Chapitre 80: Chapter 80
Rhys texted her and said he would be home by 9 that night. She realized she needed to do something. She put on her boots and winter gear and headed out into the other garage to look for an axe or a chainsaw. She found an axe and a few other random tools the previous owners had left behind.
"Hey. I need a favor." She tapped Jim on the shoulder, the axe in her hand. He was reading in the living room of the guest house where he was staying while he was there. He looked at the axe.
"I cannot wait to hear this." Jim said, putting down his magazine and taking off his glasses. "I'm not killing anyone for you and if you're wanting to kill me, you've lost the element of surprise."
"We need a Christmas tree. We have to find one and decorate it. In like, a couple of hours. It's 3 now and Rhys will be back at 9."
"You're kidding me." Jim said.
"Nope. Let's go." And she walked out. They took her Jeep and she drove them to the closest Christmas tree farm she could find. They were open, thankfully and she and Jim went inside. "We are here to buy a tree." Pearl announced.
"Congratulations." The smug teenager behind the counter said, obviously hating his job.
"There are a few already cut down along the barn. They are 100 bucks. Pay first. Pick one. It's comes with a stand for water. Merry Christmas." He said, not looking up from his phone.
They picked the biggest one they could strap to her Jeep and drove to a store that had lights and decorations. Jim waited in the car.
Pearl picked out a few things to get by and they headed back to the house. They loaded the tree in and Pearl offered Jim a beer as she turned on Christmas music. It didn't take them long to get the lights and ornaments on. It looked amazing.
"Cheers! See. It wasn't so bad, was it." Pearl asked, plopping onto the couch. "Nah. But I would have liked to see you try to use that axe to cut down a tree. Was kind of disappointed." Jim teased.
"Do you not have family to see for Christmas?"
She asked, realizing after she was probably out of line.
"My wife died last year. Cancer. We never had children. It's just me." He said.
"I'm so sorry." Pearl said, taking a drink of her beer. There was a silence between them. Pearl heard a noise. "Do you hear that?" Pearl asked Jim. "It's like a rubbing or grinding noise. Hear it now?" She asked. She got up and walked closer to the tree. Just as she moved to the side the noise was coming from, something flew past her face. "Augh! What is that!?!??" She screamed.
"Holy shit it's a bat!" Jim jumped up and ran for cover.
"Oh my god there are two!" Pearl screamed again. "Get it!! We have to get it! What should we do?" Pearl grabbed a fire poker, wielding it like a samurai warrior.
"Don't use that! We aren't going to kill them!" He ran around trying to find something. He came back with a broom, a 5 gallon bucket and piece of cardboard. "We have to wait til they land and then we cover them with this bucket and trap them inside. Then we let them out the door. Got it?" Jim instructed. Just then one of the bats flew past his head and he screamed like a woman, flinging the bucket in the air, running in a circle, swatting at his head.
"Get yourself together. We have to catch them." Pearl scolded.
After an hour of trying to get them to land on something and finally using the broom to direct the second one out, they completed the mission.
They both sat in the living room. Looking disheveled and exhausted.
"I'm not doing any more favors for you, ever again." Jim said. Pearl broke out laughing. "Understood", she said. "Thank you." And he chuckled and went back to the guesthouse.
Pearl had a couple of hours to prepare. She hopped in the tub and drank a glass of wine.
"On my way, I'll be there in an hour." Rhys texted.
Perfect, she thought.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone