CW: in the description

Chapter 12 -”Friends”

Lee stayed home the rest of the school week, even when classes restarted and the snowplows cleared the roads. Their father had tried to reach out, offered rides to school, shows to watch together, but Lee always gave him a sad smile, excused themself and closed their bedroom door. Alice had come back early in the morning after Lee was with I’Ksha to see Lee crying into their pillow on the top bed. Lee was thankful for Alice not asking what had happened or rubbing it in their face that she was right. She just sat next to them and tried to pat their head, sitting in uncomfortable silence. When the boredom was too much to take she would pop out of the room or try pestering Lee for attention and pout when her living friend didn't give it to her. I’Ksha had texted but Lee couldn't bring themself to read the messages. Any time they came close they would feel their throat choke up and tears seep back threatening to break the dam behind their eyes. If I’Ksha hadn't thought Lee was a freak she would by now. That night was horrifying and Lee had known they could have put her in danger but they did it anyway. They were so careless. They had fucked it all up. So they buried their phone deep into the blankets around their self pity nest on the top bunk and tried to forget that the world outside existed. It was the third day inside, Saturday morning, when Aunt Val knocked on their bedroom door. 

Alice was sitting up on the top bunk benging a Netflix show that Lee had been trying, but failing, to gain interest in, and she didn't look down as Lee descended the ladder, stepping into the hallway. They nodded at their aunt waiting for her to talk. Aunt Val, Valeria, was a tall Hispanic woman with a few gray streaks in her hair that had grown in shortly after her sister’s death. She had the same eyes as her sister, the ones their mother had passed down to Lee. She was wrapped up tightly in a purple sweater and puffy winter jacket and her snow boots were wet from the sludge outside. It was strange for her to be talking to Lee at all, usually she was a distant presence in Lee’s life. She left notes or texted Lee, they never really talked even though she lived in the apartment downstairs. Outside there was a door next to the one for the shop that led to a hallway, up the staircase is where Lee and their father lived and downstairs,just past the stairs, was the entrance to Aunt Val’s apartment. She had been renting it for years from Lee’s father though they were sure that after their mother’s death, Val probably had not been asked to pay.  Even though she lived so close Lee barely ever saw her. Rarely she would stop by for dinner or breakfast but she spoke little and left quickly. The older woman shifted on her feet in the hallway pulling at a loose string on her sweater’s cuff.  

“Are you doing ok?” She asked in a low voice looking away from Lee and they felt a small pain grab at their throat again. Aunt Val rarely spoke to them, they couldn't remember the last time she had looked Lee directly in the eyes. 

“Did Dad ask you to check in on me?” Lee asked, their voice low and gravely. They crossed their arms and leaned back on the door staring at the floor. 

Their aunt swayed on her feet and tugged harder at the stray string. “No… he said he ran into you earlier this week… he was getting boxes out of the attic.”

Lee nodded, “Yeah, I asked if I could go through them. I put them outside my room though.” 

Val looked hard at the floor, her eyebrows furrowing. After a moment she spoke again, quietly, “... Did you leave all of the boxes out?”

Lee took a slow breath. In their gut something tugged, it led back to the book that was hidden in their backpack. They were beginning to get used to the sensation, even able to block it out and ignore it for short times but the thing they were not used to was that it pulled in different directions. Lee knew where the book was, no matter where they were, how well it was hidden or how far, like there was a compass inside of them. It tugged harder and Lee rubbed their stomach. “Yeah, I left them all outside.”

Aunt Val looked at the door to Lee’s room and narrowed her eyes. “We don't have much of your mother left with us.” She said slowly, “ I would appreciate it if you took another look around your room.”

Lee’s gut started pulling harder and harder, it was almost painful at this point. They choked down a wince. “What would I be looking for?”

Aunt Val wrung her hands together and risked a short glance at their sister’s child. Lee matched it. Her eyes looked… hollow. Cold. “Abuela gave her something a long time ago. I just want to know if she kept it. It will have Spanish in it.”

Lee’s jaw tightened. Val knew about the book? Without I’Ksha they had no real access to anyone who knew about things to do with the occult, and the internet was a huge mix of garbled up facts that contradicted each other, closed religions and practices, and things that ultimately just felt useless. If Val knew….

Suddenly Lee bent over gasping and grabbing at their stomach. Whatever it was in there seemed to have rammed itself hard against Lee’s insides and it shot pain through their whole abdomen. Val grabbed Lee by the shoulders trying to get them to stand up but Lee pushed her hand off. Slowly they stood back up. Their aunt’s face didn't look concerned. Instead it was expressionless. Lee wrapped a hand around their stomach and turned to open the door to their room. Val raised her hand and opened her mouth as if she was going to say something but closed it quickly as Lee locked themself back into their room. 

…..