Exmosos

I received a call from my mother to hear my Aunt Mary has passed away suddenly. I hardly knew Mary; she lived in Yorkshire most of her later years, and I only visited her a couple of times growing up. She was well... eccentric to say the least. My mother never kept in touch with her properly after an incident happened in a church that Mary was a member, I didn’t ever push for details but it left her startled. A day later, a letter came through regarding the inheritance that needed sorting. The letter read as follows:

"Dear Rachel,

I hope this letter finds you. If you’re reading this, I am no longer here.

You always put a smile on my face Rachel. Your youthful innocence was a joy to behold.

I have left £20,000 in your name, but in order to get the money you will have to make the trip up to Yorkshire and visit Musgrave Church. There you will find Bishop Eamonn who will give you the money.

We will meet again soon.

All my love,

Mary”

The ending was strange, I knew that Mary had some interesting beliefs but I wasn’t expecting her to say that. Eeriness aside, £20,000 is a lot of money so I decided to make the trip up to Yorkshire the same afternoon. During the trip up I couldn't help but run the letter through my mind on loop, what did she mean about meeting again? It took five hours to get to Musgrave Church in Yorkshire. The Church was stunning although now with the darkness setting in it stood ominously at the end of the street. I got out of my car and walked to the entrance, there was a dim light across the entrance and without having to knock the door opened. “You must be Rachel.” I gave him an odd look and the old man replied “Mary has spoken a lot about you and given the tragic circumstances, I assume you are her niece.” He had very distinct features with a slightly hooked nose and large eyebrows, followed by short white hair and grey eyes. “You must be Bishop Eamonn, Mary mentioned you in her letter” “Yes, hello please come in."

We continued walking down further into the main room. “Mary was a very important member of our community here, a tragic loss” “Yeah, it’s sad to see her go.” I replied “Look, I can't keep you for long I have some important matters to attend to... wait here for me now and I'll grab the items Mary wanted to give you.” His accent was really strong I thought. He went into a doorway and eventually came back up with a black bag. Inside was the money in cash, I had never seen so much money before. There was a small black book on the top of the money, Bishop Eamonn spots it too and says “I don’t know what’s in the book, but she was adamant you have to read it, it was her last ask” “Please do it for Mary.” The book had a marking on the front cover that I’d never seen before, it looked like a mesh of letters into one symbol. “Okay yeah, I will, no worries.” I left the Church quickly and thanked the Bishop. I headed back to the car and put the bag in the boot and took the book with me. Holding the book alone started to give me anxiety, but it was calling to me.

I turned the first page and the letters in bold read.

"ALL HAIL SALICA”

“Exmosos” was scribbled all over the pages until the final sheet. I had never seen anything like it before, the symbols were drawn with such precision and they were beautiful in a way. The letters were weaving and twisting to form a symmetrical shape. A sense of dread overpowered my body and although I didn’t know what it was, a part of me felt a shift in the air.

I put the book down and found a lovely hotel in the heart of Yorkshire using the new found cash I had. I checked in and went to the room to crash for the night. As soon as I was drifting off, I felt my body start to vibrate and there was strong ringing in my ears. I got up out of my bed and realised this was different, the room was foggy and my vision was blurred to the point I couldn’t see in front of me. I started to feel my way around the room to see if I could find a light, I placed my hand on the walls and moved about until I felt something. It didn’t feel right, it was leathery to touch and then it suddenly moved which startled me. I’m petrified, but I reach my hand out and feel an arm and slowly make my way up to a shoulder. There were no features on the face, it was just a blank void of just skin and hollow eyes.

