24 Day with Rae

"Paul! Here are my keys and some money. I feel lazy today and I do not want to really make anything. Can you go to the meat market down the street and buy some stuff so we can throw it on the grill? I will have the pit lit by the time you get back."

I don't see how I could refuse when I am getting a chance to drive old red.

"Can I come?!" asked Rae.

I nodded and I did not see why not, when will I get the chance to drive old red and have a beautiful girl ride with me? It is almost like a dream come true. The market was just down the street passing up two lights. I could even give her a small tour of the town if I wanted to. I just need to drive around in a big circle for about five minutes and you have pretty much seen everything here and all of Liberty.

I pulled out from the driveway slowly, because if I stepped on it, Wes would more than likely curse me again.

Rae asked me, "How far away is the old house?"

I was getting ready to take the main street when she asked me, "Do you want to see where we once lived while there is still some sunlight?"

"I would like to see where it was if you don't mind."

I took the back streets so I could have a little bit more alone time with her, "It's not that far from here. It's a couple of streets over." I pulled into the street, and we stopped in front of what used to be our home, "Do you want to get off for a bit? If you want to so I can park?"

She nodded and I parked in the gravel driveway. We both got off and walked closer to the house.

"It still smells like freshly burned wood. It must have been a terrible sight to see it burn before your very own eyes."

"Others were excited and cheered that it was on fire. I didn't see it burn all the way down. I saw it catch on fire and some smoke before I was knocked out. I don't know if Bree or Wes got a glimpse."

A tear started to roll down her face, "What's wrong?!"

"I just feel so sad that it happened to my friends and at the idea that I could have lost them that day."

"It's okay. We are physically fine except for Bryanna, but she will make a full recovery. The only thing is that we are all a little hurt about losing our home, but there is nothing that we can do about it. I do want to get revenge on the people that did this every single day and time that I remember."

"I do not blame you. If it were me, I would have wanted the same thing. How can Wes remain so calm despite what happened?"

"I do not know. I would be angry knowing that it was the home that he grew up in and was given to him by his grandmother before she passed away."

"That's awful. That is where he got all of his childhood memories."

"I know. Are you ready to get out of here?"

I knew that I had to get us out of there. There is too much pain and negative emotion that we don't need to bring with us to the new home.

She nodded and we made our way to the meat market. Upon arrival, I parked on the side of the store because the front only has five parking spots, and you have to back out into oncoming traffic to get out. I don't like to deal with it so instead of going from the side of the store I can take the back streets home.

"Look Rae! That's the guy!" I pointed through the front windshield.

"What are you talking about? What about him?"

"He was the one who gathered people from the church and burned down our home!"

"The guy dressed in all black with a top hat and a cane?"

"Yes!"

I unlocked my door to only have Regan lock it from her side.

"What are you doing? I want to get back at him while I have the chance!"

"No!" She yelled at me and pulled my arm closer to her.

We kept fighting back and forth locking and unlocking the truck doors.

"I can't let you go out there right now! If you do something you will be recorded by the cameras right, there." She pointed at several of them, "Plus, there will be witnesses and it will be easier to prosecute you for assault or murder. You can't leave me by myself!"

It was hard watching the guy get in his car and drive away not knowing that death was just a couple of feet away from him, but I also do not want to leave Rae alone and let the girl I like to see me kill someone right in front of her.

Damn it! I should have said no to Rae back at Wes's house when she asked if she could tag along.

I heard a breaking noise.

"Crap! Wes is going to kill me!!!!"

I had broken the steering wheel off and I had to come up with a way to drive us back home.

"Rae, do me a favor. Go inside the market and buy the stuff. Here is the list and money, while I try to figure something out here."

"Got it! Do you want anything?"

"Yeah, to not die when I get home!"

She left and I looked behind the truck in hopes that I could find something lying on the truck bed, but nothing but straps. I checked the inside where Regan was seated, behind the rest seat and underneath the seat. Nothing again and I was panicking. I finally walked over to check my side and made an open prayer before I started to search for whatever deity or spirit who could help me out, find something so I could get this truck home.

"I'm back! Did you come up with something?"

"No, but I did find this!" I stared at the item in my hand and where the steering wheel used to be. "I got an idea! Get in."

I turned on the truck and was able to maneuver it with some channel locks that happened to be underneath my seat. I took the back streets and drove slowly so I would not attract the attention of the police that were patrolling the area.

We made it home and Wes was outside watching the pit.

"I will take the stuff inside, please don't let him kill you."

I laughed nervously and slowly made my way to Wes with my hands behind my back, "There is no easy way to tell you this or slowly let it set in." I brought my hands forward to reveal the steering wheel I had hidden behind my back, "I accidentally broke… your… driving wheel…"

Wes quickly reached into the fiery pit and grabbed a hand full of burning hot coal and started to hurl them in my direction. All I could do was dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge again.

"Stop iitt!! You are going to burn me with one of those coals!!!" I screamed, "How the hell are your hands not getting burned?!"

"I give you one fucking job daily! Just one! And you still somehow manage to fuck that up!"

After a while, when Wes finally released some steam, we were all sitting down in the front yard talking about what happened and eating steak. The downside to it was that I could not eat my steak, someone had to feed it to me because I was tied up in chains…

"Hey Wes, this is some good steak!"

"Shut the hell up! I am still pissed at you! Flattery isn't going to get you out of this one."

"Geez… it was an accident."

"Here comes the airplane!" Anthony making airplane noises.

I would have preferred for one of the girls to feed me instead of him, anyone but him… I have the feeling that he is enjoying this.

