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I’d left my post outside Mercy’s house as the first rays of dawn lifted the horizon and came straight to my apartment and crashed. Nothing unusual happened the rest of the night, and I spent the darkest hours intermittently dozing. I planned to head back out into those woods today and do more investigation.
It’s possible I was mistaken in what type of creature I sensed. It’s definitely not a shifter, but I’m out of practice when it comes to identifying rogue supernatural beings. The wave of unconsciousness it sent at me could be excused as self-defense, but I’m convinced it has bad intentions sneaking around Mercy’s window.
Thankfully, Andy gave me my partial check yesterday. I’ll sleep another hour then track down some place to get breakfast before heading into the woods. I’m just rolling over when a WHAM! hits my door with such force, I’m on my feet at shifter speed.
Moving quickly around the room, I grab my jeans and step into them, jerking them roughly over my hips.
WHAM! It happens again, and anger is building in my chest. If someone or some thing has followed me home looking for a fight, it’s about to be sorry. Reaching forward, I jerk open the door just as a ladies shoe flies past my head.
“Watch it!” I shout, dodging to the side. I barely avoid catching a slipper in the face.
A creaky voice barks up to me from below. “You up, Kona?”
Groaning, I rub a hand over my eyes. I’ve given up trying to correct my elderly landlady on saying my name right.
I look down to see her standing at the base of the stairs dressed in a compact green suit that makes her look like a Lego person. She has a pillbox hat on top of her puffy white bouffant hairdo and a brown ladies’ boot is in her hand. I can only assume she was about to throw it at my door.
“Do you need something from me?” I say, still half inside my apartment.
“I need you to come down here.” Her voice is a stern order.
With a deep exhale, I leave my apartment and jog down the stairs. Her grey eyebrows are pulled together tight as always, but when I stop in front of her, she relaxes a bit with her smile. She reaches a wrinkled hand out and pats my bare stomach, pinching my skin.
“To be sixty years younger,” she murmurs, and I don’t miss the twinkle in her eye.
“You said you needed something.”
She snaps out of whatever naughty old lady thoughts she’s having and the frown is back. “I need you to take me to church. It’s Sunday!”
“Doris, I have plans for today.”
“Your plans can wait,” she turns and makes her slow progress back toward the house. “It’s a condition of renting the room. You have to escort me to church on Sundays.”
I catch up with her in a few strides and put a large hand on her shoulder. “Hang on a second and look at me.”
She pauses and lets her old eyes move slowly up my body. “I see you.” She nods. “You look good.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t know what kind of church you attend, but I’m guessing I have to wear something better than this to go.”
She nods and resumes moving at her slow pace, using her cane to keep her balance. “Come on.”
I watch her go through the silver screen door before hustling up to catch it and follow her
inside. It’s the first time I’ve been in Doris’s small house, but it’s exactly as I would’ve expected — ancient.
The kitchen is a tiny square. Wooden cabinets and counter tops are painted spring green, and the floor is a network of tiny white tiles with green ones here and there in a design. Built-in shelves hold large dinner plates and platters, and her refrigerator and stove look like they’re left over from the 1950s.
I only have a second to note her small, metal table and four chairs. She’s through the house calling me to come back wherever she is. The living room is next, and a large recliner with a pink crocheted blanket thrown over the top is positioned in front of the television. A TV table is beside it holding a remote and what looks like Doris’s empty breakfast plate.
“Where are you?” I call, scanning the dark-wood paneled room.
A picture of Jim in a cap and gown is in a frame on an end table under a lamp.
“Back here,” she calls. “I’ve got something you can wear.”
Aw, shit. After all this, I can only imagine the clothes I’m about to encounter. At least I’m confident whatever lime-green polyester leisure suit she’s got waiting for me won’t fit. Making my way down the short, dark hall, she’s in the first room to the right.
I step inside and freeze. “What the…” The words die on my lips.
