"Why don't you tell us about the box?" Cole said, her voice calm and steady despite the marionette-like stare of Mr. Edwards.
"It's my box." He repeated.
"Fine. Alright. It's your box. I just want to know more about it, like the carvings. Do you know what they are?"
Mr. Edwards cocked his head and squinted at the younger sister. "Carvings are something made by cutting wood. An object or design formed by cutting and shaping a material such as wood or stone—"
Kaylyn had heard enough, but as soon as she took a step forward, Cole glared at her.
"The guy has gone dark. His power ring has faded." She kept her jaw clenched, wondering how much—if any—of the conversation the man actually understood by now. "Let's just grab the jewels and get out before his head explodes."
"There are no explosive devices in my head, Kaylyn."
She bit her lip, she certainly hadn't offered her name. "Okay, Mr. Edwards—"
"Gib."
"Sure….” She choked on her words as the man's lips turned up into what she assumed was supposed to be a smile. “Gib, what's going on here?"
"You’re trying to take my box."
"Yeah," Kaylyn nodded. This conversation was getting redundant fast. "We got that part. We're quick like that, you know."
"I do know. You thought you could find my box and take it away. But, I won."
"So you did, Gib." Cole took a step forward, but marionette-man hunkered over the box like it was his heir.
Cole took another step. "Where's Mr. Edwards?"
"He took a vacation. He's probably sipping Mai Tais on the shores of Maui right now."
"That's a quick trip."
"Yes, anything is possible when you use your imagination. You two are particularly familiar with that, aren't you? Losing yourselves in a slightly altered unreality."
Kaylyn shook her head and stumbled backward. For a dimwit, he had down the creepy intuition and dictionary memorization.
• • •
Kaylyn pulled the covers over her head as if they could block out the ruckus threatening her sleep. After another series of knocks on the front door, she was left in silence again. That wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
She held her breath.
Sure enough, a floorboard creaked, then her sister’s voice rang out. “Come on Kay. You can’t avoid me when I have a key. We’re going to be late.”
“Go away, Cole. I’m sick.”
“Bull shit. If anything you’re hung over.”
“I haven’t had a drink in weeks.”
Although at the moment, she thought,
I’d kill for one…or several. “We’ve worked for Carlisle for more than three years, he won’t—”
“We have a meeting. Mr. Edwards. Historical Society. Wooden box engraved with occult symbols. Ring a bell?”
Oh yeah. Kaylyn groaned as she flipped the covers off her head. Her younger sister stood over the side table, leaning against the inside of the doorway. A crisp pink collar peeked out from the top of her dark grey pea coat, paired with matching grey slacks.
Always overdressed, Kaylyn thought, especially for a job that often had them crawling in dank and dusty places. She pulled herself up, balancing precariously on the edge of the bed before forcing her body to move toward the closet.
“If you don’t hurry up, the cappuccinos will get cold.”
“You know I prefer it that way.” Kaylyn said as she pulled some moderately business-casual clothes out of the clean clothes pile and headed into the bathroom.
“Weirdo,” Cole called after her.
Kaylyn was thankful for the brief moment of silence as she pulled on a pair of black jeans and a blue long-sleeved V-neck. She smoothed out the wrinkles in the shirt then focused on her matted hair, sweeping it up into a low ponytail.
“Come on, sis, we’re supposed to be there at 9:30,” Cole yelled, smacking the bathroom door.
Three days until the weekend, she promised her reflection.
Then nothing is stopping me from sleeping as long as I want.
Nothing except the dreams.
• • •
Cole was out of the car and at least ten steps ahead by the time Kaylyn closed the passenger door. She shook enough dullness from her head to manage a quick sprint to catch up. Each thump of her foot against the ground echoed through her head, drowning out the latest spiel from her sister—yet another lecture.
Something is seriously off with this family dynamic, Kaylyn thought.
“He was supposed to meet us at the main entrance,” Cole said, pulling on the front door. “But it’s locked.”
“So… lecturing me about being late was all in vain?”
Cole clicked the heel of her boot against the concrete porch, her lips pressed into a tight line. “Or he gave up on waiting.”
“Five minutes, Cole. No one gives up after five minutes.”
Kaylyn and Cole peeked through the windows on either side of the door.
“Well, I don’t see anyone around,” Kaylyn said.
“I have a bad feeling.”
No. Not today. Whether Cole’s bad feelings turned out to be accurate or not, they always meant Kaylyn was about to have a shitty day. When little sister had a bad feeling, everything got done the hard way.
Kaylyn closed her eyes, reaching deep to muster enough energy to keep up and whispering a silent plea for Mr. Edwards to rush to the door and apologize for losing track of time.
Her plea was answered by a crash somewhere on the second floor of the house.
