Hot in Abilene

I don’t know anyone believed my bounty hunter story or if they didn’t care, or if they all went back inside to call the cops, but no one came out to do anything in response me choking out their apartment manager.  Once he was out I went into the apartment and saw Rose Red’s sister slumped over on the couch.  She was ice cold to the touch.  When I summoned the energy for a heal spell I could tell that she was dead. 

I used a spool of wire to bind the manager as best I could.  He started coming around during the process which did not help.  Even with my strength spell it was tough to drag him down the stairs once he was trussed up.  Even more people csme out of their apartments to see what the hell was going on.  This guy must not be very popular because no one did anything to stop me, no one even said “hey, what are you doing?” They just watched.

Rose Red had the car waiting.  She jumped out and helped me heave him into the trunk.  I didn’t have time to break it to her softly.  I wouldn’t have known how even if I did.   I told her that her sister was dead and she needed to take me back to my car and then come back here and call the cops.  I asked her to tell them that she had come over to check on her sister and not to mention me. 

She did so without any fuss.  I don’t know if that’s because she was in shock or because of wrestler code or if she’s just the kind of person who’s not fazed by little things like sibling death and kidnapping.  She helped me toss the manager from her trunk to mine and I tied him down as best I could.   

I started driving “home” to Abilene just to have a direction to go.  I was barely outside of town when I had to pull over and throw up.  I was still clutching the skull in my hand.  I could feel radiating waves nauseous sensation coming from it.  I wanted to toss it in the glove box but I had an irrational fear that it would be gone when I opened it back up again.  Or maybe it isn’t irrational since we’re talking about magic.   

I stuck it in my pocket.  As long as I’m not looking at it or touching it with my skin the sensation isn’t so bad.  My stomach heaved like that time I bought burritos out of someone’s van.   

My plan was to pull over somewhere secluded to talk to my new friend.  But as I drove I realized that even the road from Lubbock to Abilene isn’t that secluded.  Deserted?  Absolutely.  But that’s different from secluded.  Serial killers must scout locations ahead of time.  I didn’t see anywhere I felt confident in unloading my victim.   

After about an hour I decided to take him back to the house.   It’s out in the country with no neighbors and Martynova is always gone on Tuesday nights.  I don’t know what she does but she never comes back until after noon on Wednesday.  There was a lot of kicking and yelling from my friend in the back but I put in my earbuds and turned up my music.   

I expected him to come out swinging so I just opened the back enough to toss in a blinding flash.  I had my strength spell going to club him a couple times and settle him down.  As I dragged him towards the front steps I saw the tiny orange flare of Martynova‘s cigarette.  She was sitting on the porch. 

“You have hot date tonight Grace?”