Midnight Disaster ~FINALIST Watty Awards 2012~

Chapter 21 (Revised 4/22/2019)

On the bed, Lilliana was a bloody mess. Shreds of her clothes were dyed crimson, and I couldn't see her face which I was actually grateful for. Around her, the bedspread had been torn as if her attacker had missed a few swipes during the massacre. Blood dripped down the walls, staining the wallpaper. A few drops of it glistened on her record player, a particularly large glob causing it to skip every time it spun through the player.

With a choked sob, I collapsed to my knees, Cameron catching me before I hit the floor. I tore my eyes away from what was left of my grandmother and noticed the hole in her glass window and the array of tiny crystal shards on the floor around it.

Violent sobs tore through my body, and Cameron's grip tightened, his hands helplessly patting my hair and rubbing my back. I could tell just how hard he wanted to comfort me and that he had no idea how to do it.

"Maya, we have to go," he whispered at last in my ear.

When his face brushed mine, I realized his cheeks were soaked in tears too.

I couldn't talk. It was like my tongue had dived straight down my throat. Another sob coursed through me, and I tried to glance over my shoulder, to see my grandmother again, but Cameron held me tight.

"You don't need to do that," he said, gently easing me toward the bedroom door.

He was right, I knew he was right, but still I was stubborn. I tried again, only to get the same response. In my mind, I pictured Miles attacking Cory, but instead of Cory, my brain substituted Lilliana, and I cried until I couldn't breathe.

Torn between panic and wanting to comfort me, Cameron let out a breath of air before he finally scooped me into his arms and carried me back out to Clarissa's car. It didn't matter if my eyes were open or closed, all I could see was that horrible image of my grandmother.

Clarissa was frozen as she watched Cameron climb into the backseat, me cradled on his lap like a giant infant.

"What happened?" she asked at last.

Cameron looked up at her through glistening green eyes, shaking his head slightly.

Clarissa's crystal-blue eyes went wide, and she held up a hand to cover her open mouth. "I-I'm so sorry, Maya."

I buried my face in my hands, crying all over again as Cameron held me to him.

"Drive," he told Clarissa.

And she obeyed.

My sobs were the only sound in the car for the first few minutes.

When Clarissa did speak again, her voice was so soft that I almost didn't hear her. "Miles wasn't human, was he?"

Cameron squeezed me tighter, but in the moment, he didn't care about the consequences of his answer—I knew that because I didn't either.

I waited, listening to the simple "No" that passed his lips.

She pursed her lips, her whole face tightening as she nodded.

"Let's get to the community center, and we can talk," Cameron promised.

Clarissa frowned but said nothing. The car started to slow to a halt, and Cameron and I looked at her, horrified.

"What are you doing?" Cameron demanded. "Drive!"

"No," she said.

"No?" Cameron asked. "Why not?"

"I'm not moving another inch until you two tell me what's going on. Who was Miles...or what was Miles...and...and why did you hide him from everyone? Did you... did you know what he was going to do?"

"Clarissa, please, let's get somewhere safe first. This isn't the place," Cameron said.

"How would I know?" Clarissa asked. "You've lied to me before, you could be doing it now."

"I'm not happy to say I have proof I'm telling the truth," Cameron said, pointing a skinny finger straight ahead.

Two bloody creatures stood outside the windshield of Clarissa's car, staring at us through beady black eyes. Miles' friends had finally returned.