Her eyes look red, puffy, and bewildered. I’m about to get out of the car and go to her. The hell with being mad at her for picking them over me. Right now, she needs me. I can feel it in my bones, but as I place my hand on the door handle I see the stretcher being pulled out of Trivitt’s house. I lean forward trying to see who they are bringing out, but what I see stuns me to my core.
One black body bag is strapped to the top of the stretcher that two EMTs bring out of Trivitt’s house. An expensive SUV races past me and stops in front of the cop cars. Trivitt’s parents emerge from the SUV and rush forward. My mind still hasn’t wrapped around the fact that someone is dead. The body bag held someone in it and by the look on Olivette’s face she had found them.
My head fell back against the headrest of my seat while I tried to wrap my head around everything. More parents start to arrive to collect their kids. I spot Olivette’s parents easy enough as they pull up to pick her up. I watch as she rushes toward them. Once I’m sure she’s at least safe, I pull away from the spot that I’m parked in and head back around to my house.
I sit in the car in my driveway until I see headlights pull onto our street. Olivette’s parents pull into their garage and shut the door. I sigh in relief that at least she’s home, but I can’t help but worry about what she must have witnessed tonight. That haunted look in her eye is all I see every time I close my eyes.
Eventually, I get out of my truck and make my way into my house. When I reach my room, I don’t turn on the lights because I can see Olivette’s lamp light is on. She’s sitting on the side of her bed, her hair piled on top of her head. Her face is buried into her hands and even from here I know she’s crying. I stand in my doorway watching her until she turns off the lamp light and pulls a blanket up to her chin.
I move into my room after that. Grabbing my laptop, I crawl into my bed and log into my social media accounts to try and figure out what happened tonight at Trivitt’s. I scroll through news feeds until I see a post from Leah. Apparently, one of the football players, Terry, had been killed. That’s all that was said but my mind wandered to how and who?
****
I jolt awake just as the sun is about to rise. I rub the sleep from my eyes and try to figure out why I’m even awake. I’m not an early bird. I’d sleep past noon if I could, so the fact that I’m awake as the sun comes up is weird, especially on a weekend. Then I hear it, the tiny clink, the sound of a tiny pebble hitting my window pane. As I get to my window I look down and see Olivette standing below.
Her hair is wild, her cornflower blue eyes have dark circles under them. She pulls her oversized cardigan closer to her body. I can see the uncertainty on her face and in the way her body looks like she’s ready to bolt back to her house at any moment. I open the window and stick my head out. “Treehouse?” I ask her. This is what we used to do when we wanted to meet in the treehouse to discuss something. She nods once then turns to head for the gate on the side of my house.
I grab a pair of jeans and t-shirt before heading outside. When I step out of the house there is a nip to the air and I’m regretting my decision to not get a hoodie. I cross the lawn in long strides and climb the ladder. I smell her before I even reach the top; sweet and fruity. I guess some things never change. When I reach the treehouse, I see Olivette sitting in the farthest corner, her knees pulled up to her chest, her chin resting on top of her knees. Her eyes meet mine and the urge to close the distance between us and wrap my arms around her is strong, but I resist. I take a seat opposite of her.
“You were there last night?” she asks. Her question shocks me. I didn’t think anyone had seen me. I wasn’t parked in a really visible place. She nods her head. “I could sense you. It’s weird how I can sense your presence.”
“Yeah, I was on my way home and decided to take the long way home but ran into all of that,” I explain.
I see the moisture pooling in her eyes. “Do you know what happened?”
I shake my head. “Not really, all I know is that Terry was killed.”
Olivette bites down on her lip and nods her head slowly. “Yeah, he was, brutally. There was so much blood.”
“Did you see it happen?”
She shakes her head. “No, I was upstairs. My dad had called me to make sure I stayed put until the worst of the storm past. Then the electricity went out and I dropped my phone. I was trying to find it when Triv showed up. We had a…disagreement and I rushed downstairs. When I reached the floor, I slipped. I assumed they were being stupid and running around the house in the dark and had spilled something.” She pauses and takes a deep breath. “I was going to call Chasity to come and get me but when I reached the porch steps the lightning stopped me, it wasn’t normal lightning. Then the electricity came back on and all I could see was blood. It covered the foyer. I remember screaming and everyone came running. Terry was in the bathroom underneath the staircase. The blood was coming from underneath the door. Someone called the cops while the guys tried to get into the bathroom, but the door was locked.”
Retelling the story is unnerving her and I hate to ask questions, but I have to ask. “Did he…”
“No, he didn’t do it to himself. When the cops got there that’s what they figured but once they got inside they said there was no way he could possibly do that to himself. The bathroom mirror was shattered and the pieces of glass were everywhere, but a lot of them were stuck in his body,” she says, her voice breaking on the last part.
“You don’t have to tell me anymore,” I reassure her by placing my hand over hers.
“There’s more,” she tells me as she takes a deep breath. “When I left out of the theater room everyone was talking, but after I left out I guess they started playing truth or dare. Someone dared Terry to summon Bloody Mary.”
I scoff before I can think twice about it. “You don’t actually think that Bloody Mary killed Terry do you?”
