When Evil Comes to Play

by B. L. Brunnemer

  I smiled. “Then I’ll see you the next day too, and then the next, and the next.”

  Her lips moved into a half smirk. “Have you ever had a job in your life?”

  “Several.”

  “What? Did you keep getting fired?” she asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

  “We kept moving,” I countered.

  She ran her eyes over me, seeming to decide something. She walked around the desk and leaned on the counter. “You have a resume?”

  I opened the folder, pulled it out of its pocket, and handed it to her. Her eyes ran over it. Eventually, she looked at me again. “There are a lot of cities here. How do I know you aren’t moving again?”

  “I'm living with family now, and I'll be eighteen in August,” I explained.

  She reached out, turned my portfolio to her, and looked through it again. “These are good, but you need to work on your use of negative space.” She pointed to one of my skull and roses drawings. “This is too busy; you’re packing too much in. You need a balance.” She met my eyes. “What are your plans for college?”

  “I haven’t made any,” I admitted. “Everything would depend on where I could get an apprenticeship.”

  She tapped the drawing. “You need college-level art classes. It’ll help you perfect your technique, and that is everything.”

  I nodded. Shit. “Alright. I’ll start looking at art schools.” How the hell was I going to do that?

  “You’re out for the summer?” she asked.

  “Yeah, yesterday was our last day.” I told myself not to hope.

  “Alright, I’ll start you at one day a week for a few hours,” she told me. I resisted the urge to shout in victory. “Come back Monday, around eleven. The sign will say closed, but I’ll be here.” She eyed my clothes. “And casual is more than fine.”

  “Thank you so much,” I said. “You won’t regret this.”

  “I better not.” She held out her hand. “I’m Meghan Bricker.”

  I shook her hand with a smile. “Lexie Delaney.”

  * * *

  When I got back in the car, I practically knocked Miles over in my rush to hug him. He laughed and hugged me back.

  “I take it you got the job?” he asked, chuckling.

  “Yes!” I practically squealed as I squeezed him tight. Moving back to my seat, I smiled up at him. “I start on Monday.”

  He grinned at me. “That’s great.” I put on my seatbelt, still beaming.

  Miles pulled out onto the road and started for Zeke’s house. “Did they like your artwork?”

  My smile faded. “Yeah, though she did say I should take college art classes.”

  “She did?” he asked carefully.

  I looked out the window and sighed. “Yeah, looks like I need to start looking for an art school.”

  “What was your SAT score?” he asked.

  I wrung my fingers as I answered. “I haven’t taken it.”

  There was a long silence. “Well, testing starts again when school starts. I’ll help you prepare if you’d like?”

  I flashed him a smile. “I’m taking you up on that. I’m way behind on the college front.”

  “Maybe, but you do have a great GPA. And you have time to prepare for the exam,” he reassured me.

  “My GPA is pretty good,” I admitted, feeling better. If Miles said I had time to get ready for the test, I had time.

  “And with a job, that will help with extracurriculars,” he said, clearly thinking out loud.

  I closed my eyes. “Extracurriculars.” I groaned before turning to him. “I don’t have any, at least none that I can put on a college application.”

  “That’s not completely true.” He turned into Zeke’s long driveway.

  “What am I going to put? ‘Crossing the dead and healing the Veil?’”

  He grinned. “I was going to suggest ‘volunteer work.’”

  I thought about it. “Okay, yeah, that might work.”

  Then it hit me, like a blow to the heart. I almost couldn't breathe as I realized, I might not have to worry about college. Given what my scans showed, I'd be lucky to graduate high school. Shit. My heart ached, and I fought to keep my face blank.

  Miles pulled his car in next to Zeke’s Jeep. “The point is, don’t panic. You have time, and I’ll help.” He sounded so excited…

  I sent him a smile as my throat tightened. “Thanks, Nemo.”

  A warm smile spread across his face. “You’re welcome, Lexie.”

  I got out of the car and let Hades out, grabbing my bag of clothes to change into. I was not working in Sylvie’s garden in slacks. Hades ran off with his leash still attached. I wasn’t worried; he wouldn’t leave the property. I headed for the house while Miles headed around the side.

