“So, you see nothing but the imperfections, is that it?” She asks. I look over, expounding in frustration “I see nothing but cynical stubbornness mixed with literal misplaced efforts of betterment.”
I point to the end of Old Towne that’s connected to the ABC’s, exclaiming “Why the fuck would you pretty up this side of town-” I then point to the other side; the cross section of the two main freeways that run through town “-when everyone comes through that side and see’s how fucking patchworked it is?”
I can’t help but turn around, facing the large tank. “Is that it?” She asks. I throw my hands up, looking at her, “No! I could point out all thirteen churches in town too. Thirteen! They’ve got no REC center for kids to do anything in this town, but they sure as hell got enough churches for the old folk to bitch about how the ‘young-uns are being hoodlums!’ God forbid you try to guide the youth of your town into being productive members of society! Let’s all just ignore the clear solutions to our problems!”
I wave my hand at her, dismissively. “I’m done.” I take a breath, shaking my head as I look down at my Chuck Taylors with my back to the town again. Az then asks in a facetious tone “So, you’re saying they’re misguided?” I roll my eyes, looking back up at her “Don’t fucking start that shit. Don’t be that person.”
Acting aloof to her question, she asks “Start what, Rick?” Aggravated, I start in on it again, “Don’t start that ‘They just need guidance and a leader’ bullshit, because that’s what it is; bullshit. These people are terrible human beings and they justify their actions because everyone else is just as terrible as they are, ok? Honestly, it’s no surprise that all this dark shit happens here when you factor all that into it.”
She raises an eyebrow, “Huh?” I turn back around, throwing my hand outward towards the town “You don’t see half the shit I’ve dealt with here happening in New York or LA or Chicago. Even DC; people would shit their pants if they saw haunted cars, then turn around and have to deal with fucking vampires or ghosts and shit.”
“So why do you think this place is special?” She asks, to which I sneer in amusement. “Because everyone here knows each other. Out in DC or some other city, no one gives a fiddler’s fuck who you are. They’ll cut you off in traffic, snag the last parking spot and even mug your ass in the wrong back alley. Here, everyone knows who you are and they’ll still do fucked up shit to you. Hell, they’ll do that shit because they know who you are. Indifference is evil enough when you don’t know the person, but when you do know them and still act up, that’s the real evil.
“That’s why you always see dark stuff happening in smaller towns rather than the cities. Spree killers coming back as revenants every fucking year, lunatics getting all hairy and primal, ripping their neighbors apart and blaming it on some curse. Throw a rock in this town and you’ll hit something like twelve people who make up shit about their co-workers or harass their neighbors for the slightest inconvenience. Even steal shit from whomever then go to church and act like they’re ‘God’s people.’
“We don’t live in a world where we’re fighting to be top of the food chain against monsters and demons; we live in a world where we’re punished for being delusional and arrogant.” I turn to Az, pointing at her as I tilt my head down, gazing at her from over the top of my glasses “Bad shit may happen to good people, but the worst shit happens to bad people…” I trail off, looking over the town as I finish “A lot of times, it bleeds over to people who don’t deserve it, too.”
After a beat of silence between us, she asks in an honest tone “Is that why you do it?” I look over at her quizzically and she expounds “The job.” I look back down at my Chuck Taylors, thinking as I slide my hands in my pockets. I let out a sigh, not knowing how to answer.
“How do you know who deserves it and who doesn’t, then?” She inquires further. I look back up at her, sure of how to answer that question “That’s not for me to decide.” Az just shakes her head, a small smirk on her face “No it isn’t, is it?”
We fall silent again as we both look out over the town. Everything looks exceptionally orange and brown, considering the season. Dead trees with barren branches, obscuring the views of the houses and buildings of the town. The tar covered roofs of the buildings and the dark colored shingles of the houses make it seem as if there’s something dark lurking underneath it all. Fitting visual, really.
Chapter 33
I was standing outside the county lock-up, hands in my coat pockets. It was cold, but not as much as it had been lately. I was thinking that the parka might’ve been a little much. The wind blew gently, reminding me of how thin my Chuck Taylors were, thus the need for the parka. Not to mention Lilith’s cold fender against my denim covered ass didn’t help.
