"demon"

part four.Alice

That night, September 23rd 2023, i come home from school.

"Mum!!" I shout. My mum comes down from the stairs.

"Yes love?" She says sweetly.

"Can I go out with my friends?"

"Oh I thought we were-"

"Pleeeeasee" I plead with my hands together feigning a pout

"Oh alright then" mum says, tilting her head and smiling.

"Thanks mum! Love you!" I say quickly, slinging my bag over my shoulder and hugging her for a second.

I wish I held on longer.

I rush out the door to meet with my friends who have already set off, not looking back at the house, at mum.

My friends..toby,Meghan and aleigha were laughing at my joke, I get a phone call and awnser it, still smiling.

"Alice.." My dad's voice is bearly heard from the other side.

"Hang on dad, I can't hear you!"

"One muinite" I say to everyone, standing up and walking to a more quieter place.

"Yes, dad?"

I can hear now, I can hear the faint sound of a little voice crying in the distance on the other end of the call, my brother.

"Dad? Is Jordan okay?" I ask.

"Alice, come home please."

"What? Dad I've only been here for an hour!"

"Alice.." He says quietly

It worries me.

"Alright, uh.. I'll see you."

With that I hang up and tell my friends I have to go.I knock on my house door, my uncle opens it.

"Uncle tom, what are you doing here?" He usually doesn't visit.

He doesn't awnser, just opening the door more and letting me in.Dad is hugging Jordan on the couch, Jordan is crying and my dad holds back tears, he looks up at me, pats my brother on the back and stands up.

"Alice."

"Dad what's going on?" I look around "where's mum?"

Dad looks down as I say the last bit. My heart thumps.

"Dad?.."

"Alice.Your mother.." He starts, my hands are already making there way to my mouth anxiously like my trying to shield myself for what he is about to say.

"An animal..your.." He can't say it.

"She has passed."
My uncle finishes. I gasp.

"Alice! Can you awnser question 3?" The teachers voice snaps me back to reality.

"Uh.. Question 3.." The girls at the back of the class giggle.

"Uh- three thousand plus nine squared..?"

The teacher nods.I get on with my work.His voice drifting into background noise as I get lost in my thoughts again.

They say the front row in the funeral is different, the family and closest friends of the passed.

The daughters.

As I watched my mums casket at the front of the church, I thought about how I went out with my friends, even when me and her was ment to watch movies together. If give the world to to that. I can go out with my friends when I want, but I can -never- cuddle up with my mum and binge again, I thought about how I only hugged her for a moment, practically running out the door when I should of stayed, not let her go for that walk. Told her to be safe.

How I hate myself for laughing with my friends, whilst my mum was fighting for her life on the concrete.

The doctors said when she was found, she was already gone.Her hands holding the side of her neck, she tried to stop the bleeding but it wouldn't stop. The bite marks of that stupid animal was to deep.

The bell rings.I stand up almost immediately, grabbing my pencil case and shoving it into my bag, glancing at my door.

I glance at it again, Morgana stands on the other side waiting for me.

I'm the first to leave
"Morana,you remembered my classes?"

"Yes, I knew you would be here."

"Well that makes it easier, you ready?"

She nods.She is coming over mine for a sleepover, her idea.

At the house, we go upstairs, I place.my bag down on my bed.

"Is this your mother?" She asks, picking up a picture of my mum holding baby me. I look at it.

"Yes."

"What was her name?"

"Johanna." I say.

"That's a pretty name"

I nod.

"What happened to her?" Morana asks.

"She was attacked by an animal, it bit her neck and she.. Bled out."

"Oh" she says quietly, placing the picture back down gently on my desk.

I take out the book, the grimoire.

"Morana can you read it please? Or.. Teach me or something?"

She nods, sitting down on the edge of my bed, I also sit down. I open the book and pass it to her.

She reads along with her finger, quietly reading it to herself.

"January fifteenth '56.. Obstructing fires flames.." Then her voice trails off.