Red Rain

Chapter 14 - Deny It All

"So..." I say, laughing as I look at Dani, who's sitting next to me. "What are you in for?"

"You asking me?" Dani says. "God, I'm just so confused. I mean, I always knew my 'rents were wackjobs, but if that stuff about them being secret government scientists is true...you know, that would actually explain a lot."

"Like what?"

Dani glares at me, and I shut up. She then turns to the souls and asks, "So you guys are all dead? Well, I already knew Steve was dead, but the other two, I don't know you guys."

Freddie steps up to Dani and introduces himself, then Penny does the same before adding, "Yeah, we're officially dead and cremated...or I guess buried, in Steve's case. Do angels still insist on burials?"

"Yeah, I've already been buried back home in LA," Steve says.

"Uh-huh," Dani says, nodding. "And then Paul was the victim of a botched murder attempt by the same guy, who also happens to be Alex's father. Am I right so far?"

"Pretty much, yes," I say. "Wait, in that book you guys checked out, did it say the names of who was involved with Red Rain? Besides Elijah and Rector, I mean."

Freddie shakes his head. "Nobody else's names were mentioned. The book's information was pretty incomplete, anyway. So I'm gonna rely more on Mr. Smythe's explanation."

We stay silent for another few minutes. I look all around the room, taking a look at the wood-paneled walls, until the door opens up again - except it's too soon for Mr. Smythe to have possibly come back from picking up pizza.

It's actually his wife, who steps into the living room, sees Paul sitting there with his eye still bandaged, and then runs over to hug him.

"Mom, I'm okay," Paul says, giving her a quick embrace back before shaking her off gently. "Don't worry about me."

Mrs. Smythe lets Paul go, then looks around wildly. "Where's your father?"

"He's getting dinner," Paul says.

"Oh," Mrs. Smythe says. "Okay. I guess I'll...oh, hello, Steve, Freddie, Penny, Alex. What's going on now?" She looks at each of us, finally spotting Dani last. "We've never met before, have we? I'm Lana Smythe."

"Dani Cabrera," Dani says, shaking her hand.

"Short for Danielle, right?"

"Daniela, actually."

"Oh, I see," says Mrs. Smythe. "Well, I'm still...oh no. He didn't kill you too, did he? I thought he never went after more than one person at a time."

"You know about Elijah?" I ask.

"Of course I do," Mrs. Smythe says. "My husband's never kept me in the dark about his past. He knows he can trust me with his secrets."

"They told me if I didn't come here, I could be next to die," Dani says.

Mrs. Smythe sighs. "Hopefully not anymore. But from what I know, your parents must have been right all along."

"What do you mean?"

"Robert told me they always feared Elijah would escape, and so they packed up and moved to Earth as quickly as they could after their work ended."

Dani shudders. "I figured they were always on to something in some warped way. I mean, the way they..." Her voice trails off, and she sits back down, blushing heavily and biting her thumb.

"Okay..." Mrs. Smythe says. "I'll go take a shower, so I'll be back out in time for dinner, presumably. I guess you kids can just sit tight and wait, then." She leaves the room, and we once again find ourselves in another seemingly endless awkward-ass moment.