by Rue Volley
“Well, you may be all super secretive now, but I bet that you will talk after we drink tonight,” she said.
“Drink?” I asked her.
“You know… alcohol, secrets and enemies all at the same time,” she said, as she laughed and walked towards my door.
I watched her go and opened my mouth to say something.
She turned around and grinned.
“It is my mission in life to make sure that you and Johnathan Graph end up married,” she said.
“You have been crushing on him for years, and it is time to get this started,” she said, as she hopped into the hallway and disappeared from sight.
“Oh god,” I whispered, sounding all disgusted.
I looked back at myself in the mirror and shook my head.
This isn’t my life. It cannot be. I will not go and try to seduce Johnathan Graph, of all boys, and then live out some bullshit housewife fantasy that Sara has had since we were in the fourth grade. She wanted a cute rich boy; I never did. I wanted something special, and I thought that I’d had that already. I mean did I?
***
Josh entered the house, and Lily sat there on the couch, gripping Jonah’s top hat in her hand. Theo stood in the middle of the room, with his hand on his chin… looking more like a scientist ready to cook up some new formula. Josh looked, as her as Sam and Kai came in and stopped behind him.
“What’s the story?” Josh asked, as he stared at Theo.
Theo shook his head and walked to the kitchen. Lily sat there, slowly turning the hat in her hand, rubbing her fingers along the edge of it. She looked up at Josh, and her eyes looked puffy, like she had been crying.
Josh titled his head.
“I went to the Graph house,” Lily said.
Josh walked to the couch and sat down next to her.
He looked down and stared at the hat.
Lily turned her head and looked at him.
“This was hanging in the tree, along with this,” she said, as she pulled out a necklace, with a small two-sided clock on it.
She held it up, and it spun in the air in front of her face.
Josh reached out and took it from her, placing it in his hand.
“This belongs to Rue,” he said.
Lily nodded and gripped the top hat tighter.
She started to bend it, and Josh placed his hand over hers.
“Lily… settle down,” he said.
Sam stepped forward and stared at the hat, and then yelled to Theo.
“You better have a plan,” she said.
Theo leaned in.
“Well, I do… but the credit goes to Lily,” he said.
Sam looked at her and sat down on the chair.
Kai sat down on the arm next to her and stayed silent.
Lily looked at the hat and then stood up.
“I told Theo that he needs to turn me back, to rogue,” she said.
“Lily!” Sam said, as she stood up and stared at her.
“No… listen. As a rogue I am like under the radar. It is nearly impossible to see me coming and even harder to kill me,” she said.
Josh sighed and closed his hand over the necklace in his hand.
Sam placed her hands on her hips.
“No freakin’ way! I mean, do you have any idea what we all went through to get you to what you are now? I almost stabbed Kai,” she said.
Kai looked up at her.
“What?” he said.
Sam turned to him.
“I did; you were chewing so loud that I almost cracked and stabbed you in the heart,” she said.
“Well that is just shitty,” Kai said.
Sam tilted her head.
“We were all irritated when Theo did his thingy, and I couldn’t stand you,” she said.
“I didn’t hate you,” Kai said.
Sam sighed and touched his face.
“Sorry… but I hated you,” she said.
“That is great… Sam, really nice.”
“Kai.” Sam said, as Kai leaned back on the chair, and she watched him.
“Okay then,” Josh said, as he stood up and stretched his arms out.
“Looks as if I am going rogue,” he said.
Sam spun around and stared at him.
“You are doing what with who?” she asked him.
Josh grinned and started to walk towards the kitchen.
Sam grabbed his arm and spun him around.
“Of all the stupid things that you have thought up… this is the worst,” she said.
Josh tilted his head and popped her on the tip of the nose.
“Well…1. I am not stupid…and 2. You know it will work. In fact, it is genius,” he said, as he leaned and winked at Lily.
Sam glanced back at Lily and grinned nervously; then looked back at Josh, gritting her teeth. She leaned towards him and whispered.
“She has been rogue… you have not.”
“Uh huh… well, I like to try everything at least once,” he said, as he turned and looked at Theo who stood at the sink, holding onto the side of it.
“Theo… whip up a double batch of your voodoo… I am going with Lily.”
Theo turned and tears were streaming down his face.
Josh and Sam looked at each other, and then stepped towards him.
“Man up, dude,” Josh said.
Sam hit him in the stomach, and Josh grabbed it and moaned a little.
Sam looked at Theo and shook her head.
“Theodore… what is it?” she asked him.
He looked at the two of them and tried to smile, but it didn’t look like him… not the calm and collected Theo that they had always known. He looked tired and beaten down.
“This is consequence, and if anyone should be something damned, it should be me,” he said.
“Theo,” Sam said, as she walked to him and touched his face.
“We all have had our moments…” she glanced back at Josh. “Some, more than others.”
Josh raised his hands up and shook his head.
“Seriously...? The ‘hate Josh’ shit is getting old,” he said.
