Chapter 25

Twenty-Five

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

The nearby, rhythmic echoing sound slowly woke me from whatever dead sleep I had stepped into while waiting for Cain to return. My body screamed in agony, sore and exhausted as my eyes struggled to peel open, swollen from the lack of decent rest. A warm hand quickly covered my mouth as I yawned, causing my body to jump, the fear from the previous night immediately returning.

"Dreamer." The low whispered word instantly eased me as I turned to see Lazarus leaning over me. He moved his index finger to his lips as he quietly shushed me, removing his hand from my gaping mouth. Alastair licked his face, excited to see him, but he remained oddly stiff and on edge, simply allowing the wolf to do so.

He carefully grabbed my hand and helped me to my feet, my legs sore and aching from the extensive amount of running the night prior. I glanced around the living room, sleep deprivation hanging heavily over me as I tried to piece together what was happening, the loud banging continuing in a perfect repetition. Daylight burned through the open front door to the cabin, a trail of muddy footprints leading from the front porch and snaked down the hall into the kitchen. Lazarus held a large knife in his hand, his knuckles white from the strength of his grasp, telling me just how worried he truly felt. I clung to his side, my brain still foggy and waking up.

Lazarus and I quietly stepped along the papered wall, our bare feet cautiously moving along the floorboards trying to remain silent as we shifted our weight methodically. We followed the muddy trail, the sound of the thunking increasing as we reached the kitchen doorway. I peeked around the wooden frame and gasped. Standing in the kitchen was Cain, dressed in the same clothes as the night before. He was disastrous, covered in dirt and mud, his clothes soaking wet from the storm, his apricot skin scratched and bruised. He stood against the wooden cabinets, dragging his battered arm up and down, a hammer gripped in his blooded hand, slamming it into a beige filled plastic bag against the old countertop. Each thunk of the metal against the counter made me jump, his motions odd and keeping to a hidden beat as he moved.

Cain raised his arm, freezing as it lingered in the air, the metal face of the tool reflecting the sunlight that broke through the kitchen window. "Are you just going to stand there staring, or are you going to get over here and tell me good morning, Bambi?" His dead eyes shot to the side of his sockets, peering at me though his messy hair, his voice low and emotionless. I glanced up at Lazarus, hesitating before stepping to Cain's side. He rammed the hammer into the plastic bag once more, causing me to jump as I approached him.

"W-what happened to you?" The question quivered from my lips as Alastair remained next to Lazarus, his posture reflecting his discomfort. "We waited up for you—"

"Is that so?" Cain dropped the hammer onto the counter, the tool clanking as he lifted the cloudy bag, examining it closely. "Seems to me that the rest of you had no qualms about leaving me behind." He held the bag high, the off-white powder contents highlighted from the warm light. His eyes shifted from the raised bag to mine, his muted gray irises darker than usual. "Sleep well, Lazarus?" His sight remained fixated on me as Lazarus cleared his throat and answered.

"We just dozed off not too long ago, Cain. Alaska and I were up all night waiting for you—"

"Of course she was. Why wouldn't my baby girl wait for me?" His eyes burned into my skin.

"W-what is that?" I pointed to the bag, quickly changing the topic.

Cain placed the full bag on the counter and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge, breaking the seal. "Protein." He opened the bag, a cloud of dust rising into the air as he did so. The earthy, rotting smell of whatever he had in the plastic bag filled my lungs as he began to pour the crushed powder into the water bottle. Alastair sneezed at the odor, Lazarus covering his nose in disgust. I tried to hold my breath, but coughed at the intense, heavy smell.

"That's some gross fucking protein powder, Cain." Lazarus coughed against the protruding smell.

Cain closed the bottle, shaking the contents as they began to create a milky colored mixture. "After the night I had, this is exactly what I need." He smiled, his teeth fully exposed with a hungry sense of humor. Cain opened the bottle and began to down the liquid, dusty, beige particles still present and floating in the muddled water. The smell and sound of him doing so made me sick to my stomach, unable to look away as he quickly drank the last few drops. A residue of thick, grimy chunks remained at the bottom of the bottle, like sand you'd find on a shoreline. "Now," he breathed, "are you two ready to head back to the cemetery?"

"Head back?" Lazarus questioned. "No, we're not going back. This whole place is fucked. Now that you're back, we're leaving, Cain. Ghosts, storms, creatures—we're done."

"Oh?" Cain raised an eyebrow, unbothered by the mention of creatures. "Is that so?"

"What the hell is that smell?" Ruby's voice came from behind Lazarus as she and Jinx stepped into the kitchen and eyed Cain. "What happened to you?" Cain eyed them both, his face cold.

"Is he okay?" Jinx asked, her silent question meant for Lazarus.

"Cain here was just asking if we were ready to return to the cemetery." Lazarus crossed his arms, tilting his head.

"Excuse me?" Ruby's voice snapped. "There is no way in hell we're going back there."

"What about the body?" Cain twirled the bottle in his hand, his arrogant demeanor returned. "Someone's got to cover that coffin back up, and I can't do it alone." He glanced at Lazarus. "Not to mention, you guys left all your shit back there." He pointed to Ruby and Jinx.

"I don't care if I left my—" Jinx tapped Ruby's arm, cutting her words as she addressed her.

"My rods. I left my dowsing rods there." Ruby sighed.

"You can't be serious?" Jinx nodded, clasping her hands together as her green eyes sparkled up at Ruby. She lowered her head, rubbing her temples. "Fine." Lazarus shot his arms in the air, frustrated that she agreed to go back so easily, especially after what we encountered. Ruby glared at Cain, her deep maroon eyes swirling with magic as she pointed her index finger at him, her fingertip glowing with maroon frustration. "We'll go, but we're grabbing our stuff and immediately coming back here. That's it. And when we return, we're leaving this godforsaken town, with or without you, Cain."

Cain's smile slithered further along his dirty face. "We'll see." He winked.