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Probably froer
They looked up at the three of us and I could see how hard they were trying to piece everything together They were in for a surprise
I explained what had happened the best I could, what I had thought had been going on fro il , then the
My mother just shook her head back and forth, unable to find the words She didn’t need to I knehat they were thinking My father was shocked and appal ed that I was experi with "witchcraft and wizardry" under his roof (his exact words, too),back to the old days of seeing i houses on fire
Of course they didn’t believe me Why would they? They never believed ain and was heading down the saht was going on and how everything ave theether thehost, they decided I was going nuts again My ed her and reo
Ada spoke up from tiet the here and we had the best intentions It didn’t matter how much she sided with ht have been the favored child, but she was stil just a teenager and when it came to matters like this, it was like she didn’t exist at all
The only person they il ing to listen to was Maxi He didn’t pipe up once to reinstate ive , almost with disapproval, like he was suddenly on my parents’ side, as if this whole ritual hadn’t been his idea
Final y, when I was done saying everything I could say and Ada had quietly started cleaning things up,eyes on Maximus
"And what is your version of events?"at ave them a smile and said, "It’s pretty much the same as Perry’s"
I relaxed
"She believes this is what’s happening to her," he continued My heart paused "And I know better than to argue with soet it out of her systerowled at hie bag with a noisy clatter "You told us this would work! You believed it!"
"Ada, hush," my mother told her, then looked back at Maxi so"
"I was only trying to help your daughter, Mrs Palomino"
She crossed her arms and eyed me "Yes I see that
Wel if this continues any further, the only help that Perry wil be getting wil be fro foot in his office again…"
The dead butterflies were stirring inthreat of seeing ht there and then for insinuating that he was hulares at him in case he was oblivious too
He wasn’t He shifted unco my stare, and said to dad, "I’l make sure this place is cleaned up ful y before I leave Real y, it’s just salt and spices I’l bring the vacuum around and it’l be sucked up faster than you can say Atchafalaya"
My dad narrowed his eyes at him briefly, then relaxed "I know you like your food down South; however, there’s no need to make the carpets Cajun too"
Was that a…joke?
Yes My dad s on He smiled, then patted him on the shoulder and my mother and him left the kitchen and went up the stairs to their room
Once they were out of earshot and I could no longer hear my mother’s faraway cries over the discovery of more cinnamon and sulphur, I smacked Maximus hard across the arlance at his cheek told me to back off
"What the fuck was that?" I yel ed at hi epical y The anger and frustration inside was dangerously high, swi in my throat, ready to spew the rabbed his ar away from me
"You’re an ass!"
"Seconded!" Ada put in
He shrugged dra with you ladies; that would have made me seem just as loco as you two"
"Excuse me?" I drew out the vowels in a shril cry
I took a step toward his hit the stove
"What?" I asked "You afraid of ht?! Ioutside, you saw the lights go out, the fireplace, the da self And the picture The picture of my family, noho did that? And don’t say I did, don’t you dare!"
"Lower your voice," he said to
I walked until I was pressed right up to hier near his eye
"Don’t you dare tel me to lower my voice You and your, your…passiveness, your chicken-shit, yel ow-bel ied fuckery, you nearly cost me a visit to my old shrink! You could have ruined htly"
"Perry You reckon you’re possessed by a ghost, and in some cases, the devil I’d say your life is already ruined
Isn’t it?"
I had no words for that, so I just glared at hi, by lance and said to Maximus, "But you did see it I saw it too, and I know I’m not cray-cray
Wel , not always Not often Ito stay here because you were too afraid to tel my parents the truth You… douchecanoe!"