Rot & Romance (Rewriting)

Chapter 53

Fawn stuffed her burned bed sheets and pillow cases into a large trash bag as Monica and Ashleigh flipped over her mattress and began making up the bed. Every once in a while Fawn would take a glance at her blank television screen to see if she'd see two glowing orbs staring back at her. She had no control over when her eyes would glow but it was always in the state of heightened emotions.

She had to be more careful from now on.

"Hey," Freya said as she entered Fawn's bedroom. "Vivienne and Noxford decided to take a walk. And Leah went with them because . . . wherever he goes . . . ."

Ashleigh clicked her tongue.

"She couldn't be any more obvious. And Nox couldn't be any more obvious about how he feels about her sister," she added with a grin.

Freya smiled.

"Bless his heart." She looked at Fawn. "You okay?"

"I will be," Fawn said.

Freya grabbed one end of the plastic bag to give Fawn more space to dump the last of her ruined pillowcases.

"I'd give anything to know what's going on in that head of yours," she said.

Fawn tied the plastic bag into a knot and sighed.

"I'm thinking . . . a week ago I was just a girl. A girl whose biggest concern was deciding her college major. Then I find out I'm a witch." She narrowed her eyes. "A witch. . . .Witches aren't real. . . . And if that wasn't enough, I find out I'm a special kind of witch destined to . . . saved the world or whatever. Oh, and get this -- here's the kicker -- I can't even do magic! I've yet to perform a single spell! But . . . I will be okay because I'm going to do magic when I'm good and ready. And I'm going to be an awesome witch."

"Hell yeah you will," Ashleigh said, spreading fresh bed sheets over Fawn's mattress. "That's what I like to hear, girl."

"And you have us," Monica said, fitting Fawn's pillows into clean pillow cases. "We'll help in any way we can. We're family now."

"Thanks, guys," Fawn said. "I'll do my best. But first . . . I think I need a nap."

The girls laughed and one-by-one, they jumped onto Fawn's bed.

* * *

"Who are you?" Lainey asked the three teens that invaded her home.

"Witches," Benjamin said under his breath.

"W-Witches? What do they want?" Lainey whispered back.

"To kill me."

The dark-skinned girl stepped forward, a twisted grin on her face. She leered at Benjamin.

"What is it with this place and the undead? This is the second time I've been here."

"Wait, you've been here before?" Lainey said.

"Isn't that what I said?" the girl said, slowly approaching them. "Had to exterminate a dead walker that turned as a sweet old lady. What a shame."

"Mrs. Parker," Lainey whispered. "Wh-What . . . did you do to her?"

"Don't worry about it," the girl said. "We took care of it."

"WHAT. DID. YOU. DO?" Lainey yelled.

The girl narrowed her eyes at Lainey for a few seconds.

"It," she said. "We killed it. Permanently."

"Murderer," Lainey seethed.

"Can't murder what's already dead, hun," the girl cheekily said. "Where the hell is your gratitude? I did you, your neighborhood—all of Sancova a favor by getting rid of that thing. One less monster this dead walker-infested town has to deal with."