Chapter Four: It Follows III
Hugh's Apartment, Detroit, Michigan
April 21, 2002 – 2:23 A.M.
Hugh's breath came in ragged gulps, the reek of whiskey sharp in the air as Keshaun pressed him against the wall. The empty bottle rolled under the couch, forgotten.
"You left us in that warehouse," Keshaun snarled, voice low, heavy with the Force. "You left her strapped up like bait. You left me to fight that creepy-ass thing alone. You gon' talk, nigga. Right now."
Hugh tried to stammer an excuse. "I—I didn't have—"
The Force tightened invisibly around his chest. Hugh wheezed, eyes bulging.
"You had a choice," Keshaun said flatly. He slammed Hugh once more, the drywall cracking behind him.
Jay flinched but didn't intervene. She hugged her hoodie tighter around her thin frame, barefoot toes curling on the stained carpet.
Keshaun leaned closer, his glare cutting. "What the fuck is that thing? How do we stop it?"
Hugh broke. "I don't know! Nobody knows! But—" He gulped air when Keshaun loosened his grip a fraction. "There's someone. A witch. She was in the chain once. She knows more about the curse than anyone. But she's—she's dangerous."
Jay blinked. "A witch?"
Hugh nodded frantically. "Yes. She almost killed me when I tried to push her for answers. She hates being questioned. But she… she might have a way."
Keshaun's eyes narrowed. Through Force Empathy he tasted Hugh's fear, but also guilt. He smirked humorlessly. "You prob'ly ran your mouth too much, that's why she came at you. Either way—you takin' us to her. Tonight."
Hugh shook his head violently. "No, she'll kill me if she sees me again—"
"You worried about her killin' you?" Keshaun's voice dropped to a growl. "Nigga, I'll kill you if you don't put your shoes on."
The Force pressed harder, Hugh gagging until he nodded desperately. "Okay! Okay! I'll take you!"
Keshaun let go, letting Hugh crumple onto the couch. He turned to Jay. "Stay close to me. We movin'."
Jay nodded, her face pale.
Vacant Detroit Streets
April 21, 2002 – 2:47 A.M.
The three of them walked through streets stripped of light. Hugh hunched over, muttering directions under his breath. Jay hugged her arms, bare feet padding softly.
Keshaun walked steady at the front, every sense stretched wide. Danger Sense buzzed in his ribs, warning him the curse wasn't far. He felt the entity back there, steady as a metronome. It never rushed. It just kept coming.
"You better not be lyin'," Keshaun warned.
"I'm not," Hugh said quickly. "She lives at the city's edge. You'll know her house when you see it."
Jay shivered. "She'll really help us?"
Hugh gave a weak laugh. "Help? She might just kill me first."
Keshaun snapped a glare at him. "Shut up and walk."
Selene's House, Edge of Detroit, Michigan
April 21, 2002 – 3:03 A.M.
The house rose from the dirt like a scar. Two sagging stories, windows boarded with wood etched in curling symbols, candles glowing faintly behind cracks.
Hugh froze at the gate. "This is it."
Before Keshaun could speak, the front door creaked open.
A woman stepped out. Black hair tangled, eyes sharp as glass. Power clung to her skin like heat. The Force vibrated around her.
Her gaze snapped to Hugh and twisted with rage. "You."
Her hand lifted. The air thickened, shimmering with hostile power.
Keshaun stepped in front of Jay, snapping up a hand. Force Barrier flared faintly around them. The witch's power slammed into it like a wave. Keshaun gritted his teeth, sweat running down his temple, but the shield held.
"Back up," Keshaun barked.
Selene faltered, her eyes flicking to him. Her expression shifted—fury giving way to shock, then suspicion. She lowered her hand, but her stare cut deep.
"You're not with him," she said slowly. "What are you?"
Keshaun dropped the barrier, exhaling. "Somebody tryna stop this curse."
She studied him for a long, tense moment. Then: "Come inside."
She pointed a finger at Hugh. "Not you. Wait on the porch."
Hugh sagged but obeyed.
Keshaun looked at Jay. "Stay tight on me."
