Dark Chocolate, White Diamonds
By Dixxy
Chapter Twelve: A Dark Presence
(Evan)
Keisha didn't return after a full hour, and the snow was starting to get worse. I looked out the window, beginning to worry. Grams, too, was looking out the window, waiting for my sister to come home. Where was she? Was she all right? These questions plagued my mind as I tried to figure out what had happened to my poor little sister. Yeah, she's a Ronin Senshi, but I still worry about her.
"Do you want me to go out and look for her?" I asked, turning to our grandmother with worry. "Keisha has been gone a long time. It doesn't take an hour to get to the store and back. Do you think something happened to her? I mean, look at the snow out there- I'm starting to worry."
"No, she'll be back soon," said Grams very calmly. She seemed WAY too calm for someone whose granddaughter was out in the middle of a snowstorm. Grams turned to me, a smile on her thin lips. "Why don't you go up to your room for a little while and play some music or read a magazine?"
"What?" I asked. I stood up, a little shocked at her response. And angry. "Keisha's not back yet and you're sending me to my room? How can I go to my room when my sister is out in THAT?" I pointed to the window, where the full force blizzard had begun to pick up. Psycho Grams had suddenly reemerged.
Grams shook her head at me. "You need to calm down. Just take a minute to cool off, that's all," she said. I eyed her suspiciously. "Go. She'll be fine." I threw my hands up in the air, giving up. Might as well go up to my room. What could I have done anyways? Nothing. A big, fat, nothing. If something was able to take down a Ronin Senshi, what the hell could I have done about it?
I closed the door of my room, knowing something was wrong. This wasn't right. Why had Grams insisted Keisha go out, anyways? Why not me? And why couldn't I go with her? Grams used to LIVE by herself- why hadn't she wanted to be alone? I didn't like how Grams was acting. She was acting as if Keisha not coming back was okay. Senshi or not, it was snowing like crazy out there and if she was caught in the middle of it she could get sick or worse.
Taking matters into my own hands, I decided that something was definitely wrong and that I had to do something about it. Maybe I didn't have any mystical powers, but I did have a brain and quick reflexes- that was enough to do at least some snooping, wasn't it? That should be enough to get me through to something useful.
I quietly slipped out of my room and heard voices downstairs. One was Grams, the other was a man. Wondering who in their right mind would come for a visit during a blizzard, I eavesdropped on them. If this isn't weird than I don't know WHAT weird is, I thought to myself.
"So she got away?" asked Grams.
"Yes. The others couldn't catch her. Why didn't you tell us she a fighter?" asked the man. I raised a curious eyebrow. Just who was "she"? Could it have been Keisha they were talking about? Keisha could certainly fight if she wanted to or had to. And, for that matter, who were the "others"? I bit my bottom lip. This whole conversation was getting weirder and weirder.
"I didn't actually think that she was interested in martial arts," said Grams, sounding somewhat thoughtful on the subject. "I know she loves track and field but this is unusual all right. But you say she didn't just run? She fought back as well? I didn't think that Keisha knew any sort of combat skills!"
Okay, so they're DEFINITELY talking about Keisha now. Great.
"Well you should've done more research!" the man scolded. I heard someone jump, figuring it was my grandmother. "Now we're behind schedule. If something happens to her tonight I'll have your head! We need that girl unharmed and untouched!" Man, this guy sounded really ticked off.
"Relax, nothing will happen to her," said Grams. "If she was able to get away from the others than she can definitely survive a little snow storm on her own. However, I must say I'm very impressed with her to escape from our clan. Certainly better trained than her parents were."
Better trained than my parents? Clan? What's THAT supposed to mean?
The man scoffed, and I could almost tell he was rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Yes, that was a pathetic kill, now wasn't it? You'd think that we would've had a harder time, but your daughter and her husband hardly fought back against our forces. It was like taking candy from a baby," said the man.
No. It, it just CAN'T be! My eyes widened in horror as I clamped my hand over my mouth, trying to keep myself from screaming. No, Evan, you did NOT just hear that! You didn't! Not Grams! Not your own grandmother! No, no, no! This must be some kind of a nightmare! But as the tears began to roll down my cheeks, I could deny the truth no longer.
