It's us {Dani and Jamie}

Oh, Miss Clayton

14
- Dani-

"Miss Clayton, what's going on?" Miles cried, looking between the frantic adults with wide eyes, "Why is Owen so wet?"

"Just get your coat on Miles." Dani said, stuffing the boy's arms in the first jacket she could find on the hook, "Jamie, grab the keys to your truck!"

"On it." Said the gardener, racing out of the entrance room.

Hannah stood kneeled to Flora's height a few feet away, coaxing her gently, "Come on Honey, we've got to get going now."

"But I don't want to leave."

"There's some scary things out by the lake-"

Owen stood shivering in the corner, "-yeah a bloody dead body-"

"Owen!" Hannah hissed, "Flora, it's alright love, we've just got to get our coats on."

"I know what's out there, I'm not afraid." She insisted, "She's not scary."

Owen's eyes still bugged five times their size and Dani worried something had snapped in him down in that water. He approached the little girl he cared for so much and took her small hands in her own, "I believe you now, Flora, about your imaginary friend," He whispered, "She's real, she's so, so real but that means she's dangerous. She wants to hurt people, she wants to hurt you."

The girl pulled her hands away, "No she doesn't."

"She does, she tried-she tried to hurt me."

Flora's brown eyes darkened, "But she loves me."

"I don't know what that thing has been saying or doing to make you think that she loves you, but-"

"SHE DOES!" The floor trembled under the stomp of the eight year old's foot, "SHE DOES LOVE ME!"

Just before running to Flora, the au pair turned to Miles, who looked utterly terrified.

God, I only have so many hands! She thought miserably.

Thankfully, Jamie, her knight in denim-armor came to the rescue, steering the boy outside with a supportive squeeze of Dani's hand.

"I'll wait for you in my truck, Dani," She said as she opened the door, "Hannah, Owen, take Miles and just get going, alright? Take Owen's car. Let Dani handle this one, yeah?"

The two of them nodded reluctantly, and followed Miles and Jamie outside.

That left the girl and the au pair.

Dani crouched down, trying to see through whatever paranormal shit had clouded Flora's eyes, but only saw rigid, sickly sweet darkness.

"Oh, Miss Clayton, you understand." She said calmly, smiling a bit, "She loves you just as much as she loves me. I know you've felt it."

Dani's eyes widened.

"Yes, you've felt it, same as me," She continued, patting her on the cheek, "You just didn't want to admit it. And the gardener has felt it too. Except the opposite, of course, of love. She didn't tell you, but she even saw our imaginary friend."

"What are you-?"

"Our friend has made it very clear what she wants, Miss Clayton, but she doesn't like it when we don't do it."

"Flora-"

"She gets awfully mad..."

"Flora." Dani said, hardening her voice, grabbing the girl's hand probably too tightly, "We. Are. Going."

She smiled sweetly, "Whatever you say, Miss Clayton."

Dani swallowed hard as they stepped into the night. She risked a glance towards the lake, but saw nothing. She shivered a bit, opening the back door of Jamie's truck and helping a suddenly eerily calm Flora into the seat.

"Alright, Poppins?" Jamie asked, eyeing Dani carefully as she got into the passenger's seat.

"No," She sighed, clicking her seatbelt, "But drive anyway."

The gardener nodded.

The gate. 20 feet away. 15 feet. 10. 5.

THUD.

And that was the unmistakable sound of car hitting person.