Dark Night of the Soul Part 2
Welcome to the second installment of Dark Night of the Soul. In the previous issue of The Raven, you met Gerald, a man struggling with an unknown physical ailment, an illness that is siphoning his life. Doctors have been unable to diagnose the problem and death seems inevitable until the night Maria comes to the door, filling Gerald with terror but also promising hope, if Gerald believes in witches. Check out part 1 here. entered the house, closed and locked the door before asking, “What do you make of that?” “Ridiculous!” I headed for the family room and flopped down on the sofa.
by Ann Fields
I remained on the walkway in the dark, staring after Maria, my mind a jumble of words—witch, protection, life consuming, crosses, candles, spiritual warfare. I had no idea how to knit the words together to make sense of them. The only thing that came together was a feeling of exposure and terror. I shivered.
“I knew she was a big religious freak, a kook,” Amanda said from the kitchen. “A co-worker said she used to walk around our building seven times, praying, and burning some herb or spice or something. Another co-worker said she used oil on a patient one time.” Amanda walked into the family room carrying a towel and a bottle of cleaner. Her fingers were crooked in air quotes. “’Blessed oil,’ smeared on the patient’s forehead.” Amanda rolled her eyes, dropped down in front of the coffee table, and started working on the carpet stain. “But I never figured she would go this far. Coming to our house?!” Amanda straightened and her eyes flashed with renewed anger. “How she knows about your heart, that I get. People talk at work. But how she got our address?! And had the audacity to spout that nonsense to our face, that I don’t get.” “She said angels directed her.” I was proud of myself for figuring that much out.
“Gerald!”
“Angels, my ass. I’ll be speaking to her tomorrow, that’s for damn sure.”
I turned and caught up to Amanda. I waited ‘til we’d
“You don’t know anything else about her?”
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