Rather than tell Chris of what he had found in the dark basement of the library, JC kept it to himself. He wanted to talk to Mrs. Dafoe first, whom he was so sure he�d be getting a visit from very soon. He just felt it. A feeling deep inside of him that he couldn�t quite explain, nor did he want to.
Instead he went to the toy store and picked Justin up a few more jigsaw puzzles, still confused as to his sudden infatuation with them.
When they returned home, Chris ducked his head and walked towards the lake, an air of despair about him. JC sighed and stared after him. He wanted to tell Chris what he had found but he decided to wait until the next day. Giving Chris some time alone would be best since he knew the wrath of Chris� temper when he had gotten into these moods. It was best to leave him alone to brood.
~*~
Justin hummed along to the radio, bopping his head back and forth as he stirred the batter. Earlier that day he had gotten a craving for chocolate cake and was relieved to find a box of quick mix in the cupboard. He stirred the batter one last time before turning around. He jumped when he nearly ran into Lance.
�Shit!,� he shouted, nearly dropping the bowl. �You scared the shit out of me, yo. You shouldn�t sneak up on people like that.� Lance�s cat like eyes bore into him as if he was staring straight through him. �Lance, you okay?�
Lance blinked his eyes and shook his head. �Yeah, fine.�
Justin shook his head, laughing. �If you say so, man. What have you been up to?�
�Not much. Just hanging around the house, out on the dock, enjoying the quietness. You?�
�Same as you,� replied Justin as he poured the batter into the baking pan. �I have to admit, I thought Chris was crazy for wanting to come out here but I�m really enjoying myself.
�Yeah, me too,� he answered, sounding distant.
Lance hopped up onto the counter and began swinging his feet back and forth; his foot making a thud thud thud sound every time his heel came in contact with the cupboard. Lance stared after Justin, watching his actions closely as if he were his prey. When Justin resumed humming, his eyes narrowed and he scowled.
�Turn the music off, Justin,� growled Lance.
Justin closed the oven door and flung the dishtowel over his shoulder. �What? No.�
Lance hopped down off the counter and took a step forward, glaring at Justin. �I said turn the music off.�
�I�m not deaf, I heard what you said and I told you I ain�t turning it off,� answered Justin defiantly.
Lance strode over to Justin and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, curling his fists into the material. He pulled Justin till his face was inches from his own and said between clenched teeth, �I said turn the music off. It�s secular and I wont have that kind of blasphemy in my house, boy.�
�It�s not your house, Lance, and I�m not your boy,� replied Justin intrepidly. Lance�s grip tightened and he whimpered, �Ow, that hurts. Lemme go.�
Lance�s eyes flashed and he shook Justin slightly. �Defiance of your elders is a sin and you�re a dirty little sinner. You shouldn�t be listening to this vile music.�
Lance pushed Justin and he landed on the floor with a loud thud. Justin scrambled to get up as Lance closed in on him, muttering about sinning and God�s punishment. Justin scooted backwards until his back hit the lower cupboards, trapping him. Lance walked closer and raised his fist back in an attempt to strike him.
�What the fuck are you doing, Lance?� shouted JC. He dropped his bag and ran over, pulling Lance back before he could swing. Justin was curled up into as tiny a ball as his coltish frame would allow, his arms protecting his head. �Justin, are you ok? Did he hit you?�
Justin slowly lowered his arms and looked slowly between JC and Lance before whispering, �No.�
�What happened?�
�N�nothing. I didn�t do anything, JC, I swear!�
�I believe you,� comforted JC soothingly. �Tell me what happened.�
�I was just making a cake and he came in here and he was fine for awhile,� Justin started, tears falling of their own volition. �We started talking and everything was fine��
�Woah, slow down, Justin,� interrupted JC, holding his hand out to silence him.
Justin nodded and knuckled the tears away. He hiccupped and took a deep breath before starting again. �We were fine, just talking about how we were enjoying ourselves and then he just snapped!�
JC turned around and looked at Lance, who was now just standing there, staring off into space, totally oblivious to his surroundings. JC frowned and turned back to Justin. �Keep going.�
�He grabbed me and shook me and told me I was a dirty sinner and then he pushed me! He kept muttering about how I was a sinner and God didn�t like sinners and I was gonna go to hell!� cried out, Justin. JC looked intently at Justin, fully aware that he had now taken on the air of a child again. Justin flung himself onto JC, sobbing fully now. �He almost hit me, I didn�t do anything and he was gonna hit me!�
JC rubbed his hands soothingly along Justin�s back. �Shh, it�s okay. He wont hurt you. I promise.�
As Justin�s sobs subsided and he pulled away, JC turned and looked at Lance. He knew yelling at him wouldn�t help. Lance couldn�t hear him now. No amount of yelling would get through to him. All he could do was pray and hope that Mrs. Dafoe would come to him in his dreams that night so he could get some answers.
~*That night*~
JC was in bed, snuggled deep under the covers, wide awake, waiting for sleep to come to him. He knew it wasn�t coming because he was too�excited wasn�t the word he was looking for. No, he wasn�t excited he was anxious and worried. Worried for his friends and worried for himself and anxious to get some answers. He wondered when the house would finally take hold and change him.
Finally after what seemed like hours he drifted off. His eyes became heavy and slid close and his limbs relaxed. His vision blurred till he was sitting in an old rocking chair in front of a roaring fire downstairs in the house. He folded his hands in his lap and waited patiently, knowing the Mrs. Dafoe would show up sooner or later.
Not minutes later she walked into the room with a tray that held the materials for afternoon tea. JC half grinned at the normality of the situation. Here he was about to have tea with what most people would see as a figment of his imagination while his friends� lives may very well be at stake. Without a word she made them both a cup of tea. When she handed him one he took it with a nod and watched her sit down in the chair across from his.
Mrs. Dafoe, who was now dressed in an everyday outfit instead of her previous white dress, took a sip of her tea before looking at JC. �You know who I am.�
It was more of a statement rather than a question. It was as if she knew what was going through JC�s mind. He swallowed and set his cup down, nodding. �I do.�
�Then you know why I say you have to take your friends and go. Now.�
�I should leave but I wont. I�m not leaving until I find out what�s wrong,� he answered firmly, determination set in his sculptured features.
Mrs. Dafoe sighed, defeated. �What are you trying to prove, Josh?�
JC leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, hands rubbing together to warm themselves. �Honestly I have nothing to prove. I just want�I don�t know what I want.�
�That can be a very dangerous thing in this house, Josh,� she commented softly. She lifted her head and looked around, a look of sadness filling her eyes. �This house can make you feel and see things that aren�t there. They can distort your view of life, Josh. If you aren�t careful of what you want then you wont know if when you want something if it truly comes from inside of you or from this house.�
JC looked up and stared for a minute before saying, �I want to help. I want to help my friends and I want to help you.�
Mrs. Dafoe leaned over and patted JC�s hands. �I�m beyond help now, Josh. I�m not the one who needs it, your friends do, and you only have so much time till��
His head snapped up when she didn�t finish. �Till what?�
Suddenly lightening cracked, lighting up the whole room. Thunder rolled and the small knick knacks on the fireplace shook. She looked at him sadly and whispered, �Till I no longer can help you.