Shiloh Bryar

Shiloh Bryar(Val Kirkman) Val Kirkman 2480 words
Lincoln, NE
1-402-580-6614



SHILOH BRYAR


Shiloh thought her Grandma was talking crazy when she spoke of the energy vamps. Shiloh always enjoyed Grammie’s crazy stories. She thought they had Stephen King potential. Though Grammie Genevieve’s stories got pretty twisted at times, Shiloh liked twisted. It suited her life.
In fact, just this evening it took another twist when she encountered a real life energy vampire in the dark parking lot at the bookstore. And although this vamp donned no fangs, he might as well have, for his eyes were like daggers into hers. She was frozen in place by his gaze. It was impossible for her to look away.

He peered into her eyes as though they were windows into her mind. She felt him toss aside her thoughts as he searched for her essence, her soul, her true energies that made her whole. She fought to hold onto those thoughts as he dug deeper. She had a sudden glimpse of something, but before she could chase the thought, something else occurred to her. It was Grammie telling her to believe in the Craft. Shiloh rarely used the craft, so she struggled for the words within her hazed mind. But then it came to her, and she started in a whisper, “Hail to the Elements that are so true.” Her voice got stronger as she continued, “I beg, I plead, I beseech of you. Come to me this witching hour. Rid me of this evil prowler.”

The vamp recoiled with a high-pitched screech. Smoke rolled from his eyes as he fled into the night sky.

Even though Grammie said an energy vamp left its victims feeling drained and tired like the life had been sucked right out, Shiloh felt fine. She was just a little shaken. She wondered if the vamp was after something other than her energy. What did it want?

She drove through downtown Seattle like a bat out of hell to get home to Grammie. She knew Grammie would want to hear about the vamp. Shiloh couldn’t wait to tell her that she’d cast her own protection spell. And that it actually worked. Maybe Grammie was right. Perhaps with some practice Shiloh could become well skilled in the Craft.
She arrived home to find the front door standing open. Grammie’s recliner was empty and her afghan was in the doorway. Shiloh called out to her grandma but stopped once she saw the note tacked to the dining table with a knife. It read:

Dear Miss Bryar,
Thanks to you, we found her. No need to call the cops. They wouldn’t believe you anyway. Unfortunately Grammie will not cooperate. Therefore to spare your grandmother’s life, you will bring the BOS to us. Keep your cell phone on. We will contact you within the hour.
Billy Rubin

In a flash, Shiloh went to the bookcase and pressed the carved medallion in the framework. The center slid back to reveal Grammie’s secret room where she kept the Book of Shadows. Grammie called it her craft room. Unlike any other craft room, this room was filled with candles, crystals, and jars of ingredients for potion recipes. It had been too long since Shiloh last entered. She paused at a table covered with beautiful stones of lepidolite, bloodstone, and amethyst. Poor Grammie, Shiloh hoped they hadn’t harmed her. She was getting quite old and fragile even for a witch.

Just then Shiloh’s cell phone rang. She fumbled to flip it open. “Hello.”
A man’s voice replied, “Bring the book to the Green Man Coffee House. An associate will guide you further.” The man hung up.
Without hesitation, Shiloh stepped into the protective circle and grabbed the Book of Shadows from the altar. She hugged it close to her chest; the smell of old filled her nostrils. She said “Forgive me, Grammie,” as she stepped beyond the circle. A blinding flash of light filled the entire room. It felt as though it had come from the book. She paused for a moment and placed her hand on its leather cover. She took in a deep breath and said, “Hang on, Grams,” as she stuffed the book into her backpack and hurried to her car.

The Green Man Coffee House was filled with people in the adjoining bookstore. All eyes were on a man whose voice rang out, “This nectar will enhance one’s inner energies and allow you to experience the power of pure energy. I invite you to step forward, ingest the nectar, and join our team of followers in pursuing eternal life.” Shiloh rolled her eyes at the needful believers who moved forward. When she turned in disbelief, a man wearing sunglasses grabbed her elbow. He led her out the back door.

It wasn’t until she turned to face him in the alley that Shiloh recognized him from the bookstore parking lot. He joined three other men. Restrained to a wheel chair next to them, Grammie bobbed her head from side to side as if she were drugged. Oh no, Grammie can’t help. I’m on my own.

