Shadow Of The Past Trilogy ∞ THE DISPLACED

26 ∞ the job

Day Six ∞ Wednesday night

—FEAR NOT. No harm is done. The voice was familiar in his head. She shall not interfere again.

"I can't wake her up!"

—She shall be fine.

He swallowed the panic as the anger grew, and turned toward the misty light; he thought he could discern a head of swirling hair. 

"Show yourself," he said through his teeth, stepping around Mother.

—This is my true form.

He took another step around the side of the table and found himself touching a field of tingling energy that caused his skin to crawl with goosebumps, his hairs standing on end. He slowly lifted his right hand toward the window. 

"Get – out, Selina Aave," he said darkly. "Get out. You are trespassing. You're not welcome in my house."

The mist started to drift back toward the window, losing density. 

—Forgive me. My job is to protect The One.

"I don't care what your job is! Don't you ever touch my family again!"

The loosely swirling column of mist seemed to bow in response, then vanished.

Danny exhaled sharply, staring for a moment at the space where the mist had been, the anger slowly subsiding. His eyes started roaming the room and, relieved that there was no remnant of the mist left inside, he turned to Mother.

"Mom." He shook her by the shoulders. "Mom, wake up! Mom." He started getting scared again, she wasn't responding. 

What if she didn't wake up? What if the altercation was the last exchange he'd ever have with her? 

It can't end like this, it can't! 

But he calmed down a little as soon as he realized that she was breathing steadily—and suddenly feeling weak in his knees he sank down on the floor beside her.

"Mom." He patted her cheek. "Mom. Wake up."

Relief flooded over him as he heard a sound coming from deep in her throat as if she was trying to answer in her sleep. 

"Mom, I still love you. Please wake up."

"Mmmm." She tried to lift her head but it seemed too heavy for her.

He got up and lifted her to her feet. Then he started walking her to the stairs with a firm grip around her to keep her from collapsing.

"D-Dannny?" she slurred, trying to open her eyes as they took the first step up together.

"Yes, Mom? "

" I... ssshall not interfere."

∞

He'd put Mother to bed, then gone to the guest room to check on Mickmi, wondering if she'd sensed the guide's presence in the house. But she was fast asleep, sprawled on top of the bed in her dress. She must've been exhausted from all the stress and pressure she went through today, that she fell asleep so quickly, he thought. He pulled the sheet from the side of the bed and covered the lower half of her body, then stood a while watching her. 

A sleeping beauty, that's what you are. He smiled wistfully. Then he went to check on Gina; to his relief, she also was fast asleep. That meant that he was the only one who knew exactly what just happened downstairs.