"Sea Salt, Salt-Peter, Kosher Salt..." Ethan writes hurriedly on a scrap of hotel paper trying to remember the formula for destroying the Hag. Lost in his own thoughts he didn't even register Brian trying to speak to him.
"Ethan," Brian finally yells exasperated "What happened here?"
"Oh" Ethan replies, "I didn't hear you come in." He looks around the room recalling how he had found it in such disarray. "Someone...or something...came into the room and stole the spell I need to destroy the Hag."
"What"
"Well, obviously, it was the hag" Ethan explains as he continues to write "She must have tracked me the same way I tracked her...or maybe she recognized me from somewhere, it is a small town."
"Ok" Brian offers "this is getting out of hand. We need to end this now. I found a place for you to do your ritual. There's an old abandoned chicken shack in the woods, do you have everything you need?"
"I think so" Ethan explains "luckily I had just read the ritual the other day, I think I can piece enough of it together from memory to make it work. I just need to pick up a few supplies at the market and then we can do this."
"Is the car ready?" Ethan asks tucking his list in his pants pocket and throwing a satchel containing his magickal implements over his shoulder.
"Not yet, but it should be ready in the next few days." Brian explains "Until then, I'm afraid we're gonna have to walk."
The two men walk to the local market where they casually begin searching for the various items they will need to perform the ritual. Neither men speak.
"You're awfully quiet for someone who's about to do battle with the spirit world." Brian offers finally breaking the silence between them. "Are you scared?"
"I wouldn't be human if I said no." Ethan answers as they head to the checkout area "but right now I'm mainly trying to remember the incantation....something that rhymes with essence..."
"Oh hi, boys" interjects Mrs. O’brien waiting in line ahead of them.
"Hi" Ethan replies "what are you doing here?"
"Oh I needed to pick up some extra washing powders for all the laundry," she offers as she glances in Ethan's shopping cart.
"What do you want with all them salts...sea salt, kosher salt, rock salt, and sulphur?"
"I'm a bit of an aspiring chef" Brian explains quickly "I wanted to stock up on some herbs and ingredients while I was here on Moonshine Mountain...everything is so cheap."
"You cook with sulphur?"
"Oh that." Brian begins to answer
"The sulphur is for when we go camping" Ethan speaks up "A ring of sulphur around the tent keeps insects out."
"Oh I see" Mrs. Obrien replies "You boys want a ride back to the Inn?"
"No thank you" Ethan offers "we have more shopping to do and we're going to take in a few sights while we are out."
"Ok" Mrs. Obrien sighs "see you later."
"Boy she has some presence, doesn't she?" Brian whispers to Ethan as Mrs. Obrien gathers her bags and walks away.
"Brian" Ethan exclaims "that's, it!"
"What's it?"
"You just gave me the final piece of the puzzle I needed for my spell! Now let's get out of here and show me this chicken shack."
Brian takes Ethan to the abandoned chicken shack he found deep in the woods behind a row of unkempt houses. As they make their way to the shack, Ethan notices the rusted tin roof and dilapidated walls and wonders to himself if the shack will collapse on them.
"Here's a diagram I need you to draw on the floor?" Ethan tells Brian handing him a piece of paper and a chunk of chalk.
"What is it?"
"Its a devil trap" Ethan explains "it will hold the Hag prisoner so we can destroy her. Draw it just like you see it on that paper, about three feet in circumference."
"How are you going to destroy her?" Brian asks
"By combining.... the five earths."
As Brian draws the devil trap, Ethan sets out a small mortar and combines the rock salt with the sea salt, kosher salt, and salt-peter. He mixes it well and adds a portion of sulphur chanting his incantation over the mixture as he grinds it together.
"....this fire of earth and earth of fire now becomes your funeral pyre...."
"Ok I think its ready" Brian says as Ethan completes his incantation. "How does it look?"
"Great" Ethan replies handing Brian a burlap sack into which he has placed the five earths "here take this."
"What is it?"
"A hex bag."
"What do I do with it?"
"I'm going to summon the hag and when she appears we're going to throw these hex bags at her."
"And then what?"
"Well" Ethan says "if I've done this right she' goes poof."
The two men share a laugh at Ethan's comment to shake off their fear. Then Brian comes forward and kisses Ethan passionately for what seems like an eternity.
"What was that for?" Ethan asks.
"In case I die, I just want you to know that I love you."
"I already know that." Ethan replies "are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
Ethan takes his place at the edge of the circle as Brian stands across from him on the opposite side each holding on to the hex bags.
"Ancient hag, bringer of death,
I cast this spell to stop your breath;
I summon you now into my presence,
to destroy your body and essence!"
Carolina Dean
