“I’ll go to the pharmacy,” I offered. “I could use some more fresh, non-musty air anyway.”
It was crazy how quiet Serenity Harbor was even at two in the afternoon. There was no real hustle or bustle of people going to lunch, and honestly it was almost too quiet for comfort. That was definitely not helping the strange feel of the town. I’d never seen anything quite like it. It’s almost like Serenity Harbor was a town forgotten in time, stuck in the aftermath of wreckages and never quite able to keep up with the ‘outside’ world.
The bell over the door chimed as I pushed the door open. An older woman sat behind the counter, standing when she saw me walk in.
“Can I help you?” she asked in a confused voice. I swear these locals had no concept of anyone visiting or being out of their usual norm.
“Just here for some nausea meds,” I said simply. She jumped into action then, rushing out from behind the counter to show me the section where the stomach medication was kept. Not that I couldn’t have found it on my own, as the space was so small that only one row of shelves was on each side, the entire middle of the shop open. “Thank you.”
“Of course,” she said kindly as she moved back behind the counter. With her gone, the overwhelming scent of floral perfume dissipated and I felt like I could breathe again.
Not sure what Brea would need, I grabbed a few different kinds and a bottle of gatorade before putting it on the counter.
“You’re one of those ghost people aren’t you?” she accused in a complete personality change. The kindness was gone, her eyes now narrowed on me and her voice distrusting. It was a full personality swap and caught me by surprise. We didn’t encounter the rude, occult haters often, but it did happen and I braced myself for how this might play out.
“I guess you could say that. We just record and see what we can find,” I said in an attempt to appease her.
“We only take cash,” she said with a slight sneer, though there was an attempt at professionalism.
“No problem,” I said as I pulled out a twenty and handed it over. She finished the transaction quickly before I held my hand out for the change. But as I reached for it her bony fingers wrapped around it, blocking me.
“You know, I’ve always said that place was cursed by the devil. This whole town is,” she said in a low voice like she didn’t want the devil himself to overhear. It made the whole experience even more creepy.
“Then why stay?” I asked out of genuine curiosity. She let out a sigh that came from her soul.
“My family has always been here and this is where my Daniel is buried,” she said. “But you should get out before the demons find you too. This town is full of death and darkness.”
“I’ve noticed. But we’re safe,” I reassured her. Somehow her lips thinned out even more, her entire face pinched in frustration before it melted away and that fake kindness was back.
“Well you have a nice day, dear,” she said as she handed over my change and the bag of medicine. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
On that ominous note I rushed out of the pharmacy. Anyone else that got sick was on their own or we’d make the drive to the next town. I wasn’t stepping foot in that place again if I could fucking help it. How was she going to talk about the creepiness in town when she rivaled everything I’ve seen so far?
“Did you have trouble finding it?” Lincoln asked as I approached the inn. I jumped at the sound of his voice, so lost in my own thoughts I hadn’t seen him sitting on the porch swing. “She’s still asleep. Ethan and Ryker are laying with her now.”
“No, and it was tiny so I found it easy. It was the lady working there,” I explained, giving him a quick recap. “This town is nuts.”
Lincoln laughed. “You’re letting a superstitious old lady get to you?”
I groaned. “I know, I know. Amateur move. She was just so fucking strange. One minute hot, then cold, then whispering ominous warnings.” I let out a shudder.
“Come on, let’s get these up to Brea and see if we can get food in her before the hunt or if we need to cancel it,” Lincoln said as he pushed himself off of the porch swing. “Actually,” he paused just in front of me. “What do you think of Sully?”
“In general?” I asked, confused what he meant. “He’s cool. Fits in well.”
“He does,” Lincoln agreed. “I really like him. I’m just kind of worried about our dynamic, you know?” His voice was barely over a whisper. Likely not wanting to hurt the man’s feelings. I understood where he was coming from though. Having him here was fun and different, but I’d miss having it be just our group if this became permanent. Then I felt guilty for even having the thought because he was awesome and his abilities were helping us.
“I don’t think it’s permanent,” I said. “Imagine feeling like the odd man out all the time.”
“True,” Lincoln frowned. “I feel like a dick. We’re friends now, ya know?”
“I get it,” I promised. “We’ve been so used to having Brea to ourselves and knowing each other like brothers. It’s different and I’d miss us if it was a new change. But I hope he does go on more than this hunt… just maybe not every single one.”
“Yeah,” Lincoln said, clapping me on the shoulder. “Glad it’s not just me.”
It wasn’t. I’d had the same thoughts. But it was about to get even crazier when the Polterguys arrived.
* * *