How To Recognize A Demon Has Become Your Friend (Necon Modern Horror Book 9) Read Free Page A

sheet.
    “Spread the handkerchief on the
floor,” Brenda said.
    Angelique laid the delicate
square on the floor. It was white with white lace roses along the edge and her
mother’s initials sewn in yellow on a corner.
    Brenda pulled a light wood box
from under the bed; it had a sun painted on it. She took the silver chain with
a heart and key from around her neck and unlocked the box.
    “I thought that was just a charm
necklace,” Angelique said.
    Brenda winked at her and opened
the box. It was filled with yarn, bits of material and things that jangled at
the bottom. Brenda took out a ball of red yarn, pulled about twelve inches off,
and cut it with a small pair of scissors from the box. She took a little pad of
paper and pen out of the box and handed it to Angelique.
    “Write your mother’s first name
nine times, real small.”
    Angelique wrote her mother’s
name, in careful strokes.
    “Now fold the paper up as tight
as you can and put it in the middle of the handkerchief,” Brenda said. She held
the paper bag open. “Take a little sugar and sprinkle it in the handkerchief,
to sweeten her to you.”
    “You have the doll?” Brenda
asked.
    “Yes.” Angelique got the doll
from her dresser drawer.
    Brenda handed her the scissors.
“Cut a tiny piece of the dress and put it in the handkerchief.”
    Angelique looked at the scissors
and the doll.
    “Come on, Angelique. Think of it
as an experiment, we just need a little bit.”
    “Okay,” she said slowly. She cut
a teeny piece of material from the inside hem of the doll’s dress and put the
threads into the handkerchief. “Just as long as we don’t have to sacrifice an
animal or cut ourselves for this.”
    Brenda laughed. “You don’t know
anything, do you? You don’t use blood for a love spell. Fold the handkerchief
up.”
    “Now wrap this yarn around it
nine times and put nine knots in it – to hold it forever.”
    When she was done, Angelique
stared at the small package they made.
    “You’ve made your first
gris-gris.” Brenda tapped it. “The last step is to sleep with it under your
mattress.”
    Angelique slid it under the
mattress. “Will it work?”
    “Of course, between your power
and a perfect gris-gris, it’ll work.”
    Angelique laid the doll on her
bed. “How long will it take?”
    “You can’t put a time on
something like this.”
    The doorknob jangled and they
both jumped.
    “Brenda?” Her father knocked on
the door.
    They took a deep breath in
relief. Brenda locked the box and slid it back under her bed. “Come in.”
    “What’s this, camping out?” he
asked.
    “No, Daddy, just swapping
secrets.”
    He smiled, a little too wide, as
he leaned against the door. “That’s good.” He turned to leave and swung in a
circle. “Oh, your grandmother wants you two to help her in the kitchen.”
    “Okay.” Brenda put the lamp back
on the night stand.
    Larry turned and walked away.
    Brenda made a sign like drinking
with her hand. They both giggled.
    “He’s funny when he drinks. It
doesn’t take much. That’s why he doesn’t drink the hard stuff. Does your dad
drink?” Brenda asked.
    Angelique nodded. “He likes
scotch and soda, two ice cubes. I make it for him when he comes home from
work.”
    “Really? You ever tasted it?”
    She made a face. “Yes. I like
white wine better. That’s what my mother drinks.”
    “Your mom lets you drink?”
    “She gives me a little wine on
special occasions, so I can develop my tastes.”
    Brenda threw the sheet back on
the bed. “I’ve tasted beer. It’s all right but I like cherry soda better.”
    On their way down the stairs,
Angelique said, “Shouldn’t we check with Grandmom about what we just did?”
    “No,” Brenda said quickly. “We
don’t want to bother her about something this small. Okay?”
    “Grandmom doesn’t know you’re
doing magic, does she?” Angelique asked slowly.
    “Shhhh–do you want it to
work or not?”
    Angelique nodded.
    “Then let’s