When Things Turn Dark

Chapter 3

Nat liked Nerezza's ability to come up with excuses on the spot so quickly, she always had something to deviate from the truth when it was convenient for them. She grabbed her friend's delicate hand and took the lead, running them to her house.
"You're staying over, no objections!'
"I- Uh ok then... You ok Nat?"
"Hm? Yeah... Sure..." Nat sighed, quickening her pace to get down the street. She walked up to her door, looking over she noticed the lock was broken, her jaw fell open, making her cigarette fall onto her garden table. Nerezza slammed her hand onto the butt out of habit, singeing her hand. She stumbled back wincing in pain. Nat whipped around grabbing her, she ripped off the sleeve of her flannel quickly, and grabbed a cube of ice from the hummingbird feeder.
Carefully Nat tied the ice cube to Nerezza's hand with her sleeve.
"You ok?"
"U-uh yeah! I'm fine," she said smiling up at her short haired friend. Nat smiled back slightly, turning back to the slightly ajar door.

Nat then turned her attention to quiet whistling coming from the back of the cream-colored house. The tune was very familiar to her, a lullaby that her mom used to sing to her and her brother. She was drawn to the melody, pulling Nerezza with her to the backyard. Her mom was trying to be a good gardener like Nerezza's mom, this always confused Nat, since gardening wasn't that special. As she turned the corner of her house she saw her mom watering some tomato plants, she apparently thought singing to plants would actually help them grow.
"Oh, you brought over Nerezza, that's good, maybe her mom's magic will rub off on me now," Nat's mom said.
"I don't think that's how it works,," Nerezza answered.
"Actually, I was wondering why the front door's lock is broken," Nat asked.
"Nothing to worry about, your father lost his key and got a little mad. He should be fixing it about now, why don't you go make sure he's not slacking off."
"Will do."
Nat sighed, she tolerated her father but she favored her mother since she couldn't stand her father's temper and ignorance. Nerezza thought Nat's father was okay, he didn't especially like her but he did a hell of a job tolerating her when she came over. However, Nat's dad didn't appear to be fixing the lock like her mother had said he would be. When they turned to go back and say this to Nat's mother, they had found that she had left.

Nat simply sighed, there was always some weird shit going on around her house. She thought it might be her brother, Alex. Alex was constantly reading horrific Stephen King rip offs, and books about dark magic. She thought it had to do with her dad reading him all of the Harry Potter books when he was a really young toddler. In his now, fourteen years of living, he had re-read those books at least twelve times. Plus their mother had given him a book of magic tricks when he was six. Now, he mostly stayed up in his room alone because of his compromised social skills and health. His mother couldn't stand seeing him constantly upset, even though she was the only one who caught on to him "being upset," to Nat it looked like he wanted to hex their heads off. Though his immune system was an actually viable reason for him to be homeschooled.

Nat and Nerezza both walked into the house, it was two stories and very plain looking. Nat was usually very comfortable with her house even if something was off, but Nerezza tended to hate having to stay over, though it was still a better option than her own house. It wasn't Alex, her and Alex seemed to get along fine, but something about the basement just ruined the house for her. If someone asked her why, she would answer "It's just a silly fear I guess" but she really didn't know why the basement was sickening to her, she wasn't sure why, it just was.