Run and Hide

Chapter Seven

Sitting in the waiting room, we were all worried. Dane had been stabbed in the chest and we didn't know if he was going to be alright. Every time I closed my eyes, the awful flashbacks kept coming back. Blood, hiding, fighting. Feeling hopeless wasn't something I felt often, but it hit me like a ton of bricks.

The few hours we were at the hospital felt like an eternity. As the nurse wheeled Dane into the waiting room, the weight fell off my shoulders. I melted to the floor, tears in my eyes. "Dane!" I yelled, happy to see he was okay.

"Doctors said everything went smoothly, I just have to take it easy for a few weeks." With the good news , Dane was able to go home.

As we pulled into the driveway, I saw Lilac watering the tulips. "Thank you again for helping us, we wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for you." I said, hugging her tightly. "Sweetheart, you didn't need me. You are a strongest family I've met; I was simply guiding you." She smiled at me. "While families go through the tough times in life, I get rid of all the bad. Spirits, demons, curses, you name it."

"So, you're a spirit?" I ask, she nods. Taking a whiff of the bunch of daisies, she looks up into the sky. "I passed away nearly fifty years ago; this property is all I know. I cannot leave, but I am pleased to have died in such a beautiful place." I sat down with Lilac at the garden bench, I wanted to know her story.

"Before I died, the family I was watching over had a powerful demon living amongst them. They thought moving to another state would stop it, but it doesn't happen like that. Once a demon has latched onto the family, it will leach onto them until it doesn't need them anymore.

This specific family had a small boy, Ross, and a little girl Rose. The little girl was always sick, but nobody could find a cause for it. I was hired as a housekeeper for the family, and I loved them very much. As I got to work with and got to know the family, I could see what they couldn't. This demon was feeding off their daughter, and they didn't know.

Once I explained to them what I discovered, they wanted my help getting rid of it. We called in a priest, and I assisted him in an exorcism that led to my death. The demon eventually left, but I sacrificed my life to save hers."

Lilac was selfless. Sacrificing yourself for someone else was something nobody should have to face. "Thank you for sharing your story, Lilac." She looked over at me with a bright smile, "thank you for listening. Also, I already took care of the mess Robert left behind." Putting her gardening tools away, she walked off into the distance.

Settling myself down in the bed, the little ones piled in. Even though we were safe, they were uneasy. If sleeping in my room with me meant they felt safe, I was happy to be the one they leaned toward.

I woke up to Sophia freaking out in the hallway. "What's wrong?" I ask, popping my head out the doorway. "Can you help me get my bear? He's too high for me to reach." Grabbing her bear from the shelf above, I handed him to her. "Start keeping him on your bed, he'll be safer that way." I say, smiling outside the door.

Grabbing a bottle of water from the kitchen, I waved at dad. "Morning," He smiled, going back to his morning newspaper. "I'm going to check in on Leo, I'll be back in a bit. Text or call me if you need me." We nod at each other as the door shut behind me, I headed through the field toward his house.

Running up the steps, I knock on the front door. It opened with ease. It wasn't locked, nor closed, and that wasn't like Leo. He was the safety type; the house was always secured. "Leo?" I say, making my way down the hall, "are you okay?" Gently knocking on his bedroom door, I push it open.

As I got to his bed, Leo was still. Gently touching his shoulder, I jumped. Leo's skin was cold and clammy. Pulling the blanket up, I saw blood soaked through the sheets on the bed. Robert murdered him while we were fighting for our lives, and I didn't even notice. With tears streaming down my face, I called Dad. He raced toward the house, grabbing me tightly as I cried in his arms.

Dane called an ambulance. The sirens and bright lights blinded my teary eyes, Firefighters and EMT's ran inside to Leo. He came out in a body bag, a white tag hanging from his incased foot. I could hear the screams as Dad called Leo's father, he blamed himself for the accident.

I hadn't moved from my bed in days, the pain was unbearable. Sleeping was almost impossible. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was Leo's lifeless body and the blood on the sheets. Even though I didn't want to, the kids managed to get me out of bed. They were fighting from the hallway, I had to see what they were arguing about.