My own grandmother had helped kill my parents.
I have to call the police! I thought. No, the phone was dead. Besides, what would I have told them? The whole conversation was crazy! Grandmothers just don't go and kill their own child and their child's spouse. The cops would NEVER believe me. If anything they'd drag me off to see the men in the white jackets. The only people who WOULD believe me were Keisha's friends, but I couldn't contact them either. I was alone.
I took in a slow, deep breath. I can't panic. I have to think. What can I do to possibly figure out what's going on? Where can I find something about Grams that would give me some sort of a clue as to stop her from going after my baby sister? Think, Evan, think! Then, I slapped my forehead as it dawned on me. Of course! Grams' room!
I slowly began to make my way to her bedroom. I slowly opened the door, making sure it didn't creak. I slipped inside and slowly closed it. I closed my eyes and leaned up against the door, breathing hard. I hoped the answer to my problem was in that room. If it was, I could save Keisha's life and avenge my parents. If not, then the nice men in the white jackets could haul me away. Taking in a deep breath, I opened my eyes.
And nearly screamed.
Some things looked all right. You know, normal. The bed was made, the closet (which was left open) contained her normal clothing. Her suitcases were piled in a corner. She had her shoes beside her bed. Her purse was sitting on a chair. It looked just like any other time she might've come for a visit.
Everything else was different.
First off, the walls were no longer the periwinkle blue they had been. The were now a deep, scarlet red so brilliant it was like it had been painted with human blood. When I brushed my finger up against the wall, I found that the walls were oddly wet, and when I smelled the wet finger, I smell blood. I cringed and quickly wiped it off on my jeans. I looked at the spot to see that there was periwinkle underneath the red, but soon, the red replaced it. Bleeding, I thought absently. The walls of the house are bleeding!
Not satisfied with the bleeding walls for some strange reason, I decided to look around just a little bit more. On the dresser sat several odd looking trinkets, including the ring box that held the ring she'd made Keisha try on. There were also several long, silver daggers, vials filled with odd liquids, and pendants all decorated with skulls, crows, and/or the upside-down pentagram that usually means "bad witchcraft". Hung off of the mirror on the dresser was a long black piece of cloth that, from what I could tell, was some sort of a cloak.
I shook. Somehow, I didn't believe that Grams was still celebrating Halloween.
I dropped to my knees, hugging myself as I tried to keep myself as far away from the walls as I could. This wasn't happening. Grandmothers don't just go and join dark cults. They don't become dark witches. Grandmothers bake cookies, knit wool socks, and spoil grandchildren with ice cream and cakes.
But things were beginning to slowly fall into place. Her sudden change in fashion sense- one of the other clan members must have turned her on to jeans and T-shirts. Not letting us out of the house- she wanted to keep the two of us under her control until the time was right. Chasing Kento away- she didn't want him or any of our other friends to interfere with her plans. Her cool attitude towards our parent's murders- SHE'D BEEN IN ON IT!
I heard something strange and looked up to see the mirror was beginning to distort its image, a black smog replacing the room. Looking around, I didn't see anything like it. That smoke is coming FROM the mirror! I stayed away from it, watching as some sort of a demon made itself known. A scream died in the back of my throat as I watched it shriek at me, making a TON of noise in the process. I paled, staring at the image in disbelief.
I heard the thundering of footsteps come up the stairs. I looked at the door in fear as it bust open, Grams standing in the doorway. She looked WAY beyond pissed off at me and I knew it. She stormed in and grabbed the shoulder of my shirt. "What did I tell you about not going into my room! And didn't I tell you to go to yours?"
"Grams, what the hell is going on?" I demanded, wrenching myself from her grasp. I brushed my shoulder off and shot her the coldest, meanest glare I could send her. "I heard you and that guy talking! You killed mom and dad! And you want to kill Keisha next! I heard everything! I won't let you get away with taking away my baby sister!"
