House of the Damned

The Meeting

Fifteen

The Meeting

It figures that by the time I finally want to dream, I go a whole week without one. The week is quite uneventful. I avoid Ian and Venus hasn’t bothered me. Michael and I haven’t spoken much. Things have been relatively peaceful. Of course, that peace can’t last and doesn’t.

It’s around noon when Venus actually seeks me out, instead of forcing me to go to her. She shoves the same pair of sandals from last time into my hands.

“Be downstairs in five minutes. We’re going to be gone for the rest of the day,” she says bluntly. She leaves and Michael and I exchange a glance.

“Today’s the meeting with my parents. If you get to see them, tell them that I’m not mad, will you?”

I nod. “I will if I can.”

“Thank you.”

I shrug. It’s a reasonable request. If our places were switched, I would ask the same of him.

Venus’s small car awaits us in the driveway. I sit shotgun again and don’t ask questions. Suddenly, the tree filled countryside changes to grassy plains.

I glance over at Venus, wondering how we went from trees to grass in the blink of an eye.

“I teleported the car, child. I don’t have the patience to drive hours on end to collect a soul or conduct business. No demon does.”

“Ah.” We fall silent once more. Slowly, houses begin to appear, until we’re in the suburbs. She turns off into a small housing district, going until the houses have quite a bit of space between them. She parks in front of a two story house that looks to be about 2,100 square feet.

“Come with me, but don’t say anything unless I tell you to,” she tells me, giving me a pointed glare.

I sigh and nod. “Yes, Miss Venus.”

We get out of the car and Venus marches up to the front door like she owns the place. I trail slowly behind her, like an abused puppy afraid to get too far behind its master. She rings the bell and we wait for the door to be answered.

I study the wraparound porch, spotting the chipped paint and dents and damage that comes from raising six boys in one house. It’s homey, a nice place for growing children to play.

The door is opened by a women who seems to be in her mid-thirties. She has Michael’s eyes, but her hair is a shade of chestnut brown. She has short bangs, but the rest of her straight hair is one long layer, reaching the middle of her back. Her skin is neither pale nor tan, rather average looking. She sighs when she sees Venus.

“Raphael is in the kitchen. Find him yourself.” She opens the door wide enough to allow us inside. Venus glances at me.

“Stay with Elisabeth and don’t do anything that I wouldn’t approve of,” she snaps.

“Yes, Miss Venus.”

We step into the foyer of the cute house. Venus goes through the doorway to the left, Michael’s mother goes through the one to the right. I follow her.

“Why did Venus bring you along?” she asks as we enter a cozy little living room. The walls are cream colored. The brown couches are fluffy and overstuffed. Hardwood flooring of a light kind of wood is covered by a round, black rug. A coffee table rests between two couches that sit across from one another. She gestures for me to sit across from her.

I shrug. “I figure she’s still mad at me and somehow figures bringing me here will hurt me in some manner or another. I don’t know.”

“That’s unfortunate.”