20. Tuesday, October 31, 2023 #5
“What the hell is going on?” his dad says, stepping into the room, looking like a slightly more put-together deer, but disheveled nonetheless. Polly starts to scream and his mom shoos him out of the room. As soon as he’s gone, Polly’s screams turn back to sobs. Quinn stands there helpless.
The events of the night run through Quinn’s mind—the fire poker falling over, the weird sounds on the recording, the knocks in his closet, the shadow thing Polly said she saw outside, the power going out, all that blood, his fear his sister was dying.
He feels like he might start pulling his own hair out in a minute.
He turns and heads for the kitchen, almost running into his nana, who’s just come into the house.
“How was your night?” she asks, oblivious. “I heard your parents’ car. Are they home from the party already?”
“You heard their car?” Quinn asks in disbelief.
“But you didn’t hear Polly scream or us leave for the hospital because she looked like she was bleeding to death?
And what about when the power went out?” He keeps going, his voice rising in pitch with each word: “You didn’t think to come check on us then? ”
“Quinn,” his dad says, “that’s enough.” Quinn wonders where his dad came from; it’s like he materialized out of the shadows.
“My power didn’t go out,” his nana says with a shake of her head, looking honestly confused. “I didn’t hear any screams or cars leaving. If I had, of course I would have checked on you.” His nana puts a hand on her chest to show she is upset at the accusation of neglect.
“What the hell happened here tonight?” his mom says, charging into the room with the photos of the Gordon family. His dad slips in beside her and takes the folder from her without her noticing.
Quinn can tell from his mom’s expression that she blames him for whatever’s wrong with his sister. “The séance wasn’t my idea!”
“Then whose was it exactly? You’re the one obsessed with the murders.”
His mom coming down hard on him is just about the last thing he can take.
His chest feels like it’s going to explode, and his eyes burn with tears.
“Holy fuck, Mom!” he shouts, because it’s the only way to release the pressure.
“Why do you always blame me for everything? It was Polly’s weird-ass work friends who came over and did it.
I wasn’t even supposed to be here, but Polly made me stay to be the fourth person.
Then a whole bunch of weird shit happened, and Polly started bleeding, and we rushed her to the hospital. I thought she was going to—”
Tears spill over, and he’s mortified but can’t stop them. His mom reaches out and pulls him in for a hug and he lets her. For the first time all night he feels safe, even though he hates her.
“I’m sorry,” she says, rubbing his back to calm him. She smells like wine and face paint and cold night air. “I jumped to conclusions and shouldn’t have blamed you. It sounds like an awful night, but you did the right thing calling me. I’ll make sure she’s okay. I’ll take care of her now.”
He lets her soothe him for a few more seconds before stepping free from the embrace and wiping away the evidence of his tears. “What do you think is wrong with her?” he asks. “She wasn’t like that at the hospital, or on the way home.”
“I’m not sure, but I think she’ll tell us when she’s ready.
It could be her PTSD. Triggered from being at the hospital but with a delayed reaction.
Hard to say.” She rubs his arm. “I’m going to give her a sedative that should help calm her down and get her to sleep.
I’m sure in the morning she’ll be fine.” She starts in the direction of Polly’s room.
“You should get to bed,” she calls over her shoulder. “It’s a school night.”
“Will someone please tell me what’s happening?” his nana demands.
Quinn’s dad steps forward and puts an arm across his nana’s shoulders, guiding her toward the back door. “Let’s step outside, Beverley. Quinn doesn’t need to rehash the whole night again.”
Quinn thinks it’s weird that they’re going out into the dark to talk, but he’s glad his dad is going to handle his nana.
He doesn’t have the energy for her. He hopes his dad gives her shit for missing it all.
She was probably drinking martinis and petting her stupid cats all night.
And why didn’t she lose power too? When they first moved in, he heard his dad telling his mom that the electrical panel in the hall closet was for the house and outbuildings as well.
Wouldn’t that mean if one building lost power, they all would?
He goes to the kitchen window. His nana’s outside light is on and he can just make them out, standing near the edge of the woods.
Their heads are bowed toward each other as though deep in discussion.
Two people who only weeks ago couldn’t stand each other.
His dad no longer has the folder of photographs in his hand.
His mom walks back into the room on her way to Polly but stops when she sees him staring out the window. “What’s out there?” she asks, sounding nervous.
“Nana and Dad.”
His mom joins him at the window.
“It’s weird, isn’t it?” Quinn says. “The way they suddenly get along so well.”
His mom puts a hand on his arm and gently pushes him in the direction of his room. “You should really get to bed.” She heads to Polly’s room.
He stays right where he is. He’s not sure he’ll ever be able to sleep in his room again.
Not after the séance. Instead, he whistles for Panda and then steps outside with his dog, pretending he’s just letting her out.
His dad and nana don’t notice him walking toward them; they’re facing the woods.
Panda runs back and forth behind him as he goes.
He’s gotten used to her new skittishness, but he wishes she were a better protector. He’d like to feel safe here.
“What are you looking at, guys?” he asks when he’s only a few feet away.
His dad and nana spin around, startled by his arrival. Quinn sees the shadow of something slip from the edge of the trees and into the darkness beyond.