Chapter 19: Road Trip

I sat in the passenger side of the hornet staring out the window. We were loaded up with snacks for the twelve hour long road trip to my hometown. It didn't take long to pack or to leave the city, not like it was a big city for that matter, but way more sizable than where I came from.

Rolling green fields passed by our car and with it came the stench of cow manure. If you stayed in it long enough, you didn't notice the smell, but after being gone so long it was so overpowering I wanted to gag. As I stared, I watched the shadows. That is where I always saw him with his glowing red ember. I wondered what it was. It looked like just a glowing ball of light. Maybe it was an enchanted firefly. Since I was dealing with the unknown here, maybe it was a fairy.

Mila sat in the driver's seat singing along to the tune on the radio. It's not like the hornet had an aux port or anything, just a broken tape player. She seemed her happy self, but her eyes were too big, her face too stretched, and her grin too wide. Whatever was pulling her strings was wearing her like a suit. It made me uncomfortable just to watch her. I wondered how I was going to get free of her. Did she know why I was going home? Did she know I wanted to banish the thing inside her? The thought made me shutter. Maybe I was just crazy after all. She was actually just my best friend and I was seeing things. My heart wanted it so much that it almost made my head believe. Almost.

"Are you excited to go home?" She asked.

I shook my head. "Not really."

"Then why are you going?"

I had been thinking over this answer since I got in the car. Because I was crazy? Because she was possessed? Because a dream and a man told me to? I sighed. "After the car accident, I got to thinking that I really should mend some bridges with my family."

"So, this is a death scare visit," she stated.

I shrugged. "Sure." It was as good an answer as any.

"That was some accident, huh? I flew like twenty feet." She laughed.

My memories of the car accident felt like I had seen it in a movie. Maybe that was the difference between the real and the Veil. I don't remember her flying through the air. I don't remember running to her side, but I know it happened. Or at least I know I am supposed to think it happened. I stared down at the angry red lines on my forearm. They flickered black as night. I did remember screaming, then pulling on her dead body. I remembered the darkness. Those were real. Those didn't feel like a movie. I shuddered.

"Are you cold?" She asked as she leaned towards the heat controls.

I waved her off. "No, I'm okay. I just remembered seeing you lying on the pavement is all. I don't ever want to see that again."

A loud snore emanated from the back seat.

"Why did he have to come along again?" I asked.

"Did you really want to leave him alone in our apartment all weekend?" Mila asked.

"Good point." I turned around and shoved a bag of chips in Anton's face. "Hey, Snorty, shut up."

Anton's fingers closed around the chips. "Thanks, Snarky."

I turned back around. "Do you think he was actually sleeping or he was just looking for attention?"

Mila shrugged. "It's anyone's guess."

Anton popped the chip bag open. The sound of his teeth crunching into the chips made me grate my teeth.

"So, do your folks make really good food? They're farmers, right?" Anton asked.

"Well, my brother cooks, and my dad... he'll probably just shoot all of us on site, so I wouldn't expect too much hospitality," I said.

"What'd you do?" Anton asked.

I shot a glance at him. He seemed genuinely interested. "I went to college."

"I take it, that was a problem?"

"He wanted me to stay and take over the family business. But it gets worse, I dropped out. So, I don't have much to show for it."

Anton whistled. "That sucks."

I sighed and laid the side of my head against the window. I felt stuck. And in more than one way. I was stuck with creepy puppet Mila and her idiot brother. I was stuck in a dead end job with no future in sight. I was stuck in debt. I was stuck in trouble with my family. I was stuck with this crappy car. I looked down at the angry red lines on my arm. The only time I felt anything else was when I was with Remi. Things were scary and exciting. They were dangerous, I mean, I kept going crazy. The red lines on my arm flashed inky black as memories flashed through my mind. These markings kept the Veil at bay somehow. It wouldn't let them get rewritten or erased. I felt the sudden urge to talk to him, to know he was real.

"I need to pee," I said.

"Ooh, I second that," Anton said as he set down an empty two liter of Mountain Dew.

"Alright, next gas station I see, we'll stop," Mila said.

In another three exits, we were parked at the fuel pump in a travel stop. Mila went into the store. Anton headed to the men's restroom. I ducked into the family/wheelchair accessible bathroom when no one was looking and locked the door. It was spacious with a single toilet, sink, and a mirror.

"Remi," I whispered. "Remi?"

Shadows darkened the room. His deep gravelly voice came from the corner. "Yes?"

I spun to face him. "What am I doing?"

"You seem to be on a road trip." He crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against the wall.

"I know that, but seriously, what am I doing? Do I really like stab my dad and get his blood?"

Remi laughed. "I mean, sure, that's one way to get the job done."

"Can it just be DNA? Can I just get his hair and be done with it?"

He shook his head. "For this spell, it needs to be blood."

"And now we're talking about spells. Geez, now I know I'm crazy."

"I'm happy to help with that again."

My hand went to my neck. I had to stop myself from saying yes. What was wrong with me? Oh right, my life sucked. "I... a..."

Remi closed in. I could smell the charcoal on him. He set his hand on the side of my head and caressed my hair, then pulled away a stray lock with his thumb. It was such a loving move, I froze. I didn't even know this guy and yet he knew me. He knew me from the day I was born. I looked up into his golden hazel eyes. He was like an uncle or almost like a father, but... he was also like a boyfriend. I felt so confused. My heart didn't know how to feel.

"Did you watch me get born?" I blurted out.

Remi removed his hand and coughed awkwardly. "Yeah, I did."

"Is that when you were like, assigned to me?"

"I mean a little before that, I guess."

"How many other people do you look after?"

He shrugged. "I have about one hundred and fifty charges right now."

My hands went to my hips. "Do you hit on all of them?"

He chuckled. "Are you jealous?"

"No." Yes. "I just... you like saw my mother squirt me out and then you're all like... wait, how old are you?"

He gave a half smile. "I'm old, but time doesn't really work the same for me. I just kind of am now."

"What do you mean now? What were you before?"

He shook his head in exasperation then wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his chest. "Little one, you are too smart for your own good.I have answered these questions before. Maybe we can talk about it again someday, but not today." He kissed the top of my head. "Now, go stab your daddy so we can get the next piece. Don't call me until you have it. If I'm in your world too long then bird brains will get nosey."

He stepped back and gave me a wink. The shadows disappeared and him with them.