Travis grabbed my hands. “Damn, they’re like ice.” Then he began rubbing them between his own.
“Stop it,” I said.
“What? Your hands are freezing. I think your experiencing a bit of shock. I’m trying to warm you up.”
She’s in shock. I’m not even sure she can process what she saw.
The words shot up from the dark depths of my brain, and I swatted them at the same time I ripped my hands away from Travis.
“I said stop,” I said through bared teeth.
I turned back to the house and my mouth opened but nothing came out. InsteadI pointed. Travis followed my arm to a woman whowassneaking out a window on the side of thehouse. She wore spandex leggings and a dark purple shirt that dropped in a ‘v’Dark brownhair, tanned skin,Asian, with high cheekbones and a full mouth.Even from a distance she had a sultry look about her and sherimmedher eyes in ‘fuck off’ eyeliner, my own personal favorite. A beauty mark sat just above the left side of her lip. When she caught my gaze, her eyes narrowed before she turned and ran like hell.
“How in the heck?” Travis asked, “How come we didn’t see her?We searched that house top to bottom.”
I was off like a shot, racing across thedeadgrass, ready to pummel answers out of whoeverorwhatevershe was.
Behind me,the scream ofsirenscareeninginto thecul-de-sac drownedout Travis yelling my name.
7
On the drive back to Mrs.Ritshouse, I wasn’t sure ifKrystanwas shaking from anger or shock. The woman who snuck out of the house had gotten away. I was half surprisedKrystanhadn’t spiraled into a blaming tantrum,resorting tome as the usual scapegoat.
Not that I loved theabuse buthaving her sitting silently was worse.NormalwasKrystanrunning her mouth and pushing every button I had, twice. I needed normal right now. Every time I shut my eyes, I saw the bodies, smelled the fresh blood cloying the air in the kitchen.
I cleared my throat and focused on the road.“At least the cops weren’t total dicks this time. I mean while you were off chasing that rando girl, I got the lecture on how weshould alwayscall the cops first, and to leave these things to the professionals. Except this time, the guy didn’t really seem to have any heart behindit.”
The truth was first responders were stretched thin as it was. They were doing their best torespond butfighting hell beasts wasn’t covered in basic.Thankfully, someone had started anonymously publishing dossiers on different beings from the Stygian that cropped up, and the cops and military forces instantly got savvier with some real info on their side.
I went on.“He said we’dhave to wait for the ME to officially declare the cause of death for thosepeople,but it was pretty evident that they all committed suicide.I found a memorial program. They’d just come from a funeral for an uncle who had been fighting cancer for several years. But why would that contribute to a mass, familialsuicide? I mean one of the kids looked to be fifteen, and the other one looked like he was aboutNoah’s age.Looked like the teenager just picked up a jug of bleach and chugged itwhile the mom and little one went for the kitchen knives. Maybe they were possessed? But I didn’t smellthe usual sulfur that usually stinks up the bodies during and after a possession. Plus, the dark spirits usually love their meat suits so they can run around and torture other people, not crash their own ride.”
Krystandidn’t say anything, just kept staring at the road.
“And then they told me that I was the coolest guy they'd ever met.”
Nothing. No snort of derision orall-outassault of my character.
“Then one of them slapped on a tutu and started dancing around.”
Krystankept her eyes forward, mouth firmly shut.
“Do I need to take you to a doctor?” I finally asked.
She jolted in her seat, turning her eyes to me as if seeing me for the first time. “What?” her voice was unduly alarmed.
I rolled my shoulders back trying to not let her tense energy interfere with my calm. “Because I can take you somewhere. Hey,they might even examine your head if I asked.” I gave her a cheeky grin.
She stared at me as if unable to comprehend what I was saying.Her mouth had gone slack and her dark brows were scrunched halfway between worry and fear.
Forgetthe doctors, I was going to drop her off at an insane asylum becauseshe’dclearlysnapped. Itauntedher in a waythatwouldhavenormallysent her into a nuclear fit,and all she did was stare at mewith a half haunted, surprised expression.
The rest of the ride was silent. In Mrs.Rits’shouse, I went straight to the living room and pulled the bottle of whiskeyKrystankept ‘hidden’ under the couch. She was still in the foyer taking off her jacket when she saw me with the bottle. Shestilled,arms half poised in her coat.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
I grabbed a china cup from a display shelf ofseveral floweryteacups and poured some of the whiskey into the cup. “I think you need a drink.”
I got halfway across the living room to hand it to her when shesaid,“Thehell is wrong with you?”
