Whispers of the Night

Replacement

I looked at my splint as the nurse pulled it on. I had fractured my arm, the hairline crack seemed like nothing on the X-ray, but the swelling said otherwise so until further noticed I was in a black wrist splint.

"Kinda suits you." Zak teased as I sat on the bed kicking my legs freely. A movement done by Avari but it seemed I had began doing it some time ago to make the time pass quicker.

"I'll take your word on that." I replied wiping my face as a tear fell.

"Is it still hurting after morphine?" Zak asked pulling his seat closer to the bed.

"N-no. It's just you."

"Me?"

I nodded "I knew I wasn't going to see you until things got really bad. I guess they are now." I replied lifting my splinted hand.

"Oh sweetie."

"I bet you think I'm a bad mom right? Doing all this?" I asked.

He shook his head defiantly.

"No way. Not at all. It's in your nature. How could I think bad of you when you're doing everything you can?" He asked.

"But it's still not enough. She is still screaming and drawing these God awful things." I replied pulling a picture from my pocket.

Zak's fingers plucked it from my hand and unfolded it delicately before frowning. "This is the goat one?" He asked.

I nodded. "I know, I know what it is."

He looked back at the photo before looking at my arm. "She knew something was going to happen."

"W-what?" I stuttered.

"The goat man. He has a splint on. Look." He turned the photo showing me a black squared off arm with pink fingers poking from the end.

My heart sank as it indeed looked like a splint I had on.

"How has this come about Scarlett?" He asked.

"I- she was always different. I know everyone says that but it felt like it. She... she used to talk to someone all the time and last year I found her in the attic of the old house we were staying at. There was no way she could reach the lock to the door but she got up there... I found her playing with a board."

Zak's face turned serious "What kind of board?"

"Not a monopoly one. She said the little girl told her to move it around.. The planchette. She didn't understand what she was doing. But said she was learnings to count, the board was counting down.. She thought she was learning." My heart ached. "She didn't understand that she was releasing a demon or whatever is terrorising her." I answered holding my head.

I could remember the day, I had only left her for a few moments to get the phone.

"And where's the board now?" Zak asked sitting closer.

"It got broke...."

"How?"

"I don't know how. But I found it tore in half, Avari said the girl did it. But we all know what takes the form of a child."

"A demon." He concluded making me nod. "So this demon, turned into a child, befriended Ava and broke the board?"

"I guess.. But now she is screaming in her sleep and can't settle unles-" I fell quiet.

"Unless what?"

"Nothin' it's not important."

"I beg to differ. Unless what?" He asked me again.