《The Seer Coterie》


 Prologue

    It was a dark and cool night in Cree Bay. When the clock ticked at the overdue hour of midnight, New Year''s wishes were exchanged between everyone who attended the Coddington''s first annual New Year''s Spectacular.


    Halle Wiltshire was completely alone, designated between hundreds of graves. She lit four candles -white, blue, red and black -and placed them in a square -precisely in that order. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, threw her head back and brought her hands together as if to chant a prayer.


    The cracking sound of dry branches startled her yet, upon turning, found nothing. She rolled it to the back of her mind -it was probably just a raccoon.


    "Welcome to Cree Bay, Margi Coddington. Meet all the dead from Garner Island''s biggest mass murder." Milena Lorentz-Wiltshire smiled at the newest addition to her clique. "How you holdin'' up? Scared perhaps...?" She giggled.


    "I read about this place and just so you know, I''m not scared of ghosts at all."


    "That sucks. If I''d known I would have never suggested this." Lindsey Meccano said with honest disappointment.


    "Bite your tongue, Lins...We still have to get to the underground cemetery. Let''s see how long she lasts down there." Cassie Raul smirked.


    "Wait...what?" Margie was taken by start. "You''re not gonna like...lock me up or something."


    Milena chuckled. "I thought you weren''t afraid of ghosts."


    "I''m not but I most definitely do not want to be locked up in some underground cemetery." Margi responded in her own defense.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "That''s where they keep the rest of the victim''s. The ones who were cremated." Milena informed her.


    "How long do you think you would go down there before you start loosing your marbles?" Lindsey asked.


    Margi was silent for a second, than said: "Probably ten minutes tops."


    "That''s atleast longer than it took Halle."


    The girls cracked up with laughter. "I mean c''mon we''re not seriously doing this right?" Margi was somewhat nervous.


    "Nope. We''re here to spy on my crazy sister. Crap! There she is, get down..." Milena whispered and they quickly fell behind a tombstone.


    "What the hell is she doing, Milena?" Cassie addressed her friend as they crammed hidden behind the silent grave.


    "Something weird...you know my sister. I guess not even Hill Ave could get the strangeness out of her."


    Halle continued to open a box and retrieved a necklace with a charming blue glass eye, locked inside it''s pendant. She placed it around her neck and opened an old rustic red journal. She got up, sat back down in the middle of the square and placed the book in front of her.


    She spoke in tongues but her stalkers couldn''t make out from the distance.


    "I have a bad feeling about this. I don''t think we should be here. It feels wrong." Margi protested.


    "What? My creep sister''s prep rituals freaking you out?" Milena shrugged. "This is initiation Margi, I think we should probably join in."


    "Join in on that?" Margi''s voice sounded scared.


    It was enough for the girls to look back to where Halle sat, once on the dirt ground despite the fancy dusty pink cocktail dress Milena had picked on her behalf. The necklace had found it''s charms and a blue glittery liquid started to circle around her body. She was five feet off the ground -a sight that should be highly impossible to be witnessing.


    The grave underneath them started to shake, little by little they felt the movement increase.


    "What''s happening?" Margi started to whimper.


    They watched in trepidation as the graves all started moving in sync, like moles crawling their way to the top. Than, in a split second everything was quiet again.


    "Oh my God..." Milena heaved in the lowest whisper she could manage threw her raging tears of terror. "My sister''s a witch!"


    ***

 Chapter One: All The Dolls Go Dead

    Ten Days Later...


    Lindsey sat on the edge of her make-up chair. She brushed her hair slowly, staring into her own hollow, dark circled eyes.


    She yawned and stretched again, dying to go back to bed but tennis practice was of utmost importance. She thought of having to face Halle if ever she was planning on continuing as a tennis athlete. Her eyes fell on the framed picture of her and her friends on New Year''s Eve. A reminder of the night it all started to crumble down. She could feel the soil underneath her moving, even though she was sitting comfortably in a chair. There was no doubt that ever since, strange things started to happen...


    A series of text buzzed on her phone -it had become the symphony to her horrific days in the comfort of her bedroom. It was without a doubt her friends and perhaps somewhere in between her boyfriend -Ozzie Caldwell.


    She heaved a sigh, muted her screen and attempted to climb back in bed -when her door flew open.