It’s overcast this morning; just a little after 9am. I’m parked as close to the main exit as I can get. There’s no two-layered gate with a section that rolls from side to side, or some steel double doors. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear I was standing outside a school or some kind of government building.
That’s when Fiona walked out the small double door exit, escorted by an officer holding the door open for her. She was still wearing the pajama pants she nicked from me and my dragon hoodie. Her black hair was pretty frizzy and she was looking a lot healthier than before. Still pale, but not as drained.
She scans the parking lot, almost immediately spotting me. Her arms are folded from the cold air, but she dons an almost scolding smirk and takes on an air of disappointment. I sigh heavily, looking down, then glancing back up. I give her the puppy-dog-eyes from over the rim of my glasses.
We don’t say anything to each other when she approaches me. We both take a minute, silent and having a conversation with our own body language. She’s clearly the one in control as she stands up straight and stiff. I’m hunched over, head low and avoiding her gaze.
Fiona sighs, dropping the act as she leans into me. Her hands slide around my waist, under my parka as she presses against me. I take my coat and wrap it around her as much as possible while she rests her head on my shoulder. I don’t even realize I’m smiling until after I rested my cheek on her head, my arms tightening around her a little.
“So,” She says, breaking free from our embrace, “You kept her.” I nod, as she runs her hand on the roof of the car. “Good to see you again, beautiful.” I shake my head before explaining, “I’m still pretty strapped for cash and I need to get around somehow.”
We get in the car and drive off, heading back to Potton. By this point I already knew how this was gonna pan out. She was gonna stick around for a couple days, pretend to be interested in something serious. Hell, maybe she really would be at some point. God knows I’d welcome the change. We’ll fuck a few times, I’ll get her set up with some clothes, a burner phone and then she’ll up and disappear on me again.
That’s what she does, after all. That’s what she does to me, at least. I couldn’t tell you why, for the life of me. I honestly just labeled her as a gypsy one day as a joke and the idea ended up sticking a little too well. Going from place to place, wearing all that she owns. Her body flying as free as her soul.
I look into her eyes as she smiles at me from across the bench seat. Despite knowing these facts, I can’t help but disregard it. It’s honestly the first time I’ve ever taken in a moment for what it is. First time in a long time, at least. I couldn’t care less that she’d be off not long after this; on with her bullshit.
I grin like a smartass and look to the wheel. “Hey,” I say, “Watch this shit.” Fi watches as I let go of the wheel, taking my foot off the pedal and scoot closer to her. She goes wide eyed, gripping the door as she gasps in fear. However, the wheel smoothly turns with the curve in the road. She goes silent as the car drives itself, taking it in before she giggles “What the fuck?”
I laugh with her, putting my arm around her. She leans closer to me as we look out in front of us. She shakes her head, gently as she mumbles “This is fre
aky as Hell.” I chuckle as I nod, “I know, right?”
I look to her with a soft smile. She looked into my eyes, giving her own soft smile. Slowly, I move closer to her, pressing my lips to hers. Her arm gently make it across my shoulders as I turn more towards her, our kiss deepening. Any concern or worry doesn’t just melt away, but fades as if it were never there in the first place.
Chapter 34
When Dr. Evan Beck woke up this morning, he was lying on the floor of a bank foyer. His white button down shirt was wrinkled. His orange tie was rumpled. His black pants were...actually in pretty good shape. He was missing a shoe, though. This was going to stand out to anyone who would care to look.
His head propped up by his arm folded under it, he stirred when the morning sun began to shine through the glass walls and into his face. Groaning at the disturbance, he’d gained enough consciousness to become aware of his massive and debilitating hangover. His stomach churned as he rolled over to face the opposite direction only to suddenly vomit in that direction.
Once the chunky, viscous, pink and purple contents of his stomach had ceased to spew out of him, he rolled onto his back with his eyes open. “Fuck me…” He murmured. He silently prayed for a swift and merciful death.
