It was difficult to wrap my head around - reading all these things about the supernatural. It was impossible to say if this was the correct information and then there was also the terrifying knowledge of that there might be more. That the world was filled with horrifying creatures, looming in the dark. But if people posted it on the internet that must mean that they survived, that you can survive this.
There was also the possibility of it being false information, then we would be screwed.
Zayn stirred beside me, a soft groan escaping his lips. I saw his eyes slowly fluttering open, his hands going up to rub them. Quickly looking back at the screen, I waited for him to say something. There was a short silence in which I pretended to be busy, tapping my fingers against my leg while I chewed slowly on my bottom lip.
‘’How long was I out? Did you find anything?’’ He was looking at me with sleepy eyes, which for once had a spark in them. I eyed him curiously before shrugging, turning my attention back to the bright screen. Zayn already seemed to be changing, even though it was incredibly small. It was a start.
‘’Two hours, tops. And I think I found something, although I’m not sure,’’ I informed him. From the corner of my eye I saw him nod thoughtfully, gazing at the screen before turning his attention back to me. He was looking at me expectantly, so I opened a tab and went to the webpage I found.
‘’So, basically… It could be a crossroads demon? And here it says the person is given ten years to live after the deal is made.’’ Zayn tensed beside me, his eyes quickly scanning the page.
‘’Ten years? My father’s diary… he said the demon gave him ten years. This must be it.’’ It seemed we had found another piece of the puzzle, but it didn’t feel as good as I expected. There was only the feeling of doom hanging over our heads, waiting to crush us. This was a demon, and we were only humans. I read the page two more times before frowning and voicing something I had been thinking about for a while.
‘’But it doesn’t make sense. Your father made the deal, and according to this website only he would… you know. And that doesn’t explain your situation.’’
‘’Let’s talk to the demon, then.’’ I could only look at Zayn in shocked silence. He had said it in such a casual way, as if contacting a demon wasn’t going to be incredibly dangerous. But, it seemed to be our only hope. It still didn’t sit well with me.
‘’There’s a way to summon it. Do you think your father would still have the items?’’
‘’Only one way to find out.’’
***
It felt as if a few seconds had passed, but in reality it was much longer. Whenever I looked at the time it was like I was trying to keep water from slipping through my fingers. Wishing for it to go slower didn’t work, and we already found ourselves in his father’s office, scanning the room.
‘’Where do you suggest we look? It’s not like he bothered to hide his diary so finding this shouldn’t be too difficult,’’ I remarked. Zayn merely nodded, stepping away from his spot next to me to run his fingers along the empty desk. I stood in the doorway as quietly as possible, trying not to interrupt his thought process. My eyes were trained on him as he scanned the floor for items that he had swiped off the desk. He bent down and came back up with a music box, an arm of the ballet dancer inside had broken off.
‘’I always wondered why he kept this on his desk.’’ My feet finally seemed to move, carrying me towards him. This time I left the discovering to him and watched as he inspected the music box. Only after holding it upside down did something happen: the piece of wood the dancer was attached to moved, sliding down the tiniest bit. I watched as Zayn left the box on the desk to rummage around in the drawers, retrieving a letter opener.
‘’You think this is it? We would be extremely lucky,’’ I pointed out. He shrugged, not wasting a moment and jabbing at the box with the letter opener. I waited anxiously, biting down on my bottom lip. If we found the materials, we would be one step closer to solving this, but one step closer to the demon. It was either going to help us or be the end of us. I tried not to dwell on that.
There was a dull pop and then silence. I could feel my brow furrowing when Zayn burst out in laughter, for only a few seconds. He turned the box around to show me the contents, which I assumed were the things mentioned on the webpage: a photograph of the summoner, graveyard dirt, a black cat bone, and yarrow.
‘’I can’t believe, he – this is my sister’s old music box.’’ A shiver ran through me and Zayn looked like he was going to be sick, giving the box a disgusted look. I couldn’t imagine what it felt like to discover that your own father kept all these secrets from you. To find out that maybe the person you knew, never really existed. And we had barely scratched the surface of his father’s hidden past.
I took the box from Zayn’s hands, closing the lid and placing it next to the forgotten ballet dancer on the desk. He looked tired, absolutely drained, the earlier spark in his eyes nearly gone. With his gaze focused on the floor, I could tell where his thoughts were going.
‘’Zayn? Look at me.’’ After shaking him a bit his eyes finally met mine, filled with doubt and maybe even fear.
‘’There’s no telling what we will find, what we will uncover. But just know that I’m here, and you don’t have to face these things alone. You’re not alone.’’ He smiled weakly, but it was a big step. There was a hint of uncertainty in his movements, but he slowly stepped forward to hug me, placing his chin on my shoulder and wrapping his arms around me with a tightness that spoke volumes. I wasted no time in responding, letting him know without words that I would indeed not abandon him. I would go on this journey with him, especially if so many things had already happened.
But this was only the beginning.
I love hugs :). And it looks like Zayn needs them..
Thank you so much for the support! 100 votes already! The next update will be on Thursday.
All the love xxx <3
