Agnes was wearing cut off denim shorts that looked painted on with a large red and black shirt that she got on a trip to New Orleans that she liked to sleep in. It read: "Do No Harm But Take No Shit" below a yellow crescent moon. It was from a voodoo shop in the French Quarter.
"So... Mom killed dad?" Charlie sat at the small kitchen table with his hands in his lap. "But I thought he died of cancer."
They sat in the kitchen. Agnes was making a peanut butter and apple jelly sandwich for Charlie while she broke the news to him. She waited a few weeks trying to come up with a soft way to tell her baby brother that their mother was a murderer.
"Dad was taking too long to die apparently," Agnes said setting a cold soda on the table in front of him. "She had him overdose on morphine. That's why no one questioned his early death. You were too young to remember but dad was..."
Agnes's chest tightened at the memory of seeing her once robust father wasting away. He seemed so big, a giant in her youth but in that hospital bed he seemed to have shrunk. But he still had that beaming smile. No illness could diminish that.
Agnes had buried her mother's doll with the nail driven into it. She tried keeping it under her bed or in her closet but it was like having a monster in the two cliche places that children thought monsters lived. She could actually hear a heart beat coming from the doll. Agnes didn't understand why it unsettled her to have the poppet close.
So Agnes buried it deep in the yard. About 6 feet under the tree where she saw James during that rain storm. After that Agnes couldn't hear the heart beat quite as loud. It became white noise. Now Agnes could relax... at least for now.
Agnes lit up a cigarette then puffed a cloud of blue smoke out the kitchen window. The sun streamed into the kitchen. The house was built in the 40s but the kitchen was redesigned in the 60s with it's retro wall paper and red and chrome table and wooden counters.
A stained glass wind chime hung in the window catching the light and casting rainbow lights on the faded wall paper.
The glass and tin bells clanged softly in the balmy summer breeze as Agnes blew another cloud of blue smoke into the air, watching it fly away off into the distance like a happy spirit that haunted this house for decades but was finally set free. That's how Agnes felt.
"Bitch got what she deserved," Agnes chimed.
Then Agnes heard her brother whimpering. She turned to see his shoulders slump and shaking, his head bent forward. She saw Charlie's cheeks glisten with fresh tears. His dark blue eyes red.
Overwhelmed with pity Agnes cradled her baby brother's head against her chest letting some snot get on her shirt. She kissed his soft dark sandy hair whispering, "It's okay, Oopsy."
They sat like that for a few minutes when Michelle walked into the house. Michelle had an extra key to the house though this time the door was unlocked. Agnes felt she didn't need to lock the door as often as before since they were going to sell it.
Michelle was smiling but she stopped when she saw Charlie crying into Agnes's shirt. Charlie may not have been her blood but Michelle saw him as family too. She sat at the table, rubbing his back, feeling the sobs rupture as they wracked his muscles.
Michelle knew all about Mary killing her husband. Agnes had told her and Michelle cried but Agnes didn't. She had no more tears to spare. Only anger and a cold sense of justice.
After Charlie was soothed Michelle placed a black velvet bag on the table.
"What's that?" Agnes asked. The bag made a small knock when it was placed on the table. Agnes could feel a small vibe of energy coming from the bag. It sent the snake inside her hissing with discontent. But Michelle's mossy green eyes were full of light.
"I did research and I found out how to trap demons," Michelle said revealing the contents of the black velvet bag. It was an old silver necklace with a locket at the end of it with a single Cat's Eye stone in the middle surrounded by rays.
"A locket?" Agnes raised a critical eye brow.
Michelle opened it and on the inside were arcane symbols used to trap and bind demons to one's will.
"You want me to bind James with a locket?" Agnes's indigo eyes were wary.
"I told you I'd find a way to help you," Michelle insisted. "Whether you want me to or not. At least take it as insurance."
Agnes held the locket in the palm of her hand. It was cool to the touch. The serpent was writhing inside her like an evil infant kicking.
She wanted to throw it away. She figured she should tell James but something stopped her. Given Agnes's history of being attracted to manipulative men it wouldn't hurt to have some back up leash to make James heel.
"Fine," Agnes sighed but Michelle knew better than to take her best friend's blasé personally.
***
Agnes put the necklace in the black velvet bag under her mattress for safe keeping. Then she went to church having a desire to learn more about her powers and to feel James's hot touch against her skin.
Agnes got a rude surprise when she found Beau brooding in the front pew. Beau turned his angry baby blues on Agnes as she casually walked up the aisle giving him a smug smile.
"Beau...," Agnes crossed her arms making sure accentuate her bosom that Beau couldn't help but look at with lust shining in his eyes. "Looking for forgiveness from God? Has Vesta's pious influence finally rubbed off on you?"
"Vesta dragged me here on a Saturday," Beau groaned. Agnes could see her ex's muscles clench when he said, "She wanted to talk to Pastor Abel about the wedding."
"Ah," Agnes nodded. What was James doing in there with Vesta all alone? The snake lifted it's smooth black head, a jealous hiss coming from it's mouth.
"Pastors should all be old and ugly," Beau spoke passionately. Agnes's mouth compressed into a hard line as she tried to stop a chuckle from spilling out inappropriately.
"I don't know," Agnes's chuckles were stuck to the back of her throat, her dark purple eyes sparkling with secret knowledge. "I think Pastor Abel's a sweet guy. Very attentive and considerate to another person's feelings. Making them feel special."
Beau's cheeks burned at the implications. He opened his mouth to say something when they heard the door squeak open and James walking out of his office with Vesta right behind him.
Vesta was wearing a modest white maxi dress but had on a woolen magenta cardigan. She must have been warm in that. It was 86 degrees outside and inside the church it was stuffy.
When Vesta saw Agnes her tan cheeks turned a deep rouge of embarrassment. Agnes's sense had heightened so she could feel Vesta's instant arousal. The feeling was confusing for Agnes because she didn't understand why Vesta would suddenly be attracted to her rival.
"Hello, Agnes," James smiled making Agnes's loins burn becoming moist with anticipation. "I was just finishing up with Miss Gerard here. You can wait in my office I'll be in shortly."
Vesta didn't say a bitchy word as she averted her electric blue eyes and rushed past both Agnes and Beau. Beau shot a glare at James who only continued to smile politely. Then Beau shot out after his fiancé.