    "Breakfast..." Marian, the housekeeper entered to find the sight of Lindsey crawling back in bed. "Up and out Lindsey Brooke Meccano. Breakfast was served thirty minutes ago and practice is in twenty."


    Lindsey rolled to her side and faced the woman she hadn''t seen since New Year''s Eve. "I assume my parents is on business again."


    Marian nodded and walked to sit on the bed next to Lindsey. "They''ll be back soon enough."


    "You don''t have to use that one anymore, Marian -I''m way too old for that and a babysitter. Where they off to this time?"


    "Mauro...they''ve found a young girl''s body at the lodge''s construction site."


    At the mention of the town and a body in one sentence made Lindsey grow frantic. She concealed her angst expertly as years'' experience of having absent parents had taught her.


    Marian, however, could see the girl''s pale complexion worsening. "Are you okay dear?"


    "Yes I''m fine Marian. It''s just that I was thinking about that poor girl. I can''t imagine what she went through and what her loved ones is going through. It must be so hard."


    "They already suspect what had happened but I wasn''t even supposed to say anything, so you can''t tell anyone. Especially not your parents, okay."


    "I won''t tell." Lindsey was curious. "I deserve to know what''s happening and whether my parents are in any trouble."This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Their not... I''m uncomfortable having to repeat your mum''s words -being a religious woman..."


    "Marian please..." Lindsey''s eyes were pleading, "I need to know."


    The woman grew concerned by the vulnerability she was rendering from Lindsey. A trait one would never observe in the teenager. "Lindsey, why is this so important? Is there something you''re not telling me?"


    "I''m not hiding anything Marian. If my parents are in some kind of trouble I need to know, that''s all."


    Marian saw her concern. "Okay, I''ll tell you but don''t forget that you never heard these words. It seems like the GIFB has been investigating the town for some time now. It''s speculated that the coven is back once again and now, they''re feasting off young teenage girls."


    Lindsey''s eyes grew big. "Marian are you saying..."


    "Yes. They suspect the girl was sacrificed or something...it''s horrible and I don''t even want to talk about it anymore."


    "It''s fine Marian, I''ll be down in a minute."


    "Remember Lindsey...you never heard that."


    "I swear." Lindsey mouthed.


    ***


    Milena sat on the edge of her bed. She stared at herself in the mirror and yawned for what felt like the millionth time.


    She took a deep breath and placed one hand on the mirror.


    "You can do this, Milena..." She said to herself as she heard Halle''s bedroom door shut gently down the hall.


    She heard no footsteps, rocking the core of the fears she had build on New Years Eve. It was the very nightmare she came to bare every night.


    She listened as Halle entered the bathroom, and waited in anticipation for the shower to turn on before tiptoeing down the hall.


    She stopped in front of the room that bore the big red sign -Don''t Enter or Knock...Leave!


    She ignored it and slipped inside. She had listened and calculated every morning -Halle use the bathroom for precisely forty minutes. Enough time for her to find out what her sister had done on New Year''s Eve.


    She roamed inside the small cabinets, the closet yet upon opening the second drawer, found a big red journal laying on her sister''s neatly stacked t-shirts. She opened it, her hands shaking. On the first page, was what she believed to be the pendant Halle had placed around her neck on New Years Eve. She gasped at how alive the eye staring back at her, felt. She quirked over to the ancient writing on the other page.


    "...and this pendant, the Highest Praised whispers shone to protect me from all thy that lurked inside this world..."


    "What have you gotten yourself into Halle?" Milena mumbled to herself.


    She turned the page over, roaming through the journal as quickly as her curiosity would allow her. She stopped at a big red, bleeding cross.


    "All The Dolls Go Dead"


    "I have to get this to the girls." She contemplated...


    A creaking sound brought terror as soon as it found her ears.


    Milena stiffened, journal attached inside her hand. She had been so enchanted by the journal that she had forgotten what they were currently facing.


    She slowly turned her head to the closet, that was slowly opening by itself.


    "Milena..." She heard a female voice sing from the dark, corner closet. "Set me free."


    Her heart was racing, every hair on her body penned up. A tear, the vulnerable indication of fear -rolled down her cheek.


    "Who''s there?" She whispered, nontheless.


    "Take the book..." The voice echoed back and in an instant the closet shut again.


