Witch: A Horror Novel (The Cursed Manuscripts) by Iain Wright (nonfiction book recommendations TXT) 📕

“So long as Ricky and Lily don’t kill us and leave our bodies in this clearing.”

“Not happening.” Ashley got up, testing her legs to make sure they were once again obeying her brain. Jude stood up beside her, keeping a hand on her back. She looked at him, dismayed by the state of him but also annoyed that he let these things happen. Why didn’t he ever defend himself? Why did she always have to be the one to stand up to Ricky and Lily, or whatever bullshit they were dealing with that day? “We have to go back inside, Jude. Lily’s a goddamn psycho. There’s no telling what she’ll do. We need to protect Rose.”

Jude frowned. “They’re just going to look around. What’s the worst they can do?”

“With those two, who knows? We can’t leave Rose alone with them, but I can’t stand up to them by myself. I need you to have my back, Jude. One down, two down, right?”

“I don’t think I can…” Jude didn’t finish what he was saying. He nodded. “One down, two down.”

Ashley started towards the farmhouse. Jude followed. No sound came from inside the building, and the exposed roof timbers cast angular shadows across the clearing. No part of the place was welcoming. Ashley glanced at Jude before she went up the steps, making sure he was still with her. He had turned pale beneath his muddy mask, and he was trembling slightly, but he gave her a nod to show he had her back. So long as he didn’t panic, she trusted him.

Ricky was standing in the farmhouse’s front room, staring at the fireplace. When he saw Jude and Ashley enter, he flinched. His expression was grim, and even in the shadowy interior it was clear he’d lost some of his colour. He shook his head at them and said, “You two weren’t lying. Who the hell did that to her? They put… they put the chains right through her hands.”

Ashley didn’t answer. She looked past Ricky and into the next room. Through the open doorway, she saw Lily standing with her hands on her hips while Rose knelt inside the triangle a few feet away. Rose seemed to be muttering something, but it was unclear what. The smell inside the farmhouse was rotten. Jude covered his nose, but Ashley breathed the odour in. She’d spent so much time doubting herself in the last twenty-four hours, and she didn’t want to dull a single sense. This situation was real. What she was seeing and smelling was real.

But something about the situation felt off.

Why wasn’t Rose screaming? Whenever Jude and Ashley had interacted with her, she’d been like a wild animal, and had only calmed down when she’d been alone with Ashley. Now there were four people in the farmhouse and she was totally calm.

What is she muttering to Lily?

Lily turned around to face the front room, and for a moment she almost seemed surprised to see them all standing there. “The fuck have you two been doing in here?” she said. “You’re sick. This is some messed-up shit.”

“We didn’t do this,” Jude protested. “We found her like this.”

“What are you talking about? There’s no one here. You’re both full of shit.” Lily looked back into the other room and shook her head, making a sound of disgust. “All of these dead animals… You two need locking up. This is serial killer shit.”

Ashley stepped forward. “What are you doing, Lily? Rose is right there in front of you, so stop screwing around.”

Rose remained on her knees, sitting calmly and looking up at Lily, who was about three feet away from her, just outside the triangle. She was still mumbling something, but it was still too quiet to make out. Every now and then, she lifted her hands and rattled her chains.

Ricky moved away from the fireplace. He still looked ill, and his glances around the room were furtive, like he didn’t want to focus on any one thing for too long, but he stood up straight as he spoke. “Lily? What are you playing at? They were telling the truth. We need to help this woman. Look at the state of her.”

Lily scrunched up her face, making her ugly face even less pleasant. She still had her flick knife, but it was hanging loosely by her side. “There’s nothing in this room except a bunch of dead animals. Are you all fucking crazy?” She put her forearm under her nose. “Fuck, it stinks in here. Ricky, sort your head out before I give you a slap.”

Ashley stared at Jude, but he seemed as confused as she was. She took a step towards Lily, trying to understand how the other girl could appear so genuine about something so obviously false. “Do you really not see her, Lily? She’s right there. Just… look!”

For once, Lily did as she was told. She turned around and stepped into the room, only an inch away from the edge of the painted triangle. She didn’t see Rose at all. In fact, she reacted only to the dead animals littering the room.

“Do you see the symbols?” Jude asked from the other room. “On the floor.”

Lily glanced back through the doorway at him. She was clearly confused, but she overrode it with aggression. “What fucking symbols? Seriously, what the hell is this?”

Ricky ran both hands through his short, spiky hair. “This is messed up, yo. Lily, let’s just go.”

Lily glared at him suspiciously. “Ricky? Why are you acting weird? Do you really see something? You believe these freaks? There’s a woman in this room?”

Ricky shrugged and attempted a chuckle, but it sounded false. “Nah, I don’t believe shit. It just stinks in here, innit? I wanna get out of here so we can spark up a joint.”

Lily continued glaring, but something seemed to gradually dawn on her. “You do see something, don’t you? You’re as crazy as these two, mate.”

“I just wanna go, Lil.”

Ashley