Celeste kept in stride with Daniel as they walked past the soccer field and then into the woods. As much as she didn’t want it to, her mind returned to what he had told her earlier. In the four years Celeste had lived here, not one murder had happened─ until this year. Seven was a horrible number in itself, thirteen was just hard to take.

Celeste resided in a gated community near the University where she taught music. She had been offered a position to teach Japanese, but decided against it. She instead went with her passion for music. She had enough on her plate translating for Daddy’s business. Even though she missed him, sometimes it helped when John spent long hours at his studio in downtown Dallas.

Murders happened more frequently in Downtown and people were used to it. Twenty miles north made a big difference. Richardson was like Mayberry in comparison. There was the occasional rape, robbery, or even murder, sure─ but thirteen murders? That was virtually unheard of. What really unnerved her was the other women’s physique. They looked very similar to her, even down to the eye color. She couldn’t help but think that someone or something was hunting her. The latest victim had only been a few days off from her being in the same area. There was no way that it had been a coincidence.

"We should get a move on" Daniel said, politely pulling her from her thoughts. "Right" Celeste blurted out, embarrassed that her day dreaming held him up. She quickly walked to the edge of the woods and turned to him, "we have this place that we like to sit and tell stories─ it’s just down there." She pointed to the bank near the creek.

"We call it the Gremlin Hole. It's not too far in. I'll show you the side entrance," she added. Daniel smirked at her, “The ‘Gremlin Hole’, huh?” He glanced around the park, and then looked at her. His voice echoed off the limestone near the bank, “There’s a newly renovated playground. Why were you over here?”

"Lain and I mainly came here to talk and make up stories to pass the time.” Celeste frowned at the unaccustomed use of past tense. She never wanted to think of Lain in that way. Her throat felt tight as she continued, “There used to be a lot less here. So they started the project a couple of years ago. Lain was pretty upset when they did.”

Celeste remembered that day well. The poor thing had cried for hours. She had tried asking Lain what was wrong, but the young girl just wouldn’t answer. Celeste suspected that it had something to do with it being Lain’s special place. Her foster family didn’t live very far from the park and Celeste had no doubt in her mind that Lain came here without her.

"I could see why, it’s an intrusion to a child. Kids don’t like change, and neither do I,” he added. “So, how much further to the Gremlin Hole?" Daniel asked, changing the subject. Celeste giggled, then instantly felt stupid for doing it. Why was she so giddy around him? Her normal reserve was flying into the breeze. She did not like it. How could she be worried about such trivial things when Lain’s life was at stake? Daniel must have sensed her unease, "don't worry, I'll do everything in my power to find her─ to find Lain," he added, smiling.

His sincerity moved her and she again had to fight back the tears. First the strange demon girl, John's acting weird, and now Lain is missing. What now? She knew she shouldn’t keep asking herself that question, because every time she did, something awful happened. This was ridiculous. What was she supposed to do? Things were escalating by the hour and she didn’t know how to handle it. On the one hand, telling someone would greatly relieve her, but she knew if she uttered one word of this to anyone─ she would be committed. She hated hiding things, especially from her Father. At this point, she was certain that not even he could help her. What could she possibly tell him that would sound normal? Hey daddy, I was just calling to say hello. Oh, and I saw a girl jump off of my balcony and change into a demon. That would definitely go over well. The sad thing, was that it didn’t end there. Not even someone as collected as her father could figure this one out. She huffed in frustration.

Daniel turned at her outburst, but she just waved her hand and kept walking. They stopped at the edge of the woods and Celeste grabbed Daniel’s hand before he walked any further. "Be careful,” she warned, pointing toward the woods, “there's a certain path you have to take to keep from slipping and falling in the water. The ground is pretty worn on the way down to the creek."

"Thanks," Daniel murmured. “You sure you’re okay? I meant what I said earlier.” The warmth of his touch was driving her mad and she quickly pulled away. Her heart raced so loud she was sure he could hear it. John would be devastated if he knew you were having these feelings, she thought.

