DEMONitized

Chapter 2

Gwen and Philip spent the next three hours cleaning the kitchen and didn't stop until the last moving truck disappeared from the view of the front window. The workers installed the new door successfully, and the movers distributed all their items as close as possible to where they'd hoped they would be. 

Upon realizing that the sun had begun to hide its face behind the hill, Gwen perked up and reminded her assistant that it was time to head over to their new neighbors' for dinner. 

"Do you want to do one last run-through to make sure all of your boxes are here?" he responded.

"Sure," the influencer agreed. "We've got a few minutes."

The two rushed upstairs to inspect their rooms - Philip giving his place a cursory glance and deciding it was good enough, and Gwen being careful to sort through each of her drawers for anything that might be missing.

That was when she saw - or rather, didn't see - one of her most prized possessions. 

"My locket!" She shrieked and began to dig through the smallest drawer towards the top of her dresser. 

Philip dashed in to see what the fuss was about - finding Gwen on the verge of tears and a pile of cheap costume jewelry clotted together on the floor.

"We just moved into this freakin' place, and my locket is gone!" She continued.

"Are you sure? It could have been rattled around by the movers."

Gwen ripped the drawer out and flipped it upside down for Philip to see. Then she placed it atop the dresser and crossed her arms, sulking all the while.

"I'm going to kill whoever did this," she growled.

"Hey, now. Shit happens. It's probably too late to call the movers, but first thing in the morning? I'll ask."

"You don't understand!" Gwen continued her rant, "My grandad gave me this locket! You know, the one who gave us this house? And now it's gone, and he's gone and... augh! Nothing makes sense anymore, and why is the room so blurry?"

Her frantic behavior turned to pure sadness and distress. Philip longed to reach out and pat her on the back or something, but he knew better than to interfere.

"I'm sorry, I honestly didn't even know you had a locket until just now."

"It's fine," Gwen eeked out as her breathing slowed.

"Well, it's clearly not fine, and as your number two, you bet I'll be demanding a refund if there's a robbery involved!"

"What are you going to do? Run him over with the SUV?"

"I was thinking more chasing him down and hitting him with my shoe or something. I'm not exactly built for violence."

Gwen cracked a smile.

"I know I don't say it often enough, but I am lucky to have you. But not romantically. Of course."

"Of course," Philip giggled since the thought indeed had never occurred to him.

After giving her time to blot her eyes, Philip directed Gwen to the cabinet where he'd moved their flashlights. Although life on the farm in this day and age wasn't as inconvenient as when Grandpa Warner inhabited the place - the township never cared to install street lamps along the road.

Gwen remembered how her grandfather would take her around town at night with one of those old-fashioned lanterns. Was it gathering dust somewhere in the house?

The two didn't need their flashlights for long - as they moseyed down the hill to lower ground, where the Raikes family lived, they spotted the bright orange glow of the campfire Madelyn had promised. Its tiny ashes floated off to dance with the stars above.