The Names - Book 1

Chapter 15: Κῆρες's Demon

Ἀχλύς's pov

        I frowned and looked at the floor, remembering those days in elementary school. I never want to go through that hell again.

        "I know it wasn't your fault...but you have to get over it." Dad bent down and tried to comfort me.

        "I-I know...but I just..." I paused for a second, "It's hard for me to get over it." I tried to tell my dad.

        "I know what it's like." Dad said with sympathy.

        "Y-you've experienced it before?!" I asked with surprise, "But you're Galen! No one ever makes fun of Galen's and Galena's..."

        "No...they don't...but I've seen it before." Galen clarified.

        "Oh..." I commented.

        "Their name was exactly the same as yours, Ach." Dad told me.

        "You sure you're not a time traveler?" I asked dad jokingly. Dad laughed a little and looked at me kindly.

        "I know it's not your fault that you have trust issues," dad said to me, "I know it's hard. That's why I want to help you the most I can."

        Does he really? I feel like this is too good to be true...but it's dad. He's literally the nicest person ever. I nodded at dad and began to think about the note I read.

        "I...I want to go over to Ker's place..." I murmured.

        "Κῆρες?" Dad asked me.

         "Yeah.."

        "What for?" Dad asked me out of curiosity.

        "I want to comfort her..." I responded, "especially after reading that note that you're about to burn. I feel like, if I were in her shoes, I would feel really sad and depressed right now." I told dad everything I was thinking.

        Dad giggled and looked at me, "Sure! We'll head over right now. Get in the car, Ach."

        I responded with a nod and headed outside to go into the car. When I went into the car, dad got in and immediately began to drive.

        "Dad," I said, "Why did Ker's dad burn the note?" I asked, "I mean...I know that he wanted to hide the truth..."

        "You just answered your own question."

         "But why would he burn it if he wanted Ker to know the truth eventually?"

        "I guess..." Dad sighed, "there are times when he feels it's not right to show private information to his daughter."

        I stared at him with confusion.

        "We shouldn't talk. I'm driving." Dad said quietly.

        As we were driving to Ker's house, I heard a kid screaming in the distance.

        "Don't worry about that. They're just playing." Dad waved his hand in front of the mirror and looked at me.

        "How do you know?" I said, trying to see the kids who screamed.

        "I can tell." Dad said proudly.

        "Do you ever shut up?!! We're all sleeping here! Go to sleep already!" I heard someone shout in the distance, followed by a growl.

        "Was THAT 'just playing'?" I asked my dad.

        Dad stopped the car and immediately got out.

        "D-dad...we're in the middle of the road, we have to move it." I tried to point to the car, but dad didn't look.

        "K-Kῆρες." Dad murmured quietly.

        "W-what about Ker?" I asked, full of confusion.

         "Her demon..." Dad walked faster and headed towards Ker's house, "We have to get there fast."

        "K-Ker has a demon? Wasn't it all just a tale?!" I asked with shock and surprise.

         "F-follow me..." Dad ran to Ker's house.

        I follow dad, running right next to him. When we arrived at the house, I heard dad pushing the doorbell constantly, as if someone was chasing him and he needed shelter. After a while, we waited for someone to open the door. No one answered it.

        "Is someone even home?" I asked dad.

        "I'm sure they are."

        I stepped forward and rang the doorbell a few more times. Still no one answered. By this point I was starting to think no one was home. The door didn't open. Dad stepped forward and also rang the doorbell.

        After a while, someone finally opened the door. I was surprised, at first, but then looked at Ker and realized what dad meant.

        "Come in..." Ker said, leading us inside the house.

          Ker sat on one side of the table and dad and I sat on the other end.

        "Why did you come here?" Ker asked us.

        "I..I read the rest of the note that you finished the other day," I explained, "I just wanted to come here to comfort you."

         Ker stayed quiet and got up from the table. She walked over to the teapot and poured dad and I a cup of tea. I nodded, smiled, and took the cup. Ker then walked over to dad and handed him the cup of tea. Dad looked down and didn't respond at all. Ker decided to put the teacup in front of him anyways.

        "Dad," I shook dad's arm, "are you okay?" I asked with worry.

        "I-I'm fine.."

        "Where's your dad?" I asked Ker, looking around the room.

        "O-oh...I don't know." Ker said in a sad voice, "I was waiting for him to answer the door. That's why it took so long to answer it."

        "I hope he's okay..." Dad said quietly, hoping not to worry Ker even more.

        "Y-you guys should really go..." Ker forced me and dad to get up from our seats, "It's late."

       I nodded understandingly and got out of the house, still waiting for dad to come out. I watched as dad walked out and got into the car.