THE FORSAKEN ANGEL

Episode 3-A conversation

"She can't see me" The strange lady voiced and Crystal's heart started to thump hard against her ribs.

"Crystal, are you alright?" Violet asked her daughter after studying her quizzical expression for quite a while. Crystal gulped hard slowly turning to face her mother.

"Nothing mom...it was probably just the wind" Crystal cleared her throat and tried to close the door immediately Violet turned back but the strange lady found her way into the house swiftly.

"Who are you and what do you want from me?" Crystal was forced to repeat herself, instantly backing away after the lady made her way into her home.

"I was hoping I could talk to you" The strange lady replied but when Crystal turned to the rest of her family, they were staring at her like one lunatic.

"I...sorry about that...I was just-" Crystal stuttered unable to explain the situation to her family.

"Are you sure you're okay Crystal?" Hayden inquired.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm fine" Crystal faked a smile and return to sit with the rest of her family.

"Can I talk to you please?" The lady asked rather politely but her sudden presence next to Crystal made her flinch as she stared up at the lady while her parents' attention fixed on her as they were finding her behaviour rather strange.

"Sorry, I thought I heard a fly buzzing" Crystal lied but then from the corner of her eyes saw an annoyed expression on the lady's face but she ignored it and concentrated on her food.

"Excuse yourself, Crystal, we really need to talk" The lady pleaded but this time, Crystal did a good job at ignoring her and this pissed her off because all of a sudden the lady's gaze intensely pressed on his brother and he started to cough.

"Little buddy, you okay?" Hayden asked Jayden.

"Something is stuck" The young boy managed to say and his father helped pat his back to help him but the situation was getting out of hand that resulted in Hayden repeatedly hitting his back to get out whatever was stuck in his throat.

"What did you do to him?" Crystal's hands trembled resulting in her spoon dropping from her hands.

"Nothing he couldn't handle" The lady replied and Crystal gulped feeling her chest grow heavy with fear.

"Do to him? Do you think we did something to him? Why would we ever do anything to him?" Violet seems to have picked offense by her daughter's question as she immediately throws her a glare.

"I'm sorry mom-

"I think we need to get him to the hospital" Hayden suggested as Jayden's cough persisted.

“I’ll go get your car keys” Violet offered and immediately stood to help her husband get his keys, which she quickly grabbed on the end table right next to the TV stand and immediately move to her husband who carried Jayden in a bridal style then head out with Violet on her side.

“Make sure to stay indoors Crystal” Violet yelled behind her as she rushed their 7year old son to the car.

“What did you do to my brother?” Crystal was terrified; scared the strange woman had hurt her brother, then she started to think of a strategy to harm back the lady, she swiftly grabbed a fork on the table aiming it directly at the lady’s stomach but she froze on realising her hands immediately went through the woman’s stomach.

“You can’t hurt what can’t be seen Crystal” The lady confidently said and walked to her seat.

“What did you do to my brother?” Crystal felt the need to ask the question again feeling frightened and worried at the same time.

“They should probably be turning back by now since the water froze in his throat would have dissolved, you have nothing to worry about…but I really need to talk to you…first, my name is Angelique but you can call me Helen, I need to talk to you about something that I’m certain-” Helen stopped for a minute hearing something from afar.

“What do you want to talk to me about, you ghost?” Helen watched as Crystal’s chest rise and fall in a very rapid rhythm that announce her fear.

“I gotta go…I’ll be back, make sure to keep your windows locked tight tonight, do not sleep with your light on” With that Helen out of Crystal’s house leaving her mouth hanging low wondering how a ghost could open and close back her door, it came as a shock to her that she could see and communicate with a ghost because to Crystal; that was the only explanation for the lady who called herself Helen. Crystal flinched as the doorbell sounded and the door flung open to reveal her mom and dad who returned with Jayden in their hands.

“Oh God Jayden” Crystal rushed to examine her younger brother who wasn’t all that comfortable about her hands rubbing him all over.

“Are you okay?” Crystal inquired out of worry but instead, Jayden gave her a sarcastic look.

“No, I’m not, your hands are all over my body” Jayden complained pushing past his sister and moving to the dining table to complete his food.

