Every day that I spent lying in the Redwaters’ basement with the bullet wound in my thigh was filled with pain and utter boredom. Lorne tried to keep me entertained, desperately so. He brought me books and card games for us to play together, he even dragged the family dog downstairs so I could pet it. It would have been endearing if it hadn’t been overshadowed by my being held prisoner in his home. Which was its own kind of terror, by the way.
Each day, I would hear the Redwaters move around upstairs. The walls were thin and the floors rickety, and all of them had these obnoxiously loud voices, so I could easily overhear just about every conversation they had. Reginald and his wife Angela got into screaming matches on a regular basis. I would often hear them curse, yell and even throw objects at one another. Sometimes, I was even unfortunate enough to hear them have intercourse. Creepily enough, that was often how their arguments ended. It seemed consensual at least. Lorne’s younger siblings, a boy and a girl of around fifteen to seventeen years of age judging from how they sounded, were somehow developmentally stunted. I might come off as a bitch for saying so—Lorne informed me that it was rude, and the word bitch being used as a slur was something I’d picked up from Reginald—but it’s the only way I can explain to myself the exasperating behavior of those two brats. They cried like they were still infants, smeared rooms with their faeces and their favorite pastime seemed to be to annoy and abuse the aforementioned family dog.
Their mother was completely overtaxed with them. They didn’t listen to a word she said and oftentimes, I would hear her weep after barking at them one too many times to no avail. There was another young woman, just a few years Lorne’s senior, who I made out to be his sister, Blanche. She was a more soft-spoken, lady-like kind of person. She and Lorne seemed to be the only ones who didn’t constantly make noise and break things around the home. They didn’t talk much to one another either, though.
Right. Lorne. Now, I’m a bit embarrassed to retell this but I guess it’s part of the experience.
Once, he fell asleep beside me; not on my mattress but on the floor next to it. I watched him closely in this unconscious state, just for a few hours. I found it soothing. I took note of his eyelids fluttering, his lips twitching. He muttered a few incomprehensible words and grunted like a content piglet. Then, to my surprise, he reached out and quickly but very gently grabbed my hand. I considered its warmth before very slowly pulling away from his grasp. I shook him lightly by the shoulder to wake him up. In the light of the little bedside lamp, I could see him blink at me in confusion.
“Eh?”
I gave him a weary, awkward smile as I lifted up my blanket.
“For real?” he asked incredulously.
“Is it too weird?”
“No, no, not at all.”
“Okay, but not like how your parents do, understand? And this means absolutely nothing. You’re fucked up, you know. Just like the rest of your folks. But you’re nice or whatever, I don’t know.” I turned away from him as he pulled himself up on the mattress beside me. “I just wanna be held.”
“It’s cool, it’s totally cool, I get it. We can do that. I never thought of doing anything else, really,” he assured me.
“Well, good.”
“Can you lift your head up?”
I did and he slid his arm underneath so I could lay down on it like a pillow. It was pretty neat. I didn’t tell him that, though. Now, after that night, we just sort of did it again. And again. And again. Both of us needed that warmth, I believe. Affection seemed rare to come by around these parts. I had missed my mother’s hugs. As for Lorne, I just had to take a look at his social circle to figure out why he needed to cuddle so badly. Reginald was a cruel man, married to a helpless woman. I didn’t want to imagine what Lorne had had to withstand growing up under his father’s thumb. Despite his comfort, my dreams remained horrifying. I would often see my mother, alone in those dark caves, worrying about me, wondering where I’d gone, and I regretted leaving the way I did. I figured she must have known, some part of her must have been aware of my wanting to break out of that wretched dimension, but I wish I’d just told her anyway. I could have at least left a note, a letter, some kind of life signal, but I didn’t. It made me feel insanely shitty.
Soon enough, I told Lorne that I would need to contact my mother. With his help. I said that she would be vital to our intent to close the portal.
“I can’t do it. Like I said, I’m not a goddess, and I’m not all-powerful. In fact, creatures like the ones you describe are of very little worth in Taurus-Caprici,” I explained to him. “I never thought of myself or my mom like that. But ever since you came along, I figured… I’m really no goddess. But I think Mom is.”
“What, for real?”
I nodded solemnly. “The things I’ve seen her do… We need to take care of your father before we do anything else though. I am not going to contact my mother and lure her into that psycho’s trap.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“Try shooting him in the thigh,” I suggested through gritted teeth.
“I know, I know. Seriously though, I can’t do that. I’m terrified of him, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“Well then you’re just gonna have to get the fuck over it. This isn’t even a matter of you wanting the portal gone anymore, this is about me, too. What do you think am I gonna do with your Dad when I can move again?”
Lorne looked at me with wide eyes. I sighed.
“Let me guess, just because you had your arm around me you think I’m some kind of a cute little alien? I like you, you were nice to me so far, but I grew up among animals. Remember that.”
