The Past Comes Back

Chapter Two

Chapter Two
Colan, Texas
September 18, 2006

         The Master, as he had come to be known over the years, sat at the desk watching the man in front of him. He was happy with what he was hearing. The man had found the person he had been searching for. Twenty-two years it had taken, but she was finally found. He smiled and the other man grew afraid wondering what that smile meant. He had seen The Master with that smile when he killed someone. The man wanted to flee the room just to get away from that smile. It was a smile of pure evil.

         The Master finally sat back in his chair and nodded. “You have done well and will be paid handsomely. The money will be in your account by the time you get home. The only other thing I asked, is that you take your family and leave this town. You will have plenty of money to start over in a new town. Go and don’t ever come back or I will kill you and your family.”

         The man jumped from his seat, and rushed from the room. The Master laughed for a few minutes, then pushed a button to call his butler, Walter. Walter looked eighty, but in reality he was in his forties. The Master had cast a spell over him years ago, wiping his memory everything. Walter believed he had served The Master his whole life.

          Walter walked slowly into the office and bowed. “Yes, Master?”

          “Call the bank manger and tell him I want to talk to him. Then bring me my supper.”

         Walter bowed again. “Yes, sir.”

         The Master waited until he was out of the room then picked up the phone. He dialed a number, deciding it was time to warn someone that things were going to change for them soon.

Sunnyville, Texas

         Melinda hung up the phone, fear and anger rolling through her. This was not suppose to happen, she thought as she walked from her office to the bedroom. She grabbed her purse and car keys. It was time to stop it all before it began. She rushed to her car, got in and drove toward the south side of town where she knew she could buy a gun. She was not going to let her world come crashing down, even if it meant killing someone.


         “Clara, sit still. Your going to bust open those stitches and have to go through surgery. I am not going through that again.” Alexis glared at her aunt, not really mad. She knew it was boring in this hospital, but the doctor has said if Clara moved too much she could have a relapse.

         Clara glared right back and huffed. “Don’t give me that look. I want to go home but you and the doctor want to keep me here. I am fine.”

         Alexis shook her head and smiled. Clara was not one for laying down when there were things to be done. She always had to be doing something. Alexis took her hand. “Just settled down. You know Dr. Collins will be here soon. He will tell you if you can go home. Now quit grumbling and tell me what you remember about the attack.”

         “Fine, but for the record I am not happy about this. I don’t do well in hospitals. All these sick people. Anyways, I woke up that morning because I heard a noise and went to see what it was, thinking it was just a raccoon or some animal getting in the trash cans. I went downstairs and the front door was hanging open, then I began to get scared. I turned my back to the front door to walk to the kitchen when someone hit me in the head. I fell to the floor, then felt sharp pain everywhere. Before I blacked out, I heard a voice tell me that this was a warning to you.”

         Alexis looked confused. “A warning about what? I am not a threat to anyone. All I do all day is write and visit with you or Melinda.”

         Clara shook her head. “I am not sure but I think it has to do with your vision of that house. I could sense something from that person. Something about a curse on the house and it not being broken, but that is all I could get.”

         “No one knows about my dream but you. I don’t even know where the house is, so how can I go there and break the curse.”

          “I don’t know but someone found out. I wish that damn doctor would get here. My butt is getting numb from sitting here. I have flowers to plant and spells to do.”

         Alexis smiled but it did not reach her eyes. She did not know who could know about her dream. Clara was the only one who knew and she wrote about it in her journal, but no one ever read that. She shook her head, too tired to think. For three days she had stayed awake, sitting with Clara. She closed her eyes, thinking she would just doze until the doctor got here.

         Clara saw that Alexis had fallen asleep and smiled softly. She would let her sleep, knowing how worried she had been. She turned on the T.V. to give her mind something else to think about. She did not want to think about the attack or the danger Alexis might be in.

         The black top of the highway swam before her as she drove toward the house. She was going to break the curse even if it killed her. Alexis was surprised to be in the car, but know worried. She looked out the windows, wondering where she was. Bushes and electrical poles past by her, but gave her know clue as to where she was. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she saw a sign.

         Colan 3 miles

         Was that where she was going, she wondered as the car sped down the road.

