"Really Sevee? I thought we were past these kinds of things." Mia scolded me.
I'd been in the house for a few hours now, and it was currently just me and my mom. After the heated argument that had erupted between us, which happened as soon as we got inside and changed back into human form, my dad finally had enough and left for a while to blow off some steam.
To say he was livid with me probably would've been putting it lightly. I betrayed his trust by sneaking out like I'd been, even if neither of my parents knew for exactly how long or the real reason why. The one thing my father had always asked of us was to never sneak away like this. If we did, then we might get into trouble and end up never coming home.
Not that I'd ever been scared of that. I was confident that I could survive anything because I was smart enough to weasel out of any situation. Yeah, it might've been foolish confidence, but I thoroughly believed it.
Seraphina had also left the house when he did. Mom had immediately taken her to Noah's house when we'd gotten back so that she wouldn't have to hear that nasty fight between me and Sean. While she hadn't really said anything to me when I'd briefly seen her, I didn't miss the hurt look in her eyes. But it wasn't for what I'd been caught doing. I knew she suspected that there was much more to it, and it hurt her that I wouldn't tell her what that something was.
But right now, both her and my dad weren't the big problem. Now I had to face my mother, and I knew that she was going to be just as hard to deal with as my father. Mia was also livid with me now that she was over being so worried. I couldn't even recall a time when I'd ever seen her this mad.
However, that didn't mean that I was going to give in to her either. I was still pissed off from that argument with Sean, and although I was doing my best to stay civil, my blood still felt like it was boiling.
"I was just exploring the woods around here. I do that sometimes at night. I just got tired this time and fell asleep out there. That's all." I told her, making sure to keep my voice even.
Mia wasn't buying it. She crossed her arms and looked at me squarely as she stood in front of me.
"I don't understand what's been up with you lately. You've never had a time in your life where you haven't been in trouble in some way. You got into a physical fight and knocked another boy out. Now you're sneaking out in the middle of the night and almost didn't come home. Are you planning on running away from us?" she continued.
"I just wanted to get away for a while. You know I'd never run away, so don't accuse me of that!" I countered.
"Get away from what?!" Mia demanded as she stood up. I'd never seen her this mad before, "Are you really that miserable with us?!"
"No! I'm miserable about what's happening to my life!" I shot back.
I didn't even think about it as I stood up in front of her. It was like anger was seething through me. How dare she accuse me of all of these things! She knew damned well that I'd never put them through any of this stuff on purpose, and I'd especially never run away from them!
Mia didn't back down, standing her ground and facing me even though I stood nearly a foot taller than her.
"You're not getting in my face Sevee, and I'm not backing off just because you want me to. You'd better calm down right now." she warned me.
Rage boiled inside of me as I glared at her, and I swore I could almost hear a voice whispering for me to hurt her, to show her that I was superior to her. She was just a small woman, even if she was a Nephilim. I could easily overpower her and show her how powerless she was compared to a Fox like me. I could rip her apart if I chose to.
My eyes widened as my mind suddenly snapped to clear comprehension of what I was thinking. What the hell was wrong with me? How could I ever even think of hurting my mother? Of possibly killing her?
It was all too much, and I took a step back as I yelled out in frustration.
"Damn it! I can't stand this anymore! Leave me the hell alone!"
Mia gasped in shock as I did this, her anger quickly melting into confusion. Well, not just that. I could tell that she was a little scared too.
I wasn't trying to scare her now though. I was trying to make sure I'd broken that dark hold over my mind. All of this felt incredibly wrong. I'd never, ever think of hurting another person or want to kill them, no matter how upset they made me, and I especially would never hurt Mia. I loved her so much, and her and Sean had always been the best parents to me, even when I wasn't being the best son. I knew that something had been trying to take control of me with that anger.
But I couldn't understand any of this. First the damned nightmares haunted me all my life, then I was thinking that I was hearing and feeling that mutilated woman's presence. Now I kept swearing I felt this darkness trying to wrap around my mind, making me so angry that I wanted to hurt and kill others. What the hell was happening to me? Was something trying to possess me?
"Sevee..." Mia started, taking a step towards me.
