"Holly is fine." I reassure her. The door flies open and I turn my head. "See." Holly stands in the door way. Charlie lets go of me and wraps her arms around Holly. "I thought he killed you." I smile at Holly. She smiles back and hugs Charlie.
Charlie is getting stronger, it's taking up more of his energy to possess her completely. Hopefully this means we can destroy him together. Holly sits cross legged on my bed. "How did you know about my mom?"
"I could see it in your eyes. I won't let him take Charlie the way he did your mom, Holly." I sit next to her. "I will always be here. He won't hurt you or Charlie while I'm here I promise." I hold her and she squeezes me. My old T-shirt and shorts are damp but dryer than my other clothes. "I was so scared." She sobs into my T-shirt. "Tom I don't think we can stop this thing. What if Charlie is right what if he kills you?" She looks up at me her eyes are big and worried.
"Don't worry."
"That's what all the heroes say in the movies than someone dies or gets hurt."
"Not this time I promise." I stand up and walk over to the window. "What the..?"
"What?" Holly walks to the window and stands next to me. Outside us a van with a satellite dish stuck on the roof. "News crews." She says and nods as if it is completely normal to have news crews outside your house. "Why are they here?" One of the men point to us. Cameras start to flash and I pull the curtain shut.
Chapter eight. (holly)
I call my dad. "Dad, hey."
"Hey sweetie, what's up?"
"Dad, the news have heard about Tom and him you know?"
"Yes, why is that a problem?"
"Well dad, I can't get out of the house without being mobbed."
"Ok, well will Lisa let you stop over in Charlie's room?"
"I'll ask."
"Ok, sweetie I'll see you later." I hang up the phone and look at Tom. I notice a little blonde streak in his fringe, it's so cute. I smile at him. "So?"
"He said I could stop." He smiles at me. "I'll go down stairs and ask Lisa." He nods and then we hear screaming from downstairs. We run down the stairs and into the living room. Charlie is sprawled out in the middle of the floor shaking. She passes out and Lisa and Tom's mom take her back to the hospital. I sit next to Tom on his bed. He smiles. "She'll be ok."
"I hope so." I shiver. "It's cold in here." He wraps his arm around my shoulders. He pulls the covers up over us. I snuggle into him. I don't know how but I fall asleep.
I am woken by the sun shining through the bedroom window. Tom's mom is whispering outside the door. "You saw how they were sleeping. You only sleep like that when you've done it."
"Lindsay calm down, holly is a good girl and you know Tom better than anyone." I look at Tom he puts his finger to his lips. I nod. "We did not have sex mom! We're not animals." He shouts. I sit up and try not to giggle. She opens the door. He looks at her and smiles. "We were cold and we fell asleep."
"Yeah that's all it was Mrs Toulson I swear it." She looks at me still sceptical but she drops the issue and goes back downstairs. I look up at Tom, he smiles at me and chuckles. "What?" I prod him in the side.
"Yeah that's all it was Mrs Toulson I swear it." He mocks me.
"And what was funny about that?"
"It was really cheesy."
"Oh and shouting, we did not have sex isn't?"
"Nope." We go downstairs and Lisa makes us some breakfast. She puts two slices of toast in front of me. "Lisa have you got any nutella?"
"Of course we have we always do for you Hol." She opens the cupboard and gets a tub of nutella out and hands it to me. "Thank you." I eat my toast and Tom watches me. It makes me self-conscious. Lisa and Tom's mom leave to go to pick Charlie up and go to work. They bring Charlie home and leave again.
We all sit on the settee. Charlie starts to mumble to herself. I look at her. "Charlie?"
She ignores me. I stand up and go upstairs. Tom is meditating in his bed room. He has no shirt on and his hair is all messy. I pat him on the shoulder and he jumps. He opens his eyes and looks at me. "Sorry, I made you jump. I know you said you didn't want to be disturbed and I wouldn't have come up here if it was something stupid. I mean?" He smiles at me, then I realise I was babbling.
"What's wrong Holly?"
"Charlie, she's sat downstairs mumbling again. I think it's trying to take over her again." I look at him he stands up and pulls on his T-shirt. He follows me down stairs and into the room. When we get down there, Charlie is gone and the back door is open. "Tom?"
"We'll find her." We go outside and Charlie is sat on the garden bench. I start to walk towards her. I hear Tom breathing deeply behind me. "Charlie are you ok?"
"Holly, be careful."