“You don’t believe me, do you?” I don’t even have to answer because I can see the answer in her eyes. I watch as her defensive wall builds itself back up.
She moves past me in lightning speed. I reach for her but she yanks her arm away from me. “I thought you of all people would at least believe me. It all makes sense, but I guess everything does change, even you, Penn.”
“Olivette,” I call out as she climbs down the ladder. I watch as she hits the ground and jogs all the way back to her house. I drop my head back against the wall as I let out a frustrated growl. There’s no way Bloody Mary killed Terry, she’s just an urban legend, but then again it all does add up to the signs of her. The fact that I’m even considering this reminds me how ridiculous I’m being. I wanted to help Olivette, but I don’t know how.
Chapter 9
Olivette
Throughout the night I had tossed and turned. I’d barely gotten any sleep and what little sleep I did get was plagued by nightmares of blood and death. I woke up shivering despite the fact that I shouldn’t be cold. Every time I closed my eyes all I could see was the blood, so much blood, everywhere. I finally gave up on sleep all together when I had heard a noise at my window just before the sun came up.
It sounded like nails being dragged across the glass. The sound was similar to what I had heard in the cheer room yesterday afternoon, but there was no tree to blame it on. The closest tree was a good fifteen feet away in the backyard of my house. My room overlooked the garage. I had pulled my comforter up over my head and buried into my pillow trying to drown out the noise or hide from whatever was outside the window. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t drown out the sound. As the sun started to rise the noise stopped.
I felt brave enough after about ten minutes to peek outside the blanket. Nothing was there; the window was clear and no sign of anything touching the window. Maybe, it had just been my imagination? The events of last night were creating things in my head. As I looked out the window I saw Penn’s room. Before I realized what I was doing, I had pulled on a pair of jeans, shirt, and cardigan to fight of
f the early morning autumn chill in the air.
I made my way over to his house. Leaning down I picked a few pebbles from the ground. I looked up and tried to judge my distance. This used to be one of the easiest things to do, but it’d been a while so it’s possible it’ll end up being a mess. Praying for the best I launch the pebble at his window and with luck it hits. I throw a few more before I finally see a sleepy Penn appear behind the window. Even after all this time he knew. He knew I needed him and to meet me at the treehouse. Despite the fact he hated me he was willing to come outside. It meant more than I could tell him.
I’d had hoped while I waited for him in the treehouse. Hope that he would understand or maybe he had seen last night’s events as well. However, when I started to explain it all he had looked at me like I was crazy. Maybe, I was crazy? Maybe, I had just thought I’d see the red lightning and blood rain. I mean none of this was really possible, was it?
After talking with Penn, I went back up to my room and laid in bed, staring at the ceiling trying to forget the images from last night. A few hours later the doorbell rang then Chasity appeared in my doorway. I had totally forgotten we had plans today after everything that had happened last night. She came over and laid beside me. “We don’t have to go today, but I figured you didn’t need to be alone either,” she comments quietly.
Chasity and I had started a monthly ritual similar to what my mom and Penn’s mom have done since we were kids. We drive over to Concord to go out to eat, check out the local music and book store, then head over to the salon to pamper ourselves. Today, Chasity is supposed to be getting her electric blue streaks redone and I know she really wants it. I may not be in the mood for the trip but maybe it’s what I need. Maybe, I need to get away for a day and try to relax. I look over at Chasity “No, let’s go. I could use a break.”
“Are you sure?” she asks, raising her eyebrows. I nod in response and get up from the bed. “I’ll drive us if you want me to.”
I nod. “Yeah, that’d be great.”
Once I’ve changed clothes we head out to her car. “I’ve got our Panic! At the Disco and Fall Out Boy all ready to go.” On the way to Concord we blast the music while we dance and sing along. This is what I needed. I needed time away from everything. A moment to not think about everything else that has happened in the last twenty-four hours.
We grab lunch and stop at the music and book store before heading to the salon. On the way to the salon Chasity turns the music down. I had been waiting all day for this moment. The moment when she would ask me about last night. “Are you okay?” I shrug in response because I don’t really have an answer for the question. How can I be okay? I mean I saw one of our classmates dead last night. I went home and washed his blood off of my body. I watched as it ran onto the shower floor and disappeared into the drain, just like he had from this world. My silence must be too much for Chasity. “That’s a stupid question but I don’t know what else to say. I know you’re not okay, but I don’t want to ask you about it in case that turns out to be too much.”
“I don’t know what I could tell you. I don’t know what happened. When I left the theater room Terry was alive, laughing and joking around. He was sitting with Amiee and everything was normal. The electricity went out and then he was dead. I don’t know how. I don’t know who. I don’t even know why. Why would anyone want to even hurt Terry? He was nice to everyone. I can’t even think of a reason or person who would want to hurt him,” I tell her.
Chasity pulls into a parking space in the salon’s lot. “I know what you mean.”
We get out of the car and make our way to the salon. Most of the time I try to avoid looking next door toward the Conjurer’s Apothecary, but today I can’t help but look over there. I know that Oski would believe me if I went and told him about what I had seen last night. He believed in magic and the urban legends, but I wasn’t sure if that would make this situation any better. If Oski believed me I wasn’t sure what that meant for mine or his mental state.