I held up a hand to stop her, not even able to face her now.
"Don't come near me. I don't want to end up hurting you."
"Sevee, what in the world...?"
"Just leave me alone!"
I spun around and ran up the stairs, tears starting to roll down my cheeks. Even though I was sure I was back to myself now, I was horrified at what could've happened, and even more afraid of it still being possible.
I heard Mia cry out my name, but didn't respond, heading to my room and slamming my door. An anguished cry escaped me as I collapsed onto my bed. It was way too overwhelming to deal with this right now. Even if I fell asleep again and had to go through that nightmare, I'd deal with it, as long as I could escape this darkness here.
It felt like an eternity before I heard the soft sound of footsteps approaching my door, although it was probably only a few minutes. I heard the soft click of the knob as it was turned, and it was gently swung open. I didn't move from where I was facing the window as Mia approached me, her worried image reflecting in the glass panes.
"Sevee," she said gently, "please, just talk to me."
"Leave me alone." I responded. My voice came out soft and slightly cracking as I did my best to stop my tears.
"Please don't push me away. I know something's wrong. Please, tell me what's happening. Let me help you." Mia insisted.
"It's nothing. You know I'm always just causing trouble. You said that yourself." I grumbled.
Mia sat down on the bed beside me, "I'm so sorry I said that. I lost my temper and said things that I didn't mean. But I'm really, really worried about you. None of this has been like you."
Her voice was soft and hesitant, like she was grasping at understanding what was really going on. The only thing she knew for sure was that I wasn't acting like myself at all.
I decided to be at least a little honest with her. If I did, then maybe it would keep her and the rest of my family safe.
"A lot of things have been bothering me. They bother me all the time. I was telling you and Dad the truth. I'm really not trying to run away Mom. I'm just tired of it all, and I keep trying to escape for at least a little while." I confessed.
"Okay Sevee. I'm listening now, and I believe you. I know that something's been up for a long time, and you've never told any of us what it is. I want to help you, so please tell me now. Tell me what's tormenting you like this." Mia insisted.
What a way for her to put it, I thought.
"I don't know how you can help me." I told her.
Mia thought about it before responding, "Why don't we start with your sister? Have you been upset about her and Noah starting to change?"
"I don't know."
Mia sighed, "Please don't dodge my questions. I know it's always been different for you, and it's been different in this family for your dad since we met too. I don't know why you and your sister were born like opposites, even if you are a girl and a boy. But nothing changes that you're my son and part of this family. Whether you believe it or not, you'll always belong with us, no matter what happens, and I love you no matter what happens too. So does your dad and your sister."
I couldn't stop more tears from escaping my eyes. I'd never faced any of this until now, and I desperately wanted to be honest with her about how I felt, especially after that scary incident downstairs.
"I know that." I whispered, "I always knew that Seraphina would change too, and I've never wanted to change like that. I don't want to be anything else but a Fox."
"And there's nothing wrong with that. We all accept it too. You're a Fox, just like your dad, and that's perfectly fine." Mia paused for a moment before continuing, "There's also something else that I need to apologize to you about. I've been worrying about what might happen as you've gotten older, and I've been scared that you could end up having the more vicious instincts that your dad did when I first met him. But I was wrong to ever think that about you. I know in my heart that you'd never intentionally want to hurt anyone or anything. You may have a smart mouth and big attitude, but you've also always had a kind heart."
That one got to me, and I couldn't hold back crying. She was right. I'd never want to do those things, yet something had almost made me hurt her. Nothing had ever shook me up this badly, not even my nightmares.
"I'm sorry Mom." I choked out, "I'd never hurt you. I'd never want to hurt you."
Mia leaned over me and hugged me, "It's okay Sevee. I know you wouldn't, and we all lost our tempers down there. But it'll be okay now. We'll figure this out." she promised.
I managed to pull myself together after a few minutes, sitting up with her. She gave me a gentle, comforting smile as she grabbed a tissue and wiped my face. Seeing her loving expression and feeling her gentle touch was incredibly comforting, and helped spur me on to tell her more of the truth about what had been happening to me for years.
