Bad Turned Worse: A Summary of the Apocalypse

Chapter 3: Joan

“So you're saying that you had a vision from an archangel that the Apocalypse is coming?” I repeated slowly. Everleigh and I were sitting on the front steps of my deck, watching the shadows grown longer across the yard.

“Yeah, that's about right.” Everleigh agreed nervously.

“Well. I don't entirely know what to say.”

“Wait. Look at this first before you say anything.” she held out her right wrist. I looked down at the symbol she had mentioned earlier. Sure enough, it was branded onto her skin.

“Couldn't that just be a tattoo?” I pointed out.

“Don't you think I would have remembered getting a tattoo?” she shot back, then added, “Besides, look at this.” Half-standing, she produced a pocket knife from her back pocket.

“Whoa, what are you doing?” I asked, holding out my hand.

“Relax, and watch.” Flipping the blade out, she nicked the thickest part of the mark on her wrist. Blood appeared for a split second, then, in front of my eyes, the skin sealed back up.

“What...what...how..” I trailed off.

“That's not a tattoo.” Everleigh said smugly.

“Well it's not an angelic mark either.” I snapped, “It's probably a magic trick.”

“Look, Joan.” Everleigh began, “I don't want to be rude but, well, why would I put this much work into a magic trick for...you?” I thought about that,

“Fair enough. Speaking of which, why are you talking to me again?”

“Because,” Everleigh rubbed her forehead wearily, “I told you. In my..vision, Gabriel told me to talk to you. She said you were important.”

“OK, but at least tell me you understand how crazy all this sounds.” I replied. She nodded,

“I do. And I don't expect you to believe me, but I wasn't really sure what else to do.”

“You did good.” Marlene's voice complimented her from behind us. Both Everleigh and I spun around where we were and stared at her.

“What? How long were you standing there?” Everleigh demanded, eying her.

“Long enough. Both of you, come with me.” Marlene motioned for us to follow her and stepped inside the house. I looked at Everleigh. She looked at me. We followed Marlene.

“Sit down.” she said, leading us into the living room. Everleigh took the couch, and I sat opposite her on my favorite armchair.

“What's happening?” I asked warily. Marlene didn't answer for a moment, but focused on something on her phone. Finally she looked up at us and took a deep breath,

“Guys, it's all true. Everything. Everleigh, you're correct when you say you had a vision. And Joan, you better believe everything she said.”

“So the world's really ending?” I gasped. Everleigh glared at me,

“Oh, so you'll believe her but not me?”

“Pardon, but she's been my mother for sixteen years now. What have you been? A casual frenemie?

“Bite me.”

“Girls!” Marlene interrupted, “Oh, that reminds me. Joan, I know this is a lot to take in, but we are still having your birthday today.”

“It's your birthday?” Everleigh asked, squinting at me. I nodded reproachfully.

“Happy birthday.” she muttered grudgingly.

“OK good.” Marlene clapped her hands, “So we need to discuss details.”

“Yeah, like who's popping these seals anyway?” Everleigh interjected.

“Exactly. You know her name is Diane Harvey, correct?”

“Correct.” Everleigh answered at the same I said, “Not correct.”

“OK, Joan. Diane Harvey is a evil old woman who runs a big Satanist family. She's breaking the seals as fast as she can, because she wants Lucifer to rise again.”

“Why?”

“Because she's a Satanist.” Marlene responded, as though that cleared everything up.

“And we're supposed to stop her?” I clarified. Marlene and Everleigh both nodded.

“OK, why us? Why not, like, a bunch of other people?”

“Because.” Marlene said shortly, “I'd go myself, except for...well, the same reasons that say it has to be you two.”

“What reasons?” Everleigh asked.

“Stop asking questions that I can't answer, please and thanks. Look, I don't want you two to have to go either but...” Marlene trailed off. I sat back in my chair and said nothing. Everleigh frowned down at the floor,

“When do we have to go? Gabriel said to get on it.”

“Yes, it would probably be best to leave tomorrow morning.” Marlene agreed. I emerged from my brief cocoon of sulkiness to say, “Why tomorrow? We don't even know where we're going.”

“Actually, I have a pretty good idea, and luckily it's right around here. It-” Marlene broke off as a knock sounded at the front door. None of us moved. The knock came again.

“Wait here.” Marlene muttered and walked off. Everleigh and I crept after her, and hiding behind the wall, started listening.

“Hello?” Marlene said.

