TEN
Sighing, I stretched out on the hotel bed. 'I haven't slept in one of these in a LONG time Dex.'
'Normal people aren't SUPPOSED to sleep in hotel rooms all their lives, Trixie.' Dexter said, sitting at the table on his laptop.
'We did, and there's nothing wrong with us.' I said.
'Are you kidding?' He laughed scornfully. 'What part of our lives is normal? Even today, you got the crap beaten out of you, and I haven't been with you twenty four hours!'
'Yeah, so?' I shrugged, but it hurt.
'And, what, that's normal in yours and dad's book? It's just another day on the job?' He asked incredulously.
'No.' I shook my head. 'I haven't met any hot guys yet. AFTER that is when it's just another day on the job.'
'Of course.' He shook his head and turned back.
'Of course.' I let go of a breath and stretched out. ''Night, Dexter.'
'Yep.' He sighed.
When I woke up the sun was rising again- from the next day. Yawning, I sat up and looked around, and was shocked for a second to see Dexter sleeping in the other bed across from mine. Then- unfortunately- the previous day came back, and I rubbed my aching face tiredly. 'Just another day on the job.' I whispered.
I stood and padded over to the table, opening Dexter's laptop to see what he was researching.
'Jeez, and people says I'm obsessed with my work.' I shook my head and sat at the table, reading through the news articles he had found.
'Homicidal Doctor?' I whispered. It was WAY too close for comfort how simular this doctor was to the one I had found a few years ago that cut organs out of people, WHILE THEY WERE STILL AWAKE, to make himself...
'immortal.' 'That's...creepy good, and not in the good way.' I whispered.
'Why are you looking this up, Dexter?'
Still reading, there were three other articles- about random deaths that the ignorant people couldn't make heads or tales of.
Dexter's mobile buzzed suddenly, making me jump and Dexter stir.
Growling silently, I went over and picked it up, answering it so the ringtone shut off.
'Hello?' I whispered.
'Hello Bella.' I heard Gloria's voice, and hung my head in annoyance.
'What do you want, bitch?' I asked, stepping outside into the cold.
'That's not a very nice way to greet your friends, now, is it?' She pouted.
'You're not my friend, you just possessed her body.' I spat.
'But...you don't have friends, do you Bella? You've got your family, you've got all the boys you've met...but that's it, isn't it?' She giggled.
'How long have you been calling my brother?' I asked, sliding down the closed door.
'Not long. But Ruby's seen him for awhile now.' She laughed again.
I sucked in a breath. 'You've been possessing Ruby for awhile now.' I breathed. Which meant she'd been dead for awhile now too.
'Why don't you just leave us alone?' I snapped. I already knew the answer, but still. 'What do you want from us? The Crossroads Demon already has dibs over my ass, and you lot can't touch my family. So what do you want?'
'I just want to play.' She said sadly. 'I haven't played grown up games for a very long time now.'
'I don't care!' I cried. A guy walked past me and I smiled slightly at him as he smiled back. 'Stop calling my brother and leave us alone!' I spat, and hung up.
Standing up, I opened the door and jumped as Dexter faced me, sitting up in his bed.
'Crap dude! You scared the...well the crap out of me!' I cried, breathing hard. 'What?'
'Tell me what you did with the Crossroads Demon.' He said, deadly quiet. 'Don't lie. Not to me, not anymore.'
'I've never lied to you, Dexter.' I said angrily, still standing in the doorway.
'Oh really?' He laughed derisively. 'What about when we were kids? You and dad NEVER told me ANYTHING.'
'That's not true.' I tried to smile but it didn't work. 'I...I never lied to you...I just didn't tell you everything!'
'Yeah, that counts as lying.' He said quietly, annoyed.
September 1996
'Where'd dad go?' Dexter asked, sitting up on the wrought iron bed.
'I told you already, he's gone out hunting.' I said, pushing all the empty cans and burger wrappers off my bed and stretching on it. The moon shone brightly over the closed motel windows, shining on the salt dad had laid out a few days earlier.
'Hunting what?' He asked, facing me, his brown hair falling over his eyes.
'Don't ask questions, Dex.' I said, sighing. Normal girls that were ten years old would be worrying about, I don't know, their barbie doll's heads falling off from their evil little brothers. I had to worry about protecting mine and making it through the night.
'I know why you sleep with a gun under your bed.' He said suddenly.
'What? I don't-'
He leant forward and lifted up my pillow, revealing the 9mm sig saucer underneath- my last birthday present.
I slapped his hand out of the way and pushed my pillow back. 'No, you don't Dexter. Go to sleep.'
'It's because of what dad hunts, isn't it? Why we had to leave mum?'
'Don't!' I yelled, standing up. 'Don't bring mum into this, and you leave dad alone. Don't ask questions! Just go to sleep!'
Dexter sighed, having way too much patience for a six-year-old...or a normal one, at any rate. He laid on his stomach, back to me, and pulled something out under his bed.
'What is that?' I asked slowly.
'It's dad's- it's full of monsters and all this other stuff. I thought you and dad said the monsters under my bed aren't real?' He asked.
I snatched the book out of his hands, keeping it closed. 'Don't go through dad's stuff!' I yelled, and he scooted back a bit under my anger. 'Don't delve into things you shouldn't, OK? Just stay out!' Seething, I stood up and grabbed my jacket, heading for the door.
'Where're you going?' He cried.
'Out.' I snapped. 'Don't let anyone in, and if you touch anything, I will end you.'
