Chapter Fifteen

The back door stood ajar and a perfect circle cut into the glass that now littered the floor in pieces. The monster faced in my direction, but how could it see? This thing was standing in front of me clear as day. He wore the same rags that were covered in ominous red stains. He was bald apart from a few deep scars that covered his head and face. The only thing that made it remotely human was its mouth. The creature licked its thin black decaying lips. Inside the monster's mouth, a set of pointed teeth, stained with what looked like blood. The smell gave off hit me like a brick wall and its foul stinking odour lingered around me and I could hardly breathe. Was I dreaming? Did I fall asleep in front of the TV? No, this was real.

I wanted to move, to get the hell away from it, but my body became rooted to the spot.

Move, Ellie, move! I screamed inside my head.

My body finally cooperated with my brain, and I backed up from the foul smelling creature. I ran through back through the living room panicking as my mind tried to come up with an explanation. I wanted to head outside and run away from the house, the home that has always protected me. But before I could get to the front door, another one of those monsters blocked my escape. Where were they coming from? Abandoning the exit, I spun around and headed up the stairs, only to see that the monster from the kitchen followed me into the living room. It slowly slunk towards me with its foul odour. I had to escape somewhere, anywhere. With my eyes still pinned on him, I ran up the stairs.

Within a few steps, I felt something strike my face, hard. I lost my balance and fell backwards, crashing to the floor, wincing in pain as my body screamed with agony. Once my vision had stopped spinning, I saw the creature standing on the stairs with a twisted smile. My lip felt twice its size and stung like hell. Blood filled my mouth, and I swallowed the red metallic substance. I tried to get to my feet, but my legs felt like jelly and couldn't stand. All three of the faceless monsters stalked towards me. They surrounded me.

Crap, I don't want this! I screamed inside my head while clutching at my sides.

Again I tried to get up as quickly as I could, but it was no use. I buried my head in the floor and waited for them to take me away. That's when I heard a whizzing noise travel above me and ended with a crash. I looked over to see the monster soaring across the room, crashing into the wall, though he didn't stay down too long.

Lifting my head up, I could see Rhea standing over me. She held out her hand, which I gladly took. Her eyes latched onto my bleeding lip and her eyes turned a coppery shade of red. Around us the air felt charged, like electricity, and the hairs on my arm and neck prickled. The surrounding static hummed like buzzing bees. In a flash, Rhea's eyes turned deadly.

"Behind me, now!" she ordered.

I agreed to her demand and ran behind her for cover. Rhea brought her hands out in front of her and a luminous white light gathered around her silky palms. She shot the trail of white light at one creature, making the same whizzing noise. The light exploded on impact, turning the monster into black ash.

Two of the creatures remained. They charged towards us. One monster who had stuck me, charged straight for us, with its talon claws reaching out ready to strike. Rhea backhanded the monster, sending him spinning through the air and crashing against the TV.

"Oh, crap, not the TV," I shouted.

The second one rushed towards us. He did not care about his companion. Rhea again held out her hand and conjured another bright light that sparked. It escaped from her hand and shot a hole through the foul creature's heart. The stalking creature continued to rush towards Rhea and I but stopped dead and exploded into a cloud of ash, leaving only one. The faceless monster got to his feet after being sent flying into the TV. He stood his ground and screamed, a horrifying wail that brought me to my knees. The pain was too much, and I tried to block out the terrible shrill by covering both my ears, but the pain felt like it was piercing through my brain.

It was pure agony, and I screamed. I looked up at Rhea, who didn't seem affected. While she looked down at me, I could see that my pain made her even angrier. Within a few seconds, the scream had disappeared, looking over at the creature who was now crumbling to ash along the floor. Rhea bent down and pulled my hands from my ears.

"Ellie, it's over now." she said, kneeling on the floor.

"Thank you." I said weakly.

I looked at my hands to find specks of blood on each palm. The agonising scream had made my ears bleed. I felt light-headed and sick at the same time.

"Are you OK?" Rhea asked.

Without thinking, I hugged Rhea and pulled her close. She felt like stone, but I continued to hug her tightly.

"You saved me." I said.

"I will always be here for you, Ellie." she whispered.

Rhea pulled away from me and looked at me. "But I wished I'd got here sooner." she said while looking at my puffy lip.

"How did you know they were here?" I asked.

"When any supernatural being enters your house, I can sense it. A few months ago, I placed a spell to alert me to anything supernatural. And I was right to do so." she answered.

"What are they? What do they want from me?" I asked. All these questions filled my mind, and I wanted answers.

