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Willow feels fury fire through her limbs, “I’ll kill him. I will fucking kill him.”
She expects cries of agreement, a plan to find him and tear him to shreds, but it doesn’t come. The two simply stare silently, wide-eyed and in shock over Willow’s uncharacteristic use of a curse word. Suddenly, Willow feels that biting sense of dread still weighing on her and stares back waiting for a response.
Finally, Raven clears her throat, “About that…”
A chill passes through Willow as she follows her sister to the back of the truck. She watches Raven pull back the bright blue tarp covering the entire truck bed.
Raven hesitates as she speaks, “It seems I had the same thought.”
Lying in a pile in the truck bed is his body, a large hay hook still protruding from his gashed open neck. Willow is stunned silent.
Sam puts an arm around Willow’s shoulders, “Turns out your sister has a hell of a right hook.” Sam glances around for some trace of humor but none come. “Too soon?” she asks.
Willow turns her gaze toward her battered friend with wide eyes, “Yes. Centuries too soon. What are we going to do?”
Sam shrugs her shoulders, “I figured we should remove him from the crime scene before any of my brothers showed up and then deliver him to the greatest witchy sisters in the world. You can just bring him back like Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman did.”
Willow’s eyes grow larger and her mouth hangs open.
“I told her it was a bad idea,” Raven interjects sheepishly.
Willow blinks at Sam, “Do you not remember how that turned out for them? Because it would be even worse in real life. Maybe go home and rewatch Practical Magic. Better yet, watch Pet Semetary and get back to me.”
Sam’s good spirits seem to plummet, “Then what do we do?”
Raven shrugs, “We go to the police. We tell them what happened.”
Willow and Sam exchange glances. Just a week ago a local woman who was abused by her husband for twenty years went to prison for life when she finally fought back. The laws are too far behind in Missouri. Too many judges and juries here are quick to blame the victim and memorialize the abuser. Not to mention, the Kearney family already has a strike against them for being what those who don’t understand consider “occultish”. If they go to the police, Raven’s life will be over. They will throw the proverbial book at her. The look shared between Willow and Sam tells them both, there is no way they will let Raven rot away in jail when all she did was remove a human stain from the earth.
Willow takes a deep breath, “No, we aren’t doing that. We’re just going to have to make him disappear.”
Willow’s words bring back the intense pounding behind Sam’s eyes. The pressure makes it feel like her head may very well explode. Holding her burning eyes open right now is one of the hardest things she has ever had to do.
Gazing at her with concern, Willow asks, “Are you sure you’re okay? Genuinely.”
Sam gives a wry laugh, “Better than he is, so… yeah.”
“I’m serious, Sam. Do you need a doctor? We can take you to the hospital,” Willow implores.
Casting her eyes at Raven, Sam shakes her head. An ER trip means answering questions and, clearly, none of them are prepared to do that just yet. She speaks confidently, “I’ll be fine knowing he won’t be hurting anyone else ever again.” She gives Raven a reassuring smile, “You did the right thing, kid.”
Raven’s cheeks burn red, “Mom always says ‘do no harm’ and I feel like that means there could have been a better way.”
Willow takes her sister’s hand, “She also says ‘take no shit’ and that’s just as important. He would have killed Sam and then you and probably Emily next. Who knows how many countless others later. You did the only thing that would stop him and you need feel no shame over that.”
Feeling the conversation getting way too serious in an already way too scary time, Sam slides seamlessly back into her role as the comic relief, “So how are we disposing of this asshole? Magic? Acid? Oh, what about pigs? I’ve heard they’ll eat him right up, bones and all!”
Willow sighs, but lets Sam have her moment of lightness, “How about we start with an ice pack for your face, friend?”
Sam smiles through the pain, “Is it a magic ice pack? Because that would be delightful.”
“I’ll bless it in the name of the god of frozen foods,” Willow throws back as she makes her way into the house.
“Is that the Jolly Green Giant?” Sam yells back after her and delights in getting a laugh from always serious Willow.
Raven giggles as well, despite this whole shit show of a day and Sam feels validation to her soul knowing she has helped Raven feel a little lighter, even if just for a moment.
Raven gazes admirably at her friend, “You don’t always have to put everyone else first, you know. It’s okay for you to let us be sad and just worry about you, especially considering the circumstances.”
