Page 48 of How (Not) to Conjure a Boyfriend
“Yes! A year later—the farmer’s boy was like fourteen or something—and the story goes that one of the farm hands caught him killing a cow and dis—”
“The kid?” Zach interrupts.
“Yeah, they caught him disemboweling it. The cow. Then when the dude went to run, to tell the kid’s dad, the boy ran him down and slit his throat. They found the dead guy in one of the barns after the investigation started.”
“After?” Zach steps back.
“Yeah.” I nod. “No one realized anything had happened until like a week later. So after that, the kid killed his own sister while she was sleeping. Then he shot his dad in his sleep next to his mom. The mom woke up and tried to get away, but they say he kicked her down the stairs and used the same knife on her that he'd killed the animals with. He ended up disemboweling all of them and arranging them on the floor…”
I pause as the next thing hits me. “In the living room…”
“Here?” Zach’s eyes drop to the floor.
My eyes leave Zach, and I shine my phone light around the room. There are stains on the floor, but I don’t know what from. I try to imagine it’s anything but blood. That’s even too freaky for me.
“You’re saying he killed them all and brought them here?” Zach asks, and gulps.
“Yep.” The word barely leaves my lips. “Then he cut his own stomach open and bled out. They found them a few weeks after, when people realized no one had heard from them lately.”
“That’s seriously fucked up,” Zach says.
“Okay, I didn’t know it was that bad,” Kaitlynn says, and shifts back a few steps before turning back toward the entrance. “I think I’ll just wait out there.”
Before I can protest, she leaves me alone with Zach.
“Bitch,” I yell after her.
“Damn right,” I hear from outside. I adore her.
“I—” Zachary starts, but I stop him.
“Youarenotabandoning me too.” I point at him and grin even though I’ve sort of freaked myself out too. “Ten minutes. Then we’ll leave.”
“How about five?” Zachary negotiates, and I go to lean in and say no, but he speaks up first. “Fine. Ten. But then we’re out.”
“Deal,” I agree.
When I face the room, it suddenly feels a lot smaller and colder. I squeeze my arms around my chest, phone in hand, shining a harsh glow around the room.Let’s just do this. Itwasyour idea after all.
“Here we go.” I step forward, and before I get a full two steps, Zach’s jacket rubs against mine. I look at him with my nose crinkled.
“What?” he gripes.
“Nothing.” I giggle quietly and then start forward again. But it’s not nothing. My first thought is, why is he this close? Then, why is my chest pumping so hard? It’s just the thought of dead people hanging around here, waiting to haunt us, I’m sure.
Through the next doorway, there’s a stove set between scuffed and faded white cabinets and drawers, and a big island in the center. Otherwise, it’s empty. I was hoping to find some goodies. Maybe old newspapers or toys from the ’90s, something, but nah.
“This doesn’t look all that old,” Zachary says.
“Well it isn’t from the 1800s,” I remind him.
“But the ’90s were forever ago,” he says.
He has a point, but I guess the basics are about the same. Then again, they haven’t left much to gauge it by. I step through the kitchen and the floor groans. I wonder, is there a basement? I bet there is, but I don’t think ten minutes is enough time to find out. Honestly, I’m not sure I’m that brave anyway. It’d be like going into a dungeon on purpose. You don’t do that.
“Let’s keep going.” I aim at the only door.
A creak spikes through the silence, and without warning, Zachary’s hand wraps around my forearm. I look back and his eyes squint from the glare of my flashlight.
