Possessed

Blood Red Moon

Gesaffelstien-Pursuit 

    There's something messed up about the way people look at you when you have a lot of guilt hanging over your head. It's like they can see it or maybe know that you're guilty. The weeks are passing and we're all moving forward without him. Everything I do as of late feels mechanical. Like I've put my body on autopilot and it's moving on its own. She hasn't said a word to me since it happened. 

    Clary Corvinus had been hanging out with us since she started school and now all of a sudden she's hanging out with the cheerleaders and the jocks. They're all laughing together. Mingling and going about their lives like there isn't a dark cloud hanging over everyone's head here at school. Pictures and appraisals have been hung all over the school by all the clubs and teams all except for the football players and cheerleaders. They don't give a rats ass about anything but themselves. 

    The investigation into Rite's death has gone nowhere. No one saw anything. The cameras on that side of the field were "turned off for maintenance". The official report says he was beaten with an aluminum bat that was lying next to him before he was shot. Whoever killed him pressed the gun under his chin and fired after brutally beating him with the bat. The bullet went through his mouth and came out through the top of his head. There are no fingerprints, they wore gloves. No footprints, they wore something that prevented their shoes from leaving actual prints. 

    The only way they're going to find the person who did it is if the cops find the gun in the possession of the person who shot him along with evidence that places the person there. A seventeen-year-old boy was murdered in the one place he loved as much as his home and no one is saying a single thing about it. It didn't even make the local news. He was on page six in the newspaper the night after it happened and then again in the obituary two weeks after his autopsy. 

Motherfuckers are getting away with it. The longer time passes, the less it becomes a priority.

    "Baby?" I glanced back to see Antone standing behind me. I think I've been staring at the jars of peanut butter for a while now. 

    "Antone," I sighed looking over at him. 

    "I usually go for the Skippy. Crunchy," he smirked taking it off the top shelf before he handed it to me. I took it and put it in the basket. 

    "Sorry," I shook my head. "It's been a long day. How are you doing?" 

    "I'm-" he paused before scratching the back of his head. "I moved back home. My mama needs me here and without Rite helpin' out with some of the bills, she strugglin'. Jamal doesn't want to leave his room and my moms ain't telling him to. So, one of us has to do something," 

    I was going to offer to talk to Jamal when I noticed a woman looking at us from the other end of the aisle. When she saw that I caught her she didn't bother to cover up that she was staring. She glared at me. I stepped away from Antone and nodded. He glanced back to see her before he looked back towards me. 

    "I'm sorry you had to leave your studies because of this. Rite would be really proud that you're home trying to help. I-uh. I don't want you or anyone else in your family to get hurt because of me, again," I can feel my eyes tearing up. 

    "Baby, that wasn't your fault," he tried to step into me and I backed away. 

    "It was. It is. I'm really sorry," I croaked. "I really want to help and be there but I'm scared of what they might do to you or your mom. Even Jamal. I can't do it again. Please just stay away," 

    "Baby," he tried again but I stepped away. 

    "Is there a problem?" one of the guys that work here approached us. I instantly wiped my face. 

    "No," I shook my head. "There's no problem," 

    "Is he bothering you, miss?" he asked me. 

    "No, he's not. He was helping me. I couldn't reach the crunchy," I lied pointing to the top shelf where Antone had taking the jar from. 

    "Okay," he nodded before walking ahead. 

    "This wasn't on you," Antone whispered. "I get it though. I'll see you around, Lil mama," 

    He walked away. I got what little groceries I had gotten and paid for them as quickly as possible and then just locked myself in my car. I can barely breathe. Tears are blurring my vision. My ears are ringing. Everything is spinning. My watch is beeping, telling me that my heartbeat is going too fast. I took it off and tossed it on the passenger seat. 

