Several years ago:

Oliver wept as he leaned over Addie's coffin. She was dressed elegantly in a white dress and shoes. The mortician had been slightly surprised by Oliver's request to have his wife buried wearing shoes.

Oliver knew it was only temporary and he questioned how he'd explain Addie's sudden resurrection. It troubled him greatly, especially when he tried to discourage his grandmother from having Addie's body taken away for burial preparation.

A sound behind Oliver caused him to straighten up, roughly wiping at his haggard face, his eyes red, puffy and sore.

"I thought you told me she'd been..inhabited by...them?" Lenora stepped closer to Addie's coffin, a look of distaste on her face as she reached inside to finger the ruby necklace Oliver had lovingly placed around her neck. It was disturbing the way Oliver had decorated his child bride like she was a Christmas tree, ready to be posed for display.

"She has." Lenora turned her gaze on Oliver. He looked so downtrodden that she ached to ease his sorrow.

"How...long until she...returns?" Lenora touched Oliver's face. He recoiled from her, stepping back, a scowl immediately on his face.

"I can't say exactly. Since she was...dead, it's possible it could be a day or two." Lenora tried to place her hand on Oliver's arm but he shook her off, giving her a pointed look. Lenora's shoulders slumped in disappointment. Addie was technically dead yet Oliver was still clinging to hope that she'd return to him and they'd live happily ever after.

"I'd appreciate it if you took your leave." Oliver's tone was harsh and dismissive. It cut Lenora deeply. She wasn't going to allow Oliver the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She nodded curtly before exiting the lounge where Addie's coffin had been placed.

She stood just outside the lounge, her chest hurting from her heart shattering and from Oliver's harshness towards her. It didn't matter. Soon she'd have everything wanted. Oliver, Esper Hall and her foes six feet under, where they belonged.

***

"I don't see why we needed to make this trip." Richard, Jane's husband had been moaning for the better part of the journey up to Esper Hall. Jane was nearly seven months pregnant with their first child, a girl and she was already nervous about attending Addie's funeral. Richard, who liked to moan as much as possible about her side of the family, wasn't exactly helping her anxiety.

"Richard, Addie died. She was our cousin. Honestly! Sometimes you sound just like some old man!"

"But I hardly knew the girl," Richard protested. "It's not as if she would have cared I attended her funeral or not."

Jane, who was fighting pregnancy hormones was tempted to give Richard a proper smack for his flippant attitude towards Addie. God, why did the man insist on infuriating her so?

"That's not the point! Rather Addie would know whether or not if you were there she was still our cousin and that's that!"

Richard didn't reply. Ever since Oliver had married Addie, Jane had been a different person. One day she'd be raging about how Oliver should have loved her and the next day, lamenting over her horrible attitude towards Addie. It was damn exhausting listening to it day in and day out.

Jane was still ranting but Richard tuned her out. When she got in this frame of mind, it was easier to just let her continue until she'd wore herself out the ordeal.

They crested the hill to Esper Hall and Richard felt a funny little thrill in the pit of his stomach. He's never been fond of this place. It honestly gave him the creeps. He always knew something terrible was lurking about the property, hidden in the dark shadows of the house.

They found a parking spot close to the front and Richard cut the engine, opening his door and climbing out. He meant to get Jane's door open for her as well but by the time he'd reached the other side of the car, she was already out, rushing up the front entrance, arms out and crying.

Richard followed at a far more slower pace, his skin already crawling from being inside Esper Hall. The front was clogged with people, almost all of them were crying and holding one another. Richard bit his tongue between his teeth as not to make some snide comment about what a lot of actors they all were.

Pretending to be so troubled and upset by Addie's death when in reality, they were secretly pleased the bitch was gone. And for what? Because the majority of them were bewitched by that pretty boy, Oliver.

Richard didn't stick around in the foyer but wandered further into the house and discovered an area set up for the funeral. He spotted the coffin and a cold chill went through him. Thank God it was closed. Richard wasn't interested in gazing upon Addie's dead body.

As Richard turned, he spotted Oliver coming down the stairs, looking dazed and listless. Richard noticed that the man was also..limping a bit? When had that happened? He couldn't remember Oliver ever having a limp before. Perhaps the man had recently taken a tumble, injuring himself.

"Oliver." Oliver lifted his head, staring straight through Richard. Oliver barely acknowledged him and Richard frowned. Something odd was happening here and he didn't like it one bit.

"I'm terribly sorry for your loss," Richard added, simply trying to be sincere. Oliver paused.

"Addie's...not..dead. She's alive." Oliver disappeared around the corner.

Poor chap, Richard thought. He's in denial. It's a natural reaction to death.

Although Richard wasn't particularly fond of Oliver, he did hope that the man would be able to fight through this awful cloud and move on with his life. Otherwise he'd always be miserable.

***

"Where is she?" Lenora had snagged Jane, dragging her upstairs and admitting her sin. Addie wasn't dead. She'd been resurrected by the dark forces that Lenora dabbled in.

"I don't know!" Lenora was in a panic and Jane was in shock. Surely Addie wasn't really alive! Lenora was probably just suffering from a guilty conscience and thought that Addie was alive.

