Graveyard, Backyard

Chapter 29 - Other way

He smiled at me!

He genuinely smiled at me. He raised his arm to caress my cheeks and bore into my eyes. "This is wrong, Claire. You and me."I frowned. "And.. you coming back to Havendell is dangerous. Too dangerous." he added.

"Like deathly dangerous?" I joked. That's what you can do right now. Just ignore that damn demon and the damn world and act like everything's fine. Sometimes that's all you need to inhale the next breath.

"Even worse." he was serious.

He looked away and dropped his hands. Opening the car, he sat in the driver's seat and motioned me to join him. I nodded once and walked to the door. He drove quietly after I sat. I leaned my head against the window, my legs tucked under my hips. Will's cologne filled up the car reminding me he was there. Beside me. I was safe. Secure. He always gave me a sense of security and safety when he is around.

I woke up when the familiar streets passed by us. We were in Havendell. Will's eyes were focused on the road but he was in deep thought. I tug down my top and sat back straight, combing away my hairs with my fingers. What surprised me was my sleep was empty with no dreams. No bad, dark dreams attacked me in my sleep. As if I slept for a minute. Will didn't looked tired or sleepy. He looked energized and fresh.

He peeked at me and gave a heart melting smile. "Morning!"

"Morning! Did you take a break or something?" I asked in my groggy voice.

"Um.. Yea." he lied. His eyes ignored me.

We were in the main town now. The sun was peeking above the horizon while people jogged out into the footpath. We'd reach the lake in fifteen minutes. My eyes locked to the huge board. 'Sand & Witches' when we passed by the restaurant.

"Do you know Ander Booth?" I spoke without thinking. So 'Claire Hunter' me.

"What?" he shouted. I jumped up at his voice.

"Ander Booth?" I repeated although I'm sure he heard the first time. "The founder of Sands & Witches?"

"Oh.." he mumbled

"So, you know him?" I dragged.

"How can I? He was born a century ago. Why do you ask?"

"I.. I saw him." he eyebrows shoot the sky, "I mean his grave. I saw his grave."

"What?" Why is he asking this again and again? "Where?"

"In the backyard of the other house."

He frowned his brows in confusion. "Claire, there's no house there." he repeated what Jake said before.

"I know but I saw in my dream. The house was just like mine but old and.."

"Ander Booth's grave is in your backyard."

"WHAT!!" this was my time to shout.

"And everyone's, who died in that house in past century."

"How many died in that house?"

"Many. Many innocent lives." he said with regret in his voice.

"But why? How did Ander Booth died? He lived in our house? Why did so many people died there--"

"Listen--"

"And why are their graves in that graveyard? Without tombstones? And how do you know this?"

"Will you listen to me?" his scream stopped my babbling. He drove the car into our driveway and parked it. Then, he turned towards me but stared his palm. "There's a lot more about the house you don't know. Its past."

"You do?" I interrupted.

He signed and answered, "Not much."

He lied again. He was hiding something from me. He said earlier that he researched about it before I came to live here.

"I told you the house is cursed, right?"

I nodded a few times.

"Actually, his owner is cursed. The owner of both houses. Ander Booth."

Aria was right. Ander Booth, the owner of the restaurant was cursed and so is his house.

"Is he after me?" My voice shook when I mumbled.

"I can't tell you much--"

"You're hiding something." he tilted his head and looked at me.

"But I don't think he's after you. I mean, it's his cursed self." He waved his both hands in air and mumbled, "Ugh, this is hard."

"But why after me?"

"Look, I don't know that much. But he's after every girl who'll ever live in that house. Young girls. He...he might be attracted to you."

"What are you--"

"The main problem is, no one can stop him." My heart skipped. My death is certain in this house. I will die soon. But, I don't want to. Who would?

He continued, "And unless he's stopped, no one will get peace. Not a single person who died here; not a single person who'll live here."

"But there has to be other way. Some way." I begged for a positive answer looking into his sad eyes. He didn't answer. He didn't had any. A tear trickled down my cheek. He bit his lips and pondered. And then his eyes lit up as if he got an idea or an answer.

"Exorcism." he said.

My eyes went wide in horror. If it is the answer to all our problems, I'll to do it. There's nothing to lose, right?

"But.." Oh I hate 'buts' "There's a huge risk."

I raised my eyebrow, I see no troubles other than the exorcism itself.

"The house is cursed, the spirit is cursed but it made him so powerful. More strength. His dark side is powerful, dangerous and on loose."

"So?"

"We have to let it get attached to something first." his voice shook when he said that. "Someone he adores." His sharp eyes pierced into mine.

"Wait, you mean ME?"

He nodded. Was he kidding? We have to wait till the demon is attached to me and then perform exorcism on me?

"And there's one more thing."

I wasn't sure I was ready to hear anything that was coming.

"Exorcism will make all spirits go away but not on. They'll suffer for eternity. But if they possessed someone before, they'll make their life a living hell."

My eyebrows shrunk with confusion. What did he mean?

"Claire, the spirits of the dead roam around here." he looked outside the window towards the house as if he can see them. "They were killed brutally. Merciless. Painful death. They want the demon to suffer. But they want to get peace as well. And unless the curse is broken, they won't get peace. Exorcism will just make your life easy." he looked at his strong palms while he twitched with nervousness.

"But how will the curse break?"

"You wouldn't want to hear that." he chuckled but the fear in his eyes was damn terrifying.