Mystic Sisters of Charlene Place

      Tigg where are we going? It is getting late and you know I have a curfew. “Just a bit further!” She replied slightly winded. I stopped and let out a heavy sigh.” You know, Town is the EXACT OPPOSITE way of where we seem to be going. The time it takes to get where we are going, is going to take the EXACT SAME TIME to walk back, NOT TO MENTION, how long you plan to loiter whenever we end up there. I say we postpone this little sherlock adventure of yours until tomorrow, like normal people, who have CURFEWS.” “It is not my fault your parents gave you a bogus Curfew, as a soon-to-be senior. Stop being a Boring Betty and liven up a bit, your inner geek is showing outside of Math club, which is during school hours, [of which] does not exist because we are on summer break. Do not make me break out with the crazy, because I will do it lady. Tigg looked at me with such exaggeration in her face, enough that would always make me laugh. She always shared her feelings in exclamational tones on everything in life. I loved it, and sometimes dreaded it. Ok, I’ll play your game, but you should know that if a certain someone would have asked her parents if I could have stayed over, I wouldn’t be on curfew, SO mull on that one for a few minutes. Tigg chuckled, “I know, I forgot to ask my parents before they left for work, because I was wrapped up in my video games, I take full responsibility.” Great, where are we going and do not call me Betty, Marla is simply fine, has been since I was born. Tigg smirked, “it was only an expression, I wasn’t calling you betty”. I tripped over a tree root sticking out of the ground, my frustration rose higher. “I am about 5 seconds from- “. Tigg held her hand up and pointed to this building that was outside the woods in the distance. There it is! The rundown building had overgrowth growing up the brick walls. The windows were dirty and one of the squares in the windowpane had a hole punched in it, either by a rock or another intruders hand. Tigg stepped out to scope the surrounding area for signs of other visitors. She was the bravest of the two of us, walking to the west side of the house she looked towards the back using a flashlight shouting “no way, that is super creepy.” Tigg looked back in my direction, I think it is safe to come out. I walked out the tree line, looking at this large house in awe. It looked to be two stories. Some of the shutters were missing. It was abandoned for quite some time by the horrible unkept appearance.  How long do you think it has been abandoned Tigg? She ran her hand through her short brown hair, “Not sure, I found it a week ago when I was exploring the woods. I didn’t want to go inside by myself.” I looked at her wide eyed, “I hope you don’t think I’m going in there, at least at night.” It was a warm night; I was getting chills from how dark and creepy the house appeared. There was this feeling that loomed around the house. I could not make out what and I did not want to think much into it.  “Speaking of which I need to go, it is already past my curfew. However, If I am not in too much trouble when I get home, we can come back during the daytime.” Tigg walked up next to me putting her arm around my shoulder, flashing her light onto the house, if you think the house is scary, wait till you see the Barn in the back. It would surely pass for a Horror prop scene. She laughed a silly evil laugh. I move her hand off my shoulder as though I was removing a cobb web and stepped to the side. She looks at me disheartened, “awe come on Marla, it’s not that bad.” “Says the cool cat who didn’t want to go in alone, Nope I’m not going in there tonight.” I start making my way towards the wood line. She turns back to look at me, after scanning over the front of the house once more. “Oh, we can take the gravel road back into town.” I whipped my head in her direction, “what!?” “Wait a sec, you knew about the gravel road this whole time?” I was irritated now. “Well yeah, but.” She replied in a guilty tone. I cut her off, “Why did you have me go through the woods to get tired and worn out tripping over things?” “It wouldn’t have given you the full mystery effect”, she said with a little smirk. “OMG Tigg, you annoy me sometimes, you know that?” I rolled my eyes walking past her on the gravel driveway. I did not wait for her to follow I kept walking. She ran to catch up, “I will vouch for you, and ask my parents to, so you won’t get into trouble as bad.” I sighed, “let us hope it works, and if you ever make me walk through the woods when there was a safer route, you are going to get the full effects of these hands!” I pretend to smack her upside the back of the head. We both laughed and walked back into town arms linked, walking in unison.    “Marla sweetie, is that you?” Mom called out from the Livingroom. I close the front door and dropped my house keys on the table near the coat rack. “yes mom, it’s me”, stopping to take my shoes off near the stairs. I stood in the doorway of the living room and waited for a lecture. Mom was wrapped up in her cow print snuggie, with a glass of wine. “Where is dad?” I asked, remembering his car was not in the driveway. She did not answer me, she was glued to her T.V.  “MOM!” I withdrew a little when I realized I said it louder than I meant to. “What honey, keeping her eyes on the T.V. “Where is Dad?” I repeated slightly irritated. “Oh! He took your brother to the ER.” She sipped more wine. I paused waiting for her to explain what happened, nothing followed.  “OK, what happened to Lee?” She was engulfed back into her Home renovation show. I walked around the couch, and stood in her line of vision but not enough to block the T.V. “Mom, what did Lee go to the ER for?” She came back to reality, blinked a few times trying to bring her thoughts back to present time. “He was trying to make a skateboarding video to promote something, idk, it went south. I’m sure he’s fine, your dads with him”. I looked at her confused. “Did he break something?” The T.V hooked her back in. I gave up and went upstairs to my room. I am not sure who I should thank for the distraction from breaking curfew, My brother or Home improvement channels. I open my bedroom door flipping on the wall switch, Neon lights of pink, blue and green fill my room. The only normal light I have in my room is my bedside lamp at my mother’s request. I flop onto my bed letting my head hit the pillow and sent Tigg a text, “I made it home”. Tigg immediately text back, “how bad are you grounded?” I replied with the same quickness, “so far I am not, possible subject to change though.” She sent two emojis with the tongue sticking out and one eye open, “They were not mad?” I replied “Dad was not home he took Lee to the ER; mom is feeding her home renovation addiction. I think I lucked out tonight, but I hope Lee is ok.” She texts back “What happened to Leroy!” “Mom said he was attempting to create a skateboarding promo video and it went south.” Tigg is the only person on this planet that Lee let’s call him by his real name, her brother is his best friend, our parents are friends with each other, they met when my parents moved here when we were very little. Tigg and I have been best friends since I can remember, we have been in school with each other since kindergarten, played sports together, picked our jersey numbers together. My number has always been 19 and hers 20. Our lives have revolved around each other’s since forever. “Alright, I am going to text my dad and get the scoop on my brother and what the situation is.” She replied, “I’m going to harass my little bro to see what went down, I know he had to be a part of it.” I sent back, “K.” I text dad a text message, “What’s the damage report, is he going to make it?” Waited a minute for him to respond, laughing to myself at the thought of my little brother trying to look cool and the board slips out from under his feet.  I put my phone next to my bed lamp, grabbed the towel on the footboard and took a shower. Bushing my teeth, I hear the message alert from my phone. I walk in my room still brushing my teeth to check the message. It was from dad, “Hey Marebear, your brother was trying to make a ramp for his skateboarding videos, well, the ramp collapsed while he was on it with his board, sprained his ankle and got some good size scrapes on his legs. We will be home in a little while, love you, do not wait up for us. P.S, I know you broke curfew, we will talk about it later.” I groaned in dissatisfaction, so much for being cleared from punishment. I finished my routine nightly rituals in the bathroom, put my pajamas on, turned my overhead neon’s out and crawled into my bed. The effects of today’s hiking adventure melting away into cool sheeted comfort. I sent Tigg a message before I shut my eyes for the night, “Dads not letting me off the hook.”       “Rise and shine my sleepy head”, said my dad standing in my doorway with a cup of coffee in his hand. “Wait what?” I jolted up halfway, still half asleep and looked at the clock on my bedside table, “Dad its 730am.” “Get up girlfriend, we have errands to run, he said in a cheerful tone. “Why do I have to go?”, I was too weak to sit up anymore, I laid back down. “1, Because I said so, and 2, ask your rebellious alter ego who likes to break curfew. I’ll meet you in the car in 15.” I groan and yelled “I’m going to kill Tigg!” “Probably not a good idea, because she’s your best friend and because Jail”, shouted my father in the other room. I rolled my eyes. I loved and hated how he tried to say things my generation understood. I got up, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt, went in the bathroom, brushed my hair and teeth. Walking into the kitchen, I smelled coffee, eggs and bacon in the air, it helped wake me some more. I grabbed a cup to go, put some scrambled eggs and couple slices of bacon between two pieces of toast and wrapped it in a paper towel, slipped my sandals on and made my way to the car. My dad was putting crates of flowers in the back of the jeep, and other things I assume are for errands. Seeing my hands full he opened the passenger door for me and closed it.  After the last few things in the trunk, he closes it and gets in the driver seat. “So, what are the errands for today? I asked between sips of coffee. “We have a full day of activities ahead of us. “I just realized you’re in sweatpants, you may want to go back in and put on shorts and regular shoes.” He had a wincing facial expression that was kind of comical.” Oh, so I will not be riding along, staying in the car? “Oh no, that’s not happening”, he laughed and pointed for me to get out. “Ok, I will be right back”, I said with both hands in the air, smirking. I jumped back in the car with my clothes changed and buckled up. We pull out of the driveway and started heading down the street, Tigg was outside on her front lawn kicking a soccer ball around, dad honked and pulled over to the curb. He rolled his window down “I know practice is everything to you, but you can take a break from time to time.” Tigg practices every day in the morning before it begins to heat up outside. She smiles at me and says, it would not be so bad if I could get Marla out of bed to practice too, she forgot what morning hours are, since we have been out of school. I laughed, “I know the importance of sleep”. My dad continued “We have some errands to run today and we could use your help if you are interested”, he threw in a free lunch and movie after, for her and I. “Let me run inside and check with my folks, be right back.” She said in mid-turn. “Folks” “huh, I just had a flash back”, my dad was staring out the windshield probably watching mini reruns of his childhood. “Dad there is not one generation who hasn’t used another generations slang.” I was amused by his daze and confusion. Tigg changed into an old soccer jersey and cutoff blue jean shorts with a pair of old puma sneakers. “They said I can go”, she climbed into the seat behind my dad and I went to the back seat with her. I handed her my coffee and she took a few sips. “Yum, this is good stuff” she took a couple more sips and handed it back. “I like a little coffee with my cream and sugar”, I said proudly. Her and I got to talking about our upcoming senior year as dad drove us to our first destination.