Chapter 16

A feeling of calm and peace spread through me as I took some puffs slowly. Then now I felt I could deal with anything that life decided to throw at me, including monsters from my worst nightmares.

I took another puff and imagined my father's lecture. The guilt was instant, but I didn't put the bottle out of my mouth. Sure, Dad would be disappointed, but maybe he would have to understand. After all, it was a coven, God! Could I even tell him about all this shit that had happened, will he even believe me? Or just think he would maybe fall into a crack?

"He will send me to that damn therapist for sure," I muttered to myself. How would that look in my work file? That I was seeing a shrink? Work. D seemed to materialize in front of my eyes, a questioning look on his face. "What?"

"I missed work. And I didn't even call to check in!" I looked at the payphone. "Maybe I could leave a message-" D shrugged. "We will have a ride in a couple of hours."

I felt a small measure of relief at his words. "Good. I guess I can wait until I get home, though I don't know what I am going to tell them."

"If you need to tell them anything, then I suggest you do it right away." "It will be easy from my place." I did cut myself off. "Why?".

He spoke with exaggerated emphasis. "I told you last time that is last night, going home after dark isn't a good idea at all, didn't I?".

"I have to go home D- or whatever way you are calling yourself. I need to change and get things in place, there are things that need to be sought out- I have a job I have a life, don't you see that making any sense?"

He crossed his arms over his chest. "I told you that things would change once you just find out the truth. I gave you a chance to change, turn, and run from it, and you chose not to. You can't just go back to being who you were or being what you used to be before; not now. You are involved. Mother witch will surely want your blood as much as he would want mine." He dropped to the curb next to me and leaned his elbows on my knees.

"But I'll have to tell her, that it is for sure a mistake. If I do explain it..." I trailed off, sure, it wasn't true. The kind of people that could make you tear up your brother's throat didn't understand the words 'mistake'. Oh, f*ck it!"

"I'm sorry," D quietly and simply said. He met my eyes and shrugged. "I did give you a chance, though." He plucked the alcohol bottle from between my palm took a long sip of it, and raised his eyes to the sky.

He then handed it back and I also took a puff numbly. My mind worked overtime, trying to think of a way out of all the troubles. The best thing to do was just to assume that D was telling the truth and that he wasn't deranged and insane.

After all, I had seen the thing in the basement and I had a weird bite mark on my shoulder. Both of these things were so real, so there had to be truth in his story. In that case, his advice was probably sound, whether I wanted to follow it or not. That was upon m

I took a breath, sighed heavily, and wished that the puffs were truly a ladder to some celestial utopia. But, even if they were, I would not know how to climb it anyway. No, I had to tell myself that I needed to think about practical things.

If for instance, the coven knew where I lived, I would have to get a new place to stay. Yeah, I really could do that. It was the only way out of all the problems I thought I was encountering.

I hated to do it, but I had to. As for the job, if I didn't show up I would find myself unemployed, and that would be a big problem for me. Considering that my father had decided that I should work in that new place of work.

While I sat over there, trying to reason out a new life, all around me, the world around me continued to exist. Humanity's humor continued to carry on as if nothing was amiss. A car then pulled in and parked.

Three young men and women piled out and headed into the gas station. I felt a deep isolation between myself and the happy young lads, as though an invisible rift of nightmares separated me from their carefree world.

"All right, it's okay- it's absolutely fine," I agreed reluctantly to D's words. But, I needed to go to work early the following day.

"I don't think I would," D commented casually and sluggishly as he took the cigar from my hands again.

I glared as he took yet another puff, "You know, for someone who thinks I should stay more quiet!"

"Yeah, that's correct. Uh well then, " He thereafter handed the cigar back. "As I was attempting to say, I wouldn't go if I were you!... I am sure they know where you work and as a matter of fact, they are not above recruiting humans when they need something done in the daytime."

"But you keep on talking of what they can so- or that they will come after me. But then, what did I do? What have I done?" My eyes were drawn to one of the teenagers who came slamming out the door. That was me, I thought suddenly. Yes, the one alone and no longer smiling.

"Nothing, but try telling that to the mother witch. They have been looking for Jack's brother for quite some time. I a certain that, and the moment they found us, you were there, seeing everything. He knew and he still knows who you are, and I guarantee he has been rescued by the coven so that he can get punished. If you don't think he will see you out, then you are sadly mistaken."