A short, fat, grotesque man spoke. “I am Billy Rubin. Bring me the book.”
Shiloh handed the entire backpack to Billy whose face was covered with puss-filled boils. Total scum of the earth, Shiloh thought. He looked like he crawled out of a grimy cesspool. She watched as he ripped into it like a child with a present. He was drooling. When he touched the book, it zapped him with an electrical current. And Shiloh took advantage of the distraction with a spell. “Sister Spirits, I call on Thee. Flames that leap so we can flee.”

The men stepped away from the licking flames and in that same moment Shiloh used her mind to pull Grammie through the flames. Then she wheeled Grammie as fast as she could run. Shiloh heard Billy Rubin order the others, “Leave her. We have ways to break the protection spell. Come on, let’s go.” By the time Shiloh and Grammie got to the car, Grammie was coming around. In a very groggy voice she said, “The book.” She struggled to continue, “We must go to Gormley for help.”
At first Gormley was reluctant to help. “Honestly Genevieve,” he said, “your granddaughter is inexperienced and careless. She has no business being near the Book of Shadows in the first place.”
“Hey. How have I been careless?” Shiloh asked.
“Well, for starters, young lady, you never reversed the incantation for the leaping flames. You nearly burnt the entire coffee house down.” His towering seven feet cast a shadow over Shiloh. He approached with a graceful glide, although it seemed impossible with his canoe sized feet. “Had it ever occurred to you to use a simple verse such as Reverse the words that I spoke. The incantation, I revoke.” His nose nearly touched hers now. His icy blue eyes matched his crazed-scientist exterior. He truly frightened Shiloh in that moment.
“Well, I--” Shiloh began.
“I’m not finished.” His face was red. “You never practice your craft. And you waste it on foolish tarot card readings for money. And take a look at yourself with that dolphin tattoo on your calf. I’m surprised you haven’t pierced a lip or streaked your blonde hair with some purple. You’re nothing more than a hippie chic entertainer. You do not respect the Craft.”
“Gormley,” Grammie intervened, “there’s plenty of time for lecture. Unfortunately there’s very little time before Billy Rubin breaks the protection spell. Then all hell will break loose.”
“Very well, Genevieve. Since Shiloh was the last to touch the book, she can scry for its location. You can write the spell while I work on the vanquishing potion.”

While the crystal pendant swung over the map of Seattle, Shiloh wiped tears away. Gormley was right. Not only had she jeopardized Grammie’s standing as High Priestess, but she had endangered every solitary witch in the universe. Shiloh vowed to become a better witch. She hoped it wasn’t too late.

When an hour had passed, Gormley told Shiloh to take a break. And Grammie lent her hand at scrying. Shiloh studied Gormley as he added ingredients to the caldron. “Hand me the patchouli and the cat’s whiskers, please.”
As she handed the ingredients to him, her eyes were drawn to an onyx elephant placed high on a shelf. She reached up to caress the smooth onyx.
“Be careful with that,” Gormley said.
“What is it?”
“It’s a simple talisman that can bring answers, in the form of a premonition, to questions asked. It takes years of practice to receive a full premonition. A mere beginner, such as you, would be lucky to get a glimpse.”
“How does it work?” Shiloh asked.
“You must will a premonition while holding it in your hand, and use your powers of thought to concentrate on that which you want it to answer.” Then he added, “The Onyx Elephant is also used as a truth sayer on mortals. Give it a try if you like.”

Shiloh closed her eyes. She focused on the Book of Shadows. She imagined the old smell, its yellowed pages with quill-written words, and the cracked leather cover. She envisioned it wrapped in her arms, held tight to her chest. She imagined the flash of blinding light that came from the book. Then all at once she saw Billy Rubin and his followers walking toward a symbol on the ground. It looked like a medicine wheel arranged with stones. She was right there! And then she wasn’t.
“I saw Billy Rubin and his group waiting by a medicine wheel. Some of the spectators from the demonstration were there. The spectators looked all dazed, almost like they were in a trance.” Shiloh noticed a flick of surprise on Gormley’s face. Then she added, “I’ve seen this stone arrangement on a hike at Mount Rainier.”
“Hmmm,” Grammie said. “The indigenous believe the medicine wheel was used as a portal to other dimensions. Mr. Rubin must’ve figured a way to open it.”

