SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, henry mills

chapter five

CHAPTER FIVE
RED SKY

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It didn't take nearly as long as Josie would have liked for the sun to finally reach the horizon and begin to tip below it. As the orange sky darkened, Luella made the rounds, waking first her daughter and then Nicholai before waking the three hunters that had crammed into the guest bedroom so that they would all have time to properly prepare and gather all of the things they would need before leaving the home for the night.

Though she was reluctant to rise after only a couple of hours at most of rest, Josie did so anyways. She crossed to her wardrobe and pulled open the bottom drawer where she kept the outfits for when hunting would require more physical activity than was practical for a skirt. Though hunting didn't always come with the foresight to know when a lead would take a turn where a skirt would be impractical, there were a lot of times that were one would know a skirt would be the wrong choice.

She pulled pants, a blouse and vest, her favourite pair of boots out of the drawer and then the matching coat off the hanger above the drawers and placed them all on the edge of her bed. With her clothes decided, she moved to the chest she kept in her room and opened it, revealing all of her hunting equipment. She pulled out each of the pieces that she would need, placing them beside her clothes. When she had everything she would need, she began to get ready.

First she began putting her clothes on, leaving her blouse unbuttoned and coat off for the time being. She secured leather bracers over her shirt sleeves to protect and strengthen her arms, the tied the leather neck guard under her collar to protect her neck from any unwanted fangs, allowing her to button up her blouse. Finally, she pulled on her boots and slid two stakes and two knives into the slots on the inside. Then she threw her coat over her arm and picked up her case, heading down the stairs.

Nicholai was just opening up the secret door underneath the staircase where they kept the rest of their hunting supplies and she heard the sound of dishes in the dining room that told her James, Oliver and Eugene were already there, eating.

"Someone's taking their time," Nicholai teased as she stepped up next to him.

"My sincerest apologies that some of us must further protect ourselves, lest we join the legions of the undead," she teased in kind, handing him her case.

"Fair point, I concede."

"Of course, I was also able to change my clothing, something not everyone here can do," Josie said, leaning to try and further see into the dining room. "How bad is the smell in there?"

"You and your mother should be fine, but I am out here for a reason. Aside from not needing the same kind of sustenance," he explained.

"Have you fed? It will be a long night."

"Tonight, I don't believe I will need it. Have you looked outside?"

"I was a little preoccupied, why? Should I?"

"Might be worth the moment it takes," he told her, turning back to the compartment.

Now feeling suspicious, Josie crossed to the door and pulled back the curtain on the window next to it, eyes widening in alarm at what she saw. Not only had the light orange that she'd seen earlier darkened to a deeper shade, but the sky had turned to a deep, bloody red colour. Josie inhaled deeply and held it for a moment before turning back to her friend.

"Red sky," she noted.

"Sailors will be delighted," Nicholai said. "So t'is a shame that we are not sailors."