Hallows: Merciful Death

Awkwardly

Dorthy-Rest In Peace

B.B.:

On Friday, my mom left Hellbourne a free woman. Detective Espinosa signed the divorce papers. Lucien and I drove her to the airport, she promised to call but I'm not really going to hold my breath. We hung out all week, she even let me stay home with her and she slept in my room with me. I told the others that I needed some time alone and they gave me the weekend but it'll be Monday tomorrow and I have to face them. I need answers. Answers my dad's journal doesn't have. Answers to questions I'm scared to ask.

I go to shut the back of the piano knowing that no one would be playing it while she's gone. When I push it up to put the bar holding it up, down, I see it inside the piano. The black mamba. The same one from before. I looked around as if looking for someone living and reached for it. It curls itself around my arm. I lowered the top and wait for it to go up higher. Only it doesn't. It slithers down my body and onto the floor. I pull my phone out as I follow it past the dining room and into the kitchen.

"Hey," Carson answers on the second ring. There's a soft and desperate tone in his voice. I don't know how to feel about that.

"It's here," I whisper.

"What is?" he asks almost amused. Ass.

"The snake,"

"What is it doing? Is it on you?" he's not laughing anymore.

"No, I took it out of the piano and it's trying to get into the basement," I stop next to the kitchen island.

"Don't follow it in there. We're on our way,"

"Okay," I turn around.

I scream dropping my phone. My blood goes cold as I face off with my sister. No, not my sister. This thing it's pale. Her skin is paper white. Her eyes are infinite pools of darkness. She's wearing the same clothes she was when I found her. Her signature pencil skirt, bright red button-up, fishnets, and dolly pumps. Her hair is slicked down on her forehead and in a high bun. There's a black noose around her neck. A dark ugly bruising around her neck. Oh, my god. It feels like the world has stopped spinning. There's an extra eerie silence as if all the sounds around me were stripped away. My eyes fill with sickenly hot tears, my jaw tightens and saliva fills my mouth. The pit of my belly clenches tightly with terror. Too tight I can't even breathe.No. This isn't happening. There is no way this is real.

"B.B," she groaned like some kind of zombie secretary.

"Delilah?" I choked out lifting my hand up to touch her.

"Baby, where are you?" Carson's voice makes her flinch and she vanishes into black smoke. I drop to my knees where she had been standing unable to move. Carson and Lucien ran into the kitchen. He crouches down in front of me trying to catch my attention. "Hey, hey. Look at me. What happened?"

"I-I-" I shake my head unable to move or even say a single word. Was that real? Did that really just happen to me?

"f**k, okay. You're okay, baby," he pulls me into his arms. "Jesus, you're ice cold,"

"Did you open this door?" Luc asks. Door? I look back to see that the door down to the basement is open.

"No, no. It was closed. Carson told me not to follow it," I finally snap out it, who the hell opened that door? "She was here,"

"Who was here? What did you see?" Carson demands.

"Delilah,"

"That's not possible," he shakes his head.

"Don't f*****g say that," I shove him away from me. "She was standing right here. She said my name. f**k," I'm panicking. I can't breathe properly. It had all slipped away for an instant. For a moment, it was just me and Delilah and it's gone now. It's f*****g gone. "She was right here,"

"Okay, okay," Luc pulls me away from Carson. "What was she doing? What did you see?"

"She was wearing the same outfit. Th-th-there was a rope around her neck. She was dead. Like Night of the living dead, dead. She said my name and then she disappeared. Poof. Just gone. That door was closed. It was f*****g closed a-a-and it was locked. The key to the basement is in my room. It's on my vanity. You can't open that door without that skeleton key. I know. I've tried,"

"You saw a f*****g darkling," Carson looks over at the open door.

"What's a darkling?" I ask, backing away from the door. I don't like the sound of that.

"It's like the mamba. Kind of like a familiar. She was trying to warn you. So was the snake," Carson slams the door shut. "Go get the key from her room, Luc,"

"Stay right here, baby," he rubs my arms and walks away. Again, I can't tell if he's actually saying baby or B.B.

"Blue pencil holder. It's big and gold," I call after him. I look back at Carson.

"You're going home with me today. That's not negotiable," he sighs. "You scared the f**k out of me, B.B. When I heard you scream, I felt my f*****g stomach fall out of my ass,"

"How did you get here so fast?" I ask looking around. Why is it so cold in here? Why am I just noticing it?

"I didn't. It might have felt fast to you but I drove here from my house. It's been roughly twenty minutes,"

"How did I just lose twenty minutes like that?" I panic.

"Darklings are rare and very powerful creatures. For us, it was twenty minutes. It was only a few seconds here. It stalled whatever the f**k is down there long enough for Luc and me to get here,"

"All right, here we go," Luc jogs over to us and locks the door.

"Leave it in there like that. You can't open it while it's in there," the two of them stepped away from it with their hands held out in front of them as if the door is going to swing open any second as they slowly back away from it.

"This is a big ass house," Carson looks around. "My house is the size of this f*****g kitchen. You stay here by yourself in this big ass house?" it's not a real question. It's more like he's voicing his disapproving thoughts.