    She quickly slipped out of the room and made a run towards her own room. She shoved the book inside her bag and grabbed her remainder of things -making her escape through her bedroom window. It was necessary to avoid family breakfast.


    She feared her sister, it was evident that Halle wasn''t the na?ve girl she was back in seventh grade. It was far beyond innocent rivalry between them now. She considered Halle extremely dangerous - her ritual a threat against her friends and her town.

 Chapter Two: The Symphony Of Death.

    The bells above The Maribella''s entrance door, jingled as Milena pushed through them.


    Their morning coffee ritual had been different ever since the night at the cemetery. It seemed that their usual conversions on life, heart matters and hopes for the future had been traded for nail biting expectations of disaster.


    She pushed through the crowd of business people on their way to get their takeaway coffee to be off to their own mystified lives. She couldn''t help herself as she clutched her bag tightly under her arm, knowing her stolen piece of gold contained some vile chapters.


    She was delighted at the sight of her two friends sitting in their usual spot, at dark corner booth in the back of the cafe. Her heart most happy for the fact to see them both alive.


    "Hey, whats going on?" Lindsey welcomed her presence.


    "Yeah...next time call, don''t text. Atleast than we can know if your sister is trying to kill you or not."


    "Cassie lower your voice..." Milena heaved in a whisper, "someone might hear you."


    "That''s a good idea at least they''ll know its her if we die or disappear." Cassie replied back. She was furious but more scared.


    "I think that''s a little drastic, Cass, she doesn''t even know we were there. Margi was right, we weren''t supposed to be there. We should''ve left...or...maybe never have went in the first place." Lindsey took a sip on her herbal tea.


    "That''s not the point...it still doesn''t change the fact that she''s a witch." Cassie stated.


    "Girls, stop!" Milena slid into the booth next to Cassie. Look this is all my fault. I was the one that took you guys there, it was stupid and now all this crazy stuff is happening -but I think there''s a way we can fix this without anyone finding out and all can go back to normal..."


    "Milena, what did you do?" they both said concerned.


    "I have that book of hers. It''s here inside my bag but I don''t think we should open it here."


    Lindsey grew petrified. "Lena, are you insane! You stole that magic thing of which I''m certain to be the very reason for all this. What if it activates or something."


    Cassie rolled her eyes. "Lindsey don''t be stupid. Its not like it has a damn switch. Witches often have to use a spell or something right."


    "I don''t know how it works that''s why I want to get out of here as soon as possible and before Halle suspects I took it and comes looking for it. We have to go someplace she won''t be able to find us."


    "I''ll call Margi, she''s the only one with a hidden mansion Halle doesn''t know about."


    "I don''t like that girl she''s strange. Why do we have to pretend to be her friend again?"


    For a split second everything felt like a normal. "We''re not pretending Cass...you''re the only one that has a problem with her." Milena shoved her lightly against the arm.


    "Well call her than, I want to know whats inside that book already." Cassie rolled her eyes as they all prepared to leave.


    "Wont it be dangerous though, opening it and not knowing what it could do."


    "Its a chance I already took and it did nothing. Than again, it did nothing until Halle said some words. Maybe if we read it, it''ll do something."


    "Milena look, there''s a weird lady at your car. Is she trying to break in?"


    "Lets go!"


    They all ran to the exit yet the busy workers hadn''t subsided to their waiting lives. It took a few moments to persist through the crowd. By the time they were outside the woman was long gone. As they approached the car -a black card displaying a gypsy lady dressed in red with a circle with ancient foreign symbols surrounding her; rested behind the wipers.


    "Its just one of those scam palm readers. A bunch of con''s..." Milena informed her girlfriends. Despite this, she still placed the card in the back pocket of her jeans. "Lets go, we have better things to do..."


    ***


    Margi Coddington was on her way to school when the call from Lindsey came through.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    She hesitated, remembering the strange series of events that turned the couple of days -and went against her own judgement. "Hey, what''s up?"


    "We need you to hook us?"


    "What are you talking about Lindsey?" She replied as a vile feeling gestured in the pit of her stomach. The same warning she got on the night she started to see things.


    "You mentioned your parent''s deserted little paradise once. Think we can crash there for the day without anyone knowing of course."


    "It''s the first day of senior year. You all made such a fuss about walking that hall."


