harlow (fairandfoul) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2021-09-22 15:52:00 |
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Entry tags: | #june 2018, harlow, harlow x reid, reid |
Who: Harlow and Reid
When: Around autumn, 2017
Where: Elk Ridge in the Blue Ridge Mountains, NC
Status: Complete
With summer having nearly finished its transition into autumn, the foot traffic through the shop had slowed to a trickle. There were still tourists here and there, mostly older couples who didn’t have to rush home to the beginning of a new school year and pretentious basics who traveled through to watch the foliage change color in their expensive flannels and boots. She knew that her aunt had done well over the past few months so she didn’t feel guilty enjoying the quiet now. There was one customer in The Blue Bear and Harlow occasionally glanced their way, watching them tug t-shirts from the neatly folded stack. They held them up then tossed them onto the pile again before moving on to the next. It annoyed Harlow and ensured the woman wearing the ‘We Rise by Lifting Others!’ t-shirt would experience a rather large nail in her tire during her drive home.
Harlow moved between the various shelves of souvenir items, reaching out to straighten wayward merchandise. She had a book at the front counter, but her mind was too unfocused to concentrate on the written word today. The gift of premonition had been passed down through Harlow’s bloodline for centuries, but Harlow’s “gift” had never fully come to fruition. Instead of seeing the future in vivid color, she simply experienced an out of sorts type of feeling, one that made her want to dig into her skin to halt the restlessness before it drove her mad. It had been plaguing her for days now, causing her to wake in the night and toss and turn, no matter how many of her aunt Sukie’s remedies she tried. Nothing ever worked. Alcohol depressed her and drugs only made it worse.
She found the only thing she could do was wait it out until she understood what her brain had been so desperately trying to show her.
Picking up a tiny snowglobe with a black bear inside, she shook it, watching the faux snow swirl and begin to settle around the tiny animal. The woman in the corner had moved on to the mountain-themed picture frames and Harlow already knew she wasn’t going to buy a damn thing, except for maybe a pack of gum at the counter. Harlow thought about chucking the snowglobe across the store to watch it bounce off the back of the woman’s head, but the sound of the front bell distracted her, even as she curled her fingers tight around the rounded glass. Harlow made no move to make her presence known to the guy, or even greet him. Instead, she watched him from where she stood behind the display shelf. He wasn’t old, nor did he appear to be a basic. No inspirational t-shirts or baseball caps with the confederate flag perched on his head. The deep-seated discomfort grew in her gut, but despite the uncomfortable physical sensation, Harlow was intrigued.
Reid had been sitting in his car for at least an hour, staring at the front of the souvenir shop and questioning himself. Had he truly lost his mind this time? Was it even safe to be there? The building looked innocuous enough, just another small roadside place, all done up to look rustic and mountain-y. He already knew there would be endless t-shirts and keychains inside, overpriced photos of the same beautiful vistas you could take your own pictures of. He’d been in enough of them in this area to know by now. Not because he loved trinkets, but because the people he was looking for owned a souvenir shop. Something in Reid’s gut told him that this was the one ... and suddenly he was afraid to go in.
He’d turned his music up for a little while and rested his forehead against the steering wheel. As always when he wasn’t actively thinking about something else, he thought of Reese. His brother would’ve loved the views here. If they’d been on vacation, he would’ve been the one pulling Reid out of the hotel to go hiking, the one stopping by the side of the road to take selfies with the gorgeous mountains behind him, the one ducking into every gift shop to find something for the dozens of people he’d been close to. Reese had always been good at buying gifts. Reid sucked at it. He sucked at most things ... but not this. He’d found the place. And picturing Reese there with him was what finally got him out of the car.
His heart was beating hard as he stepped inside the shop, unaware that he was already being watched. There weren’t many people there, the tourist season was winding down, and Reid was grateful. Both hands tucked into his front hoodie pocket, clutching his phone, he started to pretend to browse as he tossed glances toward the front counter. Nobody was behind it at the moment, and he needed to talk to whoever owned the place. He was probably a total sucker moron and they would just laugh him out of the store or look at him like he was crazy, but Reid had to try.
He looked sketchy, but in a way that almost amused Harlow. The way he kept glancing around, he was either searching for someone to talk to, or he was making sure no one was there to watch him slip whatever he wanted into that hoodie pocket. They didn't get many shoplifters here and those who got away with it tended to have a run of bad luck for a couple of weeks. Harlow's aunt Sukie was a sucker for a well-placed hex. Karma was a beautiful bitch, after all.
Setting the snowglobe back down on the display shelf, Harlow watched the woman in the store glance at the guy, doing a double take. The hoodie probably scared her. Bad boys wore hoodies and the shop was pretty empty and silent, but for the soft music coming from the ceiling speakers. Picture frames forgotten, the woman moved quickly to the door, like she was seconds away from being mugged, her kitschy straw bag stolen right from her arm. Good riddance, Harlow thought, hoping the nail that drove her off the road was large and did a lot of damage.
Stepping out from behind the shelf, Harlow meandered back to the front counter, her gaze on Reid. "Do you need help finding anything?"
Reid barely noticed the woman leaving, oblivious to what he might look like -- a tall, lanky, disheveled young man with both hands in one pocket of a worn black hoodie that just said “no.” on the front in faded white letters. He probably did look like he was going to try to rob the place, but that was the furthest thing from his mind. The girl caught his attention, however, especially since she was looking at him and closing in on the counter like she belonged there. His stomach gave a nervous twist and he was briefly tempted to just run, bail out on the whole idea and just ... go somewhere. Fuck, maybe drive his car off one of the steep ledges that were everywhere in the mountains. But that didn’t promise him that he would see Reese again and Reid needed that promise before he blinked out.
“Yeah, uh ...” he murmured as he approached the counter too. It didn’t escape his notice that the girl was gorgeous. Too gorgeous for this kind of place. Maybe that was a good sign. It made sense for witches to be pretty, didn’t it? If she was even a witch. Reid wet his lips and glanced around them again to confirm there was nobody else in the store. “Do you, um ... know the owners? Of this place?”
Arching a brow, Harlow stepped up behind the counter and rested her arms on top of it casually. His question and demeanor confirmed to her that he wasn't a tourist looking for a bear-shaped keychain bearing his name - a joke aunt Sukie always loved making to the general public. No, this guy was not a tourist. He was someone looking for something much more interesting. "Well, I work here, so of course I do. But there's only one owner." Harlow smiled and lifted one finger, wiggling it back and forth for a moment. "She's not here right now, though. What are you after, exactly? Maybe I can help."
