Wiccan Act One: Occult

18 | Brother's Keeper

Dedicated to hisokasbuttcheek4

Cyrus

XVIII

Oakwood seemed different.

Maybe it was because Cyrus hadn't left the couch in ages, but as he walked down the street, he could sense it. There were small things like the dead trees here and there, dried grass, lack of birds in the sky and stillness that came with the absence of wind. Even without it, the air remained chill, carrying with it the rotting smell of decomposing pumpkins. The once amusing faces of decorative jack-o'-lanterns and paper ghosts were now monstrous, their sharp teeth and glaring eyes making Cyrus uneasy.

Oakwood was no longer a tourist trap. The murders poisoned the town, transforming it into something much more sinister.

From the words on the newspaper he carried, however, it wasn't the first time its carefully crafted facade got shattered. Pretending never lasted forever. Sooner or later, reality broke through. Cyrus knew that fact all too well.

He made his way up the stairs dressed in a pair of black jeans, Nikes and his favourite black and red striped sweater, his curly hair neatly combed out, styled to perfection. With one final deep breath, he moved the bowl of cookies into the same hand as the newspaper and knocked on the front door.

It opened almost immediately to reveal Mrs V. Scott in her nursing uniform. She had her silky raven black locks tied up high in a ponytail, looking down at Cyrus with a confused expression until she realised it was him and that expression turned to one of relief. While Christian and Veronica had Cydney's golden hair and twinkling emerald eyes, Vanessa's eyes were hazel that always calmed him during his check-ups. She was tall and slender, with skin a bit on the pale side, and pearly white teeth. Not a wrinkle in sight.

"Oh, Cyrus!" She gasped. "What a surprise! Christian would be so happy to see you."

She stepped outside, closing the door so no one on the inside heard. Mrs Scott gestured to him to step further away, placing a finger over her nude lipstick.

"He hasn't been acting like himself since... well, you know," she whispered. Cyrus winced at her words, knowing part of his best friend's discomfort came from him ignoring all his calls. The residual anger he held towards Christian dissipated, leaving behind an internal longing to be there for him.

"I'm sorry I haven't been over much." He apologised, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh sweetie, it's fine! What you kids went through." She paused, her expression going grim. "Nobody should ever have to experience that."

Before he could react, she wrapped him in a hug, the first one he had from a person other than aunt Rose in a while. It felt nice. He got over his surprise, wrapping his arms around her petite frame while also trying his best not to drop the cookies. Mrs Scott took a sniff and immediately knew what he brought over. Her face lit up like a glow stick the second they pulled away.

"Is that Rosie's chocolate chip cookies?" she squealed. "Oh, can I please have one?!"

Cyrus uncovered the container, allowing her to pick up one and bite into it. Immediately, her eyes rolled back and soft moans escaped her lips.

"These are the only things I break my diet for. Promise me you won't tell Cydney or the kids." She held out her pinky.

"I promise." Cyrus chuckled, wrapping his pinky around hers to seal the deal.

Mrs Scott waved him goodbye as she went over to her vehicle and backed out of the driveway, setting Cyrus back on his road to redemption. He came face to face with the door, turning the knob to find it locked. Christian must have seen him talking to his mother and knew what he was here to do.