Page 34 of Diluted Truths
Carter nodded and began to speak when Ashley, his receptionist, came into the office. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but your two o’clock meeting is here.”
“Thanks, Ashley,” Carter sighed as she left and turned to me. “Thank you for coming here and listening. Please, if you find anything about what happened to my son let me know. I just need to know if he is safe. That’s all that matters to me.”
I stood and shook his hand. “Of course. Thank you for your time, and Carter? Go home to them, they need you.”
With that I turned and left. As I got in the rental car, I took a pit stop at the beach to contemplate everything I had heard.
The story Carter told me was… well, it was fucking insane. He believed he was being stalked by some shadow figure that kidnapped his son. It was impossible, yet I had the photos in my hand that proved it.
Then there was the sigil. The sigil that was once again exactly the same and once again impossible. This story was growing and becoming more convoluted with each day. I was becoming worried about what we had stumbled into. I wasn’t sure if there were some sort of supernatural happenings, or if there was a cult pulling the strings. Maybe it was all just a bunch of coincidences. I just knew that it made me worried, worried about my safety, but mostly Jackie’s.
By the time I made my way back to Theo’s house it was around nine o’clock. I hadn’t realized how much of the day I wasted away at the beach. I entered in quietly, hoping to not wake Vi who was most likely asleep by this point. I stopped in my tracks as I looked at Jackie, who was asleep on the couch. She was truly one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen.
“How was your meeting?” I jumped at Theo’s words and saw her standing in the doorway. My eyes widened, hoping she wouldn’t wake Jackie. “Oh don’t worry, she could sleep through a hurricane. Come here, I have some wine I broke out after she passed out.”
I followed Theo into the kitchen. When she offered me the glass, I declined, choosing water instead. “Did she fall asleep recently?” I asked as we sat and drank our respective drinks as we sat at her kitchen table.
“Maybe an hour ago. My meeting ran late and Vi wiped her out. She was exhausted,” Theo stated.
I nodded, not knowing how to respond and feeling oddly tongue-tied.
“Find out anything from Carter?” Theo asked, continuing the conversation.
“You could say that,” I stated, exhaustingly.
“Tell me,” she said as she leaned forward.
“What?” I asked.
“Tell me about what he said. You seem clearly concerned about what you heard,” Theo stated and pointed towards her sister. “She already told me everything so I know what’s going on. It’ll help to get it off your chest.”
I did just that, I spilled everything I learned from Carter to Theo. I needed to tell someone and my thoughts were going crazy considering all of the possibilities. We sat there for maybe an hour as I spilled my guts to her. After I finished, we sat there for a moment.
“Will, do you have feelings for my sister?” Theo asked, breaking the silence.
I sighed, too tired to lie. I told her the truth and said the words out loud for the first time.
“Yeah, I do. But she deserves better than me.”
Theo tilted her head, urging me to continue.
“Jackie is so full of life and joy and brightness. She is all the good things in the world. Yeah, her life has had some impossible moments, but she is still so full of light. I’m the opposite. I have nothing but darkness in me. She deserves more than that.”
Theo nodded. Not arguing with me, but not agreeing. “Well, I am going to head to bed. But Will? Don’t sell yourself short. You deserve some joy in your life.”
With that Theo walked away, presumably towards her room to go to bed. I did the same as I entered the room I had been staying in. I stripped off my clothes and put on a pair of sweats and settled into my bed. Telling Theo what I learned helped calm my mind in regards to the Cult of Creatio, but it was still running with thoughts of Jackie.
Slowly I began to drift asleep when I was awoken abruptly by screaming.
Jackie’s screaming.
Chapter 11Insomnia by. IAMX
Jackie
Istopped to take a breath.
I had been running as fast as possible for so long I lost track of how far I had gone.
