Shadowfire

Chapter 16: Homecoming

My heart pounded in my chest as I sat in front of my grandfather's desk with my brother. Gregory's eyes were distant and dark as he spoke on the phone with the hospital. The banshees had been correct. Our grandmother had died a couple of hours before as she slept. AuntNancy stood by the window as the town began to plan the funeral progressions outside.

"Yes, that will do. Goodbye," he said as he hung up the phone roughly. It seems it had been quite a night for all of us. 

"You're dismissed," he said without looking at us. Aunt Nancy nodded in acknowledgment and followed behind us as we slowly exited the room.

"Thank you, grandfather," William spoke on our way out. The house was silent as I made my way through the halls towards my temporary accommodations. I opened the door gently as possible as I collected my belongings from the floor. Soon after I had been retrieved from the sewer Nick had left with Reagan and the clingy ex-fiancee. I tried to ignore the pain I felt in my heart at the sight of them together. I glanced down at my bandaged up shoulder as a stinging pain radiated from it. 

The scratch that was previously there was now a dark red color and was beginning to flake. In normal time that would have taken hours but since time travel was involved the healing process had been skipped almost all together. I swiftly took off the bandage and glanced at my arm nervously. It was completely healed. No scar, nothing. 

My breath got caught in my throat as I headed into the bathroom to check myself in the mirror. I hesitantly touched the area around my arm, somehow expecting it to change forms once I touched it. Nothing happened and I let out a sigh before turning around to come face to face with William.

"Oh my god. Don't do that. You scared me!" William stood in front of me with a vacant look on his face. After a couple of moments his eyes connected with mine and he smiled darkly to reveal a set of sharp black coated teeth. I stepped back from the sink towards the tub as he slowly stalked towards me. This wasn't my brother. It's evil energy radiated off the walls of the bathroom as it reached out to touch me. 

My heart thrust in my chest as I quickly pulled the shower curtain from its place on the wall. I whipped at it a couple times as it dodged my attempts. It laughed at my ignorance as I backed into the corner of the room. It appeared in front of me instantaneously and I screamed as I covered my eyes.

"Sutton! Sutton! It'sokay." William shouted as I opened my eyes to an undisturbed bathroom. A normal William and Aunt Nancy stood in front of me with fearful expressions. I glanced around me for a few seconds before realizing that I was on the floor by the bathtub.

"She'll be fine. Sutton just needs to get some sleep. It's been over thirty hours since she slept last." I shook my head at her as I leaned on William to stand.

"I'm not imagining this, Nancy." I stated as she stared at me.

"Get some sleep. We'll see you in a couple of hours." Nancy smiled as she said this and thenwithout hesitancy she walked right out the door. I gazed after her as she exited the room. 

 "What time is it?" I asked as we made our way out of the bathroom.

"It's ten o'clock in the morning. Nancy's right you know. We really should try and get some sleep. Our brains create delusions when we ar--" he stopped as I interrupted him.

"Hecate is keeping my friend's mother somewhere and we have got to find her before something bad happens." I pulled a long sleeved black shirt from my luggage and quickly hauled off my destroyed crop top. Will looked away as I did this but honestly I wouldn't have cared if he looked.