Chapter 7

The sun was sitting low in the sky when the three Edison children returned from their expedition.

'I'm not looking forward to school,' Emily said.

'Me neither,' Andrew replied.

'At least we have another couple of weeks,' Patrick said. 'December holidays are the best ones. Besides, it can't be that bad.'

'It's not the school work that bothers me, it's the new environment,' Andrew said.

'Me too,' Emily said looking at the sand.

'More friends for us, man. Think about it that way,' Patrick said.

'I suppose you're right, probably just a little getting used to,' Andrew said.

'Dad said this was the last time. We will never move again,' Emily said not too convinced.

'What's that?' Andrew pointed towards lines drawn on this beach.

'It wasn't here before was it?' Patrick said walking closer.

'Nah, I'm sure it was. We just passed lower this time. What is it?' Andrew asked.

'Shit that's weird,' Emily frowned.

There was a rectangular shape drawn on the sand about one meter by two. In the middle, it had a large pentagram with a thick wooden stick running through the middle. The stick had strange carvings around the base, almost Indian-like. Above the pole, a drawing of the horns of Satan. Each corner of the rectangle had a pole anchored deep into the sand with bird feathers attached to the top.

'Creepy,' Patrick said.

'It seems like someone had a ceremony here. Do you think something is buried underneath?' Emily asked.

'Don't think so,' Andrew said. 'Probably some freak that had nothing better to do. Let's go.' Even if there was something buried underneath, he was not interested in knowing what it was.

'Weirdos,' Patrick said kicking one of the pillar poles.

'Don't touch that!' Emily shouted with her hands in front of her mouth.

'Why? This is rubbish,' Patrick said annoyed.

'She's right. There might be a curse on that thing.'

As the children got to the end of the beach, the figure in the brown robe watched them for the last time before he disappeared behind the wall of a house.