Gormley smoothed his wild hair into the nape of his neck. “Why didn’t I think of this before? Billy Rubin isn’t stealing the book for himself. He’s just an errand boy for a much more powerful force. Or should I say, a powerful force that once was; before I vanquished him 100 years ago. It all makes perfect sense now.”
“Genevieve, do you remember Omichle?” he asked.
“Oh my goodness, you’re right. He’s teamed with the energy vamps because they can keep him alive with the energy they steal. But he needs a much more powerful source of magic to revive completely. That’s why he wants the book.” Grammie said.
Gormley sprinkled worm powder into the pot. “I knew something sounded familiar when Shiloh mentioned the nectar. It’s the same serum Omichle used long ago. People called it The Oil. It’s like an addictive drug. And each time it’s ingested, a piece of your soul dies. Eventually one would become completely soulless and live life eternally without a soul.”
“Is that why the spectators looked dazed? They must have taken the nectar,” Shiloh said.
“It takes time for the serum to completely take hold. There’s still time. But we must hurry to complete my potion. Quick, hand me a cluster of spores, the geranium oil, and a pig’s foot.”
The energy Grammie and Gormley emitted as they worked together was vibrant. Even Grammie’s bun-tied hair seemed bluer than usual to Shiloh. It was simply magical. The twinge in Shiloh’s gut told her that she hadn’t seen anything yet.

So when Gormley orbed the three of them to Mount Rainier, Shiloh could barely gather her thoughts. “Wow! That’s totally cool.”
Gormley ignored Shiloh’s praise and said, “The plan is for me to hold them with a force field while you throw the potion, Genevieve. Then the three of us will recite the incantation.” He started down the trail and added, “And whatever you do, don’t look in the vamp’s eyes. It may be possible for one to lock onto our minds.”
They reached the clearing through the trees. Billy Rubin and his followers stood within the circle of the stone arrangement. The Book of Shadows was in Billy’s grasp.
The magical team of three charged into view. Gormley threw a static force field around the medicine wheel. Grammie threw the potion, but it fell short of the target. And in that brief moment Shiloh mistakenly looked at the vamp with the shades.
It was as though time stopped. All she heard was her pounding heart; it began to slow as his eyes locked on to her mind.
“Look away,” Gormley shouted as he struggled to hold the force field.
She tried to close her eyes but the vamp’s control was too strong. She couldn’t let him trespass. With all her powers of thought she envisioned a vault door keeping her thoughts from the vamp. Then she spoke this rhyming couplet, “In their heads, round and round. Make them fall to the ground.”

Billy Rubin, the vamps, and their victims became lightheaded and woozy. They fell to the ground. Billy dropped the Book of Shadows. And Shiloh zoned her telekinetic powers on the book. It flew into her hands. At the same time, Grammie flung her hand toward the spilled potion and it splashed in Billy’s face as if she had thrown it from her fingertips. Billy screamed in agony as his flesh burned away.

Then Gormley, Grammie, and Shiloh joined their hands and read the spell in unison. “We call upon the ancient power. In this place and in this hour. Find the path into space. Purge this evil from this place. Take them back, far in time, as punishment for their crime. And don’t forget to close the door. Their return is nevermore.” The portal opened up and sucked Billy and the vamps into its bright light. They were gone in an instant. The portal closed.

The spectators were confused about how they got to Mount Rainier. So Gormley, Grammie, and Shiloh tried to blend with the confusion in hopes that nobody remembered what just happened.
Once they were alone on the trail, Grammie said, “Nice work.”
“No doubt, no doubt,” Gormley agreed. “You displayed great mind control back there, Shiloh. And the timing of your spell was impeccable. What is the name of that spell, by the way?”
She blushed a little, ashamed to say. “Well, I call it the dizzy spell.” She grimaced in expectation of Gormley’s wrath of disapproval. But she was relieved by his laughter instead.

“Oh, young lady, you have much to learn. But you do have promise.” He smiled at her.
“I hope you mean that because I want to learn more. This was a tremendous awakening for me. Would you be willing to teach me, along with Grammie, of course?” She patted Grammie’s hand.
“Of course we will dear,” Grammie added. “It will be as it should be.”