"I’m okay.” Celeste gave him her best smile, “I'll lead since I know the area better. When I reach the bottom, I'll call up so you know it’s safe." Shaking his head, he finally agreed, “Alright, if you say so. What a woman. Normally it should be the other way around. You know, I help you down and feel all manly in the process.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” Celeste mocked in her best super hero voice. “Beware evil dirt mounds, or I’ll blast you with my mind!” Ugh, where did all this cheesiness come from? Daniel’s rich laughter charmed her. At least he didn’t try to make her feel lame. John would have jumped all over you for that one, she thought. She knew she wasn’t being fair. John had been under a lot of stress lately. It was hard not justifying things in her mind, but she had to try.

“I see how this works, first the café, now the woods. Better not mention this to anybody─ they’d take my man card away.” He whispered the second part and looked around conspiratorially. Inching down a couple of steps, Celeste looked back over her shoulder and winked. “Don’t worry, I won’t say a thing. Promise.” She made the cross-your-heart signal over her chest. They shared a laugh as Celeste walked away. “Alright, I’m heading down,” she said waving to him.

Daniel nodded as she disappeared into the brush. The further she descended, the more she felt cut off from the park. Branches tugged at her skin and hair as if warning her not to go. She could feel her teeth chattering as the temperature dropped. I must be near the water, it feels freezing, she thought. Just as she touched the shore and was going to call up, a high pitched sound broke through the lull of nature.

Celeste felt like she jumped five feet as her eyes darted around the area. The noise ended as abruptly as it started. She stopped, listening for any other sounds. When nothing happened, she called up to Daniel, "Hey, did you hear that?" She called up again, panic quickly setting in when he didn’t respond. "Hello?" Finally, she heard a murmur. "Daniel, are you still there?”

"Hold on Mike. Hey, Celeste, I'm still here, sorry my phone rang. Just stay where you are, I need to take this.” She called up that she understood then sat down, burying her face in her legs. A cell phone? I'm freaking losing it. She shook her head laughing, and hummed softly to herself. Daniel’s words droned on behind her. Her mind wandered to Lain. Poor girl, she must be so scared, she thought.

Celeste couldn't believe that Lain had been on the streets for an entire week. Why hadn’t she said something? Thoughts of guilt quickly changed to anger. Why hadn't they called me sooner? How could they just wait like that? The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

Lain had never stayed gone for longer than a few days. She would have either returned to Celeste’s house, or to her foster parent's home. Then she remembered something. Lain had been crying earlier. Who, or what, had caused that?

Red flooded her vision at the thought of someone else possibly touching her little angel. Her nails dug into the soft earth and she crushed it between her fingers. She wished it was that person’s head. It was bad enough that they beat her. The thought of someone else putting their hands on that innocent girl, again─ she chucked the dirt into the water, satisfied by the deep splash. She sighed and got up, brushing the dirt from her legs. She turned to walk back toward Daniel, when her foot found a massive hole. When did that get there? Celeste wondered. She sucked in a breath as she stared down at the two identical holes where her hands had been. They were at least two feet in depth and one foot in diameter. She looked at the dirt beneath her fingernails in wonder.

* * *

Celeste paced back and forth along the shore. The small trench had started to fill with water. What's taking him so long? What could be more important than this? The longer they waited? she didn't want to think about it. The area murders and Lain swam frantically through her mind.

She firmly pushed her thoughts in a different direction. It doesn't help to focus on that, she reminded herself. The harder Celeste tried to forget, the more her mind promptly returned to it. Growling in frustration, she continued pacing the shore. Why was Daniel still on the phone? A little girl comes up missing and suddenly he decides to be chatty. Hadn’t he just warned her about staying near him? "It had better be something life-threatening" Celeste muttered as she stared at the trees. She waited five more minutes, then decided to go herself. It's just a little way there and besides, he can catch up, she thought. She glanced back to make sure Daniel wasn’t there, and then started her trek across the stream.

As her feet touched the smooth surface, ripples cascaded across the reflection of the moon─ distorting the image into an intricate dance. The cavity loomed a few feet directly in front of her. Each step felt as if a ten pound weight had been added to her legs. Celeste took a deep breath, and then peered into the entrance.

She has to be here, Kami-Sama─ onegaishimasu. She clapped her hands together to end her silent prayer. This was not a Shinto shrine, but Celeste hoped it worked just the same. For Lain’s sake, let it work, she begged. The familiar scent of damp earth and stagnate water hit her nose as she ducked into the small cave. She hesitated just inside debating her best course of action.