They stepped into the witch's lair.
Selene's House – Ritual Room, Edge of Detroit, Michigan
April 21, 2002 – 3:12 A.M.
The air smelled of ash and herbs. Candles burned in deliberate circles. Symbols carved into the floor glowed faintly.
"I am Selene," the woman said.
"Keshaun," he replied. "That's Jay."
Selene's eyes narrowed. "You dragged the curse here."
Keshaun's jaw tightened. "It's on her now. And it ain't stoppin'."
Selene's lips pressed thin. "It never stops. That's how it was made."
Jay swallowed. "Made… how?"
Selene folded her arms. "Two hundred years ago, a witch bound hunger into a path and gave it shape. She thought she was creating punishment. She created a monster instead. I've spent ten years searching for a way to end it."
Her expression darkened. "Two years ago, I found one. A ritual. But…"
"But what?" Keshaun pressed.
"It takes immense power. More than one witch alone. And it takes hours. The entity always comes before I can finish. I have no coven. I cannot complete it."
Jay's eyes widened. "But if you did—"
"It might unravel the curse," Selene admitted. "Or kill us all."
The silence was thick.
Keshaun stepped forward. "What if you had the power?"
Selene's gaze sharpened. "You're a child."
"Test me," Keshaun said simply.
Selene's Private Chamber, Edge of Detroit, Michigan
April 21, 2002 – 3:31 A.M.
The smaller chamber hummed with sigils chalked on every wall.
Selene retrieved a jagged crystal from a cabinet. Its faint glow pulsed weakly.
"This is a reliquary," she said. "It holds energy. I've been feeding it for months. It's barely half-full."
Keshaun took it. The Force surged. He exhaled and let it pour.
The crystal blazed white in under a minute, flooding the room with light.
Selene stumbled back in shock. "Impossible…"
Keshaun handed it back, smirking faintly. "Guess not."
Selene cradled the glowing crystal, awe breaking her sharp features.
That was when Keshaun lifted his hand. Faint white-gold radiance flickered across his skin — Force Light. The oppressive weight of the room eased for a few seconds, shadows retreating before the glow sputtered out.
He wiped sweat from his brow. "Ain't much yet. But it's real."
Selene whispered, "Radiance that burns corruption… I thought it was a myth."
Keshaun leaned against the table. "Look, I ain't askin' for free help. I'm sayin' partnership. We beat this curse, I'll show you how the Force works my way. In exchange, you teach me witchcraft. You got discipline. I got the raw flow. Put 'em together? We both get stronger."
Selene studied him for a long moment, weighing. At last, she inclined her head. "If we survive, I will teach you. And I will learn what you have offered."
Keshaun grinned. "Bet."
Selene turned, wrapping the reliquary in black cloth and carrying it carefully.
Selene's House – Ritual Room, Edge of Detroit, Michigan
April 21, 2002 – 4:08 A.M.
They regrouped with Jay and Hugh. Selene set the now-bright crystal on an iron stand in the circle.
"The reliquary will sustain me while I unweave the path," she explained. "But it will take hours. The entity will not allow me to finish. You must keep it outside."
Jay's face tightened. "And if it gets in?"
Selene's gaze was like steel. "Then all of us die."
Keshaun cracked his neck. "Then it ain't gettin' in."
She began refreshing the chalk, scattering herbs, whispering incantations. Candles flared brighter. The room hummed.
Hugh lingered in the corner, trembling. "This is suicide."
Keshaun shot him a glare. "Shut the fuck up. You stand there and don't move."
Jay knelt near the edge of the circle, watching Selene's work. "So once you start…"
"There is no stopping," Selene said firmly. "If I break before completion, the backlash will kill us all faster than the entity would."
Keshaun turned toward the door. His chest buzzed — Danger Sense. The footsteps were back. Slow. Steady. Patient.
Selene lit the final candle. The circle glowed faintly.
The air grew colder. Shadows pressed against the boards.
Keshaun flexed his hands, the Force coiling in his muscles.
Selene's voice rang clear, final: "It begins now."
The floorboards outside creaked.
The entity was close.