Peter Rumancek was juggling three pieces of oranges, like a juggler in a circus as Letha giggled, she was quite entertained by him. Is this how he caught Letha's attention at the first place? If so, Chantel won't be surprised. He was pretty good.

"Terrible." Roman stated. "Got any other tricks?"

"Not with the ladies present." Peter huffed as he stopped juggling.

"So you've met my cousin Letha." Roman said a bit surprised.

Roman didn't know that they knew each other and he'd be dead shock if he finds out that Peter and Letha had hooked up.

"Yeah," Peter nodded. "Chantel, actually introduced us during the summer."

"Did she?" Roman glanced at Chantel, eyebrows raised.

"She did." Chantel gave Roman a little wink.

Chantel was the one who introduced them the night of the bon-fire, little did she know that these two would smoke a joint and start hooking up with each other and Letha would be pregnant by now. But Letha was still keeping quite about Peter being the father of her child. So, the mass had assumed Eddie Johnson to be the father. Apart from Letha's parents only Chantel knew that Peter was the biological father.

"If the circus over, let's get going." Roman opened the door of his shiny black Mercedes G-wagon.

Letha and Chantel sat together, on the back. While Peter sat on the passenger seat, Roman was on the driver's seat as always. They were listening to 'vampire' by Dominic Fike.

"I like your necklace, it's trendy." Letha complimented, Chantel's planet pearl necklace.

"You can have it," Chantel smiled as she took it off.

"For real?" Letha looked at her.

"Yeah, there's more where this came from." She said as she put it around Letha's neck. "And pearls are your thing, you look good in them."

"Aww, Chantel." Letha gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "I love you, you're the best."

Chantel gave her a flying kiss, "I love you more."

"Too much of lovey dovey going on, back there." Roman drummed his fingers on the wheel.

"You jealous?" Letha teased as she put an arm around Chantel.

Roman said over his shoulder, "you wish."

The girls let out a soft chuckle.

"Pretty neat," commented Peter checking the all black leather interiors of the SUV.

"A gift from mom on my seventeen." Roman said.

"I'll never understand rich people," Peter said as he cracked his knuckles.

Roman focused on Chantel's reflection on the mirror. "Remember that guy lying in the road the night of the dance? The one who saw Brooke Bluebell?"

"Yeah." Chantel replied.

"Ouroboros. I've seen that cheerleader. I saw her get killed. Today I've seen the dragon." The scruffy man had told them.

Chantel had no idea what the hell the man was talking about. And she didn't even want to know. He seemed fucked up in a pretty bad way.

Roman turned his attention to Letha. "Letha," he called. "I was thinking maybe you could talk to your pops, see if you can find out more about him."

Dr Norman being the top psychiatrist in town had taken the man under his wing, for questioning.

"Like what?" Letha asked in confusion.

"Like, something that might not have made the papers." Roman said.

"What are you guys upto?" Letha raised a concerning brow.

"That's on a need-to-know basis." Roman told her.

"Hunting the demon dog." Chantel told Letha.

"Are you in too?" Letha looked at Chantel in shock.

Chantel could clearly see Roman's eyes on her from the mirror. He wasn't pleased she told Letha that. But Letha was her friend and she'd known Letha way before she even met Roman.

"There are mitigating circumstances." Roman explained. "We think the demon dog might actually be a person."

"Are you guys joking?" Letha said unbelievably.

"Besides the point." Roman continued. "This guy is hurting people."

"Ok," Letha said to Roman. "A, it's not a guy. It's an it. B, say you had a single good reason to think it was a person, you can't seriously think you're better off chasing him than a trained professional. And C, what do you think a psychiatric patient's gonna be able to tell you?"

"Is that a yes?" Roman asked annoyingly.

"Say it was a person." She continued. "What do you imagine you're gonna do when you find him?"

"What do you think Letha?" He smirked evilly. "Put him in the pound."

"Can I ask what possible good you think is gonna come from this?" Letha leaned forward.

"No." Roman responded as he pulled over. "Your house is here."

Letha huffed, "I'll see what I can do." She picked up her bag and told Chantel." See you tomorrow."

"See you," Chantel waved as Letha got out of the car.

Roman turned to her. "Why did you say demon dog?"

"It calls less attention to seem like we're retards, than think we're hiding something." She explained.

"She's right," Peter agreed. "People paying attention to me isn't the same as people paying attention to you both."

"All right," Roman nodded.

Chantel got a ping on her phone.

"Mom's delivery is at door," she told Roman. "I need to sign it. Let's go."