"Thanks for all of this Mom. I'm really sorry about what happened, and I really would never do anything to hurt you. But it's been rough for a long time, and I feel like it's only been getting worse." I confessed.
"Does some of this have to do with you not being able to sleep? Is that why you've started going out at night?" Mia probed.
"Yeah."
"What's making it so hard for you to sleep? Are you having nightmares?"
"Yeah. I've been having them for as long as I can remember."
Mia leaned a little closer to me, "What are they about? Can you remember them?"
I didn't want to tell her all of it, but figured I could at least say a little bit. If she was willing to help me, then I could do this much.
"Well, lately, it's like I've been having the same dreams over and over, and they're scaring the hell out of me. Now it's like I'm even experiencing things when I'm awake sometimes. I'm scared Mom. I don't know what's happening to me."
Mia squeezed my hand, "It's okay Sevee. Tell me what happens in them and I'll try to help you make them stop." she promised.
"I don't know if anybody can help me." I sighed, "I've been having these scary dreams for as long as I can remember. They used to be all kinds of strange things, stuff that I've never understood, like being trapped in this place with all these other kids, or seeing this dark person that was stalking me. But now, I keep seeing this same house over and over. I go into it, and up the stairs, and there's this dead woman in the bathroom, and this mutilated woman appears right before I wake up."
Mia listened closely, and I felt her hand squeeze mine a little tighter. It was like what I said had scared her, not because of how it sounded, but because of something else.
"Sevee, do you see anymore of that house? Anything else in there?" she asked me.
"Yeah, but I'd rather not talk about it." I answered, looking away from her.
Mia was quiet for a minute before continuing to question me.
"What about the outside? You said that you walk into that house, so do you remember what the outside looks like?"
"Some of it." I relented, "I know it's an older house, and the outside is a little run down like it hasn't been taken care of that much. There's a cobblestone walkway to the front door, and that door's a faded red. There's a living room when I walk in, and the stairs are nearby. There's pictures on the wall by the stairs too, but I can't make them out."
The room became very quiet as I finished talking. Mia looked disturbed now. She slowly got up, standing beside my bed.
"Sevee, please come with me. I think we need to talk to your grandfather about all of this." she requested.
"Why? You think he might know something?"
"Maybe."
I knew that she was holding something back from me. That look in her eyes said it all, along with her pressing me for more information. She at least suspected something about all of this.
But I decided to give in for now. Michael was supposed to be the leader of our family. If anybody could do something to stop this from happening to me, it should've been him.
"Hey, what about Dad? What if he comes back and sees that we're not here?" I asked her as the two of us left my room.
"It'll be fine. I'll send him a message letting him know that we've gone to talk to your grandfather, and he can meet us there if he wants." Mia assured me.
The two of us headed downstairs, where Mia grabbed her purse and keys. But as she opened the front door, I couldn't stop myself from moving forward and hugging her from behind.
She tensed up for a few seconds, then relaxed and held my arms.
"Everything will be okay now Sevee. We'll get you through this." she promised.
"You're not still mad at me, are you?" I had to know.
"No. All I want now is for you to open up to me more. I love you, and I want to help you however I can." Mia answered.
"Alright." I sighed, letting her go, "I guess I can start doing that a little more."
Mia turned and kissed my cheek, "That's enough for me. Now, let's go and take care of this."
I left the house with her, getting into her car and doing my best to collect myself. Yes, I was still concerned about things with Lenore, but right now, I needed to deal with one thing at a time. If Mia and Michael could help me get this nightmare stuff dealt with, then maybe it would also stop this dark feeling from coming over me and trying to control me.
That gave me hope for things with Lenore too. If I could sort this stuff out, then I'd feel safe remaining with her. I might even be able to figure out how to introduce her to my parents so that I didn't have to keep meeting with her in secret. It had to happen eventually, especially since I'd claimed her as my own already.
Our drive to Michael's house wasn't that long. He only lived about five miles from us. From what I knew, his house was where Mia had come home to when she was sixteen, and also where Sean had started visiting her at night after they met. It was a really nice place, good sized and well taken care of. I had a lot of good memories there too. Seraphina and I used stay there plenty of times with him and Sara when we were little and our parents decided to have a date night.