Rhea stood up and held out a helping hand, and I gladly took it. Her skin felt so soft, like velvet. She pulled me up to my feet with ease and she then walked into the living room where the pile of ashes lay scattered on the floor.

"These things," she said with an angry tone. "Are like rats, the lowest of the low. They live in the sewers. This is the first time I've seen them work together, usually they fight amongst themselves, but this time, they seemed organised." said Rhea.

"Well, they're not human, are they like me?" I asked.

"They are far from what you are. They are leeches, disgusting creatures. Ellie, you are pure but these things are nothing like you. Yes, they belong to the supernatural world, our world, but these things are foul." she replied. "But to attack you like this in the day is something else."

I looked around the living room to see scorch marks stained the walls and broken belongings thrown onto the floor. The TV lay shattered in the corner with some of its wires hanging slowly sparking away.

"Oh, crap my Dad will be here soon and what's he going to think of this mess?" I quickly said.

"Don't worry I can handle It." Rhea raised her hand into the air and wind whipped around us. The room moved along with the wind. The piles of black ashes disappeared, and the TV returned to normal, without a single scratch. It was like we went back in time. The scorch marks on the walls had vanished, and the house was back to normal. Pity she couldn't do that to my rug.

"Did we just go back in time?" I asked.

Rhea laughed. "No, my dear girl, not even I can do that."

The gentle wind around Rhea quickly died down. She walked towards me and gently touched my lip with her finger. My mouth tingled, and the sharp pain dissolved. The cut on my lip had completely healed.

"Wow, thank you, Rhea." Rhea then looked uncomfortable.

"Ellie, I have to tell you something," she paused. "You are not safe here anymore, and you need to come with me."

"What?" I asked. "I don't think my Dad would be too happy to be told he needs to go with a complete stranger."

"No, Ellie. Just you, he cannot come with us."

"What!" I yelled.

Was what Rhea saying true? I could not just leave my Dad alone. Not after what has happened to us. He would think I'd deserted him, and I could not do that to him, not now.

"No, Rhea. Thank you for what you have done, but I cannot just leave him," I said. "He's my Dad and with everything that's happened, I just can't go."

"Ellie, I understand you want to be with him, but it's not safe for you anymore. You saw what those things nearly did to you." Rhea said.

"I will not abandon him, and he's all the family I've got left." I could feel myself getting angry.

"Ellie, they will come back for you, and they will take you away. You cannot stay. I can protect you if you go with me." Rhea said.

"Then we will wait for my Dad so we can all go together."

"It does not work like that. Only you can come. Now pack a bag." Rhea was getting agitated.

"Why cannot he come? He'll be safe with us." I said.

"You're one of a kind, Ellie, but he's human. He's not like us. They're not allowed in our world. There are rules."

"Screw the rules, I want to stay with him." I shouted.

���That's enough!" As Rhea shouted, the house trembled with a dominant force.

I took a step back from her.

"Ellie," said Rhea in a now calming tone. "There are things far powerful at work here and they are coming for you. I won't stand by and watch them harm you and your Father. Now go upstairs and pack a bag." Rhea had said enough on the matter and was staring forcefully at me.

"Fine." I didn't want to argue anymore.

I tried to hold back the tears as I turned to go up the stairs, dragging my feet with every step. Inside my bedroom, I took an old backpack from my wardrobe and packed some jeans, t-shirts, and a few jumpers just to be sure. I also grabbed some thick socks and a few pairs of underwear. I zipped up the old bag and took one last look at my bedroom. Maybe I'll get to come back, but deep down even I knew that would be soon. I closed the door to my room, hoping to see it again.

Dad's room was just on the right and I peeked inside. His room was messy, his bed unmade and his clothes discarded on the floor. I entered his room and I could smell his favourite musky cologne lingering in the air. On his bedside table was a photo frame with Kate, my Dad and myself. The picture was taken about eleven years ago; I was about five years old and the three of us were smiling in what looks like a woodland area, sitting on a red and white picnic blanket. I thought of taking the photo but something in my mind thought he would need it more than I. Next to the picture frame was Dad's bottle of cologne; I pulled the cap off and inhaled deeply. The manly scent wafted straight up my nose and I could picture him straight away as the musk played with my many memories. Smiling at the wonderful memories I once had, I placed down the bottle and left my Dad's room to meet up with Rhea downstairs.

"Ready?" she asked.

I placed on my tatty shoes, and then I was ready. I took a deep breath and nodded, This was it, I was about to leave my home for the last time.

Rhea gently took my hand. "Where are we going?" I asked.

"Where I know it to be safe." she replied.

"Where?" I asked again.

Rhea smiled. "My home."