“I know you’re trying to sound threatening but your hair is real soft…”
“So you won’t come through for me. Even though you know I’m right.” I looked him dead in the eye. He’d fallen silent, sheepishly avoiding my gaze. I sighed. “We have to do this sometime. For now, help me contact my mom. I need some special stuff for that.”
I then told him about a couple different things I would require. A few flowers, plants, mushrooms. I was glad I’d taken the time to study the earth’s flora before taking this trip. That’s also something my mother taught me. If you’re going somewhere else, find out what’s accessible there and how it could be of use to you. He was eager to agree. “Some of those I’ll need to drive further out for, but that’s totally cool. Uh… you aren’t gonna eat that stuff you’re gonna make with these though, right? ‘Cause some of those are really poisonous.”
I laughed and said not to worry, I wouldn’t. It took him two days to get everything together. I said I needed a sturdy bowl and something to crush them with, and once he’d provided either, I went to work. I was feeling well enough to sit up at that point, therefore I could hold the bowl in my lap and easily stir the powdery mass I was gradually producing. Lorne was sitting next to me, watching me curiously even though he kept nodding off.
“How’s it going? Is this how it should be?”
“Yeah, almost there,” I answered contently, leaning back against the wall. “So what are you gonna do when the portal’s closed?”
“I’m not sure. I kinda want things to go back to how they were here. I’d try to get horses, cattle… maybe my sister and I could work together on it. I have no idea what’s gonna become of my father then, though.”
“Don’t worry about him. Put yourself first this time. Do what’s best for you. Even if your Dad decides he’ll jump off the roof, what’s it matter to you? All he’s done was drag you into that dirty business of his.”
“Yeah, you got a point.”
“Of course I do.” I placed my hand on the back of his neck to soothe him.
“You mad at me for not… you know. Not wanting to off the guy?”
“Not really. I pity you for forming an attachment to someone so cruel.”
“Great,” he muttered unenthusiastically. “Love it when women pity me.”
“You said something about how there’s a thing here called weather forecast? Could you go and watch it for me? I need to know when the next storm is coming.”
Lorne nodded. “Sure. So you’re gonna use this to summon her the next time the portal opens?”
“Basically.”
Just two more days. The next thunderstorm was due in a mere two days. My leg felt stable enough to try walking, with Lorne’s support. It worked out semi-well. I could stay on my feet just fine but my knees felt wobbly and the wound kept sending surges of pain through my thigh each time I took a single step. Reginald only came downstairs one more time, and he was easy enough to distract. He made a half-hearted attempt at getting something out of me, throwing around his usual threats and blackmail, but he gave up pretty soon. His heart wasn’t in it. I had a feeling he was more focused on the upcoming storm and the profit he’d be able to reap from it. Either that or he finally believed me that I had come to earth without any valuables. Then, finally, the day of the storm came. I woke up at around seven in the morning. Lorne had been sleeping by my side again. I took a good look at him, trying to save his image somewhere in my mind. I’d want to remember him. He looked so peaceful, his eyes shut and drool dripping from the corner of his mouth. I almost regretted having to wake him up.
“Lorne! Lorne, you gotta help me!” I whispered.
“Wha…?”
“I forgot something. Something important. I need lilies for the powder. Please, you gotta get them for me before the storm comes! I’m sorry, I know I fucked up… I’m such an idiot, I totally forgot.”
“Hey, calm down, it’s cool…” he mumbled, drowsily lifting his head and pulling himself to his feet. “I’ll get them.”
“They don’t grow here, do they?”
“No, but there’s a store, like… oh shit… it’s like a four hour drive… I need to get going.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t wanna complicate things. Thank you so much.”
“Hey, don’t worry. I want the portal shut as well.”
I smiled at him in the darkness. “That’s good. It’ll be over soon, I promise.”
The door fell shut behind him. I waited until the sound of a car driving off reached my ears, then one or two minutes more for good measure. Searching my pockets, I found a tiny bag with glittering blue crumbs inside. A souvenir from Taurus-Caprici. I hadn’t wanted Lorne to know that I had this. I hurried to mix a few of them into the powder I had prepared. These little crystals were essential. If the plants wouldn’t work, they would. I hadn’t intended to use any of them, seeing as they were pretty rare, but maybe just a sprinkle to be safe. There was no way I could allow this to go wrong. It was my only chance.
Once this unholy potpourri was all done, I took a moment to collect my thoughts, trying to still the beating of my heart. What I was about to do would haunt me for the rest of my life. I didn’t know if I was ready. If I could handle it at all. What if something went wrong? What if Reginald was quicker? The possibility that I would end up dying in this dirty, clammy basement was slowly creeping in on me. Lorne wasn’t there to protect me from his father’s wrath. Besides, after this, I wouldn’t be able to count on him anyways. Once he’d find out I had lied to him, that I had used him in this way… Lorne was sweet, in some weird, cowardly way, but he was no pushover. I was about to ruin his family, and either he’d take revenge for that or for me having played him a fool. Maybe both. Normally I’d say he’s the type who wouldn’t harm a mouse, but you never know—I found myself afraid of him. Still, everything was basically already decided now. There was no turning back.