    "Well..." Milena''s voice cut through, "I wouldn''t be remembered as the bad ass queen I am if I don''t kick off senior year with a stun. Why am I even explaining myself to you. Had we forgotten who runs this show? Send me the location and meet us there right away."


    She had forgotten how intimidating Milena really was. The passed few days, the ice queen''s attention had diverted from holding her pose as the popular rebel goddess to chasing ghosts.


    Milena wasted no time to shut the call down -before Margi could respond or contemplate, she knew she would do as she was told.


    After an hour''s drive on the off-the-grid shorelines of Palmview Hills. Margi grew more petrified as she saw the palm trees cascade into a forest. She took a deep breath moreover her own memories of the place.


    "I''m sorry..." she left the words to wither into the open, as she took the stone path that lead up to her old house.


    The first thing that caught her attention was the sleek black Benz in the driveway of the home that bore her nothing but sultry memories.


    The girls had let themselves in when Margi entered the house. A dire feeling gestured in her stomach as she stepped through the front door.


    "Look who finally decided to show up! Since she graced us with her presence... Can I open it?"


    "I specifically told you the liquor cabinet is off limits!" Margi jumped to her own conclusions.


    Cassie looked at her sideways. "The liquor cabinet should be the least of your worries. Why have you been ghosting us these few days when clearly, creepy things have been happening to all us."


    Margi wasn''t interested in the subject. It was best not to talk about it, incase it summons the darkness.


    "What creepy things?"


    The party stared at the red sprouted face, who managed to conceal the truth expertly.


    "Haven''t you seen or heard the doll?" Milena questioned cautiously.


    This was news to Margi. Her paranormal experience was far different and confincingly most horrific.


    "No, not at all."


    Milena''s terror turned to reality yet gladness that her sister''s curse, had touched one life less. She immediately decided that Margi wasn''t going to be dragged into all of it.


    "Nevermind..." she shrugged. "We''re leaving, come on girls."


    "What?" Both Cassie and Lindsey was confused.


    "I thought we were..." Lindsey uttered when Milena cut her off.


    "-and now we''re leaving, it''s not a debate."


    "Why did you guys ask me up here? Tell me the truth."


    Milena''s backpack started to rattle uncontrollably, earning everyone''s attention.


    "What''s that?" Margi asked concerned.


    "It doesn''t matter..." Milena argued.


    "I might have experienced some creepy stuff too but I''m not sure." Margi finally confessed.


    At once, the bag stoped.


    Milena was furious. "Why would you lie about something like that!"


    "God knows what you''re up to this time -no thanks to you all of this is happening when I clearly  said we should''ve left!"


    "Well we didn''t! This might be your house but who the hell do you think you are to talk yo me like that?" Milena''s highschool supremacy was shining like a yellow lemon and Margi was to have a taste. "Now we have to face the consequences but so thanks to we can reverse whatever the hell it is she did to us."


    "Look, there''s something else I need to tell you guys..." Lindsey had been battling herself on wether to share the information regarding a certain death...but the doorbell rang -and the immediate silence bore intensified horror.


    "I told you not to tell anyone we''re here!" Lindsey scolded Margi in a whisper.


    "I didn''t!" Margi slowly paced toward the front doors.


    "Don''t open it!" Milena forbade.


    Margi persisted and placed her hand on the doorknob slowly. She leaned forward and sneered a peek threw the peephole.


    "It''s just an old lady...she must be lost or something..." her voice still in a whisper.


    "Lena... Why''s your back pocket glowing?" Cassie said frantically, no longer content with the calmness of her friends.


    Driven by her friend''s outrageous behavior, Milena quickly pulled the card from her pocket and immediately threw the red glowing object to the ground.


    She was mortified, perhaps the woman was anything but a scam. Margi moved from the door, now too staring petrified at the glowing card.


    "That''s the card from the parking lot isn''t it?" Lindsey was on the brink of loosing her senses.


    "Yes...and I don''t think she was there to advertise her services..."


    She was cut off by a yearning knock and muffled weeping -which caught their undevided attention.


    There was no time for plans -as Milena''s backpack containing her stolen treasure started to rattled uncontrollably...


    "What is happening? We''re going to die, aren''t we?" Lindsey started to cry.


    The room surrounded them with an enchanted blue glow -the weeping a mesmerizing symphony of death and no way out.