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"Uh huh Okay" My phone buzzed like a hornet in my pocket, but when I reached for it, it wasn’t there Yet I still felt the buzzing inI had told Eli that the church ht not really be here in our reality, but I hadn’t considered what that ht mean about where I’d be if I went inside "Kathyayini, where a away my question "Neither here nor there Nor any place in between"

"How do I get back?"

"You done asking questions of me?"

Not really, but I didn’t want to stay wherever I was "For now Thank you"

Kathyayini tossed er than a penny, heavier than a quarter Thesht and put that coin on the ground I’ll co a fly "Go now We talk later, if you need"

Behindbreeze that swept through,the candle flame flicker and sputter I backed slowly toward the old church doors, my eyes on Kathyayini When the door appeared in ht and down the steps And re on the breeze in fitful gusts of shadow and white, and I couldn’t see anything except the old trees just to my sides, which I was sure hadn’t been there before

The church doors sla one "Crap Crap, crap, crap," I whispered

"Jane?" a voice called, sounding muffled and distant, directionless in the heavy air

"I’ain!" Eli appeared in the ht hand, his shooting hand, and a va it on er I had no doubt the gun was ready to fire

I raised my hands "Easy there, Eli"

"Prove to me you are who you look like"

That was a weird request, but no weirder than anything else had been lately "I want a steak, still , hold the salad"

"And?"

Weirder and weirder "And your brother, the coeek criminal, wants ravioli What about you?"

"I eat the steak and the salad With beer"

"I’ on?"

Eli approached slowly, growing fir "Open your ue "You want me to say ah too?"

"Nope" He sheathed the knife and ejected the round fro for fangs"

I tucked my chin uncertainly "Say what?"

"You are the third Jane Yellowrock I’ve seen in the past two hours, and the others had fangs I staked them both and took their heads, but when I did, they vanished, body and head Illusions, but with tactile stimuli"

"You staked me and killedyou too Especially the first tih, but I kneas serious The fog rolled in thicker, as if trying to separate us, and Eli stepped closer, until his sleeve brushed mine "Stick close This way out By the here are we?"

"An old Indian woman I saw said ‘neither here nor there’"