Exhausted after my harrowing experience, Ralph, though reluctant at first, cooperated with me. As I drove home to get some much-needed rest, my thoughts turned to Liz. My next step had to involve her. I wondered if she had ever been in the abyss. If she had, she said nothing. Her ordeal with the plate-eye coming for her through the mirror would have been a genuine concern or else she was a talented actress.

My husband wasn’t there when I arrived at my house, and even though I had not seen him for a few days, I was relieved to be alone. I didn’t have the strength or energy to answer his questions.

I plopped on the bed, fully clothed, and fell asleep. In my dreams, I was back in the void. The swirling emptiness enveloped me again. But this time, there was a faint glimmer of brightness in the distance. Curious, I moved towards it; the shadows whispered and shifted around me like living things.

As I drew closer to the reflected light, I realized it came from a mirror standing alone in the darkness. My reflection wavered unnaturally. With a jolt, I recognized Liz’s face staring back at me, her eyes wide with fear.

Without warning, a hand burst out of the looking glass and seized my wrist with an icy grip. I tried to pull away, but it was no use. The reflection began to crack and splinter. The abyss seeped into my bedroom like a spreading stain.

I awoke with a start, sweat beading on my forehead. Confused, I scanned the room.

My phone buzzed. When I answered, it was Liz on the other end. I told her what had happened to me in Ralph’s closet. There was silence on the other end, but I could hear her breathing when I recollected every detail.

“What do we need to do?” I asked, my voice steady despite the tremors of doubt rattling beneath the surface.

“It is crucial we have the séance on the full moon, but we must do it at your aunt’s house again. If this is where the entity dwells, the power lies within the walls and on the grounds.” I heard her tapping her long fingernails. “Let’s get the ladies together this Saturday. My assistant can call everyone. Oh, and Ralph needs to be there.”

Liz’s voice was urgent. A sense of determination cut through the grogginess of my late afternoon nap. I could detect the intensity of her words settle on my chest. She had some understanding of the abyss that I didn’t grasp yet.

As I consented to her plan, the impression of unease persisted. It wrapped around me like a second skin, but I pushed it aside and focused on the task ahead. Liz was right; we needed to confront this spirit head-on to put an end to whatever darkness had latched onto us.

The days leading up to the full moon seance were a blur of preparations and restless nights. Ralph was skeptical but understood my determination and knew better than to argue. He remained by my side, a silent pillar of support, as we again gathered the ladies at Aunt Rosie’s house.

The night was heavy with anticipation as we sat in the parlor. A candle flickered and cast eerie shadows on the faces of the witch’s circle. Their expressions, wide-eyed with quivering lips, were a mix of fear and resolve. Liz stood at the head of a makeshift altar; her eyes sparkled in the dimly lit room. She chanted in an ancient language, her voice rising and falling in a haunting melody.

As the chant reached its crescendo, a chill filled the area, and goosebumps appeared on my skin. I glanced around at the others and saw they, too, experienced the unnatural cold that seeped from the walls of the house. Ralph’s hand found mine beneath the tabletop, and he offered a silent reassurance I clung to like a lifeline.

A low rumble sounded through the chamber. It grew louder and more intense with each passing moment. The table under our hands vibrated, causing the candle to flicker wildly.

The air thickened with tension, and anticipation crackled, similar to electricity in the area. I could feel an unearthly spatter, a malevolent force lurked just beyond the edges of my perception.

And then, as if a dam had burst, the room filled with a blinding light emanating from nowhere and everywhere. A shape materialized in the center of the table. Its structure shifted and contorted like smoke in a gust of wind.

Gasps of fear and awe rippled through the members as we beheld the presence before us. It was a shadowy figure, its features constantly warped and changed, trying hard to keep a consistent form. Its eyes glowed with a light that froze the blood in my veins.

Liz’s tone rang out clear and strong above the chaos. “Who you are and what do you want? ” Her words echoed in the room and bounced off the walls.

The entity’s appearance quivered and shimmered as it struggled to maintain its hold in our world. A guttural voice filled the space and reverberated in our bones.

“I am the Guardian of the Abyss,” it boomed, vibrating the air with its speech. “I exist between realms, a protector of the threshold. Your intrusion has disturbed the balance.”

Liz stepped forward; her gaze fixed ahead. “We mean no harm, Defender. We seek only understanding and resolution.”

