The Family Tree by John Everson

Author:John Everson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: horror;witches;creature;supernatural;Jonathan Mayberry
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Published: 2014-10-07T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

The days began to slip by easier and easier at the inn. Scott continued to work on his laptop, as well as on strengthening his leg. He found himself losing track of what day it was… up here in the hills, it didn’t really matter. One day was much the same as the last. And just like many other nights, tonight, The Family Table was packed for dinner. Emmaline, Agnes and her boys, Owen and Sutter, Burton Lowe, Billy Dean, Rocky and Jerry, Sherrilyn and Ellen were all there, but there were also several faces Scott didn’t recognize. He sat between Caroline and Rocky, as had become his habit the past two weeks, intentionally or otherwise, and Caroline pointed out several of the newcomers to him. “That’s Cousin Melba and her family,” she said of a young-looking brunette flanked by a portly man and three grade-school-aged children. “And that’s my sister-in-law, ’Melda Mae,” she said of a pale blonde woman who sat next to Agnes. Then she nodded in the direction of a thin old goat at the far end of the table. “And that’s our great-uncle, Reginald Belter. He lives a good ways from here so we don’t see him too often.”

“Where are the Thornes?” Scott asked, realizing that they were the only ones who had been at the first dinner he’d had here who were not here now. He realized he hadn’t seen them in a long time—since the morning after they started making out right here at the Table after dinner.

“I do believe they have checked out,” Caroline said.

Rocky slipped her thin fingers around his wrist and tugged, insisting that he meet her eyes. “We had a really intense hike today,” she said, “and I need a good rubdown tonight after dinner. Would you oblige me?”

Scott’s eyes widened in alarm. Caroline was sitting right there and had to have heard every word. But Rocky only grinned at his discomfort. She stroked Caroline’s hand in a calculatedly sinuous fashion up and down. “Honey, you won’t mind if I borrow your man for a couple hours tonight, will you?”

Scott imagined he saw a spark of irritation in Caroline’s eye, but instead of refusing, or putting the decision back on Scott, Caroline nodded her head. “I know you have the need,” she said. “Just don’t use him all up. I’d like some of him tonight too.”

Really? Scott’s mind reeled. When had he become “Caroline’s man” and how did that give her the right to loan him to another woman? Not that the sentence was difficult, but…what the hell. Maybe there was some truth to those jokes about people in Appalachia all being each other’s incestuous sisters and uncles. If they all slept together as easily as they seemed to here…

Ellen interrupted the strange conversation with a toast at the head of the table.

“Welcome everyone. It’s so good to see the family together again. Tomorrow night we celebrate the Last Tap once again, and I’m pleased that we have the last scion of the Belvedere line with us for this year’s gathering.

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