“Your mother.Barbara.I don’t know what got into her.Is she gone?”His arms swung around him as Caleb released him, and he rubbed his wrists, slightly pink and raw from where the rough rope had rubbed against him.
“Yes, she’s gone.She’s…” Temps couldn’t finish, and I didn’t blame her.
“Dad, what happened?”
For a second, he tried to stand up, but then he collapsed back down into the chair, and I steadied him to keep him from pitching forward.He was clearly beaten to hell.His forehead injury was obvious, but his shirt was messed up, and going by the state of the room, there had probably been one hell of a scuffle.
“She…she’d come back from an early visit to that church of hers.I didn’t want to go with her, as usual.You know I’m just not into that kind of thing.Not like that.When she got back, Barbara asked if I’d go again.When I said I wasn’t interested and had things to do for the hospital, she freaked out.She picked up the vase over there and smashed it against my head.I swear to God, I don’t know what happened.It was like she was a different person.She threw all her favorite things, screamed about me being a blasphemer.Elizabeth, it was insane.Temperance, I…I don’t know what to tell you.I know she’s your mother, but I think she needs some serious help.”
Temps shook her head, standing to the side with Caleb.“Lizzie, I…can you?”
I swallowed.I knew what came next, and I knew that Temps couldn’t do it.I wasn’t mad.Hell, it’d been a handful of minutes since we’d seen Barbs die.I wasn’t about to put breaking the news to my dad on her.
“Dad, Barbara is…dead.She went to that church thing after this, and…Dad, they’re not right.They’ve been brainwashing people.It’s—”
“What the hell are you talking about?”A look of such anger crossed my dad’s face that I actually reeled back.I’d never seen him looking like this, and fuck, we needed to call EMTs to look at his head or get him to the hospital.
“I’m sorry.I’m not trying to upset you, honestly.There’s some horrible shit going down with that carnival.They’re hurting people and—”
“Have you lost your mind, too?”My father pushed out of the chair, wobbling like a baby fucking deer, but he held out a hand, keeping me back when I tried to help him.“No.No, I’m not some idiot.Whatever happened with her clearly got to you, too.There probably is something horrible about that church, and I’m not falling for it.You get my wife on the phone right now.”
I didn’t know what to do.He didn’t believe me.I turned back to Temps, desperate and hurt.Shaking my head, I walked to her.All of this was too much.I’d already been hanging on by a fucking thread, and I was going to snap.I couldn’t keep doing this.
“Mr.Montgomery, I swear to you.I wouldn’t joke about this.My mother is dead.She was just killed moments ago by Pastor Paine.”
“How…You’ve never been.How do you know his name?”Dad stared at Temps in shock, his skin paling as that wound on his head continued to bleed.“What…She’s really…”
Temps just nodded, and when my father looked at me, I held his eye contact.“We saw it, Dad.”
“Well, then we need to call the police!”Dad surged forward, and Caleb had to catch him when he started to fall to the floor.
“I think we need to get you checked out first.”Caleb draped my dad’s arm over his shoulder.“We’ll take you to the hospital.”
“No!No, I want that asshole arrested.He killed my wife!Brainwashed her!Whoever you are, you call the police.Now!”
“Dad,” I rushed forward, putting my hands on his chest, “we can’t call them.Okay?We need to get you help.And this is Caleb.He’s a professor at my school.”
“What are you doing hanging out with a professor?”Frowning, my father’s eyelids drooped, the exhaustion and trauma getting to him.“Shouldn’t you be off teaching?It’s a weekday.Get the police or get out of my way.”
The threat was miniscule considering how my dad had to hang on to Caleb to keep from falling.I directed him backward toward the chair again, looking behind me at Temps and mouthing, “Call 911.”
“I am working with Elizabeth and Temperance regarding the carnival.I was there when they came out.I’m trying to make sure they’re okay.Thatyou’reokay.”
“I’ll be okay when that fucker is arrested.”
We all stared, silently conversing about what the hell we were going to do about this.Magic was involved.Deadly cult bullshit powered by some evil wannabe god.We weren’t going to be able to call the cops, ever.They couldn’t get involved in this.This was witch business, but my dad didn’t know shit about that world.
My world.
Sneaking out her phone from her pocket, Temps stepped outside through the front door, which was still open, while I stood in front of my dad, blocking the view.He needed the help.Medical care was something we could at least get him.Caleb stood just behind him, and I looked up, begging him to come up with something because I was at a loss.
I could wipe his memory.
That wasn’t Caleb talking in my head.That was Cerberus.I blinked, trying to school my expression so that Dad wouldn’t notice.
What?You want to remove the event?How would that work?
Dad started to fade in the chair, unconsciousness claiming him.It was a good fucking thing that Temps was calling EMTs.
