"Are you sure you're okay?" Mason asked for the billionth time.
I assured him that I was fine, but he didn't believe me. He could have thought that I had some kind of trauma after everything I had experienced this evening, but the only thing I felt was relief that I got to come home. My bed had never felt this comfortable; I had never felt more relaxed. The heat that radiated off him was the only warmth I needed. I glanced at the clock on my phone, figuring the sun should rise at any moment, but no. It was barely past ten. It had seemed like we were gone for hours but only minutes had passed.
"That will change as you get more familiar being there," Mason had said. "It just seemed longer because of your earthly soul. The souls perishing down there—some only just arrived; yet they feel like they've been there a millennia already."
I examined my hands, flipping them over. My skin was a few shades darker. An icky substance rose up in my throat. I jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom, leaning over the toilet. Mason held my hair back as I emptied my guts into the bowl. When I finished I raised up and stared at the contents—blood.
"Is this because the date is near?"
"I don't know." He pulled me up and ushered me out of the room. This must be a first for him, too. He said he'd once had an outcast whom was unable to complete its change. He probably hadn't experienced any of the preparatory stunts, either.
We went back to my room and I closed the door, debating whether I should lock it. Nothing was supposed to happen tonight, but it would put my mind at ease knowing that there wasn't any way that anyone could get in. I turned the lock and sighed.
"It won't happen for a couple more months. You'll be safe tonight." Mason kissed my forehead. "You should get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." He opened my window and climbed out. He jumped and barely made a sound when he landed on the ground.
"Goodnight," I called down to him.
"Goodnight."
I smiled as I unmade my bed, thankful that I had such an amazing person to be with. When I had first thought about having a boyfriend, I figured he'd turn out to be a cheater or would be too full of himself to care about me. Mason was neither of those things. He was my protector and friend and nothing more. I laid down and pulled the sheets over me. I curled up in my usual ball and closed my eyes, snug.
Something rattled, and I peeked through my eyelashes. I looked around, finally finding the source of the noise. The doorknob. It twisted and turned uselessly. I got out of bed and tiptoed to the door. I leaned my head against it and then everything was silent. The rattling ceased. The only sound came from the gentle breeze coming in through the window.
"Shoot," I muttered, realizing I had forgot to close it. I rushed over and slid it shut and locked the latch.
The rattling began again. This time it wasn't as loud as before. I crept over to the door and whispered, "Mom, Dad? Is that you?"
No one answered.
Then something banged against the door. It sounded like someone was beating it with a hammer. Louder and louder, harder and harder. I backed away as the hinges came loose and climbed on my bed. I hid under the covers, knowing it would do little to protect me from whoever was out there, but I felt safer being unseen. The door finally fell. I peeked out of the cover, expecting to see a crazy axe murderer or goon, but no one was there. A strange wind blew through the room and my hair flew in every direction.
"You will not win, little one." Shelly's voice drifted through the air. "You cannot defeat me. Mason cannot defeat me. Odd, isn't it? I could not kill Mason, could not possess him because he was the devil's son. Therefore, he cannot kill me." I gasped as the air formed into tentacles and wrapped around my head. She was trying to smother me. I breathed slowly, fighting against the wind's grip. "Only the killer can kill me," she continued. "Only your friend can kill me, but she cannot kill me yet. When she has to kill you, well, she could kill me instead to save you both, but I doubt she'll be able to control herself long enough to listen to you."
