What Should Have Been

Djinn (Chapter 2)

"What?"

"Do as your told and go pack a bag!"

I ran up the stairs with tears in my eyes. Dad never yelled so this had to be serious.

I had packed and ran out the door where dad was waiting by the Impala. "Where are we going Dad?"

He handed me a laptop, "Look up any strange deaths or disappearances. If I know your mother that is where she will be."

I tried finding something that could help, but the more that google told me 'no search found', the more panicked I got. "I can't find anything!!"

"It's okay. Try searching for any kidnappings in the local area."

I tried searching for anything out of the ordinary and I couldn't find anything. "Dad...there isn't anything."

"Give me the damn thing...." He ripped the laptop out of my hands and started searching for things.

An hour later he tossed the laptop in the back of the car and took off driving. "Dad...?"

"What?"

"Is mom gonna be okay?"

"I'm sure she will be. We just have to find her."

"I should have listened to her when she was telling me. This is all my fault." I felt like I was about to cry.

"Don't you dare think that this is your fault; shit happens. Especially in this line of work. Now when I figure out what we are dealing with, I will let you know how we can kill it."

"Wait I'm gonna have to kill someone?"

"Unfortunately, but I will be there to help so you're not doing it alone." He patted my shoulder and went back to driving.

"Abby...." Dad shook me awake. "We're here."

I opened my eyes slowly and tried to open the door but Dad was already there and picking me up. He put me in a motel bed and I fell asleep instantly.

Dad woke me up earlier than usual and we went to the place he thought she would be in. We travelled for a few hours and we stopped outside an abandoned building. "Why would she be here?"

"She was taken by a Djinn. They like to hide in abandoned buildings...I should know."

"So how do we...?"

"Take it out? We have to stab it with a knife covered in lamb's blood. It's a good thing I keep that in the car."

"Why do you keep that in your car?" I honestly didn't want to know why dad had that in his car.

"In case things like this happen. Just kidding I was thinking it was going to be this so I prepared. Are you ready?"

"He took mom. Of course I'm ready."

"That's my girl." We walked into the building and I hung onto the back of his shirt and then I saw mom. She was hanging from the ceiling by her wrists and there were tubes taking her blood out of her body. I was watching my mother die.

I felt the tears brim in my eyes and dad stopped and saw her too. I ran up to her and hugged her tightly. Dad pulled the wires out and cut her down and caught at her. Mom still didn't wake up and I started crying.

"Come on baby...please wake up...please."

"Daddy...what's happening...?" I leaned on dad's shoulder and I noticed the knife was sitting on the ground in front of him. I heard footsteps behind me and I picked up the knife and stabbed the Djinn with it; he fell over dead.