"Your grandson is very inquisitive."
Grams and I looked to the doorway to see that a man in a large, billowing black robe was standing in it. In one hand he carried a tall, wooden walking stick that was warped and twisted, the top seeming ready to burst like a giant pimple. The man dropped his hood to reveal a middle aged man with slightly graying black hair looking at me. Lifeless green eyes stared back at me, a cold smile on the man's lips. "I'm impressed with him."
"You're not going to kill me, too," I said. "I can fight back, too, just like Keisha."
"Oh, we have no intention of killing you," said Grams, shaking her head at me. She gently reached for what I assumed to be her robe, gently fingering it with her old, slightly wrinkled hands. "We just need to make sure you don't squeal to the wrong person before we're done with our next ceremony, that's all."
"What makes you think I won't squeal?" I said, clenching my fists at my sides. "You killed my parents! Of course someone's going to find out about this sooner or later! You're a murderer! A killer! A cold-heartened beast! I'm ashamed to be related to you, you hideous bitch!"
The man lunged at me, but I slipped out of the way and he crashed into the wall. Without giving it a second thought, I ran downstairs. Grams ran after me, screaming at me to stop. Like I was going to listen to her? She was a murderer. Like I was going to listen to murderer! Give me a break! I'm smarter than that!
I ran outside, not even bothering to grab my jacket. I had to get to someone and FAST. Who was the closest? The Lewis house. I could get to Sara and the Gruff! Wouldn't they be surprised to see a six foot tall wolf bounce after them, barking wildly and breathing fire accompanied by a five-foot tall water sorceress?
Before I could turn, however, I was pounced apon. I tried to scream, but the ones who had grabbed me dragged me back inside the house with a firm hand over my mouth. I kicked and flailed, but to no avail. There were too many of them. I was tied to a chair, and then they backed off. I looked up at Grams and the man, a few cuts and bruises stating on both me and my attacks a sign that I had clearly not gone down without a fight.
"What do you want with Keisha?" I asked as they pulled me into a chair, tying my down so I couldn't get away again. "What's going on? Grams, why are you involved with these people? They killed my parents! Your daughter! And now they want Keisha, too? What are you doing?"
Grams went silent. She just stared at me through cold eyes, then went upstairs. I watched her go, then turned back to the other people in the cult. They'd all lowered their hoods, all looking more like normal people. Perhaps a few of them were teachers, business people, and parents. None of their families probably knew about this, unless they had killed their own as well.
"What do we do with the boy?" asked one woman with curly red hair.
"We leave him. We wait for the girl to return, then leave him. The Elder has already made sure that no one will come to this house. She chased off some boyfriend the girl had," said the man with the graying hair and the big wooden staff. "I assure you all, this time, the Death Lord will be satisfied."
"Death Lord?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's that?"
The staff man, who I assumed to be the leader, turned to me with an
almost kindly glance. "The one we serve. The one who shall bring us
glory when he is satisfied," said the man calmly. "The Dark Wing shall
not fail our master. And you, boy, will not get in our way."
"You're all sick," I said, struggling against my bonds. Still no use. I grunted in frustration. "You're playing with evil. What makes you think he's going to let you live once he gets what he wants? He could very easily just destroy you all once he has what he wants!"
"He honors those who accepts his hospitality," said the man. He began to tap his staff, like he was thinking, clucking his tongue idly as he shook his head. "He will not forsake us. We have worked very hard for our Master and he appreciates everything we have done, now more than ever."
Grams came downstairs. "I do not think we shall be finding my granddaughter tonight, High Priest Simon. But if she was able to escape us, then I am sure she will be able to survive this snowstorm." Grams turned to me, a slightly cold grin on her face. "Keisha will come back tomorrow morning. She'll want to see her dear brother, after all."
I gulped. This was NOT by any means a GOOD situation. I bit my bottom lip. "Great, my grandmother has gone psycho on us and now I'm bait to catch Keisha come tomorrow morning. This is just my lucky day, isn't it?" I said dryly. But there was nothing I could do but wait and hope. . .