"It's home. I mean, I grew up here. It's not scary for me and usually, Margarita and her daughter are here," that's somewhat of a lie.

"Oh, seniorita B.B," speak of the devil, I guess. The boys tense up at the sound of her voice.

"Hey," I turn around awkwardly and give her a little wave.

"Hungry?" she asks setting her purse on the island. "I'll make dinner for you and your guests,"

"Sure, thank you," I nod. Did that really just happen?

"Get out of my kitchen," she shoos me out with a playful smile on her pretty coffee-toned lips. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, don't open this. Don't touch it. Um, the stairs are f****d. I almost killed myself going down," I warn her. I flinch at the dumb way I phrase that and how it comes out sus as hell.

"I don't go down there. It freaks me out," she scoffs. "Did you need something from there?"

"Uh, no. I just- it was dumb," I put my hands on my hips begging for her to tell us to leave again.

"Okay. I'll put a note on there. f****d steps," she smirks. I laugh dryly.

"Thanks, Maggie. How was your trip?" why am I asking questions?

"Good. Debbie is pregnant again,"

"Congratulations on grandchild number three," I smile genuinely this time.

"She's getting a divorce," she rolls her eyes as she takes down a couple of pans from the rack above the kitchen island.

"I'm sorry," I nod awkwardly. Who blurts out their problems like that? Is that what I sound like when I overshare?

"Get out of here. I'll let you know when the food is ready,"

"Is Kimmy with you?" I don't want her thirteen-year-old daughter in this kitchen right now. Or anywhere in this house alone for that matter.

"No, she's at her dad's. She got suspended and I don't want her home playing video games all day," she says as she opens the refrigerator to see what's inside.

"Stacy and Marco are also coming over," Luc raises his hand. I'm relieved I'm not the only awkward person here.

"More friends," she smiles. "Good. I don't mind cleaning up. You guys can set up in the library,"

"Thanks," I nod. Carson takes my hand and leads me away. Good. "I can't leave her," I tell them. "She sleeps in the room back there," I point at the door by the T.V. in the library. "Sometimes with her daughter. Mom pays her extra for that,"

"Okay," Carson groans annoyed. "Apparently it was negotiable,"

"Shut up," I laugh sitting at my dad's old desk. He grins. I shouldn't be laughing. None of this is funny.

"Can we stay?" Luc suggests. "I am not going to leave you alone with whatever the f**k is down there. s**t like that isn't normal, B.B. Not even for us,"

"Yeah, there are like twelve rooms upstairs," I nod. "Take your pick,"

"Are you f*****g serious?" Carson blurts out. "How many rooms are there?"

"Bedrooms? Fourteen," there are a lot more if we define rooms by just four walls. Rooms I've never dared to walk into. The day I went to my dad's study, I cried for two days straight. The room smells just like him. It was in the bathroom of that room that he... stop.

"And two of them are occupied?" Luc asks.

"Mine and Delilah's. No one goes in there. My mom locked it. Even the door that connects our bathroom," I try to take my mind off the study.

"You can't pick the locks?" Carson smirked. He's seen me do it before. Delilah used to make me go with her sometimes. It's how we have keys to the police station and their evidence room. You didn't hear that from me.

"No, they're like the uh- basement one. The locks are made out of a special magnetite rock. Blackstone. So you can't break them or pick them. You need the actual key. She wears it around her neck,"

"Are you feeling better?" Carson asks. I nod looking up at them. They really rushed over here to help me.

"That was f*****g terrifying. My head is pounding," I press my knuckles to my temples. I don't want to think anymore. The melancholy of this f*****g house is tearing me apart.

"What were you doing when you saw the snake?"

"I was shutting the piano. My mom forgot to close it before she left and it sucks having to clean dirt out of the inside. It was under the strings,"

"What happened after?" Luc asks.

"I reached inside and let it crawl up my arm so that I could close it," they exchange an annoyed expression. They stare at one another like they're having a mental conversation.

"Why the f**k would you do that? What if it would have bitten you?" he growls, taking a step towards me. I take one back.

"You said it wouldn't hurt me," I say defensively.

"It f*****g bit you at the party and you lost your s**t. That could have happened again," Carson shakes his head disappointed.

"Don't f*****g do that. Don't just give into it when you're alone," Luc adds.

"It didn't feel like the last time. The last time, it felt like I was pulling it to me. This time it was just there all of a sudden. It didn't feel dangerous to me. I thought you said it was familiar,"

"It is but a very dangerous one. One that unleashes a f**k ton of crazy. You need to be careful. Don't just assume something. We need to take her to La Bruja," Carson sits down on the couch facing the TV over the fireplace.

"Who is La Bruja?" I ask, opening the drawer with the T.V. remotes.

"We'll go after school tomorrow," Luc grins. "Do you speak Spanish?"

"Si," I nod. "My mom is Mexican,"

"Say something in Spanish for me," he smirks. Carson looks up at me expectantly as I set the remotes down on the coffee table. I rarely watch T.V. and when I do it's to watch something mindless.

