Chapter Seven
The Chevy pulled to a screeching halt as they pulled up in front of the office. Something heavy hit the hood of the car and red sprayed the window screen. The current Lord Backwater’s face cracked the glass as it collided with the screen, his head caving in on impact.
Sam and Star stared at his broken body; tears pricked her eyes as she tried to keep in the wails of panic. Sam was out the car and dashing into the office, getting herself under control Star stepped out into the cold night air and gulped in some much needed oxygen. Forcing herself to check Backwater’s pulse and finding none, Star followed her brother.
She found Sam on the floor cradling Lucy’s broken body in his arms. They had gotten here too late. Their office had been redecorated with blood, guts, and organs and ripped flesh. Star’s world spun and she bent over trying to blink away the sight that was burned onto her retinas.
Distant sirens broke the silence and she stumbled outside to wait for the police.
*
It was two days until they saw daylight again. The cops had questioned them relentlessly, but Sam and Star stuck to their stories. No they didn’t kill the Backwater’s and no they didn’t who did, (they couldn’t exactly tell them the truth: an evil spirit called fourth by a devil dressed in black did it.) The main thing that saved their bacon was that no murder weapon had yet been found.
Pulling the Chevy over Sam got out the car and sat on the hood. He was exhausted, dirty and hungry and Lucy’s death weighed on him heavily, as did his sister’s situation. “What are you doing?” Star asked sitting next to him. “Benson Rapids is in the other direction.”
“We’re not going home.”
“The cops told us not to leave…” she reminded him meekly. Sam made a frustrated nose and losing his head proceeded to kick the Chevy repeatedly. Star said nothing. This was his coping mechanism, he would never admit it but she knew he had cared for Lucy. After tiring himself out Sam stopped.
“It’s just a matter of time before they arrest us for the Backwater murders.” He said tiredly. “They were found in our office that is covered with our fingerprints. We have to leave.”
“You mean go on the run?”
“We can’t help people in jail Star!”
“But we didn’t do anything wrong!” Tears slid down her face and Sam’s tone softened.
“Hey, come on now don’t cry Star,” he soothed.
“I can’t help it!” She shouted and collapsed into him.
“Look I’m not saying that we can’t ever come back. Just until we find a way to clear our names.”
“How are we going to do that?”
“I don’t know.” He admitted. “But let’s start with getting this black devil bastard…” Star looked up at him.
“What if we can’t.”
“Then we’ll go down swinging. Star you’re the only thing I have left in this world, I won’t lose you. Whatever this thing is it can’t have you. We’ll find a way to right all this I promise you, but for now we have to run…” Star straightened and swiped at her eyes. She nodded and they got back in the car. She wasn’t sure how all this would end but it didn’t matter, just as long as they faced it together…