I’ve stood, rooted in front of the salon, staring at the Oski’s place for too long because Chasity comes back to me. “What is it?”
“Do you believe in urban legends?” I blurt the question out before I can think twice about it.
A questioning look comes over Chasity’s face. “I mean to an extent I do, why?”
“What about Bloody Mary?”
Chasity hesitates for a moment. “I’ve played the game before.”
“You have?” I ask.
Chasity nods. “Of course, who hasn’t?”
“Nothing happened?”
“Nope, not a thing,” she tells me while shaking her head.
I sigh feeling slightly disappointed, but I don’t know why. It should be a good thing that nothing happened because that means it wasn’t Bloody Mary who killed Terry. It was just an everyday murder, yeah that makes me feel better. Maybe, I am just trying to make something out of nothing but for some reason I can’t let this go.
Chapter 10
Penn
I watched her from the other side of the door. I was parked around back next to Oski so she didn’t know I was here, but I had sensed her. When she had made that comment this morning it had stunned me more than anything else she had to say. Mostly, because I had always sensed Olivette when she was near. I had never been able to explain it though.
Shortly, after I watched Olivette and Chasity leave out of her driveway I gathered my book bag and headed for my truck. I had stayed only a few cars behind them on the highway. It was far enough to not look suspicious but close enough that I could still see what was going on. The weather was apparently going to be crappy again.
I felt like a creep following behind Olivette, but for some reason I felt like it was necessary. It’d been two years since we had spoken and in less that twenty-four hours I felt the need to protect her. I shook my head at how ridiculous the whole situation was.
When the girls stopped for lunch I drove a few blocks down from them and watched from my mirrors. When they finished lunch, they started walking my way. I prayed they wouldn’t come as far down as I was. If Olivette saw my truck and I’d have to come clean and I didn’t want to do that. I didn’t even know how to explain this to her. Luckily, they went into the music and bookstore a few doors up from where I was parked. I had let a sigh of relief escape then.
I decided it was best to come to the Conjurer’s Apothecary while they were still inside the store. I knew that the salon next door would be their next stop and to keep from getting caught it made the most sense just to head there now. I was being silly anyways, clearly Olivette was okay now. Sure, she was shook up this morning, but she’d had more time to think and clear her head now. She didn’t need me following her around like a stalker.
On my way to the Conjurer’s Apothecary a thought occurred to me. Where was Trivitt? You would think since he was Olivette’s boyfriend that he would have been at her house sometime this morning to check on her. Yet, he hadn’t showed up at her house. He wasn’t in Concord with her now. I knew I couldn’t stand the guy for my own personal reasons. I knew he was cheating on Olivette, but I was having a really hard time figuring out what she saw in him. He obviously didn’t care that much if he did, he would have at least come to check on her this morning after everything she saw last night.
Now, she was standing there looking at the door, that I was hiding behind, of the shop that had basically been our second home while we were kids. She looked lost and a little hopeless. I held my breath because for a moment I thought she was going to skip the salon and come into the shop. “Boy, you need to move away from that door. Standing there isn’t going to make her come in here,” Oski said from behind me.
Reluctantly, I turned around and went farther into the shop to find Oski rearranging the herbs. “How do you do that?”
“Do what?” he asks.
I sigh. “You didn’t even look out the window to know she was there.”
Oski shrugs. “Didn’t have
to, I could feel her aura.” I laugh out loud, louder than I mean to. Oski brings his eyes to meet mine and it silences me immediately. “You laugh but it’s all very real. You never believed, not even as a child. You always looked for the logical explanation. You could never accept the unknown but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. That doesn’t mean that magic and legends aren’t real. I’m afraid we are all about to find out just how real it all is.” With those words he turns and heads to the back of the shop. I want to stop him and ask what he means but I don’t. I fear what he might say. I fear that I already know and that his words will only make it all a reality. I can feel the difference in my bones.
Chapter 11
Penn
I stayed in Concord the rest of the day. I didn’t follow the girl’s home, it seemed silly. Obviously, nothing was going to happen. I was just being paranoid by the look I saw in Olivette’s eyes. Instead, of going back home I went to the gym where I take boxing classes three times a week. Working out usually helps to calm my overactive mind. I hadn’t planned on working out, but luckily, I keep an extra bag with work gear behind the seat in my truck.
After a couple of hours and a shower later, I head outside to head back home. To my surprise someone is leaning against my truck. It’s dark so I can’t see the face but from the height I’d guess it was a girl. As I get closer I can make her face out…Chasity.
She glares at me as I approach. “What a pleasant surprise,” I comment, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
Chasity cocks her head to the side. “Rude much?”
“You haven’t seen the half of it. Where’s Olivette?”
She rolls her eyes. “I dropped her off at home after we finished. I came back to talk to you. First of all, I don’t know why you don’t like me, but I don’t really care. I want to know why you were following us today.” Her words stun me and the look on my face must give me away. “Yeah I saw you.”
Breaking Bloody Mary Page 5