Page 52 of Presence

My palms are sweaty as I take another shaky step forward, the floorboards creaking beneath me. Each sound echoes in the creepy silence, sending chills down my spine. Then, out of nowhere, I see her—a figure stepping out of the shadows, her thin outline flickering in the dim candlelight. My heart leaps into my throat.

It’s just the damn shop owner, Claire. Deep breaths.

“Oh, it’s you,” she says, squinting to focus on me. There’s no mistaking the recognition in her eyes. And it’s not the good kind. “What are you doing here?”

A chill runs through me, but I square my shoulders, trying to appear unfazed, though my voice betrays me.

“Is… um… is Cam here?” I ask. “I got a message from her. I know you two are figuring out what might be…”

I can’t finish the sentence.

“Yes,” she cuts in. Her hand absentmindedly grasps a simple medallion hanging around her neck—a rock of some kind, though I wouldn’t know what even if I cared to try. “She’s here.”

She looks just like she did last time: face tattoos, a long flowy dress down to her ankles, piercing eyes, and dreadlocks. Even though her face looks as young as mine at nineteen, she acts way older. Some would say she’s an old soul. I say she’s fucking creepy.

Worst of all, as I stand here next to her, I feel like the shadows might just swallow this place whole, or worse, consume me. I feel the presence slither against my subconscious, gliding against my tired mind, watching me with its pitch-black eyes.

The presence doesn’t like her. It doesn’t want me near her.

It’s so bad, that my hand reaches to clutch my shirt from just how this nauseating sensation is. That’s when Camilla appears in my peripheral.

“Claire?” Her voice holds a note of surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“I asked her the same thing,” the shop owner chimes in. “She still hasn’t answered.”

The panic in their voices makes me swallow hard. They’re anxious about me being here. They don’t want me here. That realization makes me recoil, a tightness squeezing my chest. Camilla said she didn’t mean what she said yesterday… but her actions now suggest otherwise. It’s as if she doesn’t recognize me anymore, like I’m not the friend she promised never to give up on.

“I, um... I listened to your messages,” I say, biting my lip. You know that feeling when someone doesn’t want you around? It’s not just what they say, but the vibe they give off that makes you feel unwelcome. That’s exactly how my best friend is making me feel right now, so I instinctively take a step back. “Maybe... Maybe coming here was a mistake. You know what? I’ll just catch a ride back home.”

“No!” Camilla shouts, throwing her hands up. She looks puzzled when she sees me flinch from her loud voice. “No, please don’t go! It’s just...” She pauses and glances at the shop owner.

The shop owner takes a deep breath. “We can’t talk freely just yet,” she says quietly. “This place can only block out so much bad energy. If we’re gonna do this, we need to hurry.”

Bad energy…?

It’s like they’re in their own world, and I’m on the outside looking in. It makes me want to scream. It makes me want to shake both of them. It makes me want to… But as Cam looks back at me with a puzzled expression, I keep quiet. She nods and the shop owner just purses her lip as if she’s bracing herself for something.

“Claire, I’m sorry if I seemed off when you arrived. It’s just... I wasn’t expecting you. After our last conversation, I thought maybe you needed some space—“ Cam starts.

“I did,” I cut in. “But... I also...” Damn, why is this so hard to say? I take a shaky breath. “I think I need help, Cam. I really need fucking help.”

The shop owner lifts her brows, surprise and suspicion flickering across her face. Camilla, however, gives me a small smile and nods. I haven’t even apologized yet, but she’s already forgiven me.

Maybe this is what she’s been waiting for all along. Me, admitting that I’ve fallen apart. That I’m nothing but scattered ashes. That I’m helpless. I give it to her. Still, I want her to see how hard I’m trying. Really trying, even though the incense is so strong it stings my nose and eyes, almost like poison. The chill on my back gets worse with them around.

Tears fill my eyes.

“Okay,” Camilla nods again. “Don’t say anything else. Just follow us.”

And right then, even though my whole body trembles and the little hairs on my neck stand on end, I know what’s coming won’t be pleasant. The presence readies its shadows. It’s only a matter of time before they attack.

16

Circle of Salt

I don’t like this one bit.

Every moment I spend walking behind the shop owner into the depths of the store feels like expediting a tragedy. My stomach squeezes. My legs shake. I feel Camilla’s eyes drilling into my back, mingling with the feeling of the presence watching me.

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