Veiled

Chapter 3

My head snaps up from my desk and I let out a muffled cry, heart bouncing in my chest as I try and rescue my thoughts from sleep.

I pull off the paper that's stuck to my cheek and quickly look around. My bedroom is dark except for the light above my desk. I'm alone, though I could have sworn those three knocks came from someone pounding on the desk beside me. That's how much it rattled me.

I try and catch my breath, taking air in deep and slow. I reach for my phone to check the time, wondering how long I've been asleep, wondering if Perry and Dex are still downstairs watching TV, when there's a flutter at the window.

I gasp and whirl around, nearly falling out of my chair.

Something black flashes past outside the window, the light's reflection on the glass obscuring most of it.

Holy shit.

I'm on the second floor but that doesn't really matter because once upon a time, Perry saw a demon on the roof and then fell off said roof trying to run from it. I could never figure out why she even went out there but now I know.

Complete morbid curiosity.

I slowly get out of my chair and edge toward the window, heart in my throat, watching my reflection get closer as I approach it. I reach for the window edge to open it the rest of the way.

I'm just about to open it when an intense chill runs over my limbs, like someone's just dumped a bucket of ice water down my arms and back.

A slow, laborious creak comes from behind me.

From the closet.

I freeze.

Suddenly the window doesn't seem so interesting anymore.

Even though it feels like iced lead is running through my veins, permeating my body and I'm certain I can't move even if I tried, I'm turning around.

The closet door is open a few inches even though I know it was closed before.

Maybe it was the wind, I tell myself.

There is no wind. If anything, the room has become still, like all the air and smell and life has been sucked out of it and the only thing left is dust.

Maybe I'm dreaming.

I'm always dreaming.

With that in mind, my feet start moving across the room, the rug cold on my soles. I'm poised, every nerve in my body ready to spring, my heart beating so fast I swear it has wings.

I stop outside the closet door and stare dumbly at the crack. The space taunts me with the dark depths behind it. In this moment it feels like it's not a closet at all, instead it's something infinite. A doorway to something horrible.

My hand slowly reaches for the doorknob.

I pause, my hand shaking, losing all nerve to grab it.

Then . . .

"Help me, Ada," a faint voice rasps from inside the closet.

The voice of my mother.

The light in the closet goes on.

I scream.

My whole body launches backward and I'm running for the door out of my room and into the hallway.

I run right into Dex.

"Ada," he says, grabbing my shoulders. "What is it, what happened?"

My mouth flaps open, soundless as I stare at him and then Perry as she appears behind him, coming out of my old bedroom.