Luna's Awakening

15

I ran from the bathroom, barrelled into my room, quickly threw on some clothes, completely ignoring Helen and Johnny as they asked over and over what was going on. I was too frazzled and angry by the encounter with Lilith I didn't even register I'd been naked in front of Johnny.

As soon as I got dressed, I rushed down the stairs, nearly tripping over the steps in my haste, startling Dad.

He jumped from the couch as I ran from the living room and to the kitchen.

"What's going on?" he called after me as I ran towards the basement door. "Grace?!"

I threw the basement door open and ran down the steps. Beth and Anna Marie looked up in surprise as I ran in and yelled, "Lilith was here!"

I heard Dad barrel down the stairs behind me.

"Grace?" he said again, his voice laced with fear and worry. "What's going on?"

"Lilith," was all I said before running back up the basement steps. The others followed me.

Even though I knew she was long gone, I still led them back to the bathroom, where the water to the shower was still running.

I pointed at the shower stall and said, "Lilith came from behind me. She told me she would be going after the people that I loved."

Dad reached over and turned the shower off. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but we need to get Dylan and Shaun over here. And Uncle Richard, Aunt Sarah, Grandma Jenny and Madison. Get them over here. Lilith--"

"Honey, calm down," Dad said and rested his hands on my shoulders. "Let's not overreact here."

I gaped at him. "Did you forget that this ghost gave you a freaking heart attack?!"

He was quiet for a brief moment then said, "Okay, I understand your point, but we can't just call your grandma, aunt, and uncle down here. They all have jobs and live in the next city over."

"Then make up an excuse. This is important."

"I can try, but--"

"You need to do more than try. You need to get them down here no matter what."

"Okay," he relented.

"It is wise to get the rest of your family down here," Beth said. "If Lilith is true to her word, then I don't doubt she will go after them as well."

"I can try to get them down here. My sister has conferences all week, and my brother's wife is expecting a baby, and my mom hasn't been feeling the best."

"Can we go to them?"

He thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "I guess we could try that. We could go up for a surprise visit."

Anna Marie bent down and picked up Ed's book from where I'd thrown it down on the floor. "What's this?"

"A book from my guardian angel," I explained as she opened the book and flipped through the pages. "He writes down messages in there and spells. I tried a banishing spell I used on a spirit on Lilith, but it didn't work on her. It completely unphased her."

Dad frowned. "Guardian angel?"

I nodded. "Remember? The man who came to me in my dreams and