It didn’t take him long to slowly sit up and examine his surroundings. He was completely unaware of how he’d gotten here. He felt his pockets and managed to find his phone, pulling it out and waking the cracked screen.
He pulled up his Maps app to see where he was. Turned out, he was only a couple blocks from his apartment. “Thank fuck…” He murmured again, pulling together as much strength as he could just to stand up. Once he’d made it outside, he stepped on the heel of his remaining shoe, pulling his heel out, then kicking it down the sidewalk in the opposite direction.
Evan’s socked feet slapped the concrete sidewalk as he slowly made his way down the semi-busy street. All he could manage to do was roll up the sleeves to his wrinkled shirt. His eyes squinted as the rising sun shone in his face, aggravating his headache. He made a mental note to start carrying sunglasses with him wherever he went. He wasn’t sure if he’d already made that note before or not.
My cousin and I have this weird thing about us. We’re nothing alike. Except for when we are. Growing up, he was always the more skittish and cautious one while I was the more bold and brazen one. He’s always been the bookish type, whereas I’ve always been a more hands-on kinda guy. However, he was always more outgoing where I was the more stoic one when it came to the public, which still carries on today.
We even embody our side of the family’s professional tradition; you’re either involved in medicine or law. However, we both took an interest in the occult as well as having become alcoholics. If anything, that could be considered a curse rather than a trait.
Evan was a slender sized man with long and thin arms and legs. This trait extended to his fingers and toes as well, further solidifying how he and I were so opposed. His hair was also a noticeable dirty blonde shade and several inches long, as opposed to my dark brunette buzz cut. To be honest, I’m amazed anyone can tell we’re related.
I’d managed to call him just as he walked through the door to his apartment. He answered the video call with a gravelly “Hey.” I saw the bags under his beat red eyes and could only comment “Jesus. You look like shit, man.” The corner of his mouth managed a muscle tick that closely resembled a smirk as he said “Went pretty hard last night. Woke up in a bank.” I roll my eyes with a chuckle. “I usually wake up in a bathtub.” I quipped, to which he roughly chuckles.
Evan sets his phone down on the kitchen counter as he went into one of the pantries. “So what’s up? Got another stray you picked out of a suckers nest?” he asks. I chuckle as I watch him pull a bottle of turmeric and an empty glass out, setting them both on the counter.
“No, nothing like that this time.” I clarify, “Although, I was wondering what your schedule is like for the foreseeable future.” I watch him go into the fridge. “I don’t know, I’m pretty open as far as I know, why?” Evan asks.
He pulls out a bottle of orange juice, a carton marked coconut water, a bottle of worcestershire sauce and a single egg, setting them all on the counter by the glass. “Well,” I start, “I was wondering if you could carve some time out to help me run the other half of our business.” I say with gritted teeth.
Evan takes the glass and taps the egg on the lip, cracking it and dropping the contents in. While taking the bottle of turmeric and beginning to shake some into the glass, he laughs “Oh yeah, I think I can manage that.” I don’t say anything as I watch Evan concoct an unholy mess within this clear glass.
He splashes the egg and turmeric mixture with some worcestershire sauce. From there, he takes both the coconut water and orange juice and pours them simultaneously into the glass. Then, he pulls a long teaspoon out from a drawer and quickly mixes it all up before picking the glass up. He takes a breath, pausing for a second before he quickly starts to gulp the mixture down, much to my horror and disgust.
“Eh… dude.” I comment as he finishes off the glass in one hit, lightly pounding the glass onto the counter. He growls pretty loudly. His eyes shut tight from the taste. “I know,” he explains, “But this’ll get me through the day.”
I stare, wide eyed and nod slowly. He then asks, “Ok, so what is it, December?” I nod again, “Yeah, second week of.” He nods, taking the phone and heading elsewhere into his apartment. “Ok, I’ll call the clinic and tell them I’m bouncing after this week.”
