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Never Walk Alone; Sequel to Black Friday Rule
Topic Started: May 13, 2008, 10:14 am (47,683 Views)
Taimi
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Tony sounds like a grouchy southerner :biggrin
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Lucifer's Angel
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Chapter 334

An hour later, they arrived in Mandeville across from Lake Pontchartrain. The town itself was pleasant and suburban with a great view of the lake, leafy and lovely with an air of affluence. Beyond the town was a two-lane gravel road that cut through the green swamp, the stumps visible where trees had been cut.

"To get to our house, you gotta get off the road and onto the gravel road, the house is deep in the swamp. Reckon them bastard can't get there, if our guns don't get 'em, the gators will", said Tony.

The swamp on either side of the narrow road was moss-covered brackish water the color of watery chocolate, which could barely be seen under the dense, bright green moss. The roots of the stumps were stained green from the moss, the wood almost rotted from the water. On some of the stumps, herons and egrets perched, gazing at them impassively. An alligator poked its scaly head out of the water, its eyes darting about looking for prey, while a turtle sat on a nearby stump. Purple hyacinths and white water lilies floated on the surface, incongruous amongst the moss and stumps.

About twenty minutes into the swamp, Phil made a left turn onto a gravel road after making sure no one was following them. The gravel road led into a dense forest of cypress, holly and sassafras trees, heavy green drapes of Spanish moss hanging from the branches like a curtain. The calls of the birds echoed inside the truck, deer watching them from behind the trees.

Half an hour later, the truck finally came to a stop in front of the house. It was a two-story wooden house painted with a coat of white paint, a welcoming porch like a welcoming mouth out front, covered with mosquito netting hanging from the eaves. The roof was very steep to allow rain to run down the sides, each window framed by white wooden shutters like eyelids. Next to the house was a garage in a similar design, next to a tool shed.

"Bienvenue a Chez Anselmo, monsieur et mesdames", said Phil, taking the opener out of the glove compartment and pushing the buttons. The door opened and he parked the truck inside, turning off the engine as Tony helped the women out of the truck.

Even though it was November, it was still hot and humid, the buzz of insects clearly audible in the still air. The house stood in a clearing in the woods, framed by towering oak and cypress trees that provided shade. In the trees birds sang, the only sound except for the buzz of insects.

"Wow, this is like a horror movie", said Justis.

"I reckon so, I suppose you've never seen a swamp before. I was raised in the city, but my family's from the swamps, when I made my first real money I moved out here. This is twenty acres and it's ours, any trespassers get shot", said Phil, leading them towards the house.

The netting around the house stopped the mosquitoes from entering, the porch shady and cool. The house inside was simply furnished, the living room with a brown leather couch in front of an entertainment center consisting of a plasma TV, DVD player, Xbox and stereo. On the walls hung paintings of the swamp, another one depicting a scarlet ibis, the red bird standing on a mossy stump.

"We're not total hicks here, I like to watch horror movies and boxing matches on the TV. The kitchen's in the back, it's connected to the house by a hallway so the heat doesn't get in the house. Of course, we got air conditioning, but that's how the house was done. The dining room's to the right, the bedrooms are upstairs. We got two guestrooms and we fixed 'em for you. The kids got one room and you ladies got one", said Phil.

"I reckon you ladies want to rest first, then you can take showers. We got plenty of hot water, anything you need. We ain't had kids or pregnant girls here in a long while, so sorry if it ain't up to snuff", said Tony.

"Dziekuje, Mr. Anselmo. You have done so much for us already", said Natalya.

"No problem, ma'am. It's the best I can do, it's always a pleasure to help, a friend of Phil's is a friend of mine", he said gallantly.
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The Story Girl
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Phil's entertainment center sounds pretty fucking sweet. I think that Kitty and Natalya and the kids will be very comfortable. I just hope that Bernie doesn't find them.
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The Cosmic Gerbil
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This may sound weird, but the swamp sounds really awesome :) So much wildlife and nature, it must be grat to live in a place like that :)
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Taimi
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nice descriptions, Vanessa, makes me want to go on a swampy vacation :)
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Lucifer's Angel
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Chapter 325

Catriona stirred in her sleep, her eyes fluttering open as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings. Oh yeah, I'm at Phil's house, damn, I needed that, she mused, taking a look around.