"Why are you two yelling?" I ask, forcing myself out into the hall. "Sissy!" Nate said, running into my arms for a hug. "Lilly stole my moose." I looked over at Lilly, she threw her hands in the air. "I swear, it wasn't me." She was innocent, Lilly would never lie to me. "Douglas must be playing hide and seek, why don't we find him?"

Nate and I looked in almost every room, the last was the library. Behind a large stack of books, Douglas hid. "Found him," I smiled, handing the moose to Nate. A small piece of paper was beneath him, I slid it in my back pocket. "Maybe you should find him a leash, obviously Douglas likes to hide." Nate jumps up and down in excitement, "great idea. Thank you, Sissy."

Pulling the paper from my pocket, I read the little note from Douglas. 'When you are done with loving me, please put me back where I was found.' Reading the note, I knew Douglas was passed on to lots of children. After a child was finished giving him the love and care he deserved, he was hidden for the next child to find. It was like a tradition to this moose, and we would pass it on.

Douglas was different. Texture, look, and even though he was a stuffed animal, he had a personality. I know he will continue to be loved for years to come, and it made me happy to think about it. I decided it was time to get some air, get some time to come to terms with what happened.

As I strolled through the garden, I tripped over a long stick. As I looked closer, the stick was in the shape of a graceful butterfly, a perfect centerpiece for Nina's grave. "Look how beautiful this is?" I smiled, sticking it deep into the soil. Taking a few steps back, the Sunflowers looked taller, almost happy looking.

"Decorating the garden?" Dad smiled, "it's nice to see you out and about." He hugged me tightly, it was nice. Dwelling on what happened was mentally exhausting, I needed to take my mind completely off what was going on in my mind. I thought back to when Leo talked about the creek, I needed that.

I had texted Dane to meet me there, company was the medicine I needed, and Dane would understand. As Dane walked down the trail, he was holding two cans of Dr. Pepper. I only wanted Dr. Pepper if my mind wasn't right, it was happy in a carbonated can. Pulling the tab, Dane handed it to me. We sat and talked by the water for a few hours, he always helped me through the problems that seemed impossible to solve, and I was forever grateful to him.

Mom had called for an early lunch; I knew she wanted to see me. "Hey, Nicole." I smiled at mom with a slice of watermelon in my hand. "We missed you." I missed them too, much more than they realized. "Can I redo my room? A change would be good for me." Mom and Dad agreed instantaneously, it made feel warm inside.

Heading up to my room, I slid on my paint splattered overalls and went to work. A few hours in, Dane came to check up on me. "Looking good, need any help with shelving or rearranging?" He asked, I nodded. "I could definitely use some help with my bed and dresser." Dane had me show him what I wanted, then he went straight into it.

Before I knew it, time had passed. My bedroom was becoming unrecognizable, even just rearranging furniture and adding paint made a difference. Mom came in the room with a smile on her face. "This is looking great; I see you still like Alice In Wonderland?" I grinned, looking at my masterpieces on the walls. The Chesire Cat was sleeping above my headboard, meanwhile, Alice was sitting near the door with a cup of tea.

Dane and I walked into the kitchen for a bottle of water and a small snack. As I closed the refrigerator door, I saw a little girl by the pantry. It was Nina. She stepped near me, grabbing my hand lightly. "I wanted to properly thank you for freeing my soul and giving me peace. You're a good friend." My heart melted, I smiled.

"There are many other souls who are lost like I was. Maybe you could help them too?" I was confused, I hadn't seen any other spirits lurking around. "Others?" Nina nodded. "Yes, there are many. They're afraid to show themselves, so they hide away in the shadows. I am going to tell them about you, let them know not to be scared." Before I could ask any more questions, Nina vanished to the ceiling.

As I laid in bed, I held my stuffed bumblebeetightly. If I was able to save them, they'd be free, just like Nina. I watchedthe stars from the skylight above me, it