***** Writer's Note: A suggestion, here. If you are new to reading this series of stories, please read Chapter 23, 'Into the Woods' before reading this chapter. They are written as a couplet. You can enjoy this one but you will not fully understand it unless you have read Chapter 23. 'Nuff said! Enjoy.
BELL, BOOK, AND CANDLE
Nikki woke to one Golden Retriever kissing her face, while the other patiently stood by the bed with a tennis ball stuck in its mouth. Dr. Sam was leaning in the doorway, watching. "Congratulations, I think you've been officially adopted. It's their way of saying, 'We love you; so, can we all go swimming?'"
Nikki wrapped her arms around Dr. Sam, who kissed her on the top of her head. "Is mom up, yet?"
"Nope, still asleep; I kept her up late last night."
"Yeah, I heard."
"Before you take them swimming, would you like some coffee?" Samantha asked.
"Coffee? With just you?"
"Yeah, with just me. Upstairs, when you're ready."
Dr. Samantha Green smiled as Nicole came up the stairs.
Cute summer dress
, was all she thought as Nicole walked onto the balcony. Seeing the sunlight cut through the sheer-cotton fabric, for a moment Dr. Sam forgot she was making coffee and just stared. Nicole Grant was quite obviously as naked as the day she was born under the dress.
Pouring them each a cup of coffee with cocoa and a shot of brandy, Sam casually remarked, "That's a beautiful dress on you."
Impishly, Nikki hedged the subject."This is great coffee."
"Thanks, we call it our 'Weekend Eye-opener'." Not to be deterred, Sam paused for a second then continued, "You know, the dress doesn't hide much."
"I know."
Sam grinned. "So does that mean you don't have much to hide or you don't mind others looking?"
Sipping her coffee/cocoa/brandy eye-opener, Nikki considered the question and answered, "Yes."
Samantha laughed out loud; she'd always liked clever women. That's one of the things that drew her to Jennifer. Jenn possessed a wicked sense of humor about how words could be manipulated; it made her a very fun date, and a great lawyer.
They both heard Nicole's mom as she climbed the stairs. Handing Jenn her own cup of the brew, Sam got up and made herself another. Wearing pajama bottoms and a light-cotton halter top, her appearance was that of a woman, who always woke up looking like they had just had sex because they had.
Jennifer reached up, pulling Sam down for a 'good morning' kiss. "Are you flirting with my daughter?"
"Maybe just a little, to see if she knows how."
Playfully, Jennifer glanced over the mug of steaming coffee and asked, "Does she?"
Samantha's eyes sparkled. "Oh, yes. I think she just might."
For a while all three of them just sat there quietly, simply contemplating the beauty of nature. The temperature was perfect for the room had been designed to let morning breezes in. The trees scraped gently against the roof, while the river provided the rhythm and the light wind sang in the trees.
Finally, a still point in the day. After a few minutes, Jennifer took a deep breath. "It's time."
It's well past the time to do this.
She retrieved the journal. Setting it on the table, Jenn carefully selected a fireplace match, took the first few pages, and tore them from the journal.
One of the most unique and beautiful features of their balcony room was its fireplace, built of stones hauled from the riverbed below. The fireplace's mantle had been roughly hewn from a fallen spruce. At one end set a small Japanese temple bell, a striker swinging at its side on a simple leather tether. On the other end was a burning scented candle; this morning, it smelled of cinnamon.
Stepping over to the fireplace, Jenn crumpled the pages and lit them. One at a time, she methodically dropped them into the firebox, never blinking as they curled and turned to ash.
She inhaled deeply, breathing in some of the smoke; but, her throat did not close. She turned back to the table so far away. The book was still there. Even diminished by missing pages, it was a tangible presence.
Still ... The Book!
Nikki waited as her mom crossed the room again. Dr. Samantha Green was holding her breath; she knew what this day meant.
If you can do this, you're free of it.
Her hands trembling, Jennifer tried to rip more pages; but, now, she was blinded by tears. Reaching up, Nikki gently touched her mother's arm. "Mom, can I do it, too?" she asked softly. "Not for you, but with you?"
Her mom nodded,
Yes
.
Calmly, Nikki tore out some of the pages, including the tabs marked 'Jack' and 'Jack won me!'. She crumpled them. Then, she walked with Jennifer across the room, tossing the pages into the flames.
Her mom held her tightly as they burned. They glanced back at the table.
Still ... The Book!
Samantha Green picked up the remnants of the journal and walked it over to them. She passed it to Jennifer, who took it and simply laid it in the flames. It caught, curled up on itself, and flared with a small forked-tongue of flame licking out from the firebox. It hissed like a long rattling sigh, like a last breath. Then, it was quiet. It just burned.
A small gust of wind caught the striker on the Japanese bell, ringing it. Another gust blew out the candle. Nikki picked up the fire iron and poked the journal. It fell in pieces and burned faster. You couldn't read the pages now, they were ash.
Samantha Green said quietly, "Ring the bell, put out the candle, burn the book."
Nikki glanced up at her; Dr Sam's eyes were flame.
"What is that?"
What was it you just whispered? I felt goosebumps when you said it.
Samantha looked at her, then at Jennifer; finally, she spoke. "It's a version of something I heard somewhere. An exorcism of sorts. It's a rite used by the Church, but it is older."
Much older. It's seldom used in our modern world.
"What does it do?" asked Nikki.