If I can just wait until Daniel gets here, he will have a flashlight. She knew it was the smart thing to do, for all she knew the freak could be at the other end of the cave. Yet the temptation of finding Lain was beginning to take precedence over her own safety. To hell with the consequences, she was going to find the girl. Celeste was surprised to discover this alternative side of her. The girl brought out a feral side and she found herself willing to stop at nothing for Lain.

Celeste remembered something just then, and reached into her pocket. She had an LED light for emergencies when she went camping. I hope it still works. I haven't tried using it in weeks, Celeste worried. She pulled out her keys then held her breath as she squeezed the button.

The tiny light invaded the area casting spurts of brightness on the dirt and limestone walls. She let out the breath she had been holding in. At least she had this. Celeste stopped and listened to see if Daniel had been calling out to her. Satisfied that he hadn’t been, she continued on. Just a few seconds and then I’ll go back outside, she reassured herself. She kept her light trained and swept from side to side, meticulous in her search. Celeste stopped halfway through and called out.

“Lain, honey, are you here?” The echoes passed, stirring the dense quiet with a symphony of vibrations. Tensely, she waited. The echoes were louder than Celeste anticipated. Something had her on edge. It was the same feeling she felt back at the house when the girl appeared in her reflection. She recognized it the moment she walked inside, everything just felt─ off. Several heartbeats passed with no response. Content that Lain wasn’t here, she eagerly turned toward the entrance.

“…come back.”

Celeste froze in place and answered, “Lain, is that you?” When she heard nothing, Celeste turned toward the voice. Her light shone all the way to the back of the cave, but nothing was there. The whisper had been indistinguishable and she was unable to tell how old the speaker was. Her unease mounted and she fought to keep it down.

“Honey, it’s okay, you can come out. I’m here.” Silence. “Let’s go back to my place and have tea.” Please Celeste pleaded silently. Let it not have been my imagination. She called out again inching her way in. She swept the light across again, in hopes she missed something.

“… I’m scared, come back.” She spun around expecting to see someone there. The voice was so close she swore that their breath had touched her arm. Where is she, why isn’t she coming out? She thought. Celeste steadied her breath and called out, “Lain sweetheart, if this is a game it’s not funny. Please come out so I can see you.” She stood, waiting for a voice she knew wouldn’t answer. A big part of her wanted to hightail it out of there, the air was becoming increasingly hard to breathe. Something was toying with her. Lain wouldn’t have acted this way, she was a sweet girl. Loose gravel tumbled down outside the radius of light and she jerked the beam to the sound. A small rock formation loomed in front of her. It took on a different hue from the other rock as if taunting her for not seeing it.

Jetting out from the ground it stopped in four jagged points that turned inward. They appeared to once be a part of something solid. Fallen stones surrounded the formation in a pattern of debris. They fit perfectly together, but were broken apart at the seams. It was a doorway, she realized. It was made from something she had never seen before. The points were a deep obsidian, yet coated with a pearlescent sheen. Beautiful pops of blue and green blended around the stone like mother-of-pearl. It reminded her of dragon scales she saw in picture books as a child. In the center of the jagged points was a cleared out path with small cobblestones lining the trail. It appeared man-made.

She moved the light through the center and found that her light dissipated beyond the walkway. It was as if the light itself was consumed by darkness and she couldn’t see beyond a few steps deeper into the cave. Mist gently rolled beyond the entrance at the back. A dim light shone at the end of the long path. It flickered and waved back and forth, a lone beacon in the dark. It was a perfect, rounded glow, and nothing could be seen beyond its shine─ nothing save the mist, and the long, woven patch. A low din, akin to the bells tied on ships out at sea sounded in spurts, their noise a welcome calm to the stuffy cavity.

The inside of the cave bobbed and swayed, low groans protesting the movement of the rock. Ghostly bobbles clanked in the distance behind the light, joining in time with the sound of the bells. Her eyes bore into the darkness, curious to see what slowly crept toward her still, crouching form. She shielded her eyes, as it grew large in the space, its shape and size extending around the frame of the makeshift door. Dry laughter, like the sound of twigs snapping in two echoed throughout the ghostly fog. There was a blinding flash, and then silence. The light dissipated, leaving nothing but the drips and groans of the rocky tomb.

