My scared vision caused shadows to start jumping off the walls like demons. It felt like the spirits had followed me, seeking blood after I’d intruded on their domain at the Palmers. I killed the globe of the lantern, and again the darkness covered the room, the shadows dying into the background.
I was losing myself, and couldn’t even decide what was better, the light or the darkness. Both had their terrors, both so unwelcoming.
“Come on, Jackson… just sleep,” I told myself. There was nothing else for me here, and I didn’t want to leave Olivia again. I definitely didn’t want to be a part of the waking world either. I reached behind the couch and brought out a bottle I kept hidden there. Vodka was labeled on the front of the clear bottle. I rarely used it as a sleep agent, but it was never more necessary than tonight. I took three gulps, trying to hold by breathe, stopped, recovered, and chugged some more. It burned so hot. Why anyone would drink this for anything but sleep was beyond me. Putting the top back on, I shoved the empty bottle beneath the couch and laid back. It took several minutes of impatient waiting, but the vodka finally hit back, hard. It would have taken me off my feet if I wasn’t already down for the count. I relaxed, feeling the liquid slosh around inside me. Soon enough, shapes contorted while the world begun to slow down. I closed my eyes and folded into myself. I slept for the first time in days, and didn’t dream once.
A heavy knocking startled me awake. It took a few seconds to get my bearings before noticing a heavy weight on my body. I saw Olivia curled up and still asleep on my chest. Her body lifted slowly with my breaths, but her eyelids remained close. I didn’t tell her what happened the day before and never would. She knew better than to ask when she saw something was wrong. So she comforted me in her own way. I heard more knocking on the front door and this time Olivia heard it as well. She stirred from her slumber and rubbed her eyes while letting out a massive yawn.
“Well… morning,” I said, trying to smile.
Her hair was unkempt as always, blonde strands matted and clinging to her forehead. Her face was dirty and coated with a layer of sweat. She only grinned back. Lifting her gently up and away, I stood from the couch.
“You stay here. Right here,” I instructed, pointing at the ground directly in front of her. After yesterday, she’d be lucky to go outside ever again. Olivia nodded, and took a seat on the couch.
I walked to the front door, no idea who could be knocking. I doubted Kyle and Susan would be back, not for a few days at the least. So that left exactly no one I should be expecting.
I looked through my usual peep hole and a very fat leg clogged most of the view. I could hear whispering, but I didn’t immediately recognize the voices. They spoke quickly and quietly, and it seemed so very early. I hadn’t slept in so long that everything seemed strange and dulled. I was still adjusting, but I couldn’t ignore the pounding on the door.
“What is it?” I asked. I didn’t open the door.
The crowd outside fell silent. They didn’t talk, or move, just stood there frozen.
“Well?” I asked. “I’m in no mood.” After what happened the day before, I didn’t think I’d ever open my door again. The rest of the world could just stay outside.
“We have to talk,” Kelly said.
“I don’t want to talk about it, Kelly,” I sighed. That fiery personality never got an answer from me about what happened yesterday. I couldn’t tell her, as I could hardly fathom it myself. I’d eventually tell her, just not right now. Of course she didn’t exactly like that answer.
“Jackson, fuck, just let us in! It’s not that, man! It’s something else,” Kelly said, agitation in her voice.
I knew she wasn’t going away. Sighing heavier I twisted the locks on the door. Kelly pushed her way past me, followed shortly by the pudgy redhead and his sister.
“We have to talk,” Kelly insisted.
Ricky turned around and shut the door, making sure to turn the locks back in place. That was odd. He shot a gaze at me that had an edge to it. Yesterday he was only full of dread. Plus he didn’t know what happened either. This look was different. His hair was greased out in all directions and sweat poured all over him.
“Whatcha looking at?” Ricky sneered. At least that was normal. I sighed and waved towards the table in the middle of the floor. The two younger siblings obeyed, taking seats, but the fiery one remained standing, looking ready to explode. I couldn’t tell what this was about, but I was sure I’d find out soon enough.
“So, what is it?” I asked. Olivia peeked her head through the entryway. I glared at her until she disappeared back into the living room. Bringing my attention back to the three guests, I saw the pudgy kid and his tall sister repeatedly looking at each other and back to me. Kelly remained confidently crazy, and near ready to burst with whatever she was holding in. She paced back and forth, either deep in thought or trying not to detonate.
“Shit. Damn it. You even know? No, you can’t know yet. I mean this is fucked up. This is…” Kelly stuttered. She threw up her hands in revulsion and shook with absolute wrath. The brother and sister remained silent, unwilling or unable to speak while I knew that it was best to allow Kelly to let out her anger.
“This is some broken, bullshit, sadistic, angry, bitching thing. It doesn’t even make sense! The damn people are going fucking wild down there!” Kelly exclaimed.
I spotted Olivia once again peeking in. I pointed and made the sternest face I could, and she ran to her room, knowing she shouldn’t be hearing words like these.
“I’m not following,” I said, throwing my hands in the air. I had a pounding headache, and felt slightly sick to my stomach. The damn vodka always hit me wrong, even only a few gulps.
Kelly’s voice was loud enough to echo in the tiny room, and between my ears. “How about you two?” I asked, eying Jamie. Maybe she could be more concise because I had no idea what the hell Kelly was carrying on about.
Jamie didn’t initially answer. She remained fixated on her brother, as if encouraging him to answer for her. Surprisingly, he remained tight-lipped.
“She doesn’t know a damn thing. They only know what I told them!” Kelly yelled. She was out of tune, and so lost in her own anger that she was turning blue in the cheeks. The brother and sister turned away, and leaned further away from Kelly, trying not to get involved.
“Okay,” I said slowly. “Let’s start from the beginning.” I went over to the wall, leaning a shoulder against the peeling wallpaper and crossed my arms. My vision remained blurry and I wasn’t completely awake. Having to deal with Kelly this early sucked. She was so loud my head was ringing.
Kelly continued her rant, though I wasn’t really listening. I just couldn’t find my attention. Her voice cracked, sharpened, and whistled with angry plight, but the words threaded together in a string of nonsensical ideas. Her voice carried on until it abruptly stopped. I looked around the room, noticing that the three of them were watching me.
“What the hell!” Kelly shrieked. She stormed up to me, and stuck a fist in my chest, thundering about my lackadaisical attitude. She scared the world out of me, even though she was half my size.
“I’m listening, I’m listening, just take it down a notch,” I pleaded. “I have no idea what you’re saying. Just…” I wasn’t given a chance to finish. Kelly punched my chest even harder, and whatever anger was left inside her boiled out.
“I’m trying to fucking tell you!” She whispered fiercely. “There is some crazy shit going down in this city, messed up stuff! Okay, get this.” She paused briefly, gaining some sort of grip on herself. “After you left the Palmers’… I went back in later that day.”