Mia parked her car near Michael's dark blue Infiniti, and both of us got out. I followed her to the front door, where she pressed the video doorbell.
"Hey Dad. Mind if we visit?" she called.
It was obvious that she was doing her best to sound cheerful, although I was sure her attitude would change once we sat down with him.
"Hey Mia, come on in." I heard Michael answer. The door then unlocked.
Mia opened the door, and the two of us stepped into the foyer. We found Michael in the den room. Sara was in there with him, and it looked like they'd been looking over some papers together. I betted it was for Jameson, the antique store they owned. They'd recently expanded it from what I'd heard from Sean.
Sara looked surprised to see me with her.
"Oh, hi Sevee. I didn't realize you were here too." she stated.
Sara had always been a beautiful woman, even if she was human. She was petite and slender, with an hourglass figure and silky long hair that was ebony black, along with bright green eyes that stood out in almost any light. Sean had inherited her hair and eyes, and those eyes had been passed on to me and Seraphina.
Sara had married Michael about ten years ago, and they made a really great couple, even if I always found it ironic that our parents had married first. I guessed that stuff happened more than we realized. But then, they'd always gotten along great, even back when they'd first met, and Sean swore that the attraction between them had always been there. It didn't surprise him or Mia when they finally did begin dating, or when Michael proposed to her.
"Hey Grandma." I greeted her, doing my best to act casual.
Michael sat up a little more with Sara, "This is a surprise with you too Mia. You usually tell me when you're coming by, and with what we've heard about this morning, I wasn't really expecting it, or for Sevee to be with you." he admitted.
So, they'd heard about what happened with me. Not that I should've been surprised. My dad might've already been by there and told them.
Mia and I sat down on the other couch near them, and she let out a long breath.
"I know, But that's part of the reason we came by. There's something we need to talk to you both about. You don't mind, do you?" she requested.
"No, we were just going through some paperwork. What did you need to talk about?" Michael responded.
"Is this about what happened this morning?" Sara added.
"Sounds like you've talked to Dad this morning." I noted.
"He stopped by a little over an hour ago, but he didn't stay long." Sara confirmed, "He was upset over what was happening, so he wanted to talk a little. I think he might've gone off on his own for a while to think things over. He does that sometimes because it helps him calm down."
"Yeah, I've seen him do that before too." Mia agreed.
"I am curious about all of this too Sevee. It doesn't sound like you to run off like you did." Michael added.
I shook my head, "Not really, but things have gotten heavy lately, and I was talking to Mom about them and she thought we needed to talk to you."
That one got his attention, "Okay. I'll take it something more's going on."
Mia looked nervous, but remained calm as she explained things to him.
"I'm not sure what's going on Dad, but it's apparently been happening a long time, and we had no idea about how bad it was. Sevee and I had a heart to heart talk right before we came here, and I'm really worried about what he's told me. He said that he's been having nightmares for a really long time, and recently they've been the same one over and over again."
"I see. Is that what's worrying you about them?" Michael asked her.
"That's part of it." Mia answered, "But it's more than that too. His nightmares sound a lot like what happened right after I came here and met Sean."
That really perked Michael's interest.
"Really? What's happening in these dreams?" he asked me.
I hesitated to answer him. After what had happened earlier, I was worried about calling up whatever had tried to influence me. I didn't want anymore to happen and possibly put my mother and grandmother in danger.
Mia turned to me, gently stroking her fingers over my cheek and through my hair.
"It'll be okay Sevee. Nothing's going to happen. Just tell your grandfather what you told me." she urged me.
I had no choice, and she was right. Michael was supposed to be the strongest Nephilim in our family. He wouldn't let anything happen to them.
"Alright." I breathed, forcing myself to speak slowly and calmly, " I don't know why, but it's like this dream's been replaying over and over every time I try to sleep. I've had scenes from it from as far back as I can remember, and now it's like it's all coming together. I'm in this house that I've never seen outside of my dreams, and there's this dead woman in the bathroom. It's like she's been murdered. Then I run out and this mutilated woman appears in the hallway. She always points at me and calls me Fox, and sometimes tells me that she'll never forgive me, but I don't know why."
