Page 18 of The Trick

“Mom, trust me, I’ll be fine.”

“Blair, I’m serious. Just the other night one of the…” she pauses. I already know what she’s about to say, so I help her finish her sentence.

“Bodies,” I offer with a chuckle.

“Jesus Christ, I don’t know how you can be so nonchalant about such a thing,” she scoffs. “Anyway, I spoke to Glinda, and she informed me that another decapitated body showed up near Satan’s this week.”

“So? What’s your point?”

“My point is that you aren’t invincible. One day,” she pauses, to catch her breath which echo scratches at my ears through the speaker. “One day, you may not be so lucky. That’s all. Just please use your head,” she scolds.

“Before I lose it. Got it,” I giggle.

“Blair Ellen Van Tassel!” she shouts, unimpressed with my joke.

“Oh, come on, you set yourself up for that one. Don’t worry, I can handle myself. Plus, Satan’s closes early tonight anyway, remember?”

“Yes, but still,” she huffs, clearly not satisfied with my response. “Glinda said–”

“Glinda says a lot of things,” I interrupt her. “Listen, I really need to go. I’ll see you–” I’m about to say later but my words are cut off by the sensation of my stomach dropping to what feels like my feet. Though this time it’s not because of an unannounced intruder or a bright flash of light sneaking into my house.

No, now, where I stand a few feet from my front door, the one with the stupid mail slot that I really need to close, is another envelope that was not there just a moment ago when I walked by.

Every hair on my body raises and a flush of heat that robs my mouth of any moisture erupts everywhere. My mom’s voice continues to nag in my ears as I walk to the newenvelope, this one black, with a bright crimson wax seal facing me on the floor of the entryway.

“I don’t know why you…” Her voice continues to filter in my ear, but I am unable to process the rest of what she is saying because all I can focus on is the namehellcatin small handwritten red letters.

“Umm, I have to go.” I quickly end the call before she can respond.

Realizing I didn’t lock the door after I let Brody in, I scurry to the door, frantically reaching for the lock and flipping the bar on the latch.

Why is he doing this?I don’t have time for him and his games tonight.

With my hand still flat on the door, I can feel the gust of wind sneak through the small space between the weather stripping and the door itself. My skin prickles in response just as a harsh chill works its way to my spine as my phone begins to vibrate in my hand.

I peer down to see one new notification on the lock screen, from an unknown number.

Fuck, here we go.

Unknown: I trust that you received my surprise. Sorry it wasn’t anything elaborate but the night is young =P

Me: What surprise?

Unknown: Umm hello, the picture of the cabin you’re going to die at tonight Blair. DUH

Unknown: Didn’t Brody…give it to you? Oh no, did you kill him already?

Unknown: Shame on you, that’s no way to treat a house guest.

Me: Get a life and stop watching me…and no I didn’t.

Unknown: Tsk little hellcat…haven’t you learned not to lie to daddy?

Me: GAG…you’re not daddy material…you’re a deranged psycho…there’s a difference

Unknown: Ehh, I don’t know about that…

Unknown: Something tells me the more deranged, the more elevated the daddy status

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