Life Curse: Taber Blood I

Chapter 26

As Macey fought to breathe, the lights went out. Of course, Macey blacked out herself from the lack of oxygen and regained her conscience. She struggled to get air into her lungs, pulling, scratching, and punching the volatile witches' arms. Macey attempted to reach her face, but Evelina was in complete control of Brian's arms. It made striking the face too long a reach. Macey told herself to stay awake, but the lack of oxygen wore, and she drifted away a second time. Jared. Oh god. 

Evalena released Macey, letting her fall to the floor. Macey hit her head on the tile, gasped for air, and looked around, trying to understand what happened. Then she saw Eddie face to face with Evalena. Macey coughed until she was able to breathe and say, "Eddie!" Her voice was raspy, but Eddie heard her.  

"Run!" Eddie said.

Macey scrambled to her feet and bolted toward the library. She burst through the door with Eddie on her back. Roxanna was at the glass bookcase, trying to pry it open. Macey picked up a vase and said, "Move!"

Roxanna jumped out of the way with a second to spare. Macey slammed the vase into the glass, barely clearing Roxanna's head. "Shit," Roxanna said. "You almost hit my head."

Macey grabbed Sarah's journal and hoped David retrieved Paul's too, as she read the journal and searched the pages for something to save Jared. "It's not here. I can't find it," Macey's voice was still raspy. "Wait, here's something. Sarah cast a spell on Edward Taber." She kept reading.

"Macey," Eddie said.

Macey couldn't pry her eyes from the pages, "It has to be here. Sarah was upstairs in the window when Brian took the photo. Jared found her journal. It all makes sense now." 

"She tried to warn us," Macey said more so to herself as she tried to comprehend. 

"Macey," Eddie said. 

Roxanna beat Macey's shoulder, "Look!"

Macey wished she hadn't looked over her shoulder. The rage on Evalena's face scared her more so than before. She thought she'd give a pass and not have to face an undead pissed-off witch.  As if passing were an option.  Macey stood with the journal in hand and faced Evalena, who hissed like a snake, long slender tongue and all. Evalena stared at Macey and darted her eyes at Eddie. They could still see Brian's face behind the witches as he looked up at the ceiling. Evalena turned Brian's body around and walked out of the library.

Roxanna scrambled to her feet, "Shit, she's going to the attic. She's after Jared!"

***

David sat the kids on a chest, "Stay right here," he said. Jared and Brenda gave each other a shoulder shrug.

"Don't you want us to help you find the journal?" Jared said.

"No, no. I want you to stay where I can see you."

"Do you want to know where the journal is?"

David stopped searching for the journal and banged his head on a beam, "You know where it is?" he said, rubbing the pain from his head. 

Brenda jumped off the chest, "You're looking at the big stuff. Little stuff is in the boxes. Like this," she said, aiming her finger at the chest. "Besides, Macey said it was in the chest."

Jared climbed off the chest and lifted the lid. "It's supposed to be in here." He reached in and picked up his father's journal. Black leather covered the six-inch thick pages with large spiral rings binding them together. The front had initials PAT, Paul Allen Taber. "I never saw a journal this big before."

"I haven't either," David said, examining the quality. 

"No, I mean, it wasn't this big before," Jared said.