Where My Demons Hide

Chapter 11

    Hugging myself, I looked outside my bedroom window and thought about Haiden. I wondered what he was doing and what he was planning. It probably had something to do with this house, which left me wondering what. The Daniels were your average family. I didn't think there'd be anything interesting in our house for them.

     "Luna!" Chelsea called.

     "Coming!" I yelled back.

     It was lunch time, so I knew that was why she called me. Chelsea probably cooked something and we would eat together as a family. I felt excited about that.

    Running downstairs, I quickly went to the kitchen. And upon entering it, I froze when I saw Chelsea and Peter. They were standing by the dining table, staring at me. For some reason they looked serious and that left me uneasy. The Daniels were never like this.

    "Hey," I said, stopping at the doorway. "What's going on?"

    "Luna, I need you to be honest," Peter said, causing my heart to race with nerves. "I'm serious."

    I stared at him, wondering what he wanted. I had a bad feeling it had to do with Haiden, which left me feeling sick.

     "Was anyone here yesterday?" he asked. "Did anyone enter the house?"

    I kept my face expressionless, even though I was shocked. Somehow they knew someone had came yesterday, but they didn't know who. I had to keep it that way to make sure Haiden stayed safe.

    "No," I said, faking confusion. "Why?"

    "Luna, we're serious," Chelsea said, frowning. "Did someone enter the house yesterday?"

    When I didn't reply right away, Peter said, "Please sweetheart. Tell us the truth."

    My heart was pounding. Both their expressions expressed pleading and I felt guilty. Horrible because I should be telling them the truth. After all they did for me, I was supposed to be on their side. But as usual, Haiden was my priority.

"No," I lied, forcing myself to maintain eye contact. "No one but me was here yesterday."

Chelsea seemed relieved as she closed her eyes momentarily and slouched against the dining table. Peter didn't look pleased, but he went over to the oven. I let my breath out, knowing I had been holding it. It seemed like I had tricked them, which I was thankful for - for the most part.

"If anyone comes into the house, a stranger especially, call us immediately," Peter said, pulling out the ribs from the oven. "It's a dangerous world."

"I know," I said honestly, finally accepting it. "I'll try to be careful."

I wouldn't say I would be careful because after lunch, I had plans. Somehow I would get my questions answered by Haiden and I knew the sooner the better. Because deep down I knew my family was in trouble, but not because of Haiden.

*****

I was nearing the forest. As I walked, I put my hand against my chest, feeling it race. Memories of the night before flooded into me and a part of me felt happy. Haiden cared about me. You didn't warn people you hated about danger, so I knew he did.