Upon hearing the blood-curdling scream, we all jumped out of our seats and ran for the staircase. I reached it first and took the stairs two at a time. My brief knock on the closed door where Liz was staying wouldn’t have been sufficient in any other circumstance, but this unique situation called for immediate action. I turned the handle and pushed it open.

“What’s the matter? Are you okay?” I briskly walked to Liz’s side. She was sitting on the bed, her hand on her cheek.

“It startled me so; I didn’t mean to shriek.” Liz said.

“What happened?”

“Oh Savannah, I caught sight of a dreadful figure when I glanced in the mirror while preparing for bed.”

“The plate-eye.” I looked over at the other women crowding the doorway.

“It reached out for me from the mirror.” Liz clutched a hand to the base of her neck.

Behind me, I heard a male voice, “Excuse me. Let me pass, please.” We’d awaken Ralph. I’d forgotten he was in his room.

“What’s with all the commotion?” He asked as he appeared at the door.

“Liz witnessed an apparition in the mirror, and it startled her,” I told him.

“Perhaps it’s because of all the hoodoo y’all are doing downstairs.” He sounded disgusted. “What is that horrendous odor?” He held his nostrils closed.

Roxanne glanced downward and noticed the smoking white sage bundle she held, which she had forgotten to place in the ashtray.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to bring this up here with me.”

“That’s okay, Roxanne. I’ll take that to cleanse the room.” I grabbed it from her and started toward the southwest corner.

Liz sat on the edge of the bed, wringing her hands. “I’m so sorry I gave you all a fright. I usually handle myself better in these situations. Forgive me, ladies. Ralph. The image startled me. I was so caught up in the events of this evening, I suppose.”

“You don’t need to explain, Liz. It could have happened to any of us.” I reassured her as I continued spreading the white smoke around the room.

“I can move you to Aunt Rosie’s bedroom if you feel uncomfortable staying here?”

“No, please, I don’t want to inconvenience you any more than what I have.”

“It’s no bother, really. It won’t take but a minute to switch your room.” I looked at Ralph. With a roll of his eyes, he maneuvered through the crowd, leaving the room.

“Y’all try to keep it down, please. I have an early tee time in the morning.” He shouted.

I heard his door slam shut. Someone’s a little upset.

But he was the least of my concerns. Liz needed to be at ease. She stood and ushered me toward the door. “I’ll be right as rain, sug. No need to make a fuss ‘ova me.”

The ladies in the doorway backed up, so I had room to cross the threshold. I turned around, completely perplexed by her sudden change in demeanor, but the determined set of her brow told me she wasn’t having any of it.

“Night, my dear. I’ll let you know if I need anything else.” She smiled at me and closed the door.

I ushered all the women back downstairs, a few grabbed their wraps and said quick goodbyes as I walked them out.

When I returned, Roxanne, Suzanne, Ellie, and Sasha were the only ones sitting in the parlor. “It had to be that Plate-eye. The one I noticed staring at me the other day from the window. Whatever entity or phenomenon exists is causing disturbances in this area and must be removed.” I said.

“Have you got any of those smelly bundles to scatter around?” Ellie asked.

“No, but I’ll get everything I need tomorrow and make one for every room.” I opened the side table drawer and removed a pen and paper to make a list.

Roxanne was unusually quiet. “What’s going on?” I asked her.

“That it must have been awfully grotesque for Liz to screech like she did. It was a wail of terror, not surprise. When you witnessed it, the Plate-eye, was it that frightening?”

“Not really.” Then I thought about Aunt Rosie’s last phone call. “I wonder if my aunt saw the same thing, and it caused her heart to give out?”

“Possible.” Sasha chimed in.

“I hate the notion that was the last image my aunt witnessed before she passed away.”

Ellie piped in. “Remember, the legend said, it can take many forms. Are you convinced that it also collects souls?”

“I was wondering the same thing. Aunt Rosie and Liz are roughly the same age. It probably knows it can’t scare us to death, but someone older…”

“Wow, that idea never occurred to me. You may be onto something.” Roxanne said.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“I’ve had enough excitement for one evening and I’m beat. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the apothecary for the ingredients. Let’s call it a night and meet at the full moon ceremony in a few weeks.”

After everyone left, I locked all the doors and turned out the lights. Rather than sleep in Aunt Rosie’s room, I grabbed a pillow and blanket and made a bed on the parlor couch.

The time it took for me to fall asleep must have been short, because the next thing I recall is hearing Ralph as he descended the stairs, banging his golf clubs against the wall. I opened one eye and peered out.

He peaked his head around the corner and said he was leaving and would return later in the afternoon.

“Whatever,” I whispered, not sure if he heard me. I buried my head in the pillow.

An hour later, I could smell the aroma of coffee wafting from the kitchen. Leave it to Esme to take care of everyone. I slowly sat up, rubbed my eyes, and ran my fingers through my hair. My phone flashed the time, and I wondered if Liz was awake yet.