The room was decorated in an antebellum style, vaguely resembling a bordello. The walls were covered with a rich, dark red wallpaper the color of wine with just the hint of brown. The floor was made of highly polished mahogany, the rich red tones in the wood going together with the walls. The furnishings were also made of mahogany, consisting of two nightstands and a desk with a chair, and two identical beds. The beds were draped by crimson silk canopies, the pillows fat and stuffed with goose feathers, covered in red brocade covers. The quilt was also made red brocade and feather-stuffed, the whole ambiance that of an upscale bed and breakfast.

Catriona had to smile when she saw Natalya fast asleep on the other bed, her blond hair loose around her shoulders. She's going to be in for a shock, the place looks like a bordello, she chuckled to herself.

She got out of bed and left the room. The upstairs balcony provided a view downstairs, the staircase wide and covered with red carpet. Downstairs, she could hear the sound of the kids and Phil playing Guitar Hero, a well-played version of Beast and the Harlot blaring from the TV. Wow, this is like Tara, she thought, smiling in relief when she saw the bathroom.

"At least the bathroom's modern", she said under her breath. Catriona quickly got undressed and got in the shower, sighing in pleasure when the hot water hit her body.

Catriona looked down at her small, rounded belly and felt a pang of sadness. In a few days, Dave is going to come home, he was supposed to meet me at my grandparents' place and then we were to go to San Diego. He's going to be devastated, but Bernie might trace us here if he knew, she thought, tears pricking her eyes.

She got out of the shower and toweled herself dry, putting on a robe and leaving the bathroom. "Kurwa, did you see the room? It looks like a saloon in a western movie", said Natalya, as she stood outside waiting to use the bathroom.

"Yeah, and the balcony and staircase look like Tara. I guess that's the style here", she replied, as Natalya went to the bathroom.

"Hey Kitty, you want to play Guitar Hero?", asked Electra, as Justis and Phil were in competition to play Crazy Train.

"No, I don't think the vibration of the guitar is good for the baby", she replied.

"I reckon so, then again I don't know much about pregnant ladies", said Tony, swigging from a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

"I hope you found the room to your liking, ma chatte. I know it looks like a brothel, but the furniture came with the house, we never changed it", said Phil, not looking up from the game.

"I like it, I've seen worse, trust me", she chuckled.

"Yeah, we stayed in some terrible places when we started out with Pantera, this is paradise. Well, you beat me there, Justis. You play as good as your daddy", said Phil.

Justis blushed. "Thank you, Mr. Anselmo", he mumbled.

"First of all, call me Phil. And two, don't be so modest. You're a terrific player, a lot better than me. And when you get rid of the brown and let your hair grow out, you'd look just like your daddy", said Phil.

Tony finished his beer and crushed the can, the crumpling sound loud in the air. "I am gonna cook tonight, because Phil did the cooking yesterday. I hope you kids like seafood gumbo, I caught some good fish yesterday and we got shrimp. I'm also gonna make some biscuits, I got the dough in the fridge and I baked a pecan pie yesterday", he said.

"Dad used to own a restaurant but the stress got to him, he sold it and retired here", explained Phil.

"Yep, it's the Italian and French in me, Phil's not a bad cook either. You and Nat got any food allergies?", asked Tony.

"No, we're fine. I'm part Scot, part Pole, part hippie and part redneck, I'll try anything. And Nat won't mind, we're both craving spicy food lately", she said.

