Spell Bound (Completed)

Chapter 19

The two story white brick house looked much like its pictures. The trees were not as green. The vinyl siding trim didn't look as white but I was fairly sure it was due to the lateness of the season and the shadowed light of the day.

Ann had somehow managed to get the utilities turned on in a rush. I didn't ask. I would leave her this secret. There were others I had far more interest in knowing.

The five of us explorered the six bedroom house, Ann and I made notes (or should I say Ann made notes) about the things I needed to purchase.

First and foremost the basement had been a finished product. The walls were white eggshell drywall, the carpet was a thick mint/tan mix. There were no windows and no external basement access (good for our purpose but I still planned to change it- if I lived too.) The space was cavernous and echoed slightly, even with the carpet.

Instead of worrying about all the details I asked her to "work" for me. Because she was Beth's sister I insisted on paying her and she insisted I not pay her. I won, I paid her a third of what I wanted but she was adamant, she refused to accept more. I had no choice but to concede.

I soon learned that all of us, except Ann would be staying in my new house.

Ann lived (at the moment) with her boyfriend. He knew non of the paranormal stuff and Ann wanted to keep it that way.

I assigned Beth to assign rooms as long as her room was next to or in mine.

By 9 o'clock that night Beth was clearly exhausted. I worried. She smiled up at me from the baige overstuffed sofa.

"Alex, I'm fine." She assured me with a knowing grin.

"I didn't say anything."

She lifted an eyebrow. I looked away. "It's late." I told her. Jeremy looked up from the magazine he had been reading.

"I'm tired, too. Jet lag seems to be worse than it was twenty years ago." He told us as he put the magazine on coffee table.

"Are the saying that you're old?" I asked with amusement.

He gave me a reproachful look. "Never."

Ann laughed. "I have to go to. I have work tomorrow." She stood and stretched. "The house ph-" she yawned, "sorry. The house phone will be on by noon. The internet and satellite TV by five. I'll call you as soon as I know about the bed." She covered her mouth with her hand but still she yawned.

"It would be best if you stayed tonight. It's a thirty minute drive." Jeremy said eyeing her as he used to do me when he thought I was acting foolish.

She was shaking her head. "Kevin expects me."

"You can call him." Beth said. It took just two minutes for Beth to convince her. All she had to say was, "You're all I have left. What if you fall asleep on the road?"

I heard Ann swollow. She pulled her phone from her purse and dialed Kevin.

"Kev, I'm sorry but I'm staying with Beth tonight. - No. At Alex's place.- No. I'm just tired and it's kind of a long drive.- Tomorrow. I have to work." She looked at us nervously. She walked into the kitchen to finish her call.

We could still hear her but non of us said a word as she argued with Kevin. It was clear that he was unhappy about her staying.

He must have asked her who all was staying because she mentioned all of our names. There was a long silence as she listened.

"Alex's uncle.- Yes. Look, Kevin, this is isn't making me want to come home. You leave and stay out as long as you want, you seldom bother to even call me. For me this is a first, and I even called.- No.- No. I'm not trying to start an argument. But I don't want to deal with your possessive controlling behavior either." She sighed. I could hear her footsteps moving around the kitchen's hardwood floor. "What ever. This is ridiculous. I'm too tired to deal with this now. I've had a long day. I'll see to tomorrow. I'm hanging up and I'm turning off my phone." Her footsteps stopped and there was silence. The sound of her stiffled sniffles reached me. I looked at Beth.

Beth looked concerned. "I didn't know he was such a jerk." She whispered to me when she noticed my eyes on her.

Ann strolled into the living room a big, fake, tight smile plastered on her face. Her make-up was ligher on her cheeks, evidence of the tears she had whipped away. Her eyes were blood shot and she still clutched the cell phone in her left hand. Her knuckles were white from the pressure.

"Not to be rude- but I think I'll turn in." She walked over to her sister and gave her a hug.

Beth clung to her, eyes closed, "That's fine, Ann." She released her.

Ann turned and headed up the stairs. "I'll be in the pink room." She called over her shoulder to us.

"See you in the morning." Beth called to her. She looked over at me.

I didn't know what to say. I was never really good with the emotional support thing. After James betrayal I became even less willing to put emotional faith in people. Jeremy has been the only person I have put my trust in. It had taken years to achieve that ability. Sometimes I still wondered when he would show me I given in too soon.

Everyone betrays you at some point, they just need a time, a place, or situation where you need the most.

There were too many people in my life, to many potential betrayers.

Beth, Ann, Breea, Jeremy. At that moment I wished all of this had been caused by Ann and her covens spell. Then there would be a chance that it could be undone.

But now. I had been betrayed by fate. Fates spell was almost certainly unfightable. I was spell bound by a caster that held all the cards.

I turned and headed to the kitchen. The bottom shelf was lined with bags of blood. The remaining space was almost bare. Jeremy had stopped at the grocery but managed to purchase little in the way of real food.

A box of crackers, a few jars of red caviar, aged chedder, goose liver pâté, crisp romain lettuce, a jar of olive oil mayo, a few tomatoes, 3 loaves of Italian bread and a butcher paper filled with smoked eel.

I slammed the door closed. Pulled it back open, righted the of mayo and took a bag of blood.