“What happened to him in the first place?” Crystal turned to Violet who just shrugged her shoulders and moved to join her son at the dining table.

“To be honest I don’t know…he just said he was suddenly fine; we had to turn back” Violet finally responded after a few minutes of staring carelessly at Jayden.

“I guess nothing was wrong with him then-

“Don’t mind him; he was just being a little dramatic. Everyone chokes on food but Jayden just has to make a big deal out of it” Violet shot his son an annoyed look.

“I really couldn’t breathe,” Jayden said in a low guilty voice that made Hayden chuckle, all through the rest of the dinner, Crystal couldn’t get the meeting he had with Helen out of her head…was she really a ghost? What did she want her for? Was it because she could see her? All through her seating with her parents, questions pile in her head, questions which she know no one could answer for her, could she be hallucinating, it had felt so real.

“Crystal?” crystal flinched again at the call of her name by her mom.

“Yes mom” She replied after trying to calm down her raging heartbeats.

“You hardly touched your food, is everything alright with you Crystal? Are you having trouble with anything?” Violet inquired but Crystal just gave her a faint smile and stood.

“I don’t have that much of an appetite mom, I’m probably tired…I probably should go to bed” Crystal tried not to stutter and immediately head up the stairs to her room. Crystal placed her back against the slammed shut door and exhaled deeply wondering what was happening to her then her eyes fell on her window which the late-night breeze was swerving around.

‘Shut the windows’ Helen had warned so she did just that, she shut her windows, closed her doors change into a suitable nightgown, and get on top of her soft bed. Her hands found the switch and were about to turn the light off when she recalled what Helen had told her but after a brief moment of turning around on the bed she finally decided to switch off the only source of light in her room; her bedside lamp since her main lights had all been switched off but she just couldn’t sleep with the light on so she turned off her bedside lamp and arranged herself properly on her bed then sighed after she felt her body relaxed, she might actually sleep faster than she expected she thought as she started to drift, she was enjoying her pretty sleep until she heard metals clashing and was forced to have her eyes fluttered open, her eyes immediately fell on Helen with a long sword flaming blue light.

“Why don’t you send a message back to my sister” Helen gritted before cutting the head of…something Crystal couldn’t bring herself to describe, it had darkness around him…with spikes running down his back to his tail; his hand had spikes protruding from them and it was about 6ft tall.

“What the f**k is that thing?” Crystal questioned immediately the body of the huge monster-like creation landed on the rug of her room only to disintegrate leaving nothing but black remains that looked like the burnt carbon exhaust of a car.

“It’s called a demon” Helen answered her question slowly turning to Crystal with her eyes glowing brightly like a billion stars hid under the heavy clouds of the blue sky. The heavy blue flames engulfing her sword immediately disappeared the moment she blinked her eyes returning her eye colour to normal.

“I remember telling you to sleep with the light on” Helen looked a little offended by her disobedience.

“I can’t sleep with the light on-

“The light repels demons of darkness away from you; if I had arrived any later you probably would have been someone’s dinner-

“What are you?” Crystal could no longer contain her curiosity; she wanted to know everything now.

“Don’t worry; you’ll know everything that there is to know about me but right now is not a very good time” Helen softly replied moving closer to Crystal who found her extremely strange.

“You’ll get your chance but for now, just act like I never happened…I’ll come back for you and I promise I will protect you no matter what it takes” At least she wasn’t going to kill her but protect her, Crystal thought…she doesn’t know what to believe about the woman who suddenly appears in her life bringing a demon with her.

“Was the demon here because you approached me?” Her question made Helen sigh.

“It is way complicated than that Crystal but for now, do not turn off your light while you sleep and make sure not to take any dark corners while walking-

“Crystal” Crystal’s head immediately shot towards the door that was left ajar by her mom who had her head poking out of it.

“Who are you talking to?” Violet asked her daughter after several seconds of hearing faint conversations coming from her room.

“Um,” Crystal looked back to Helen who shook her head to caution what she has to say.

“Nothing, just practicing for a debate conversation” Crystal lied and Violet reluctantly nodded.

“It’s late, get to bed” Violet urged closing the door behind her as she left.

“Yes mom” Crystal shouted after her mother and by the time she looked back to where Helen was standing, she was gone.

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