Chapter 7

Lucy

“I’m ready!”

Lucy zips up the jacket Milady has lent her and slings her backpack over her shoulder.

“Coming.”

Milady closes the door to the room behind her, and Lucy turns and clambers out the window. They are going to the show! Does she remember the verse? She’s practised it every day since Milady gave it to her. Milady climbs out behind her. She’s dressed in nicer clothes today, and she has even lent Lucy a skirt to wear. It’s good for the show, she said.

They head onto the empty evening street, and Lucy hurries after Milady. They are friends again! She was really worried after she cleaned, but Milady never threw her out; she even gave her new tasks! Lucy has made sure she doesn’t mention anything about the basement again, and she hasn’t done any cleaning, and Milady has been kind! She must have seen that she could trust Lucy after all. That it was all just a mistake.

She bumps into Milady and stumbles. She’s stopped and is flicking through the pages of her notebook.

“Sorry, I just had to check one thing.”

Milady puts the notebook back into the backpack and says.

“We’re almost there. Do you remember everything?”

Lucy bobs her head up and down.

“Remember, it might look scary, but it’s nothing to be afraid of, okay? “

Lucy nods. She’s not scared; she knows what to say.

“We’ll be in the basement, Milady continues. It will be decorated for the ritual. Gullvi will tell you where to stand, and then she and I will begin.”

Lucy nods. She knows that; Milady has already told her.

“We will chant. You can just stay quiet, and then you will say the words I gave you.”

Why does Milady go through the plan again? Oh, maybe she’s just afraid Lucy will mess up? She won’t! She knows what to do.

“Once you’ve said your part, I will continue, and then Gullvi will recite another incantation. Then we will be silent until I say we’re done.”

“I know.”

Milady nods.

“Good.”

Milady halts to take out her notebook from the backpack again, opens up a page to read, and then returns it to the bag.

“Is everything okay?", asks Lucy.

Milady tries to smile.

“Of course, just checking the last things so I don’t forget.”

Hasn’t Milady done this before? She thought she said it wasn’t her first time.

They arrive at a small townhouse shortly after that. It looks ordinary, not like a house that a crazy old lady would live in. Milady knocks on the door, and the old lady who opens it also looks ordinary. She’s old, but she smiles as she sees them and gestures for them to come inside. Lucy follows Milady inside.

“Welcome, my dears. Welcome. I’m so happy you could make it. And that you took your friend with you, she says to Milady.”

Gullvi sits down on the sofa and gestures for them to do the same. There is a teapot, three cups, and a tray of biscuits on the table. Milady leans over and snags one.

“Are you alright, my dear?", Gullvi asks Lucy.

She nods, and the lady smiles and turns to Milady, telling her about something the neighbours did today. Lucy soon loses track of the chit-chat. She wonders where this basement is where they will do the ritual. She peers around the room and then silently repeats the verse in her head. She still remembers it. Milady will see that she can do it! Then they can do more jobs together!

When the last of the sun has set on the horizon, Gullvi says,

“Come with me, my dears; it’s time. I hope you’ve memorized everything. Rachel has told you what will happen, I hope?”

Milady gets up and follows Gullvi into the hallway. Lucy sees her fidgeting with her sleeve, and she wonders if she’s nervous. She’s never seen Milady nervous before. The old lady leads them down a stairway, and they come down to a large room. It has a star painted on the floor, the same star as Milady has on her pendant. There are candles on each point, and along the wall is a small table with some feathers, a large crystal, and a black book. Gullvi gestures for Lucy to take the place at one of the points, and Milady moves to stand next to Gullvi, opposite of her.

They stand silently at first, their eyes closed, and then, as if it was rehearsed, which, when Lucy thinks of it, it must be, they draw a circle in the air and mumble something Lucy can’t understand. Once the circle is complete, Gullvi straightens out and begins to chant in a high-pitched voice. Maybe she’s using a different language because Lucy doesn’t understand anything. Milady suddenly flinches, staring at the centre of the star, but there is nothing there that Lucy can see. Gullvi finishes the recitation, and Lucy clears her throat. It’s her turn now! She repeats the words Milady has told her, and she’s so proud of herself because she remembers every single one of them. Once she’s gone silent, Milady picks up an incense burner and wafts the smoke out over the star. She keeps doing it for such a long time that Lucy gets all sleepy from the smell and almost dozes off. Milady places it back on the floor and takes out a small silver key from her pocket, and holds it up as Gullvi chants another verse. Once she finishes, the room descends into silence, and Lucy wonders if they are done but doesn’t dare to move because Milady said she would tell her when they are ready.

They stand for a long while. Milady closes her eyes and moves her lips but doesn’t say anything. At one point, Gullvi starts to stare at the centre of the star as if she’s seeing something, and then Milady opens her eyes, flinches and watches the centre too. Lucy thinks they’ve done this many times before because Milady is playing her part really well.

And then, when Lucy has almost drifted off to sleep from the stillness, she hears a droning murmur. It’s quiet at first, but the room is so silent she can hear the slightest sound. With each passing moment, it’s getting louder and louder until it feels like her head is buzzing. Milady didn’t say anything about that. She looks around. Something dances on the wall, a shadow, and she quickly looks at Milady. They haven’t moved. They are still staring into the air, and Lucy hesitantly turns back to the wall. Maybe she’s gone intoxicated by the incense smoke? Another shadow flickers by as if something climbed up the wall, and she feels her skin prickle. Milady didn’t say anything about this.. She’s almost on the verge of saying she wants to go home when Milady quivers, raises her hands and says,

“I ask for safe passage for the two of us. Please accept the price for this favour.”

Lucy stares into the room. It’s empty, but both Milady and Gullvi watch the centre of the star. The candlelight flickers as if disturbed by a gust, and Lucy wants to say something, and then everything goes dark.

You can listen to the Audiobook version on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@maratellsstories