Life Curse: Taber Blood I

Epilogue

The years after Macey burned Evalena to death were turbulent. Creature after creature came through the hand-painted family tree.  They never learned the cause of the intrusions. Either Evalena cast another spell on Taber's blood before Macey killed her.  Or the original magic opened a portal to hell. 

"How many now?" Brenda said. 

"One hundred twenty-three," Jared advised as he wrote in his journal. "That makes over fifty times the portal opened since-"

"Jared, she's not dead," Brenda said. She closed the romance novel, one of many books Jared's mother, Macey, left in the attic. 

The mansion had become the hot spot, not for the creatures who come to kill them but for local teens.  They were looking to have a good time at the Taber mansion. All clues about the family tree, beasts, ghosts, and midnight fights remain hidden in the attic.  That's where Jared and Brenda spend most of their free time. Just like Jared's parents did years before, but Jared and Brenda knew what they were up against this time. There would be no closing the family tree portal until they find Macey. 

Jared tucked his journal in his mother's chest and stretched. Brenda lifted her gaze as he did and sighed. Lately, she has taken notice of his lean body. Jared, like his father, grew from an average-looking boy to a handsome man. The curly brown hair, expressive brown eyes, and confident smile sent vibes through all the local teenage girls, including Brenda. 

For Brenda, it was torture, watching as her friends flirted with Jared. Her mother, Roxanna, told her the story of how Macey and Jared's father fell in love. Including how jealousy turned all the town's people against Macey, Roxanna too. In hindsight, Roxanna wasn't sure if it was all the works of Evalena. If so, it was an evil tactic turning everyone against Macey. Evalena must have suspected Macey was a threat and tried to eliminate her before Macey and Paul were married. But, Evalena couldn't stop fate, and besides, she needed a newborn Taber for her survival. Evalena's magic was brilliant, and Roxanna wished to match it one day.

"In the end," Roxanna said, watching Eddie from the window one day as he fertilized the front yard in hopes of growing the tree again. "We all found our true love." 

All portals were needed to find Macey and included the one Evalena invented. But, each attempt to get through to the other side failed.

Brenda loved the happy ending story her mother told and hoped she'd have a happy ending with Jared. It was all she thought about since Macey disappeared when she was fifteen and Jared sixteen. Brenda fell in love the moment Jared stopped crying and started searching for Mom. Something in him changed, and he had no choice but to grow from boy to man. Brenda has held those thoughts secret ever since, it was a real turn-on, and she supposed there was a change in her as well.  She closed her book, eager to create distance from Jared before she gave in to her temptation. 

"Jared. Brenda," Roxanna called from the second floor. "We are about to leave. Come see us off." 

"Be right down, Mom," Brenda hollered back. Saved by her mother, she sat her novel aside and watched as Jared put on his shirt. Sweat accentuated all his bulging muscles. Jared never wore his shirt in the attic. He said it was too hot, even in the freeze of winter. Could it be he's trying to attract her? Brenda didn't know for sure, and she wouldn't dare ask him. Not until he gives her a sign that he felt the same affections. She couldn't bear embarrassing herself if he wasn't as hot for her as she was for him. "Let's go see them off," she said and descended the stairs before she did something stupid like kiss him. Fearing she'd rip her clothes off and have crazy sex.

"Ok, right behind you." Jared gazed down at his own body and decided there wasn't enough definition in his six-pack. Not enough to attract Brenda, who has grown into the most beautiful seventeen-year-old in the state. He, at eighteen, was the most available and desirable bachelor in the western world. So the young ladies claimed who came from miles away in hopes to attract his attention. Jared met Brenda and Roxanna in the foyer. He looked at his great Aunt Sarah's portrait on the wall and winked. Sarah hasn't appeared since, well, ages ago, and he missed her presence.