Crazy = Genius

Chapter 36: Back From the Edge

'Back from the edge, Back from the dead, Back before demons took control of my head, Back to the start, Back to my heart, Back to the boy who would reach for the stars'

Terrence suddenly sat up straight and looked around the room frantically. He had fallen asleep in his office, his paperwork scattered around him, and he was alone. Stretching out his sore back he looked at the gold watch on his wrist to realize it was almost four in the morning.

"Oh fuck me." He groaned, standing up and staggering to his bedroom for the rest of the night.

As he entered his room he kept his eyes trained on the bed only to find it empty. A wave of worry and panic flooded him as he came up short on his search for Lilianna. "Where is she?"

He quickly made his way back down the hall and opened the double doors to the library which was also vacant. Swearing under his breath he checked the guest room on the second floor, also nothing. His panic was rising now and he feared that the absolute worse has happened and maybe somehow, she had managed to escape. He threw open Otis's door and flipped on the lights.

"What the fuck-" Otis growled as he rolled over to stare at his boss through half-opened eyes.

"Where's Lili?" He asked in a hurry.

"Last time I saw her she was in the library. God, what time is it?" Otis answered, rubbing his eyes and lifting his phone to his face. "Terrence it is four am what are you doing waking me up!"

"I can't find Lili." He panicked.

"Have you checked the rest of the house yet?"

"No."

"Well then get the fuck out and let me sleep. When you know she isn't in the house then you can come to get me but until then close the door on your way out." Otis grumbled, rolling over and throwing the sheets over his head.

"But what if-"

"If she's not here then you know what they say, if you love something let it go and if it loves you too it will come back," Otis mumbled. "Now turn off my light and go away!"

"Did you do something for her?" Terrence accused.

"What?" Otis hissed.

"Did you help her escape, run away, or hide from me? I know you feel sorry for her, did you pull a self-righteous hero move for her?"

"Oh my holy ghost, no! No of course not! I'm not stupid or disloyal, you know that! God Terrence just go look for her already you're wasting my time and your own."

And then Terrence flipped off the lights and slammed the door closed before running down to the main floor. He searched the kitchen and the living room, nothing. He searched the beach, the backyard nothing again. He was starting to get worried and then he made a last-minute choice to check Hannah and Rochelle's rooms.

Hannah was fast asleep in her bed, no Lilianna. Just as he was about to burst into Rochelle's room, he heard humming. He stopped and pressed his ear to the door and listened to the soft and sweet voice attempt to lul the fussing baby back to sleep.

"You can take my home you can take my clothes, you can take the drugs I have but nobody knows, you can take my watch, you can take my phone, you can take all I've got 'til I'm skin and bone. I don't need control I can dig my hole, I can make my bed and I can lie in it cold. Cause I don't need heat I've been burning in hell and now I'm back with my own story to tell." The words carried through the wood to Terrence and he was once again in awe by the sound of her melodic voice. He could make out the sound of Rochelle fussing slightly and whining, leaving him to assume that Lilianna had come to the baby upon hearing her cry. Of course, she would sacrifice her sleep to be a good person in a house full of demons.