The being seemed to consider her words. Its eyes glowed like distant stars. “You have trespassed where few mortals dare to venture. The abyss is not a place for the living.”

Ralph spoke up then, his voice steady despite the tension in the room. “We are here to right a wrong, to break the cycle of fear and darkness that has plagued us. Help me, Guardian. Guide our hand.”

The creature’s twisted form pulsed with electrical energy, and cast a suffocating aura over the room. An icy dread enveloped my heart as it emitted another guttural sound. We confronted a not-so ordinary spirit; this was something ancient, powerful, and not who it said it was. Ralph and I were the Guardians. This was an imposter trying to trick us.

I gripped Ralph’s hand tighter. I drew strength from his body as we faced the malevolent ghost. Liz’s voice cut through the oppressive atmosphere. Her command was unwavering as she demanded answers from the shadowy figure that loomed over the table.

The spirit’s form appeared to shift and writhe as if it struggled to maintain its hold on our reality. Its eyes glowed and bore into each member of the coven. I sensed fear ripple through the room like a tangible force. We stood united in our determination to confront this being.

As the entity let out another howl, a surge of defiance washed over me. This imposter would not intimidate us; we were the guardians of our realm, protectors of the balance between worlds. With a steely resolve, I met its gaze head-on. I refused to show any sign of weakness.

Drawing on the strength of my team, I raised my voice to match the unearthly growl. “You do not belong here,” I declared, each word laced with power and conviction. “You will not corrupt this place with your darkness. Leave now, or face the consequences.”

I knew that if I were to honor Aunt Rosie’s memory and fulfill my role as the next guardian, I would have to confront the plate-eye and break the curse once and for all. With a deep breath, I steeled myself for the battle ahead.

The being recoiled at my words. Its form flickered as it struggled to maintain its hold.

As the ghost gathered for another assault, a blinding white light erupted from the center of the table, engulfing the shadowy figure in a radiant glow. The apparition let out a deafening screech and writhed in agony as the brilliant beam seared through it. With a final, desperate cry, the entity dissipated into nothingness, leaving only a faint echo of its presence behind.

A hush descended upon the room. I could sense the weight of the darkness lifting, replaced by a sense of peace and clarity that washed over me like a cleansing wave. The girls exchanged stunned looks. Their faces mirrored a mix of relief and awe at what we had just witnessed.

Liz’s voice cut through the hushed atmosphere. “We have banished the impostor and restored balance to this realm. The guardians have prevailed once again.”

A chorus of murmurs and nods rippled through the witches. I looked over at Ralph. As our eyes met, he shook his head, and I knew in my gut that we’d meet again.

The events of that fateful night lingered in the air, a palpable tension that refused to dissipate. Despite our victory over this ominous thing, a shadow clung to us like a possessed specter. We had faced a powerful force beyond our understanding, and its defeat left behind more questions than answers.

In the days that ensued, I found myself haunted by nightmares and inexplicable phenomena that appeared to defy all logic. Objects would move on their own. Whispers echoed through empty rooms, and sudden hair raising chills gave me a sense of being watched or followed wherever I went. Ralph noticed my growing unease. He tried to offer support, but nothing seemed to calm me.

Liz was also affected by the séance’s events, her one time confident demeanor marred by moments of doubt and fear. The group members, too, bore the scars of that night, their once unshakeable resolve now tinged with a newfound wariness.

But despite the lingering fog, we knew our battle was far from over. The defeat of this enemy was only a temporary respite in the greater war that loomed on the horizon. As the days turned into weeks, a sense of impending doom settled over our team like a blanket.

Strange occurrences continued to plague us, growing in frequency and intensity with each passing day. It seemed a tear in the fabric of reality allowed dark forces to slip through the cracks and into our world. My aunt’s house, once a haven of safety and sanctuary, now a prison of confinement by an unseen adversary.

A cloaked vision in light came to me in my dream. As it presented itself, my aunt appeared. She smiled, a glimmer of pride in her eyes. Her voice echoed as she spoke. “The plate-eye haunting our land was a long-forgotten family hex that had plagued generations of guardians before me. They foretold doom, unraveling the cosmic balance and the protectors’ fall. I had dedicated my life to keeping the curse at bay, but in the end, even my formidable powers were not enough to withstand its influence. My dear niece, you and Ralph are the only ones with the power to destroy it, once and for all.”

Editor: Michelle Naragon