"Porque nunca me responden como deven?" I ask.

"Because we don't want to scare you," Carson smirks. "You know any other languages?"

"No, I never needed them," I shrug. "And Ashley never pushed them,"

"What do you need Spanish for?"

"To speak with my grandma,"

"I'm here. I'm here. Are you okay?" Stacy runs over to me, wrapping herself around my body. I don't reach down to hold her so she slides down my legs until her ass is perched on my boots. Marco and his boyfriend are here with her.

"Okay, B.B. I know we said we were going to wait until tomorrow but since we're all here," Carson gets up. I step away from Stacy and take a seat at my dad's desk. "This is everyone. At least, everyone that's active,"

"Okay," I nod. "First question. How are we activated?"

"It's a heritage thing. The heir is activated when they come of age and depending on their personality, the demon varies. Blackstones are all snakes and or reapers," Luc answers. "It was your dad, then Dilly, now you,"

"So if she had never died-" I trail off.

"You would still have been activated. Delilah was a Viper. That's a different kind of snake," Carson finishes. "Important, but not the snake we need. Which is why we agree with you. Delilah would never have killed herself knowing that,"

"Do you think someone did this?" I ask.

"I don't know if someone did this to her but I do think she didn't have another choice," he crosses his big arms over his chest. A hot burning anger flushes over my body and I snap.

"Why didn't you say anything? You let me f*****g suffer in silence for two years," I growl.

"B.B. chill," Stacy stands in front of him with her hands up. "Delilah had just died and she left instructions. She told us to give you time. We can't move without our snake's approval. The Blackstones are kind of like the leaders. The King sort to speak,"

When I look at Stacy, I can't help but think of my mother. I can't help but think of the way I treated her and how I basically abandoned Stacy for a long time. Not just these past two years. No, long before that. It happened freshman year when I made the cheer team and she started working for my sister.

"You've been waiting for me?" I ask sitting back trying to shake this ugly lingering guilt in my body. "What if I don't want to be a leader,"

"You don't have to. Carie and I got it. But we can't move without you," Luc answers easily. "Let's all introduce ourselves," he looks around at the others. "My familiar is the Crow. I'm kind of the lookout. I have a murder of crows watching the entire town. Any crow that enters Hellbourne,"

"We have powers on top of the rage?" I ask confused by both the revelation and the fact that his nickname for Carson is Carie. How cute is that?

"Yeah," he nods as if it isn't a big deal.

"I'm the red devil," Carson continues. I wonder if he has a cute nickname for Lucien. Lucy maybe? "When our snake is unavailable I'm the one that improvises,"

"I'm Stacy. Super cute and I'm the Black Butterfly and I can do th-"

"No, no," Carson stops her. "There's a mortal here,"

"Oh," she covers her mouth embarrassed. "I can burst into butterflies. Not always. I have to be calm for it to happen. I'm still practicing,"

"I am excited to see that," I laugh. I really am.

"My name is Marco and I am your panther," he bows. "Hunting skills,"

"That's cool," I look him over. Marco is a really handsome guy. His curly dark brown hair is styled into a bowl cut and his grunge style is on point. He played the guitar for The Fallen when Delilah was alive.

"Hey, my name is Dylan and I am your bat," his boyfriend waves at me when he sees me staring at his boyfriend.

"Dylan, it's good to meet you. I didn't catch your name the other night,"

"It was an honor to meet you. Didn't disappoint," he smirks.

"Do you turn into bats?" I ask. That would be the coolest thing in the world.

"No, I kind of go into a frenzy," he shakes his head. A frenzy? The boy looks like he works in a library like he doesn't even know what having a bad temper means. He's so... chill.

"He's kind of a vampire," Lucien adds with a serious tone.

"What? Really? Like fangs and stuff?" I ask almost jumping up to my feet. That's insane.

"Yeah, and strength, speed. The whole nosferatu s**t," Dylan nods. Again, he looks like he wouldn't hurt a fly with his pretty copper-toned eyes and his spikey short blond hair.

"I'm scared of you now," I admit. He's wearing a cashmere sweater for crying out loud.

"Not as much as we're scared of you," he smirks.

"Why? What kind of powers am I supposed to have?" I ask alarmed now.

"Glamor," Luc answers and looks over at Carson.

"Venom," Marco adds.

"God complex," Stacy giggles.

"Compulsion," Carson smirks. "Of all animals and weak-minded mortals. It's why you're bloodline is the leading one,"

"There's also the possibility that you might still inherit the Reaper. Like your dad," Luc adds. "Dilly didn't have that but it's different for everyone. While you are displaying mamba characteristics mainly, you have reaper ones as well. The self-control. That's not a mamba trait. Mambas just strike. No questions asked,"

"Dilly was the epitome of self-control," I point out.

"Yeah, she was a viper. A natural hunter. A very patient one. They only attack when threatened. Black mambas attack anything that moves," Carson sounds like he's bragging. "It's why it was so easy for you to fall into this. It's all instinct and you've always had great instincts,"