  “Tell them I’ll be there after I change,” I said, opening the front door.

  “I will,” he said before disappearing around the corner of the house. I walked inside and closed the door. Zeke's house was cute, there was no other way to describe it. The inside was bright and had a beach house feel; all white wood and light colors. The house was cool and quiet, exactly what I needed right now. I walked to the end of the hallway across from the door to the bathroom. Zeke's bedroom door was cracked open. I knocked, just in case he was inside, but there was no answer. Heart aching, I walked in, closed the door and sat on Zeke’s bed. I took deep, slow breaths, hoping it would stop my eyes burning. I got a job at the shop. Be happy and just enjoy that. Focus on the good.

  Slipping off my shoes, I got up and started changing into my cutoffs and a blue tank. I was fastening my shorts when the door opened.

  “Hey, Beau— Oh, shit!” Ethan’s voice came from behind me.

  I rushed to put my shirt on. “Damn it, Ethan,” I snapped as I pulled it on over my head.

  He chuckled. “I’ve seen you in your underwear before.”

  “In emergencies,” I countered. “Not exactly the same.” I pulled the hem down to cover myself and got my sandals out of my bag. It was totally different. Especially since he had kissed me, even if he didn’t remember it. Or remember grabbing my ass... or biting my lip... I let out a breath as my body warmed at the memory. Now, if only I could forget it.

  “Sorry, Beautiful.”

  I shook my head and started folding my slacks to put in my bag. “Why were you looking for me?”

  “I wanted to see if you got the job,” he said as he moved to stand next to me. He picked up my blouse and laid it against his chest as if to see if it would fit. “And I wanted to get a look at you in this get up.”

  I smiled as I shook my head and snatched my blouse from his hands. The twins could always get a smile out of me.

  He chuckled. “You’re gonna burn out there, Beautiful,” he reminded me.

  I pulled my sunblock out of my bag and handed it to him. “I think ahead.”

  He poured some lotion into his palm before stepped behind me. I pulled my hair into a high, messy bun. I held my hand over my shoulder so he could put some sunblock in my palm. I began rubbing it into my arms.

  “So, did you get the job?” he asked.

  I started rubbing lotion on my face. “Yep. Had to convince her though. And she told me I needed college-level art classes.”

  “Oh, ouch,” he said.

  “Not really. I just hadn’t planned on college,” I explained.

  “Did she say you had to graduate?” he asked as I moved on to my chest.

  I sighed. “No, she didn’t. But if I go, I might as well, right?” I tried sounding optimistic.

  “I don’t know,” Ethan admitted as he stopped rubbing lotion into my back. “I’m not doing college.”

  I turned, sat down and took the sunblock from him. “You’re not?”

  He shook his head. “I know exactly what I want, and it doesn’t involve college. At least not right away.” I started rubbing sunblock into my legs and feet.

  “Music, right?” I smiled.

  He nodded. “Yep. Onc
e we make a bigger name for ourselves. We've already started getting a following on YouTube. We just need to build on it; write our own music and get better. We’ll have to bust our asses, but in the end, it’ll be worth it.”

  I met his eyes. “I really hope it happens for you.”

  He grinned. “Me too.”

  Zeke walked into the bedroom. His eyes shot to Ethan then to me. “What are you doing in here?”

  “I was changing.” I pointed at my bag.

  “And I was helping,” Ethan added. Zeke glared at him, his mouth a hard line.

  “Relax, Zeke. He’s messing with you,” I told him. Zeke’s shoulders relaxed a bit. “I was putting on my sunblock.” I got to my feet and put my lotion in my bag.

  “Out!” Zeke barked at Ethan. Ethan left, laughing. I put my flats in my bag and picked it up. “You can leave your stuff in here,” he told me.

  I turned around and watched him plugging his phone in at his desk. “You aren’t worried I’ll go after your baby pictures?”

  He set his phone down. “I moved them weeks ago.”

