Page 68 of Anathema Codex

"Really, all I wanted to do was swing by my friend's old house and take a walk around, but Eddie there was just so fucking rude. Shit, it wasmyfriend that used to live here. Technically that means she's got more of a right to say who's welcome here or not."

"We've lived here for fifteen years!" the old bitch argues, and I groan, waving a hand at the kid and he catches her around the throat this time, squeezing to keep her quiet, which I guess works fine.

"Well, I got my invitation over twenty years ago, so… first come, first served and all that." I shrug and look over the two of them. Eddie doesn't look so good on the floor, and I'm not completely sure if he's breathing anymore—not that it matters. They made their decisions when they wouldn't let me in Trixie's house for a simple look around.

"What the fuck are we doing here?" the kid asks, not paying attention to the old chick's weak tugging at his hand.

"Your Aunt Beatrix used to live here, and I just wanted to stop by, check it out." I lean to the side, tilting my head toward the floor. "She fucked this guy named Basil on the floor over here. He was already dead at that point, but it wasn't a big deal. She needed his dick for Lucifer's toy box or something like that. Honestly, I've never been great at paying attention to all the crazy shit Trixie says."

"So… are we done?"

"Not quite, kid." I chuckle and tug the cigarettes out of my jacket, popping one between my teeth before I pat my pockets and realize the damn lighter is in the car. "Shit." Hopping down again, I shove the shitty pot of soup out of the way and use the burner on the stove to light it, taking a long inhale of smoke before I let it out.

"What do you want us to do?" Red asks, and I grin at her. If she talked less, I think she'd actually have a chance at being useful for longer than I'm currently thinking of letting her breathe… but for now I might as well take advantage of having my own personal cult member.

"We're going to visit some of Aunt Beatrix's old friends in a little bit, and it's always nice to bring a gift along when stopping by unannounced." I shrug, taking another drag. "Or, that's what I've heard anyway."

Daphne is looking at me with those wide gray-brown eyes, and I decide now is as good a time as any to test her faith a bit.

"Why don't you put your heart into choosing something extra special to bring?" I say, and she looks over at Gladys with a smile that confirms just how ill-acquainted reality and Red are. "Just don't get too messy, okay? We’ve got somewhere to be."

* * *

Forty-five minutes later the kid is sitting in what I'm guessing used to be Eddie's chair, holding the Tupperware with our surprise in his lap. He didn't throw up, or pussy out, and even though he got annoyed that Daphne stripped down to her underwear to cut Gladys open, he still watched her play with the knives in the kitchen.

Crazy little bitch had blood everywhere, so I sent her off to the shower after she packed up the present. The garage had a few handy things, including two containers of gasoline for a lawn mower, and a couple of propane tanks. I've got one propane tank on top of each of the rude fucks who wouldn't give me five minutes to wander around Trixie's old house or offer us a bit of their shitty dinner.

The lack of neighborly behavior is pretty disappointing the more I think about it, and as I continue pouring gasoline around the living room, I jerk my chin at the kid to make him move. He huffs and stomps toward the door, leaving me chuckling in the living room as I splash some on the curtains before trailing it down the hallway, abandoning the first container in a bedroom to go grab the other one and continue my final tour of the house.

It's really kind of fitting to leave this place in ashes. When Trixie and Ichabod left, the house lost its soul, and that just isn't good for a place where so many memories existed. Hell, I'm doing this fucking neighborhood a favor. Gladys and Eddie were probably shitty people to live next to anyway.

"Hurry it up, Red!" I shout down the hall, and she pops out of the bathroom like she was just waiting for me to summon her.

"I'm ready," she says, and I have to admit she did a good job. Not a speck of blood on her anywhere.

Shoving the gas can into her hands, I point to the back of the house. "Finish emptying that out, I'm going to get the fireworks ready to go."

The kid gives me a look when I walk past him, but I just suck my teeth and head back into the kitchen. Turning all the burners on high, I grab a few of the dish towels and toss them on top before I turn around and give a whistle, marching back to the front door.

"Time to go," I call out, and Red comes back down the hall, throwing the empty gas can into the living room as she meets us at the door. When I glance outside, I notice that Aftyn has already lit a cigarette on the front walk and I hold my hand out. "Give me that, kid."

"I just lit it," he complains, and I snap my fingers and hold my hand out again. After an exaggerated eye roll, he huffs and walks the cigarette over to me. “Of course, Pops. Here you go.”

Grinning, I tilt my head toward the truck. "Go on, get in."

I wait for them to climb in the SUV before I give one last look at Trixie's place as I take a long drag to get the end nice and hot before I flick it toward the living room and slam the door shut. Using my jacket, I wipe off the doorknob, and then saunter back to the car. When I crank the SUV on and pull away, I catch the subtle flicker of flames through the living room window, and I can't help but think how fitting it is that my last view of her place looks like hell took up residence inside.

Sometimes things just work out the way they're supposed to.

By the time I swing the car by Ichabod's old place, the sun is already setting, and I know we don't have time for another walk down memory lane. Not that I ever spent any time there, but I could have brought him back a little souvenir or something to help him remember how good I've been for him, keeping him off the drugs and shit. Still, it's more important to find out where the hell the psycho princess has run off to, and there's only one place to go for that info since she cleared out of Ichabod's old drug den years ago.

It doesn't take long before I'm pulling into the Light of Lucifer parking lot, and more memories spin around in my head as I grab a space. When I glance at the rearview mirror, I can almost see Trixie in Red's psycho face, but when I look at the passenger seat absolutely nothing about the kid reminds me of Ichabod.

Ich has always worshiped me. He wanted my dick the first moment I showed up on Trixie's doorstep, and he's damn lucky that I'm still giving it to him after all these years—but this fucking kid doesn't show me the respect I'm due.

Still, I told the idiot he'd get to meet his Aunt Beatrix, and I tend to keep my promises.

"Wait… this is that Satanic church," the kid mumbles, leaning forward as the last rays of the sun turn the sky to a red haze above it. Honestly, it's the kind of dramatic fucking entrance that I deserve coming back to this place, and with all the cars in the parking lot this evening… I know my visit is going to be a welcome one.

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