"We don't mind, Mr. Anselmo. Usually we have bologna sandwiches for dinner", said Justis, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"That's a damn shame. Trust me, you are gonna eat a lot better than that", chuckled Tony, going to the kitchen to start preparing dinner.
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Awww Justis, there's nothing wrong with bologna sandwiches for dinner. I do that all the time. Well, not bologna sandwiches but I eat a lot of ham sandwiches and turkey sandwiches. :lol: :lol:

Tony needs to drive up to Baton Rouge and start cooking for me. :lol: The shrimp is really good down here.
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The Cosmic Gerbil
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Lol, all this mention of good food is making me so hungry :)
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Taimi
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fresh gumbo :drool
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Lucifer's Angel
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Chapter 326

"My sister's coming over in a few days with my niece. I hope you don't mind", said Phil, Tony cleared away the dinner dishes.

"Are we going to meet her?", asked Catriona.

"Yes, ma chatte. Don't worry, you can trust Becky, and Jenny's a sweet little girl, she's nine. Maybe Electra and her will get along, you'd like that?", he chuckled.

"Cool, Mr. Anselmo. Does she like Hannah Montana?", she asked.

"Sure, all the little girls do. The Wal-Mart's got a lot of her stuff, I got her some for Christmas. And it'll be good to have some other kids around", he replied.

"Is your sister trustworthy, Mr. Anselmo?", asked Natalya.

"Yes, ma'am. I'll have to tell her, otherwise she's gonna think I have a harem here. But yeah, you can trust her. It's just that if I gotta buy anything, I'll have to go to the Wal-Mart in the next parish, it's a small town and people get suspicious. They're not mean people, but everyone knows everyone else's business. Anyways, Dad made a pecan pie yesterday, you kids want any?", asked Phil.

"Okay, what's that?", asked Justis.

"I reckon they don't have pecan pies in San Diego. It's a pie made of pecans and syrup, they're really good. Just try some", he replied as Tony brought out the pie.

It was still intact, rich brown pecans on top and the sticky yellow inside beckoning like a lantern. "I reckon you kids ain't had a real pie before, I don't put much sugar in 'em, just good ol pecans and corn syrup like God intended", said Tony, cutting everyone a slice.

After everyone was finished, Tony cleaned up the dishes and Phil noticed how sleepy the kids were. "You ought to get some sleep, you look all tuckered out. Sleep all you want", he said.

"All right, we hardly got any sleep on the flight. Good night, Kitty, Nat and Mr. Anselmo", said Justis, leading Electra upstairs.

"I'm feeling good after the nap, not tired. Is it okay to check the email on my laptop?", asked Catriona.

"Are you expecting anything important?", asked Phil.

"Maybe something from Mom or my grandparents or Dave, or even the management. Perttu wanted to visit us in San Diego, he wanted me to meet Olena", she replied.

"I reckon so, but be quick, And don't go onto Myspace, too many people on that site", he said.

"I do hope Jan and Ray are all right, they had nothing to do with this", said Natalya.

"I hope so too, Nat. But I reckon they'll be all right, Ray's got some guns. I do hope that the son of a bitch gets caught by the cops, if someone did that to Jenny, I'd kill 'em", he growled.

"Nope, nothing. My grandparents are fine, nobody did anything. I guess they know we're gone, no one found us", said Catriona anxiously.

"Me and Dad got shotguns and I got a Magnum. We got plenty of ammo if necessary, the gun laws here are really lax. I reckon we ought to teach the kids to shoot, just in case", said Phil.

"Kurwa, but that sounds dangerous", said Natalya, her eyes wide.

"Around here a lot of people shoot, ma'am. And what does that mean?", asked Phil.

Natalya turned bright red as Catriona tried to stifle a giggle. "Uh, kurwa means fuck in Polish", she said, a tiny giggle escaping her lips.

"Oh, I see. Reckon it comes in handy, can curse at someone and nobody would know what I was saying. Anyways, what do you ladies want to do?", asked Phil.

"I am tired, I am tired a lot now", said Natalya.

