When I awoke, James was facing me, almost too close. His mouth was slightly parted, and his blonde hair tousled, pieces sticking up all around. His breath was slow, yet steady, causing a fairly peaceful atmosphere to arise. The room was now dark, revealing it had become night time once again. I tried to sit up, but strong arms from behind me kept me in place. I looked over my shoulder to see Chase, fast asleep, holding me. I sighed quietly, analyzing the darkness.
Chase's room was almost pitch black other than a sliver of moonlight that fell in through the window behind his bed frame, a feeling of unease washed over me as I glanced into the dark areas. I'm safe. I began to think, before thoughts rushed through my mind of phantoms, slug-like vampires, and even more monsters unknown to me. I swallowed hard and closed my eyes tightly, trying my best not to acknowledge those thoughts. I'll be okay, I'll be okay. I felt a warm hand grab my own, causing me to open my eyes in fear.
Wide-eyed I stared at the hand holding the top of mine, I followed it past the wrist, down the elbow, to the shoulder, and then to the face. I released a nervous breath. James, I thought to myself, It's just James. "What's wrong Makayla?" He asked groggily, his voice coming out in a hoarse whisper. His coffee colored eyes squinted, searching for an answer.
"I," I gulped as I tried to speak, "I'm scared something's in here," I whispered back to him. Chase moved in his sleep, adjusting his position to be more comfortable. I was surprised he was even able to sleep after all the pain he'd endured, not even twenty-four hours prior. However, my fear that had begun to accumulate over the past few weeks was at its peak. Now that my memory was returning, watching my brother get murdered, and watching my own mother do something unspeakable, I couldn't shake the feeling of paranoia.
James's eyes opened wider, looking into my own, then he looked back at Chase behind me, then he looked into the darkness. "Makayla, nothing, absolutely nothing, can get into the house. It's protected by awakened power, making most creatures stay away." His harsher gaze from before had diminished into something much sweeter, more caring as he spoke. I felt a little better, but I just couldn't shake the feeling something was in there with us.
"Most," I said, my eyes darting around the room, "You said most."
"Makayla," He spoke in a slightly stern, yet calm voice.
"No, you said most, so doesn't that mean that something could be in here? Something bad?" He grabbed my hand tighter trying to force me to look into his eyes.
"Nothing bad can enter this house Makayla, nothing at all."
"But Chase, he's a demon so-"
"Is he bad?" I stared at him, a slight feeling of fright in my chest, "Is he?"
"N-no, no he isn't," I said, glancing behind me, staring at Chase. His chest rose and fell raggedly, due to the tightness of his back.
"Nothing is in here, he would sense it, I would sense it if there was. I promise we're fine. We'd both protect you until our last dying breath if it came down to it," He released my hand, a slight grimace crossing his face, "I promise, everything will be fine." He smiled, his messy blonde hair almost covering his eyes. I took a deep breath, trying to release my worries, my paranoia. It took everything in me to do so.
I looked at James's smile, relaxing, it was a genuine smile, nothing was there. My lips lifted a bit in return, my eyes beginning to feel heavy once more. "Thank you James," he grinned, turning away from me, facing the opposite wall.
"No problem angel," He spoke so softly I barely heard him, his muscled back now facing me. I scrunched my eyebrows together wondering if I heard him correctly. As if my thoughts of James had made him jealous, Chase pulled me in tightly, my back against his chest. I gently placed my hand on top of his, closing my eyes once again. The one thing I didn't notice was James looking over his shoulder, gritting his teeth.
A ray of warm sunlight spilled over my face, waking me from my slumber. I opened my eyes, flinching away from the brightness of the sun. I looked around trying my best to let my eyes adjust. James was no longer beside me, nor was Chase, bringing a steady rise of panic into my chest. Where'd they go? I looked every which way from the bed, sitting upright to get a better view. The silk sheets fell in a pool at my waistline, the sun lighting it up with a shine. The bathroom door was open, the lights inside off, making me uneasy.
Very slowly, I began to remove the blanket from myself, swinging my legs over the tall edge. The air around me was greatly chilled as I heard birds chirping outside. My feet moved gradually to the lightly colored hardwood beneath me. I stepped softly onto the ground before stepping with quiet feet. I walked as silently as possible to his door, turning the golden door knob, and cracking it open.
I gazed into the hall in front of me, the stairwell blocked my view of the living room, however, I could see the kitchen clearly. Again, nobody was there. I was beginning to grow greatly concerned about where they had gone. I was nervous to be in my own home at that point, too nervous to be alone.
Footsteps sounded from the staircase, my eyes immediately jumping toward them. I waited silently, scared to see who it was. However, I couldn't see until they got to the bottom flat. I held my breath, when, unsurprisingly, my mother and father made their way down the stairs. My mother wore her hair tucked behind her ear with a diamond pin and curled brown hair, whereas my father had his in a slightly messy fashion which went well with his professional outfit. He wore a black top with a white tie, black pants, and black shoes. My mother on the other hand wore a tight fitting thigh length black dress, with pearls, and black heels.
As soon as she stood at the base, she turned, as though she already knew where I was. She folded her arms across her chest, red lipstick making a showy appearance in contrast to her fairly pale skin. I had begun to wonder where all of her fancy clothes, and my father's as well had come from. Did our family just suddenly have money? My father sheepishly smiled at me, mouthing a good morning to me. I slightly nodded in response as my mother stared me down.
"Good morning darling," she said with a bitter tone. "I do hope that we can put the events of yesterday behind us all." She smiled fakely, then her face dropped. "Do tell Chase that I'm terribly sorry, but I did do what needed to be done," fury boiled my insides, just as I was about to say something, my father spoke.
"Come dear, we have to get going before we end up being late once again," my father laced his arm around my mothers back. Ushering her along toward the front door, away from me. She glanced back before exiting, her gaze cold, before they left to who knows where.
Then I was alone once more on the cold wood floor. I made my way to the kitchen, deciding to find something to eat. A heavy atmosphere seemed to hang around me as I poured myself a bowl of Jackson's favorite cereal. I placed the box to the side after pouring it, my eyes stinging. I looked up at the ceiling to try to keep them in place. I held myself up, with my hands on the counter. I was so tired, and so sad.
All of the pain I'd gone through recently was almost too much to bear. My soul ached to put it simply, and it felt like it'd never stop. I felt better being with James or Chase, but it didn't cover up the fact that I missed the child I'd practically raised. "I miss you Bubba," I whispered quietly, as I began to break down. I sank to the floor, grabbing the counter with my hands, sitting on my feet. My head hung low as tears free flowed, and I hiccuped, unable to catch my breath. I sank to my bottom, burying my head in my knees, sobbing into them.
I heard the sound of the back door sliding, but didn't care to look up as I continued to cry. I heard rushed footsteps making their way toward me, along with the crinkling sound of grocery bags, followed by the shut of the door. "Makayla," I heard someone call my voice, yet I couldn't seem to calm down. "Are you okay? Please answer me," Ah there it was again, the strikingly familiar voice.
"Chase?" I asked between hiccups, looking up from my knees, seeing him knelt in front of me. His hands on both of my shoulders. James stood to the right of us, holding groceries with a concerned look on his face. I hiccupped, losing my breath, unable to speak while tears still streamed down my face. Although the feeling of crying in front of them was embarrassing, I couldn't be strong any longer. My emotions that I'd suppressed, finally overflowed.
I couldn't stop shaking as I sat there crying. I wasn't sure if it was from not being able to breathe, a slight sense of adrenaline, or if it was from not eating a lot, however, my body refused to stop trembling. James set the groceries on the floor, more concern clearly seeming to rise from him. He made his way hurriedly to where I sat. Almost blowing past Chase, he took his baby blue sweatshirt that strung around his waist, wrapping it around my shoulders. I closed my eyes, hiccuping as I tried to take in slow breaths.
"There you go Makayla, that's it, take it easy." James spoke in almost a whisper, rubbing my shoulder gently. Both him and Chase took a seat in front of me, waiting for me to calm down, exchanging glances periodically. It took almost an hour before I was able to relax at all. My breathing finally evened out, and the guys in front of me were still planted in the same spots.
I began to stand up, my legs feeling shaky as I did so. They were at my side in an instant, holding me up. "I'm fine," I mumbled, my vocal chords felt choked. I shook both of them off, leaving behind my bowl of cereal, and heading up to my room in silence. All I felt like doing was taking a shower and going back to sleep.
Upon arriving in front of my door, something felt just the slightest bit off. I stuck my ear to the thick wood to see if I could hear anything, just in case someone was in there. I opened the door with silent movements, afraid if I made a noise someone would jump out and end me. I peeked around the partially cracked door, seeing no one inside.
Once inside, it came to my attention that the bloodied clothes I left on the light colored floor the day prior were gone. The window that stood tall on the middle wall was still open, just how I left it. The room was humid, I was cold yet sweaty, a confusing combination. I looked around my room before closing and locking the window. My bed seemed to call my name as I plopped onto it, burying my face into my fluffy grey pillows. I closed my eyes, moving around ever so slightly when I heard the crinkle of paper. I lifted my head, checking beneath my pillow. Underneath was a white envelope with black writing on it saying Open When Alone.