Erin woke up this time laying on the couch. The sun was shining through the open window warming up her face. Her eyes shot open and she suddenly sat up. The room began to spin and Erin began to sway.
Hattie who had been sitting next to Erin gently pushed the human girl on her chest to lay her back down. "You passed out, dear. Getting up suddenly or any sudden movements for that matter will do you no favors." she spoke softly.
Erin blinked at Hattie and barely nodded her head. She lay her head back down slowly to keep the room from spinning.
Erin could see from the corner of her eyes Elizabet sitting on a far chair. She was looking mindlessly out the window. Erin performed a quick visual inspection of the room and there were no other people in the room.
Without warning Elizabet spoke, her gaze still out the window. "You should probably know."
Erin squinted her eyes and furrowed her brows, trying to think about what Elizabet was talking about. "Huh?" Erin mumbled.
Elizabet stood up from the chair and walked over sitting on the edge of the couch. "You should probably know our story. We can't have you passing out every time you see something 'weird'." Elizabet noted.
Erin just blinked. Their story, what did she mean by their story? Erin's eyes grew large as she recalled what had happened in the kitchen. What she had witnessed...Snakes. Erin shuddered. She didn't care for snakes in general and especially so when they were on top of somebody's head...for hair!
As Erin began to spiral she was interrupted by Elizabet. She leaned in close to Erin. "Did you know?" She whispered.
Erin's brain hurt, why did this woman have to be so damn cryptic? Why did she have to be like this? For goodness sakes just be direct!
Elizabet smiled. "When I requisitioned this house, I had very specific requirements."
Erin turned to the lady and looked her from the crown of her head to the soles of her feet. "You are not old enough to have been alive when this house was built. Maybe your grandmother."
Elizabet threw her head back and laughed. Truly laughed. "Oh child. You should know better. I know you are picking up on clues."
Erin wanted the couch to swallow her and take her away from this place. Hattie however, looked at Liz, "Knock it off you are scaring the poor girl. And why don't you be a little more direct!"
Erin grinned and thought to herself, 'Hattie, my hero!'
Elizabet shrugged her shoulders. "I'm just having a little fun, Hattie!" Then Elizabet turned her attention to Erin. "I am far older than what I appear dear girl. It was my husband, Gideon that built this house for me." Elizabet let out a sigh. Gideon. "Anyways. This house was built to be in a position of power. It is strategically located."
Elizabet looked at Erin who just seemed confused and utterly lost. Elizabet sighed and then she picked up various items around the library making a small 'replica' of the Octagon House, the estate, and the surrounding area. Elizabet then pointed out the perimeter and the stream. She pointed to the area of the orchard, garden, and cemetery.
"Now, my young one."
Erin rolled her eyes annoyed, but didn't say anything. She was anxiously waiting for Elizabet to speak. Erin realized if she interrupted her, it would take even longer to finish the story! Erin wanted to understand what this crazy woman was talking about because right now she was royally confused.
Elizabet ignored the girl's eye-rolling and continued. "The rules of eight." She began, "The octagon is a powerful shape. The octagon signifies renewal and rebirth, regeneration and transition. The number eight is incredibly powerful as well. The number eight is infinity and resurrection. The Octagon House." Liz directed the girl's eyes to her little replica on the table. "Was built on this land because of this." Elizabet indicated by drawing out lines that connected to the surrounding environment. Eight lines protruded from the house.
Erin was looking closely trying to understand.
"An ancient magic that is far older than anyone. By building this house in this manner we are tapping into the surrounding environment."
Erin nodded slowly understanding. For a moment she forgot about the snakes and asked, "won't whoever burnt this house down come back?"
"Very good question, no, well at least not right now. Because the Octagon House at in the real world is very much destroyed." Elizabet paused thinking how she would explain the next bit. "We are in like an alternate dimension. Taking up the same spot but on a different plane." It was the best she could do to try and understand it. Dinah and Hattie could speak to it more.
Erin understood...a little about the planes, but she couldn't believe it could she? As she was thinking about the Octagon House her mind flashed...
Snakes...
"What about the snakes?"
Elizabet wore a crooked grin, "Why don't we explain that over lunch?"
Lunch?! Thought Erin to herself. She wanted to know and understand, but her parents, they had to be worried about her.
"My parents, they have got to be worried, I better give them a call." Erin cursed, she had dropped her phone. "Can I borrow your cell?"
Elizabet shook her head. "Don't worry about your family. If you were to call them they wouldn't even know who you were."
"Wait, what?!"
"We cast a spell yesterday. We can't have your parents contacting the police and giving us a big headache. We simply removed you from their memories. By this evening you will be wiped completely from the memories of everyone that knew you."
Elizabet spoke nonchalantly. As if it was no big deal to be forgotten. Erin thought to herself as her heart sank and her eyes grew large with shock and awe. While she believe the woman part of her couldn't, didn't want to accept what the woman was telling her. "That can't be possible." She paused, "I don't believe you."