Nine Candles of Deepest Black by Matthew S. Cox

Author:Matthew S. Cox [Cox, Matthew S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Young Adult Fiction, Horror
ISBN: 9781949174632
Google: sHShDwAAQBAJ
Amazon: 1949174638
Goodreads: 41579651
Publisher: Division Zero Press
Published: 2016-09-15T05:00:00+00:00

18

Uninvited

Saturday October 17 - 12:10 p.m.

Paige sat cross-legged on the couch with a pillow in her lap, still wearing the giant blue tee shirt she’d slept in as well as fuzzy black socks. Melissa sprawled on her stomach over the cushions at her left, feet scissoring in the air, simultaneously doodling in a pad while watching a cartoon. Paige picked fuzzies from the back of Melissa’s cotton nightgown and flicked them onto the rug. Gloomy skies threatened rain, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t going out today. Paige spent a moment watching the low flame of a cinnamon-scented candle flutter before frowning at her sister’s clothes.

This girl likes pink way too much.

Mom wandered by, smiled at them, and disappeared into the dining room. A few minutes later, she returned with a coat on. “I’m going downtown to pick up some stuff for another commission. Do you girls want to go?”

“I’d rather stay inside today, Mom.” Paige absentmindedly rubbed Melissa’s back.

“Are you two going to spend all day in your pajamas?”

“Yep,” said Melissa without looking up.

“Probably.” Paige smiled.

“I’m really happy to see you and Melissa together. It’s sudden and weird but I’m not going to—” Mom’s gaze dropped straight down. “What’s that?”

She didn’t look at Dad’s .38 revolver tucked between the armrest and the seat cushion. “It is what it looks like it is.”

“Paige Thomas…” Mom leaned over, grasped the weapon in a way that kept it out of Melissa’s sight, and stood. “Can I see you for a minute?”

“Yes, Mom.” Paige stood and followed her.

Mom whirled on her as soon as they reached the kitchen. “I thought you were more responsible than this. Do you have any idea what your father would do if he found out you took this out of the lockbox? You’re supposed to know better.”

“Mom, yesterday on the way home from school, these two guys followed me and Mel. One had a tire iron. They’d already threatened to ‘get me back’ for that guy at the bank. I… You know how grandma sometimes had… uhh, visions?”

Anger receded from the edges of Mom’s eyes. “You used to make fun of her for that.”

“Did you believe her?”

Mom folded her arms after dropping the gun in her purse. “I won’t say yes or no. Some of the things she said were damn hard to explain.”

Paige put a hand on her mother’s arm. She forced herself to recount the vision of Dad finding them in a field, Melissa probably dead and her not far from it. Tendons on the side of Mom’s neck swelled and red appeared around her eyes. “I know it sounds crazy, but it felt so real. They threatened me. A teacher, uhh, Mr. Lloyd, at the school, witnessed it. They think Mackenzie bribed Dad and I asked him to kill their friend at the bank. They would’ve attacked us if I’d walked home.”

“Did you tell Drew, uhh… your father?”

“Yes. He knows.”

“I should stay with you.” Mom set her bag on the table.

Paige tried to clear her mind.

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