Reid suddenly wished she wasn’t pretty, that she was some wrinkly old hag instead, so when she laughed at him it would be slightly less humiliating. He couldn’t care too much about that kind of shit though, could he? There was no point. He was more or less a dead man walking anyway, so who gave a shit what anybody thought of him? That was what Reid tried to cling to, at least. He leaned in a bit closer to the counter, his voice dropping lower. “I read that this ... that somebody here might be able to help me with a, uh ... a supernatural kind of ... thing.” Reid stared intently into her eyes, hunting for any bit of sarcasm or mockery. He was still being vague, but he wanted to see if she would take him seriously before he blurted the whole thing out.
As he leaned in, Harlow did as well, like they were sharing some darkly fascinating secret. He was a good looking guy, but the weariness and pain in his eyes made him even more appealing, at least to Harlow. Could she help it if she was drawn to damaged goods? It was clear what he wanted now, that he had a problem and someone, or something, had pointed him towards Sukie, or the coven as a whole. This guy wasn't the first person to walk into Blue Bear with that look in their eye. "That depends on what kind of thing you mean." Harlow's smile softened, mostly to try and put him at ease. "If you're here wanting to go find Sasquatch, you'll want to try the Bigfoot Experience a few doors down. If you've got a personal problem that you need help with... well, that kind of information will cost you."
She didn’t look like she was stringing him along, but Reid wasn’t the best at reading people. Especially beautiful women. Talking to them often made him feel like there was some joke he wasn’t in on, something that was just flying over his head. This girl had a nice smile though. If she was privately amused by him, at least she would probably stop once he told her what he was there for. People usually lost their sense of humor in the face of his grief. It had certainly burned most of the humor out of Reid. “I have money,” he assured her, ignoring the bit about Bigfoot. “I don’t even know if this is possible, but ... I want to know if someone can ... reach my brother. He’s dead.” He always felt a little numb saying it, like it still hadn’t sunk all the way in. It had been two years now without Reese, but Reid still wasn’t used to it. He wasn't sure he ever would be. Missing body parts always came with phantom pain, right? A whole missing twin ...
Harlow's smile faded a bit. She might not be the most empathetic person around, because death didn't seem to affect her the way it affected other people, but grief was something that couldn't be faked, no matter how many assholes tried. And the grief she saw in his eyes was very real. Sukie would have already asked him how much he had in his wallet but Harlow was feeling generous so she straightened and reached over into a jar full of rings beside the register. They were made of cheap metal and plastic jewels, some with glitter. They were usually bought for little girls or people who just needed an extra sixty four cents to push their total past $6.66. "Buy this," she told him, handing him a small ring with the shape of a crescent moon attached. "Then I'll tell you what you want to know."
His brow furrowing, Reid took the little piece of junk between two fingers and looked at it. It didn’t look special in any way, there was a whole jar full of similar ones, but he would do as he was instructed, he supposed. He set it down on the counter and pulled his wallet out of his back pocket. “Okay, uh ... how much?” he asked, pulling out a couple of dollars. It couldn’t be more than that, right? Unless this was going to be the price for her help and she was about to tell him a figure in the thousands. Reid had asked a lot of questions on the forum he’d found this place on, but nobody could give him even an estimate for a price.
Harlow plucked a dollar from Reid's hand and rang up the ring at ninety-nine cents. Taking out a penny, she set it on the counter and slid it across to him to do with as he pleased, though she eyed the leave a penny, take a penny tray beside the register. Picking up the ring he had just purchased, Harlow slipped it over her pinky. "You'll have to leave your car here," she told him as she locked the register and grabbed her sweater and small bag from the shelf beneath it. "It's not too far a drive, but my sisters aren't fond of strangers driving on their property." Slipping her bag over her shoulder, she walked past Reid to lead him to the door. "I'll bring you back when we're finished."
The transaction was confusing, but Reid wasn’t going to question her. He picked up the penny and dropped it into the little tray, then followed the girl toward the door. Maybe it was completely stupid of him to go anywhere with her. She could just take him somewhere remote and kill him and take his stuff, but ... Reid didn’t really care, he supposed. Any sense of self preservation was long gone. And if she led him to the answers he needed, then the risk was more than worth it. “Okay,” he said simply, reaching to hold the door for her as she stepped out. Reid had locked his car, and while part of him wanted to make sure to grab his laptop out of it, it didn’t really matter, did it? Either he would be back for it or he wouldn’t. “Can I ask your name?” he asked, glancing over at her as they crossed the parking lot.
It was rare for Harlow to be the one to bring someone onto the property, but there was something about this guy that intrigued Harlow. She was also very aware that the twisting worms in her stomach had settled down and she felt more calm than she had in the past few days. Maybe it meant something. Maybe this guy meant something. She didn't know yet, but she would find out. Harlow locked up the store behind them and led him to her beat up Chevy at the end of the tiny parking lot. Glancing at him, Harlow smiled again and used her key to unlock the driver's side door before tugging it open with a soft grunt. The automatic locks hadn't worked in years. "Yes, you can ask my name. It's Harlow. What's your name?"
Harlow. That was an interesting name for a girl. It sounded like it should be the name of some old fashioned writer, like Hemingway or something. Not that Reid was going to tell her that. “I’m Reid,” he answered, giving her a small smile over the top of the car. Once Harlow had unlocked the passenger side door too, he climbed in and got settled. He felt like he should be asking her a dozen different questions -- where were they going, what did he have to do, was magic actually real, was the afterlife actually real -- but Reid didn’t really know how to word any of them. He would be getting answers soon, he supposed. “About how long a drive?” he asked instead, looking over at her. The afternoon light was starting to get that gold tinge to it, and he noticed again that she was beautiful.
Reid. That was an interesting name and one that she decided fit his face. They definitely didn't have any Reid keychains hanging in the store. It only took a couple of tries to get the engine started up, but once she did, it ran pretty smoothly. She drove them out of the parking lot and onto the two lane road, rolling down her window to enjoy the brisk air rushing by. His question prompted a faint smirk from Harlow and she glanced at him. "Do you have somewhere to be?" It was possible he thought she might drive him to some remote location and kill him. Robbery was out of the question, though he did say he had money. Maybe he thought this would cost a few thousand. For some witches it would, she supposed. But she wasn't interested in money, so he would at least walk away with his wallet intact. Her tone softened a touch. "How long ago did your brother die?"