  I walked to the door and set my bag down next to his desk. “Oh, a challenge.”

  He walked around the desk and looked down at me. “Come on, we have gardening to do,” he grumbled. I snickered the whole way down the hall. Irritating Zeke was always fun.

  Sylvie’s vegetable garden was on the right side of the house, and it was huge. It took everyone working in it to get the vegetables picked and packed for the farmer’s market tomorrow.

  I was working in the squash section when my phone rang. I wiped the dirt off my hands and pulled my phone out of my pocket. It was Travis.

  “Hey, Travis."

  "Hey, I've got some info," Travis announced.

  “What’s going on?” I asked as I sat back on my knees.

  “The girls’ parents are leaving at five to go to a church support group they are running. They aren’t coming back until around midnight.”

  “Um, when does the action usually start?” I asked.

  “Around dark.”

  “Okay, text me the address and I’ll be there around dark,” I told him before hanging up. Was I really fucking doing this? Everything that could go wrong ran through my mind. I shook my head. Worrying about it wouldn’t help a damn thing. Pushing it out of my mind, I went back to work in the garden.

  It was peaceful work with the sun warming my shoulders; my hands were buried in the cool, rich soil. An odd kind of calm filled me. All my worries faded away. I don’t know how long I worked pulling weeds, but eventually the scent of limes met my nose. I smiled.

  Isaac squatted across the row from me. Sweat covered his face and soaked the neckline of his tank top. “We’re calling it, Red. Asher and Miles almost have dinner ready.”

  I got to my feet and dusted the dirt off my knees before heading back to the house.

  “Travis called,” I told him. “I need to head over around dark.”

  Isaac wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “We need to head over.”

  “You’re sure you want to go?” I asked, wrapping my arm around his waist.

  “We’re not letting you go alone,” he told me as we reached the front door. I opened the door and went in. I walked down the hall and used the bathroom to clean up. When I came out, Isaac was looking in Zeke’s room. I smacked him on the butt; he yelped and jumped.

  He glared at me. “I thought you were Zeke.”

  I snorted. “Zeke smack your ass often?”

  He chuckled as he walked into the bathroom. I headed for the kitchen.

  “How do you think he’ll do this year?” Asher asked. Miles was at a counter making a fruit salad while Asher was making hamburger patties.

  “The last two years he was alright until the month of,” Miles said as he put washed berries in the fruit salad. “I think he’ll be alright until three weeks ahead.”

  “We still need to watch him,” Asher countered.

  Miles nodded.

  I stepped between them and snagged a blueberry from the bowl. “Watch who?” I popped the berry in my mouth and went still. It was not a blueberry. It was sweet, but with an odd almond taste. “What did I just put in my mouth?”

  They chuckled.

  “That’s a Juneberry,” Asher explained. “They ripened early this year due to the heat wave.” It was tasty. I snagged another one.

  “Nifty. Now, who were you talking about?” I popped the berry in my mouth.

  “We can’t really say,” Miles said. “It’s… not our history.”

  “Oh, okay.” I snagged another berry. “Are you sure you have enough of these?” I ate the berry in my hand and grinned up at Asher.

  When I reached for another one, Asher shot me a look. “Not if you keep eating them.”

  I giggled as Asher finished making the patties. “Take these to Zeke.”

  “Why? So I can’t eavesdrop?” I teased.

  “I don’t care about eavesdropping, I’m saving the berries from you,” Asher countered. I took the tray of raw meat and headed for the back door. Miles opened the door for me. I winked at him before heading out. Zeke was at the barbecue with his hand over the grill. I smiled. Tank and Kita were sunning themselves on the roofs of their dog houses nearby. One twitch and Tank was going to fall off.

  “I come bearing meat to cook,” I announced as I set the platter on the barbecue shelf.

  “Good timing,” he muttered.

  I eyed him. “You okay?”

  He nodded.

  “Zeke?” My voice rasped. I winced.

  “Have you heard back from those ghost hunting guys?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I need to head over around dark,” I said in my damaged voice as I went to the cooler and pulled out a water bottle. “You want a drink?”