"So, the pastor is still in town, and he doesn't know if we are alive or not. Maybe we can use this to our advantage," said Wes.

"How do you plan that we get them back?" I asked.

Wes shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know yet. Give me some time to think about it."

It was starting to get dark, and everyone was starting to pick up the stuff and once that was done, I stayed outside to talk with Rae for a little while.

"Did I ever tell you that when I was younger, I could see and sense things?"

I stopped staring off into the stars to look at Rae, who was doing the same, "No, you didn't."

"My mom told me that she could also see them when she was younger and that I probably inherited that from her."

"What about now? Can you and your mom still see and sense things?" I needed to ask in case she could sense what I am.

Regan took a bite out of some steak that she still had on her plate, "Sometimes. But it is rare when I do. I try to tune that stuff out because I grew up knowing that all that stuff is bad, that's at least what my parents and religion would tell me."

I sat there next to her still staring and looking into her eyes, I could see the stars and the nighty sky, the orange glow of the flame reflecting off her skin, and the cool breeze that moved her a bit in the wind and carried the smell of lavender in my direction. She has my full attention, "But what do you actually believe?"

She stared back at me, "I don't know, but what I do know is that it does scare me, but I am also curious about it at the same time. I was once in New Orleans visiting the town with my family and I came across an occult shop. I wanted to go in so bad and check it out, but as I was walking to the shop, my mom grabbed and pulled me away. She got on to me about it and told me to be lucky that it was not my dad that caught me. I was lucky that she did not tell my dad anything about it. I would probably be grounded still till this day."

"Have you ever had an experience with anything supernatural?"

Her eyes widened, "Yes! I have! I was with my cousin one day at her place. They had brought somebody over to do a cleansing on her brother, but it turned out to be an exorcism. The guy came from an academy that deals with that kind of stuff. Before he started to perform the exorcism, he asked me to leave and open the front door. I freaked out and just ran out of the room and into the hall. When I turned around and heard the screams coming from her brother, I saw a dark figure on the wall leave the room and head straight towards me."

"Did you get possessed?"

"I don't know. I remember waking up on my cousin's sofa, but I felt dizzy, drained, and wanting to throw up. It just felt awful."

I nodded with my arms crossed, "Yup. It was a possession. That is what usually happens to a person after they get possessed. There are other symptoms that a person feels but it varies from person to person."

Regan shook her head and said weirded out, "Whatever it was, I just don't want to go through that again."

"I can't blame you. It must have been a traumatizing moment to experience at a young age. What are you going to do if your parents ever find out that you are becoming a witch?"

"I have no clue. More than likely they will disown me and kick me out of the house, church, and religion. But I don't care anymore because, for the first time in my life, I finally feel like I am doing something that I want. That I can finally make a choice or decision without caring about any repercussions that may come. My parents would always dictate my life, but not anymore. Doing this, I can finally be, and I can now help out my friends who need me more than anything. I am happy being here around you and everyone else. I feel right at home."

"It makes me happy to hear you say that. I am glad that you decided to learn and make your own decisions. Plus, you gave your word to Wes that you will go through with it. There is no backing out now."

"Now that you mentioned it… I want to know more about the initiation. How is it or what happens?"

I took a deep breath, "I don't know if I should even be the one telling you this because I fear that you might back out."

She smiled at me, "It shouldn't be too hard, I mean you did it and passed it, right?"

I looked down and shook my head, "No, I didn't."

"What do you mean?! Did you fail? What happens if you fail?"

"I didn't even get a chance to start it because something else happened. They must have had other plans for me… But what I do know is that there are trials. I don't know how many of them there are, but you must pass each one and I also don't know what happens when you fail, because I never got a chance to even take the first trial. Only Wes can tell you."

Regan got close to my face, "But I want to know what happened to you?"

I turned the other way and said, "I will tell all of you if everyone passes the test."

"Don't worry, I will pass, you can count on me." Rae winked at me.

"By the way, are you going to spend the night?"

Rae smiled at me and asked, "Why? Do you want me to?"

"I was just asking out of curiosity since it would be a long drive for you to get back home and I would not want anything to happen to you being this late."

She laughed and gave me a long hug.

I used this chance to take in her scent. She has an alluring scent as well and I am loving it. Could it be that Wes was messing with me and guilt-tripped me or something?

"Well, I better get going. I don't want to drive and make it home too late. I don't want my parents to blow up my phone or threaten to kick me out."

"Wait! Before you go, can you undo the last bit of these freaking chains!!!!"

I went back inside to find Wes asleep in his room and Anthony passed out on the floor. Bree was just sitting on the couch playing with her phone.

I walked past her to go and fall asleep myself when she stopped me.

"Paul?"

"Yeah, what is it?"

She turned to look at me teared-eyed, "What's wrong?" I asked her.

"You're not kicking me out of your room, right? I want to sleep on the bed! I know Regan will be spending the night, but I don't want to sleep on the cold hard floor. Please? Anthony is snoring too loud and making it unbearable to sleep! "

That is right! She does not know that Rae left and having my bed all to myself just sounds great!

Bree continued to beg, "Please! Please don't kick me out of your room! I will do anything!"

"What is wrong with sleeping with Anthony out here? I am sure that he can use your company?"

"No! He snores too loud, and he has Wes to keep him company! Come on, what did I ever do to you to deserve this? Is it because I am not Regan?! Or is it because I don't give you your own privacy?! I know that I haven't and that you're a grown boy now, but I noticed that you take a long in the restroom at night when everyone is asleep, and I will sometimes be waiting to use it at night, but I can sometimes hear you—"

"OKAY, okay! Not so loud! Plus, Regan left already!"