The rhetorical question was fair enough, Reid supposed. He didn’t have anywhere else to be, not in the foreseeable future. If this whole thing was just a scam to rob people, Harlow could have every penny in his possession, he didn’t give a shit anymore. He preferred to die how he chose to, but he couldn’t muster up much care for that risk either. This was his last resort, and if these people couldn’t help him talk to Reese, then it just wasn’t possible. “One year, eleven months, and twenty-seven days,” Reid answered, nodding slowly. “It’ll be two years on Friday ... I thought now might be a good time to try, I guess.” He didn’t know if any of that mattered, if this shit even existed, but it had seemed logical to Reid. He studied Harlow’s profile for a moment. “You must think it’s possible or you would’ve told me to fuck off, right?” he murmured. He still felt pretty numb about what was happening, his hopes were never quick to rise, but she was taking him somewhere.
Considering Reid had taken the time and effort to find the Blue Bear for the specific purpose of talking to his deceased brother, Harlow had already assumed they had been close. Reid's breakdown of his brother's exact death date only confirmed it. Harlow's dad had died a few years ago, but she couldn't even remember what day it had been. His grief had lasted for so long that she wondered if he knew she could see the resignation in his eyes. Some people never actively sought out death, but they also didn't care if it found them. Harlow reached into her console for her cigarettes, bringing her pack up to her lips to tug one out gently with her teeth. She didn't answer Reid's question until her cigarette was lit and she had already taken a satisfying drag from it. "Your eyes look way too sad for me to tell you to fuck off, but yeah, I would've tried to find a nicer way to let you down." Harlow looked over at him. "I know some women who can help you reach your brother. It's not going to be like the shit you see in the movies, where someone becomes possessed, or you hear some disembodied voice. But they'll bring him to you. Will that be enough?"
Did his eyes look sad? Reid wasn’t surprised to hear that, though nobody told him that stuff outright. Not that he talked to many people in the first place, especially not in person. Reid had been living like a ghost himself for a long time now, it felt a little strange to be seen. The rest of what Harlow said got his heart beating harder and Reid felt the first stirrings of real hope that this might work. “Yeah, that’s ... I’ll take anything I can get,” he said, a bit of eagerness creeping into his voice. He was aware that he could still be disappointed, this could be like the fake medium lady who’d scammed him in Memphis, but something in him wanted to trust Harlow. Maybe it was how pretty she was, maybe he was just so tired and at the end of his rope, he needed this to be it. Or maybe this was the real deal, finally. “We’re twins,” he added. She probably didn’t care, but Reid still wanted to tell her. “His name’s Reese.”
Harlow turned left at the next stop sign, the road weaving through the mountain. They weren't too far from home now. Hearing that Reid's brother had been a twin seemed to connect all of the missing pieces. Losing a sibling was probably hard, but losing a twin? Harlow assumed that was like missing a part of one's self. She noted that he spoke of Reese in present tense, which meant he had yet to let go and accept his brother's death. Though that much was obvious simply by the fact that Reid had sought out her aunt for help. "The fact that you're twins will probably make it easier to contact him, since you're more intricately tied together." Harlow brought her cigarette back up to her lips. "How many other people have you gone to, trying to reach your brother?"
People had commented on his tenses before, and Reid staunchly ignored it every time. Maybe he was in denial, or maybe Reese would just never stop existing to him. Dead or not, he was still Reid’s twin, still part of him, and his memory was still vibrant as ever in Reid’s mind and heart. Hell, more often than not he saw Reese’s face when he looked in the mirror, instead of his own. And if this showed him that Reese wasn’t truly gone, then he would be proven right. He nodded slightly at what Harlow said -- that was something he’d guessed would probably be true, but he’d brought a few items of Reese’s with him anyway, just in case they needed them. It was stuff he always carried now, but still. “Uh ... five or six,” he answered with a faint chuckle. Reid glanced over at her and gave a wry smile. “I’m a sucker, I guess. But I just ... I know stuff like magic is real, so I just kept trying. You, uh -- well, your place came highly recommended. Are you ...? Sorry if this isn’t the right word, but are you a witch?”
That sounded about right. So many people got screwed over by scam artists or amateurs before they finally came to Harlow's family. She didn't ask who pointed him in their direction because that didn't matter. Maybe after this, Reid would find some peace or whatever it was people needed after the death of a loved one. Closure, maybe. Or he would dive deeper into his grief and never resurface from it again. His question prompted Harlow to laugh because it was both ridiculous and maybe a little sweet in its naivety. "Are you a good witch, or a bad witch," Harlow said, quoting The Wizard of Oz. Smiling, she slowed the car and turned onto a hidden dirt road, one that most people drove straight by without even realizing it was there. It got a bit bumpier, but she knew the road like the back of her hand and could maneuver it without hitting any of the rougher patches. "I am a witch and no, the word is not offensive to me, or anyone like me. My aunt Sukie owns the store and she's a witch too. There are about seven of us living back here. Sukie is the one who will be able to reach out to Reese. They're all going to be staring at you like some kind of specimen to be dissected and studied, but don't be scared of them. They feed off of weakness."
Reid’s cheeks flushed a bit when Harlow laughed, but there was nothing derisive in the sound. She seemed genuinely amused, and he smiled a tiny bit himself at the old movie reference. The Wizard of Oz had been one of his grandmother’s favorites. Maybe that was a good sign about this woman. He realized in a distant way that this was the most he’d said out loud to a woman he found attractive in a long time. It was different online. He tried to focus on the rest of what she said, some nerves coiling in his stomach at the last part. Reid definitely felt like he had a lot of weakness to feed off of. He just also had the armor of not caring what happened to him. They could dissect and eat him instead of helping him ... but at least then he would either be with Reese or he would just stop existing. That eternal nap always sounded appealing these days. “Okay,” he said to Harlow with a little nose huff. “I’ll try not to look like a pus-- ah, a coward.” ‘Pussy’ as a pejorative probably wasn’t welcome in this crowd. Women power and all that. “Are you all related?”
