Diggin up crones, p.43
Diggin' Up Crones, page 43
The sheriff glowered at me. “I decide when the games are going to be played.”
As if on cue, the telltale sound of a chainsaw became apparent. I pointed a finger at the sheriff, warning him he should stay in his chair and not mess with me, before going to the window. I had a clear view of the field. Barney lumbered through the paddock just as I looked down. He was being chased—not very fast—by a guy with a chainsaw.
“Barney?” Mama Moon guessed.
I nodded. “I—”
I never got a chance to finish because Barney made a sharp turn, causing the fake Leatherface to pitch forward. The creature fell onto his own chainsaw.
I closed my eyes as the goo exploded everywhere.
“You killed my boy,” the woman sitting next to Mama Moon snapped, hopping to her feet. “You’ll pay.”
Mama Moon picked up a butter knife and slammed it into the woman’s head, watching with grim satisfaction as she exploded. “That’s the third one I tried to kill. There were two women when things first shifted. I was under the impression they were dangerous, so I stabbed them, but all they did was complain and head upstairs. That’s the first one I managed to take out.”
“It’s been pretty easy to take them all out,” I confirmed, my gaze floating to the sheriff. “The zombies didn’t even put up a fight. What’s the point of all of this?”
Rather than answer my question, or give me some snappy retort, the sheriff threw back his head and laughed. “It’ll be too late before you figure it out.”
I glared at him. Even in the movie, he’d been the one I wanted to hurt the most. Leatherface might be the iconic figure, but he wasn’t the mastermind. “I’m going to send you back to your maker with a message,” I gritted out.
“You’re not in charge here, girl!” His tone was condescending, his eyes a little wild, panicked.
Good.
I grabbed the butter knife from one spot over and slammed it into the sheriff’s hand, pinning him in place. He screamed as if I were killing him, but when I looked down there was no blood.
“Little details,” I mused, shaking my head. “Little details in the scene hold up, but in the interaction with these creatures the details are lost almost immediately.”
“I’m going to kill you!” The sheriff reached for me with his good hand, but Evan was too quick. He had hold of the sheriff’s wrist before I could blink, and he slammed the creature’s hand against the table, breaking its wrist.
The sheriff howled again, but there was no heat behind the sound. “You don’t know what you’re up against,” he yelled. “You have no idea what you’re dealing with. You’re playing a game, and you’re not even trying to win.”
I stared at him, then glanced at Mama Moon. “It’s not a game,” I said. “It’s a training session.”
Mama Moon’s eyebrows moved toward one another.
“Someone is trying to make me see something very specific. I’m not seeing it yet.”
The sheriff’s eyes gleamed. “You’re much slower than you should be at this point,” he said. Unlike the other characters, he almost seemed cognizant of what was really going on.
“You’re her proxy,” I guessed.
“I’m your worst nightmare.”
I scowled. “Well, make sure you send her this message, okay?” I raised my hand, blue fire erupting. “Make sure she knows I’m done playing around. We’re ending this.”
I slammed my magic into the sheriff, then, without waiting to see what happened to him, I pressed my hand into the wall and unleashed power through the house. Slowly, as if one reality was giving way to another, the house began to fade. In quick succession, the sheriff disappeared. The creepy kid who hadn’t said a single word through the meal was soon gone. The entire house dropped, as if it were held up by tacks that had fallen out.
All that was left when the magic finished was Mama Moon’s old house. A quick look through the window told me everything outside had reverted to normal.
Gunner blinked as he glanced around. His relief was palpable. “Did we win?”
I shook my head. “No, but I’m starting to figure out the game. This is all a test, and so far, I’ve been failing.”
“Is it a test for you specifically, or for all of us?” Evan asked.
“That’s a very good question.” I was grim. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. I no longer like this game.”
“When do you think we’ll get to the big boss?”
I wished I was facing off with her now. “Not until she gets frustrated enough to show herself.”
“So really we’re starting a new phase of the game.”
“Yup, and I’m going to win.”
20
TWENTY
Mama Moon refused to return to town with us. Once her property was back to normal—and Barney was confirmed to be okay—she settled in with tea and cookies while waving us off with a bright smile on her face. I was impressed and annoyed.
“There’s nothing to stop the spell from taking over your property again,” I argued as I stared her down.
“Will it be the same people?”
“Probably not.” I shrugged. “We managed to take out this scene fairly easily, so she’ll probably throw something else at you.”
“Okay.” She smiled. That was it.
I frowned. “What if it’s something bad?”
“Does it get worse than those crazy people?”
“There are way worse horror movies.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to deal with that when it happens,” was her blasé answer.
I narrowed my eyes, briefly wondering if I could force the issue. That only had her smirking harder.
“You’re strong, Scout,” she said, “but not strong enough to make me do what you want against my will.”
I growled, then nodded. “Fine. If something happens, though, make sure you call us.”
“I was just about to make my move when you arrived. I had that situation completely under control.”
Mama Moon was strong. She probably could’ve taken on the Texas Chainsaw Massacre family. They were only humans, after all. Demented, disgusting humans, but humans, nonetheless.
