Wiccan Act One: Occult

19 | Boys in Blue

Christian

XIX

Veronica was going to kill him.

He sat in the passenger seat of his sister's car, a bit panicked at the thought that she would be waiting for him with a hammer when he returned home. Cyrus seemed a lot calmer, his face fixed with determination, gripping onto the wheel tight to steer them in the right direction.

Just like that, they have fallen into old habits. Still, Christian couldn't help but observe how different Cyrus had gotten in his absence. As if someone took a wrecking ball and destroyed a statue, only to piece it together again, reformed. There were no dark circles under his eyes. His hair was neat, and he had a smile on his face. Guilt filled Christian as his friend was doing better off without him. Cyrus didn't need to rely on him the way Christian did.

"It's very odd," Christian spoke up, unfolding the newspaper before him. The more he stared at the boy, the more he wondered how anyone could look the same after so long. "He is identical to twenty years ago."

"Maybe he's a vampire." Cyrus shrugged. "A vampire that can light fires with his mind."

"Or there's a spell that stops the ageing process."

"At this point, anything is possible."

The conversation died down, allowing Christian to think. He wanted nothing more than to get to the bottom of this, but it was difficult seeing as they were in unknown territory. They messed up with Hazel because they didn't interpret the signs correctly. He didn't want to make such a mistake again.

Cyrus made his third right, the building on the side of the road giving Christian deja vu. Didn't they already drive past the station twice? He kept quiet, however, believing it to be in his head until Cyrus repeated the action moments later, driving them in circles until they passed the Sheriff's station once again.

"Did you not say you wanted to investigate the house downtown?" Christian raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's where I'm driving us too," Cyrus said it with such surety Christian knew immediately what was going on. 

The car sped down the road, passing the station and turning near the supermarket, only to turn again at a coffee shop and once more next to a record store and end up back where they started.

"You sure you don't want to question our alleged murderer and see what he knows instead?"

"Of course not. Why do you ask?"

"Because you have been driving in circles." Christian pointed out, addressing the station they were passing for the fifth time. Cyrus looked between the steering wheel and the building in disbelief.

"How?" he questioned himself with a sigh. In defeat, he pulled over in the parking lot.

"It's like when you were in the car giving V directions," Christian said. "Your abilities are drawing you to him."

"Great, it wants me to play catch up with a murderer. Let's see what the fire-cracker has to say for himself."

↡

"Good afternoon." They said simultaneously, giving the desk worker their brightest smiles. She wore the usual beige and orange deputy uniform, with her curly hair tied into a high bun. Luckily, they were somewhat recurring characters around here because of Rowan, so she recognised them quickly and smiled back.

"Hi boys," she said. "What can I do for you? If you are here for Rowan, you just missed him."

"Actually," Cyrus responded. "We were hoping to speak to the Sheriff."