Retaliation: the beginning

Chapter 37 :"Haunted house cliché_end_"

They took the first step down, Shane darting around even though he couldn't see anything. The place was really weird. And the smell! God, it was like something died there!

He wrinkled his nose and started walking around after his eyes got used to the darkness. Well not really. The final step was in front of a thick metal door, the design looked like a bomb shelter.

"What the...?" Shane muttered and shone his light towards the wheel in the middle of the door, Aaron grabbed it with both hands turning it against the clock until it slipped and opened on its own revealing a view none of them expected to see, two corpses.

Shane looked away covering his nose with his sleeve, the smell was so strong it made him slightly dizzy; his knees went weak and failed him.

Strong arms caught his in time.

"you alright?" Aaron garbled and inspected his eyes for any signs of malfunction.

"I'm fine." He almost whispered.

Aaron looked over his shoulder and when he saw the miserable expression on the hunter's face he swallowed. "Come on let's head upstairs."

"No, we need to figure out what happened here it's clearly related to our situation." He said quietly. Aaron nodded. They decided to look around the room; it was small and cramped up with dusty boxes, the only furniture stood there were the bed that the corpses lied on. They were two, their faces were faded showing only the skull but judging by the clothes they were a male and a female.

"I think that's the farmer and his wife." Shane informed pointing at the wedding rings on both corpses.

"Wait if that's the farmer's body, whose body did the demon take?" asked Aaron as the answer struck him immediately "His daughter?"

"He didn't trap us here to kill us; he wants us to help him get rid of the demon possessing his child." Shane continued.

Thick, strawberry blond hair hung in loose waves all the way down to her waist While she ran toward Kimberly. Her surprising, slender grace was impressive thanks to her long legs. Her smooth, bright skin gave the impression that she was just been born which made Kimberly slightly jealous since people occasionally complimented her skin.

"Damn! Luck is sure not by our side today!" Brian exclaimed.

Elias made a weird sound "For god sakes, what does she want with us?"

"Our heads in a platter isn't it obvious neh Harper?" Timmy pointed out.

"Harper," the girl's lips curled into a devious smile "Harper," she repeated.

"I think she wants to kill you first Ely." Brian joked.

Elias gulped as the mysterious girl stared at him "Marah came to help us daddy!" she giggled.

"Daddy?" Kimberly wondered.

Elias looked astonished as he mumbled under his breath "Marah?"

"I'm pretty sure she's nyat talking about me." says Tim, somehow managing to keep his humor despite the situation.

Elias' mind was full of mixed up ideas and he definitely wasn't going to go down without an answer, he had nothing to lose. "Okay fine then come at me, see what happens." He said walking ahead of the hunter who stood there watching in surprise. "Wait what?"

Elias and the girl ran for each other, however the boy never reached her, the only thing he saw was this reflection of golden eyes on a dagger signed with a cross that seemed so familiar. The moonlight poured through the shattered dark clouds lit a pale face behind the dagger, Shane's.

It took moments later for him to finally understand what happened, Aaron and the hunter came just in time to help.

"Are you okay?" Aaron asked as he ran toward him, voice as fragile as glass.

"Yeah." was all Elias said in response until he caught the girl with a slash of blood on her back as she reached for her blade "Watch out!" he screamed out his lungs but the demon howled and struck at the closest person near her, Shane. She knocked him aside as his dagger slid on the floor. The possessed girl was now more determined to kill one of them, it was a shame her eyes landed on Shane first, the young hunter rolled and got to his feet, but Elias could see from the way he was holding his arm that he'd been hurt. By the time he stood steadily on his limbs the demon was already racing for her final blow. Kimberly screamed as the demon neared her brother but she immediately caught her breath when she saw Aaron in the air right above her. He flung the dagger at the demon; landing straight in the girl's chest while she finally disappeared bursting into flames.

Shane lay on the floor where the demon had thrown him. He was struggling to sit up looking wild eyed at the Are that just saved his life, he never thought that the things he haunted could ever save his life for no reason what's so ever.

Aaron stood there as a smile spread on his face "That's for earlier." He winked at the hunter who coughed and spit red.

At that moment the front door flew open. For a moment all they saw was brightness. Then, blinking away the fiery afterimage, they saw Derek standing in the open doorway.

"Derek!" Aaron had almost forgotten he existed.

"I found the exit." He declared.

"Derek!" Brian descended on him with a hug that nearly overbalanced him.

Derek looked uncomfortable "Okay that's enough kid." He said trying to flee Brian's grip.

Elias laughed when a hand landed on his shoulder; he glanced at Aaron who admitted his crime right away "Guess who we lost on the second floor."

"Come on guys" Brian called holding the front door open "the door might disappear again!"

Elias turned and noticed they were the only ones left inside along with Shane who stood awkwardly behind. Aaron turned and grinned at him; there was something in his look Shane hadn't seen before, that glitter in his eyes. Triumph.

"Shane!" Kimberly cheered when the boys finally came out of that creepy house, running toward her brother for a hug that he accepted with a smile.

"Hey I didn't know your face could do that." Aaron joked; Shane couldn't help but to blush running a hand through his blond hair. He laughed at his reaction; a blushing hunter wasn't something you see every day.

Timothy stood in front of Aaron as he held out a hand "Neh thank you for saving my cous." He said.

Aaron accepted to shake his friendly hand.

"Is this a peace offering?" Elias clamped his lips together.

"I can't say for sure," Timmy grinned and turned to Shane "what do you say cous?"

Shane nodded "As long as you stay out of trouble, hunters won't come after you. I give you my word."

"Yeah I don't trust 'air words' how about 'paper words'? contract perhaps?" Brian piped in.

"Don't push it sweetie." Kimberly chuckled.

"For now we need to clean up," he turned to look at the cheerleader behind them "We will make sure no one sets a foot in this house again." Shane informed.

"So I guess we're calling Clay," Kimberly remarked putting a hand on her hip "You guys better not be here when he arrives."