Sam smiled at Theo and got him to crack a small smile.
“I mean… look at all that we have been through together, over the centuries… Most of the time, it is me or lover boy back there causing the drama,” she said.
Theo sniffled, and Josh rolled his eyes.
“I hate to be the dick here… but since I have already been appointed, we need to get this going,” he said.
Sam turned and looked at him.
“We are having a moment here,” she said.
Josh grinned and pulled his blade out, slamming it into the middle of the table.
It swayed, and they all stared at it.
“Listen… Rue is missing, Jonah’s hat is hanging in a tree like a big ‘fuck you’ to us, and I am not going to sit here with my thumb up my ass, just hoping that shit works itself out… because that is not reality and it is not us. We protect and along the way kill shit and kick all asses. So let’s get to mixing some hoodoo voodoo up… so that I can do what I was built to do already.”
Lily stepped up behind him and placed her hand on his arm.
“I told Theo that we should all do it,” she said.
Josh looked at him and grinned.
“You are scared!” he said, as he started to laugh.
Theo straightened up and cleared his throat.
“I most certainly am not.”
“Uh huh… you sure are,” Josh said, as he stepped towards him.
Sam stepped in front of Theo and stared him down.
“Stop it,” she said.
“Nope,” Josh said, as he swiped her out of the way with his hand and stepped up to Theo.
“You are being a pussyyyyy,” he said, as he laughed.
He accidentally spit on Theo, as he pronounced ‘pussy’ all weird.
Theo wiped his cheek and muttered something.
Josh leaned in with his hand up to
his ear.
“What...? Couldn’t hear ya,” he said.
“I am not a pu…ah…”
Josh laughed and looked in his face.
“Theo you shock me; here I always thought that you were all badass, and come to find out, we finally found something that shook you up.”
Josh looked at Sam, and she shook her head with her eyebrows raised. He turned back around, and Theo smacked him across the face. Josh raised his eyebrows and touched his face, rubbing the sting away.
“I would remind you that vulgarity is the sign of a weak mind.”
Josh grinned and took a step back.
“I would remind you that sometimes you should keep your pants on… trust me, I know.”
Theo looked at him, and Josh waited, hoping that he wasn’t about to lunge at him and give him a girlie smack down. Theo started to laugh, and then he bent over… laughing even harder. Josh watched him and started to laugh too. Sam grinned and tried to not laugh, but it was contagious. She busted out in laughter too.
“That was true bitch slap… was it not?” Theo asked, as he laughed.
Josh shook his head ‘yes’ and rubbed his face.
“You being the biggest bitch that I have ever known.”
Theo smiled and turned to the pot on the stove.
He picked up the spoon and waved it in the air.
“And coming from someone who has had all the pussy in the world… I take it as a compliment,” Theo said, as he started to stir.
“Theodore!” Sam said, as she laughed harder and covered her mouth.
“You said ‘pussy’…that is awesome,” Josh said.
Theo looked back at him.
“Oh… fuck you Joshua.”
Josh rolled with laughter, and Lily stood there, trying to see the humor… but finding it hard. Sam held her side and wiped her eyes.
“Are we going to do this?” she asked.
Theo looked at her.
“Yes, my love… We are going to do this together and right a terrible wrong,” he said.
Kai stepped in and looked at Sam and Josh as they laughed… leaning over.
“Somebody fart?” he asked, as he smelled the air and looked at Theo.
Theo looked at him and wrinkled his nose over the boiling mass in the pot.
“You would think so, but no… it is dinner.”
Josh and Sam fell to the floor laughing, and Theo rolled his eyes.
“I am not eating anything that smells like it came out of my ass,” Kai said.
Sam looked up at him and grinned, as she caught her breath.
“Me either,” she said.
Josh took a breath and started to push himself up.
Theo pointed the spoon at him.
“No flatulence jokes… I know that you have a million.”
“Just say ‘fart’…just once, and I will leave you alone,” Josh said.
Theo turned and stopped, as his eyes got big. Josh grinned… hoping that he would say it, but he didn’t. His eyes followed something that the naked eye could not see. Josh cleared his throat and looked around the room. Theo reached into his pocket quickly and pulled out a small black bag. He stepped up and looked at Josh.
“Move back… all of you,” he said.
Josh looked at Sam, and she stood up quickly and grabbed his hand… She tugged him backward, and Theo opened the bag and placed his hand into it. He pulled his hand out with a white powdery substance and threw it, letting the white dust float in the air in front of him. It started to float around, and then it started to coat something… a figure.
Sam and Josh leaned forward and watched, as the white dust swirled around, until a full form stood in the kitchen. It was Rue, looking at her hands, and then she walked towards the fridge and opened it up.
“What the hell?” Josh asked, as he stepped towards her.
Theo raised his hand to him and looked at her.
“She is here… just a few seconds away. It is a trick of timing,” he said.
Josh flashed to her and reached out, his hand going right through her.
He looked at his hand and back to Theo.
