Chapter 9
The blue fire consumed the ancient timber beams of the icehouse within seconds, filling the stone chamber with thick, suffocating smoke.
Lenora screamed as the water trapped her against the far wall, her grey trench coat catching the sudden, supernatural flames.
"Mom!" Evan shouted, rushing into the burning icehouse despite the intense heat radiating from the entrance.
"Evan, don't! It's collapsing!" Sheriff Miller yelled, grabbing the younger man by his belt and violently hauling him back out into the rain.
Tessa clutched Maisie tightly against her chest, retreating into the orchard as the roof of the icehouse gave way with a deafening crash.
A shower of sparks and blue embers flew high into the dark Oregon sky, turning the night into a terrifying spectacle of light and shadow.
Through the blazing doorway, Tessa saw the pale ghost of Abigail standing in the center of the inferno, completely untouched by the flames.
The ghost turned her head toward Evan, who was on his knees in the mud, sobbing hysterically as his mother's screams ceased inside the inferno.
"You took my life," the ghost's voice echoed in the minds of everyone standing in the orchard. "Now the debt is paid."
Sheriff Miller and the two council members stood paralyzed, their faces pale under the flickering light of the burning mountain structure.
"The covenant is broken," Miller whispered, dropping his gun into the mud as if it had suddenly burned his hand. "The town... it's over."
Tessa knew this was her only chance to escape while the men were completely consumed by shock and grief.
She turned and ran down the western slope of the ridge, away from the burning manor estate and the crazy council members.
She ran through the mud and brambles until her legs felt like lead, never once loosening her grip on her precious daughter.
After twenty minutes of relentless running down the steep incline, she finally broke through the dense forest canopy onto a paved road.
A massive long-haul semi-truck was rolling down the state highway, its headlights slicing bright beams through the falling rain.
Tessa ran into the middle of the asphalt, waving her arm frantically above her head to flag down the massive vehicle.
The truck’s air brakes hissed loudly as the driver slammed on his brakes, coming to a halt just feet away from Tessa and Maisie.
The driver, a middle-aged man wearing a trucker hat, rolled down his window with a look of complete shock on his face.
"Lady! Are you out of your mind? You almost got killed!" he yelled over the loud rumble of his diesel engine.
"Please," Tessa sobbed, holding up her shivering daughter. "Please help us. Take us to California. I have money, I'll pay you whatever you want."
The driver looked at Tessa’s torn clothes, the blood on her jacket, and the terrified toddler wrapped in the blanket.
May you like
He reached over and unlocked the passenger side door, opening it wide into the warmth of the cab.
"Get in," the trucker said sternly. "You look like you just escaped a war zone."
