"They did, in fact, make a Deal," the Ghost says. "But theirs only lasts a lunar cycle, not ten years. That's how necromancy works."
"Mom, what's wrong-" Dan starts to ask, but his mother places her finger over his lips and shushes him.
"Keep your brothers and sisters calm. Everything's going to be alright." She turns to the other teenager. "You too, Kitty. Everything's going to be alright. Take them to bed."
"We're safe here," their father says, although he sounds like he wants to believe that more than he does. He gestures with a hand to bunker, with its guns and crosses and hatch and concrete walls and alarm system. "What place is safer than here?"
The older kids obey immediately, trying to soothe the younger ones even over clear anxiety, over protests that dinner isn't finished yet, they barely had dessert, hustling them to brush their teeth and go to a small room full of tight little cots where the kids were to sleep two-a-piece. And time in the memory gets gooey, as clearly hours pass and all the kids go to bed.
All but Dan, sitting up and listening at the door even though it's clear he knows he isn't supposed to.
His mother is crying. "She didn't tell us the price. We sold one of our babies, we sold their soul, and if we don't pay up she'll take all of them. She'll take all of us, all of them one by one."
And his father is trying to stay calm. "She can't come collect. You know that. This place is warded against every type of blood magic in the country. She'll just...she'll rescind the contract. We have a month to reinforce the wards, and if she comes near any of them we'll blow her brains out. Hell, she might even hit the landmines, she came close enough today."
"We're so stupid," his mother keeps crying.
One of Dan's little brothers stirs and tugs at his sleeve. "Danny, I had a nightmare."
Dan turns his attention from the door, lays down in the bed next to his brother. He takes a deep breath. "Okay, Eli. Tell me about the last good dream you had instead. So we can replace it."
The Ghost just says, "I figure you can understand what happened next and why he won't talk about it."
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"Mom, what's wrong-" Dan starts to ask, but his mother places her finger over his lips and shushes him.
"Keep your brothers and sisters calm. Everything's going to be alright." She turns to the other teenager. "You too, Kitty. Everything's going to be alright. Take them to bed."
"We're safe here," their father says, although he sounds like he wants to believe that more than he does. He gestures with a hand to bunker, with its guns and crosses and hatch and concrete walls and alarm system. "What place is safer than here?"
The older kids obey immediately, trying to soothe the younger ones even over clear anxiety, over protests that dinner isn't finished yet, they barely had dessert, hustling them to brush their teeth and go to a small room full of tight little cots where the kids were to sleep two-a-piece. And time in the memory gets gooey, as clearly hours pass and all the kids go to bed.
All but Dan, sitting up and listening at the door even though it's clear he knows he isn't supposed to.
His mother is crying. "She didn't tell us the price. We sold one of our babies, we sold their soul, and if we don't pay up she'll take all of them. She'll take all of us, all of them one by one."
And his father is trying to stay calm. "She can't come collect. You know that. This place is warded against every type of blood magic in the country. She'll just...she'll rescind the contract. We have a month to reinforce the wards, and if she comes near any of them we'll blow her brains out. Hell, she might even hit the landmines, she came close enough today."
"We're so stupid," his mother keeps crying.
One of Dan's little brothers stirs and tugs at his sleeve. "Danny, I had a nightmare."
Dan turns his attention from the door, lays down in the bed next to his brother. He takes a deep breath. "Okay, Eli. Tell me about the last good dream you had instead. So we can replace it."
The Ghost just says, "I figure you can understand what happened next and why he won't talk about it."