Part 21 (2/2)
”Come back to planet Earth, Miss Trekkie,” Dixie said. ”Taylor's probably had more dates in the last year than all three of us have had our entire lives. You're just in a snit because someone is telling it like it is and you can't handle it.”
”I can handle it,” I said. ”I just don't like people dissing me behind my back.”
”You diss me all the time,” Dixie pointed out.
”Ah, but I look you in the eye when I do it,” I said. ”Like that. Right there. Did you notice I said 'look you in the eye'? Like you had only one eye rather than two. In this way I do you the courtesy of providing an opportunity for you to take a defensive posture or mount a full-fledged attack in retaliation.”
”I feel so honored,” Dixie said. ”Well, I'll return the compliment in an equally direct fas.h.i.+on. You got out-maneuvered by Keelie Keller and had to accept her invite to spend the night in this little house of horrors. As a result, you bamboozled the rest of us into coming because you were too chicken to do it on your own...Nancy.”
”Well!” I jumped to my feet, trying to project the bl.u.s.ter of outrage. ”If that's the way you feel, you and Frankie are certainly free to vacate the premises!”
Dixie shook her head. ”Not your best performance, Turner. You forget. I've seen you act before.”
”Oh. That's right. Carson College, wasn't it? As I recall, you were a captive audience. Literally.”
Dixie gave me a dark look.
”Everyone! Everyone! Gather round!” Keelie Keller skipped into the tiny parlor, a great-looking accessory on each arm: Manny on the left and Patrick on the right. Taylor trailed behind, her expression hard to gauge.
”It's almost the witching hour!” Keelie announced. ”And you know what time that is! It's Ouija time!”
Tiara started clapping.
”Ouija! Ouija!”
”What the h.e.l.l are they squealing about?” Dixie asked.
Tiara held up a game box.
”Oh, G.o.d. Kill me now,” came out before I could stop it. I clapped a hand over my mouth and looked up at the ceiling. ”That's not meant to be taken as literal or like an invitation or anything.” I patted the wall with a hand that wouldn't stop trembling. ”Nice house. Nice house.”
”Oh, brother.” Dixie's snort was unmistakable.
”I don't think that would be a capital idea, Keelie,” Langley said.
”I think it just plain sucks,” Dixie echoed.
”You're all just a bunch of scaredy cats. Aren't they, Keelie?” Tiara said. ”Party p.o.o.pers and scaredy cats.”
Call me what you like, but I've watched enough Supernatural to know you don't screw around with the demon world, even if it gets you an introduction to the Winchester bros.
”So, learn anything about windage and elevation?” I inquired of Taylor when she joined us at the far side of the room. (I have no idea what the words actually mean. I got the terms from a John Wayne movie where Duke was trying to teach a prissy woman from the east how to handle a rifle.) ”What are you talking about?”
”Your NRA meeting.”
She gave me a ”don't start” look.
”This was a bad idea,” Taylor said. ”Bad. Bad. Bad.”
I was ready to concede it wasn't my finest moment.
”Okay, everybody! Gather round. We are going to try to contact the spirit world.” Keelie announced. ”Come, come! Don't be scared. We have two big, strong, muscle men to protect us.”
”What am I? Chopped liver?” Frankie whined.
”Come on, everyone! Form a circle in the center of the room.” Tiara instructed.
”Tressa.” Keelie skipped over to me and grabbed my hand. ”Come on.”
I dug in my heels. ”I'd rather not. On religious grounds.”
”You're doing this!” Keelie insisted. ”Taylor.” She put a hand out and motioned to Frankie. ”Frank. Debbie.”
”It's Dixie.” Dixie corrected. ”And I'll pa.s.s. I find this kind of activity soph.o.m.oric, insensitive, and offensive.”
”Debbie's scared,” I blurted.
Dixie shook her head.
”Well, okay. Whatever. Everyone else. Gather around the board. Manny? Patrick? You'll protect us, right?”
Manny grunted.
”Yes, ma'am. We'll do our best,” Patrick said.
Ahhh. You gotta love a guy who calls a girl younger than he is ”ma'am.”
”Don't forget about me, gentlemen. My body may be in need of guarding, too,” Langley reminded the security detail.
”Ooh, Langley! Silly boy! Haven't you heard every man for himself?” Tiara asked.
The reality BFFs hugged each other and giggled.
”It's almost midnight, ladies,” Langley chided. ”Are we doing this or not?”
”Sorry, Lang. We'll behave. Pinky swear,” Keelie said, and wrapped her pinky finger around Tiara's. ”Okay. Everyone has to take this like seriously.”
Keelie took a deep theatrical breath.
Someone tried to stifle a yawn. Unsuccessfully.
”Now, for our back story,” Keelie began her voice low and hushed. ”On the night of June 9, 1912, the family of Josiah B. Moore and Sarah Montgomery Moore returned with their children from a Children's Day celebration at church. Two young friends of Katherine had obtained permission from their parents to spend the night with the Moore family.
Early on the morning of June 10th, 1912, a neighbor of the Moore's noticed that the Moore family had not let their chickens out or begun their ch.o.r.es. In fact, the neighbor had seen no sign of the family that morning at all. The neighbor approached the house and tried the door, but found it locked from the inside. She went back home and called Josiah Moore's brother, Ross Moore, who rushed to the home. He looked in the windows and knocked on the door and shouted, attempting to rouse someone within the home, but to no avail. The brother used his house key and entered the parlor-this very room. He opened the door to that room”-she pointed to a small room off the parlor-”and discovered what appeared to be two b.l.o.o.d.y bodies. Ross left the home and contacted the Town Marshall, who entered the home with the brother. To their horror, they discovered a blood bath. Eight victims-had been butchered in their beds by an ax-wielding a.s.sailant. Something had been draped over each of the mirrors in the home. A pan of bacon sat on the stove.”
Bacon? I perked up.
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