Celeste stared at the walkway bewildered, the entire path was gone. All that remained was a boulder-shaped wall at the end, and the broken pieces of the archway on the floor. They had been here, hundreds of times and they had never stumbled upon this. The laughter, repeated in her mind and she shivered, clutching at her sides. Were there alternate paths that they could have missed? A quick glance told her all she needed to know. This was a different place entirely. She must have made a mistake. But that didn’t seem right either. Celeste knew their path like the back of her hand. Something had led her here and it waited beyond the gates of the broken arched door. Their space from before was gone, as if it never existed in the first place. She wanted to trust her mind, but at every bend it seemed to toy with her. It was time to speak with Dr. Heisman again.

She started as steady puffs of smoke began to billow from behind the remainder of the formation. Celeste fought to keep her mind together. She steadied the light and controlled her breath, “I promise that I won’t let them pick you up tonight. You can stay at my place and we’ll talk, how does that sound?” This was absurd. Her attempt at sounding in control was pathetic. Celeste hoped it was Lain just being afraid and that was why the girl was acting so strange. Or hell, that all of this was in fact even happening. It gave her the resolve to place one foot in front of the other. She needed to feel normal again, that some semblance of reality could be preserved. The air was impregnated with charge, like the feeling before a storm.

A cool breeze kissed Celeste’s forehead as she stood waiting, unable to tear her eyes from that spot. Earlier fears returned and she fought to stand her ground. The clouds continued rising from the back, small puffs floating from the bottom. Her presence agitated them as she approached, and they rose in close succession. The entire cave felt like it was a living entity, the walls expanding and contracting. Celeste gulped in the thinning air. Beads of perspiration formed across her forehead and she shuddered at the unnatural cold on her flesh.

I shouldn’t have strayed so far from Daniel. But what if Lain really is here and I just run away? She tried to bring her terror level down, to place some kind of logic to her current situation. Could it all be in her mind? Maybe the doctor was right. It couldn’t be real. Or maybe it was. Considering bad things happened to everyone around her growing up. God, she couldn’t forgive herself if Lain was harmed in any way. She should have called CPS again, kept Lain there at her house, something. Why, after a solid two years of bliss were these things happening? Why her, why now? A lump rose in her throat.

Celeste cursed in Japanese and hit the wall, the sound echoing throughout the cave. All she wanted was to find poor Lain and hold her; to know that the girl was safe from harm. The clouds of smoke dispersed from behind the rock and an unmistakable noise filled the area. It started as a lazy splash, as something took calculated steps toward her. Celeste held her breath, afraid to move, to make a single sound. In her haste the keychain slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground, shrouding her in the unnatural dark.

Celeste fell to her knees groping for the tiny bit of hope. Somehow she just knew if she could find that light, whatever it was would disappear. So the entity had not gone, it was on her side of reality. The theory of anything human was slipping further away. She now realized it wasn’t Lain but thought it could possibly be the murderer. Now that, like the other theory was fading fast. This thing, whatever it was, couldn’t be human. She could feel its dark energy permeating the cave.

Her mind turned to the floor as she ran her fingers through the muck on the floor. Had there been water here before? She remembered the sound of the bells, the cacophony of creaks and sighs. Celeste decided to worry about it later. There were worse things than water to worry about. She worked in frantic arcs looking for the light as wetness bled through her slacks. Certainly it couldn’t have fallen that far, she just dropped it.

It had to be here. It had to. Slow, steady, and eager each step got the thing closer. It sounded as if it was taking its time, savoring her terror. She pawed through the grit for what felt like hours. She got excited as her hand brushed across something smooth, then frowned at the weight. It was just a pebble. Screaming Celeste flung it in the direction of the splashing.

Not even close. The sound was less than five feet away and she could sense the endless void─ the madness. A raw burning violated her senses and she fought to not lose her tea. Her eyes and nose began to water, running down her face and chin. But the worst part was the scorching heat that was in her mouth. It burned so badly Celeste contemplated scooping the water from the ground into it.