“Hello, is this the O'Hara residence?” an older woman's voice questioned. I peeked around the corner of the wall. A woman in her late sixties was standing on the doorstep. She was near my height and had a hardened face, with a carefully styled dyed blonde bob.

“I'm afraid not.” Marlene replied with a smile.

“Can you tell me where I might find them?” the woman questioned, without a smile.

“I don't, I'm very sorry. The name sounds familiar, but I can't say I know the place that goes with it.” Marlene shrugged. The old woman nodded and backed up,

“Alright, thank you.”

“Have a nice evening.” Marlene called. The woman waved a hand and walked back down to the black SUV parked in the driveway. Everleigh and I hastily slipped away from the wall just as Marlene stepped back into the room.

“Three guesses for who that was.” she remarked dryly.

“Diane Harvey?” I offered. Marlene nodded,

“She's looking for you, Everleigh.”

“Me?” Everleigh pointed at herself, “Let her look. Meanwhile, I'll be stopping the Apocalypse.”

“Yeah, well she just might find you before you can do that. Should you stay here tonight?”

“No.” Everleigh and I answered at the same time. Marlene shot me a glare,

“Fine. But be careful. See if you can come back over here tomorrow.”

“I will. Thanks for everything.” Everleigh nodded at us, and left. I sat in the living room until I heard the rumble of her pickup depart down the driveway.

“OK, is this all for real?” I asked Marlene.

“Unfortunately, yes.” We both sat together staring out the darkened window, until Marlene glanced over at me,

“Well, happy birthday.” she smiled.

The next morning dawned bright and happy. Mostly happy because I didn't remember any of the previous days events until I was up and out of bed. It was when I was pulling on a pair of denim shorts that the memories returned to me. Still, I kept hope and when I walked into the kitchen I smiled hopefully at Marlene,

“So, anything...weird happen yesterday or was that just a dream?” Marlene gave me a dead eyed stare,

“No such luck kid. Apocalypse is still on the menu.”

“Rats.” I muttered and slumped onto a chair at the table. Marlene handed me a piece of toast,

“Eat this. It'll make you feel better.”

“Thanks.” I accepted it, “Mind if I eat outside?”

“Be my guest.” Marlene said, walking away. I wandered out onto the deck, and leaned on the rails, enjoying the feel of the morning sun with the air of one condemned to death. My toast was partially finished when I saw a car pulling into the driveway. It was a black, 1969 Boss Mustang, which alerted me to the fact that it was someone strange right away. No one I knew could have ever gotten a hold of a car like that. As I watched the car, a young man stepped out of the driver's seat and looked over at me,

“Hello. Do you know where I can find an Everleigh O'Hara?” he asked in a mild voice. I studied him closely before answering. He was a couple years older than me, and about my height, with curly light brown hair and dark brown eyes. He seemed nice enough, but then again, so had Ted Bundy probably.

“Who's asking?” I questioned finally. He narrowed his eyes slightly, and I knew he was also sizing me up. I couldn't say what his thoughts were. My hair was still fluffy and uncombed, my mouth was full of toast, and I was wearing paint stained shorts, and a red tank top that proclaimed “fries before guys”.

“Hello?” he waved his hand at me, and I realized he had been talking.

“What?”

“Who are you?” he repeated.

“I asked first.” I shot back.

“Well I'd like to know who's asking me before I say who's asking you.”

“That so? Well I want to know who's asking me ask you who's asking to ask for someone.” I replied, without really thinking about my words. We both stopped talking and squinted at each other, momentarily confused by the new turn of conversation.

“Look,” I said, waggling my toast at him, “Just tell me who you are.”

“Fine. I'm Everleigh's cousin from Canada.” he answered.

“She doesn't have a cousin from Canada.” I shook my head.

“Her online boyfriend.”

“She has a boyfriend in person.”

“How about her long lost transgender sister?” he offered.

“No!” I retorted in irritation.

“Alright, alright! I suppose you really want the truth?”

“Yeah, that would be great.”

“I'm a reaper and I'm here to give her a message from Death.” he rattled that off in one breath. I stared at him, my original reply faltering in my throat,

“Well that's a new one.” I eventually remarked. He shrugged, and I decided that he really didn't look like a reaper. Not only was his appearance similar to that of a friendly hobbit, but instead of a billowing black cape or something of that ilk, he wore jeans, Sketchers, and an Aerosmith t-shirt.

“My name's Felix.” he added, as though that would really clear things up. It didn't.

