Unleashing Demons | D.D. Bk. 1 | ✔️

Chapter 21: The Reunion

My knuckles turned white as I tightened my grip on the wheel. My foot stepped harder on the accelerator, willing the car to go beyond the maximum limit. The scenery of the murky country side zoomed by as I sped through the empty streets, disrupting the quietness of the night. Vaughn seated just as quiet beside me, yet I could feel the guilt and apprehension ebbing from him.

I couldn't blame him, though.

An excruciating hour had passed since I picked up Vaughn from Hawthorne, and received the address from Kristy. The anxiety just seemed to build at each waking second, creating an almost tangible wall that could cave in on me any minute, sending me off the edge. It took all of my will not to break.

Once we hit a curb, a sea of shimmering lights immediately greeted us at a distance. The faint glow from the town's inhabitants signaled we were nearing our destination.

Wait for me, Alex.

As we neared, the scent of the ocean permeated the air. My gut instinct growled that we now breathed the same air, that we were close to finding her. The hunter in me now clawed at the surface, ready to pounce. Ready to fight.

Minutes later, we finally rolled down to a stop at the driveway of a decrepit bungalow home, isolated from the rows of houses that lined the street. The tall groves and the over-grown grass almost shielded the house in a protective blanket, tucked away from sight. At a closer inspection, the dilapidated facade, with its shattered windows, missing shutters and broken panels, expressed that the house stood unoccupied for a few decades. It was close to a miracle that it survived for this long.

A sickening feeling constricted my chest as I got out of the car, followed suit by Vaughn. The faint sound of the ocean just a few meters out reached my ears, as it waved in a soft calling against the shore-almost in a soothing manner. Our footsteps crunched on the graveled lawn as we trekked the short distance to the side of the house. With caution, we each set off in opposite directions and circled the structure, searching for any open entry way or if anyone lurked in the other side of the wall.

We came with nothing.

After a spit second resolution, I decided to break-in. Despite Vaughn's slight protest, I kicked the back door down, which surprisingly disintegrated itself from the latches with ease. From my back pocket, I retrieved a penlight, and let the small beam roam throughout the dim interior. A thick layer of dust blanketed its floorboards; an indication that the house haven't been graced with human interaction in the longest while.

Despite being discouraged, we continued our plan and trudged further in. The hardwood floors groaned loudly at each of our careful steps, almost as if greeting us in high pitched creaks. With the closed floor plan, we split up and searched the rooms with a fine tooth comb, along with the possibility for secret passages or clues in mind. Going down on the last bedroom, I curled my hands around the brass doorknob and gave the door a slight push. As it opened all the way through, I cast my torch into the dark space...

Only to shed light on an ashen face.

I jumped back a foot from the figure who stood across me, my hand reaching down for my knife instinctively. It took a second for me to register that what I thought of an intruder...was only my reflection.

My shoulders slumped in relief, mentally kicking myself at my actions. But curiosity instantly extinguished my slight jubilation. I studied my own reflection from a grimy looking mirror that hung above an old dresser, apparently being the only furniture that remained in the cramped space.

As if being tugged by a gravitational pull, I approached the mirror with a tentative step, then another. It almost had a vague similarity to Kristy's mirror, with the same intangible energy almost present in any antique looking glass.