It was less than three feet, oh God, she could smell the thing. Come on, focus, the light can’t be far, she thought. If only she had listened to Daniel and waited. Now she would die from her own idiocy. Waves of congealed silk slithered over her back and caressed her jaw. Tiny tendrils invaded her eyes, and swept along her face, searching for any point of entry. Give in, it soothed. Her mother appeared in front of her, offering her hand for Celeste to take. She jerked her hand out, the tips of her fingers brushing across her mother’s.

It was as cold as the woman standing in front of her. This was not her mother. No. She screamed, purging the blackness from her body. She wasn’t about to give it the satisfaction of winning. The thing landed less than a few feet away. It splashed quickly toward her, agitated clicks and pops escaping its maw. Celeste dove to the ground dragging her whole torso across the sludge in desperation. Seconds before she clasped the metal from beneath her stomach the splashing came to a halt. Celeste knew better than to think it was gone, it was teasing her.

She needed to move, faster than she ever had in her entire life. Her hand groped the chain until finally she brought it out and jammed on the button. A series of discordant chimes rang throughout the area as the thin beam of light bathed the cave in blue. She relaxed feeling the ominous energy pass, at least it was gone for now. Her forehead wrinkled as she focused on the sound of the bells. It reminded her of a family trip they had taken years ago to the famous Grand Ise Shrine in Japan. Why on earth were the bells ringing here?

There wasn’t a Shinto shrine in the area at all. In fact, there wasn’t a shrine here period. The bells Celeste heard or suzu as Mama called them, were used to announce a visitor’s arrival to the Kami-Sama within the shrine. The ones she heard tonight sounded familiar, yet she couldn’t place how. The forests that she visited in the Ise prefecture as a child were absolutely breathtaking. She was very little at the time, but she could still remembered them. The woods had been alive with energy each day that they had hiked. A part of her would always feel rejuvenated. Anytime that she visited Japan, she had to visit that place. It made her feel whole. She could never forget the sound of the bells. When they rang, she felt a part of herself resonate with them pleasantly.

The chimes that rang tonight had a feeling of home. It sounded ludicrous to her, to think that she could tell the difference. Celeste had only lived there until she was four. Of course, she had been to several cities as an adult and tried to go every few years with Father, but she could not have known the difference. Could she? And yet the mysterious aura felt as if it was one with her.

The echoes came to a sudden halt, throwing Celeste back into the insufferable cave. She shuddered in the silence, still able to feel the white hot breath of the creature on her face and back. It had almost overtaken her again. Her hand shielded her eyes as they squinted from the light. The thing was gone, whatever it was, and nothing had been left behind. Celeste wanted to scream so hard that the cave collapsed from her fury. Was she going completely mental? No, she refused to believe that.

Her life had been too neat and orderly lately. Had the creatures of the dark been biding their time? They must have searched for the right moment to return. Celeste felt her stomach turn. She should have known the supernatural would be back. When they first moved to Dallas everything seemed peaceful and she had relaxed. Yeah, until you turned fourteen, she tensed and dismissed the thought. She hoped Mama was in a better place, looking at her with pride. It was what motivated her, kept her sane─ that and John and Father’s unrelenting love. Now the curse of the past was back with a vengeance, only this time she was the victim.

Celeste realized she could barely see now, the light from her chain had gotten too bright. It became too much and she had to let go of the button. Run her mind screamed. Her legs moved separate from her body and she fled back toward the entrance. Several times she tripped and stumbled, unable to see. It was hardly enough to break her stride. Celeste was determined to get outside. It wasn’t like her to give in. Then what was that back there? She shoved aside the thought and drove forward. It was a brief moment of weakness, nothing more.

Her pace quickened until she practically was running at full speed. Was it really this long of a trek going inside? And Celeste couldn’t be sure, but she thought she heard splashing again. Being paranoid was better than getting soft. She had allowed herself to get comfortable, huge mistake. If she got out of this alive, Celeste made a promise to herself that she would get to the bottom of it. She needed to find out how to break the curse before it took everyone away from her. At this point, she was certain that was what it had to be. Her legs pumped so hard she felt like she was floating. She nearly tripped as she caught her first glimpse of moonlight. Freedom was feet away.

Her happy thoughts slammed to the earth in seconds. Faster than she could react, something large blocked the only exit─ something fleshy, and solid. The impact was so fierce it knocked the breath from her and she slumped to the ground.

* * *