Her Soul to Take

Raelynn “Rae” Lawson has returned to the town of Abelaum, Washington, which she has not been to since she was a child. She is going to finish her last year of university while her parents sell their house in Southern California and retire to Spain. After dropping her things at the house, Rae goes to Main Street to see her best friend, Inaya. Inaya is inventorying books at her bookstore, and Rae carries a stack to a back room. She trips and drops the books, and when she stops to collect them, she finds an old book that feels strangely cold. Inaya and Rae look at the book, which is handwritten and has Latin writing. Inaya gives the book to Rae, who tries to refuse. However, Inaya says that it is part of Rae’s bridesmaid gift.

Inaya and Rae get coffee and talk about Rae’s recent breakup. Inaya asks how the cabin is and asks if Rae has seen her “old ghost”—a specter from Rae’s childhood that they named “Nighttime Cowboy.” Rae runs a paranormal channel, and she hopes to find a legitimate ghost for her show so that she can make ad revenue. Her parents have given her a year to stay in the cabin while she finishes school, and then they will sell it. Rae and Inaya reminisce about their old teacher Mrs. Kathy, who told them scary stories from the town’s past.

Rae unpacks in the cabin. When it gets dark, she begins to get frightened of being alone in the woods. Then, her mother calls. Rae asks her why they ever moved away from Abelaum. Her mother tells her that small-town life wasn’t for Rae’s father and that he did not like the community’s superstitions. They get off the phone, and Rae begins looking at the grimoire more closely. Inside, Rae finds a sketch of a man with details about the “summoning and binding of the killer” (26). Rae finds the idea of demons exciting.

Rae struggles to get the demon’s eyes out of her head. She has insomnia and brainstorms new vlog ideas. Her channel is being surpassed by other channels that are flashier. If she is not able to fix it, she’ll have to get an office job.

Rae walks to campus on Monday morning. She waves at Mrs. Kathy, who lives nearby, but she ignores her. Rae’s classes are typical, though all the teachers mention that a student recently died on campus.

Between classes, Rae walks around and takes photographs. A voice rudely asks if she’s lost. The man is extremely attractive, and he demands to know her name. Rae tries to lie but then admits her actual name. The man is a security guard named Leon. She turns and leaves, but while she’s stalking away, she trips and falls. When she looks back, the security guard looks smug.

Inaya helps Rae gather her things and then introduces her to her friends, Jeremiah and Victoria Hadleigh. Jeremiah and Victoria’s father, Kent, owns three buildings on campus, including the library, and Rae is excited to meet them. Victoria asks about Rae’s astrological sign and other details, so Rae tells them that she’s a Sagittarius and a radio-TV-film major. Inaya encourages Rae to tell them about her paranormal vlog. In response, Victoria enthusiastically tells Rae some details about Marcus’s murder, and Jeremiah offers to show her a photograph. Rae, who keeps looking across campus toward Leon, exchanges numbers with Victoria before going to class.

Leon has been given the job of guarding the university campus, and he’s pleased to be away from his concrete prison. Kent wants Leon to patrol campus and protect it so that panic won’t sweep Abelaum. Nevertheless, Kent’s sacrifice has already had consequences: “[It] hadn’t just stirred his God. It had awakened the Eld, the ancient beasts of the forest who were sustained only blood, magic, and pain” (43).

Leon wants to corrupt and tempt humans and immediately focuses on Rae, who seems to have no sense of self-preservation. When she walks away, he nudges her with his mind, and she trips. Leon is bothered by her joining the Hadleighs. He is concerned for her but then reminds himself, “It didn’t matter. It shouldn’t have mattered. She’d be my prey regardless” (48).

Leon finds Rae later while she’s reading about St. Thaddeus’s Church. Leon asks if she’s doing history homework, and Rae tells him to go away. When he tells her to stay away from the church, she attempts to get him to tell her more about it. He walks away as she tries to get him on the record about St. Thaddeus, which he refuses. He tells her about the last couple he took there, whom he joined in an erotic moment. She does not react as he expected, instead asking for more details. He tells her that he will tell her more for a sexual favor, and she calls him a pervert.

Rae walks home in the dark, feeling like eyes are watching her. She attempts to remain calm, but the darkness is impenetrable. Leon is exactly Rae’s type, but she does not want to pursue a jerk again after her recent breakup. Moreover, something about Leon does not feel safe, though she cannot pinpoint why. She takes a shower and fantasizes about being dominated by Leon. Afterward, she wonders how she will see Leon on campus without thinking about her fantasy.

On Friday, Victoria invites Rae to the Main Street Art Fest, and Rae accepts. When Rae arrives, Inaya and Victoria wave her over. There is an older man there whom Jeremiah introduces: Kent Hadleigh. Kent tells Rae that he went to high school and university with her father, Richard.

Rae stops at a booth with hand-painted tarot cards, and Victoria introduces her to Everly. Everly looks strangely excited when she hears Rae’s name, like she knows her, but then the expression disappears. Victoria has Everly read tarot for Rae, and her reading prophesies darkness and change.

Rae and the others go to a bar where they are joined by more of Victoria’s friends. Leon is there with a companion, Zane, and they keep looking toward Rae. When Leon and Zane leave, Victoria remarks that Leon is “hot.” Rae leaves the bar to smoke.

Leon calls for Rae from the alleyway, and Leon’s friend tells her that she can eavesdrop better if she’s closer to them. The two men tease Rae, and Leon tells her that he will make the “game” easier. Rae is unsure what they’re talking about but feels “ready.” Leon gives her a safe word and asks if she wants to play or leave, giving her a chance to exit the alley. He then tells her that the object of the game is to make her orgasm before her friends come looking for her. Rae agrees, very turned on. Leon makes Rae orgasm, thanks her for playing the game, and then leaves the alley with Zane.

Leon walks with Zane, who says that Leon is obsessed with Rae. Leon does not agree, however.

Kent calls for but does not summon Leon. Leon therefore does not have to obey, but he finally becomes curious and teleports to Kent’s home. Kent is in his living room with Jeremiah, Everly, and Kent’s wife, Meredith. Jeremiah is rude to Leon about being late, and when Leon replies, he realizes that Kent has not punished him. In fact, Kent does not have Leon’s grimoire in his hands.

Kent tells Leon that he must kidnap Rae, and Leon refuses. Annoyed, Kent tells him that Rae is a Lawson and a descendent of the Blessed First Three and that she must go to the Deep One (the “Blessed First Three” were a trio of men saved from a mining disaster by the Deep One, who now demands payment in the form of their descendants). Leon picks up Jeremiah by his throat. Kent tells him to stop, but Leon reminds him that he does not have the grimoire anymore. Everly’s magic gives Leon pause, but he nevertheless gives Kent an ultimatum, saying that he will let Jeremiah live if Kent dismisses Leon. Kent is furious but agrees.

The day feels off to Rae: Jeremiah has not come to campus, and Victoria is acting strangely. Rae just wants to get home. As she tries to determine why she’s feeling so anxious, she smells something rotten. In the woods, she sees something that looks like a mutated, dead animal. She attributes it to an art installation and keeps walking. However, she feels like it is following her (it is later revealed to be an Eld).

A truck stops beside her, and Leon tells her to get in. He drives her to her house, and she asks him how he knows where she lives. He tells her that she should drive to campus, and she tells him that she will do what she wants. Nevertheless, he presses her to not walk outside at night. She gets out of the truck, and he leaves.