Emma lets out an audible frustrated sigh as Theresa returns to his room fully dressed in her black dress.
"Need help?" She asks smiling.
He lets out a breath. "I can't get into this stupid dress"
"Funny, your mother said the exact same thing" Theresa laughs
He has only managed to get the skin tight dress over his hips which is the easy part.
The top part of the dress lay hanging from his waist. He is standing there wearing only a strapless bra which goes better with the black sheer lace dress.
His hair has been styled and his makeup light but focused on his eyes.
"It's really not funny" He says pouting "It's going to rip"
She walks behind him.
"Let's not do that. This dress is history" She says as she takes one of the long sleeves.
"Do I even have to wear it?"
"It's part of the ceremony, Emma. You have to" She guides one arm into the tight sheer lace sleeve and proceeds to the other.
Every since Harriet had said "see you soon, Emma" earlier that evening, Theresa had called him nothing else.
She smooths the dress and take the fragile zip moving it up his body as the dress takes its shape encasing his body and his small breasts.
"Let me look at you"
Emma turns around and the loose long skirt of the dress does a spin.
Theresa is getting emotional. "Your mother would be so proud. I know I am" She is smiling and so is Emma.
"Thanks, aunt Theresa"
Theresa checks her watch. "We should get going"

"What's going on?" Emma asks as they walk down the street referring to all the candles on the windows of most houses.
"Erie tradition. Centuries old." She explained "On the night of the festival, there is a vigil. Families stay awake to show solidarity while the circle ritual goes on"
"Does it have anything to do with the ritual?"
"Yes. The people of this town are our eyes during the ritual. You see, the ritual tomb blocks magic from entering or leaving. It is to protect the ritual in many ways. But that means I can't see or feel anything on the outside"
"You're a seer"
She smiles and nods "It is an important role. It is my job to keep track of all the vessels. There are others like me but it is a great worry that none have been born to Erie after me. Someone will need to keep track of your generation"
"How do the candles help?"
"They have a powerful scent that I can perceive even without my abilities. You shouldn't worry too much about this. You are leaving in a few hours, aren't you?"
That saddened Emma. He's come to feel at home here but he has a life out there. A family, and class on Monday.
They walk in silence until they come up to a large house. There are six women standing together. Emma recognizes Harriet, Stacy and Jenna standing with three older women.
The three girls are dressed exactly as he is, wearing necklaces identical to his but with different symbols.
"Emma!" Harriet says running up to him "You look amazing"
He smiles "So do you"
They walk back to rejoin the other women.
"I've waited a long time to meet you, Emmanuel" One of the older women says. "My name is Magnolia Addington. I am the earth vessel"
"It is an honor to meet you." He replies smiling "And 'Emma' is just fine"
She smiles and nods. "This is Hilda Creighton and Delia Keeling" she refers to the two other older women.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I am the air vessel." Delia says.
"The pleasure is all mine" Emma says politely.
"Yes, yes. We must begin. Follow me"
Jenna says "Hello" as they all walk into the house and Stacy says he makes a surprisingly hot girl.

The group walks down to the basement of a large house which has a secret passage leading to some old tunnels.
The candles light up as they near them which gives a very ominous feel.
"You nervous?" Harriet asks.
Emma nods.
"Me too" she says

