I lay on the seat of my car, unsure if my body would let me move past this. I closed my eyes and opened them sometime later, still sore, still very much impaled, but no longer sweating.I pulled myself up and reached into my pockets for my keys. I winced as they were on the right side, where the branch was firmly lodged only a few inches away. I attempted to press the pedal with my right foot but a quick test told me that wasn't going to fucking happen so I rested it back and adjusted myself to drive with my left foot. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and turned the car on.
I focused hard on the road. I didn't need to be pulled over as a potential DUI. Although once I got somewhere safe I'd be dousing my insides with liquor. I drove carefully, gliding right through town and past the police station, which had an empty parking lot. I let out a chortle, which was the best I could do. One fucking pothead rich boy gets stabbed and the whole police force comes running. Fifty-plus kids stolen from poor families and forced to do unspeakable things in horrible conditions in the middle of the woods and no one bats an eye.
I hoped he fucking bled out.
I drove past Eisley's house. A single light upstairs was on, but it wasn't her bedroom. I slowed down, even stopped at her driveway entrance, but then continued. I wasn't up for explaining how I got this wound. She wasn't stupid. If Micah survived, which, most likely he would, she'd see my wound and put two and two together.
I got to the woods and forced myself to get out and start the much smoother, but still long trek through the woods and to the Church.Knowing I was safer here, I paused against trees when I needed to and eventually made it through the doors and tumbled down the stairs.
I let out a scream as my fall caused the branch to dig deeper into my body. Kansas flew out from wherever he'd been hiding.
"Get this fucking thing out of me," I said through gritted teeth. I darted my hands to my leg and closed my eyes. I felt the pressure when Kansas grabbed it and began to pull. Finally able to let it out, I screamed as he tugged it out at an agonizingly slow pace. The moment it was gone, relief and an explosion of blood poured from my body. I steadied my breathing and looked down. I couldn't see anything through the gush of blood, so I reached into my pocket and pulled out my small pocket knife to rip my jeans further to assess things.
Kansas stood off to the side and watched right along with me as the blood stopped flowing and my skin and muscles began building themselves back up and fusing together until there was no wound, and I was simply sore.
I was too tired to stand, so I fell back against the walls and sighed. I let my head roll in Kansas' direction, and his expression darkened.I was just about to tell him that Micah had most likely survived my attack and we'd have to figure some shit out when he opened his mouth instead and blurted.
"We've got a problem."
Rule 69 - Eisley
Use the internet.
How did Kansas do that?
He fled the scene, and I let him, too confused and scared to do anything else. I finished picking up the broken teapot alone and cleaned up everything else. I poured the boiling water out, no longer wanting to eat or drink.
I wanted to tell Constantine. I stared at his number on my phone but put it away. It wasn't fair to involve him in whatever fucked up shit Kansas was involved in. For years, I'd worked my own flavor of witchcraft, but just simple things that fed on energy. Candle magick to manifest financial success, tarot cards to help me work through stressful situations, and reading tea leaves to make me think about things from a different angle. Nothing like healing a deep gash in your hand. That was... I didn't know.
Staring blankly at the wall, eventually, my eyes dried up and exhaustion led me to lock all of my doors, check the windows, and trudge upstairs, shutting and locking the door behind me.I thought I'd sleep, but I tossed and turned all night. Kansas, the boy I'd known since I was five. How could I not know something was up?Did it have anything to do with that girl he talked about?
Harper.
I tried to recall if he had told me a last name, and I concluded that he hadn't. I was sure that she had something to do with this. Why else would he tell me about her? Had she gotten him into dark magick and he had been trying to ask for my help?The theory took shape in my head. It was the only thing that made sense. Kansas was a sweet soul. He'd been hurt, and she must have seduced him and forced him to do something... weird.
I got up and went for my tablet. I didn't like to snoop on people. It always felt gross to stalk complete strangers on the internet, but I needed to know who this Harper woman was, and what she was involved in.
Kansas didn't post much himself. Just some shares about stuff going on at his campus. My heart sighed when I stumbled upon a random selfie. Up close, he was even more handsome.
I didn't see any relationship status or posts where people tagged him in. Nothing. I clicked on his friends' list, wondering if they'd remained cordial after they broke up. I clicked on her profile, and my heart dropped.
Her page was littered with articles shared by others about her death.
Campus missing person case closed.
Harper Blackery, promising student, taken too soon.
I clicked on each link, reading the gory details about how the pretty brunette had gone missing in September, and they found her body a month later. Just weeks ago. Her throat had been slit along with her stomach. Her insides were missing when they found her. Because she'd been in the water for so long, investigators weren't sure had animals taken her organs or if the killer had. The case was still open.
Cold fear slid down my body slowly, as I took in what the articles were saying. It was such a huge case, Kansas had to know about it. He knew and didn't tell me. Instead, he told me they'd dated. Not that she'd gone missing and was murdered. Why would he leave that bit out?
Something wasn't right.
Did Kansas have something to do with Harper's death? The Kansas I knew and loved and allowed to touch my body in the most intimate of ways? This was far more serious than the ability to heal. What had he gotten himself into?
Exhaustion begging me to sleep, but fear keeping me up, I rested my head on my pillows and stared up at the ceiling. What was I supposed to do?I closed my eyes, and suddenly, a shrill alarm burst from my phone. I bolted up and reached for it, pressing the buttons on my screen to unlock it and find what the noise was, and then, my heart stopped.
ALERT: SHELLEY VALE POLICE HAS ISSUED A WARNING AND CURFEW OF 8 PM. A SERIAL KILLER IS ON THE LOOSE AND UNTIL THEY CAN FIND THE SUSPECT, PEOPLE ARE ADVISED TO BE ALERT AND SAFE.