    I made it through several panic attacks throughout the rest of the school year. Things are starting to get better. Colt and I are talking about college again. How we can't wait to get the f**k out of this s**t hole of a town. A few days after my encounter with Antone, Jamal came back to school and tried out for the basketball team. He made it. I've gone to all his home games with Colt and my dad. I try not to make it obvious but I've let him know that I think of them all the time. He'll smile back sadly at me sometimes. Antone must have told them what I said because he hasn't tried to approach me. 

    "There's a party coming up after Grad night. You want to go?" Colt asked. I glanced over at him and shook my head. "It's the last one of the year, Baby. He'd want us to go," 

    "He'd want us to go him," I brushed him off as I shut my locker for the last time. 

    Someone carved your fault under the numbers the night he was murdered. They had cleaned the locker itself with bleach. Some of my notebooks and texts had gotten damaged. My dad couldn't get the school to give me a new one so late in the semester. They tried to paint over it but the words were etched into the metal pretty deep.

    "Okay," he nodded. He's been driving me to school and home every day. It's mostly for my safety. Dad's orders.

    "You two going to that party?" my dad asked as soon as we walked through the door. 

    "I am," Colt answered. "Baby is being-well. A Baby," 

    "Original," I chastised. 

    "I know," he smirked. I grinned as I walked past him. "Ah, she does smile," 

    "Ah, he truly is an i***t," I shot back. 

    "Come on. I saw the new dresses. I know you're dying to wear one," 

    "Fine, but I'll meet you there. I have to go pick up our caps from Daisy's," 

    "Did you get what I asked for?" 

    "Yes, I did, Lord Hokage," I rolled my eyes. He smirked as he rushed up the stairs to get ready. 

    "You don't have to go if you don't want to," my dad made me look over at him. His boss is thinking about cold casing Rite's murder. It would be my dad's very first. 

    "Anything new?" I asked looking down at his files. He looks tired and he hasn't shaved in a while. His beard is wild. 

    "Nothing," he whispered shamefully. 

    I know exactly what that feels like. I sat down next to him. We both failed him. We're both failing his family. Fear is a gross thing to feel during times like this because no matter how hard you want to be there for someone you care about, you just can't. I may not have pulled the trigger but I was the reason behind it. I might as well have been the one who pulled it or held that bat. "We're going to find who did this" is no longer comforting. 

    "I'm going to shower. I'll see you tomorrow then?" I asked. He nodded. 

    My hair is blood red now. It has been for a few days. When I shower the red dye still bleeds. I picked the green dress I got at Rue 21 and some black ankle boots. When Colt saw me putting on makeup, he nodded. I looked back at him to see that he's wearing something very Colt-ish. Jeans, anime t-shirt, flannel with the sleeves rolled up, and his new Jordans. 

    "Good?" he asked. 

    "Nice," I shrugged. He even did his hair. 

    "Nice enough to get me laid?" 

    "Gross and I guess. I mean you haven't dressed up that nice in a while," 

    "It didn't feel right," he whispered. "I mean, it still doesn't, but I feel like us moping around the house on nights like this would bother him profoundly," 

    "Same," I agreed.

    "Josh is picking me up. I'll have him send you the address," he stuck his hands in his pockets. Something he's picked up as of late. "Oh, I forgot. We sold the house. We got four hundred and twenty-six kay," 

    "Nice," I sighed. "That's a lot," 

    "Your dad is putting this one up once we pack up in August. He wants us to look for a place in Cali. We didn't want to say anything sooner," 

    "I want to get out of here. The faster the better," 

    "Same," he nodded. "Be careful. If anything. Call me please," 

    "Yeah," I nodded. 

    Daisy's is the local DIY place here in town. It used to belong to Daisy Louis. She passed away four years ago at the age of ninety-eight. She fell asleep at her sewing machine and never woke up. she died doing what she loved and that's what we all hope for in life. I think. Now the place is run by her granddaughter who has kept the place thriving. She bakes and customizes things. Like our graduation caps. Sally doesn't speak. She had some kind of throat cancer when she was younger. 

