ShadowSong [Book 1 & 2: Complete] [NaNoWriMo16/17]

Chapter 22 - Bedtime Interruptions

And back to the actual story~ 

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Banshee found Amy's house and knocked on the front door.

A woman that looked about fifty answered the door, rubbing her eyes. "Yes, how can I--"

The woman froze, mouth hanging open, her eyes bulging as she was now well and truly awake.

Banshee lifted a hand in greeting and gave her a smile. "Hi! Does Amy live here?"

"I'm dreaming, aren't I?" muttered the woman, smacking her palm against her forehead a few times. She glanced at Banshee, almost suspiciously, like she suspected a trick. "Am I dreaming?"

"Hmm," said Banshee, putting a hand under her chin and attempting a concerned look. "That depends, are you in your underwear or lacking pants?

"Am I--" The woman glanced down and laughed. "Well, I suppose I'm not."

"Helen?" someone called from inside the house. "Who's at the door?"

"Banshee!" the woman called back. "There's a Luminary at our door, Fred! Can you believe it?" She laughed again, a blissful sound that Banshee could have listened to for hours. "But I'm being exceptionally rude--you said you were looking for Amy?"

"Indeed I am," said Banshee, holding out a slip of paper. "She asked me to help her retrieve her crayons at the offerings today."

The woman held out a hand towards Banshee and bowed from the waist before Banshee could stop her. "Bless you, Banshee. You truly are a blessing from Skypillar." A man that matched her age appeared in the hall behind her as she turned. "See, Fred? I'm not crazy just yet. Amy lives two doors down that way, Banshee. May Skypillar guide your steps."

Fred seemed far too stunned to actually make a comment on the matter, and after a quick farewell, Banshee made her way to the right door, well aware of the stares and excited chattering from the woman behind her.

Before Banshee knocked on Amy's door, she could hear the arguments within. It sounded like a few kids and their mother in an all-out verbal war, not unlike those that had once been fought in Olivia's house many years ago.

She knocked on the door.

Excited squeals followed. "She's here! I told you mum, I told you she'd be coming!" Footsteps. The door thrown open. Amy's face staring up at her, completely beaming with smiles. "You came! Mum said you wouldn't so we should go to bed but I knew that you'd come so I--"

Banshee glanced up at an exasperated mother. "I'm sorry if I made bedtime infinitely harder for you tonight."

The mother sighed and gave her a tired smile as Amy's rambles continued. "It's okay, Banshee. I suppose this is a special occasion. Thank you for coming--it means the world to her, just in case you couldn't tell."

"It's no problem at all," said Banshee. "Would you mind if Amy were to show me where I'll be retrieving these crayons from?" Amy went to run out the door, but Banshee stopped her. "Ah, ah, not until your mum says it's okay. I'm just a visitor. She's in charge here."

Amy's raised eyebrow was more than a little hilarious. "What? But you're a Luminary!"

"And she's your mother," said Banshee. "So, mum, is it okay with you, or should I come back tomorrow night?"

"I'm not sure I can handle two nights of her excitement," said Amy's mother. "You can go with Banshee. Listen to her and do whatever she says. Don't pester her."

"I won't!" said Amy, grabbing Banshee's hand and dashing past her. "It's over this way!"

In the middle of Amy's jumping and talking and skipping, the thoughts that'd been haunting Banshee in the past hours were pushed out. She let herself be caught up in Amy's excitement, joining in with the bouncing and jumpy movements as Amy attempted to locate the crayons in the gutter.