Chapter Seventy-Seven

8.8K 20 0
                                    

Chapter Seventy-Seven

Lake City, LA

The rain commenced as soon as they pulled into Karen’s driveway. All throughout the neighborhood, Mexican laborers lugged gigantic plywood boards to cover the large, expensive bay windows of the Lake City affluent. The affluent were nowhere to be found; they had gotten out at the first sign of trouble.

Brandon wondered who was boarding up the Mexicans’ homes.

The Lafitte Mansion stood tall and pale under the rain’s burden. Brandon had never seen its equal. A sense of foreboding filled him, even as he marveled at the home of Louisiana’s Governor. He glanced at Karen, who’d fallen silent after her strange vocals outside the police station. She sat so still, he might have mistaken her for a corpse if not for the artery that pulsed in her temple.

“So…we’re here, Karen.” Officer Jeff looked at the teenagers in his backseat.

Brandon looked back at him with fear and uncertainty. Karen made no movement at all.

“Is she still—” 

Brandon nodded.

“Ya’ll sit tight,” Officer Jeff reassured them, “I’ll check things out.”

Brandon wanted to scream no, but Officer Jeff had already shut the car door and walked toward the house.

Officer Jeff jogged up the swooping staircase to try the front door. It was locked. He then walked around the side of the mansion and descended a small slope that ran to the canal’s edge and disappeared into the yacht’s docking area.

Brandon studied Karen. She looked weird underneath that black wig with those dark sunglasses. The shades were too big, the angles of her cheekbones too sharp. She used to be a beautiful girl with a bright future, but now she had become something dreadful.

“Ya’ll keep a spare key or something?” Brandon asked.

“No…key,” Karen spoke again in that inhuman voice.

“Why didn’t you tell him that?”

Karen turned her head slowly toward Brandon and removed the sunglasses. Brandon swallowed hard. Foreign blue eyes had invaded Karen’s pale face. Although terrified, he couldn’t break his gaze. They stared at each other as the rain poured.

Minutes passed like hours.

Brandon stared into the stranger’s eyes and knew something bad had happened to Officer Jeff. “We have to get out of here!” he screamed, frantically pulling on the door handle. When that failed, he leaned against the creature and kicked at the side window. He gave up after six or so kicks and lay back in the seat exhausted.

The being that possessed Karen’s body turned and opened her door. Karen’s body then exited the car. When Brandon didn’t immediately follow, the door on his side of the car flew open. Taking the hint, Brandon stepped out into the rain. Karen’s body beckoned him toward the house.

The mansion bore down on them. It warned them to turn around and run away. Brandon looked up at the structure through wet eyes as they ascended the sweeping stairway to the front porch. The front door creaked open the moment they stepped onto the landing. A deceptively inviting orange glow emanated from the interior.

Karen wrapped a bone-cold hand around Brandon’s wrist and led him inside.

One BloodWhere stories live. Discover now