"I will." I'm not stupid I know what this thing is capable of. I reach out to touch my best friend. My heart pounds in my chest and it feels like my stomach is in my throat. I know we can kill this thing together.
Chapter nine. (Tom)
Holly walks over to Charlie. "Charlie are you alright?" she reaches out to touch my cousin's shoulder. "Holly no don't touch her it could?" I'm too late the demon transfers into Holly. Her eyes cloud over and Charlie crumples like a rag doll onto the grass. Holly starts towards me. "Holly fight it I know you can I won't let it take you as well as your mother. Holly please if you can hear me please listen. Don't let it take you, you can kill it all you have to do is push it away." Her hands lift up and go towards my throat. I close my eyes and turn my head. She screams and falls onto me. I catch her and lay her down slowly. "Hol?"
"Tom?" she smiles at me. "I did it."
I hug her. "Yes you did." Charlie stands up.
"Guess again!"
"Oh crap!" We run inside and Charlie follows us. I drag Holly up the stairs. "We need to try and stop it!"
"I guessed that much!" We take refuge in my room. Charlie/the demon bangs on the door. "Let me in!" Holly stands in the middle of the room biting her nails and shaking. I can see the fear and disappointment in her eyes. "I need to clear my head and meditate it's the only way we can get rid of this thing." The banging stops and Holly opens the door. We tie Charlie to the bed and I go out onto the back garden. Holly leaves me and goes to keep an eye on Charlie.
I close my eyes and focus on my breathing. Nors' voice fills my head. "I know why you have come to me lightning worrier, spirit saviour. You cannot help her but you can help the almighty Odin if this is the path he has chosen for you."
"What do I have to do?"
"Come with me. Climb on my back."
"Pardon?" Did she just ask me to sit on her back?
"Climb on my back I must take you somewhere."
"Ok." I climb onto her back and she runs towards a tunnel. We smash through it and out of the spirit world. I look at my body and see the light on upstairs. Nors leaves me after saying. "You will know what to say, ask what you must of Odin but be prepared to pay the price." I stand in front of myself. How do I get back into my own body? I jump into it and I fall back. The thud of flesh and bone hitting the floor, reassures me that I am in my body once again. I run into the house.
The hallway upstairs is destroyed, all the pictures are on the floor, the furniture is smashed into small shards and Charlie's door is smashed in. I step into the room. Charlie isn't Charlie she's the demon. She laughs. "Holly got a boo-boo." I look around. Holly, my Holly, is slumped in the corner of the room with a big shard of wood in her delicate skin. I kneel down next to her. "Hol?"
"Tom?" Her voice is just a whisper.
"This is going to hurt, I'm sorry." I gently pull the wood out of her arm. She winces, her perfect little nose crinkles and her eyes water. "Now go and get cleaned up." She nods and stands up. I watch as she staggers into the bathroom. I turn to the creature on Charlie's bed. "Stupid boy you can't stop me!" It laughs. I look at it. I place my hand against Charlie's back. I close my eyes and start to chant. "Great Odin, if this is your wish, take this creature from her body, use as a tool of
your doing." Over and over again. My arm freezes and I can hear Charlie screaming. I don't stop or open my eyes. Then I'm gliding through the air, the water demon in my grasp. He wriggles and tries to make me let him go. He fails. I hand him over to Nors. Then I fall. I hold myself up on Nors' shoulder. "What's happening to me?"
"You are becoming a spirit."
"What?" A bright light forms in front of me and I look at her.
"This is where the spirit goes when the flesh dies."
"When the flesh dies, I'm dying?" She nods. "I can't die." Then a different voice fills the air. "I'm here Tom, I won't leave you. Don't leave me." I feel my eyes welling up. Nors seems to smile at me. "You love her. Go to her but when the time comes you must give yourself up." She fades away and the light consumes me.
Chapter ten. (Holly.)
I walk back into Charlie's room to find Tom laid out on the floor. His right hand is pressing against Charlie's skin. "Tom?"
"Holly, what's happening?" Charlie sits up and Tom hits the floor. I smile at her.
"Don't worry honey I'm here." I turn to Tom. His chest isn't moving. No he can't die not now. I put my hand on his arm. "I'm here Tom, I won't leave you. Don't leave me." I place both my hands on his chest and focus on healing him. I need to, it's going to take a lot out of me but I have to do this. I focus on covering him with light, with magic, with my power. I focus on all my strength and energy and making it flow into him. I focus on him, his laugh, his smile, his eyes and him just him. Then it's over I tried my best and if it's not good enough then I don't know what to do. I turn back to Charlie. I wrap my arms around her. She hugs me back. He did it, Tom, My Tom brought her back and got rid of the demon. But at what cost. He's gone now. What are we going to do without him..? Tom sits up and gasps. I turn to him. My hands shake as I reach for his face. I can only manage to whisper the words spinning round my head. "You came back." He smiles at me his eyes crinkle. He pushes his hand through my hair. "Of course I did, I couldn't leave you."
