The Importance of Being Kept

Chapter 24. Kanna

Kia nerves were on edge. Last night, she'd experienced a haunting by her dead grandmother! She'd watched tv shows about this type of thing, but never thought it would happen to her. Mama Ruth was angry at her! She'd been a bad girl by putting her life in danger following the twins and now she stood beside her bed staring down at her silently. She'd been sleeping alone in a bed by herself because she was still angry at the twins for locking her up. She'd awakened to use the restroom and there she was, her grandmother, standing beside her bed staring at her.

She was BLUE...

Kia screamed and ran straight through her and locked herself in the restroom for the rest of the night. The twins found her sitting on the edge of the tub looking pale and terrified. They asked her what was wrong, she told them she had a nightmare. She slept with them the next night thinking it was just a dream. Her grandmother wouldn't possibly appear again tonight, especially when she was sleeping between the twins. She smiled to herself as she stared up at the roof thinking how silly she was being. It was because she was half sleep that she'd seen a vision of her grandmother, nothing more.

A strange blue light began to flow out of the ceiling. Kia frowned and blinked. She was wide awake, not half sleep so why was she seeing this? The blue light began to take form of her grandmother! Mama Ruth hovered over her and pointed at her angrily.

Kia's terrified scream woke the twins. Darren fell out of bed and grabbed a gun aiming in the darkness to whoever had intruded on them. Kia screamed again when she saw the gun and turned to Bryan who stood by the bed holding a machete ready to do some bodily harm. "Who the hell am I sleeping with, a pair of psychos?!" Kia screamed in frustration.

Darren lowered the gun and stared at her thoughtfully. "Did you have another nightmare, baby?"

Kia nodded and wondered how long she was going to keep this a secret from them. She was afraid if she told them the truth, they'd think she was going crazy, perhaps she was... She glanced at the ceiling, the ghost had disappeared.

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"Why should I bring Kaylee there?" Brandon argued with the twins on the phone. "She's perfectly safe with me and my guys. I've got the entire house guarded."

"Look Brandon, our place is a lot more secure than your bodyguards and you know it," Bryan argued back.

"Kaylee is MY woman and as her MAN I will protect her. You just worry about my sister," Brandon told them arrogantly.

"Brandon, stop acting like a macho fool and listen to us. You know she's safer here, you're just being stubborn," Bryan yelled at him.

Darren pushed him aside. "I got this," he told his annoyed brother. "Brandon we're not saying that you can't protect, Kaylee. We know you can do it, probably better than us."

Bryan raised an eyebrow at that statement.

"The real reason why we need Kaylee with us is because of Kia. I didn't want to tell you this because Kia likes to show everyone how strong she is, but in reality she's taking everything that's happened very badly. She's been having nightmares and she's a nervous mess. We can't get her to talk about it or do anything to make her feel better. We thought maybe Kaylee could help."

Bryan grinned, impressed, and gave his brother a thumbs up.

"Really?" They could hear the concern in Brandon's voice. "I didn't think she'd take it so hard..."

"That's the thing, she isn't okay, Brandon. She and Kaylee are very close if there's anyone that will make her feel better I'm sure it will be Kaylee. We were hoping you'd let her stay here so Kia can deal with everything."