It Rains When I Cry

The next morning when Zack made his way downstairs he rolled his eyes when he saw Johnny, Ana, and Kaila all curled up together on the floor. Johnny was holding Ana, who was holding Kaila. Zack grinned and even though he didn’t want to he woke them up. Ana slowly began to stir as Zack said her name. She muttered something under her breath and opened her eyes. Kaila was curled up against her and there was an arm around her. She smiled, he had held her until she fell asleep and not quit holding her. She sat up slowly and Kaila woke when she moved. Johnny lay there for a minute watching mother and daughter. He watched as Kaila told her mom she was hungry.

“Uhm, we can go over to the house and get something I guess.” Ana said.

“Or I could take the two of you to breakfast.” Johnny said biting his lip. Zack rolled his eyes as Johnny looked hopeful that she would say yes.

“Ok” Ana said shyly.

“Mommy, potty”

“C’mon sweetie, you’ll have to use the big girl potty here.”

“OK” and Zack and Johnny watched as Ana took Kaila and walked her to the bathroom.

“I’ve never seen you like this man.”

“What the hell are you talking about Zack?”

“Johnny, you’ve done jumped in over your head.”

“Your point.”

“At least she won’t hurt you.”

“Thanks, for the support Zack.”

“Well look at it this way, she doesn’t give a shit who you are, she has a kid that she obviously puts first and she has her priorities in order.”

“She’s a great kisser too.” Johnny said grinning.

“Okay… Christ you’re done for.” Zack said laughing as Gena walked into the room. Johnny rolled his eyes, she was grinning like an idiot.

“Why’s Johnny done for babe?” Gena asked walking over and kissing her boyfriend gently.

“Ana”

“I wondered down early this morning they were curled up on the floor.”

“Checking on me?”

“No Johnny, I just got this weird feeling that’s all.”

“Well lets not worry about it right now. When the suns completely up and Johnny and Ana get back from breakfast we’ll take Kaila to my parents and then the ten of us are going over to that house.

“Okay, so I’m not cooking everyone breakfast this morning?”

“Those that don’t go out.” Zack said “And only if you want to.”

“I thought we were having cold pizza?” Michelle said walking in looking tired. Apparently she had spent the night tossing and turning and not asleep.

“Oh hey yeah that’s right. Cold pizza it is.” Gena said smiling.

“Girl you’re too damn happy.” Val said walking in with Matt, and looking accusingly at Zack.

“I didn’t do anything…” Zack said grinning. They all watched as Ana walked back in with Kaila. The nineteen month old looked proud of herself. And she was singing to herself.

“I’m a big girl…I’m a big girl…” They all laughed and Ana watched as Johnny picked her daughter up.

“Ready ladies?” Johnny asked. Ana nodded and Kaila giggled. As the trio walked out of the house Ana turned around quickly.

“Don’t go over there with out us please?”

“We won’t Ana, Johnny knows where my parents live, they’ll take her for the day, just tell them that your gonna be doing a few things and need a babysitter.”

“But…”

“It’ll be okay c’mon”

“My friend Megan can watch her honestly…”

“Where’s she live?”

“Thirty minutes away…”

“My parents live five minutes away.” Ana caved and agreed.

Almost an hour later, not only was the sun fully up but they were all standing on the front porch and staring at the front door. Ana walked forward and unlocked it. They looked at one another and walked in. The place was a mess. Ana wanted to cry. She walked into the kitchen and it seemed that nothing was disturbed in that room. The dining room however was where they started. The guys removed the table and put it out to go in the trash. They all looked up the steps and Ana swallowed.

“I’m not going up there first.” Matt said.

“Don’t blame ya man, who’s the brave soul that’s going up to the second floor first?” Brian asked.

“You guys are a bunch of chicken shits.” Gena said and lead the way.

“Hey you wouldn’t be saying that if you got your side sliced open last night.” Matt said and followed her. A few moments later they were all on the top floor landing and they spread out.

“Matt what room did you go in last night?” Ana asked.

“I don’t know the one with a bed.” There was only one room that had a bed out of the four that were there.

“Mine then, c’mon Gena.” and the two of them moved to Ana’s bedroom door. They stood there staring at it. The bedspread was a tattered mess and there were clothes everywhere. Ana picked up a piece of the bedspread. “Nana, made this for me when Kaila was born.” Gena saw the hurt in her eyes and wrapped an arm around her.

“I’m sorry Ana.”

“No it’s not your fault. I’m gonna figure this out.”