"Of course, sweetheart." He winked as he started the car. Before she got out of the car, Peter had reminded her that at midnight they'd go to the cemetery to dig Lisa Willoughby body. Even though every atom in her body screamed no, she gave them a tight nod.

🏴🏴🏴

Roman came and picked her up, from his family black GMC Sierra truck. At least he brought the right car for the occasion. Chantel had to sneak out from her balcony. Her mom would have her head if she finds out about the dig. When she got into the truck, he was listening to 'do I wanna know?' By Artic Monkeys. Wearing an all black outfit, a matching black beanie on his head. It was rare to see him with a cap or a beanie. He had such good hair, and it feels like a crime when he don't display it.

"We're looking like actual robbers." She said gesturing to herself, she was wearing all black clothing with a matching beanie as well.

"We're the modern day Bonnie and Clyde, sweetheart." He gave her a devilish smile.

• Hemlock Grove Cemetery •

Hemlock Grove Cemetery was the largest public cemetery in town, some graves dating back to the early 19th century when the town was first founded. The iron walls were not high and it took little effort for Chantel to climb them, at a distance she could see a figure leaning on a tombstone smoking a cigarette. Peter. If she was in his shoes, she'd be freaking out. The last place she wanted to be alone was in a cemetery. Roman carried the shovels as Chantel lighted the way with the battery lamps.

As soon as Peter saw them, he asked. "Did you guys actually dress up as grave robbers?"

"Guilty." Chantel replied.

"The grave is that way," Peter pointed at a distance leading the way.

"Did you know that people used to believe the dead came back as bloodthirsty revenants." Roman said walking besides her, "because the bloating of internal organs made them, like...like, belch up fluid from inside the lungs."

"Not now, Rome." Chantel squinted.

"They're coming to get you, sweetheart." He made a spooky voice. "They're coming for you, sweetheart."

Peter laughed at them. "You both are the perfect example of a teenage couple."

"Is that suppose to be a compliment?" Chantel narrowed her eyes.

Peter nodded as a big yes.

"A ghost!" Roman whispered eerily.

She could totally kill him right now. "If there's like a summer school for serial killers," Chantel said annoyingly. "You'll be their star pupil."

"He totally would," Peter said over his shoulder.

"Are you guys ganging up on me now?" Roman asked cheerlessly.

"Are we?" A light smirk passed Chantel's face as she joined Peter. Annoying Roman Godfrey has become a favourite pass time of hers

After walking for about fifty steps with Peter, they reached the spot where the girl was buried. "Shee-it." Chantel exhaled.

"Shee-it." Roman repeated.

The boys dug, while Chantel kept watch. The possibility of someone visiting the cemetery at the dead of night, was slim but they couldn't take any chances. If they're caught digging Lisa's grave, they'd be the prime suspect for her and Brooke's murder. Especially, Peter.

"How many funerals have you been to?" Roman asked Peter as they dug.

"A few. Rumanceks are reliably kicking it as a result of positive lifestyle choices." Peter said.

"What's it like for you people?" Chantel looked at Peter. "Funerals I mean."

"Committed. You're not allowed to eat or wash, mirrors are covered and the dead guy's stuffs is burnt." He explained.

"Why?" She was curious.

"Because a Rumancek should not be remembered for his worldly things." He let out a deep sigh, "they also cut off their head."

"What?" Roman and Chantel asked in unison.

"Things happen to our kind after death if you don't do the head." He said wiping his sweat with his sleeves.

"I'm so sorry to hear that Pete," Chantel was sympathetic. "I really am."

Roman looked at Peter curious than even. "What kind of things?"

"Really Rome?" Chantel looked at the golden boy, he just didn't know when to stop.

"I've been to two funerals." Roman explained. "One was my dad's. It's all pieces. I remember hearing the shot and going downstairs. He was on the floor. I remember thinking how much trouble he'd be in for the mess."

Chantel knew the story but every time it was brought up, she still feels a pang in her heart. Roman was four, he didn't deserve to see his father that way. No one does.

"That's fucked up." Peter looked at Roman in utter disbelief.

"Dig." Roman commanded.

The boys kept digging, and digging as Chantel scanned the surroundings every now and then. Finally they heard the sound of the metal hitting the wood. Chantel squatted down and lowered the lamps. "We're actually doing this aren't we?"

"We sure are," Roman nodded as he took the lamps from her.

Peter hesitantly opened the wooden coffin. "Oh, fuck me!" He cursed.

