The Black House

There was fire everywhere and screams of terror. I was in an unfamiliar room with kids from my school. They were all screaming and backed against the walls and each other.

I turned to look at what was scaring the hell out of even the biggest guys at school. There was nothing there. But I could feel it's presence. And then the rumbling growl nearly deafened us all.

I covered my ears and looked back. Everyone was on the floor, dead. There was blood everywhere, as well as severed limbs and heads. I panted as a scream built up in my throat.

That was when I noticed the blood on my hands. I was soaked in it. It was like I had dove into a pool of it.

I looked at the faces of my murdered classmates and saw two that broke my heart. Annie and Cassie had died right beside each other.

I practically jumped out of my nightmare. But I opened my eyes and simply stared at my ceiling. I decided to go get some water but when I tried to sit up, I couldn't.

Something invisible and very heavy was weighing me down. I felt a hot breath on my neck. I strained to move even a little. I couldn't even open my mouth to scream.

Then my ability to breathe was gone. The invisible force was on my chest. I started rasping and choking.

Suddenly, a blinding light lit up my whole room and I realized it was coming from me. It had never been this bright before. But what truly caught my attention was that the glow made the outline of the invisible force visible. It was a huge creature of some sort.

I could lift my arms now and I held my hands, palms out towards the creature. It roared and disappeared. Once it was gone, my light faded and I grabbed my phone and dialed Annie's number. Cassie would think it was a prank. Annie would believe me.

As soon as she picked up, sounding half asleep, something growled and seized my ankle. It dragged me across the floor, towards my closet. I screamed and held a hand towards it and forced the glowing light out.

It let go and screeched again. I grabbed my phone and kept the glowing in one hand on. If I touched the other with my phone it would be incinerated or melted.

"Xylia, what's that horrible noise? Xylia, what's happening to you?!" Annie was yelling.

"Annie! There's something in my room. It tried to suffocate me. Can I please come over? Please. I can't be in this house." I gasped.

"Of course you can! Get out of there now." Annie instructed.

I kept my glow on one hand until I left. I drove to her house, trembling.

Once I got there, she insisted I tell her everything. I started with before my date with Zach and the strange noises coming from the basement. I told her about it holding me down on my bed.

"It started pressing on my chest and it didn't get off until..." I paused.

How would I explain how I fought it off? She wouldn't believe a normal human girl could have.

"Until what, Xylia?" She urged gently.

"Annie...if I show you this...you CANNOT tell anyone. Not even Cassie. She couldn't handle it like you can." I whispered.

"Xylia, you're scaring me..." She frowned.

"This is how I fought it off...or scared it off. Whatever." I explained.

I held my hands out, palms up. I let the glow light up her room and she gasped.

I explained when it started and what ignites it. I told her how the creature that attacked me fled from it.

"You say it...burns or melts things?" She asked calmly.

"Yes..."

"Does your mother have this ability?" She pressed.

"If she does, I don't know about it. You know we don't spend time together." I shrugged.

Annie pursed her lips and sighed. She looked conflicted but then her eyes met mine.

"My grandmother told me stories...she still does. She spoke of a demon called Kalona. He was referred to as the 'Angel of Death'. He was the father of the raven mockers. You've heard me do reports on this, right?"

I nodded and listened intently. She nodded and continued.

"There are other legends about how he brought about the raven mockers. He stole women in the night and enslaved their husbands. He raped the women and the products of these rapes became known as the raven mockers." Annie explained.

"So you're telling me this....why?" I asked.

"Because I think it is Kalona who is haunting you. The light that comes from your hands...it's a natural defense against him. You're descended from my tribe, on your mother's side, most likely. You should get hold of her and ask her if she has any strange abilities. Or if she's ever been attacked by something unseen." Annie replied.

The next day after school, I went to the hospital to find my mom. I caught her walking into an elevator and I jumped in with her, and several other people. She didn't even look up from her clipboard.

"Mom." I spoke loud enough for her to hear me. She looked at me, her blue eyes widening.

"Xylia, hey, sweetie. Is everything okay?" She asked.

"Can I talk to you...alone? It's really important." I murmured.

"Honey, can't it wait? I have to operate on someone in 10 minutes and I still have to get ready."

"What kind of operation?"

"Just an appendectomy."

"So...it's a procedure that many other doctors are qualified for, right?" I asked.

"Xylia, what is it? Are you failing something or in some kind of trouble?" She frowned.

The elevator opened and she and I started walking into the hall. It was slightly busy and she went into a room and checked on someone. I followed trying to explain how important it was.

When we walked down the hall again, I had enough of her busy schedule. There were plenty of doctors. This was my only mother. I seized her arm and dragged her into a supply closet.

"Xylia Elizabeth Dire!" She snapped.

I held my hands out and they lit up the closet. She gasped and stared in shock.

"I've kept this a secret since the 8th grade. I need your help, Mom." I murmured.

"8th grade? Oh, no. Xylia, you should have come to me then! I could have helped you...I could have explained..." She sighed.

"Explained what? So, you DO have it too?" I asked, feeling less of a freak.

"Yes. It's actually saved my life....and yours." My mother frowned.

"Yeah...it saved mine last night." I scoffed.