“Hey Ana, Gena, come here.” They turned at Zack’s shout and started from the room. Ana tripped over something on the floor. She glanced down and without realizing it used the piece of her bedspread to pick up whatever it was. She stared at it. Gena turned when she realized Ana wasn’t behind her. Ana was standing staring at a knife with dried blood on it. There was horror in her eyes.

“I think we found the knife that slashed Matt’s side open.” Ana whispered. Gena nodded and they wrapped it in the cloth in Ana’s hand and went to see what Zack wanted. They stopped dead in the hallway.

“Cara…” Gena said quietly. They all looked at Gena.

“The woman that died?” Johnny asked. Gena nodded.

“You warned us last night. Why?” Johnny asked

…not safe, no one is safe here…

“Why?” Matt asked and couldn’t believe that he was standing here talking to a ghost. She was hidden in the shadows of the end of the hall by the attic door.

…find the key, he hid the key, he can’t come out during the day… They watched as she faded from sight and looked at one another.

“What key?” Brian and Michelle said together.

“To the attic door maybe? I tried it and that was about the time she showed up.” Val said.

“Do you know how small that key has got to be?” Jimmy asked moving to look at the doorknob.

“We could always just break the door down.” Leana said.

“NO!” Ana said. Suddenly she felt a little paranoid and studied the door. “That door has to be locked because whatever HE is can’t come out during the day. I think I should wait for Nana before going in there. We’ll find the key and then we’ll wait for Nana.”

“What’s your Nana’s name?” Brian asked.

“Angelique.” Ana said smiling.

“She’s gonna be able to help?” Val asked.

“Yes, I’m taking it you guys would be able to believe that she has visions, since ya know you’ve been through this shit…”

“I definitely won’t make fun of it anymore.” Matt said. Val wrapped her arms around him. Careful to not aggravate the wound on his side. Which had been bugging him last night.

“Speaking of, Matt where in my room where you when you got stabbed?” Ana asked.

“By the bed, I heard something in there like someone banging drawers looking for something.”

“There’s drawers in the chest at the bottom of my bed.”

“That could’ve been it, I didn’t get the chance to turn a light on…why?”

“We found this, well or it found me. I tripped over it.” And Ana unwrapped the knife. Matt backed up a few paces.

“Dude chill she’s not gonna stab you. Right Ana?” Zack asked.

“Of course I’m not.”

“Okay there’s ten of us, I say we split into groups of two and find this key. That way we have it when Angelique gets here.” Jimmy said. “The sooner we figure this out, the sooner Ana can give Kaila the house she’s always wanted to give her.”

“Thanks Jimmy.” They split up into groups and it took the rest of the day and several small scares from Cara who was trying to help them apparently before they realized the one room that had to hold the key was upstairs. It was the nursery. Where Ana had asked them not to go. She looked at Johnny who took her hand and the two of them led the way into the room moments later. The writing on the wall that had been there the night before was gone and the crib was the only thing not destroyed.

“Ana where’d you get that crib?” Gena asked.

“My friend Megan got it from a secondhand baby store for me when I found out I was pregnant why?”

“I’ve seen it before.”

“What?” Jimmy asked looking at his friend.

“When they cleaned this place out they removed that too.”

“That’s right we, watched them while we were outside waiting for the guys to come home.” Val said looking at it.

“Wait, the one thing that she didn’t let him break. The keys in the crib…somehow.” Matt said. They turned as the room got cold.

…Hurry it’s getting late. I knew you would help me Ana…

Ana turned her head so she wouldn’t have to watch the guys tear her baby girls’ crib apart and Gena watched as the tears began falling down her new friends face. Johnny heard the rain on the window and glanced at Ana.

“Are you gonna be okay?” He asked walking to her.

“I think so.” and he brushed the tears from her face just as they heard the first crash on the attic steps. They turned to look at the door way.

“Got it, lets go.” and they all turned to go down the stairs and leave the house. Ana pocketed the key that Matt handed her. She nodded to him and they watched as Cara disappeared into thin air. They heard another crash and started moving a little faster they were at the bottom of the steps when Val fell. They turned to help her and suddenly they knew they had to get out. Matt carefully ripped the knife from his girlfriends side and with some help from Brian got her outside.

…THAT KEY BELONGS TO ME. YOU WILL NOT WIN…

They got outside and moments later they began trying to stop the rapid bleeding on Val’s side. Matt looked at Jimmy and Zack and they ran in and got car keys. And the ten of them piled into two cars and headed to the emergency room. Johnny held Ana close to him and kissed her forehead and even though she was still crying the rain slowly began to subside.