Pink

Castle Hill Stories
Pink
4
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“Pink! You have a truckload of pink paint. What pray tell are you planning to do with it?” Lauren said as she zipped up her coat and pulled her sunglasses down her nose. She turned head to look up at her mom who was lifting up big buckets of paint from the truck bed.

“I think I’m going to paint everything that doesn’t move including you if you don’t help get this stuff in the barn.” Dawn brushed passed Lauren and heaved two buckets of paint toward the barn.

Lauren picked up her share and followed her mom. They sat the buckets down and headed back.

“Come on, tell me what you planning mom.”

“I’m going to paint the kitchen pink and maybe my bedroom.” Dawn got to the truck and lift out some shopping bags and a gallon of milk.

“Mom no man will step foot in this house.” Lauren laughed at her own words and shook her head no.

“Maybe that’s my point. Now open the back door of the house for me.” Dawn gave her daughter a look. Lauren rolled her eyes, huffed then opened the door.

As Dawn walked in she saw Trin her younger daughter coloring at the kitchen table that had six mismatch chairs. She walked over to her and kissed the top of her head.

“I love you Mom.”

“I love you too Trin. Oh good picture. Is that the barn?” Dawn stopped to study Trin’s drawing.

“Yes, see the fence. I’m doing the grass now.” Trin scrubbed away with her green crayon.

“Mom you need to see this.” Lauren had made her way around the table and was looking out the window over the sink.

A sick feeling hit Dawn’s stomach and she wondered if Lauren was now seeing the blue flame from the salt circle. “Ok Lauren what?”

“Look out in the field. There is a man walking this way holding a big basket. I guess you didn’t paint the house pink quickly enough.” Lauren’s wise ass remark gave Dawn a smile.

All three females were out the door and on the back patio in a flash. A tall man was steadily walking across the field toward them. Dawn was admiring his feature when she realized where she had seen them last.

“I’m going to walk on out and greet him. Lauren I want Trin and you to stay within the circle. Don’t leave it.” Calm was Dawn’s voice but her eyes told Lauren to listen carefully. Lauren grabbed Trin’s hand and took her back over to one of the plastic patio chairs.

At sixteen feet from the man Dawn stopped and put on her best cold hard stare. It worked because the man stopped his pace to a crawl. They both stood at a distance and just looked at one another. Then it clicked in Dawn’s brain that the sun filtering through the clouds.

The man smiled and said “I can walk in the day light. My name is Gavin Campbell and I live in the big house up there on the hill.” He was talking about the big mansion on the hill that Dawn glazed at everyday. She had recently been watching the leaves change color around the place while breathing in the fall air on her patio.

Dawn didn’t move but gave the same unpleasant stare to the man.

“I see you wear that witches blue halo like a proud queen.” Gavin was losing patients with Dawn’s rudeness.

“Considering, that I know what you are, I think I’m doing rather well.” Dawn said while realizing that she was once again in a blue bubble force field.

“Please tell me, that which I am. It has been a long time since I’ve heard a true human say it. Let’s see if you have enough venom in you to spit it out.” Gavin set the basket he carried down on the ground in front of him and folded his arms.

The wind blew Gavin’s shoulder length hair forward so he brushed it back with one hand. Dawn noticed his brown hair had the same red cast that hers did. She couldn’t stop form think that he was just another Scot like herself. But she knew better.

Trying to lighten the tension Dawn asked “What’s in the basket?

Gavin picked up the basket, deciding to give a little too, and held it out to Dawn. “It’s full of vegetables from my garden. I was hoping to make it a welcoming gift.”

Placing one foot in front of the other Dawn took the basket from Garvin and then said “Thank you.”

The blue bubble snapped and popped when she was inched from him. Dawn focused on her breathing so not to give away her fear.

“The breeze is getting cooler so I won’t keep you any longer. Oh wait I didn’t get your name.” He gave her a puzzled look.

“My name is Dawn Ferguson” she said.

“Well then Dawn, you have a good evening.” Gavin turned and started walking back across the field.

When he was a little ways a way Dawn yelled to him “Gavin Campbell, you’re a Vampire!”

He turned back to look at her with a smile. Then he yelled back “Dawn Ferguson I’m the one that built the salt circle!”

To be continued…..