Tainted

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"No freaking way! I knew it!" Sarina jumped up and down excitedly, "How cool is this?"

"Seth's a real demon? A creature from the bible, that comes from hell?" Mark asked slowly, as if he said the words out loud he could make Nova see how crazy that was.

Nova slumped a little in her grandfather's chair. She drew her knees up the her chest, pint of cookie dough ice cream forgotten. She really loved this chair, every time she sat in it she could smell her grandfather's cologne, and she felt little again, so many memories were of her

sitting in her grandpa's lap, him reading a book to her. Part of her wished she could go back in time to that little girl.

When she had gotten to the house earlier, Sarina was waiting on the steps. They always faced grandpa together, no matter what. They had never seen their grandfather so angry. He asked them where they were and when they didn't answer, he proceeded to give them a thirty minute lecture.

Both of the girls felt guilty, but there was no way they could tell him what had really happened. So when he continued to demand there whereabouts, they looked at each other and answered as truthfully as possible. They went to a friends house and spent the night.

Then he did the most surprising thing of all. He drew up quiet with an odd expression on his face. He seemed to study each girl's face for a moment and nodded. He turned towards the window and let out a slow breath, suddenly looking older than his fifty plus years. Nova and Sarina waited knowing there was more to come. But it didn't. He said nothing for so long the girls thought he was waiting for them to go to their rooms, so when his voice startled them as they were walking out the door, they froze.

"Girls, there so much in life that I can't protect you from.." he started, the girls instantly feeling guilty, "I am an old man, I have faced many things in my days. As a preacher I have heard things that would shock most people.

Sometimes its ugliness can eat at the stoutest of souls" He paused, lost in his words. The girls slowly etched their way back inside the room. Neither knew what to say to their

grandfather's new line of approach, what was he trying to say?

Finally he shook his head and gathered his thoughts, "You girls are the only family I have left. Please be careful, make that effort to come back to me." He said fiercely as he walked out the side door that led into his personal study.

"What was that suppose to mean?" Sarina turned her wide eyed gaze on Nova.

"I have no idea" Nova replied, her focus still on the spot there grandfather had left. What was he saying? That they were going somewhere? The girls stood in silence for another moment before they went to their rooms.

Nova shook her thoughts and looked at Mark, refusing to back down. She knew what happened, there was no way she could have made it all up, she wasn't that creative.

"Look Mark, I know how crazy that sounds. I feel a little nuts right now just talking about it." She took a deep breath, this had been the longest weekend of her life.

She just wanted to go somewhere and hide. Maybe everyone would go away and her life could return to normal. But as she imagined Seth leaving her, she felt his loss like a part of her was missing.

They sat for hours arguing every possibility for what had happened. Mark slowly came around as the girls recreated every event from the past two days. Sarina went in detail explaining Mayan's words and what she remembered from the parking lot the other day.

Now that Nova knew the truth she listened to Sarina for the first time without criticism. She would never doubt her sister again. Well, maybe those drinks she mixes. But that was it. Did that mean she was losing her faith in God? She asked herself. No, if anything all of this only confirms her beliefs. God had made these creatures. And they were here for a reason, whether they fully realized it or not.