Bad Karma

twenty-eight

Leilani Elrod

Episode 6. Parcel 9

We spent that whole day getting the supplies that we needed and in the car that evening we double checked it all until the moment we pulled up to the house. When we pulled up, we began grabbing our things and were ready to get out of the car when John B stopped us, probably about to give us a little talk or whatever they do in the movies.

"I wanna say thank you, guys. Seriously." I was right. "It means a lot to me that you're here tonight."

Kie smiled and shook her head at him, "Always."

"'Course, JB. Your dad did so much for me, for all of us. This is for him." I pat his shoulder and he beamed at me, nodding his head. For big John.

"All right, we done with this circle jerk? Can we go do this?"

I shoved JJ's shoulder and he just shrugged at me, but, alas, we hopped out of the car and took our turns hopping the wall, entering the Crain property once again. It was just as spooky as the previous time and I was now more aware of the rustling bushes. What we weren't prepared for, however, was the light that turned on right in front of us.

We all gasped and JJ wrapped his arms around me, pulling me to the side and behind some of the brush, still using his body to shield me. From what? I don't know, but I wasn't complaining. You know, I had planned on being mad at him for leaving me on the boat, but perhaps I shouldn't.

"Okay, so.." Pope took a deep breath, "She has motion censor lights."

"We could, uh.. move really slowly, maybe?" JJ suggested.

I slowly looked up at him, deciding that maybe I should be mad. Instead, I just pat his cheek softly, "I don't think it works like that, J. Good try, though."

"Yeah, that's not how it works."

"Oh, shit!" John B sounded like he had a light bulb moment. I love light bulb moments. "Let's throw a rock at it."

I didn't love that light bulb moment.

"What?" You know, maybe Pope and I are more similar than I thought.

"That's a really good idea actually." Something told me she was being sarcas- "Let the axe murderer know that we're here." Yep, definitely being sarcastic.

"Throw a rock at it?" Pope said, still in disbelief.

"You have a better idea?"

"Literally anything but that."

"What about the breaker?" Sarah asked, "In the circuit box on the porch."

I turned to Sarah. How in the world did she know there was a circuit box on the porch?

"How do you know that?"

"We used to play hide-and-seek here as kids. And if we were brave enough, we'd go all the way up to the porch. I've seen it."

Her plan was definitely a good one. Pope needs to watch out because Sarah's about to steal his spot as the brainiac of the group.

"No, no." John B detested, "You're not going in that house alone."

This was it. This was my chance to be an effective member of our group.

"She won't be alone!" I wiggled out from under JJ and put an arm around Sarah, "I'll be with her!"

"No, absolutely no." JJ pulled me back into his side, "No way you're going in there at all."

"I'll go with them too." Kie chimed.