Harlow pursed her lips with amusement when he caught himself before using "pussy" as a form of weakness. He was smart, so that was a good sign. In Harlow's mind, women were stronger than men in every way that counted, and men knew it too. Most of them did, anyway. "We're not all related by blood, but we're all sisters," Harlow explained. "Along with my aunt, my cousin Rayna lives there too. The other women are like-minded witches who've come together over the years and they've become family." Harlow turned again, her car barely managing to slip through a cluster of trees before her house came into view. It was a large, white farmhouse that had been well taken care of over the years. Their closest neighbor was over a mile away, so they had plenty of privacy as well. As she pulled up to park behind her cousin's car, Harlow glanced at Reid. "They'll understand that you're grieving. But some people become frightened when they see what we can do and that's when things can take a turn. We have very little patience for fear. Just trust me and you'll be all right."
He leaned forward a bit to look up at the house as they approached. It definitely looked nicer than he would have expected out in the middle of nowhere, but maybe Reid just didn’t have much experience with places like this. If he was walking into some backwoods cult horror movie scenario, at least he would die somewhere pretty. Reid looked over at Harlow again, studying her quietly for a moment before he nodded. “I trust you,” he murmured. It was probably stupid of him, but he did. He didn’t know what was in store for him inside, but if these women could help him contact Reese, he couldn’t think of anything less frightening than that. His brother had always comforted and reassured him, made him braver than he felt inside. Reid had been deeply yearning for that comfort for two years now, and the thought that he might get to feel that again would keep him committed to this, even if it got scary. Reid opened the car door and moved to climb out.
Harlow got out of the car and put her cigarette out beneath her shoe before leading Reid across the yard to the porch. Since Harlow was supposed to be minding the store, Sukie would understand that this wasn't just a man her niece was bringing home for the hell of it. Pushing open the heavy door, Harlow found the mud room empty but for Rayna's cat, perched on the bench and staring at Reid with an almost bored expression. "She's mean, don't try to pet her," Harlow warned Reid before gesturing for him to follow her. Harlow led him through the kitchen and into the great room. She could hear someone moving around upstairs and knew instinctively it was Sukie. "Sit," Harlow instructed, motioning to one of the chairs that formed a circle around a wooden coffee table. "I'll be right back. And, if Rayna shows up and tries to get you naked, just tell her you're with me. That might fend her off."
Reid obediently tucked his hands into his hoodie pocket to avoid any temptation with the cat, then followed Harlow deeper into her house. His nerves were starting to jangle a bit more, now that they had arrived and he was faced with meeting more witches. His eyes roamed everywhere as they walked, taking in the decor and everything on the walls, and he moved to sit down where Harlow told him to. His brows lifted and his cheeks flushed at the thought of anyone trying to get him naked. Harlow was probably just fucking with him -- Reid hoped so, anyway, he didn’t like the sound of that ‘might’ -- but the very prospect was embarrassing. He hadn’t been naked in front of a woman in several years now, and it wasn’t like he’d been really taking care of his body. Any woman who stripped him down would no doubt be disappointed. “Yeah, uh ... okay,” he mumbled, tucking his hands under his thighs so he wouldn’t fidget too much.
Unfortunately Rayna's libido tended to control her so Harlow couldn't exactly tell Reid she was joking. Regardless of whatever his body might look like beneath his clothes, he was cute. More than that, he was cute and sad and those two things could be kryptonite to some women, her cousin included. Harlow headed upstairs to find Sukie, another cat brushing against her ankle as it hurried down the steps no doubt to go spy on the new visitor. She found Sukie in her room with Marta and the two older women listened as Harlow explained Reid's situation and request.
"Did he pay?" Sukie asked as she stood from her chair. Harlow lifted her pinky to show her aunt the cheap plastic ring Reid had purchased, which seemed to please Sukie enough to agree to help. By the time Harlow returned to the great room where Reid was still waiting, she had four women trailing after her. They wouldn't need to participate but they liked to be around when Sukie summoned the dead. Even if they weren't necessary, they still got to work placing the necessary supplies on the wooden table.
Harlow smiled at Reid and walked over to sit in the chair closest to him. "This is my aunt Sukie," she said, gesturing to the older woman who was studying Reid with an unreadable expression. "And Marta, Jada, Nevaeh and Imani. They're going to watch, just to make sure everything goes smoothly. Do you have any questions before it starts?"
Reid stood up when the women entered the room in a bit of a lurch. He’d had manners instilled in him, and while these women definitely didn’t seem elderly and frail, they were elders, and he sensed that he needed to be respectful here. He nodded to them as Harlow made the brief introductions. “Nice to meet you ladies,” he murmured as he sat down again. “Thank you for your time. Um ...” Reid gave Harlow an uncertain glance as all the questions he’d had blanked out in his mind for a moment. It was hard to think with all those eyes on him, and he fully understood now why Harlow had warned him not to be afraid. He tried to push down that sense of being intimidated and looked steadily at Sukie. “I guess my only question is ... do you need me to do anything?”
He was so polite that Harlow had to pull her bottom lip between her teeth to keep from grinning. It wasn't a humorous situation at all but they weren't really used to having genuinely polite company. Most people who visited the farmhouse forced smiles to try and hide their impatience, fear or disgust in order to get what they so desperately wanted. Sukie began to draw a circle on the table and it was a flurry of activity until the bowl was placed in the center of the circle and the candles organized neatly around it. Harlow watched her aunt light the candles with a wave of her hand and she straightened, aware that her own energy could affect the spell so she needed to focus.
"I only need one thing from you," Sukie said finally, lifting her athamé from the table. It had a black handle and had been in Harlow's family for generations. It was still as sharp as the day it had been created and Harlow's gaze ticked to Reid.
"Blood," she clarified. "It's easier to take it from the inside of your arm so you'll have to take off your hoodie."
Watching the candles spring to life just with a wave of a hand sent a little thrill through Reid. Growing up in Point Pleasant, he knew that magic was possible, unexplainable things happened all the time. This particular one could have just been a parlor trick somehow, but he didn’t believe these women were frauds. There was something special starting to crackle in the air, he could feel it. Then there was the knife and Harlow saying he needed to take his hoodie off. Bright color rose in Reid’s cheeks and he instinctively gripped the arms of the thin jacket. He wasn’t afraid of the pain, or even of bleeding, it was putting his scars on display in front of so many people at once. Especially one he found painfully beautiful. Reid avoided wearing short sleeves in public as much as possible, his hoodie was his security blanket. If he was supposed to not show weakness here ... what greater weakness was there?
