Hallows: Merciful Death

Prologue: Idiosyncratic Blackstones

Greta Van Fleet- Highway Tune

Carson:

The Blackstone sisters. There's not a single person in Hellbourne that doesn't know their tragic story. They're our town's cursed little angels. Their dad was some big-shot rocker once upon a time. He made it big in Hollywood, took over the world, and then retired. A couple of years into retirement, he put the barrel of a .44 Remington Magnum, in his mouth and blew his brains out.

The following year, their mother married detective David Espinosa. At the end of my freshman year in high school, the eldest of the two hung herself from the black gothic chandelier in their old Victorian mansion. She was sixteen years old. Her little sister, B.B. was the one that found her. B.B.cut her down and performed CPR until the paramedics showed up.

I stood on the front porch of what used to be my house when I heard her scream. It scared the hell out of me. Not only because our houses weren't close enough for me to have heard her the way I did but because the sound of it was that of a demon howling in pain. I watched as the medics took the body from her arms.

Belladonna Blackstone was never the same after that. I mean I wouldn't be either if I had to live in the house where my father blew his brains out and where my sister hung herself. Walking right under the spot where she died, day in and day out. It's a cruel fate and she carries it with absolute grace. A grace shrouded by pitch-dark shadows.

B.B. was once Hellbourne Academy's sweetheart. Perfect grades, preppy, and captain of the cheer squad. Everyone knew who she was and not because she was the sister of a legendary dead girl. No, the legendary dead girl was related to her. Despite being older, Delilah lived in the shadow of her baby sister and she wouldn't have had it any other way. She was known as B.B.'s weird older sister to everyone ever since we were in middle school.

B.B. and Delilah couldn't have been more different if they tried. See, while B.B was the queen bee, Delilah was the queen of the weirdos. She was the lead singer of a local band that goes by the name of The Fallen. It started off as an all-girl rock band but over time it became so much more. Not just to them but to all of us. Delilah didn't just dive into the sexy outfits and rock. Her crew, The Fallen, supplied the best weed, the best acid, and some very questionable coke. They cleaned up messes and exchanged secrets.

Delilah Blackstone had this entire town eating out of the palm of her hand. All she had to do was say how high and even the mayor would jump for her. She was a monster and loved every second of it.

Delilah had The Fallen and they ran the underground world here in Hellbourne. She was all business. Very serious, she rarely ever lost her cool. Everyone respected the f**k out of her for it because when she did lose her s**t. Let's just say hell has no fury like a woman scorned. Or one that was born insane, like her.

Now, I know what you're thinking, how the hell did these two very different girls live in the same house? They were best f*****g friends. Nothing ever came between them. To a normal person, it might have been odd to see the perky cheerleader walking around with the goth girl in a pencil skirt, a high collar button-up, and an iPad at her arm but not for us here in Hellbourne. That's just the idiosyncrasy of who the Blackstone sisters were.

In the days leading up to Delilah's death, the two of them were closer than they had ever been. B.B. would wait for Delilah outside of her classes and after school. It was like she knew something was wrong and she was trying to coax it out of her sister without pressuring her. I bet she feels guilty about not pushing it. I bet she wonders what she did wrong.

Not only did B.B. lose her sister but she found out her boyfriend was f*****g her best friend the night of Delilah's wake. Just like that, the Queen Bee lost her wings. She still has the best test scores in the state but she's running on autopilot. She's trapped in a glass box of agony and it's slowly filling with cold water. Water she's not doing anything to stop. No one is. It's been two years of this nothingness.

My brother Lucien and I made a promise to Delilah years ago. We'd stay away from her sister so she can live a normal life. One away from the hallows. Neither of us thought she was like us.

"What's up, B.B?" my i***t brother's voice has my back tensing up. He's been very patient. Something he's not very good with. Everyone turns back to look at the two of them. Lucien Daniels. Also known as one of the Devil of Hellbourne.

"How can I help you, oh dark one?" B.B looks up at him with a little sarcastic smirk on her face.

She sits at the table where her sister used to. By the big window and everyone has let her keep it. It's her table. I'd beat the ever-loving hell out of anyone who tried taking anything from her. So would Luc. Especially Luc.

"Aren't you tired of sitting here all alone?" he asks her, wrinkling his nose challengingly. I wouldn't be able to get a word out if she ever looks at me that way.

"As opposed to what, Luc?" she sits back crossing her arms over her chest and tucking them under those perfect double Ds.

It's a treat to hear her speak. To listen to this girl sing. The sound of heaven and hell colliding. Over the years, I've loved sitting near her. She reads out loud to herself. I sit close enough to listen to her voice whisper. It's the only way I can hold it back.

"Come sit with us," he motions her over to our table.

"Hard pass," she rolls her eyes and looks out the window like there's something more interesting out there than one of the most coveted boys in school. Luc glances in my direction disappointedly. Come on, B.B. Wake up, baby. She turns her head over to him and lets out a heavy sigh when he tries to leave. "I'm sorry," she apologizes. There you are. "You can sit here if you like,"

"Yeah?" he asks meeting her gaze, skeptically.

"Yeah," she confirms before grabbing her backpack and tucking it onto her lap.

"Can I invite my friends?" he smirks. She presses her lips together trying her best to bite back her smile.

"I don't see why not. It's a big table," she shrugs. I tap the table to get the others and we walk over.

We must be a sight. The group of degenerates in leather, denim, and black walking over to the lonely girl in a pink blazer and teen spirit ponytail. Her hair is so long now, she hasn't cut it in the last two years. I pull the chair next to her out and keep my eyes on hers. She looks me over and then returns her eyes back to the window. She's protecting herself. Always looking out for number one. I like that. It's the way it should be in a town like this, under her circumstances. It means she's a survivor.

Luc drops his hand on my shoulder giving me an encouraging smirk. We're here. Both of us and she's safe. The two of us began chopping it up and I swear I can feel her looking at us through the reflection of the glass. I know she's listening. There are times when he says something dumb and the corners of her lips tug a little upward. I know he sees it too. He sees everything she does. It's a little creepy at times but that's just who Lucien is.

We're not the only ones interested in this girl. No. Stacy Whitmore has been eyeing her for some time now. Her return is imperative. I think we all feel it. Something in the air is shifting. This town has been looking for its next Queen and although Rosa Delioncourt fancies herself the boss b***h of Hellbourne, she has no f*****g idea what's coming for her.

I see it in her eyes. Belladonna Blackstone is no ordinary girl. Nope. There's a f*****g demon inside of her. A demon that's been chipping away at her soul with each passing day. Delilah Blackstone was a bad b***h. There's no denying it but she was composed. Focused. Her passion burned for control. Not this one. No. B.B. is chaos. There's a burning rage inside of her and it's getting ready to ooze out of her like hot black tar.

Me, I plan to be standing with her. I want to f**k s**t up and I want to f**k s**t up with her. I don't want school spirit B.B. That baby girl is dead and gone. I want the hidden sexy little devil sitting next to me. I want her to look at me with those buttermilk yellow eyes. I want her to smile at me with all the pain she hides inside of her. We both do.

Yes, change is coming and those who stand against it will suffer a fate much crueler than hers. Our Cursed little angel will sprout a new set of wings. These will be black as the night itself. Soon, you motherfuckers. The truth will reveal itself and this beautiful little wraith is going to burn it all down.