When we'd made it upstairs, we grabbed everything that was ours and moved towards the door when I froze. I'd looked in the mirror hanging on the wall and stopped dead in my tracks. A shadow figure was behind me.
"Maddie?" Colby asked, moving closer.
"Stop." I croaked. Colby froze, standing up straighter. He tensed and his eyes scanned the room, analyzing everything.
"What is it, Mads?" Sam asked, cautiously pausing and placing a hand on Kat's shoulder to still her.
"No one freak out, but there's a figure behind me."
"How can you tell?"
"I can see it in the mirror. If I had to guess, it's two feet away from me at most."
"Come this way slowly." Colby ordered, gently waving me over. I took a step and so did the figure.
"You are not allowed to touch me. We are protected by God." I commanded, whirling around. The figure cocked its head to the side. "Guys, put your jackets on, don't let it make contact with your skin."
"Shit, mine's still in the car." Colby cursed. That was enough for the figure. It stepped in front of me, focused on everyone else.
"No!" I yelled. It lunged, slicing up Colby's left arm to his cheek before reaching and catching the side of Kat's shoulder. Before I could move, even before they could say "ow," the figure disappeared. "Are you two okay?"
"What do you-" Kat began. The pain kicked in and she winced.
"I saw it move and I tried to order it not to, but look where that got us."
"We're getting out of this damn house before anyone else gets hurt." Sam announced. We bolted to the car, throwing everything into the trunk in a rush.
Kat was the least shaken up out of all of us so she drove us away from the house. Colby found a pair of pliers in the tool kit in the trunk and was repairing our crosses using my phone's flashlight.
"You wanna tell me what happened there?" Sam asked softly.
"You won't believe me." I replied, watching Colby bend the metal of the hooks into shape.
"Tell me anyway."
"Downstairs, the second figure that was more...upset couldn't enter the room while we were praying. The curious one saluted me right as we said 'amen.' Then they both disappeared. Upstairs I had just grabbed my jacket when I looked up and I saw the shadow man in the mirror. It moved and scratched Colby and Kat before I could say anything. It completely disappeared before either of them could even wince."
"Was it the same one from downstairs?" Kat asked, flicking her eyes up to the rearview.
"No. The one that scratched you felt...older. More mature."
"Speaking of which, how's your arm?" Sam pried, looking at the side of her forearm.
"It doesn't hurt much anymore."
"What about you, Colbs?" I asked as he set the pliers down and handed Kat her cross.
"I'm fine." He replied. "Fixed. Give me yours."
"Let me see your cheek."
"I said I'm fine. Give me your cross."
"You're bleeding."
"So is Kat, but you and Sam just brushed it off."
"You either show Maddie your cheek or I'm turning this car around and dropping you back off with the scratching shadow dude." Kat warned.
"I'm alright, guys. Chill the fuck out."
"Colby... please?" I pleaded. His eyes met mine for a split-second before he sighed and tilted his head to where I could see it. Three distinct lines dragged across his cheek from his jaw nearly to his ear. "When we get to the hotel, I'm cleaning this up."
"I want a Batman band-aid." Colby teased.
"Show me your arm." Colby agreed and lifted the sleeve of his shirt, showing me the scrapes that ran from his elbow almost to his shoulder. "Who knew shadows could be this dangerous."
"I do now."
Kat and I were sharing a room at the hotel that night and the boys were in the room next to us. As promised, Colby let me clean up his scratches as soon as I was done with Kat's, knocking on our door almost ashamedly. I let him in and he hopped up onto the counter in the bathroom per my request.
"The scratches are shallow and have mostly scabbed over already." I told him, wiping at the ones on his arm with a wet paper towel to remove all the dried blood.
"Thanks for small favors I guess." Colby replied, wincing.
"I don't mean to hurt you."
"I know."
"I don't mean to interrupt this little game of doctor, but I have to pee really bad." Kat said, leaning against the door.
"There's a pile of bloody paper towels on top of the toilet. If you have to pee that bad, you get to move them." I stated, keeping my eyes on Colby's cuts.
"Nope. I'll go ask Sam." I heard the door open and close as Kat wandered over to the boy's room. With a fresh paper towel, I started to wipe at the cuts on Colby's face. He winced and pulled away, moving his jaw around.
"I'm sorry." I started. I cupped his other cheek and tilted his head to the side again.
"I know. They feel almost like they're bruised."
"I can get you some ibuprofen when I'm done."
"Thanks." He sighed. He closed his eyes, exhaustion lining his features.
"Colbs..." The childhood nickname caused him to open his deep blue eyes. His gaze fluttered up and down my face over and over again. Before I knew it, I'd instinctively leaned in and we were inches apart.
"Sam's gonna kill me."
In an instant, Colby closed the distance between us and kissed me. I stood frozen until he wrapped his arms around my hips and pulled me closer. My pelvis met the counter right in between his knees and I rested my hands on his thighs. The door opened and I broke away, my heart rate skyrocketing.
"Are you guys done in there yet?" Kat called.
"Yeah, I'm just throwing everything away." I hollered back. I wiped my lipstick off of his mouth and he hopped off the counter, nonchalantly walking towards the door.
"Goodnight, Colby." Kat said from the bed as she did something on her phone.
"Night, Kat." He replied. He turned and caught my gaze again. "Night, Mads."
"Goodnight."
YOU ARE READING
Surprise Me.
FanfictionMadelyn Golbach walked into her childhood home, intent on visiting her family since she was home from college. She barely crossed the threshold when her brother texted her. The next day, she was in L.A. filming a video with Sam and Colby. Her biolog...