He had to surrender to this, though, he knew that. If he had any chance of connecting with Reese again, he had to do what they said, and wasn’t that chance worth any humiliation? Reid licked his dry lips and nodded a little, leaning forward slightly as he reached to pull his hoodie up and off. He had an old worn out t-shirt on underneath, so at least he was technically still dressed, but he felt naked and vulnerable as he exposed his forearms and the deep thick scars that ran up them. There was no mistaking what had caused them, and Reid kept his gaze down as he offered one arm out to Sukie.
Harlow, like the other woman, could sense Reid's apprehension and once his hoodie was off, she could see why he had been reluctant. It wasn't because they were asking for his blood, but because he didn't want them to see the scars on his arms. There was no mistaking how he had gotten them. Harlow didn't see it as a form of weakness and she knew her sisters wouldn't either.
He had tried to end his grief on his own terms and if anyone would have asked Harlow, she would have called it brave. It was his life to do with how he chose, after all. Sukie didn't blink at the scars, but she reached out and put her gnarled fingertip beneath Reid's chin, lifting his face, and his gaze, to hers.
"There's no hiding here," she said simply. "You'll be present for this." Taking hold of his forearm, she sliced the athame just above the inside of his elbow. It was just deep enough to draw a bit of blood onto the blade. That was all Sukie ever needed... at least from humans.
Moving away from Reid, Sukie kneeled in front of the table, placing the blade in the center of the bowl that rested in the circle. Already Harlow could feel the air change and she breathed it in, letting it rush through her veins. Smoke began to rise from the bowl, the flames flickered even higher and Sukie started murmuring. All Harlow had told her was that Reid wanted to contact his deceased twin brother, Reese. That had been all Sukie needed to know and while Harlow wanted to watch her aunt, the headiness of the magic grew heavy and she closed her eyes, tilting her face up to let it wash over her. The other women did the same and they began to whisper along with Sukie, calling upon the dead, reaching into the spirit world. Someday Harlow hoped to be able to do this on her own, but for now, she would be a bystander and learn.
"Say his name," Sukie instructed Reid, her voice firm and sounding distant, like she was speaking from another realm. Harlow instinctively reached out to place her hand on Reid's knee, offering a small semblance of comfort.
There was no arguing with what Sukie said, and Reid kept his eyes up after that, feeling like she’d just reached into his soul and corrected something profound, at least for the moment. For two solid years he’d been hiding, disconnecting, trying to claw his way out of himself, away from the pain. He’d tried the hardest six months after Reese’s death, and now he would carry the scars of that escape attempt for the rest of his life. But he couldn’t hide here, now. Not today.
Reid felt a weird mix of emotions as the ritual really began -- it was exciting and a little scary to watch, and the growing power in the room made all the hairs on Reid’s body stand on end. He couldn’t stop staring at their faces, how they shifted into ecstatic expressions, even Harlow’s. Something was definitely happening, much more than any other time he’d tried this sort of thing. When the command came it startled him a little, and he almost said his own name, like he was the dead twin. Harlow’s hand on his leg gave him a bit more focus, and he instinctively reached to cover it with his own. “Reese,” he said, glad that his voice didn’t shake. “Reese Franklin.”
Sukie's voice shifted into a dead language and Harlow opened her eyes to see her aunt raising her hands, her own eyes open and solid white. This would take a toll on her physically and she would likely be out for several hours, perhaps even a day, but Harlow knew she wouldn't complain about it. They had already received payment and Reid deserved to receive what he came here for.
The chanting reached a fever pitch until suddenly it was quiet. The smoke cleared and the candle flames burning bright dulled. To some, it might appear as though everything had shifted back to normal, that the spell hadn't worked. But Harlow felt the presence in the room and she could tell by the look on her sisters' faces that they felt it too. Harlow had already warned Reid that this wouldn't conjure a ghost, nor would his brother speak to him... not verbally anyway, but she was sure he could feel it as well.
To Harlow, it was the feeling of a stranger walking through the room but Reid would know his twin, his flesh and blood. The scent and essence of Reese surrounded Reid and Harlow carefully pulled her hand from his knee, just to give him space. There were times people were overwhelmed by memories of the loved ones they had Sukie conjure, the feeling that they were close enough to touch, if only they were physical beings. She could never guess what passed between the person who sat in Sukie's chair and the dead that enveloped them. It was a private moment and not one Harlow had ever experienced herself. She had always watched from the outside, like the other witches in her coven. When Reese was ready to depart, he would.
Reid barely felt Harlow’s hand move. At first he couldn’t feel much of anything but awe. Reese was there. Reid felt like if he just turned his head to the side he would see his brother sitting there among them, long legs splayed out, looking fascinated by all of this. His head wouldn’t turn, though, he almost felt paralyzed. Reid closed his eyes instead and just felt him. They’d always been close and in tune, able to reach each other’s emotions better than anyone else. The family joked about their twin telepathy, but Reid and Reese thought of it more as vibes. He felt Reese’s vibe now, as clear as it had ever been, and the love that came through made the dam burst.
He cried for a while, his hands coming up to cover his face more of habit than a real attempt to hide his blubbering. He was overwhelmed with memories of being a kid and turning to his brother when he was upset, always sure that comfort was coming. This moment felt like all the moments right before Reese put his arms around him and made everything okay again. Reid could almost feel the warmth of his body close, and he could smell him like Reese was inches away. It made him want to never open his eyes again, to live right there in that feeling ... but he knew he couldn’t. So he wept. He apologized in his head over and over and he told Reese how much he loved and missed him, and he knew his brother understood, even if he couldn’t quite hear. Twin telepathy.
Reese lingered for a few more minutes after Reid’s tears stopped flowing, as memories of dozens and dozens of hugs flashed through his mind, random times and settings, but all of them carrying that sense of wholeness. As the vibe of his twin started to fade, Reid bit his tongue on begging for more time. This was already more than he’d ever thought he could get, and while he never wanted it to end ... Reese deserved to be free, in whatever form he existed now. He did still exist, Reid knew that now and that had to be enough. He slumped forward when it was over, elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, and groaned a soft ‘ohmygod.’
