credit enough for that.’
They hugged and for once Briar wished she was still a little kid. They had had an evening ritual: her mom would braid her hair, her dad would read her a story, then she’d fall asleep
knowing everything would be all right. Those days were gone.
She climbed into her bed. When she found the pillows weren’t right, Briar added an extra one so she could sit up, not stare at the ceiling like a corpse.
God, am I morbid.
It was hard not to be.
From downstairs came the mournful chimes of the antique mantel clock tolling the three-quarter hour. A coarse shiver rippled through her body.
Fifteen minutes to go.
After a tap on the door, Briar’s father and Reena entered the room. Her best friend’s eyes were swollen and she kept sniffling. Right behind them was Gran Lily, who looked like a
wizened little doll with those all-seeing eyes.
Lily took possession of Briar’s study chair, shuffling it round so that it sat next to the bed. ‘Good evenin’, child,’ she said as she settled into it.
Briar sucked in a sharp breath. ‘Please – Lily, I don’t want to die! Isn’t there any way you can stop this?’
‘No, we can’t.’
She detected something in Lily’s tone that sounded off, like the old woman was shading the truth. She had a million questions but she couldn’t quite form the words. ‘Am I going
to throw up or my head spin round or something?’
‘No. Ya’ll just fall asleep. Reena and me are here to help ya cross over,’ she said in her thick South Georgia accent.
Oh, man.
What would it be like over . . .
there
? Would there be angels or devils? Briar really hadn’t given much thought to that.
Lily nodded at her great-granddaughter, who began to pull items out of a grocery bag. Reena’s hands shook badly, her movements jerky as roots and herbs appeared one by one. The old woman
began to place them round Briar.
‘What is all this?’
‘A little somethin’ to help ease ya over, girl,’ Lily replied.
Reena gave her a satin pouch, a
gris-gris
bag.
‘What’s in this thing?’
‘Lemon balm and some . . . other things you don’t want to know about,’ her friend said. They stared at each for a time as things went on around them.
‘God, I can’t . . .’ Reena began.
To see her friend so emotional was more than Briar could stand. She sat up on her elbows. ‘Why are you guys bothering? I mean, if I’m going to die, all this stuff . . .’ she
said, gesturing at the bed, ‘isn’t going to make a bit of difference. Why don’t you just go home and let it . . . happen.’ That way Reena wouldn’t have to watch her
die.
‘Just lay back down, girl. Let us do what we do best.’
Lily applied a line of some sort of oil down the centre of Briar’s forehead. It smelt of fresh mint and patchouli.
Briar grew increasingly frightened and sought reassurance from her parents. Her dad was frowning – clearly he wasn’t on board with all this magic stuff – but her mom gave a
reassuring nod, despite the tears.
‘Lily is trying to help you,’ she said softly. ‘Please don’t fight this. It’ll make it harder. We just might be able to—’
‘I think it’s time for the candles, Reena B,’ Lily said, cutting her off.
Confused at what wasn’t being said, Briar slumped down in bed, frowning. She couldn’t believe what was happening to her. Her eyes followed Reena as she placed white candles all
around the room, then lit them, one by one, so solemnly you’d think it was a church. The larger one by the bed seemed to have something scratched in the side of it. Briar strained to read it,
but couldn’t make out the letters.
‘It’s your name,’ Reena said. ‘It helps absorb the evil. Helps you . . .’ Her friend choked up, a hand clamped to her mouth now.
Briar’s composure fled. ‘Oh God, I’m scared,’ she whispered. She knew she should be doing something, fighting this – but she just felt paralysed. It was as though
the curse had been
They hugged and for once Briar wished she was still a little kid. They had had an evening ritual: her mom would braid her hair, her dad would read her a story, then she’d fall asleep
knowing everything would be all right. Those days were gone.
She climbed into her bed. When she found the pillows weren’t right, Briar added an extra one so she could sit up, not stare at the ceiling like a corpse.
God, am I morbid.
It was hard not to be.
From downstairs came the mournful chimes of the antique mantel clock tolling the three-quarter hour. A coarse shiver rippled through her body.
Fifteen minutes to go.
After a tap on the door, Briar’s father and Reena entered the room. Her best friend’s eyes were swollen and she kept sniffling. Right behind them was Gran Lily, who looked like a
wizened little doll with those all-seeing eyes.
Lily took possession of Briar’s study chair, shuffling it round so that it sat next to the bed. ‘Good evenin’, child,’ she said as she settled into it.
Briar sucked in a sharp breath. ‘Please – Lily, I don’t want to die! Isn’t there any way you can stop this?’
‘No, we can’t.’
She detected something in Lily’s tone that sounded off, like the old woman was shading the truth. She had a million questions but she couldn’t quite form the words. ‘Am I going
to throw up or my head spin round or something?’
‘No. Ya’ll just fall asleep. Reena and me are here to help ya cross over,’ she said in her thick South Georgia accent.
Oh, man.
What would it be like over . . .
there
? Would there be angels or devils? Briar really hadn’t given much thought to that.
Lily nodded at her great-granddaughter, who began to pull items out of a grocery bag. Reena’s hands shook badly, her movements jerky as roots and herbs appeared one by one. The old woman
began to place them round Briar.
‘What is all this?’
‘A little somethin’ to help ease ya over, girl,’ Lily replied.
Reena gave her a satin pouch, a
gris-gris
bag.
‘What’s in this thing?’
‘Lemon balm and some . . . other things you don’t want to know about,’ her friend said. They stared at each for a time as things went on around them.
‘God, I can’t . . .’ Reena began.
To see her friend so emotional was more than Briar could stand. She sat up on her elbows. ‘Why are you guys bothering? I mean, if I’m going to die, all this stuff . . .’ she
said, gesturing at the bed, ‘isn’t going to make a bit of difference. Why don’t you just go home and let it . . . happen.’ That way Reena wouldn’t have to watch her
die.
‘Just lay back down, girl. Let us do what we do best.’
Lily applied a line of some sort of oil down the centre of Briar’s forehead. It smelt of fresh mint and patchouli.
Briar grew increasingly frightened and sought reassurance from her parents. Her dad was frowning – clearly he wasn’t on board with all this magic stuff – but her mom gave a
reassuring nod, despite the tears.
‘Lily is trying to help you,’ she said softly. ‘Please don’t fight this. It’ll make it harder. We just might be able to—’
‘I think it’s time for the candles, Reena B,’ Lily said, cutting her off.
Confused at what wasn’t being said, Briar slumped down in bed, frowning. She couldn’t believe what was happening to her. Her eyes followed Reena as she placed white candles all
around the room, then lit them, one by one, so solemnly you’d think it was a church. The larger one by the bed seemed to have something scratched in the side of it. Briar strained to read it,
but couldn’t make out the letters.
‘It’s your name,’ Reena said. ‘It helps absorb the evil. Helps you . . .’ Her friend choked up, a hand clamped to her mouth now.
Briar’s composure fled. ‘Oh God, I’m scared,’ she whispered. She knew she should be doing something, fighting this – but she just felt paralysed. It was as though
the curse had been
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