Chapter Twenty-One

Esther sat in the passenger seat of the car, looking up at the white wooden building that was just barely clinging together in front of her. The cross was gone from the top of the building, and what had once been modest stained glass windows were now just wire frames with bits of glass dangling dangling at the edges. In front of the building there was a peeling wooden sign, and though it was damaged with age, Esther could still make out the words that were hand painted there.

God is watching.

AnnMarie cut off the engine and after a moment the lights dimmed, cloaking the old church in darkness. AnnMarie quickly clicked on the light in the car, giving them a small amount of light to see each other by.

"So why did you want me to drive all of the way out here?" AnnMarie asked.

"You can get to the swamp if you go around the back of this place." Esther said. "There are some old canoes back there we can use."

"Okay, but what are we doing once we get there?" AnnMarie asked.

"Admittedly, my plan is fairly convoluted, but I think there's a possibility it may work." Esther said.

"What exactly is your plan?" AnnMarie asked. "I can't really say whether I think it's any good or not, on account of me not knowing what it is."

Esther dug around in the pocket of her flannel shirt and pulled out a small talisman. It looked very much like a crudely made necklace, something a child would put together with bits of grass and beads they found on the ground outside. AnnMarie looked less than impressed by it.

"The witch gave me instructions on how to make this." Esther said, holding it up anyway.

"What is it?" AnnMarie asked.

"It will show you where the witch's bones are buried, but only under the moonlight. We can't have any lanterns or flashlights."

"I won't be able to see anything, right?" AnnMarie said. "It's too dark out here in the county."

"That's why you're going to drink my blood." Esther said, "My blood will let you see through my eyes, and I can see in the dark. If what my guess is correct, you will be able to see in the dark, but still be able to track where the bones are while the spell is in effect."

AnnMarie did not look very excited about anything she had said so far. Esther couldn't really blame her.

"So let me make sure I got this straight. You want me to drink your blood, use witchcraft to follow a magic trail to a grave, and then dig up a bunch of bones and bring them back to my house."

Esther nervously rubbed the back of her head.

"Ah, yeah. That about sums it up."

"That sounds pretty gross."

"We can go back home if you want to." Esther suggested, even though she was practically willing to beg the girl to say yes.

AnnMarie sighed and chewed on the side of her mouth.

"No, I'm fine with it. I'm just a bit of a baby is all."

"I'll keep you safe."

That seemed to cause the girl to loosen up a bit, a small smile finally slipping out.

"So, how exactly am I going to drink your blood? It's not like I have fangs or anything."

"I'll take care of that-"

Esther leaned down and bared her teeth at her own flesh. In one swift motion, she used them to open a gash across her wrist. AnnMarie looked on, seeming faint as the dark red blood began to slowly seep out.

"I know this won't be pleasant for you." Esther said with a frown as she held her wrist out.

Annmarie's nose wrinkled in disgust that she couldn't hold back. A pang of jealousy shot through her at the sight of it. Esther couldn't even remember what it was like to be disgusted by blood anymore.

"Do I, uh— do I just—do I suck on it?" AnnMarie asked.

"More or less." Esther said, pushing it closer. "Drink up?"

AnnMarie looked very much like she wanted to vomit, and Esther was very worried that she would and her plan would be useless. Still, AnnMarie stubbornly squeezed her eyes shut and leaned forward. When her lips touched the gash, Esther wanted to melt into the warm heat of her body. AnnMarie, however, stiffened and pulled away gagging.

"Try and keep it down." Esther said, handing her the to-go cup of soda from the center console. She took it, quickly gulping it down, though her face remained uncharacteristically pale. "Do you think you'll be okay?"

AnnMarie closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "Yes. As long as I don't think about it, I think I'll be okay." She paused and then looked at Esther. "How do we know if it worked?"

"It takes a bit of concentration." Esther said. "Close your eyes and try to clear your mind."

AnnMarie nodded and Esther watched her closely, focusing on the sound of her breath.

"Wow!" AnnMarie said after a moment, a giddy giggle slipping from her lips. "Everything is so bright!"

"What can you see?" Esther asked.

"I can see myself. You must be looking at me."

"That's right." Esther said, the corner of her mouth quirking up in a smile.

"Everything's black and white though." AnnMarie said. "Can you not see in color?"

"I can." Esther said. "But only during the day. My night vision is in black and white, so I can only discern color when it's a very bright night."

"Here, you go next!" AnnMarie said excitedly.

"Uh, okay-" Esther said.

She closed her own eyes and tried to relax. After a moment, blackness turned instead into dim light, and her face came into focus. Her own gaunt cheeks and tired eyes, and the black hair that just barely reached her shoulders. It felt like looking at a ghost. Something about it made her feel sick, and she opened her eyes back up.

"Anyway-" She cleared her throat and held the talisman back out to AnnMarie. "We just need to activate this and we'll be ready to go."

"How do we make it work?" AnnMarie asked.

"We need some of your blood." Esther said.

Again, AnnMarie did not seem excited about this, but she did willingly offer her hand out. Esther grabbed it as tenderly as she could, and pulled a knife from her back pocket. The girl tensed at the sight of it, her breath hitching and her hand beginning to tremble.

"Don't worry." Esther whispered. "I'll be gentle with you. I promise."

She could see AnnMarie's throat move as she swallowed, her head twitching as she gave a small nod. Esther flipped the blade open, and carefully pricked the tip of her index finger. The girl flinched, but only just barely, her eyes transfixed on the small drop of blood that welled up against her pale skin. Esther pressed the talisman against her finger and pulled it away.

Afterwards, she couldn't stop herself. She pulled AnnMarie's hand closer, slipping the tip of her finger in her mouth to clean it of the small amount of blood that stained her skin. Her tongue ran across it, savoring not just the sweet taste of her blood, but also her skin. It tasted like a dream.

AnnMarie's eyes fluttered closed, her mouth parting, a sound almost like a whimper escaping.

She didn't want to believe it. She wanted to think her mind was playing tricks on her...

But she thought she tasted happiness there

The moon glinted off of the black water with a terrible sort of brightness. The air was thick and muggy, and somewhere in the distance a night bird called out every now and then. Esther watched as their paddles cut through the water, slicing the reflection of the moon into miniature ripples.

"Do you think an alligator would eat you?" AnnMarie asked as she paddled. The light from the lantern sitting in front of them bounced off of the soft curves of her face, making them seem somehow sharp.

"I—what?" Esther asked with a frown.

"An alligator. Do you think one would eat you?" She repeated the question as if it was obvious what she had asked.

"I... I guess I've never thought about it." Esther said. "Why do you ask?"

"I watched a movie one time where a vampire was fed to alligators." She said. "I was just wondering about it."

"Do you think an alligator would eat me?" Esther asked.

AnnMarie paused like she was thinking it over.

"I dunno. Do you think your limbs would come off just as easily as a regular person's?"

Esther found herself unable to stifle her laughter. AnnMarie looked pleased about making her laugh.

"I— I have to say, I don't really know how easily my limbs would come off." She said between laughs. "Why does that matter?"

"Oh, uhm. Because alligators drown things, then pull them under the water until they get soft. Then they roll around to make them come apart." She said. She paused like she was thinking some more. "But... I don't think you can drown? Right?"

"I might not be able to drown, but my limbs could certainly come off with enough force."

"Well hopefully they don't come off any time soon." AnnMarie said. "I like you with them."

"I sure hope not."