90. The Decision

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"Is your decision final?" Scarlett asked slowly approaching Emily.

Emily took a deep breath and let it out. What should I do? On one hand, I want to help. And if sacrificing myself is the only way, then so be it. But Clyde is also right in saying that if there could be any other way to break the spell. But if there was, Father Murphy would have told us when he first came after Aunt Petunia's death or when we visited him in the Church. But he didn't. That would mean that the sacrifice of 'THE' person is what is needed to lift the spell.

Scarlett can see the dead and I don't know how she could do that - maybe a gift? - but Clyde trusts her and even the bat lady - Helena - knows her. And even Father Murphy told us to meet her to find the solution. Maybe this was what he was talking about.

Scarlett said that by putting the spell - which is spreading - Diana's collecting souls of the people and making an army of her pawns. And God forbid if that ever happens then?

If my sacrifice can break the spell, it would save so many innocent souls.

But then again, Clyde was right. John is Diana's pawn and Hannah is possessed by Diana. If I die - for a good cause - then what? How can we fight Diana? I don't see any unraveled path that could even give us a clue to end her.

But I'm sure, Clyde, Scarlett, and Helena would surely come up with something.

But if I don't do this, there's not any other person we know or could find that would stop this massacre.

I have to do it.

And besides, if I help in breaking the spell, Diana's army won't grow with any more pawns and then this would definitely help.

With a final breath, Emily replied, "Yes,"

Scarlett smiled calmly.

"So, now what?" Emily asked.

"Emily, come with me inside the house. I know how to do the ritual. And we have to do it fast before the proper sunrise."

Emily and Scarlett began walking towards the house with Emily following Scarlett.

"But Scarlett, your family's in there. And how do you know how to do such rituals? Have you done this before too?"

"Don't worry about them, Emily. They're probably leaving soon. And I have done a sacrificing ritual before too - well, sort of." Scarlett replied holding the doorknob and turning it.

"Scar, let's go. It's about time." It was Skylar who was carrying two cardboard boxes in her hands - one on top of another. "Mom and dad had finished packing everything. Come fast. We'll meet you in the car."

Scarlett was about to say something when Skylar said, "Oh, hi, Emily. Didn't see you there because of these boxes." Skylar giggled. "I'm sorry that our meeting has to be this short, but we have to go now. Nice to see you again."

Emily smiled and said bye. Behind Skylar, Mr. and Mrs. Swift were carrying boxes and small items with them. They were all the last pieces and boxes as the entire house looked empty - just like a new house with only four walls and flooring.

"Mom," Scarlett began, "You three go on. Emily and I have something to do. We'll be quick. It's important."

"Alright, Scarlett. But don't be late. We're waiting in the car." Mrs. Swift replied sweetly.

Hearing her sweet voice, reminded Emily of her mother.

Her parents wanted Emily to come with them when they began moving to a different country - overseas - after seeing the effect of the sleeping spell. But Emily insisted that she would stay and help her friends.

After Aunt Petunia's death, Emily told her parents that her friends lost their aunt and needed her more than anything and with everything that was going around - though she didn't tell them everything about Diana and the cursed stones as she did not want her family to suffer too under any cost.

So, Emily stayed with the Jackson family as her parents along with Tom moved overseas with the promise that she'd soon join them.

Emily was missing her mom so much at that moment - more than anything. She knew that it would break her mother's heart to know that her daughter is sacrificing her life but Emily knew that she'd be - her parents would be - proud even with the uncertainty that they were normal or had become pawns.

"This way," Scarlett's voice snapped Emily back to reality as she opened a door leading Emily to the basement.

Descending down the stairs, Emily reached her hands and touched everything in her path - the darkness made her blind as she couldn't see any single thing - to make out a sense of where she was heading.

"Scarlett, isn't there any light in here? I left my phone in the car." Emily spoke, carefully stepping down the creaky, wooden stairs.

"We're almost there. Watch out for the last step though - it's a bit weak."

Still groping for literally anything around her, she placed her foot carefully after analyzing that it was the last step of the staircase.

Basements always gave Emily chills. She didn't know the reason why - could it be the side effect of watching horror movies with Hannah? or could it be just how the basement feels even when there is just some unused stuff in there?

Either way, basements to Emily felt like a dark place where something could lurk. Like a predator waiting patiently for its prey.

And when she started coming down the flight of stairs behind Scarlett, she felt as if her ties were slowly cutting from the real world as she descended down into the dark and cold and uninviting cave of uneasiness.

She always felt someone else's presence in the basement even when she was alone or when with her friends. It was like someone was behind her - every time - watching her move and waiting for the right time to attack.

The basements always had an eerie effect on Emily where it takes away the strength in her knees and the courage in her heart-rendering her weak with a strangling feeling which begins to take over.

"Now, where's the switch?"

Emily heard Scarlett say in the dark.

"Oh, here it is."

The sudden brightness blinded Emily. As soon as the filament of the bulb hanging from the basement roof illuminated, she quickly covered her eyes with her arms and looked away.

After getting a bit habitual to her new surroundings, Emily opened her eyes and squinted them a few times to properly have them adjusted.

It was just any other regular basement. As all the items were packed and placed in the Swift family's car trunk, the entire basement was empty - it felt like a really large room, like a blank canvas, just like how she felt about the kids' doodles on the sidewalks but this was the basement and in the basement, you have only two things which your canvas could fill - happiness - like the kids' innocent drawings - or darkness - splatters of blood and a badge of someone's demise.

There was nothing in the basement except two human souls and something strange on the ground which caught Emily's eyes.

There were few candles placed in a group near Scarlett's feet. The candles' wicks were all burnt out and the waxes were dripping down from all the sides but they never touched the floor.

Scarlett bent down and with the matchbox that was near the candles and lit them up - one by one.

In between Scarlett and her, there was something drawn in red on the ground. Emily looked around to get a sense of what it was that was drawn so neatly and perfectly.

It was a pentagram and Emily was standing in the middle of it with all five pointy sides of the pentagram in radial directions from her.

"What in the wor -" Emily was about to ask what it all meant when suddenly, a strong wind came through the door and extinguished all the flames.

The 'woosh' sound of the wind echoed as it reverberated along the walls of the basement along with the strong intensity of the wind as it filled the room.

As the intensity of the wind slowly began to die down, the two human souls were joined by the company of three figures which were standing in front of them.

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