Weeping Angel: Malvada (Book 1 of the Weeping Angel Series)

Chapter III

Mom pulled in the driveway of our two-garage, two-story house. Clarice and I are the first ones to get out of the car, followed by mom and, of course, the creepy angel statue. Mom asks Clarice to hold the statue as she unlocks the front door, and I almost laugh out loud, looking at the expression on my sister's face: her heart-shaped face was contorted into a stern expression with a mixture of disgust and confusion. I knew she wanted to smash the heavy stone creature as hard as she could.

I snort at the funny image in my head, earning a glare from Clarice, which had no effect on me.

Mom opened the door and stepped inside the house, followed by Clarice and me, and I shut the door behind me as we kicked off our shoes. Feeling confused, we follow mom deeper into the house and into the living room. Mom suddenly pauses in her steps, causing Clarice to bump into her and me to bump into Clarice.

"Watch where you're going- what is that?" Mom asked with wonder.

"You bought this stupidly heavy thing and made me carry it." Clarice deadpans. I smacked her arm, and she glares at me. I glare back, my green eyes blazing through her soul.

"I didn't buy that. You know I don't like this stuff." Mom cuts straight to the point. We wait for her to laugh and tell us she's joking, but the seriousness in her voice told us she wasn't kidding.

I look at her incredulously. "You bought the angel statue from those two boys at their garage sale. I was there with you. It was awfully cheap for something so valuable and polished."

Mom raises a skeptical eyebrow at me and places her hands on her hips. "So, you're telling me that I'm lying?" Before I had the chance to answer, mom chuckled humorlessly. "Emma, I have no recollection of buying this. You must've bought it because you know I don't buy this stuff!"

I couldn't help but scoff out loud. Why couldn't she just admit she bought it instead of blaming everything and everyone around her? "This thing has been giving us both the creeps ever since we saw it. It's from this cursed shop, mom. Why would I buy this?"

Mom shrugs, "Because you do stupid things all the time. Buying something like that sounds like something you would do." My blood was boiling at this point; she was getting on my last nerve. I wanted to shout at her; I wanted to throw a tantrum like a toddler and beat my hands on the ground. Why was it so hard for her to admit something?

I bit my lip to prevent myself from escalating the daily argument with mom. She wasn't worth fighting over. Clarice held up the statue in front of mom and said, "You were strangely interested in something so creepy and ugly. It's underpriced, unpolished, and has a reputation of belonging in a cursed shop, mom!" Mom doesn't give an answer. Instead, she took a few steps closer and was now intensely observing the angel statue with those same bloodshot eyes and pale face.

I knew it! I knew I didn't see things. This was real, and mom was officially creeping us out.

"Mom?" Clarice and I both call out to her, our voices laden with worry and confusion. Mom snaps out of her trance and says flatly, "I don't care who bought it. I feel like I need to keep it." If I wasn't confused before, I'm ten times more confused now.

Clarice awkwardly chuckles, finding no humour in mom's words. "Okay, good for you. We don't want to be around this filthy thing for a second longer." She gave the statue to our mom, who was looking at us like we were mad. Clarice took my hand and dragged me towards our staircase and up the stairs.

"At least tell me where I can put it, Claire!" Mom yells after us. Preferably in the trash can.

"Anywhere but inside this house!" Clarice yells back and voices my thoughts as she takes me to her room that was beside mine. We plop down on her burgundy bedsheet and sit across from each other, waiting for the other to say something that sounded sensible and realistic.