don’t remember that gigantic knife of yours.”
Franklin ground his teeth. He didn’t have time to mess around. “Damn it.”
Sirens sounded in the distance. Time to quit stalling. He stabbed the arm and leg with the blade. They turned black, then withered into ash, the flakes carried away by the breeze.
“Don’t do that, dude.” Percy sat up, legs hanging off the back of the can. “I had a bitch of a time finding them.”
Franklin glanced at him. “I thought you were going to the hospital.”
“I was. I am. I’ll just—” Percy crawled into the driver’s seat and started the van.
The muffler spewed exhaust in Franklin’s face, making him cough. The rear doors hadn’t been closed, and they moved back and forth as the van sped out of the parking lot and out of sight. With Percy gone, Franklin knocked over the other cooler with his foot, spilling the torso onto the asphalt. He couldn’t help but smile as the blade destroyed his brother’s chest.
Julie still shook. Eyes watering, she seemed both horrified and curious. “Who are you?”
“Nobody you need to worry about.” Franklin returned the blade to its sheath. He took out his wallet, grabbed a few hundred-dollar bills, and then tucked them into Julie’s pocket. Money wouldn’t make her feel better. Franklin knew that. What Julie saw would probably bother her for years to come. Chances were it’d drive her to drink as she struggled to reconcile it with her understanding of reality. Still, Franklin had to do something , even if it was as petty as shoving a few bucks in her hand. “For all the trouble.”
The sirens got louder. For the first time in decades, he felt guilty about something. Julie’s wide eyes and trembling lips made it loud and clear how terrified Franklin made her. He’d seen the look too many times over his lifetime. It always made him feel like the bad guy. One of these days, his infinite existence would end, and he could enjoy a Trenton-free life as a mortal. Until then he had work to do.
“Have a drink or eight. You’ll feel better.” Franklin climbed into El Cid. He was long gone before the police arrived.
CHAPTER FIVE
I Forget
Bailey sat in his car, staring at his house, legs bobbing up and down, and nibbling on his fingernails. He really didn’t want to go inside and face the music, firing squad, or whatever nightmarish torture his parents had in store. All the cars from the party were gone, but that didn’t mean anything. Those cars could’ve been moved around the corner. For all he knew, that nasty Mr. Lovell guy might still be inside the house. Worse, what if he appeared in the car seat next to Bailey?
Alexis made a lot of sense earlier, mostly because Bailey never felt compelled to disagree with her, but he wished he’d put up more of a fight. At best, in a few minutes Bailey would be grounded. At worst maybe his parents would cut out his eyes, or stab him seconds after the front door closed. Who knew?
Bailey closed his fingers around the car door handle. He took a deep breath and then opened it. The door stuck out in the street while he tried to compose himself. His grip on the handle tightened. A car honked as it passed by, making him yank the door shut on his knee. He cursed, knee stinging from the impact.
Get over yourself . Nothing’s going to happen.
Alexis was right. His parents wouldn’t do anything to him… Would they?
Only one way to find out.
He waited for an oncoming car to pass before getting out. His heart pounded as he forced one foot in front of the other. Standing at the end of the driveway, Bailey felt panic overtaking him, making his fingers twitch. If he only had some idea about what lurked on the other side of the front door. It was too much pressure. Bailey needed a moment to think. The bushes next to the mailbox shielded him from the house. He knelt behind them and dialed Alexis, who answered after the first ring.
“Hey,” she said. “Everything okay? Since you’re
Franklin ground his teeth. He didn’t have time to mess around. “Damn it.”
Sirens sounded in the distance. Time to quit stalling. He stabbed the arm and leg with the blade. They turned black, then withered into ash, the flakes carried away by the breeze.
“Don’t do that, dude.” Percy sat up, legs hanging off the back of the can. “I had a bitch of a time finding them.”
Franklin glanced at him. “I thought you were going to the hospital.”
“I was. I am. I’ll just—” Percy crawled into the driver’s seat and started the van.
The muffler spewed exhaust in Franklin’s face, making him cough. The rear doors hadn’t been closed, and they moved back and forth as the van sped out of the parking lot and out of sight. With Percy gone, Franklin knocked over the other cooler with his foot, spilling the torso onto the asphalt. He couldn’t help but smile as the blade destroyed his brother’s chest.
Julie still shook. Eyes watering, she seemed both horrified and curious. “Who are you?”
“Nobody you need to worry about.” Franklin returned the blade to its sheath. He took out his wallet, grabbed a few hundred-dollar bills, and then tucked them into Julie’s pocket. Money wouldn’t make her feel better. Franklin knew that. What Julie saw would probably bother her for years to come. Chances were it’d drive her to drink as she struggled to reconcile it with her understanding of reality. Still, Franklin had to do something , even if it was as petty as shoving a few bucks in her hand. “For all the trouble.”
The sirens got louder. For the first time in decades, he felt guilty about something. Julie’s wide eyes and trembling lips made it loud and clear how terrified Franklin made her. He’d seen the look too many times over his lifetime. It always made him feel like the bad guy. One of these days, his infinite existence would end, and he could enjoy a Trenton-free life as a mortal. Until then he had work to do.
“Have a drink or eight. You’ll feel better.” Franklin climbed into El Cid. He was long gone before the police arrived.
CHAPTER FIVE
I Forget
Bailey sat in his car, staring at his house, legs bobbing up and down, and nibbling on his fingernails. He really didn’t want to go inside and face the music, firing squad, or whatever nightmarish torture his parents had in store. All the cars from the party were gone, but that didn’t mean anything. Those cars could’ve been moved around the corner. For all he knew, that nasty Mr. Lovell guy might still be inside the house. Worse, what if he appeared in the car seat next to Bailey?
Alexis made a lot of sense earlier, mostly because Bailey never felt compelled to disagree with her, but he wished he’d put up more of a fight. At best, in a few minutes Bailey would be grounded. At worst maybe his parents would cut out his eyes, or stab him seconds after the front door closed. Who knew?
Bailey closed his fingers around the car door handle. He took a deep breath and then opened it. The door stuck out in the street while he tried to compose himself. His grip on the handle tightened. A car honked as it passed by, making him yank the door shut on his knee. He cursed, knee stinging from the impact.
Get over yourself . Nothing’s going to happen.
Alexis was right. His parents wouldn’t do anything to him… Would they?
Only one way to find out.
He waited for an oncoming car to pass before getting out. His heart pounded as he forced one foot in front of the other. Standing at the end of the driveway, Bailey felt panic overtaking him, making his fingers twitch. If he only had some idea about what lurked on the other side of the front door. It was too much pressure. Bailey needed a moment to think. The bushes next to the mailbox shielded him from the house. He knelt behind them and dialed Alexis, who answered after the first ring.
“Hey,” she said. “Everything okay? Since you’re
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