I roll my eyes with a chuckle, “Must be nice being a fancy witch doctor who can take off as he damn well pleases.” He corrects me, “Alchemical Physician and… yeah, it is kinda nice.” I chuckle, sarcastically before he says “I’ll put in an appearance today, then head out there Monday. Sound good?” I shrug, “Sounds good to me. Just keep me posted.” He nods, “Ok, cool. I’m gonna sleep this off in a bed and I’ll see you then.”
I hang up the phone and set it on the back of the couch. Fiona looks up at me, lying on my chest with my arm around her. The both of us are lying on my new couch. She doesn’t look amused as she asks “Another stray?” I roll my eyes with a smirk, “I never called you a stray.” She smiles with a giggle, “Oh really? Because that definitely sounds like something you’d say.” I emphasize, “Because he’s my cousin. We did grow up together.”
“Mhm.” she says, turning over and crossing her arms. I sigh with another eye roll before wrapping my arms around her and kissing her cheek. With the kiss, she tilts her head for easier cheek-kissing access. I go quiet for a second, thinking about the near future again.
“You know, you can stay here as long as you want.” I say in a serious tone. She mocks me, asking “As long as I want? In your office? On your couch?” I corrected her, explaining “Hey, it’s a pull-out!” She chuckles and quips, “Better not.” I narrow my gaze, tilting my head as I ask “Why you gotta get nasty like that?”
She slides her body back over, pressing her chest against me. In no time, she’s gone from offended to the epitome of sexual frustration. Her seductive smirk grows as she says, “I’ve been locked up for four months, why do you think?” I give a cocky smirk as I start to slide down into the couch. “Not much action in jail for a straight girl, huh?” She gently shakes her head, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “Nope.”
I look away for a second, giving a smartass smirk as I decide to say “You know, I was half surprised you didn’t have a baby bump when you walked out those doors.” Her smirk grows equal parts smartass and seductive as she asks, “Surprised or relieved? Or maybe… disappointed?” I look up, thinking for a second before I say, “Let’s just say you should consider anal every once in a while.”
Barely a fraction of a second passes before half of Greg’s spirit-body flickers into existence through the closed office door, exclaiming “I heard anal!” Fi sighs, collapsing limply onto me. However, she perks back up when I grab her pajama-covered ass. “Hey!�
�� she yips as I scold Greg “None for you!”
“Aw!” Greg groans, hanging his head as his body flickers and slowly slides out of the door. Fiona looks down at me quizzically “This gonna be the new normal?” I give a slight nod with a disappointed smirk “More or less.”
Fiona sighs in disappointment, the mood having been sufficiently killed as she sits up along with me following. “I’ll be honest, Rick. I’m gonna need some shit whether or not I stick around.” I extrapolate aloud, “I’m guessing shit like clothes, underwear, some real shoes?” She nods, following up by saying “A phone would help too.”
I sigh, relenting as I say “Yeah, I guess we can get you a burner phone too.” Fi looks to me, surprised as she asks “A burner? You’re not gonna add me to your plan to keep me around?” I shake my head, “Nah. You’re gonna do what you want, so I’m not gonna pitch a fit and do some shit like keep you on a leash like that.”
Her bravado drops a little. I can tell she wasn’t expecting me to cut through her dog and pony show so deep and quick. She looks to me, sympathetically and starts “Rick-” I interrupt her, putting my hand on her shoulder. “Listen, Fi… You are who you are. That’s who I fell in love with in the first place and if I try to change that in anyway… Well, you get it, right?” I take a beat, looking her in the eyes.
She gives a soft and sincere smile, matching my own. I wait another beat before quipping “Besides, you’re gonna need to work for whatever I lend you. Commision too, like the others around here.” She closes her eyes as she giggles, shaking her head. “You just gotta ruin the moment, huh?” I give an exaggerated frown and nod “Yeah, or else it wouldn’t be me.”
She giggles, shaking her head as she moves forward. We gently embrace each other, kissing for a moment as we take it in. A back-on-his-feet dark detective. A fresh-outta-prison gypsy. Sometimes, when all you can do is take what you can get… it ends up being just what you need. Even if you didn’t know it.
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