A/N: just so ya know, when I was writing that last chapter I was listening to a spotify playlist, and it felt the need to yell 'Trojan Man!' And do a condom commercial...as I attempted to write a rape scene. Awkward. Also, thanks for the love, miserychick-17! And you too, Wyatt Family's Bitch. Thanks for the review too, ariesleigh3! Your reviews mean so much to me, you don't even know lol. Ya'll bear with me on this chapter...its a bit of a stepping stone for the next one.
Later Luke knocked lightly on her room door before stepping inside. "Doing okay?" He asked, eyeing her as she lay in bed, reading the romance novel she'd retrieved. She shrugged. "I guess." "You should get some sleep." He chided. His blood burned at the sight of the bruises on her pale skin. "I will, eventually." "If you need anything, let us know. Someone can sit with you while you sleep, if you need us to." She smiled sadly. "No thanks, I'm good." She pulled a knife from under her pillow and unfolded it, showing it to him. "And my revolver's in the drawer here. I ain't scared of no one."
Once he left, she pushed her bed aside and scrawled a hasty protection symbol beneath it. Evangeline wasn't exactly sure what Bray was these days, but maybe this would help keep her safe. She moved her bed back and undressed down to her underwear and a tank top. She glanced at one of Bray's discarded t-shirts on the floor and picked it up before cutting out the lights. Frowning, she pulled his t shirt over his pillow and clung to it like a life raft. Despite the things that happened, she still loved him. She was also pretty scared of him. Bray's dark side had been something she played with all these years, like a deep pond she occasionally liked to stick her toes into, causing small ripples across it's surface. Usually he took it out on other people and things stayed calm between the two of them but this time she hadn't provoked him. Her Bray seemed to be missing, and in his place an imposter. She pulled his pillow closer and buried her face in it, breathing in the smell of his cologne and sweat.
After five nights of Evangeline staying in her room with the door locked, Kaitlyn went to Luke. "I'm concerned about her!" She stressed to him. "Have you talked to her?" He asked. "Yea. When I knock and asks, she says she's okay. But what it she's hurting herself?" "What do you want me to do? Bust her door down?" Kaitlyn considered for a minute then nodded. Luke trotted down the hallway to her room and knocked, leaning against the door. "Little sister...are you okay? Can you come out for a minute?" The door clicked open and she stuck her head and shoulder out. "Evangeline..." The circles under her eyes had grown darker and her hair hung limp around her pale face. She'd barely eaten or slept since bray left. "Oh Evangeline..." He made a move towards her, intending to comfort her and she shrank back inside, her face lowered. "Please, Luke. I'm okay, I'm just dealing with some things.." As she talked he grabbed her hands. The palms were bloody and bandaged. "This is not okay, Evangeline." "Fuck off." She demanded, stepping back into the room and shutting the door in his face. He rammed against the door a few times but to no avail. She sat huddled against the other side, bracing against the impacts. He rammed until his shoulder got tired and backed down. "Alright. I'll give you tonight. But it I don't see you tomorrow at breakfast, I'm breaking this door down. Understand me?" "Alright...alright." She agreed before crawling back into her bed.
Evangeline listened to the footsteps of her family walking to their bedrooms. The doors clicking shut, then eventually snores. She stepped from the bed gently and retrieved a small backpack before gently unlocking her window and stepping through it. Stopping, Evangeline looked skyward, thinking how fortunate the bright big moon had made an appearance tonight. Stepping across the porch boards that she knew were creaky, she treaded across the porch and through the yard, careful to not make a noise. From the edge of the yard she started walking again normally as she made he way to the river. She picked a good spot on the riverbank and unpacked the bag, lighting candles and setting them in a circle for light. Then she set about her task, casting every voodoo spell she knew of that could possibly assist in getting her Bray back.