         Suddenly she was standing in a now familiar driveway, staring up at the house. Fear rolled through her and a chill crawled up her spine. She shook if off as she walked to the front door swinging in the wind. She lifted a shaking hand to the door, cold sweat pouring down her face. She pulled the door open and stepped inside. She fell to the floor, a crushing pain once again filling her chest and the mocking laughter all around her.

         Alexis sat up, confused for a moment about where she was then looked at Clara and remembered. Clara looked at her with concern and reached for her hand. “What’s wrong?”

         “I know where the house is now. I had the dream again but it was a little different. I was driving down the highway and saw a sign. Where is Colan?”

         Clara felt a chill go up her spine. She had heard about Colan. That was where Alexis’ mother had been killed by The Master. She did not want Alexis to go there but knew the younger woman had to in order to finally be rid of the vision. “Colan is about two hours south of here. It is a really small town, not much there but a gas station, one motel and houses. If you blink you will miss it.”

          “Have you ever been there?”

         Clara nodded. “I learned some of my spells from a woman there. She is gone now, but she was so sweet and had a really beautiful daughter. I never knew what happened to that child. The parents disappeared one night while the girl was at a relatives. They were never found.”

         Alexis was about to speak again when Dr. Collins walked in. He smiled and looked at Clara. “How are you doing this morning?”

         Clara glared at him. “When can I go home? I am bored and have things to do at home.”

          Dr. Collins gave her a mock hurt look. “And here I thought I was charming enough that you would stay here forever.” He and Alexis laughed at the look Clara gave him. If looks could kill he would have been a scorch mark on the floor. He checked her heart and looked at her stitches. When he was done, he looked at her seriously. “I can send you home today, but you have to promise me you will take it easy. No heavy lifting until those stitches come out and very light housework.”

         Clara nodded eagerly, her gray eyes bright. “I will promise you anything just to get out of here.”

         Dr. Collins nodded. “Ok, let me get your discharge papers ready and send in a nurse to take the I.V. out. I want you in my office in two weeks for a follow up and to get the stitches out.”

         Clara nodded and Alexis smiled. She was glad Clara was going home. It had been tough and ago for the last three days. The first day, she had stopped breathing after they took her off the ventilator, then the second day, she finally woke but was in too much pain to talk or eat. Today she finally looked healthy and Alexis knew she would heal even faster at home, surrounded by her things. She just wished Melinda had been here to celebrate, but for some reason the other woman had been distant and snapping at her. Alexis wasn’t sure what it meant, but passed it off as masking her worry for Clara. She pushed those thoughts away, wanting to be happy Clara was finally going home.

         She helped her aunt dress after the nurse removed the I.V. and after the papers where signed, and she was wheeled outside, helped her into the car. They drove home, never seeing Melinda walking in the front entrance to the hospital, the gun she bought earlier in her purse.


         Hunter watched the house from the shadows of several bushes, wondering when the strange phenomenon would happen. He had heard the stories in town and talked to Kevin Doral, the only one who had seen what happened in the house. The boy never said a word, and that told Hunter it was bad. He had also talked with Carol Washer, a witch, but she wasn’t sure what was going on. She told him it was a curse, but could not break it. She told him there was only one person that could break the curse. Hunter wondered who this person was and whether or not they would ever show up. He sighed, shifted on his feet and checked his watch. He realized it was nearly daylight and he would need to be inside before that happened unless he wanted to be a black mark here on the ground.

         He slowly turned and walked to his cabin, a mile away. Once inside, he made sure the black curtains were shut tight and was about to crawl into bed, when a bright light flashed behind him. He turned knowing who it was and smiled. “Brenda, you know I hate when you do that.”

         The white light formed into the shape of a woman, and a soft smile appeared on her face. “This is urgent, Hunter. A woman is coming here soon. The one to break the curse, and I ask that you please protect her.”

          “Who is she?”

         The woman began fading, but Hunter heard her voice in his head. “You will find out soon.”

         Hunter shook his head as he got into bed. She was always giving him cryptic messages but leaving with out giving him all the information. He sighed and closed his eyes as light streaked across the horizon, signaling the start of a new day.