I had on me. “Can you please take this inside and give it to Bonnie with my profound thanks?”
Kim smiled. “Absolutely. That’ll give me an excuse to buy that turquoise bracelet I was eyeing. I was really looking for a reason to go back in there!” With that, she dashed off.
After she’d gone, I turned to Gil, who had his arms crossed and was impatiently tapping his foot. “Out with it.”
I secured the charm around my neck and took a deep breath. “It turns out that the witch that attacked us the other night may be looking to exact some revenge.”
Gilley’s brow furrowed. “What kind of revenge?”
“She and her family were killed about three hundred and fifty years ago when an angry mob blamed them for the plague.”
“Uh-huh,” Gil said with narrowed eyes, as if he was looking for some hidden meaning in what I was saying.
“Supposedly the witch cursed the mob and their descendants. She said that she would return every hundred years to claim the lives of seven members of the mob’s families.”
“Okay,” Gil said. “I’m following.”
“And about sixty-five years ago she took the lives of seven village residents who were descendants of the group that killed her and her family.”
Gilley gave me a level look. “What aren’t you telling me?” he demanded.
“The family name of some of the victims was Gillespie.”
Gilley turned starkly pale and he just stared at me as if I’d told him he had two weeks to live. “Say what, now?” he whispered.
“The witch has been attacking members of the Lancasters, McLarens, Hills, and the Gillespies. The last few members of the original Gillespie family fled Scotland fearing the curse—and relocated to America.”
Gilley audibly gulped. “Uh-oh,” he said.
“Maybe it’s just a coincidence,” Heath repeated. “Seriously, dude. I mean, there must be tens of thousands of Gillespies all over the world. Just because you have the same last name doesn’t mean your family came from this part of Scotland.”
Gilley whipped out his cell phone and began punching numbers on the screen. Holding it up to his ear, he waited a beat, then said, “Mom? Hi, it’s Gilley.” There was a pause, then, “Yes, I know it’s early, and I’m sorry, but I just have to ask you one question: What part of Scotland did Grandpa and Grandma Gillespie come from?”
I stared at Gilley’s face, waiting to see the relief I was sure would come, but instead he went a shade paler and made this little squeaking sound before saying, “Some little village on the outskirts of Edinburgh named Queen’s something? Uh, okay, thanks, Ma, call you later.” He hung up and stared at me in horror. “Why is it always me?!”
We headed right back to the inn after the crystal shop. On the drive back I held Gilley’s hand and tried to prevent him from hyperventilating. “I have to leave town!” he said. “She’s coming after me!”
“She’s not coming after you,” I reassured him, really hoping that was true. “I mean, before we go fleeing the country, let’s try and figure out if this legend is true or if it’s one giant fable the locals cooked up to attract tourists.”
“Bonnie didn’t seem to think it was a fable,” Heath said. “She looked genuinely scared.”
I glared at him and whispered, “Ixnay on the Onniebay, please!”
But Heath wasn’t backing off. “I think we need to take this seriously, M. J.,” he said. “I mean, we can’t just discount what we saw in the caverns last night. And what about the images Gilley captured on tape? It’s pretty clear that some spook is haunting those caverns and believes she’s a witch.”
“But you heard what Bonnie said,” I told him. “The very first thing she said to us was that the witch’s appearance is a full thirty-five years early. Maybe she isn’t coming after anyone right now. Maybe she was just irritated that we were in her territory, and that sparked her into action.”
“But what about
Kim smiled. “Absolutely. That’ll give me an excuse to buy that turquoise bracelet I was eyeing. I was really looking for a reason to go back in there!” With that, she dashed off.
After she’d gone, I turned to Gil, who had his arms crossed and was impatiently tapping his foot. “Out with it.”
I secured the charm around my neck and took a deep breath. “It turns out that the witch that attacked us the other night may be looking to exact some revenge.”
Gilley’s brow furrowed. “What kind of revenge?”
“She and her family were killed about three hundred and fifty years ago when an angry mob blamed them for the plague.”
“Uh-huh,” Gil said with narrowed eyes, as if he was looking for some hidden meaning in what I was saying.
“Supposedly the witch cursed the mob and their descendants. She said that she would return every hundred years to claim the lives of seven members of the mob’s families.”
“Okay,” Gil said. “I’m following.”
“And about sixty-five years ago she took the lives of seven village residents who were descendants of the group that killed her and her family.”
Gilley gave me a level look. “What aren’t you telling me?” he demanded.
“The family name of some of the victims was Gillespie.”
Gilley turned starkly pale and he just stared at me as if I’d told him he had two weeks to live. “Say what, now?” he whispered.
“The witch has been attacking members of the Lancasters, McLarens, Hills, and the Gillespies. The last few members of the original Gillespie family fled Scotland fearing the curse—and relocated to America.”
Gilley audibly gulped. “Uh-oh,” he said.
“Maybe it’s just a coincidence,” Heath repeated. “Seriously, dude. I mean, there must be tens of thousands of Gillespies all over the world. Just because you have the same last name doesn’t mean your family came from this part of Scotland.”
Gilley whipped out his cell phone and began punching numbers on the screen. Holding it up to his ear, he waited a beat, then said, “Mom? Hi, it’s Gilley.” There was a pause, then, “Yes, I know it’s early, and I’m sorry, but I just have to ask you one question: What part of Scotland did Grandpa and Grandma Gillespie come from?”
I stared at Gilley’s face, waiting to see the relief I was sure would come, but instead he went a shade paler and made this little squeaking sound before saying, “Some little village on the outskirts of Edinburgh named Queen’s something? Uh, okay, thanks, Ma, call you later.” He hung up and stared at me in horror. “Why is it always me?!”
We headed right back to the inn after the crystal shop. On the drive back I held Gilley’s hand and tried to prevent him from hyperventilating. “I have to leave town!” he said. “She’s coming after me!”
“She’s not coming after you,” I reassured him, really hoping that was true. “I mean, before we go fleeing the country, let’s try and figure out if this legend is true or if it’s one giant fable the locals cooked up to attract tourists.”
“Bonnie didn’t seem to think it was a fable,” Heath said. “She looked genuinely scared.”
I glared at him and whispered, “Ixnay on the Onniebay, please!”
But Heath wasn’t backing off. “I think we need to take this seriously, M. J.,” he said. “I mean, we can’t just discount what we saw in the caverns last night. And what about the images Gilley captured on tape? It’s pretty clear that some spook is haunting those caverns and believes she’s a witch.”
“But you heard what Bonnie said,” I told him. “The very first thing she said to us was that the witch’s appearance is a full thirty-five years early. Maybe she isn’t coming after anyone right now. Maybe she was just irritated that we were in her territory, and that sparked her into action.”
“But what about
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