“Just be careful.” I was tired. “I know you’re good, but this situation is spiraling. More and more of these scenes are showing up.”
“And they’re displaying the ability to evolve,” Evan added. “The zombies went from doing nothing to being proactive.”
“That’s probably because by having them do nothing, this woman—or witch, or demon, whatever she is—was trying to lull you,” Mama Moon offered. “Maybe she thought if you got too used to them doing nothing that you would be overwhelmed when they started attacking.”
“I would be lying if I said that hadn’t occurred to me.”
“But?” she prodded.
“This is big.” I exhaled heavily. “I’ll admit I was charmed by what was going on at the beginning. Who wouldn’t be?”
Mama Moon cocked an eyebrow, indicating she wasn’t charmed by any of it.
“Come on,” I countered. “This is fun and hilarious. Pleatherface is funny. And don’t get me going on Quarterwise.”
“You’re ignoring the fact that this individual knows about your love of horror movies.” Mama Moon’s tone was icy. “That means she’s watched you, or knows someone who has. All of this is theater for you. Have you considered what the final act is going to look like?”
“That’s all I’ve been doing.”
“Don’t all horror movies get worse in the final act?”
“Of course.”
“What happens if all these Trojan horses she’s set up activate at the same time? What if the clown really does turn into the clown from It? What if the slasher killer you’re so excited to see in the woods comes in hot with a machete and goes after people? What if all of this is an elaborate puzzle, and when the final piece is in place, they all go nuclear?”
She wasn’t saying anything that I hadn’t thought about, but it somehow felt more serious when she voiced it. “I…”
She nodded when I fell silent. “This might very well be a test, Scout. Right now, it’s a preliminary test. It’s like the practice test before the real deal. Shouldn’t you fear the real test?”
“I’m working on it,” I grumbled. “I’m going to figure it out.”
“You’d better, because when that switch is flipped, we’re all going to be in a world of hurt.”
I WAS GLOOMY AND SILENT DURING THE RIDE INTO TOWN. I had climbed into the backseat, allowing Gunner and Evan to chat in the front. They kept conversation light, going back and forth about how messed up the Texas Chainsaw Massacre thing had been. I tuned them out.
Mama Moon was right. I’d been far too enamored with the things I’d been seeing—how could I not when I loved the movies so much?—and hadn’t been looking at the bigger picture. Well, it was time to focus on that picture. I had no choice, because things were going to bubble over at some point.
I expected us to go back to the Cauldron to touch base. Instead, Gunner parked downtown across from the diner.
“What are you doing?” I asked. “If you’re hungry, we can pick up chicken on the way home and eat it in bed.”
“While I’m never one to turn down chicken in bed, especially with you, I figured you’d want to stop here.” Gunner turned to look at me over the back of the seat.
“Why would I want to be here?” The question was barely out of my mouth when I realized we had parked next to a familiar vehicle, Landon’s Ford Explorer. “Oh,” I said.
“If the feds are in town, there’s probably a reason,” Evan said. “I doubt he’s here to track down Tillie. They usually let her run wild in other people’s towns because it gives them a break from having to deal with her in Hemlock Cove.”
“Right.” I bobbed my head, ideas whirling. “I guess we can eat here.” I shot Gunner a rueful smile. “As soon as this is over, we’ll have a big, greasy picnic in bed.”
“I promise to leave greasy fingerprints on you.” Gunner winked, and I couldn’t help myself from smiling.
“You guys are so gross,” Evan complained.
The diner was busy, but Landon, Bay, Terry, and Graham had a table in the middle of the room. There were just enough open chairs for us.
“This is a surprise,” I said as I sat, offering Bay a smile. “To what do we owe the honor?”
Bay cast me a sidelong look. “I texted you.”
Frowning, I retrieved my phone from my pocket and checked it. Sure enough, I’d missed about fifteen texts, three from Bay.
“Sorry.” I was rueful. “We were distracted at Mama Moon’s.”
“What was going on out there?” Graham asked.
“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
Genuine horror filled Graham’s eyes. “Please tell me nothing happened to the bear.”
“Barney is fine,” I assured him. “He took out Pleatherface in what was a gory but somehow cathartic chase through the paddock.”
Graham’s smile was more of a grimace. “Lovely.”
“It wasn’t so bad,” Evan said as he leaned in to look at the slice of bread Landon was slathering with butter. “I thought you were on a diet.”
Landon shot him a murderous glare. “I don’t like the D-word.”
“You said you were going to get your eight-pack back,” Evan argued.
“I have an eight pack,” Landon argued. “It’s just … hiding.”
There was no containing my smirk. Landon had been on a health kick the last two weeks, ever since he’d realized the muscles he’d worked so hard on before joining the Winchester family weren’t quite as defined as he remembered.
“I eat when I’m stressed,” Landon snapped. “This whole town is stressing right now. Give me a break.”
“Yes, give him a break,” Bay agreed. “The things going on in Hawthorne Hollow will give him an ulcer if we’re not careful. I would rather him eat a few extra calories than make himself sick.”
