The Blue House of 1478 (8) (Patreon)

(Posted chapter seven 30 minutes ago!  Read that first!)

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Even with the looming, daunting distraction of possibly living with someone who isn't family, I'm still disappointed in Leviticus Blue.

I don't know why I find myself thinking of him so often.  Maybe, I just really wished he would turn out to be the sort of hermit from one of my mystery novels — interesting and mysterious,  or that at least, that maybe one of our small town's rumors would be left inexplicable and exciting.

Perhaps it's the wanna-be writer in me rearing its ugly head.

Leviticus' house is still creepy, though, especially in the dark, no matter that he's tried his hand at planting a few flowers and has cleaned the scrap metal from his front lawn. He's doing his best but...

It still reeks of haunted.

Hmmm. Only.... It's only haunted with a grade-A Butthead.

Disappointing.

I don't pay much mind to where I throw his paper.  I'm considering it revenge because I'm still miffed that he'd called me a kid twice and then threw salt in the wound, insulting my prized reading material like some sort of barbarian.

I do, at least, stop, though, which is an undeserved kindness in itself. I even take the time to get off my bike before I hurl my paper in the direction of his porch.

But today, of course, as I'm trying to be good — the delivery hits one of his potted plants and sends it whirling off the porch in a flurry of shattering ceramic and flying dirt.

"Oh, crap," I groan, letting go of my handlebars to palm my eyes, "what the hell is wrong with my aim!"

No athletic talent, I tell myself.  Most people who stay curled up with books and researching the latest urban legends and cryptid creatures don't develop extraordinary throwing abilities.

Although I do bike everywhere, does that count as athletic?

I don't have time to ponder the answer.

This mishap, well, it causes a frightening trip in the dark through Leviticus' yard and an even more frightening encounter with his fucking dog.

Yeah.

That's right.

A large, dark creature comes jolting at me, flying through the yard like some sort of hellhound.  My heart isn't prepared for a showdown with anything larger than a chihuahua, and her barks are loud, heavy, and low.

The porch light chimes on right about the time she tackles me into the wet grass.

"What the shit," I yelp, pushing at the furry mass as she whines and licks my face.

Well, this is turning out nothing like I was expecting.

"Wow, rude!"  I snort, laughing at her excitement, "dude.  What's with the tackling?  What are you, a replica of your owner?"

The dog doesn't seem to listen as I tell it to stop — or to stop crushing my chest under its massive weight. She yips as I finally pull myself onto my butt, her ears perking after she delivers a wet swipe to my cheek,

"What the fuck," Leviticus is in the entrance of his home, half-naked, black drawstring pajamas barely up around his hips where he grasps them.

I startle, and his dog looks back in his direction with a dopy expression,

"Do I even need to ask?" Leviticus hisses.  He splays one hand over his face in defeat.  Dramatic.  Right after him follows a slim-built man, one with bleached hair and a shirt that falls too low on his hips to belong to him.

I snicker from where I sit under the dog; my hands curled in his fur as my gaze bluntly shifts back to the man behind him,

"Do I even need to ask?" I snip back, giggling when the pup yips again and noses under my chin.

The man with the bleached hair flushes angrily, ducks behind Leviticus, and back into the house.

Leviticus' brows shoot upwards, obviously none-too-thrilled by my comeback,

"Did you break my plant?"

Oh, right, I should probably be nice — shit!

"Uh," I wring my hands together before patting the top of the dog's head, grinning as innocently as I can manage, "Would you believe it was Lady Fido here?"

Leviticus rolls his eyes, resting his shoulders back against the frame of his house,

"I absolutely would not believe a single thing to come out of your fucking mouth," He crosses his arms, "You gonna clean it up?"

"And what? Be in close enough proximity to your house to hear the shenanigans going on inside?" I wrinkle my nose, pulling myself up to my feet to dust the back of my pants, "You over-estimate my wages.  No, thank you!"

"Shenanigans," Leviticus snorts at the word.  His regard travel over the length of me and then to the cheerful dog that's perched at my feet. "Right... Whatever.  Blue, come here.  Now."

"Oh, you named her after yourself," I nod along, before I stroll backward towards my bike, "...That's pretty cool."

I can't help but poke fun.  I laugh harder at the way the dark-haired man's nostrils flare.

"The kid in the oversized rain jacket and shark rain boots is telling me what's cool?"

Ouch,

"They were on clearance!"

"I wonder why," Leviticus grins, and it grows as the man from before reappears to wrap his arms around his waist, whispers something into Levi's ear. It's like my face shows how horribly uncomfortable I become in that moment — because Leviticus chuckles just loud enough for me to hear him.

"Not gonna stay a bit longer, make a few more comments?" He asks before he shrugs his arm over the other man's shoulder to run a hand against his neck.

The skinny blonde stares at me from behind him, a silent leave, transferring through the air.

I avert my eyes, flushed with embarrassment,

"Uh, nope," I throw my leg over my bike, "Gonna have to go with nope with that one."

Leviticus would have been a much cooler ghost.

I think, peddling into the neighborhood over — dog slobber drying on my cheek,

Much cooler.