SOMETHING ROAMS THE NIGHT...

TWENTY THREE

"What do you mean?" I still didn't understand. He stayed because of me? Why?

"I just...I wanted to protect you. I knew they were after you," he replied. "I just can't let them kill you."

"So you sent Damon to protect me," I said. "While you on the other hand disappeared without a trace."

"I knew you would be mad at me," he sighed. "And I didn't disappear, I followed you everywhere. I just needed everyone to believe that we had run away. I couldn't show my face out there."

"Why couldn't you just tell me the truth? You knew about the reapers all this while, and you kept it from me. You know how much this would hurt me."

"I didn't want you to know," Ezra said. "It was too big of a secret."

"If you'd told me earlier, I wouldn't be this terrified!" I fired back. I knew I sounded rude, but I was too upset. I just couldn't bear the thought of Ezra treating me like this.

"Please," he took my hand. "Trust me, Haley. I kept all this from you for your own good. You didn't deserve to know. I...I thought I could protect you like this. I thought I could handle the problem my way, so that you wouldn't have to know about it."

"It's too late now," I choked on a sob. "My grandmother is dead, and I don't know where my parents are. They could be..."

"Your parents are safe," Ezra told me. 

"What?" I couldn't believe what he was saying.

"Your parents are safe," he repeated. "I got them out."

Relief washed over me like a tidal wave. "Wha- How?"

"While you got your brother out of the house, I went in, and found your parents in the wall behind the bookcase. I got them out, they're safe."

"Where...are they?" I asked. "Are they okay?"

"Your dad, he was bleeding pretty badly, apparently one of the reapers scratched him. But other than that, he's fine. Your mum's fine. They're over at your aunt's place right now. Your Aunt May?"

"Thank God," I clasped my hands together. "Thank you," I told Ezra. "For everything."

"Don't thank me," he said. His lips were pressed in a tight line. "You're still not safe here."

"Nobody is ever safe. We only have two choices. To fight them, or to leave town."

"We can't give up. The night is our enemy now. We shall fight for our town," Ezra said, and glanced at his watch. "And it's already sunrise, we should probably check on the house."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Just me and you? How about Andy?"

Ezra glanced through the window of the ward, shrugged at me. "I'll get Zac to drive Andy over later. They're still asleep," he began to head towards the exit. "So yeah, it's just me and you."

"Hey Ezra," I said, just as I opened the car door.

"Have you ever talked to them?"

"Huh?" he looked startled. "You mean...talk to the reapers?"

"Yeah, cause I heard them, and I..."

"Whoa, wait a minute," he put out a hand. "You heard them?"

"Uh, yeah, they...they talked to me."

"Oh, sh-," Ezra cursed. I had a feeling that wasn't something he wanted to hear.

"What? What is it?"

"Those voices, they're only heard by some people," Ezra said.

"And those who can hear them eventually become insane."