"She awoke an hour ago," Lenora explained, her eyes wild with disbelief. "She...pushed Oliver down the stairs and..floated away!"

"You're mad!" Jane snapped irritably. "You don't know what you're talking about! Addie is dead!"

"No!" Lenora cried, grabbing fistfuls of her own hair. "She's not! She's alive, I tell you! Alive!"

Lenora began to quake and started sobbing uncontrollably, bending over at the waist. Jane shook her head in disgust and grabbed her older sister's arm, dragging her to the nearest bedroom and slamming the door closed behind them.

Jane had released Lenora's arm and she crumpled in a heap upon the floor, still sobbing like a frightened child. It was grating on Jane's nerves. Jane hurried to the bathroom and grabbed a cloth and got it wet, hurrying back to Lenora and practically flinging the wet cloth in her face.

"This is madness!" Jane growled, pacing back and forth in front of Lenora who'd managed to snatch up the cloth, wiping her tear streaked face.

"I don't know what the hell you've been into," Jane raged. "But this is the stupidest crap I've ever heard you carrying on about! It's shameful, absolutely shameful!"

Just as Lenora was about to reply a figure emerged into their view. It was...Addie. Jane fell back, putting her fist to her mouth, her heart thumping wildly in her chest.

"What..what the hell?"

"Lenora was kind enough to restore my life," Addie said in a strange tone. "Wasn't that terribly kind of her?"

Jane gasped as Addie stood in front of them, a sadistic smile planted firmly on her face. Her eyes were..black? No blue. No black. She stepped closer to Lenora, who was whimpering on the floor, the wet cloth clenched in one of her fists as she trembled.

"I know how you've both hated me," Addie continued. "All because you couldn't bear the thought of Oliver loving me instead of you. Petty bitches!"

Addie burst into a hysterical laughter, her eye color switching between black and blue. It had to be the most frightening image that Jane had ever witnessed.

"I'll pay you back," Addie hissed menacingly. "Just as soon as I allow my public to know that I'm quite well."

Addie glided past Jane and Lenora, wrenching open the bedroom door and slipping out into the hallway and walking down the stairs. Jane dashed after Addie, knowing that she had to stop her before their unholy charade was uncovered, exposing them.

Lenora laid on the floor for a few seconds before slowly getting to her feet and heading out of the room to assist Jane in halting Addie before everyone realized that she'd dabbled in black magic and shamed herself.

Lenora quickly hurried down the corridor where Jane had managed to corner Addie, who was putting up quite the fuss. Addie's arms were flailing about as Jane pinned the woman to the wall.

"Let me go, you spiteful bitch!" Addie screeched, trying to kick Jane off.

"Shut up!" Jane snapped, snatching for Addie's flailing limbs, struggling to hold her still as Lenora came up, grabbing Addie. With great difficulty, the two dragged Addie back into the bedroom they'd just left, shoving her into the bathroom and locking the door.

Addie pounded on the closed door, screeching more loudly, threatening both the sisters and threatening to expose them if they didn't release her at once.

"We need to knock her out with something until we can get everyone out of here," Jane told Lenora.

"I have something that will work," Lenora replied, hurrying out of the room and returning a few minutes later with a small vile of something.

"What, pray tell, is that?"

"Something to make Addie fall unconscious."

"How do you propose we give it to her?" Jane asked.

"Watch." Lenora opened the vile, placing it on the floor by the bathroom door and closed her eyes, chanting. Within a few minutes,there was a soft thud, Addie going silent and Jane was shocked.

"Did you put her under some sort of spell?" Jane asked in a whisper. Lenora smirked. She went to unlock the bathroom door, finding that Addie was passed out cold on the floor.

"Help me put her in the closet. Then I'll bound her hands and feet, along with some tape over her mouth."

"What if she suffocates?" Jane was mortified. As much as she disliked Addie marrying Oliver, she wasn't going to be the one who murdered her.

"She'll be able to breathe through her nose. Now stop talking and help me!" Jane reluctantly moved to grab ahold of Addie's arms while Lenora grabbed her legs.

They dragged Addie over to the closet and Lenora went to fetch some thick rope and some silver tape to put over Addie's mouth. Once they were finished, they pushed her into the closet, shutting the door and locking it.

"Now what do we do?" Jane asked Lenora as she caressed her aching back.

"The only thing we can do: attend the funeral. Once everyone is gone, we'll decide what to plans to make in disposing of Addie's body."

***

Oliver decided to play along with the phony funeral. He was still in shock over Addie being resurrected by Lenora's magic. He hadn't seen her since she'd awoken, rising up out of the coffin, looking more like a demon from Hell than his beloved Addie.

Although Oliver knew to expect it, it still caught him unaware and he'd run, stumbling as Addie had chased him, finally catching up and..pushing him down the stairs.

He'd blacked out. For how long, he'd didn't know. When he'd regained consciousness, he'd been informed that Addie has been subdued by Lenora's black magic once more.