  “Water,” Zeke answered.

  I picked up another bottle then moved to his side and handed it to him. I took a drink to get my voice back. “Okay, Tough Guy, talk to me.” I wasn’t asking.

  His jaw clenched as he seasoned the burgers. “I don’t like these guys knowing what you can do.”

  “That’s why Miles had his lawyer draw up the confidentiality agreement,” I reminded him, trying to be patient.

  “I still think it’s a stupid risk,” he told me.

  “It’s a little girl,” I reminded him. “You saw the photos.”

  He nodded. “I know. And I want you to do this.” He turned and met my eyes. “Doesn’t mean I like it.”

  I gave him a small understanding smile. “Same here.”

  His eyes ran over my face before he went back to the grill. "You need anything before we go?"

  I thought about it as I chewed the corner of my bottom lip. "I have a few things that could work. I'll need to pick them up from Miles' house before we head over."

  "I'll tell Sylvie we're hitting Miles' house,” he muttered as he began to put the burgers on the grill. "That should get me a few hours."

  "Sylvie is going to be studying for the Bar Exam, right?" I asked, getting his mind off where we were going tonight. We talked about Sylvie's new job that was waiting for her, how happy she was to see the light at the end of the night shift tunnel. Anything to keep him from worrying about tonight. I was worried enough for the both of us.

  * * *

  It was almost dark when the twins drove me and Hades over to the address Travis sent me. It was a neat three-story house at the north end of town. Ethan pulled the car up to the curb and parked. The others weren’t too far behind. When I got out, I brought Hades and my bag with me. The front door opened. Keith, Travis, and a girl who was vaguely familiar came out onto the front porch. Her brown hair was back in a ponytail.

  I took a deep breath and let it out slowly before walking up the flower-lined walkway.

  “Lexie, this is Cara,” Keith said. “Her little sister Mia is the one the activity revolves around.”

  “One moment,” Miles said as he reached the porch steps. He held up the papers in his hand.
“First, everyone signs the confidentiality agreement.” He pulled a pen from his pocket and handed it, along with the papers, to Travis. Travis sighed, put the contract on the porch railing, and signed. Keith did the same.

  Miles turned to Cara. “You too, please.”

  Cara eyed him and then signed as well. She handed the contract to Miles. Miles nodded to me. I sent him a small, grateful smile.

  “Fill me in,” I said.

  Cara gestured for us to come inside. We followed her into an inviting living room and I sat on the couch beside her. Hades sat on the floor next to me. Asher took one armchair and Ethan took another. Keith and Travis stood near them. Zeke and Isaac leaned against the walkthrough to the foyer.

  “It started a month ago,” Cara began, her hazel eyes shadowed. “My sister and I had horrible nightmares. Mine were bad, but Mia’s…” She met my eyes. “Mia told me about one once. It was like every nightmare she had ever had wrapped up into one.”

  “That bad?” I asked.

  She nodded. “In that dream she was skinned alive. She felt it and she woke up screaming. I thought something was wrong.”

  My nightmares were bad, but… damn. “What happened next?”

  “My nightmares went away, but she started sleep walking. We found her a mile away once, just walking down the middle of the street. She had no clue how she got there.”

  “That’s scary as hell,” I admitted.

  She nodded. “Mom and Dad thought she was just sleep walking, but it didn’t feel right. Then things started moving around the house.” Cara took a breath and let it out. “Doors slammed. I could hear a voice, but I could never hear what it was saying. Then the first scratches started.” Cara met my eyes. “My parents thought she was being bullied at school, so they took her out and put her on homeschool. But it hasn't stopped. She barely sleeps anymore, and one night, when she slept next to me, I woke up to her standing there with a knife. The look in her eye wasn’t my little sister.”

  Oh, shit. “I’m going to assume that’s extremely out of her normal,” I offered lightly, trying to break the tension and failing.

  She nodded, her eyes filling with tears. “Now, she gets sick whenever she tries to go to church. She’s awake all the time. And if I make her angry, things fly at me. My parents don't believe me and I don’t know what to do.”