Abominations (American Horror AU 3)

Chapter 12

"I had a vision."

The twins ate breakfast together the next morning; the night before, Chase had sprinted into Julie's sacred space to check and see if she was alright after witnessing her collapse and faint. He crouched to his knees and took her lifeless body into his grasp, taking off her translucent, cream-colored veil as he peered down at her beautiful face. He leaned down to kiss her forehead, his ungloved, malformed hand pulling her ice blonde hair away from her face-within minutes, her eyes opened with tears coming down from the corners. Chase sipped his orange juice and looked over at his sister, whose faint expression stared off into space.

"What did you see?" he asked. Julie turned her soulful gray gaze to her brother, and held her toast by its crust, running her finger along the crisp, smooth edge.

"The Norns," she began. "They told me that there is a danger among us." She took a bite of her toast, and Chase gasped as he felt himself tremble with worry.

"Uh...what?"

"They seemed unclear," she said as if in a daze as soon as she swallowed, "but they said danger is indeed among us."

"I'm scared," Chase replied nervously. "C-Can you make them go away?"

"The Norns?" Julie sounded shocked.

"No, I mean...you know, the bad?" her brother asked, his eyes sparkling timidly. Julie sighed, holding her drink and concentrating on the fluid inside so it froze solid-it was ice cold to the touch after it solidified in the glass. She thought for a moment, remembering it was their day off-the shop was always closed on Sundays. She looked at her brother with determination, nodding slightly.

"I can perform a protection ritual," she replied.

"Can I be with you in the circle?" Chase asked, his eyes filled with hope. Julie sighed; she performed a huge majority of her rituals by herself. Then again, Chase was being protected as well, and she planned to extend her protection to their new friends Eleonora and Misty-what was the point of casting the spell alone?

"Alright, Chase," she giggled. "After breakfast."

Later that day, Zoe heard the telephone ringing. She approached it without hesitation and picked it up from the receiver, putting it to her ear and greeting the other end.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Hey, is this Zoe Benson?" the voice, a female, asked.

"Yes, who is this?"

"This is Alicia, Kyle's mom," the woman replied.

"Hello. Is everything alright, Mrs. Spencer?" Zoe asked; the thought of Kyle crossed her mind. How had he been doing since last seeing him?

"Oh, everythin' is dandy, but..." Mrs. Spencer trailed off. "Kyle...he...well, how do I put this? He's outta sorts."

"Yeah?" A fearful chill ran down the girl's spine as she held the phone to her ear.

"I noticed a change in 'im," she continued. "He ain't talkin', just gruntin'. He moves slower than usual and...well...even physically he's different."

"Oh..." Zoe responded, turning her head to see Madison standing there against the beam of the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest; her soft light brown eyes were curious, and Zoe sighed softly as the woman continued on the other end of the line.

"I 'member when I first got news of Kyle dyin', well, he almost did. I almost killed myself. Just seein' you bring 'im on here changed my mind. Y'know, ever since 'is father left us, there's been a hole in my heart. I just can't replace it."