They eventually reach a large open area with a stone platform.
"We will now perform the ritual" Hilda says as she walks to take a spot.
"Madeleine should be here" Magnolia says as she and Delia take theirs in the shape of a triangle around the circular platform.
"It has been done with three before. It will be fine" Delia says.
"Girls,your turn" Hilda gestures to the platform.
Using one of the four steps each, they all get on.
"Bind!" Hilda yells after which she makes a choking gesture towards Magnolia and Delia.
Emma and the others on the platform are suddenly incapacitated as a large symbol appears on the platform. The two older women are also unable to move.
"Hilda!" Theresa shouts "What is this?"
"Quiet!" Hilda reports.
"What--" Magnolia manages "Why?"
"I'm sorry, Maggie. I'm doing this for us"
Emma can't move or speak. He is held in place by an invisible force.
"Mum?" Tears leave Harriet eye.
"I'm sorry baby" Hilda is saddened at her daughter's suppressed voice "You will understand someday"
"They're coming Hilda. You're wasting time" Theresa shouts. She is not being targeted but there is nothing she can do.
"You will understand someday" Hilda repeats.
"Tell us what they promised you!" Theresa shouts.
Hilda shakes her head.
"Tell us. What did they promise you? Power?" Theresa continues.
"Power?" Hilda turns sharply to Theresa still holding the two other women in place. "You think I'm doing this for power"
"Then what is it?"
She thinks for a second "They said if I stopped this ritual, they'd return Ric!"
"Ric's dead"
"No! He's not. They're alive" She turns to the other women "They're all alive. They said if I stopped this, they'd return all of them"
"Don't be stupid, Hilda. If you stop the completion, they find us. They'll kill everybody"
"I have to get him back!" Hilda shouts "We can get them all back"
"Hilda, listen to me. If they find us, they find them" Theresa gestures to the platform "They'll kill them all to get the power. They'll kill Harriet"
Hilda is crying.
"Shut up! They'll kill her if I don't" She shakes her head.
"They'll kill her if you do. Stop this, let's complete the circle. If they're still alive, we'll find them"
Theresa starts walking up to Hilda "We'll bring them home. But we have to complete the circle while we still can"
Hilda closes her eyes visibly struggling before she kneels. The two other women fall to the floor after that.
Magnolia stands sharply "Delia come, help me"
They put their hands together and say something in a different language after which the sign on the floor disappears and Emma and the others fall.
Harriet starts to leave the platform but Magnolia shouts for her not to.
"We need to perform the ritual" Delia says.
"Hilda, we need you if we are to complete it in time"
She doesn't move from her position on the floor.
"Mum!" Harriet shouts, Hilda looks up "Please"
The kneeling woman struggles to stand after which she nods.
They speak in a different language repeating a phrase for a long time before all the candles in the room flare up and Emma and the others fall at the same time.
"Did it--?" Theresa begins to ask.
"It's done" Delia replies.
Emma groggily gets up while the others are doing the same.
"Tell us everything" Magnolia says walking up to Delia.

"It started a few months after I had Harriet" She began looking at her daughter who had a very angry look on her face. "She was having nightmares, like she was getting attacked every night. Then I started having them. They came to me in my sleep. They said that they would kill her if I didn't kill Mady's baby in her womb. I didn't know what they had planned but I had to. I had to save my daughter"
She takes a step towards her daughter who takes a step back. Hilda stops and continues her story.
"I couldn't bring myself to kill you so I had a plan. I cast a spell that turned you into a boy in her womb. I figured as soon as you were born, the elders would have you killed"
"Wait are you saying--?" Emma begins but he is cut off.
"Yes" she says apologetically "You were going to be a girl"
Emma takes a step back and sits on the platform.
"But then Mady took you and ran and hid you and then the elders went missing"
"You tried to have my sister's baby killed!" Theresa says.
"And I have had to live with that all these years but I couldn't let my baby girl die. I figured Mady would have another child" Hilda's head drops.
"I tried to forget about it but then 7 years later, it starts again. Mady is terribly sick, she is dying and they come to me again in my dreams. They say they have the elders and they would release them and let Mady go forever if I killed you. I don't know how they found both of you but they gave me an address. Sure as they had said, Mady was there, you were sleeping. I started the fire to kill you. I never wanted to hurt her"
She is crying "There was no way a simple fire would kill Mady but you surely wouldn't survive"
"You bastard!" Emma stands shouting. He is crying "You killed her!"
"I mourned Mady. I did." She continues. Everyone else is listening quietly as Emma sobs "The attacks on Harriet stopped after that but the elders were never released. I didn't hear from them until last night. They said tonight was my last chance or else I'd never see Ric again"
Emma is still crying. Harriet walks up to him, hugging him.
They all stand there quietly for a while. The only sound, Emma's soft sobbing.

"We can get them back" Jenna says eventually. Everyone turns to her. "We just need to find where they're keeping them"
"We can't fight the darkness, child" Magnolia tells her daughter "We don't even know what they are. All the stories just say that they pursued the all-mother for thousands of years"
"We don't have to fight them." Harriet adds "They can't come into the light right? Can't we use that?"
"Something's wrong" Theresa says suddenly.
"What is it?" Magnolia turns
"I can't smell anything"

The group hurriedly exits the house and sure enough, the streets are dark. Not a candle still lit.
The only source of light the faint rays of dawn. In the distance a hill, there are horses carrying people at the top of it. They are hard to make out at first but as the world slowly brightens with the rising sun, they are clear. They are four people seeming to look straight at the group.
"No" Delia says "We were too late"
"They're here" Magnolia adds finally.