Michael tensed up as he heard this, and I noticed Sara doing the same. This was just like Mia. They had to know more about all of this.
I glanced over at my mother from the corner of my eye, seeing that she was now looking away with a hand over her mouth. She was trembling slightly now.
Sara finally spoke after a few minutes of uneasy silence, "Michael, doesn't that sound like what we heard and saw?"
"Yes." Michael breathed. He took a deep breath to recompose himself before speaking to me again, "I know you probably don't want to go into details about this nightmare, but I need to confirm some things with you. Are you able to tell me more details about the woman that you see dead in the bathroom?"
"Yeah. I remember it clearly, so I can do that. I know that she's an older lady. I guess maybe in her sixties. She's always wearing this dark dress, like a housedress the old ladies wear on some of those old TV shows, and she's got dark hair with grey in it. Well, from what I can tell." I explained.
"And where do you find her in the bathroom?" Michael probed.
"In the bathtub. I always go in there and it's really clean. I can even smell bleach in the air, and the curtain hanging in front of the bathtub is closed. I can see something sticking out at the bottom of it, and when I pull the curtain open, she's lying in the tub dead. Her head's covered in blood and looks like the back of it's been bashed in, and there's a bloody hammer laying in the tub beside her." I explained.
I glanced at my mom again, seeing that she was starting to shake even more. She kept her hand up to cover her mouth, but I could still make out that her bottom lip was starting to tremble too. She was doing everything she could not to start crying.
Michael remained calm as he spoke to me, although I could tell that he was keeping an eye on Mia too. So was Sara. I wondered if she'd take her out of the room if it became too much for her. Sara always had gotten along really well with my mother. They'd been close for as long as I could remember.
"What about the mutilated woman? What can you tell about her?" Michael continued quietly.
"I really don't like thinking about her, but it's like she's been in my head constantly now." I confessed, "I know she's younger, maybe in her thirties, and she has long dark brown hair that's really straight. Her shirt and skirt are all ripped up, and she's got these deep gashes in her arms and legs, and her jaw is ripped open too. But the worst part about her is her eyes. She's got these dead looking brown eyes that always stare at me."
"Oh my God." I heard Mia whisper.
I looked over at her as Sara stood up. Mia couldn't hide her emotional state now. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she looked down with a hand over her mouth in a vain effort to muffled her sobs.
Sara went over to her, helping her to her feet with an arm around her shoulders.
"Let's go outside for a little bit Mia. I think you need some air." she gently suggested.
Mia managed to nod and squeak out a soft, "Please."
I waited until they were gone before confronting Michael with my suspicions.
"You know what's going on here, don't you? So does Mom. Am I seeing what happened with my grandmother?"
Michael looked a little pale now too, but kept his composure and answered me honestly.
"I believe so, but I need to confirm it. I know this might be asking a lot, but if you'll let me, I'd like to take a look at your dream. I'll know for sure when I do."
"I guess." I reluctantly agreed.
I knew that Michael had this ability, but he rarely had to use it, and would never do so without permission. Even though I didn't like it that much, I had to know the truth. I needed him to confirm what I was dreaming about.
Michael held a hand over my forehead, and I was instantly back in that dream, although it felt more like the memory than actually being there. I also wasn't alone as I followed my own image. Michael was beside me, watching everything unfold as it always did.
I saw myself enter the bedroom with all of the writing, then my mother's old room. A door slammed somewhere in the house, and I made my way to the bathroom. Just as always, the dead woman was in the bathtub. I ran out, and the mutilated woman appeared. That was where the dream ended.
The den room was eerily quiet as we came back to reality. Michael was doing his best to stay calm, but I could tell by his eyes that he was very shaken by what he'd seen.
"It's her, isn't it?" I guessed quietly.
"Yes. I saw her body when I had to identify her, and it looks the same." Michael confirmed.
I moved to sit beside him, not wanting to talk too loud. I didn't want my mom to come back in and be anymore upset than she always was.
"What happened back then Pop? Who was that dead woman in the bathroom, and what happened to my grandmother?" I asked him.
