[Image: Duncan House Diner. Homer, AK]
Tuesday morning, we were bundled against a brisk, coastal wind as we walked up to the library. Cat's eyes were nearly hidden behind her scarf, but I could still see the concerned tilt of her brows.
"Did you secure a date for the cleansing yet?" I asked her.
"Not yet," she confessed as we wandered inside, "The weather's getting bad so Lita's joints are bugging her. No one's leaving the house for a while."
"Not even for lunch?" I pressed, "Dinner?"
"Not when we can just get takeout or delivery," Cat shrugged.
"Maybe toward the end of the month," Allie suggested, "It's supposed to warm up around the time we're doing the car wash. Maybe you can schedule something then."
Cat nodded fretfully, sloughing off her coat and tossing it over a chair.
"The phenomenon are getting worse though, aren't they?" I asked.
"More scratching in the walls," she mumbled, plopping down and pinching the bridge of her nose. Her glasses lifted, revealing dark circles beneath her eyes, "And stuff's moving around. Little things like keys or phones. Not enough for Mom or Dad to notice, but enough for me and Sofia."
Spirits preserve her, I thought.
The ghost was getting stronger.
"You might not be able to wait until the end of the month," I mumbled, shaking my head, "You may need it sooner."
"I know," Cat whispered, "It's just... lighting a bundle of sage on fire is exactly the kind of thing that would freak out Lita. She doesn't do well with smoke, let alone the implications of holding a pagan ritual."
"I'm sure," I sighed, settling in with my computer on my lap. "Well... if something comes up last minute, let me know. I'll drop everything and be over."
As we each organized our workspaces, my brain whirred. Fingers brushing my lower lip, I contemplated my options. There weren't many. I really needed an empty house. Especially if Margret's sanity was waning. Things could get ugly and I couldn't have bystanders.
"You can sleepover tonight at my place if you want," Allie proposed, looking Cat up and down, "We'll even go to bed early."
"I've got a prior engagement," I frowned, "But I could join after."
"Maybe not tonight, my parents would think a weeknight's too weird."
"Well, how about Friday?" Allie asked.
"Yeah, after chemistry lab on Friday, I'll be beat," Cat groaned.
"I'll take your shift as carpool driver," I assured her, smiling tentatively, "Can't have you asleep at the wheel. If we crashed, you could ruin Allie's outfit and that would be a travesty."
Cat chuckled dryly.
"Yeah, I just bought these clothes," Allie added, patting Cat's shoulder.
"Thanks, guys," she sighed, then dropped her forehead into her hands.
"I'll take notes during chem if you want to take a nap," I offered. "Just log on to zoom and turn off your picture."
To my surprise, she nodded. I'd half-expected her to decline and continue to shuffle through it like a zombie. Thankfully, she bundled up her jacket and laid out along the wall beside us, back to the room.
"Sleep well," I assured her, draping my own jacket over her shoulders as Allie covered her legs.
"Thanks," she mumbled and quickly drifted off.
YOU ARE READING
Grasp Heart
VampireSara Luzio has always known that it is her duty to safeguard humanity from the creatures that lurk in the shadows. But when her clan perishes in the line of duty, Sara is forced to continue their legacy alone. On top of navigating her grief and trau...
