Hide (Sequel to RUN)

Chapter 6

"An, I attacked two people," I point my ice cream spoon at her. "That's not exactly a good thing." An huffed once again, convinced that she was right. So nothing was out of the ordinary.

"From what I hear, this, Susan was it, is a real piece of work. And that she would sick her boyfriend on you...I think I'd punch her!"

"An!" Tristan put his arm around An's shoulder and squeezed her. "But I know exactly what she means, Lekia. I want to punch her half the time."

"And the boyfriend?" An continued. "Gosh that shouldn't even count as attacking him. From what Tristan told me, you barely touched him and it was an obvious win."

I stirred my ice cream around in the bottom of the cup.

"I still don't feel good about it," I murmured, taking another bite of ice cream. "What if it gets out of control? I could accidentally attack one of you."

"Just show us some kind maneuver that will work every time, little sis. You forget that I'm also a kid of a cop," Tristan smiled, showing off his white teeth.

"If you call me little sis, why can't I call you big bro?" I ask, flicking a bit of ice cream off my spoon at him and An.

"Agh!" he mock screams, throwing up his arms. "And 'big bro' just doesn't seem right coming from you. It doesn't really seem like me either. I'm cool and relaxed. It's different for you. You are my little sis. Well, like one anyway."

"So I'm not cool and relaxed?" I ask defiantly, flicking another spoon of ice cream at him.

"Ah heck no!" he laughs, retaliating with his own ice cream cannon. I blocked it with my right hand, laughing right along with him.

"Oh my gosh, Lekia! Your hand!" An exclaimed, grabbing it. I flinched as the bones shifted again, making the pain return with a vengeance.

I carefully extract my hand from An's iron grip.

"Lekia," all traces of a smile were gone from Tristan's face, "did you break your hand?"

"I'm pretty sure. I can feel my bones shifting. And now I have to reset them," I bluntly explained, starting to finger the back of my hand. I had truly thought that I was done with the stupid hand.

"Well, the hand is your own fault," Tristan replied, gently taking my hand and fingering it. It took me a second to realize that I had actually said that out loud.

"What's wrong with you, Lekia?" Tristan scorned, finding the broken bone. "You're smarter than this. What'd you even do?"

"I got angry after I attacked Susan and punched a wall," I sighed, flinching again as he poked at the bone. "Will you stop that? I have to reset it!" Tristan dropped my hand, raising his own in defense.

"You would tell us if something was wrong, right?" An asked, eyeing my right hand warily. It was as if she expected me to go off on her any second.

"Other than the obvious?" I asked, rubbing my broken hand.

"Of course!" she exclaims.

"Demons are odd things, An," I warn her gravely. "They're hard to tame."

"I'm sure we'll be able to banish all of them," she reassured me. That's what you think.

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Soft footfalls landed on the steps as they came down the stairs. I pulled a cover over myself quickly, pretending to be asleep. Lansing's feet hit the squeaky board as he crossed the TV lit room to the couch I was lying on.