Demon's eye

Chapter 5: There's No Place Like Home

     When that foul ghoul uttered those words, I stopped. I was tempted to bolt for the nearest exit, but my mother kept me steady and shook her head to discourage me from doing so. The ghoul continued to move closer to the bedroom door, making it bitter cold. I gasped, but bit my tongue to help shut me up. Its moaning started to transform into guttural growling. The smell of rotting flesh was so powerful, my vision started to blur. 

     "Come out, come oouuut. I can smell you. There's... three- No- four of you in there. Ooh-" The ghoul sounded interested and hungry. "The little one is unconscious.... That'll be easy. As soon as I get rid of you, of course." The ghoul laughed, a noise more painful than the sound of nails on a chalkboard. I looked at my parents for insight as of what to do. Neither of them responded. 

     What really chilled me to the bone wasn't just the bitter cold it emanated, but the feeling at the back of my head. It was some sort of instinct that told me this thing, this ghoul was not to be played around with. Why would a ghoul be here anyway? What could they possibly want from a family like us? Well, now that I've just recently discovered that my family is full of a bunch of wizards, I have no idea. 

    My mother interrupted my thoughts with a sudden cry. I snapped my head towards her. Her face was contorted with rage as the ghoul tried to open the door. My father had gone. The fact that he disappeared so suddenly without making as much as a peep was sort of disturbing to me. Usually when he does that I assume I'm too lost in thought to have remembered or heard where he went. But I know I wasn't now. Everything was crystal clear. Everything was louder than it really was. Everything was bigger, brighter than it actually was. Everything was in sharp contrast, highlighting even the smallest detail. 

     It's amazing what adrenaline will do to you. 

     My mother had continued to utter curse words to the force behind the door. Opal was now on my parent's bed, the pale blue essence around her still present. 

     I whispered to my mother. "Where's dad?"

     "Gone. Getting our focus charms." She muttered between more curses. 

     I was confused at the term focus charms. I didn't have time to ask before the force had splintered the door. Its sickly, elongated claw peeked into the room. 

     "Come, make this easier on yourselves. Present yourselves to me now and I might end you quickly." The raspy voice once again made an unwanted appearance in my eardrums. 

     "Violet, get out of the house." My mothered uttered the words. 

     "Wait a minute, what? But-" 

     "Just. Go. We'll try to catch up as soon as we can."

     "Where do I-"

     "Go to your aunt's house. Her address is on the paper slip on the nightstand. Now take Opal and go! Look, if we don't return within a week, then you're going to have to live with her. We both love you, ok? But you have to go- now!" The door's splintering grew. The ghoul's claw continued to reach out more and more. My mother was starting to hit the hand with whatever was in reach. The lamp, the books, anything. 

     I was lost for words. A million thoughts were rushing in my head, making me dizzy, but nonetheless, I picked up Opal and headed for the window. Right as I reached the window sill, I heard the door crack. I took a split second to look behind me where the source of the noise was, praying to a god that I don't believe in that it was my father coming to save the day. 

     But no. It wasn't. It was the ghoul. It had finally found its way into the room. My mother stood in front of it, distracting it from Opal and me. The ghoul looked slightly irritated for a second, then lost its patience. 

     With a single slice of its claw it gutted my mother like a fish. 

     What was most disturbing was the noise. First, it sounded like a slice. But what came after was nothing like what it was in the movies. I had heard a splatter. Then a whimper. Then a thud. I saw my mother laying on the ground in a fetal position, mustering a few sickly grunts. The ghoul had begun to descend on her when I jumped out of the window. I ran as fast as I could towards the entrance of my neighborhood. Nobody was outside to question what I was doing or why. 

     That was the day I lost my childhood.