Harlow and the others remained silent as Reid reconnected with his brother. Sukie was still, her white eyes still open and staring into the distance. She wasn't possessed but still acted as a conduit in some form, keeping Reese on this plane until the spirit was ready to go back. Harlow watched Reid weep but kept her hands to herself. There was an inkling in her gut to reach for him, take his hand or offer some comfort. It was a foreign sensation to Harlow as she was rarely one to show much empathy. But the mere fact that she felt some of Reid's pain was enough for Harlow to be convinced that he had been the person that had triggered the deep-seated intuition she had experienced over the past few days. All of the physical discomfort that came with it had faded since Reid walked into her aunt's store.
Sukie's eyes began to clear again and the heaviness in the room dissipated with Reese's departure. The witches closed their eyes, lowered their heads and murmured the enchantment to close the spiritual door, ensuring nothing unwelcome found its way through. And then it was over and Sukie blew out the candles for cleansing to begin. Harlow let the others deal with it, focused now on Reid. She slipped from her seat onto her knees in front of Reid, her hand sliding over the top of his head before gently pressing her fingers into the nape of his neck.
Reid barely heard or cared what they were doing next. Having Reese there again after so long, and then feeling him leave was painful, but the sense of broken isolation that settled back in felt less intense than it usually was. Yes, Reese was gone, but he’d left a lot of love behind, something he hadn’t been capable of doing when he’d died. The cancer had moved so fucking fast, and then any chance for final goodbyes had been taken from them with the damned ritual that finished him off. Reid’s eyes were still closed when Harlow moved in front of him and her touch startled him a little, but he welcomed it. Not a lot of people touched him anymore, like his depression was somehow contagious. Tears leaking again from between his lashes, he reached to embrace her, feeling like he needed to hug someone. “Thank you,” he murmured rustily. It was meant for all the women in the room, but he didn’t have the energy to speak up just yet.
She let him hug her, her hand still pressed against the nape of his neck. His skin was hot from the emotion coursing through his body and for a split second, Harlow wondered what it was like to love someone that much. She heard his thanks but didn't feel it was necessary to tell him 'you're welcome'. He had sought them out and made a payment. This wasn't something Harlow or the others had done out of the kindness of their hearts. But given how many times he had been scammed searching for someone to reach his brother, Harlow was pleased that they could do it for him. "Let's go get some fresh air," she told him, pulling back from his embrace to get to her feet. She took his hand in the process. The others would cleanse the room and she and Reid could take a short walk so he could get his head on straight again and perhaps grieve a bit more without an audience.
Fresh air sounded good, but Reid was concerned for a second that his legs wouldn’t hold him when he tried to stand. They did though, and he let Harlow lead him wherever she wanted, his crumpled hoodie clutched in his free hand. Her fingers were slim and cool and soothing somehow, and Reid dimly tried to remember the last time he’d held hands with a woman. Not that there was anything romantic in the touch, he was sure he looked like a complete wreck of a person -- he was, to be fair. He knew no one would find that attractive. It was probably Harlow’s job to get the blubbery clients out of the way when it was time. Reid took a deep breath when they walked outside and wiped at his face with his hoodie. “That was ... fucking amazing,” he said and let out a quiet little laugh. “Just incredible.”
Harlow breathed in the fresh air herself, always content when she was in her element. The leaves were changing color and the weather was brisk, but comfortable. Releasing Reid's hand, Harlow folded her arms beneath her breasts, smiling over at him. "I'm sorry it didn't last any longer. We can pull them to us but we can't make them stay. It probably doesn't erase your grief, but hopefully it alleviates it a little." He certainly looked happier than he had when he first walked into the Blue Bear. Of course, that could be temporary, once the adrenaline of what just happened began to fade. Sometimes being exposed to the essence of a loved one only served to make them lose themselves even further.
It was difficult to sort out exactly what Reid was feeling -- everything inside of him was a big jumble of grief and joy and relief and longing and amazement and everything all at once. Part of him wondered why Reese’s spirit didn’t linger for longer than it did, but it was impossible to think that it was a lack of love on his twin’s part. Reid felt that come through loud and clear. His brother loved and missed and wanted to comfort him, and while it didn’t feel like complete closure, it definitely felt like it helped. For now, at least. Since Harlow released his hand, he automatically moved to slip his arms back into his hoodie, though he didn’t pull it all the way on yet. It was just an ingrained habit to cover up his scars. “It has, I think,” he said quietly, his tone still a little awed by it all. Reid gazed out over the trees that surrounded the property for a moment, then looked at Harlow again. “So, how much do I owe you?” he asked. She was probably ready for him to be on his way soon, and he wanted to settle up.
Harlow's gaze dropped briefly to the way Reid slipped his arms into his hoodie. She fought the urge to take the hoodie from him, since she didn't think he had anything to be ashamed of. Though Harlow supposed it could have been a sense of vulnerability on his part more than shame. While there was always the desire to scoot paying customers out the door once they got what they paid for, Harlow found herself stalling with Reid. She wanted him to stick around for a bit so she could try to figure out what it was about him that might have triggered her weak premonition. Reid's question prompted Harlow to raise a brow and she smiled at him. "You already paid me, remember?" She held up her hand so he could see the cheap moon ring on her finger. Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Do you need a receipt?"
Reid’s thick brows raised and a puzzled little smile crossed his face as he looked at the plastic ring. He hadn’t known why he was paying for it at the time, but he’d been too preoccupied to question it, and the idea that he’d paid one dollar for the incredible experience he’d just had seemed crazy. Harlow looked like she might be teasing him too, so he didn’t want to just say ‘okay’ like a dumbass and be wrong. “What, that’s ... that’s it?” he asked with a soft laugh. “Just a dollar, for all that?” Reid glanced behind them like aunt Sukie might be waiting there with her hand out, but they were still alone outside. There had to be a catch.
There was always a catch when it came to magic but that wasn't anything he needed to worry himself with. To him, it was just a dollar, but now Harlow carried a piece of Reid with her and the ring wasn't as cheap as it appeared to be. "That's it," Harlow assured him with a laugh of her own. "Look, we do very well for ourselves out here. My aunt's store does well and my sisters all have jobs of their own that they love and profit from. What kind of people would we be if we took advantage of someone else's grief or desperation? Money is lovely, sure, but you can't take it with you, right? What you put out in the world... that's what follows you in the end." Harlow breathed in through her nose and closed her eyes with a contented smile. Then she looked over at Reid again and held out her hand, offering him to take it. "Come with me. I'm sure you've seen plenty of mountains driving through here but I want to show you something."
