Chapter 24 Town Pitchforks #2
Her steps slowed as something caught her eye. When she stopped walking Jen turned to look at her in question. "These bushes," Tilly said thoughtfully, pointing to them.
"Yeah," Jen nodded confused. Then realization hit her and she said, "Ohh. Those were not that color a few minutes ago."
"They were not."
Where the bright green burning bushes had been when they'd come to The Lost Souls House moments ago, now the leaves were the most glorious red - a color they did not usually bleed into until summer sank away for autumn to take over.
"The cool air must have made them turn," Jen guessed.
Tilly bit her lip, thinking. It seemed more than an unseasonably cool change. Everything around them felt like they were teetering on the edge of something.
"Let's go." Jen gently took Tilly's arm and steered her toward the car where they waited until Eloise, Ursula, and a victorious Bess were in the backseat and they were on their way to check on one of their own.
"Should we interrupt or just...sit back?"
Ursula's question was answered by a floppy hat-wearing Crystal who set a wooden tray of tall glasses and a pitcher on the makeshift table that was a tree stump.
"Kick back. She's been out here for a while now. I think she needs this," Crystal said as she sat in one of the cafe chairs she'd pulled from the outdoor dining set.
It was déjà vu. They'd been here and done this not too long ago.
But that had been a time of closure and healing for their dear friend.
Afterward, once the glitter had settled on the barn floor and in their hair and the crevices of their shoes, they had burned targets of her ex-husband Rob, and then cheered to her divorce with honey wine and croissants around a bonfire.
Now they watched, achingly, as she grunted with each throw at his smiling face knowing this wasn't such a healing moment.
Not one of them lifted a finger to a glass. There was a pressure they could all feel, though Tilly was the one who felt a chasm of pain and fear that were not her own. There was a coldness to her chest and she imagined her ribs being covered by lacy frost.
"We're gonna hex him, right?" Bess asked the group as they watched. When the sensible adults talked to her about staying home, she reminded them that there was not a lot of sensibility about how she was being raised, winning her a seat amongst these women.
"We don't just hex people when we're hurt," Ursula replied to which Bess rolled her eyes.
Eloise nodded thoughtfully. "I mean, we could combine our hurts and make it a big hex. Chief cheating pants could use a good hex. No matter what he does his pants are exactly 2 inches too short."
Bess snorted and Tilly gave her a small smile.
"But I don't buy it," Bess said thoughtfully.
"Buy what?" Kelsea asked.
"The chief kissing psycho Abigail Williams."
Confusion crossed faces until Kelsea said, "The Crucible?" and Bess nodded.
"Nice," Kelsea said.
"What do you mean?" Tilly was caught on what Bess had said.
She looked at Tilly and shook her head. "I don't buy that he would do that. That abnormally tall vampire is into you. Like, he has Tilly radar."
"She's right," Carol chimed in.
"And," Bess held up a black painted fingernail in the air, "About a week ago, he was getting coffee," she paused, leaning in with her hand cupping her mouth in a secret as she finished, "and did you know he likes caramel in his coffee?
I was shocked when he ordered it. Just the words caramel latte coming out of his intense cowboy face was enough to leave me speechless for a solid thirty seconds. "
"That is actually very surprising," Kelsea agreed nodding.
"Bess being speechless or caramel for Vampire John Wayne?" Eloise asked.
Bess glowered at her.
"Bess!"Tilly interrupted
"Right! Sorry. Okay, so he was getting his caramel latte, which I told him had been paid for like a pay it forward kind of thing because that Astra chick saw him coming from the sidewalk and paid for his drink with a twenty-no-change," she mimicked in a high voice.
"Being a psycho witch must pay well." Tilly's impatient look made Bess continue quickly.
"But when I handed him his drink and told him she paid for it and he took one, long look at her until she was looking back at him and sat the cup down with a very pointed rejection.
And then while looking her dead in the eye he asked me to make him a different one he would pay for because he doesn't break bread with, and I quote, 'evil. '"
Shocked faces stared back at her.
"But," Tilly shook her head, confusion clouding everything. "I saw them kiss."
A shrug. "I don't know," she replied. "I'm just telling you, it doesn't add up and I don't get asshole vibes from him."
"He did save your life," Ursula reminded her.
"Well yeah, but even if he saved my life and I believed he would treat Aunt Tilly like a cheating scumbag, I would not hesitate to join everyone in hexing him to only be able to pee in public bathrooms."
"Oh my god," Kelsea and Carol said in unified horror.
"She's in charge of the next hex for sure," Crystal said with a smile at the grinning teen.
A loud, feminine grunt came from the barn pulling all of their attention to where Jessica picked up a few eggs in each fist, a monstrous look on her face.
Jessica heaved one more time, both hands releasing three eggs each before her legs gave out and she collapsed onto the ground.
All the women were up and running toward her. Jen got to her first, swiftly checking over her body by sight then light touch before she cast aside the need for medical help. Jessica's shoulders heaved and six pairs of hands lay over her. Eyes sought out Crystal.
"Rob filed for full custody of the children." Crystal's words landed harsh and cold. Ursula flinched and Eloise gritted her jaw.
Tilly closed her eyes, her frost-covered ribs pulsing inside of her.
Cream-covered arms wrapped around her legs, her face buried into her power-blue knees as the women looked around at each other, silently communicating.
This was it.
It was time.