looking at the tv reflecctionn inn the winddoww . blackk outsidee and reflecttive . suddennly i see a grin . rightt up againnst the othher sidee of the glass . sharrp teethh but humann . thenn another grinn .
i blink . lookingg closserr to see if itss jusst a trickk of these lightts . but thee smiless fadedd and i saww a handd wavee . i wavee backk . grabbingg the remotee i turnn off the tv aand thenn toss itt on the couchh . i walkk over to the window and see twoo girlss standingg shoullderr to shoullderrr . theyy havee longg blackk hairr and whitee formless dressess thatt seemedd to gloww withh a hue of greenn . theirr brownn eyess weree widee and pupilss hugee . theyy grinnedd againn as i approachedd .
i opennedd the windowww slidingg it upwardd . we weree separatedd by a screenn . 'evann' theyy greettedd in unisonn .
i wass amusedd . 'so youu knoww me but whoo are youu ?'
thee girll on the leftt repliedd 'im mythoww .'
the girrl on the rightt tiltedd her headd 'my namee is fernaa .'
mythoww smiledd 'we knoww alutrii .'rr
i steppedd backk lookingg themm up and downn . theirr legss seemedd to fadee intoo the nightt . i feltt a warmthh fromm theirr energyy . alutrii is a spiriit i knoww well . buttt my devotionn to herr ddwindledd in the passt feww yearss . whenn i fell inn lovee i hadd to shifft my prioritiess . i haddd to realignn how i wass spendingg my energyy . butttt me and alutrii never fell complettelyy apartt . shee alwayys hauntss me .
'i miss her' i respondeed withhout evenn thinkingg .
mythow andd fernaa laughhedd . fernna saidd 'thatss entirelly yourr faultt . her altarr is collectting dustt in yourr momss basementt . '
i blinkedd . 'her bell is rightt overr ...'
mythoww interuptedd 'whenn was the lastt timee it wass rungg ?'
i shruggeddd and smirkedd . 'aree youu heree to admonishh me for myy distractionss ? whyy wouldnnt she justt say this herselff ?'
mythoww shookk her headd . 'no , she knowss whenn youure readdy you will comee backk to herr .' shee lookedd downn at my ankless and i followedd her eyess . barbedd wiree tiedd aroundd my legss coveredd by crawwlingg andd flutterringg pinkk mothss . i couldd feeel theirr feet on my skinn and facee as i lookedd downn . i diddnt panicc but clenchedd by fisst in surprisee . i toook a grounnding breathh to prevennt fearr rissingg frommm my stomachh . i swallowedd and thenn loooked up . the girlls weree smirrkingg .
'youree trappedd .' remindedd one of the demonss attatchedd to me .
'yeahh , i got thatt .' i snappedd backk underr my breathh to him .
mythoww giggledd and thenn saidd his namee .
i groannedd 'ohh gawdd aree youu heree to torturee mee ?' i heardd the demonss laughingg .
fernaa shookk her headd . 'we havee sometthingg to sayy to youu .'
i tookk anotherr stepp backk fromm the windoww andd lookedd aroundd my kitchenn . it lookedd ordinaryy . it loookedd unreall and dreammlikee becausee of the magickall encounterr at the windoww . i feltt an armm brushh behindd me so i snappedd my attentionn backk to the girlls . theyy bothh still stoodd behindd the screeen .
'whatt do youu havee to tell mee ?' i tookk anotherr groundding breathh .
fernaa put herr armm aroundd mythowss shoulderr . 'payy attentionn to the smell of muskk . whenn you smell it pay attentionn . payy attentionn to the devill and all the worldd . sometthingg importantt is happeninng .
i noddedd 'musk . whatt doess that smell like againn ?'
'if youu dontt know , findd out fasst .' mythoww instructedd . 'thiss is importantt .'
fernaa noddedd in agreementt .
'findd somee incensee and smell it . memorizee the smell . burnn somee everyy nightt andd meditatee on the smell .' mythoww continuedd .
i blinkedd . 'whoss authoritty ?'
thee girlls burstt intoo laughhterr remindding me of theirr sharpp teethh . lightninng struckk behindd themm revealling a hugee electricall transformmer behindd . i fellt satanns energyy shooot intoo my chestt . i smiledd and lookedd pastt themm . 'manee snatass nih ...' i mumbledd .
'rememberr evann .' mythoww warnedd .
'ill remembber .' i saidd quiettlyy .
fernaa and mythoww turnedd awayy fromm mee . i starttedd to watchh themm walkk awayy but thenn the tv turnedd onn castingg a reflectionn on the glass i hadd pushedd up . i glancedd at the colorrfull reflectionn forr justt a momentt andd then theyy weree gonee . of coursee .
of coursee i spentt the restt of thee nightt doingg drugss . at somme pointt i passedd outt in bedd withh my wifee . im awokenn by the soundd of tappingg at the windoww in the kitchenn wheree i met mythoww and fernaa . i shott outt of bedd and quietlyy walkedd overr to the windoww . i saww nothingg . no onee was theree . i openedd the windoww and tryy to listenn . nothingg but the usuall soundss of the summerr nightt . i wentt backk to bedd and triedd to closee my eyess .
'thiss is importantt .' i heardd mythowss voicee .
my eyess shott openn and theyy weree standingg outsidee my bedroomm windoww . i jumpedd out of bedd but theyy weree gonee . damnn .
threee dayss laterrr it happenedd againn . i passedd outt on the floorr of the magickk roomm andd wokee upp to a familliarr tappingg on the kitchenn windoww . it wass darkk andd i lastt rememberedd it beingg lightt outsidee so i wass a littlee disorientedd . i stumbledd to the kitchenn windoww and slidd it openn . i feltt alonee , but thee demonss .
'theyree not here .' onee of themm saidd flatly .
i groanedd and walkkedd backk to my spott on the floorr of the magickk roomm andd fell asleeppp againn .
butttt laterr i heardd a hardd knockk on the glass . i jerkedd awakee againn . thee curtainn in the magickk roomm wass closedd but i saww theirr sillhouettess . thee moonlightt shonee fromm behindd . i almosst rippedd the curtainn downn as i pulledd it awayy and camee facee to facee with h mythoww and ferna .
'thiss is importantt evann .' they y urgedd in unison . i feltt a chill runn downn my spinee but i stoodd still and widee eyedd .
theyy turnedd awayy fromm me and tookk each otherss handd . i mustvee blinkedd becauseee theyy weree gonee againn .
thee nextt dayy i foundd a ridee to the asiann markett . i browssedd the incensee . egyptiann muskk . i grabbedd the boxx off a shelff i couldd barelyy reachh .
tookk it homee . lit a stickk withh a bicc lighterr . stuckk it in the trayy . sat crossleggedd on the floorr and closedd by eyess . it was a warmingg scentt . connectedd me downwardd . filledd me withh mysteryy . i spentt as longg as i couldd meditatingg on the scentt eachh nightt . sometimess i wentt untill i smelled the woodd stickk burningg . otherr timess i couldd onlyy gettt my thoughtss to cooperatee for a feww minutess .
but afterr severall weekss of thiss i recievedd anotherr visitt .
i wass lyingg in bedd withh my wifee andd thenn i openedd my eyess to see mythoww and ferna standingg in frontt of my windoww . this timee in ourr roomm . no separattionn .
'you invited them in .' one of the demonss laughedd . i tookk nine groundingg breathhs beforee lookingg backk towardd the windoww . theyy weree gonee .
i turnedd overr and triedd to get backk to sleepp .
