Chapter 6

Willie leapt to his feet. "Whatta ya mean you don't know?" Julia turned her face away, so he slipped in front of her. "Julia, come on. What's happened to me? What's going on?"

Julia folded her arms across her chest and pursed her lips. "I believe. . .I believe Sarah has somehow inhabited your body."

Willie's jaw dropped to the floor. "Say what?"

Julia raised her gaze to catch his. "Just what I mean. Sarah is inside of you."

The young man shook his head. "You're talking crazy now, Julia. Sarah can't be inside me. There's just no way."

"I'm telling you the truth, Willie. Somehow, for some reason, Sarah was frightened and sought refuge inside you," Julia insisted.

Willie looked down at himself and patted his chest. "But I feel just the same. Just like normal."

Willie.

Willie's eyes widened before they flickered up to the ceiling. "Who's there? Who said that?"

"I didn't say anything, Willie," Julia told him.

Willie, please help me.

Willie frowned. "Sarah? Is that you?"

"Willie, what's the matter?" Julia questioned him.

Willie shook his head as he turned in a circle. "I don't know. I can hear Sarah, but I don't see her."

Julia's eyebrows shot up. "You can hear her even now?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but where is she?"

Julia set a hand on his shoulder as his back faced her. "Willie, I know this is hard to believe-maybe even impossible-but Sarah really is inhabiting your body."

He looked over his shoulder at her with his mouth slightly agape. "But how? How's that possible?"

Julia shrugged. "I'm afraid my field is blood, not apparitions."

Sarah's quiet sniffle reached his ears. Willie, I'm scared.

Willie raised his eyes to the ceiling. "Don't be scared, Sarah. I'm here with ya."

"So you truly can hear her?" Julia questioned him.

"Can't you?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "No. It must be a side-effect of your connection, or perhaps even an ability Sarah chooses to use."

Willie turned to her and grasped her upper arms. "But what if she's gonna be in my forever, Julia? What if she can't get out until I. . .I-"

"Die."

Willie and Julia whipped their heads to the drawing room archway. Barnabas stood beneath it with his eyes fastened on Willie.

Julia slipped in front of Willie. "Barnabas, I don't think now's a good time for you to come back. Sarah might take hold of Willie at any moment-"

"What?" Willie shrieked.

"-and run away with his body," Julia finished.

Willie started back. "Wait a minute here! I don't want anyone to be running off with my body!"

"Sarah is my sister," Barnabas insisted as he strode up to them. His gaze remained fixed on Willie's face. "And I intend to help her through whatever trouble has forced her into Willie's body."

"What about me?" Willie yelped.

"We'll help you, too, Willie, but first I think we should follow up on what Sarah told me," Julia suggested.

Barnabas reluctantly turned his attention to Julia. "And that was?"

"That something made her so terrified for her soul that she fled into Willie's body," Julia told him.

"That isn't much to go on," he pointed out.

She shrugged. "If that's all we have then it's all we have, though I might point out that whoever called her might not have been far away. According to Stokes even magic has its physical limitations."

"Those limitations could be from here to Bangor," Barnabas snapped.

While the pair bickered among themselves, Willie eased himself down into one of the chairs. He couldn't deny what Julia had told him. There was a different feeling inside of him, a sensation like the tingling at the back of one's mind when trying to recall a long-sought memory. He could even feel a soft emotion pulsing from the point. Sarah was in there, all right, and judging by the emotion she was terrified.

A thought struck Willie. If she was in his body, then maybe she was in his mind. He clutched his temples in his hands and closed his eyes. Sarah?

There was a soft sniffle. Willie?

You can hear me?

Yes, I can hear you.

Can you tell us anything else about what you saw? he asked her.

I-I don't know. It happened so fast. There was a brief pause. He could feel the turn of her mind inside of his. It was like the connection he used to have with Barnabas, only this was a more symbiotic relationship. I think. . .I think I saw a big dead tree.

You're sure? he persisted.

Yes. There came another sniffle from her. Willie, what if the woman catches me?

I won't let her do that, he promised.

Do you promise?

A smile slipped onto Willie's lips. I promise.

"Willie?" Willie's eyes flew open and he found both his companions standing over him. It was Julia who had spoken his name. "Willie, are you all right? Your face looked a little pale."

"I'm all right, but Sarah isn't," Willie replied as he stood. "She's scared. Real scared."

