The morning dawned clear and bright. Will knew because he’d been awake since about 5 a.m., mulling over how the hell they were going to resolve things. After the other day … their failed attempt at saving Cade, Rose’s death, their trip to the hospital and interviews and reports given to the police ….
He ached all over, would probably ache for days. The bruises on his face had bloomed darkly, layers of them from each of his beatings, and he’d spent an hour looking at them as though they were inkblots that he could somehow interpret. There were no answers there, and none in the core of tension in his stomach, clenched so hard that nothing would fit in. But he had to make himself eat, or he was going to end up worse off. And he needed coffee.
He dragged himself out of bed and contemplated another shower. The one yesterday, after they’d got back from the hospital, had been good, but it hadn’t made him feel clean. Maybe he was never going to feel clean again. He sighed, the weight of his new knowledge making him feel old and worn out.
Would it have made a difference if he’d known this back when his mother had been possessed? He didn’t think so; he’d just been a kid, unable to effect much change on anything. He certainly couldn’t have killed his mother to save her; she did that herself, even if that was the entity’s whole intent. But surely there had to be a way to stop it, before it went too far. What was the point in knowing about this stuff if he couldn’t find a way to save people?
He got dressed and headed downstairs, boiling the kettle. He made himself coffee, considered making one for Jena, but she was nowhere to be seen. This morning he added sugar, feeling like he needed the extra kick, and then he took it out onto the front steps.
The fresh air was nice, and he watched the driveway, as if expecting Cade to come back. Because there was a chance that he would, right? Because this wouldn’t be over until Jena was dead too, and it would be better for them if they could solve the issue here on the farm with no one the wiser. Or die in the process and rot until the neighbour found them ….
As if summoned, Mr Mertens’s battered old ute rumbled down the driveway, throwing up dust as it came. He pulled up by the house and hopped out.
‘Hey, Will. You’re looking worse for wear,’ Mr Mertens said, sitting down next to him on the steps. The older man appraised Will’s face but didn’t comment further on the bruising. ‘I heard the news. Old Rose has finally passed on, huh?’
‘Yeah, yeah she has.’ Will nodded, pressing his lips together. It wasn’t really passing on so much as being shoved into the afterlife, but he didn’t know how much the neighbour knew and wasn’t going to be the one to say it.
‘How’s Jena?’ Mr Mertens asked. ‘Bumped into her a couple days ago, before … I don’t imagine she’s much up for company right now. My wife made a lasagne, though, remembered it was one of Jena’s favourites. It’s in the car along with some other bits and pieces the townsfolk threw together. Decided it was best if I came, though, rather than everyone.’
‘Wow. Thank you,’ Will said, his voice hoarse with emotion. Rose might have kept to herself a fair bit, but she was still part of the community, and the fact that they’d pitched in like this meant something. And it would mean neither of them needed to think about cooking for the next week.
If they lived that long, anyway.
He drank the last of his coffee and left the mug by the door. ‘Let me help you bring stuff in. I don’t know if Jena is up yet.’
He followed Mr Mertens to the car and waited while the other man loaded his arms, and then Will took the lead and headed inside, wishing Jena would come down. She’d been licking her wounds, keeping to herself, but they had things to talk about.
Mr Mertens chatted away, and Will only had to fill in the spaces with nods or murmurs of the right tone. It was like he knew Will wasn’t capable of much more right now.
They filled the fridge, and there were still several dishes on the bench. Will was scratching his head wondering what to do with them when Jena came in.
‘What’s all this?’ she asked with a frown, her eyes on the bench.
‘That’s just some of it; we’ve put away what we could,’ Mr Mertens said. He walked over to Jena and wrapped her in his arms, dwarfing her with his size. She sank into him. ‘I know you’ve been gone a long time, but you’re still part of us, and we’re sorry about what happened to Rose.’ He pulled back, inspecting her, his concerned gaze intensifying now that he could clearly see the damage to her face. ‘I’m sorry, Jena. Wish I’d been here to punch that bastard.’ He shook his head. ‘I think you’ve got enough food to last you a good week, but if you get stuck you call us. Okay? And don’t you worry about the farm. I’ll keep leasing it from you as long as you want. Hell, I’ll even buy the land if you want to keep the house. I know it might be harder to sell now that … but I wouldn’t stiff you on what it’s worth. Okay?’
Mr Mertens looked Jena in the eye, and it felt like the kind of gaze a father might give. He waited for her to nod before he smiled. ‘Good. I’ll get out of your hair, but let me know the details for the funeral and I’ll spread the word.’ He headed for the hallway, but paused in the doorway. ‘I’m real sorry, Jena. It’s an awful thing, and you’ve suffered enough of that.’ He pressed his lips into a line, sorrow etched into his brow, and then left.
When the front door closed Jena turned back to Will. He could see that she was barely holding in the tears, but she sniffed them back and flashed him a wan smile. ‘Make me a coffee?’
‘Sure. I think I could go for another one myself.’ He put the kettle on and got fresh mugs out. ‘Did you sleep?’
Jena shrugged. ‘I think so. You?’
‘Yeah, some.’ He made the coffee and slid a mug towards her. ‘What are we going to do, Jena?’
‘First, we bury Rose. My aunt and uncle are coming today. And then I’m going to get Cade back here and I’m going to end this.’ She nodded, as if just coming to grips with her decision.
He was surprised at the sense of relief that washed through him. For so long she’d tried to deny that there was anything otherworldly going on here, but now … well, she’d finally accepted it.
‘We,’ he said firmly. ‘You’re not doing this alone. I’m sticking around.’
‘We might die,’ she said, her voice barely a whisper.
‘We might. But I don’t know that I can walk around knowing we let him go, knowing that he’s out there doing who knows what because of us. Because I ….’
‘We.’ Jena looked him in the eyes, then. ‘It was both of us. And we didn’t know any better, but still. We’ll make this right.’ She reached out, grabbed his hand and gripped it tightly as if he were a lifeline.
He nodded, squeezed back. ‘So, have we got a plan?’
‘We call him back here. We kill him.’
‘And?’
‘And Rose made me think that whatever was done to me would kick in when I need it. Like, I don’t know. The birds?’ She grimaced.
He nodded, recalling what Rose had said about the birds, about how they were there to protect Jena. He shrugged. ‘Do you believe her, though?’
Jena took a long sip of her coffee and sighed. ‘They kept me from the watch, from the barn, they tried to warn me about Cade, I think … I mean. I think I can, but I want to test it out first.’
He laughed. ‘And how are we meant to test that out?’
She looked back up at him, a glimmer of something unfathomable in her eyes.
‘I’ve got some ideas. But first, we have to get through Aunt Pat’s visit.’