THE DEVIL'S AFFECTION

32. UNWANTED COMPANY

          WHILE HANES IS OUT at work today, I've decided to sit by the window and watch for interesting things to photograph. So far, the most interesting thing that I saw was a horse and carriage.

As I'm staring, I hear a hard banging knock at the door and my heart throbs. I freeze, snapping quickly to look at the door.

There's silence for a moment and then another hard pounding.

Do I open it?

I get up from the floor where I sit and walk over closer. I flinch when the pounding knock returns.

"Hades!! I know you're in there! Open up!"

It sounds like... Kai?

I get closer to the door and look through the peephole. In the slightly blurry glass, I see Kai standing looking tense and aggravated.

"I know you did!! Open the door!!"

I shudder away. What did Hanes do?!

"Hades... I'm not leaving until you open up!"

I have no way of contacting Hanes. I don't even have a phone number that I could call on the hotel phone. What am I meant to do?

"If you don't open up I'm going to break down the GODDAMN DOOR!" Kai yells.

I shy away to the bathroom — the only room that I can get to with another locking door.

"I'm going to give you until the count of three..." Kai's voice is quieter now.

I rush to the bathroom and slowly close the door, so as to not make a sound. I lock the door and crawl into the bathtub, praying that he doesn't get through the door.

Then I hear the heavy pounding. Loud thuds that almost shake the room erupt from outside and I sit holding my legs to my chest. I count out the hits.

One.
Two.
Three.

My heart is pounding out of my chest and I'm reminded of that night that I got cut by one of Austin's characters.

One.
Two.
Three.

Please, don't let him in. Please, make him go away.

One.
Two.
Three.

They're getting closer together.

One.
Two.
Three.

One.

And then I hear a loud thud. Did he get in?!

I take a breath, not realizing that I had been holding it. I'm shaking now, my entire body jitters as I hold myself in.

It's silent, but uncomfortably so. He didn't just give up... did he?

I can feel my cheeks burn as the fear takes over my head. What if this is it? He just warned me about this. Wouldn't it be so fitting if I died right now?

The doorknob rattles and I nearly yelp. I cover my mouth to remain in control of my noise. The knob flicks up and down over and over as he attempts to get in.

I notice now how loud my breathing is. It's all I can hear aside from the rattling. I'm panting in fear and I wonder if he can hear me.

"It's okay, Persephone... I'm not gonna hurt you..." his voice coos.

Who is Persephone?! Maybe he expects someone else here. Maybe it's not me that he's after.

"Come on, lovely. You don't deserve to be here."

I remain still. I still don't know who he's looking for. Is he giving me that nickname? Is there supposed to be some other woman here? What could he want?

"Dear, I'm coming in one way or another. I'm here to help you." Doubtful. "I'm not leaving until I do that."

I swallow hard. I hope he didn't hear that. It felt loud compared to the silence taking over the room.

He tugs up and down on the handle harder this time. I can tell it's much harder from how much louder it rattles and how much the handle shakes as he pulls it up and down.

"LET ME IN!!" He yells and I hear a snap.

There's a pause, and then the door opens slowly.

My breathing has moved past panting and into hyperventilating. I can't control my shaking and tears are already falling down my cheeks.

Kai steps in, his eyes bloodshot red and his fists bloody.

"There you are..."