    She handed me two boxes when I arrived. I thanked her and handed her the extra money my dad had given me for her. She shook her head but before she could try to hand it back I moved towards the door and waved goodbye. She grinned, nodding letting me know she was grateful. 

    I got a text from an unknown number with a location. I don't have Josh's number so I'm guessing it's his. I put my GPS on and began to make the drive there. Drake came on the radio. I rarely listen to the radio because it always reminds me of him. Drake is Jamal's favorite and he would always play Drake so that he would know the lyrics to the songs. The two of them would sing along to them when they thought no one else was watching. I parked pretty far from the house because there's no parking and I wanted to listen to the song in peace. 

    "Wherever you are. I hope you're happy," I whispered a tiny prayer. 

I rarely do it, mostly because I refuse to believe there is a God that would let s**t like this happen. The bigger part of me is an optimist. That part of me pisses me off sometimes. I got out and walked to the house address on my phone. All the lights are on and there's light music playing inside. Not what I expected from the end of the year party. Maybe I'm early. I pulled my phone out and text Colt 

-I'm outside. 

-Come in.- he instantly replied. 

    I reached for the door and chills broke out over my skin. I shook them off and opened the door. I walked in and instantly knew this isn't where I'm supposed to be. I pulled my phone out but someone slapped it out of my hand. I backed away to try and run back to my car but there are two really big guys blocking my way out. 

    "f**k," I whispered to myself. 

    "You're a little late. That's rude," I'd know that voice anywhere. Clarity Corvinus. 

    "I'm here," I shook my head, raising my hands up in defeat. 

    "Good," she smiled coming over to me. They're all wearing cloaks. 

    "Didn't know this was a costume party," I sighed. 

    "Shut the f**k up," the guy behind me pushed me forward. I stumbled into the living room area. 

    Things went from, f**k, to holy s**t. I'm going to die here. There's a massive star in the middle of the room. There are candles lit at each point along with bowls of God knows what in them. More candles around the room. There are twelve in total. Not including Clary, but she's clearly the ring leader. 

    "You have to know that you're not going get away with this too. If you kill me, you won't get an investigation. My dad will hunt all of you down including your families. He was trained for that," I tried to warn them. 

    "We know what your daddy is, Baby. We know who Colt's real daddy is. We know where his momma is. We know everything," she scoffed. What. The. f**k. "Take your clothes off," 

    "I'm not going to give you what you want willingly. f**k you," I shook my head preparing myself for the assault.

    "Fine by us. You're supposed to be scared anyway. That's how he likes them. Pure and fear is just about the purest emotion you can feel. The blood-red moon is perfect,"

    Three of the guys approach cautiously. I fought for my life. It took more than three of them to get me down. It took six of them to hold me down. They never got my clothes off. It was taking them too long and she said they were running out of time. Clarity Corvinus began to chant something in a language I had never even heard of. The others accompanied her. While I cried and begged for them not to do this, they sang. Loudly, so loud the sound of it will be stuck in my head for all eternity. 

    Clarity's eyes, for an instant, turned blood red as she straddled me. All of her eyes. Like a film had covered them. My blood ran cold at the sight of her. I couldn't make a sound when her eyes met mine. Terror completely took over. She smiled as she pushed my dress up to reveal my shorts and stomach before leaning into me and whispered: 

    "You should have listened to your daddy and stayed away," 

    The impact of the dagger piercing through my belly made me cry out through the terror. There was no pain. I was utterly numb. I cried out because I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Her, my blood bursting out of my body, drenching her in it. I was let go for an instant and it was like reality came crashing back. I sat up pushing her off of me and made it past the couch towards the front door. It was then that I saw it again. The black shadow. I looked up at it through my blurry tear-filled eyes and became more terrified of it than of those who were trying to kill me. I was pulled back to the living room and that was it. 

That's how Baby Colin died that night.