“Don’t like horror movies, huh?” Evan’s eyes twinkled. “That must be rough.”
“I don’t like things like killer clowns, or people running around with chainsaws, or creepy kids,” Landon replied. “I’d be more worried if you did like those things.”
“That feels like a jab at me,” I mused.
“It is.” Landon grimaced. “You’re a sick woman. I know darned well that you’ve been hanging out with these creatures.”
“They’re not creatures. They’re not humans either. They’re … nothing. And yet they’re somehow everything at the same time.”
Bay looked up, suddenly interested. “You’ve started figuring it out,” she said.
I nodded.
“Spill it,” she ordered. “The paranormal unit is on its way to town.”
I froze in place, my mouth suddenly dry.
“Oh, don’t look at me that way. I didn’t invite them.”
As much as I loved and respected Bay, her recent decision to partner with the feds on paranormal cases made me uncomfortable. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to have an official team on our side. That made sense. I didn’t, however, want the feds sticking their noses into my business, and there was no controlling them once they’d gotten a foothold in our world.
Graham was the one, to my surprise, who took control of the conversation. “Scout, did you really think news of what was happening here wouldn’t make it through official channels?” he asked.
I worked my jaw. “No,” I said finally. “I just don’t want them playing on my monkey bars.”
Gunner smirked as he leaned back, his warm hand moving over my shoulders. “You had to know they would come here.”
His response frustrated me. “Why aren’t you more upset about this?”
“I’m not happy about it, if that’s what you’re worried about,” he replied. “But it makes sense. Gossip about what we’re dealing with is spreading, and it’s not just happening here. The neighboring towns must be talking too.”
“They are,” Bay confirmed, her steady gaze on me. “Scout, people are afraid. The freaking Cates Motel showed up out of the blue. You can’t expect people to just ignore that.”
“We all know people ignore what doesn’t fit in their neat little world,” I argued. “If they can’t explain it and they’re not the type to believe, they just pretend not to see it.”
“That’s all well and good, but it’s one thing to ignore the creepy-looking guy on the corner polishing his finger knives,” Bay argued.” You can at least explain that away by pretending it’s a human dressed as Freddy Krueger. It’s quite another to ignore the fact that people are saying there’s a giant shark chasing boats in the bay.”
My mouth dropped open. “Get out!”
Bay smirked. “Why are you not more upset about this? It’s a freaking shark. It shouldn’t be there.”
“I don’t understand how it’s alive,” Terry admitted. “Sharks can’t live in fresh water.”
“That’s not entirely true,” I said. “Bull sharks can tolerate low salinity levels and are sometimes found in lakes.”
“Thank you, National Geographic,” Terry drawled.
A laugh bubbled up. “I’m just saying.”
“These things aren’t real,” Evan argued. “It doesn’t matter what rules real sharks live by. That shark isn’t really a shark.”
“Okay, but these apparitions are solid,” Terry said. “They can touch people. They interact with this world. Even if they weren’t real to start, doesn’t that make them real now?”
It was an interesting point, one I couldn’t entirely dismiss. “I guess they are real if you judge on a sliding scale.”
Terry looked interested. “Sliding scale?”
Before I could answer, Mable appeared to take our orders. “We have meatloaf on special tonight,” she said, winking at Graham and Gunner in turn. “I already know what my two favorite customers are ordering.”
“You know it,” Gunner said, winking right back.
“Sounds great,” Graham confirmed.
After Mable delivered our drinks, we returned to our conversation.
“These things have no sense of history,” I explained. “They know their backgrounds from their respective stories, but as far as I can tell, that’s all they know. They couldn’t tell you who the president is. They couldn’t tell you how to change the oil in a car.”
“They have free will,” Gunner argued. “We saw four of them at the speakeasy. That wasn’t part of their story.”
“Not only were they there,” Evan added, “you said they were hanging out with one another and seemed leery of you.”
“You also said the creepy clown knew exactly who you were and seemed frustrated that you weren’t interacting with him the way he thought you were supposed to,” Gunner added. “These things aren’t just empty shells. They might not be real in the sense that we’re real, but they’re not incapable of growing and learning.”
I rubbed my cheek. They were bringing up a few good points, ones I didn’t know I could truly wrap my head around.
“What about this?” Bay asked. “What do you think will happen when we defeat this thing? Will these creations still be here? Will we be stuck with them?”
“As with any spell, when the magic is gone, I expect what was created to be gone too,” I replied.
“But?” Bay prodded. She could read me well and knew that I hadn’t said everything.
“But,” I hedged, “when I’m around these things, I catch a whiff of magic.” I chose my words carefully. “But they don’t appear to be running on magic.”
“What do you mean?” Graham asked.
“Like when Tillie’s clown dolls took over, I could feel the magic fueling them,” I explained. “They were packed with magic.”
Bay’s forehead creased. “You don’t feel magic with these new creatures.”
“I smell magic when I’m around them,” I countered. “They were created by magic, and there’s no getting around that. It’s just not continuous magic. I don’t know how else to explain.”