Lisa Willoughby was dressed up in a white satin button down night shirt, pale, eyes closed. Two stuffed bears resting on her sides. Chantel had seen dead people, she'd been to funerals but this was different. This was a person who died and they're digging her up. The lower part of her body still missing. This was wrong in so many levels.

Peter looked up at the girl above him, "can you please pass that thing from my bag?"

Chantel nodded and passed Roman the jar and the knife, since the boy was taller and it was easier for her to hand him the stuffs than Peter.

"I don't think you should be seeing this," Peter said to Chantel as he squatted down.

Chantel knew in her bones she mustn't, but she couldn't look away. Peter slowly unbutton the lower part of the girl's shirt. Her body was stitched together, like that of Frankenstein. Both Roman and Chantel stared at the dead blonde girl, frozen.

Peter looked up at Roman. "Well, you want this dance?"

Roman exhaled as he handed Peter the equipment's, "you're the expert."

"Here, grab the light." Peter told him.

Roman focused the light on top of the girl's exposed belly. She'd found peace. Chantel told herself. I'm sure she did.

Peter put a hand on the girl's head and spoke in Romani language. They couldn't understand what he was saying but it sounded like a prayer.

He gave a deep sigh, "you don't deserve this." Then he cut through her, thick blood and liquid like puss oozed out of her.

"You make this look easy." Commented Roman.

Peter grunted as he used his strength to cut through Lisa's body. She's dead, Chantel kept reminding herself. She can't feel it, she's gone forever.

Peter then squeezed his hand inside the girl's belly and pulled her entrails out. He sure made it look easy, he must have done this a couple of times. He slowly, stuffed them into the empty glass jar. Chantel watched him, unable to blink. If she was Peter, she would've puked. Thank goodness, he has a strong stomach unlike her.

"What's your cousin gonna go with that?" Roman asked because Peter had told them; that he was going to take the stuffs they collected from the girl back to his cousin sister Destiny Rumancek who was a Romani witch.

Chantel had never been to Destiny's shop but she knew people do visit her for palmistry, soul summoning and so on. Chantel, doesn't believe in all those kinds of things but things that seemed impossible a week ago, are seemingly becoming possible with each passing day.

"What she can. No promises." Peter responded.

Chantel really hoped Destiny could do whatever Peter had on mind, or else they would've dug the grave of a dead girl for no valid reason.

"The other funeral..." Roman said.

"Yeah," Peter huffed.

"It was Shelley's." Roman told him.

Chantel didn't know why Roman told Peter about this but when he did, Peter stopped for a moment. She knew what Peter was thinking. Shelley's alive, so how comes a funeral?

When Shelley was only a year old, she died of unexplained causes. J.R. Godfrey after finding out that Dr Pryce could reanimate people using one of his projects. Took Shelley's body to Pryce. Pryce's work was successful, however, not without some unforeseen consequences; Shelley became deformed and was given the ability of luminescence. One year later, J.R. emotionally disowned her, calling her an abomination. Roman had told the sad truth about Shelley's life and how their father disowned her, only to Chantel. Even though he'd told Peter about Shelley's death he'd not explained more. That's how Roman was with others, he only gives them half the story. And that's why, even though Chantel and Roman have their ups and downs, at the end of the day she feels for him deeply because he shares a part of him with her—that he don't share with anyone else.

Peter closed the lid of the jar carefully.

Chantel heard the sound of a vehicle approaching. Shit! She was so invested in the gore image in front of her that she totally forgot she was the watcher.

"Someone's here, someone's here, someone's here, someone's here." She began to panic.

"Damn it!" Peter cursed.

Roman got out of the grave as quickly as he could and grab hold of Chantel's hand. His way of saying, I'm here. "Come on." He called Peter.

"The stuffs," Chantel said.

"Yeah." Nodded Roman as they picked up whatever they could. Peter climbed out of the grave cradling the jar. They could see two flashlights, at a distance. The three figures ran away from the site as rapidly as possible.

When they got into the truck. Roman turned on the ac and asked, "you okay love?"

"I am." Chantel lied. But no normal person, would be okay after what they saw and did.

He put his hand on her's, "you can stay over at my place for the night."

And the next morning Susan would kill her because she would find out that Chantel had sneaked out of the house and slept over somewhere else.

"I'm fine," she told him. "Let's go."

Roman squeezed her hand gently, "you sure?"

Peter cleared his throat, "if you two are done gazing into each other's eyes, can we please go?"

Chantel scoffed, "we're not."

But for a moment back there, they totally forgot they were right outside a cemetery and Peter was there with them. Roman chuckled softly as he started the truck.