I awoke in a pool of sweat. I hadn’t had a night terror like that since I was child. Luckily it was early morning, so I hatched some coffee and headed into town. Yorkshire was always so stunning for me, the history and the legends behind the place. I had the black book with me in my bag, and I sat myself down at a Café for some food. I had to find out what Exmosos and the patterns meant so I googled it. The tenth page result took me to a site. “Exmosos is an ancient Magick spell with its origins predating the 16th Century. It was said to be used for Necromancy, the practice of raising the dead.” Why would Mary give me a book with this in? I kept scrolling down, and it read “this can be a dangerous spell if combined with sigils of the conjurer.” I don’t know what that meant, but I needed to find out more. I got in my car and thought I should head down to Musgrave Church to see if the Bishop has any idea about these patterns in the book. I knocked on the large door and a few moments later, Bishop Eamonn appeared “Oh, hello Rachel” “I need your help.” He looked warmly at me and asked me to come in. I walked down the main room and the atmosphere of the place felt off. Without prompting him he spoke “In times of a death of loved ones. It can be difficult to handle the aftermath..." “...The book she gave me, you saw the symbol on it correct?” “Yes, I think I took a quick glance at it, why?” “What does the pattern mean?” He responds “It looks like a symbol to be correct, or a sigil. I paused for a second and collected myself. “What does Exmosos mean? It's written all over the book.” He turned to me and gave me a puzzling look, almost like he was relieved. “I have heard of this. Before Mary passed, she often spoke of how she was afraid to pass away and with her health conditions it was becoming inevitable.” He paused for a second “A spell is tied to the word Exmosos, you have to release this spell from you. It’s ancient Magick and was banned from the Church many centuries ago.” Eamonn grabs my hand “Have you been having any nightmares recently or seeing anything?” “Um, yeah since last night it’s been getting weird.” “I’ll be back in a second.”

The Bishop made his way down a doorway and returned a moment later with a candle and a piece of paper. “Rachel, you need to do this in order to break the spell, it’s important you do it today before the spell becomes stronger” He gives me the items, “You must chant this sentence over and over again in a quiet place and light the candle.” What happens after this, you have to move towards a bright light. Remember that, and you will be free.” I didn’t know what to say to this, but I took the items and thanked him. Before I left, he had shouted out down the hall. “Do it before it’s too late Rachel.”

I started to panic in the car journey back to the hotel thinking about what the Bishop meant by all this. Is he just crazy? My mother never wanted to go back to the Church. I went back to my room and reluctantly decided to light the candle. I sat down and start chanting “Exmosos Bicarthis” again, and again and found myself drifting off. Like last night, the room I found myself in was dark and foggy but I could make out more this time. I was back in Musgrave Church. The doorway the Bishop used opened up down the hallway. I felt drawn to go down it, so I curiously walked over to it. The stairs were twisting and winding downwards deeper and deeper into the earth, and that's when I entered the chamber. It was dark and cold down there; I looked down to see the same marking on the book etched into stone.

Suddenly, a scuttling sound grew louder above me and I could see a dark shadow moving down the wall. I had never felt fear like this before, it was paralyzing. A shadow appears a distance away from me in the chamber room. A soft voice echoed, “Rachel, it’s me” “Ma-a-ary?” I could barely get any words out. “I said we would meet again sweetie, come and give me a hug” “No. I’m leaving now.” I started to make my way slowly to the stairs and she whispers “You would leave me being lonely down here? “I’m sorry Mary, but I need to go” The once soft voice has now turned dark and heavy “It’s too late for you Rachel.” I ran up the winding stairs as fast as I could, there was barely any light now so I scrambled and stumbled my way up, but the stairs felt never ending. I could hear her heavy feet gaining on me. I kept trying to find the doorway back to the hall and then I felt it, her leathery hand grabbed my leg and started to pull me back down the winding stairs, I screamed as loud as I could but it made no difference. It stopped for a second, then I was flipped violently and finally glimpsed at Mary. Her dark sunken face was twisting and contorting and then started to take shape.

The light became blinding, and I felt a warm sensation take a hold of my body, I moved towards it closer and closer and felt so at peace.

It was Mary's funeral. It was held at Musgrave Church and my family was there here besides my Mother and a group of people I haven’t seen before. I turned to my Dad and said “I'll go up to the altar now to see Aunt”, he didn’t reply. It was strange, but I made my way up the altar to get one last look at Mary. Her long white hair was flowing down her sides and she was wearing a beautiful black dress, her skin was now withering and her once warm eyes had become desolate. As I scan down her markings on her dress and to her arms, there was a piece of jewellery she was clasping in her hands. That’s when I froze. It was the same pattern from the book…

It suddenly became quiet. “Rachel” echoed around the church, and I turned around to see Bishop Eamonn in the crowd, he paused and looked at me. Then I saw it.

Rachel is sat next to the Bishop, her menacing smile cuts through me and then it dawned on me, I am Mary now.