The Shedding Skin

Chapter Twelve

Once school was over both girls headed to Paulina's place. Morticia texted her Mom that she was spending the weekend with her girlfriend. As they walked Raven started telling Morticia what had happened last night. How the 'little girl' tried to break the door down and how she had almost broken her bathroom door down. That if it wasn't for her neighbor calling the police or breaking the front door, she might have died. It sounded like a really freaky horror movie. And she told her that she saw the 'little girl's' well outside her own place. But when she went outside to investigate it was gone. It seemed like a nonverbal threat. Like she was telling her that she could be in two places at once.

Both girls hurried as they tried to guess what she was. And what she could possibly want from either of them. Raven guessed that she wanted to eat them. That this was just her way of messing with them both before she did. Morticia was going to argue that it might not be the case when, a voice called her name. They turned to see the redheaded girl, Rebecca running towards them. Her left hand waving at them while she gripped her backpack with her right. She shouted to her to wait for her as she got closer. Neither girl moved as she caught up with them. Face almost as red as her hair. Rebecca tried to catch her breath as she said,"Th-thanks for, for waitin' for me...I wanted to talk to you about the rabid dog from this morning."

"Rabid dog? What rabid dog?!",Raven asked as she looked at Morticia. Who realized that she forgot to mention this to her. And she felt her face turn bright red as she said,"Well...there was a rabid dog in the girls' locker room this morning. It attacked a gym teacher...I meant to tell you but it just kinda slipped my mind..."

"Seriously? How does something like that slip your mind?",her girlfriend questioned. And she could only shrug as she gave a nervous laugh. Then she continued,"I was really stressed...I dunno...I'm sorry."

"Who cares if she didn't talk about it?",Rebecca chimed in. Both girls looked at her with puzzled looks. As they continued walking to Paulina's house, she said,"We didn't get hurt. And the person who did get hurt is probably out of the hospital right now with some stitches."

Raven answered,"I guess you're right but it's still something I would like to know."

"I said I was sorry what more do you want?",Morticia asked her. She didn't want to get on her girlfriend's bad side. And it was getting difficult to understand why she was so angry. Raven sighed and she answered,"I want you to tell me when this kinda stuff goes on. It might be linked to that weird 'little girl' that we've been seeing."

"...'little girl'?",Rebecca asked. Looking at Raven, she asked,"You've been seeing a 'little girl' around school too?"

"Yeah and in it.",Raven answered. She frowned slightly as she said,"She was messing with my class this morning. No one but me saw her and she even put her arm through my teacher's chest."

"Is he okay?",Morticia asked. Concern layering her voice as she walked closer to her. In a quiet voice, she answered,"He's fine. It was like she wasn't real or something like that."

"That's too fucking messed up for words.",Rebecca said. And they agreed with that assessment of the situation. It was too damn disturbing to be real. As Raven told them what she said and did, they were finally at the apartment. She told them how she seemed to be trying to keep Raven's attention on herself. And how she just seemed to find sadistic pleasure in popping up where she last expected it. Like this was some sort of game for her. The way she was just toying with them was somewhat familiar. Though none of them were entirely sure what it was. Rebecca suggested,"Sounds like a game of cat and mouse. Like she's Hannibal Lector and you're Clarice Starling and that other guy he maimed."

"Will Graham?",Morticia suggested. And Rebecca nodded as she said,"Yeah, him. It's like she knows your every move or something."

Raven and Morticia stared at each other for a second. This felt like a fair description of what she was doing to them. It seemed much more chilling when it was happening to them. She unlocked the door and let them in as she said,"I'm hoping she isn't that cunning. We really don't need a tiny Hannibal Lector running around eating faces off."

They all sat in the living room as they waited for Paulina. Each girl set out their homework as they traded theories. Rebecca suggested that this was a demon and that she was summoned by accident. Morticia shook her head and said,"No. I don't think that'd be possible. She doesn't exactly behave like a normal demon."

"How would you know how a demon behaves like? Have you summoned one before?",she asked. Raven gave her a questioning look and she answered,"No. But I-""Then she might be one. You don't know for sure.",Rebecca interrupted. A slight smile on her face as she started on her homework. Morticia raised an eyebrow and said,"I've read up on demon summons, Rebecca. There's no demon that I've ever heard of that's like her."

"That doesn't entirely rule out the possibility.",Raven said. It sounded plausible to her as well but Morticia didn't believe it. She felt that she knew more about how demons were summoned than either girl. And she continued,"Guys. I've done a lot of research into this. There's no possible way that she's a demon. She just doesn't have any of the characteristics that other demons have."

"Okay, fine. I was just putting it out there.",Rebecca muttered. Her girlfriend gave her an odd look and sighed. Then there was nothing but awkward silence as Morticia sat there. In a gentle voice, she said,"I'm sorry. That was really harsh of me to say and I shouldn't have been so dismissive of your idea, Rebecca."

"It's okay. I'm kind of hoping that I'm completely wrong.",she said. The three of them continued doing their homework as they waited. Raven showed Morticia pictures of her art class project and how it was progressing. As they were waiting, Morticia's phone started ringing. Her Mom was calling. Finding it odd that she was calling instead of just texting, she answered the phone. She asked,"Hi Mom, is something up? Do you need me to come home?"

"No. I need you to wait outside. Something's happened with Stephanie.",her Mom answered. Her voice sounded strained and small. Her eyes widened as she asked,"What? What happened to Stephanie?"

"She's awake!"