“Reginald!” I cried out. “Come down here, you creepy bastard! I got something for you!”
I had to yell a little while longer, but soon enough, I heard heavy, angry stomps and after a mere two minutes, the door swung open. I grabbed a handful of the powder, and, careful not to inhale any of it, blew it into his direction. For a moment, the air was filled with dust. The old man let out a bloodcurdling scream that sent a chill up my spine. I stayed in my corner of the room, pressed up against the wall, covering my face with my shirt and pressing my eyes shut. I could already feel a slight itch in my palm from where the powder had irritated my skin. I only hoped it wouldn’t get worse. I was pretty sure none of that stuff had found its way into my eyes and nose, but the tingling sense of fear remained. Those crystals, even a small amount… I’d seen what they could do. I could hear Reginald starting to cough and choke. Wet rasps escaped his mouth, rattling, laboured breathing followed.
“What did you do, you beast?” he pressed out, most likely allowing more dust to enter his body. Another howl of pain.
My heart was pounding away in my chest, my mind racing. I hadn’t thought it would be like this. Killing somebody who looked like me. A human like me. I could feel his terror. He was realizing it was over for him, and it was happening way too fast. His moans turned into gurgling noises, I heard a popping noise and blood spattering. I began to panic. I didn’t want this anymore, not like this. He was suffering. Yes, he was a bad person, but I hadn’t wanted to torture him to death. I could feel cold sweat running down my face as my vision started to blur. This was too much; his agonized weeping, the gasps, the retching, it was all way too much. My head was overloaded with those godawful sounds. Then, finally, I was relieved of this horrifying musical number. Reginald took one last breath before falling silent. I hesitantly opened my eyes and turned around. The dust had settled, but I held my breath nevertheless as I stepped up to the corpse to examine it.
My heart sank when I saw the mess I’d made. The poison was deadly, that much I’d known, but I hadn’t expected it to do this. The blue crystals had inflicted most of the damage. Not only were they the most harmful, they had also carried all the other substances into his system, making his frail body accessible. Reginald’s eyes weren’t in their sockets anymore. His face was covered in goo and blood, and more was still running from his mouth. He’d bitten his tongue very hard. Residues of foam were smeared around his lips. I couldn’t bear to look at him any longer. There was this sinking feeling in my chest. I wasn’t afraid anymore, not really—but there was guilt. I didn’t know this feeling at the time. It was so heavy and sharp that it could probably strike me down if I weren’t keeping it at arm’s length. I tried to shake it off. This man was responsible for an unknown number of deaths and would have likely ended up killing me too someday. He was a greedy, ruthless, unfeeling asshole and the world was safer without him in it, that’s what I told myself. But this… this wasn’t how I’d wanted to see him go, or anybody for that matter. I left what remained of the powder in the bowl beside the mattress. I wouldn’t use it again.
Thankfully, the old Redwater never went anywhere without a shotgun. I found it leaning against the wall in the hallway right outside. I grabbed it and made my way upstairs. It was safe to assume that the cacophony of noise from earlier had woken up everyone in the house and most likely put them on high alert as well. Four people against me with a weapon I didn’t know how to handle right. Those were not the kind of odds I liked.
When I entered the home, I found the remaining family cooped up in the living room. I was almost relieved to see them all in one spot. It would make the task at hand much easier. The second I came in, they froze up. I took a moment to let my gaze wander. They all sort of looked like I imagined. The two children bore some semblance to both Lorne and the shriveled face of their dead patriarch. Angela was a thin, lanky woman with hollow cheeks and an even hollower look in her eyes. Blanche was more pleasant-looking than the rest of the bunch. She had harsh, set features beneath arched brows. When I met her glare, it was filled with less hate and dread than that of her mother. Rather, it showed pure calculation. I didn’t wait for any of them to speak.
“Okay listen, folks,” I said plainly. “Firstly, hands up. I don’t want there to be any more casualties. Is there a room in here you can lock?”
“The master bedroom,” Angela replied in a vacant tone.
“You got the key for that on you?”
She nodded, hands still raised above her head.
“Throw it to me.” I watched her reach into her breast pocket with one hand, producing a small key and bending down to slide it across the floor to me. I was very fast to pick it up, my eyes still fixated on her and the others. “Alright then. Up we go.” I gestured with the shotgun. The Redwaters dutifully climbed the stairs and I followed at a safe distance. The upper story of the house was in just as much disarray as the lower one and the master bedroom I locked them into didn’t look particularly inviting either, but I figured they were used to it. “Thanks for cooperating,” I told them through the locked door. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for, well, everything.”
I took a long look around the house, raided the fridge, took a shower and eventually found a comfortable spot in the living room to sit and inspect my thigh. It looked better, but not good. I wrapped it up with some paper towels and tape. All I had to do was wait for the storm to set in, and pray Lorne wouldn’t be back until it did.
| [Part 2 | Cloudbusting](https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/vyqb8r/strange_things_happen_on_the_redwater_familys/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) |