Reid had expected to owe hundreds if not thousands of dollars. He had it, at least enough to cover some down payment before he could get the rest, so it was a bit baffling to hear that they didn’t want more money from him. What Harlow said made beautiful sense, but if that was the case he wasn’t sure how this place wasn’t overrun by mourners all the time. Maybe not everyone passed the ‘buy the cheap ring’ test. Reid studied her lovely face while she had her eyes closed, idly wondering about what kind of otherworldly life she had here, how being surrounded with love and support all the time affected a person. Harlow certainly looked content and at peace. He missed those feelings. He blinked down at her hand, then hurried to pull his hoodie all the way on before he accepted and curled his fingers around hers. “Okay, sure,” he murmured. It wasn’t like he had anywhere else to be.
Harlow gripped his hand and led him towards one of the paths that cut through the woods near the back of the house. She was glad he didn't push her on payment and seemed willing to go with her. Harlow had a feeling he was aimless in the world and while he might have a family out there, he was probably cut off from them at the moment, too busy trying to find someone to help him reach his dead brother. His hand was warm in hers and she didn't let him go just yet. "What was Reese like?" Harlow asked, once they had reached the woods and left the farmhouse behind.
He was certainly aimless, and maybe even more now that he’d gotten what he’d been looking for. Reid hadn’t seen his parents in months, though he called his mother every other day just to check in -- he wasn’t cruel; she’d already lost one son, and nearly lost the other. They had a lot of their own grief to work on, and he couldn’t blame them for sending him away after his suicide attempt. Some things were just too much. Holding Harlow’s hand was still as pleasant as it had been the first time, and Reid tried to enjoy it for the simple human thing that it was. He hummed a faint sound at her question and gave it some thought. “He was a lot of fun,” he said, half-smiling as he glanced around while they walked. “Everybody liked him, he was really funny and a goofball. Generous. Athletic, he loved to go hiking. He played guitar. He was moody sometimes, like anybody, but mostly he was just ... good. He was definitely the good one.” Reid murmured the last words and squinted up at the sun shining through the leaves overhead.
Harlow glanced at Reid every now and then as he spoke of his brother. She wondered how much of the description of his brother was colored by his death. The deceased tended to be remembered for all the good they did in life, while their flaws were deliberately ignored. Like death was somehow the doorway into sainthood. But Harlow wasn't so cold hearted to point that out to Reid right now. "He was the good one," Harlow repeated, glancing over at Reid again. "So does that make you the bad one? Were you two that different?"
Reid had known his brother better than anyone else on the planet, and he remembered very well how they bickered sometimes and Reese’s optimism could be grating. His brother had bad habits and flaws just like anyone else. The good stuff just stuck out in his memory now. Even the mundane stuff that wasn’t good or bad, it just was ... Reid missed all of him. He gave a faint chuckle, looking over and meeting her eyes briefly. “Maybe not bad, just ... disappointing, I guess,” he said. “We were a lot alike, but different in some fundamental ways. He was much better with people.” Reid had never quite gotten the hang of being personable, even before Reese’s death had wrecked him.
Harlow hummed softly in her throat, because she could understand what he was saying. Not only was he still grieving his brother, but she was sure he was suffering from survivor's guilt as well. Maybe wondering why he had been the one to live when his brother was the good one. But Harlow was no psychiatrist and she wasn't there to teach him to let go. That was something he would have to learn on his own. "I feel that way about my cousin. She can walk into a room full of strangers and walk back out with a dozen new best friends. Me? Not so much. I'm just not interested in most people, I guess."
Harlow was more right than she knew. Reid wondered why it had been Reese with brain cancer and not him over and over. There was no good answer to it. There weren’t good answers to most of the existential things he tortured himself with, really. That was why it worked so well. “Most people are boring and not worth knowing,” Reid muttered, then flushed a little. “Present company excluded, of course.” He didn’t want to sound too cynical and gross to this beautiful girl he would love to get to know, if things were different. “But yeah, that was exactly how Reese was. Never met a stranger. He’s the one who introduced me to most of my friends.” It was such a different way to be than his introverted homebody self, Reid had been envious of his comfort with people for a lot of his life.
"It's hard to imagine a witch being boring," Harlow said with a soft chuckle. She wasn't boring, she knew that much. But she tended to find vanilla humans to be dull and colorless. Occasionally someone came along who piqued her interest, for whatever reason, but it rarely lasted. Reid was very clearly floundering in life so it didn't seem important to ask if he was still in touch with his friends. Harlow was betting that he wasn't. "I'm definitely worth knowing though," she added, arching a dark brow as she glanced at him. "I'm just very particular about who gets to." There was a fork in the path ahead and Harlow led him to the left as several squirrels went racing across the ground in front of them. "What's your plan after this? Are you going to go home?"
Reid was just walking mindlessly along with her, enchanted enough to be led anywhere she wanted to take him. He had no doubt that Harlow was worth knowing, and he wished he had a chance to do so. “I don’t blame you,” Reid murmured with a soft chuckle. Of course she was particular, any woman like her was entitled to be particular. It was too bad he would never qualify. “Uh ... well, I’m not sure yet. I just planned to ... drive around some more, I guess. I don’t really have anywhere that feels like home anymore, so ...” Reid shrugged. If this hadn’t worked, he’d actually planned to kill himself on the anniversary of his brother’s death, and do it right this time. But now, with that lingering sense of love from Reese ... he didn’t know. Reid had a brief fantasy of just staying here, doing odd jobs for the elder ladies of the house, keeping up the grounds, just vibing in the last place he’d felt momentarily whole.
It wasn't a surprising answer, since Harlow had already determined Reid was more or less stuck in limbo. Reconnecting with his deceased brother had been the driving force in his life, it had been what was keeping him alive. Now that he had succeeded... what was next? Harlow wondered if that lack of home would be what ultimately doomed Reid. If he felt alone, if he felt like he couldn't go home to his family, if he felt lost without his brother, despite what had happened today, what would happen to him? Harlow had seen the scars on his arms. Maybe the next time, he wouldn't fail in his goal. With her premonition ability being so weak, Harlow could only speculate but she felt convinced that she had been waiting for Reid to walk through the door of her aunt's shop. Maybe she was meant to save him.