"I don't have any messages from anyone else, I guess Dave doesn't have Internet where he's at. I got the LoTR box set, let's watch that", she suggested.
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It's a shame that Phil has to go to the Walmart in the next parish because the Mandeville Walmart is pretty nice as far as Walmarts go. :lol: :lol: That pie souned so yummy- and I don't even care for pecans.

I'm surprised that Kitty didn't have any email messages. I go away for a day and I come back and have like 5 million all from screaming clients that want this, that, etc... She's lucky to have a little break for a little while. I hope that they catch Bernie soon and throw him in prison.
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The Cosmic Gerbil
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Me too, Bernie sucks :angry And it's nice for Kitty and the kids to get a break, but it'll be cool when they can return home safely :)
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Taimi
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wow, figured Phill woulda shopped at Target :P

that pie did sound yummy, pecans my fave type, especially freshly made... with the exception of cheesecake :drool
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Lucifer's Angel
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Chapter 327

Electra squirmed under the covers, unable to sleep. She had felt tired earlier, but it turned out to be exhaustion from the trip. Justis was fast asleep on the other side of the bed, his dyed brown head against the white pillow.

I hope the bad guys can't find us here, and I think I can hear the alligators in the swamp, she thought, hearing odd noises from the outside windows.

Just then, she felt a chill in the air. A sense of anticipation went through her, hoping it was Cliff again.

Electra smiled in relief when Cliff's figure materialized in front of her. He was dressed, like always, in bell bottoms and a Misfits t-shirt with his auburn hair loose past his shoulders.

"Hello Cliff, I was hoping it was you. Are you going to protect us?", she asked.

Cliff smiled at her. "I'll try my best, Electra, but I can't guarantee anything. But I do know that if I was alive and someone threatened my kids like that, I'd kill them. I made a vow when Kitty was born that no one was ever going to hurt her or my wofe. Us Burtons always keep our word", he growled.

"Why don't you speak to Kitty? I'd bet she'd love to hear from you", she said.

"Kitty's pregnant, it might have her go into shock. The last think I want to do is hurt my grandchild", he chuckled.

"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?", she asked.

"It's going to be a surprise, Electra. Just wait and see", he replied.

"Cliff, Mr. Phil is cool. Him and Justis play Guitar Hero together and the house is in the swamps. His Dad's cool too, he cooks as good as Kitty", she said.

"I know, Phil's a good friend of Kitty's. They used to date until they'd decided they would be better off as friends. I trust him, him and his dad are going to protect you. And I heard Pantera and liked them, Down is even better. But I know Kitty's not going to cheat on your Dad with him, she's too loyal to your father", he said.

"How's Dad doing?", she asked.

"He's in Birmingham, they have two more dates for their European tour, then they go home. Dave is going to be devastated when he finds out, but he can't know where you are, those assholes are going to come after all of you. Dave's been through a lot of shit, I don't want to see him get anymore hurt. Good night, Electra", he said.

"Good night, Cliff", she replied, rolling over and closing her eyes.

Cliff gave her a sad smile and left the room. He went down the hall and into the women's room, passing through the door like a mist. Catriona and Natalya were asleep in their beds, soft snores in the air.

He went over to his daughter's bed and looked down at her sleeping form. Catriona's eyes were closed and she breathed evenly, but she moved a bit in her sleep. Her auburn hair moved on the pillow and she squirmed, as though she were having a vivid dream.

She's missing Dave something fierce, and she's worried about the kids, he mused. Cliff placed a ghostly hand on her forehead and whispered in her ear, feeling her immediately calm down and sleep peacefully.

Cliff moved over to Natalya's bed and saw that she too was restless, her pregnant belly protruding from under the covers. He placed a hand on her belly and felt the baby kick, which kept her from sleep.

"Hush there, you ought to let your mother sleep", he whispered. Almost immediately, the baby ceased its kicking and she was able to sleep.
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That was nice of Cliff to see Electra. I'm surprised that she doesn't tell anyone about his visits though. Maybe she thinks they are all a dream.
Poor Dave. I bet he's going to be really upset when he gets home. Hopefully he wont turn to drinking and drugs again.
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