“You know, I really can't tell if you're messing with me or not.” I told him.

“I'm not.” he held his hands up, “Swear honest. I just need to talk to Everleigh.”

Everleigh. Well if she was a prophetess, and Lucifer was real, and the Apocalypse was coming, why the heck couldn't we have reapers?

“Nah.” I said out loud. There was no way I was giving Everleigh over to any old guy, whether he was a reaper or not. Especially if he was a reaper, actually, because then he might reap her.

“Nah as in you don't believe me, or nah as in you believe me but still don't want to talk to me?” Felix asked.

“Both. Bye now!” I made a shooing motion with my toast.

“Alright, I'll go.” he backed up and re-opened the driver's door of the Mustang, “But we'll see each other soon.” he winked and got into the car. I watched him back up and pull onto the road, before I turned and jogged back to the house.

“I need to talk to Everleigh!” I shouted, galloping through the hall.

“What's wrong?” Marlene called, running to meet me.

“A lot. I just talked to a reaper.”

“What?”

“No time to explain. What's her number?”

“How should I know? But you can relax, she said she would run over here, remember?”

“Yeah, maybe. I need to talk to her now.” I started hopping up and down.

“OK, OK. Take my car, run over to her house.” Marlene produced her keys from her pocket and handed them to me.

“Thanks, I'll be right back. I just have to go warn her.”

“Alright, well drive safe.” Marlene warned. I ran back out the door and got into Marlene's Jeep. Glancing around to make sure there were no black Mustangs anywhere, I backed out the driveway and headed to her house.

“Everleigh!” I yelled, banging on her front door. There was the muffled sound of activity from inside the house before the door was jerked open.

“What are you doing here?” Everleigh snarled, still in her pajamas. I peeked over her shoulder to make sure her parents weren't listening, then whispered,

“A reaper came to my house. He was looking for you.”

“A reaper? As in a grim reaper?” Everleigh looked confused.

“Yeah, I guess. He said he had a message from Death.”

“Oh. Well that doesn't sound good.” she remarked.

“No, no not really. That's why I thought I'd let you know.”

“OK. Wait, are we leaving this morning?”

“I'm not sure.” I answered, “What do you parents say?”

“Haven't told them. They'd toss me in the loony bin. Tell you what, I'll drive back to your house with you and we can talk to Marlene and go from there. Let me go throw my jeans on.” she shut the door. I frowned at the wood, then backed up and wandered around their front yard until Everleigh appeared five minutes later. Instead of her usual boots and western shirts, she was now attired in old jeans, flip-flops, and an orange t-shirt.

“Let's go. I told my parents I'd be right back. They already think I'm crazy.” she said.

“I can see why.” I muttered, and hopped into the driver's seat of the Jeep.

“Oh wait, I forgot my phone.” Everleigh ran back into her house. I waited another five minutes before she reappeared and scrambled into the passenger's seat.

“Can we go now?” I asked impatiently.

“Yeah, drive.” she fired back, equally impatient. I backed out of the driveway and gunned it for home.

You know that weird feeling you get in your gut when you know something isn't right? I had that feeling before I even got inside the house.

“What's wrong?” Everleigh asked, watching me. I realized I must have had a concerned look on my face as I parked in the driveway.

“Nothing, something just feels funny.” I answered and got out. I was only gone for fifteen minutes at most. Nothing could have happened in that amount of time. But as I opened the front door, I saw that something had definitely happened in that amount of time. A broken vase lay at my feet, followed by a hole in the wall farther along the entry way.

“Marlene?” I shouted. There was no reply. I walked into the living room and looked around. The couch was tipped over, and a canvas painting lay on the floor, a hole ripped in the middle. Knowing Marlene's defensive techniques, I surmised that the painting had been broken over someone's head. The rest of the house was fairly clean. It was only in the kitchen, hall, and living room that everything looked messed up.

“Hey, Joan.” Everleigh said from behind me as I surveyed the damage in the kitchen. Several long knife marks had been dragged along the top of the table, and five china plates were shattered on the floor.

“Yeah?” I turned to her. She held up a sticky note,

“I found this in the entry way. It looks like Marlene scribbled it before all this.” she gestured around. I took the note. It said, Carlsbad NM, Park View Motel.

“I guess this is where we're supposed to go.” I said after rereading the note multiple times. Everleigh nodded her head,

“If we want to stop the Apocalypse and find Marlene.” We looked at each other.

“Road trip then.” I said halfheartedly, “What fun.”