Michael shook his head, finally pulling himself completely back together.
"It's an awful story, and we wanted to wait a little longer before we told you and Seraphina about it for who horrible it was, but I'll be honest with you now. That now mutilated woman was my first wife. Her name was Melissa Renaldi, but we all called her Missy. I'm sure that your mother's told you that we'd been separated for a long time, and your mom would come up here to stay with me in the summers." he started.
"Yeah. She did tell me a little bit about all of that, and she mentioned that Missy was mentally ill. That's what all that writing was on her walls, wasn't it?" I guessed.
"Yes." Michael confirmed, "I saw it myself nearly seventeen years ago. After she died, I went down to that house with Sara to take care of the family affairs because there was no one left to do so, and I was still legally Missy's husband. That dead woman in the bathroom you saw was Penny Stanley. She was Missy's mother, your great grandmother."
Now things were falling into place, even though they were even more terrifying than I'd realized.
"Missy killed her, didn't she?"
"Yes, she did. But there was also much more to the story that only we will ever know."
"More?"
Michael glanced around us before continuing, probably hoping to spare Mia from having to hear about all of this again.
"Back when your mother was sixteen, she was suddenly sent up here to live with me on Christmas Eve. Penny was the one who did that. She packed all of Mia's things one afternoon while she'd been out, and as soon as Mia arrived home, she was shoving her out the door with a plane ticket to come here. She wouldn't tell her why. She only told her that she couldn't stay there, and Mia quoted her as saying that it was because of what her mother said and what she'd seen that day."
"What she'd seen?" I repeated.
"We didn't understand it for a while either. We tried to contact them many times afterwards, but never got an answer. Then, about a year after your parents met, another Fox suddenly showed up in Madison. He was after Sean, and was determined to do whatever he had to in order to get to him. He even involved Anna's family because she was close to us, using her father to try to kill her and her mother. Your father and Raziel ended up saving them. But afterwards, Missy suddenly showed up here and tried to take Mia back with her. Mia refused, and in the end, we found out that this Fox had been behind everything with her. He was the one who made her attack and kill her own mother, and then he ended up killing her." Michael explained.
Everything fit together perfectly. This woman, Missy Renaldi, was related to me, and had been killed by a Fox who had been after my father. Everything I was seeing with her and that house had been real.
"I don't get it Pop. Why is she haunting me? I didn't even exist when all of that happened." I finally managed.
"I can't answer that one right now. Even with all of her problems, I never imagined that Missy wouldn't move on like this, or that she'd target you. The only thing I can possibly make fit is the blood ties with that other Fox." Michael responded.
"Blood ties?"
"Yes." Michael confirmed, "That other Fox didn't come looking for your father just by chance. He was related through your Fox grandfather, Sage. He was technically Sean's half-brother."
All of this was becoming harder and harder for me to process. Not only were these nightmares real, and that woman I was seeing a ghost, but both she and her killer had been related to me. When I'd thought that our family might have some skeletons, I never imagined this one.
We were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening again. I looked up, fully expecting to see my mom and Sara coming back in, but it wasn't them.
It was my dad.
I stayed quiet, not knowing what to say now. I still felt a guilty over what had happened after I'd gotten home, and now this one was about to be dropped on him.
But nothing about all of that was brought up. Instead, Sean was more concerned about what was currently going on. By the way he spoke to Michael, I took it that he'd already talked to Mia and Sara outside.
"There's something deeper going on now, isn't there?" he guessed as he sat down.
"I guess Mia told you a little bit about it." Michael noted.
"Only a little. She was still pretty upset, and I worried about pushing her too much. Are we able to talk about it here?" Sean asked him.
"We probably should." I muttered.
I was hoping that Michael would take the lead in all of this and not make me explain everything again. I really wanted to go outside and check on my mother, but I felt like I also owed it to my father and grandfather to stay there and figure out what we could to make this stop, not to mention for myself.
Thankfully Michael seemed to get my feelings towards this, and he talked to my dad about it.
"We're not completely sure of what's happening right now, but it seems to have a connection to Missy and what happening during the time we were dealing with Flint." he told him.