Silent as she sorted through her thoughts, Harlow led Reid through the trail until they came to a clearing. The trail itself curved to the left but straight ahead it dropped off steeply into a thicket of trees. The tops were changing color already and Harlow and Reid could see the mountains in the distance. The view was something that Harlow never grew tired of, probably because of its beauty and the fresh mountain air that filled her lungs and made her feel alive. It was such a private place for Harlow, hidden from tourists and passerbys. But it was a place that helped her think and she hoped it would help Reid too.
"What do you think Reese would tell you to do?" Harlow asked finally, breaking the silence.
As the trees cleared and they stepped up to the spot, Reid took a deep breath himself. It was a gorgeous view. He’d always liked the mountains, there was something magical about seeing so much nature untouched by man, at least for the most part. It was the kind of place he thought he wouldn’t mind dying in, and that ledge in front of them might have been tempting if he was alone. But he wasn’t, Harlow still had a hold on his hand, and he was still riding on a sense of peace from being connected to Reese again. Harlow’s question drew his attention away from the beautiful tree tops and the faded blue mountains in the distance. Reid arched a brow, then let out a soft laugh. “My first thought was he would tell me to try and get your number,” he answered, amused. “I said he was fun, not necessarily super deep. With my life, though ... I think he’d just tell me to do what makes me the happiest. I just dunno what that is anymore.” Reid eyed her for a beat. “What makes you happy?”
Harlow couldn't help the smile that spread across her face when he mentioned getting her number. Even if it was just a line, it was a good one and she was glad to see some sparkle of amusement in his eyes. They seemed brighter now than they had when he first walked into her aunt's shop. Less defeated, though she was aware that his entire life hadn't changed for the better just because he had been able to connect with his brother again. That would take time. His question prompted Harlow to tilt her head thoughtfully, her gaze scanning the mountaintops again. "At the risk of sounding like I'm spouting some New Age-y bullshit... living the way I want to live makes me happy. My magic makes me happy. Living here makes me happy. It's not always a goal in life, or some ambition. Sometimes it's the small things that add up. If driving around until you find your happiness is what you need to do, then I would tell you to do it." Harlow arched a dark brow, looking pointedly at Reid now. "But maybe you've already found something to get you back on track."
It was nice to make a beautiful woman smile like that. Reid felt like he hadn’t done that in a long time. Reese had always been trying to play his wingman and get him laid, surely hoping it would help Reid’s social anxiety and depression, however misguided that was. Reid hadn’t been completely mentally healthy when his brother had died, after all, the loss had only made things worse in his brain. “That doesn’t sound like bullshit at all,” he murmured, still gazing over at Harlow. It all sounded like perfectly valid reasons to be happy, to him. Harlow lived in a beautiful setting, surrounded by people who presumably loved her, doing what she wanted to do ... it sounded idyllic to Reid. The last thing she said gave him a weird sense of yearning in his chest, and he again wondered if they needed any help around this place. “Do you -- ... are you sure I can’t like ... do anything? For you and your aunt and the other ladies? As payment? Clean gutters or pull weeds or ... anything?” His words were slow and hesitant, but he meant them.
Licking her lips, Harlow understood why Reid was offering to help around the property as "payment". It was much more than that for him. He had found a piece of Reese here and so this was the first spark of happiness he had felt since Reese's death. Of course he wouldn't want to leave right away. She could have pointed out that they didn't really need that kind of help being witches and all, but Harlow didn't want to. She wanted him to stay as much as he did. It should have surprised her, but it didn't. Sometimes things were what they were and she had to follow her instincts. "I'm sure we could find something for you to do," Harlow said finally. "If you're sure that's what you want. My family here can be a bit difficult sometimes. They might take a bit of pleasure in overworking you."
Reid wasn’t quite sure what his motivations were yet, just that there was a desire inside of him to stay here. It was so isolated and beautiful, like it was its own little world, a different pocket of reality, and that was appealing. Reid didn’t want to be in the world he’d been living in for two years, and this place had given him something special. He wanted to give back. What else was there for him to do? As Harlow started to agree, Reid’s heart picked up speed and his expression got more eager. “Really? I’m not in like, the best shape, so I might be slow but I’ll do whatever I can, and I’ll -- I’ll sleep in the barn or my car or wherever you all want me and I won’t be any trouble, I promise,” he said, a little rushed. “I don’t even eat that much, and I can contribute for groceries and everything.”
"Reid," Harlow said, smiling at him, "we're not going to make you sleep in a barn, or your car. We have plenty of space. Nobody cares what kind of shape you're in either. Let me talk to my aunt and we'll get something worked out. I think the only thing anyone here is going to ask of you is to respect their privacy. No snooping. No talking about this place if you're in town. Whatever they ask you to do, you do." She shrugged and tightened her grip on his hand a bit. "Magic can be terrifying sometimes, and it can be dangerous. If you can respect that and stay out of the way, then you can stay here until you feel ready to move on." Maybe he would understand and follow the rules and maybe he would step out of line and do something stupid. Harlow sincerely hoped it wasn't the latter, otherwise there was very little chance he left Elk Ridge alive.
He hadn’t been sure what the bedroom situation was in the house, there had been quite a few women there already, and he was very aware that they might not be comfortable with a white man in their space. Reid listened carefully to what Harlow said and nodded along. He hoped that she actually had the authority to make this offer to him, and that aunt Sukie wouldn’t veto it and send him packing, but Reid wasn’t going to suggest that possibility out loud. He was the clueless one here. “I completely understand, I’m awesome at staying out of the way,” he said with a tiny smile. “And minding my own business. And not talking to anyone, so ...” Reid huffed a bit and smiled wider. “You’ll barely know I’m here, I promise. And ... and thank you, I know it’s a lot to ask.” He gave her hand a tentative squeeze in return.
"Well, I'd like to know you're here," Harlow countered simply. "That's part of why I'm offering. I can't speak for my sisters, obviously, but if you start helping around the property, they'll probably want you here too. We all have pretty good intuition about people and I have a good feeling about you." Her sisters wouldn't protest if Harlow felt like she needed Reid here. Even if she didn't have a concrete reason for it yet, she wouldn't go against her gut. And Reid certainly wouldn't be the first guest they ever had at the farmhouse. She turned toward him, still holding his hand. "There's one thing I'm going to ask of you though. If you start to feel like you want to end things, you'll come talk to me first, okay?"