Chapter 199

Ava

Chris’s revelation hit us all like a ton of bricks. The room went eerily silent, all of our eyes widening in unison.

“But… But I saw you,” I muttered, shaking my head with disbelief. “Chris, I saw you walk past—”

“Ava, I never left the main area of the house. We promised we wouldn’t leave the confines of this area when we discussed the rules. Remember?”

My face paled a bit as I mentally recounted that discussion; Chris was right, of course. We had promised not to leave the areas of the house that we had cleaned earlier that day. During my excited run through the house, I must have gotten off track.

Fabian was utterly dumbfounded. “Tell us exactly what happened,” he said. “Moment by moment.”

I furrowed my brow and counted on my fingers. “First, I heard soft footsteps—like Chris’s paw pads.”

“Or bare feet,” Fabian murmured with a shudder.

“Then I saw a flash of white,” I said, ignoring him. “And I waited, thinking that Chris was right outside the wardrobe, but he never opened the door.”

Fabian swallowed hard and exchanged looks with Chris. “The wailing woman…”

Suddenly, Betty let out a whimper. She shook her head frantically, her hands trembling as she wrung them together. “Oh no, oh no, no, no, I can’t do this. I’m leaving. I’m sorry, Fabian, but I can’t stay here another minute. Please take me home now.”

Before anyone could react, Betty bolted from the room, her heels clicking rapidly on the hardwood floor. Fabian called after her, “Betty, wait! Please!” He shot us an apologetic look before rushing out to follow her, leaving Chris and me standing there in stunned silence.

I felt a wave of guilt wash over me. “But... I didn’t hear any crying,” I said, more to myself than to Chris. “And I don’t believe in ghosts. It must have been a trick of the light or something. Maybe the fog is playing tricks on my eyes.”

Chris came over and put his arm around me, pulling me close. “Maybe, but either way, I think you should stick close to me tonight. Just in case.”

“Don’t tell me you’re buying into all of this,” I whispered, tossing my head back to look up at him.

“Not necessarily,” he said, although the words sounded hollow even to me. “I just want to make sure you don’t get too scared. You’re the one who saw something, after all.”

“But you claim to have seen something last night, too.”

Chris didn’t answer that, although I could see his jaw tighten almost imperceptibly.

We stood there for a few minutes, listening to the muffled sounds of Fabian and Betty talking in the foyer. I found myself straining to hear any other noises—perhaps the cry of the wailing woman—but there was nothing but silence.

Finally, Fabian returned with a calmer-looking Betty. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and she was clutching Fabian’s hand tightly as though it was a lifeline. I immediately felt another pang of guilt for causing such a scene.

“Betty, I’m so sorry,” I said, taking a step toward her. “I didn’t mean to scare you. In fact, thinking about it now, I’m pretty sure it was just a white curtain blowing in the wind or something. This fog is making us all jumpy, that’s all.”

Betty nodded, although she still looked uneasy. “It’s okay. I’m sorry for freaking out like that. It’s just... with everything that’s been happening…”

“How about we all have some drinks by the fireplace?” I suggested, trying to lighten the mood. “And we still have those strawberry tarts for dessert. Maybe some food and warmth will help us all feel better.”

Everyone agreed, and soon we were settled in the cozy living room again—with the doors shut tightly, effectively blocking out the rest of the eerie house. Fabian stoked the fire, the crackling sound filling the air. The warmth of the flames and the taste of Fabian’s scotch helped to ease the tension.

“These tarts are delicious, Ava,” Betty said, taking another bite. “Did you make them yourself?”

I nodded, smiling. “I did. I love to cook and bake. It’s always been a passion of mine.”

“Me too,” Betty said, her eyes lighting up for the first time since our game of manhunt. “I actually worked at the bakery in town.” But then her eyes dulled a bit, and her shoulders slumped. “But now that I’m leaving, I’ll have to find a job elsewhere.”

“Why don’t you stay?” Chris asked, voicing the question I’m sure we were all thinking. “I mean, if you love it here, and you have Fabian…”

Betty swallowed hard, and she set down her half-eaten tart. “I wish I could, but... I’ve seen too many things. Heard too many things. As you know, there’s been something knocking on my windows at night, dead birds showing up on my doorstep, and…”

She shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. “Strange effigies hanging from the tree in my backyard. I just can’t stay in that house anymore, even if leaving Fabian behind breaks my heart.”

Both Betty and Fabian blushed at this admission. Fabian reached out and took Betty’s hand, his expression pained.

“I’m so sorry, Betty,” he said softly. “I should have told you how I felt long ago, instead of waiting until the last minute like this.” He paused, seeming to wrestle with himself. “Maybe... maybe I could leave with you. Start fresh somewhere else, away from all this.”

Betty’s eyes widened in surprise. “Fabian, no. You can’t leave your pack. You’re the Alpha. They need you here.”

Fabian’s shoulders slumped, and he looked older than I had ever seen him. “Some Alpha I am,” he scoffed. “I can’t even protect my own people from whatever is terrorizing this town. Maybe they would be better off without me.”

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. I found myself fixated on the mention of the effigies.

“Betty,” I said suddenly, “those effigies you mentioned. Do you have any pictures of them? I’m curious as to what they look like.”

She nodded, pulling her phone out of her pocket. “I always burn them right after I find them, but I took photos the first time they appeared. Other people have found them around town too. It’s not just me.”

We crowded around to look at the pictures. The effigies were crude, made of twigs and what looked like hair or fur, bound together with red string. They were unsettling, to say the least, and I felt a chill run down my spine as I looked at them.

“I’ve seen these before,” Fabian said, his brow furrowed as he pointed at the screen. “I’ve found them on my porch a few times since the fog rolled in. I thought it was just kids playing pranks, but now…”

As I stared at the images, my mind wandered back to the fortune teller. These effigies appeared very witchlike; I had heard stories of witches in the past, both good and bad, but I had always assumed they were just that—stories.

It felt silly, but… What if the fortune teller was actually a witch? Could she be behind all this? Or at least involved, somehow?

But even if that were true, it wouldn’t explain this so-called ‘wailing woman’ or the fog. The more I thought about it, the less sure I was. Maybe this fog was getting to all of us, making us see things that weren’t there.

The room had fallen silent again, everyone lost in their own thoughts. I could see the worry lines on Fabian’s face, the fear in Betty’s eyes. Even Chris looked troubled, his usual confidence shaken.

Then, Chris spoke up, his voice cutting through the quiet. “You know, there might be a way we could get some answers,” he said slowly.

We all turned to look at him, curious and a little apprehensive.

“We could try doing a seance.”