Home (Book 1 of the Sight series)

Chapter Three

Daniel took Katrina to an old abandoned building. It was one of those creepy, age-old mansions on the outskirts of town that used to be worth something, but was now a neglected house, which could fall apart at any second.

He watched as Katrina took in her surroundings, tapping on walls to test their sturdiness. She lightly ran her fingers along the peeling paint of a wall, tracing them along the intricate patterns.

"What are you doing?" He asked her.

"Taking in the beauty before it's gone. I've learned recently that if you take something for granted, it's going to slip away from you faster than you know it." It was obvious that something was on her mind. Katrina's pretty face suddenly took on a darker edge as she recalled the events of the past three weeks.

Silently, Daniel went into the living room, leaving her to do what she pleased. He sat on the dusty floor, ignoring the fancy couches wrapped in plastic. It occurred to him that the place really was once beautiful, before time took its toll on it.

After several minutes of gazing around himself at the antiques and once-expensive furnishings, Katrina entered the room and sat down on the floor next to him.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"It's safe. The amount of dust messes with demons' senses and masks your scent. Your only concern now should be ghosts."

"Those don't exist too, do they?"

He didn't answer. Surely she'd realize that myths weren't just myths anymore. The supernatural world was rising, pushing its way into the light. Daniel could almost smell the increase in the number of demons that had attacked.

She sighed, just as her cell phone began to ring. "Hello?... Yeah, um, I just went to a friend's house... No, I can't visit the hospital today, I have work... Okay, love you too, Mom."

When Katrina hung up, she faced Daniel. "How long are we staying here exactly?"

"Long enough for the demons to settle and return to their hiding places."

"I've got work at six, would you mind giving me a ride?"

Around five-thirty, Daniel drove Katrina back into town. She directed him toward the core of Casper. This neighborhood wasn't particularly safe, and had a reputation for being the most dangerous part of town. As he drove, Katrina stared out the window, noticing more boarded-up windows and less people walking the streets.

This area was known for its ever-present gangs, homeless people, and drug dealers. Some people even fit into all three categories.

However, the area also housed the most job opportunities and better chances of being paid. "Right around the corner. There it is, Lucy's Diner."

Daniel gave her a look, and she shrugged. "What?"

He shook his head, bringing his eyes back to the road.

Once inside the diner, Katrina went into the back to put on her uniform -dark jeans, an apron, and a white golf shirt with Lucy's logo on it- and emerged from the kitchen with a pad of paper and a sharpened pencil. She strode over to a table with a smile on her face. "Hi, welcome to Lucy's Diner. May I take your order?"

As the people spoke, she jotted down numbers of the dishes, which had all been memorized by her second day on the job. She waited while a boy leafed through the menu, and took that as a chance to slip a glance at Daniel, who had taken a seat in the far corner of the small diner. He was watching her again with those dark, endless eyes of his.