Star Bright

Twenty Four: Malevolent

Nelson didn't go home that night; he took Beth for walks up and down the street several times, gun strapped to his shoulder. He believed Anon could return but Ian was sure he wouldn't. At eleven in the night, Nelson returned after yet another stroll. He told them he was going to bed and that they should put crystals around their beds seeing as Stars couldn't enter places surrounded by them. He gave them some he just happened to have lying around.

Dani prompted Ian to discuss with Nelson to find out what he was and how he knew so much about cosmic creatures. So Ian left with Nelson to talk with him, leaving Dani alone with Jean. Jean hadn't awoken yet but her lungs were as good as new. Nelson had said it was possible her consciousness was afraid to resurface.

With crystals around the house and their beds, just in case, Dani sat beside Jean, pistol in hand. She knew who the gun had belonged to; their father. It was the one useful thing he'd left behind. Jean had never used it, but she'd kept it in her room. Now that she thought of it, Dani realized it was probably the reason why she hadn't been so scared of Ian when he'd first arrived. She had a gun, and she knew how to use it.

The silence of the house started to get to Dani. She couldn't stop fidgeting. Any time she paused to listen to the silence, she was afraid she would hear something she wasn't supposed to hear; like the window opening or the door creaking or footsteps on the steps, thudding lightly. If Anon was going to attack again, she preferred not to be aware and hoped that he would kill her quickly and spare her the pain.

But she knew that was just a pipe dream; Anon had been killing clones of her to help calm himself, manage his anger and relieve his pain. This was something he'd been looking forward to since Ian arrived. If he got his hands on her somehow, Dani knew she would spend up to five hours screaming in pain and begging for mercy before he would kill her.

Dani unconsciously touched the back of her hand where Anon had impaled with a fork. If she tried to remember it clearly, she could swear she felt the jab all over again. The pain had been beyond horrible. She remembered how his eyes had lit up when she screamed. It was in that spot, sitting beside a sleeping Jean, that she realized that he'd been feeding off her.

She'd been losing blood which indicated that she was, say... eight percent dead. Anon had enjoyed every single drop, loved the way her mouth widened, fed off her pain. This was a guy who had been trapped in some supernatural prison for a period of time. He was hungry and angry. Sure, he would feed off other deaths of unfortunate people but hers would be like a special expensive prize meal. She had a feeling that the more she resisted, the higher his appetite for her grew. It was the natural way of males, even if he was a different creature. The more men chase, the more they want.

And when he would catch up, it would be so worth it.

Jean stirred but didn't wake. Dani tucked a lock of hair behind her ear (Jean's) and stood up. She walked to the door, gave her sister one last glance to check if the crystals were still in place, they were, and she walked out. When the door clicked behind her, Dani began to wonder if Anon would go after those dear to her. The first person to come to her mind was Gabe. Was he safe? Where was he right now? Deciding a call was in order, she climbed down the stairs to find her phone.

Finding it wasn't easy; both the living and dining room was a mess. Broken glasses, bloodstains on the carpet, dust, utensils, and dirt, particularly from Nelson's boots. Her phone was under a bloodied napkin on the dining table which leaned awkwardly now, indicating it had a broken leg.

Dani immediately dialed Gabe's number. She heard it ring, four times to be exact before it went to voicemail. He was ignoring her, great. She just had to do something stupid before a supernatural lunatic landed on earth. Dani found Jeremy's number but hesitated to tap it, her thumb hovering over the screen.