Free The Witch's Ladder by Dana Donovan Page A

through the checklist. He marveled at her ability to visualize herself in the car. Her hands, set properly on the wheel at the 10 and 2 positions, moved only to turn the knobs and switches as the checklist provided. When she reached down to where the radio might be to turn an imaginary dial, Gordon made a clicking sound with his tongue and cheek. The sound apparently met her approval, as she smiled at the accomplishment and announced, “Okay, radio is off. Now I depress the clutch, shift into neutral and start the engine.”
    She reached for the ignition key and Gordon made a noise like an automobile engine starting up. Valerie’s eyes opened wide, but she remained in full character and appeared to view her surroundings as if sitting in Barbara’s car still parked in front of the compound.
    “ Okay, I check the mirror, make sure it’s…. What’s this?”
    She reached up, as if adjusting the rearview mirror. A strange curiosity molded her face. She not only sounded like Barbara then, but looked like her, as well.
    “ All right slow down, Valerie,” said Doctor Lieberman.
    “ She’s okay,” said Michael.
    “ Maybe. But I believe we’re at a critical point, and Valerie’s state of mind may be too closely tied to Barbara to break away in a hurry if necessary.” He inched closer. “Take it easy, Valerie. Don’t move too quickly.”
    “ Call her Barbara,” said Lilith. “Remember, she thinks she’s Barbara.”
    “ Yes, of course, you’re right. Barbara, wait. You see something in the rearview mirror, don’t you?”
    “ Yes, I do. There’s something on the back seat. I don’t know what it is.”
    “ What does it look like?”
    “ I don’t know, like a pile of clothes or something. Now who do you suppose put those there?”
    “ I don’t know. Can you tell what kind of clothes they are? Work clothes? Dress clothes?”
    “ It looks like a big old pile of black clothes. Let me turn around and see.”
    “ No, wait….”
    Before he could stop her, Valerie turned back and let out a blood-curdling scream. Her body jerked violently against the back of her chair as if someone had grabbed her by her throat and pulled her back. Doctor Lieberman tried holding her down, but the harder he held her, the stronger her twisting, wrenching and convulsing became.
    “ Please,” Akasha cried. “Somebody do something!”
    Michael and Gordon jumped in, and even with Doctor Lieberman’s help, the three struggled to keep Valerie from flipping out of the chair.
    Someone yelled, “Look!” Valerie’s head began twisting involuntarily, beyond the point of natural ability. Chris cupped his hands over her ears and fought to keep her head from moving, but he was no match for the unnatural force working against him.
    “ I can’t stop her,” he shouted. “I’m afraid I’ll hurt her. She’s fighting too hard. I don’t know what to do!”
    Akasha said, “She’s going to break her neck. Do something!”
    “ Do what?”
    Somebody else screamed. A bulb on one of the wall sconces burst in a flash of light, then another, and another. The floor heaved. A blast of wind shot like a cannon across the room and shattered a window. Overhead, a crack of thunder shook the walls and in that instant it was over. Valerie stopped convulsing, went limp and fell to the floor.
    “ Oh, God,” said Chris. “Is she…dead?”
    Doctor Lieberman searched for a pulse and found it. He looked up and smiled, but before he could answer, I announced from across the room, “She’s not dead.” The others turned to see me standing in the doorway, twirling that silly piece of rope in my hand. “That was a two-knotter,” I said, and I strolled into the room as slick as smoke. “I heard the commotion on my way upstairs. I didn’t know if it would help, but I decided I better untie a couple of these knots and find out.”
    Lilith smiled at me. “So then, Detective, am I to understand that you believe in the witch’s ladder now?”
    I shrugged.