Day After

My heart skipped half a dozen beats when I read it. Instantly I unlocked the door and waited anxiously for her arrival. It only took four and a quarter minutes for Catherine to get there. When I heard the knock and the sound of the door opening, I flew from my seat at the table and nearly barreled her over with the force of my hug.

"How are you feeling? What happened after you left? Are you alright? Did that guy hurt you?" My questions were coming out of my mouth faster than I could process. She regained her balance quickly and responded in a gentle tone, "How about you get me a tall glass of water and I'll explain. I'm so parched."

I went back to the kitchen and gave her said glass of water, placing it on the table where she had just sat. In mere seconds the entire glass was downed, leaving nothing but small droplets at the bottom. Catherine didn't look like she had been tussled by shrubbery or beaten by ill-mannered folk. Her nose was clean of any blood, thank God, and her clothes were without any stains. However tempted I was, I didn't immediately think that all was well and good unless she told me it was.

Sitting down next to her, I said, "I tried calling you after you left, just to make sure you were okay. But you didn't pick up so I assumed that you turned your phone off."

Catherine brow furrowed, getting this 'not again!' look on her face, "What time?"

"I think barely five minutes."

"Yeah, my phone was on."

Damn. I hoped that this wasn't going to become a habit, "What do you think is going on with our phones? They're both top of the line and they have never done this before. Maybe it's bad service or something."

Catherine said, "I don't think it's anything we can help...but let me explain: I went to Dr. Frey's office to see what he thought, but it was closed. Then I went to the school's library to read up on it, but lo and behold those books were gone. After that..." she paused, looked away and chewed her lip. "...I went home. And I guessed I slept, because I can't--"

She stopped herself, as if she never intended on telling me that much. "Nevermind."

"You can't do what, Catherine?" What was she going to tell me?

"I went home and slept." she replied, but I wasn't blind or deaf; I could plainly see that she wasn't telling the whole truth. She had never lied to me before about anything. I wasn't angered, oh no. I was scared. This was so out of character for her. "No, really." I said, "You can tell me what really happened. You know I won't judge."

Catherine looked torn between telling me the truth and fibbing again. "I...don't know how to say it."

"I only remember driving home, and then waking up in my bed." She buried her head in her hands as she tried to recall the day before, "...I left at 2 pm, came back 2:44, and I was on the road at 2:54...and that's it. All I can remember after is opening my eyes in my room and seeing that it was almost noon. I thought about you and I decided to drive over."

The boughts of memory loss were happening again. What happened in those hours that she couldn't seem to remember? It wasn't a whole week like before, but it could soon escalate to that. I couldn't look at this through a logical, scientific way anymore. Something was after Catherine, something that I doubted we could explain. But what was it? Demon? Monster? Spirit? Something else entirely? And what did it want?

I didn't know the answer to any of them.

Suddenly Catherine's attention turned to the floor, staring intently at a big spider that loitered around the feet of her chair. She almost tripped over herself trying to stomp the creature out of existence, but the eight-legged one proved too fast for her; it climbed up the wall and disappeared into a crevice.

I said, "Catherine, it's just an ordinary spider."

"No, it isn't. Not even close. It's a messenger."

Rebecca would have deemed her overly-dramatic, Naomi a bit touched, Florence downright insane and Vivian in dire need of a nap. But all this did was seal the deal that I wouldn't let her out of my sight until this Fear Dubh lost interest or it went away forever. Hopefully it would happen soon.

I tugged on her hand, "Come on, Catherine. Let's get some lunch. The spider will most likely be gone."

She didn't protest the idea. I got her out of my house and into my car, where I drove us to a nice diner. We didn't say much to one another during our meals, though.. It wasn't out of budding contempt, far from it; it was the king of silence where no words were spoken but things were being said. Catherine held my hand almost the entire time.

Florence's words (Maybe she needs to conquer this herself. We can be there for moral support, but this is something she needs to do) still rang in my head. Wasn't I already letting her fight this herself? Should I be there for her more, or less?  I couldn't think straight. All I wanted is to keep my Cathie safe from anything and everything that threatened her. And I knew in my heart that she would do the same.

We wrapped up our leftovers and I drove back to my house. My parents welcomed us back, as did my brother, and I told them that Catherine would most likely stay with us for a while. "Just for a few days at most," Catherine added. "I won't take up all your time."

A call was made to the Moores and they approved of the arrangement. I went with Catherine to her house to pick up some extra clothes and some toiletries, double and triple checking that she had eveything she needed. Nothing like finding out mid-shower you left something you had to have back at home.

Luckily for us, the checklist filled up and away we went back to my house for dinner. Mom had made her famous Korean steak recipe; Catherine and I nearly ate five whole helpings. It was more than enough to fill us up and want to skip out on dessert. Both of our classes started early the next day, so we decided that it would be for the best if we both headed to bed.

Catherine slept with me, as she usually did during sleep overs, and we both drifted off in no time.

It was the calm between devistating storms.