The cop raised his eyebrows. "Normally I'd agree with you." He pulled out a thick white pad and tucked his flashlight under his arm. Verona recognized the yellow carbon copy slips under the white forms and groaned inwardly. "The teenagers that are gone," he began, furiously scribbling on the pad, "they're missing at least 5 quarts of blood between them. And were too busy to take their iPods, their money..." he said, looking sternly at Verona, "or their clothing." Reading the name on the citation, he said, "Miss Verona Vandeveer?"
"Yes?" she answered, confused and suspicious. The silence was long as she wondered whether this man wasn't a police officer after all and whether he was a clairvoyant who had tracked her magical energy through the forest to find her. She held her breath.
"Your white Honda Prius is also parked illegally." When he glanced at Verona she rolled her eyes. She had parked on the shoulder to avoid being caught on the trail after dark. He handed a violation to Verona.
"Give me a break. Tresspassing?" she said, glancing at the violation code. "So, how do you know they're not wearing clothing? Was the blood found at the scene of their disappearance?"
"I can't discuss the details of the case," he said mechanically. "And consider yourself lucky I'm not writing you up for attempted arson." He gestured toward the candles.
"Thank you, officer," she said, not sounding very thankful. Verona packed up her ritual tools hurriedly, before the cop decided to change his mind about writing her additional tickets. She spent a moment to carefully wrap her freshly blessed wine in a velvet cloth and tucked it gently into her bag. Just as she pinched out the rest of her candles, she heard the winds making sounds again, a high pitched laughter mocking her.
"Yeah. Great. Thanks, Bacchus."
--
As Verona battled the overgrown fern plants outside her apartment, she dug into her bag for her keys. Her fingers found her incense burner, candlestick holders, and a metal pentacle that kind of felt like keys before she successfully laid her hands on the faded bottle opener keychain that a roommate had given her in college. Just as she thought she was turning the key in the lock, a demonic shriek rose up around her making her clutch her keys defensively and turn towards her attacker.
"Do
"Yes?" she answered, confused and suspicious. The silence was long as she wondered whether this man wasn't a police officer after all and whether he was a clairvoyant who had tracked her magical energy through the forest to find her. She held her breath.
"Your white Honda Prius is also parked illegally." When he glanced at Verona she rolled her eyes. She had parked on the shoulder to avoid being caught on the trail after dark. He handed a violation to Verona.
"Give me a break. Tresspassing?" she said, glancing at the violation code. "So, how do you know they're not wearing clothing? Was the blood found at the scene of their disappearance?"
"I can't discuss the details of the case," he said mechanically. "And consider yourself lucky I'm not writing you up for attempted arson." He gestured toward the candles.
"Thank you, officer," she said, not sounding very thankful. Verona packed up her ritual tools hurriedly, before the cop decided to change his mind about writing her additional tickets. She spent a moment to carefully wrap her freshly blessed wine in a velvet cloth and tucked it gently into her bag. Just as she pinched out the rest of her candles, she heard the winds making sounds again, a high pitched laughter mocking her.
"Yeah. Great. Thanks, Bacchus."
--
As Verona battled the overgrown fern plants outside her apartment, she dug into her bag for her keys. Her fingers found her incense burner, candlestick holders, and a metal pentacle that kind of felt like keys before she successfully laid her hands on the faded bottle opener keychain that a roommate had given her in college. Just as she thought she was turning the key in the lock, a demonic shriek rose up around her making her clutch her keys defensively and turn towards her attacker.
"Do
