "You had your chance." She smacked the top of the box causing the mist to retreat back inside.
"Lilly." Chloe called down from upstairs. "Dinner's ready." Lilly gave the box one more glare before heading up the stairs. She would have to find a solution sooner or later but right now she had to keep up appearances.
Dinner was an incredibly awkward affair, Ashley kept giving her sideways glances. At one point Lilly just held a finger against her lips, making the other girl's eyes widen comically before she focused all her attention on her food. The other Bellas didn't seem to notice that anything was amiss. Chloe and Beca were discussing new routines, both so focused on the other that they had completely tuned out the rest of the table. Stacie was texting someone on her phone and Jessica was trying to talk to Ashley. The other girls were either at class or out somewhere at other clubs.
Lilly tried to eat as quickly as she could. Now that Ashley had seen what was inside the box she would have to come up with a new plan. She finished eating and after putting away her dishes Lilly returned to the basement. The box was, thankfully, quiet for the time being, allowing Lilly to do the research she needed.
Pulling out her laptop, Lilly scoured the internet for an answer to her problem. Unfortunately there wasn't much to go on, any information relating to voodoo dolls or possession were all Hollywood nonsense. Getting frustrated Lilly closed her laptop and picked up the box. She was tempted to just ask the spirit itself what was going on but she figured that would not end well. Initially she had found the contents entertaining, her impish nature finding it quite amusing when someone "accidentally" tripped over themselves or that one time she got Amy to slap herself in the face.
Ever since her aunt had given her the box the strange aura had only grown stronger. What made it worse was that Lilly was fairly certain the more she used the dolls the more powerful. A week ago all she had to worry about was the strange mist that appeared from the box every once in a while. Now the damn thing was talking to her.
Since modern means of information had failed her Lilly decided to head to the library. Before leaving she picked up the box and shoved it under her bed. Hopefully the girls wouldn't go rooting through her stuff.
She walked out of the house and instead of heading to the school's library she headed into the city. There was a local bookstore that had a massive collection of old tomes and that was where she was going, luckily it was only a few minutes away. The smell of old books made Lilly happy, there was just a sense of calm whenever she came into this store. The owner was a pleasant old man that only ever looked up from his book when someone bought something. It was quiet, clean and not possessed. Which, after the past few weeks, she desperately needed.
After several hours of searching Lilly finally found a book relating to spirit possession and the like. She sat down and began reading. There was a lot of information about different types of possession but nothing that stood out as similar to her situation. She put the book back and as she did she noticed the book next to it on the shelf. Lilly pulled it down and looked at the cover that had a stylized crest, a crest very similar to the one she remembered seeing the first time she ever opened the box.
This book was much more helpful. Each chapter was dedicated to a different user of the dark arts, each with their own sigil. Near the end of the text was the symbol she was looking for. Lady Maja, a fifteenth century witch that was known for her extensive use of dolls and other types of effigies to control the people living in a small hamlet just outside of Oslo, Norway. According to the book she was eventually discovered and defeated by an angry spirit of the forest. Maja's spirit was sealed inside one of her own dolls and placed inside a protective box. There was only one other mention of Maja. In 1602 a young woman from the same village was believed to be possessed by a doll found in her attic. When the townsfolk investigated they concluded that Maja had managed to switch places with the woman, possessing the girl's body while trapping her soul in a doll.
Lilly cursed under her breath, of course that was how it worked. She didn't know how her aunt had gotten a hold of this stupid box put all the other pieces were falling into place. When Lilly had first opened it there had only been one doll, but something had compelled her to make more. At first it had just been a curiosity, to see if she really could use the dolls to make other people do things. But with each doll she made, the power of the box kept getting stronger.
She closed the book, angry with herself for falling victim to such an obvious trap. The book sadly did not have anything to say about how to stop the evil witch inside the box. So she was going to have to get creative.
Her first stop was the magic store that was conveniently across the street. Next was the hardware store for more practical supplies. And finally, a church (is it considered extra sinful to steal holy water?)
Lilly rushed back to the Bella house, ignoring the confused looks from the other girls. She made sure to lock the door behind her before heading down the stairs. There was an eerie mist hanging in the air that was emanating from under her bed. Stealing her nerves, Lilly reached down and pulled out the box.
The entire thing seemed to be glowing a faint red. Lilly reached into her bag of goodies and pulled out a tub of heavy duty glue. She flipped open the lid to quickly apply the sticky substance.
"What are you doing?" The voice asked.
"Sealant." Lilly answered. "This ought to shut you up for good."
"Noo–" Lilly slammed the lid shut, putting all her weight on top to make sure that the glue held. She picked up the box and headed back up the stairs, once again ignoring her friends in the living room. Once outside Lilly headed towards the woods, going as deep as she dared. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a collapsible shovel and began digging. Once the hole was about four feet deep she placed the box inside. She pulled out a bottle that contained the holy water, pouring it over the box. The water sizzled when it hit the wood and there was a blood shilling scream. Lilly emptied the bottle before picking up the shovel to fill the hole back in. Finally, she ripped open a small packet of wolfsbane seeds, spreading them around the area until she was satisfied with the coverage.
The pile of upturned dirt was still smoking but Lilly felt like it was finished. She hoped that no one would ever find this spot. As she turned to leave there was an unusually warm breeze for the end of October.
She looked back to see a small flower, blooming in the mist.