He knew he should be furious but he wasn't certain how to feel. His emotions were a jumble and he didn't have the mental strength to sort through them. He was hurting not only physically but emotionally as well.

So when Jane asked to speak with him privately, he immediately agreed. Oliver followed Jane upstairs to where Addie (or whomever she was now) was being sequestered, he felt nothing at all.

"Let me out!" Oliver heard the voice knowing that it belonged to Addie and at the same, it didn't. He was beginning to get a burning sensation in his stomach and pitched forward, vomiting on the floor of the bedroom.

"Oliver, perhaps you shouldn't be here." Lenora came to stand behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder while he wiped his mouth with his shirt sleeve.

"Get your damn hand off of me!" Oliver jerked upright, scowling at Lenora who retreated a few steps back, appalled by his harshness.

"Oliver, is that you?" Addie called out. "Let me out!"

"Under no circumstances, is that demon to be allowed loose in this house!" Lenora cried, turning to glare daggers at the door of the bathroom, wishing she could burn it with her eyesight.

"What is going on here?" Everyone froze as they're grandmother entered the bedroom, looking furious.

"Grandmother, let me out!" They're grandmother froze, her mouth hanging open, eyes wide with frighten.

"Is that...Addie?"

"No!" Jane chuckled nervously, grabbing her grandmother's hands and trying to tug her out of the room.

"Something is going on," Grandmother said. "Tell me!"

"Lenora dabbles in the dark arts," Oliver repiled. "She summoned dark demons to resurrect Addie and now, she's possessed."

Grandmother stared in distress and suddenly her body slithered to the floor as she fainted dead away as such shocking news.

"We have to get rid of them both!" Lenora was insistent.

"What?" Oliver couldn't believe what he was hearing. Lenora wanted to murder their grandmother?

"She'll squeal like a stuck pig if we don't," Lenora snapped. "Our very lives are at stake!"

"I'll not be part of this!" Oliver roared as he stalked off. He was finished with all this nonsense. He was going to ring the authorities. This had spiraled out of control and Lenora had crossed a line.

As soon as Oliver reached the top of the stairs, he felt a sharp pain at the base of his skull and...everything went dark.

***

"You'll not get away with this!" Lenora had enlisted the help of her grandmother's housekeeper, Micah in disposing of the woman. Jane had reluctantly agreed to take care of..Addie.

Lenora wasn't certain what exactly Jane intended on doing but she honestly didn't care. As long as the bitch was killed and stayed that way this time.

Lenora had tied up her grandmother and intended to push the bitch down the stairs, in hopes of breaking the bitch's neck. It was far kinder than she deserved, especially given how she'd treated Lenora when she was growing up.

"I already have, bitch." Micah helped Lenora push her grandmother to the top of the stairs. Lenora grinned maliciously as she placed her hands on her grandmother's back. Already her grandmother was protesting and pleading her case.

"Oh clam up, you old dried up prune! This is far kinder than you deserve. Always belittling me and always favoring that bitch, Addie! Well, guess what? I'm in charge now!"

"Lenora, please! Don't do this! Please! Things will be different, I swear!"

"Too late, you old bitch!" Lenora leaned in closer to her grandmother, whispering in her ear.

"I hope you burn in Hell, bitch!"

Then with a mighty heave, she shoved her grandmother, watching in satisfaction as the old bitch fell down the stairs, screaming her lungs out and landing with a satisfying thud at the bottom, her neck broken.

****

Jane wasn't sure if Lenora had the audacity to actually murder their grandmother and instantly regretted agreeing to deal with Addie. How was she supposed to dispose of a demon?

Jane suddenly remembered something that her grandmother told her. Should she ever encounter dark forces, use Holy Water. But did her grandmother have any Holy Water in hand?

Jane hurried to her grandmother's bedroom and looked around, immediately spotting a silver flask on her grandmother's dresser. She grabbed it up and went back to the bedroom. She thought better of it and decided that a gun might come in handy as well.

Jane went to her bedroom and went into the closet, grabbing the small, silver revolver that she kept in there, for emergencies. She briefly thought of the child she was carrying inside her and hoped no harm would come to them.

Squaring her shoulders, Jane returned to the bedroom, shutting the door and went to the bathroom, taking a deep breath before unlocking the door and...Addie emerged from there, looking angrier than before.

She advanced on Jane, who unscrewed the silver flash, dousing Addie with the Holy Water. Addie's skin began to burn, as she screamed, covering her face with her hands, dropping to her knees.

Jane continued to douse Addie with the Holy Water, as she screamed, her skin melting as she slowly reverted into a black pile of...nothingness.

***

Oliver groaned loudly. His head was killing him. He blinked as he struggled to get upright, trying to remember what he was supposed to be doing.

Everything came rushing back to him: Addie's death, her terrible resurrection, the fake funeral, Lenora declaring that she intended to...murder their grandmother.

Oliver swung his feet off the bed he'd been placed in, by who he didn't know, and groggily rose upwards. He took, slow careful steps as he headed down the stairs. He stopped short, horror flooding through him at the awful sight in front of him.

His grandmother's dead body was lying, twisted at the bottom of the stairs.

Chapter 13

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