Her eyes widened in horror as I told her what happened to me at our house.

"He found us." She whispered.

"Kalona?" I guessed.

Her eyes flicked back to me. She blinked and shifted uncomfortably.

"How do you know about Kalona?" She inquired.

"Well, I used to read about Native American legends but I heard most of it from my friend, Annie. She's full Cherokee Indian. Mom, what haven't you told me?"

"We're full Cherokee too--"

"Dad is? So he knows about this?" I interrupted.

"Of course. We suspected you would inherit this. Stop interrupting. Kalona has been obsessed with the women in our family since the beginning of the tribe. Our pale skin and light eyes were uncommon in the tribe. It drew him in, mesmerized him. So he came after my great-great-great-grandmother. She fought him off and ran to the medicine man. They prayed and prayed for protection. And she got it."

"The light....it burns him, right?" I murmured quietly.

Mom nodded and sighed.

"He came after her. She warded him off with it every time. So he would come after each female of our line. Every single one had this gift. It's a gift of power and protection. It is to be used in dangerous times, when we're threatened or in danger. Xylia, you cannot stay at that house alone. Go back and forth between your friends or something until I can figure something out."

It was obvious she was worrying. Apparently, when I was born, she caught Kalona trying to kidnap me. He had attacked her before then on my parents' wedding night. He was pissed that my dad was going to take my mother's virginity. Before that, he came for her on her sixteenth birthday. The very first time he came for her was on her fourteenth birthday.

I went home and Annie was waiting outside for me. She was going to help me pack a few things and I was going to stay at her house for a few days.

Cassie's parents were uppity and didn't like me or Annie so that was out of the question.

The next few days were peaceful. But my third night staying at Annie's house was my last.

We were both lying awake, but not speaking. It was a comfortable silence. Annie was almost asleep but I couldn't stop thinking about the next time Kalona would attack me.

As if in answer to my thoughts, my blankets slid off if my body. I jumped to my feet so fast, Annie gasped in shock.

I was thrown against the wall and pinned to it, my feet off the ground. My head was pressed against the high ceiling. This was going to be a fun drop.

Annie jumped up and screamed for her parents. She was thrown onto her bed and her parents came in and saw me being held by something and their daughter on the floor.

My hands lit up and I was dropped to the floor, on my stomach and hips. I coughed and Annie's mother stared at me. Her husband told me to leave. Annie and her mother stared at him.

"She was attacked by a demon and you want to throw her out?" Mrs. Ember asked incredulously.

"I'm not endangering my daughter for her friend." He answered.

"Dad--!" Annie exclaimed.

"No! She can find somewhere else to go." He snapped.

"Xylia, I'm so sorry...." Annie whispered, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"It's not your fault. I'll be okay. See you at school on Monday." I sighed, rubbing my sore hip.

I got my stuff and called the only person I could think of.

The door opened seconds after I knocked and Zach let me in. He took my bags and shut the door behind me.

"I'm sorry, I know it's late and I haven't texted you since Monday but everything is....crazy, lately." I explained.

"Xylia, calm down. I don't mind, honestly. So how long do you need to stay?" He asked politely.

"Until my parents can figure something out..." I muttered.

"So...what's going on?" He frowned.

I stared at him, wondering if I should tell him. His big hazel eyes were soft, worried.

It practically jumped out of my mouth. I didn't stop talking even though his mouth fell open and he stared at me like he had just let a psycho into his apartment.

"And I can tell by your face you don't believe me so watch." I breathed and showed him what my hands could do.

The light was so bright, his eyes squinted but he stared at me.

"At the club...when you danced..." He breathed.

I nodded.

"So this....demon...Kalona...wants to rape you?" He blinked.

"That's what Annie and my mother have concluded. I told you, he's obsessed with the women in our family."

"So...he doesn't just attack you when you're alone now if he attacked you at Annie's house. Do you want me to sleep in the bedroom on the floor?" He asked kindly.

"No, no. You take your own bed. I'm on the couch. Just leave your door open." I waved a hand.

Zach wouldn't have that. He insisted I take the bed and he'd sleep on the floor, beside it.

We both lay down and I was desperate to get some sleep. I sighed as I lay flat on my back and dozed off.

You know when you're sleeping and you get that falling sensation? I know it all too well.

I was having a hot dream about Zach for once and I felt my back arching. I sighed softly, thinking nothing of it. The dream was arch-worthy.

In my dream, Zach was kissing down my neck and sternum. It felt so real. His hot breath made me shiver and that's when I heard him yell my name.

My eyes flew open and I looked over but I realized my body was in mid-air, levitating about three feet off the mattress. I gasped and my body fell back onto the bed. Zach was standing and watching with huge eyes.

"Are you ok?" We asked at the same time.

We nodded to each other and he got on the bed with me. He put his arms around me and that's when I realized my body was trembling violently.

"I just...wanna s-sleep." I stuttered, crying like a baby.

"I know. I'm not going anywhere, Xylia. Try to sleep. I'll stay up all night if I have to." He murmured in my ear. His big warm arms made me feel safe. I buried my face in his chest, as if to hide from Kalona.

It seemed to work because I slept peacefully after that.