Sean stiffened as he heard this, "But that's been over for seventeen years. What kind of connection would there be now?" he responded.
"Like I said, we're not completely sure." Michael let out a resigned sigh, "From what we've been learning, Sevee's been having nightmares for a long time that are connected to Missy and what happened down in Miami with her mother's murder. I took a look into his memories from those nightmares, and everything fits, including that he appears to be seeing Missy's spirit in them."
"Is that why you've always had trouble sleeping?" Sean asked me. He didn't look angry at me anymore. Instead, he looked really concerned.
I shrugged, not willing to be blunt in my answer, "Yeah, for the most part. But it's not always been just dreams of her or that. There's been other weird things, just not as much now."
"It does concern me that there's a lot more to this Sean, but I'm not sure of what that connection is yet. If you and Mia don't mind, I'd like to talk to Raphael and Gabrielle about all of it before we make any moves." Michael told my dad.
"I get that," Sean complied, "but I'm worried now too. I don't want anything to happen to Sevee while we're trying to figure this out."
Michael looked at me, "Has anything happened outside of these dreams?"
"No. It's always just been dreams. They just scare me and wake me up, and make me not want to fall asleep." I answered.
I wasn't about to tell them that I thought I'd heard and felt things recently. Not only did I not want to worry them anymore than I was, I also didn't like admitting to myself that this horrid spirit might be trying to get closer to me.
"You're sure about that?" Sean verified.
"Yeah."
"If that's the case, then we should have some time on our side. But it might be better if you and Mia keep a close eye on Sevee while we work on this, just to be on the safe side in case anything begins to escalate. Missy is only a human spirit, no matter what's become of her, so you and Mia should be able to drive her back enough for now." Michael suggested.
Sean let out an exhausted sigh, "I think we can. At least, we know enough about human spirits to do something if we need to."
"You really think we make her leave me alone Pop?" I had to ask.
Michael patted my shoulder, "I know we can. We just have figure out the best way to do it. Between me and your aunt and uncle, I'm sure we can." he promised me.
I didn't really believe that promise yet, but I was willing to go with it for now. Anything to possibly escape the nightmares.
By that time, Sara and my mom were coming back inside. Mia looked a little better, but she might've just been playing strong too for our benefits. She was good at that when she wanted to be.
"Hey, Anna just called. Noah needs his rest, so she was trying to find out if you all wanted her to bring Seraphina home." Sara told Sean.
Sean looked resigned to this now, "We probably should. Noah's getting close to the end phases of his wings, and it may be better if she's not there when they erupt."
"Yes, that's true." Michael agreed. He looked at Mia, "We can keep Sevee here if you want while you pick her up, or you could ask Anna to bring her here."
"Actually, I was thinking that I'd like to go get her." Mia admitted.
None of us missed that she was fidgeting a little as she spoke. Yeah, she was still shaken up about all of this.
"Are you sure about that Mia? I can go with you if you want. You know Sevee's perfectly safe here with your dad." Sean reminded her.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Mia conceded.
"It'll be fine Mia." Michael promised her as he stood up and gave her a reassuring hug, "Let Sean go with you so that you can get Seraphina, and we'll keep an eye on Sevee."
I think Mia felt like she had no choice but to concede to him and my dad. She knew they'd never lie to her about such a thing. I kind of felt better doing this too. At least being here would give me time to pull myself together.
But after they left, I had to speak up about some things.
"I'm still worried about Mom, Pop. She had a hard time even telling me about her mom the other day, and now it's like she's haunting me."
"I know, and I'm worried about her too, although I do trust your father to help her however she needs it. He always has before." Michael assured me.
I didn't miss that he looked worn down about this too. But from what I'd been hearing, he'd still loved Missy even after she'd run away from him. They'd never formally divorced, and she'd had one hell of a terrible death that they apparently couldn't prevent. This stuff had to be weighing on him too.
Sara also realized this as she stood with us and touched his shoulder.
"Are you sure you're okay Michael? I know it's always been hard on you and Mia with what happened to Missy. To be honest about it, this has shaken me up a little too. Why is this happening?" she wondered.
"I don't know." Michael admitted, "But we're going to find out."