A Home for Misfit Monsters

Chapter 9 - Drink & Be Normal

Rhia stole a few glances at Ezra and the glow of the setting sun on his light brown cheeks and his tasteful leather jacket over a forest green hoodie made her heart thump. She still wasn't sure why anyone like him would want to spend time with her or why she felt so utterly drawn to him.

"You okay?" he asked as he turned down a road that was ablaze with colorful foliage leading to the vast lake at the bottom of the hill.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, rubbing her tiger's eye. "Just thinking."

"Is that why you're rubbing that charm?" Ezra said as a smile tugged at his lips. "I noticed you do that when something's on your mind."

"Oh." Rhia blushed, looking down at her necklace. "It's just a weird habit of mine."

"I get that. Is there a story behind your tiger's eye?" he said, looking over at her. "I've never seen one as bright as that one."

"It was my mother's." Rhia smiled. "It's the only thing I have left of hers. She said it always brought her good luck. She gave it to me for my sixth birthday right before..." She shook her head. "Anyway, I think of it as my good luck charm too."

"It must be," Ezra said. "I think you've been pretty lucky in life."

"I guess so," Rhia said, chuckling softly. "If you call inheriting a family of weirdos lucky."

"I would," he said, looking back at the road. "And I wouldn't call them weirdos. They're just different."

Rhia raised an eyebrow. "About that, now that I know you and Carter are related, I'm going to assume you're sensitive to more than just ghosts, huh?"

"Um, yeah I am," Ezra said, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. "I could sense the vampires, the dreamwalker, the demons and the ghouls in your basement."

Rhia frowned. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to freak you out, I guess," he said, rubbing a hand over his neck. "It's not something I talk about very much."

"Yeah, I get that." Rhia nodded. "That's why I don't get close to anyone. Except for Nina and Carter," she said, gripping the charm around her neck. "And now you."

"Same here," Ezra said, looking over at her. "Which is why I like hanging out with you."

A blush burned over Rhia's cheeks as she let out a soft laugh. "I like hanging out with you too," she said, looking at the lake coming into view. "So, what do you have planned for us this week?"

"I took your advice and I booked a stay for us at Glenora and I've got us on one of those wine tour buses tomorrow. Then we're staying at a cabin in Dundee for the rest of the week, unless there's anything else we should do or see while we're out here?"

Rhia nodded, pointing to the cavernous gorge beside the road. "It's always a good idea to check out the gorge. You can't come out here and not have a little walk through there."

"Oh shit, that's massive," Ezra said as they drove past the carved out tourist attraction. "I can't believe I've never been out here before."

Rhia tilted her head to the side. "I don't think you've told me where you're from, actually."

"You're right. I haven't," he said, driving up the road beside the lake. "I'm from all over, but I live in a small town called Wellbrooke. It's on the border of –"

"Pennsylvania and New York," Rhia said, laughing softly. "That's where I'm from."

"Really?"

"Yep." She nodded. "I lived there until my parents died and then I was sent to a boarding school in Buffalo where I also went to university and then I inherited my aunt's home and all her lovely residents."