“You better have something up your sleeve,” he said.
Theo waved his hand, and the table flew out of his way. He pulled out black chalk from his pocket and started to scribble a strange symbol on the floor. Sam tilted her head.
“Theodore Barrington… that is a black symbol!” she said.
“I am aware of what I am doing, Samantha.”
“You know that as a protector it is forbidden to play around with that kind of magic,” Sam said.
Theo continued to frantically scribble until he connected the last line.
The floor started to vibrate, and he stood up and stared at it.
“I also should not have let a demon share my bed, but I did come away with a few tricks of my own… So perhaps, it was not a wasted effort,” he said.
Josh kept looking at Rue, as she started to fade a little.
“Theo… she is fading,” he said.
“Expected… I just pulled her into the light temporarily… I need for you to come here,” he said.
Josh looked at him and glanced back at Rue, as he walked towards Theo. Theo grabbed his hand, sliced it with his blade, and turned it over, letting the blood drip onto the black symbol on the floor. Josh looked at his bleeding hand and grinned.
“Are we doing some black magic here?” he asked.
Theo looked up at him and back down at the symbol.
“Yes… Aiwass was very fond of me.”
“Huh.”
“What?” Theo asked, as he shook Josh’s hand and the blood continued to drip on the floor.
“Why didn’t Sam and I know about this?” he asked.
“Glamor,” Theo said.
Sam stepped forward.
“You glamoured us?” she asked.
“Yes… yes, I did… for your protection.”
Josh laughed and looked over, as Rue started to walk towards them.
“She is coming,” he said.
Theo looked at her and nodded.
“Now when she steps into the symbol, you will need to grab her quickly,” Theo said.
“I’m on point,” Josh said.
Rue walked towards them and then stopped. She looked at something… past all of them and grinned. They all looked behind them and saw nothing. Rue started to talk, but they could not hear her.
“What the hell is she doing?” Josh asked.
“Being distracted… probably by Aiwass. He must know that I am trying to pull her here,” he said.
“Well, throw some of that baby powder over there so we can see him,” Josh said.
Theo looked at him and shook his head.
“The bones won’t work on him… He is a demon; it is his trickery that we are fighting.”
Josh looked at the black bag on the floor and back up at Theo.
“Are you saying … that is ground up bones?” he asked.
“Yes I am,” he said.
“Of who?” Sam asked.
“People,” he said.
Josh crinkled his eyebrows.
“Have you been sneaking out at night, killing things?” he asked.
Theo looked at him.
“No… it came from the graveyard.”
“You are dark,” Josh said, as he watched Rue start to walk towards whomever she was talking to.
“Oh… she is moving,” Josh said.
Rue moved over to the side and stood there looking down at her clothing.
“What the hell is going on?” Josh muttered.
Theo sighed and flashed to her.
“No time to make this pleasant… time for plan B,” he said.
“What is plan B?” Sam asked, as she walked up to Rue and looked at her.
She looked like a ghost… a white and fading version of the Rue she had known these last few years.
“Theo?” she said, as she tilted her head.
“Rue loo
ks ill.”
Josh looked at her and flashed over, leaning into Rue’s face.
“She looks hungry.”
“Of course she is. She is being starved, not only from food but of energy. I am sure that Aiwass is trying to get her to a point where she will eat anything.”
“Oh, hell no… get this on, Theo… now,” Josh said.
Rue lifted up off of the ground, like she was being hugged, and then started to float across the kitchen floor. Theo scrambled to the edge of the kitchen, still scribbling. Then she passed through the doorway, and she faded. Josh stood there and opened his mouth.
“Okay… plan C,” he said.
Theo dropped the black chalk on the floor and looked up.
“It is time to go rogue,” he said.
Josh nodded and walked to the table jerking his blade out; then he swung it over his head and sliced the table in half, as he cried out in anger. Everyone stood their ground. Josh stood there with his chest rising and falling quickly.
“You finish that stinking concoction. We are going into the Graph house, and I will choke the life out of that stinking corpse,” he said.
Theo stood up and looked at all of them.
“I cannot promise that I can return us to our natural state once we do this,” he said.
“I couldn’t give two shits.”
Lily stepped up and looked at him.
“Well, you should,” she said.
Josh looked at her and grinned.
“Do you think that I will be any more of an asshole than I already am?” he said.
Lily grinned and looked at her hands.
They all watched, as a cat ran through the symbol on the floor. It stopped, started to shake violently, and then started to spit up blood. Josh flashed to it and grabbed it… pulling it from the circle and the cat twisted… all of its bones cracking, as Josh tried to hold it still. Then he dropped it, as it fell to the floor in a thud and shuddered as it let out its last breath. Josh rubbed his neck and looked at Theo.
“What the hell just happened?” he asked.
Theo stepped up to it and tilted his head.
“I guess that my symbol was the wrong one,” he said.
They all leaned over the cat and shook their heads.
“Well, good thing Rue didn’t step into it.”