When I walked into the kitchen, I had my answer. Liz was sitting at the island with a cup of coffee and a cinnamon bun in front of her.

“I’m glad to see you survived the night.” I grabbed a cup from the cabinet.

“Yes, dear. I actually slept soundly after that commotion I made. It was quite embarrassing.” Liz darted her eyes in my direction and gave me a sheepish smile.

“There is no need to be embarrassed. Witches get scared, too, I suppose.” I reassured her.

“You need to rid this house of that Plate-eye. Allowing it to roam free to do what it wants is extremely dangerous. We must put it into the black hole once and for all.” Liz warned me.

“Last night, after your episode, we concluded it may have been the reason Aunt Rosie had a heart attack. What do you think?”

Liz was silent for a moment. “It is possible. The sensation that overcame me upon seeing its arms emerge from the mirror was completely new to me. One consideration that had crossed my mind was if I allowed it to touch me, I’d die.”

“Did the image disappear when you yelled?”

“Not right away. Actually, it seemed as though I was in a trance until you burst into the room. That’s when the Plate-eye disappeared.”

“I do have some banishing spells and potions we can sprinkle around the outside of the house. They’re in my bag upstairs. Before I leave, I’ll perform them.” Liz offered.

“That would be great, Liz.”

The cinnamon buns were to die for, and I had to chuckle when I remembered Aunt Rose’s complaints about gaining weight. Now I knew why. Esme spoiled us with her exquisite cooking and baking skills.

After breakfast, Liz prepared the potions and got her wand out of the car. But when she tried to re-enter the house, something blocked her. An invisible barrier prevented her from crossing the threshold. She reached into her pouch and pulled out a bag of salt. Once she spread the salt along the door’s perimeter, and walked in, a powerful gust of wind accompanied her back, knocking over picture frames and blowing papers all over the foyer.

“It’s getting stronger. We’ll need to hurry.” She said anxiously.

Liz laid out her satchels of herbs and gemstones and grabbed Aunt Rosie’s crystal bowl from the dining room cabinet. She carefully added exact measurements of each ingredient into the cauldron and started reciting incantations while blending everything.

The bundle of sage was lit. Liz drew the smoke towards her and repeated, “I call in protection from negative energy. Let me call upon my guides, angels, and ancestors to form a light-filled shield around me.”

Liz instructed me to open the windows and doors while she went through the house counterclockwise, being specific about what she asked. “I cleanse this home of any heaviness and negativity.”

The open windows rattled. A vibration so strong; the windows slowly lowered by themselves. It was as if an invisible hand was trying to close them. I stood paralyzed in fear, afraid to go near the glass.

When the cleansing was completed, she explained how the sacred herbs pushed the negative energy out of the opened windows and doors rather than leaving them in the house, and reiterated how important this step was to banish toxic vibes. “You were smart not to stop it from closing the windows. It may have knocked you silly. Now, put your palms together and repeat with me, ‘Namaste.’ This closes the smudging ceremony.” She extinguished the sage bundle. “I will now go around the outside of the house, and sprinkle salt along the foundation, thresholds, and windowsills. This should prevent any evil or negative energy from re-entering the home.”

I instantly experienced a wave of relief and sensed the weight being lifted from the air.

“That’s incredible.” I followed her around like a little puppy dog. There was so much to learn, and she was the perfect teacher.

Liz packed up her magic box, grabbed her suitcase, and headed back to St. Simon’s Island after the ritual. I watched as her car drove away.

I stepped over the salt trail along the front door and wondered if Ralph would disapprove. Probably. He’d always been an odd bird. Even as a kid, I got a weird vibe from him, but I tolerated it because he was my favorite aunt’s son. I never saw him with friends, and even today, I wondered if he was playing golf with his buddies or doing something else alone.

Could Ralph be the one producing the negative energy?

There was only one way to find out. I ascended the stairs and proceeded down the hallway to Ralph’s room. I stopped at the brown mahogany door and turned the knob. My heart raced in my chest. What was I going to find?

Heavy drapes covered the windows, which gave the room an eerie look, and the air was stagnant. His unkempt bed and clothes strewn around the floor told me Esme never cleaned in here. A few cobwebs hung from the corners above the bed. There was a heaviness about the space, and I wanted to turn and run from the room, but my curiosity got the better of me.

I noticed a glow from under the closet door. Did I dare open it? My mind shouted to run, but my feet propelled me toward the light. As I got closer, a powerful energy pushed me forward. The doorknob produced an electric shock that ran up my arm, which caused the hair to stand on end. My first instinct was to pull away, but my wrist turned, and the door opened.

“Oh no, please!” I screamed as I lost my balance. With nothing to grab onto, I plunged feet-first into an abyss.

Editor: Michelle Naragon