"You communicated with her without speaking?" Julia questioned him.

He tapped his temple. "Yeah. She's in here, too."

"Did she tell you anything that would help us?" she wondered.

Willie nodded. "Yeah. She said the place in the woods where the woman called her had a big dead tree."

Barnabas pursed his lips. "That could refer to dozens of trees in the woods."

Julia cupped her chin in her hand and furrowed her brow. "True, but I don't think just any tree can be used in a dark ritual. There has to be some sort of importance to its physical structure, or even an event in its history." Her eyes flickered to Barnabas. "I recall when investigating your family history that there was such a legend in the woods that surround the Old House."

Barnabas nodded. "Yes, the Hag Hawthorn. It was said to be dark even during the day, but I never took stock enough to investigate the legend."

A pounding on the front door made the group jump. "Please! Please, is anyone home!" a woman cried out.

Barnabas hurried to the front door and his companions followed him as far as the sitting room archway. He opened the entrance and revealed Miss Messenger. She held a flashlight in one hand and her other grasped the door frame. Her cheeks were red and she breathed hard. The newly falling snow covered her shoulders and hair as well as her tracks that led up to the door.

At the sight of the woman Willie felt a terrible tug inside of himself. Sarah's fear pulsed within him like a terrible drumbeat.

Miss Messenger threw herself at Barnabas and clutched the front of his suit jacket. "Please, you have to help me! My daughter's disappeared!"

Barnabas grabbed her hands and drew her off him. "Your daughter?"

Miss Messenger's gaze settled on Julia. Her eyes widened and she brushed past Barnabas and over to the other woman. "Please help me, Miss Hoffman! I can't find my daughter anywhere!"

"You didn't mention having a daughter when you were with Mrs. Stoddard," Julia pointed out.

The young woman shook her head. "No. I was afraid Mrs. Stoddard wouldn't let me take pictures if she knew I had my child with me, and I only left her alone in my car for a short while-" A sob escaped her throat. She cupped her forehead in one hand as her body shook with anguish. "What am I going to do? She's only nine and doesn't know her way around here. If you don't help me then-" Another fit of sobbing overcame her.

Julia grasped the woman's arms and smiled down at her. "Of course we'll help you find her."

"I'm afraid that isn't possible right now," Barnabas argued as he frowned at Julia. "We're in rather a difficult situation ourselves at the moment, and-"

"And a missing child in the woods won't help our situation any more," Julia interrupted him. She returned her attention to the woman in her arms. "Let me get some flashlights and we'll help you."

Miss Messenger raised her tear-stained face and smiled at Julia. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Julia cast a warning glance at Barnabas before she hurried to the kitchen. Miss Messenger wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. "I'm so sorry to trouble you with this. I really am at my wit's end."

Barnabas plastered a false smile on his face and bowed his head to her. "It's nothing. We're glad to be of help."

Julia returned with a pair of flashlights, one of which she handed to Barnabas before she turned to Miss Messenger. "We'll start at your vehicle and fan out from there."

Miss Messenger's gaze fell on Willie. "You're not coming?"

"Willie will stay behind in case your daughter should come here," Barnabas told her.

The young woman smiled at the group. "I see. Thank you all so much for helping me."

Julia grasped the woman's arm and led her outside. Barnabas turned to Willie. "You will remain here until we return."

Willie narrowed his eyes. "What's the real reason I can't help, Barnabas?"

"It is too dangerous in the woods."

"For me, or Sarah?" Willie questioned.

"For both of you, now I don't want to argue with you anymore," Barnabas told him.

He turned and followed the women, shutting the door behind him. Willie glared at the entrance, but he couldn't deny the danger. He paused his ire when he realized he could hardly feel Sarah's presence.

You still there, Sarah?

Yes. . .

You still won't talk to Barnabas, will ya?

No. . .

Willie sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He could've used her ability to hide herself years ago.

Do you hate my brother for what he did to you? Sarah asked him.

Willie dropped his hand to his side and shrugged. I guess I don't. Not anymore. I told ya he wasn't the same.

There was a brief moment of silence, and then Sarah's tiny voice echoed in his mind. Maybe. . .maybe I'll talk to him on Christmas.

Willie smiled. He'd like that present. It's a lot better than the one I got him.

What did you get him? Sarah asked him.

A new pillow for his coffin.