"I thought?" I can't bring myself to say it. I thought he was gone, dead, kicked the bucket. You know? I lean forward to, a guy who I've known for a week, slept with, fought of a demon with and still I have no reason to feel so strongly about him. I lean forward and kiss him. Charlie clears her throat. "Urm, guys do you mind? You making out on my bedroom floor is the weird side of hinky." I look at her and laugh.
"That's the Charlie we love." Tom tries to sit up. "Hey you stay there, you just died!"
"He died, you died, Tom died?" Charlie looks at us both.
"I'm fine Holly saved me." He looks at me and smiles. I did, I saved him, me.
We all go down stairs and sit on the settee together. Lisa and Tom's mom come home. He explains what happened and they seem to believe him. Charlie is back, my best friend is back. I knew we could pull it off. But we almost lost Tom. He looks revitalised. He joined the cross country team and Brandon is not happy about that. Me and Tom started dating but we haven't told anyone except for Charlie. She seems happy for us. I won an award for my painting and ceramic work and Tom won second for the spirit painting with me on it. My dad helped them pay for the damage to the house. he does believe our story. He always knew I was going to be like my mom but I'm different I'm me.
I saddle up Buttercup and dad saddles up Bobbie. "You ready squirt."
"Bring it dad!" I climb on to her back and we head off along the drain. The look of the water makes me shudder. Dad puts his hand on my shoulder. "You ok there kido?"
"Yeah I'm fine."
"You seem different."
"Different?" I repeat confused, I don't feel any different.
"You are stronger now, you're just like your mother." I slow my pace so our horses are walking side by side. "You miss her don't you?"
"Yes sometimes. But mostly I'm angry about her leaving us." He smiles at me. A car trundles past us. Buttercup flinches but I manage to keep her steady. We trot along and turn the corner to the field. I let Buttercup into the paddock and turn around. Tom is sat on the fence waiting for me. "Come on, we're gonna be late for school." I flick his fringe. He pats my hand down. "Stop that it took me ages to cover it up."
"Why it suits you." I hop over the fence.
"I don't like it." He covers the streak with his hand. I laugh and he pushes me. Charlie runs over to us. "Hey, which part of wait for me did you not understand?" she yells at Tom. He leans down and kisses me. Charlie cringes. "I told you not in front of me, gross, wrong in pure, in pure."
"Relax cous it's just a kiss." He kisses me again.
"You are a demon!" She makes a cross with her fingers and we all burst out laughing.
"Hey, no demon jokes k?" he pokes her side and Charlie nods. We walk the rest of the way to school without saying a word.
Chapter eleven. (Tom)
I look in the mirror while I'm brushing my hair. The grey streak in the middle of my fringe makes me look older than my mom. She stands behind me. "You look just like you farther." I smile at her. "You were very brave, Tom." I turn and look at her. Tears are streaming down her face. "Mom." I hug her and she cries onto my shoulder. "I love you mom."
"I love you too." she pulls away. "Now go on you're going to be late." I kiss her cheek and run down stairs. I grab my bag off the settee. Charlie takes a bite out of her toast. "Hey wait for me I'll be two secs." I nod and then remember I said to Hol I would meet her at the stables. "Ok, one, two. I'm going!" I close the door behind me and run to get there in time. I run down the road towards Holly's. I turn and run down the track towards the field. I can see Holly, bent over trying to find something. Her dad looks at me. I smile at him. He walks past me. "You make sure she gets to school on time, I know what she's like with that horse."
"Yes Mr Ibbotson I will." He walks away and I sit on the gate. Holly turns around and I see her face light up. "Good morning!"
"Come on, we're gonna be late for school." She saunters towards me and flicks my fringe, I push her hand away it took me ages to get it right. "Stop that it took me ages to cover it up."
"Why it suits you." She hops over the fence so gracefully and so cute I hold her arm as she jumps from the gate.
"I don't like it." I try to cover the streak with my hand. Holly smiles and laughs and I push her gently she staggers sideways but carries on laughing. "You're so cute when you do that." She says between giggles. Charlie runs over to us.
"Hey, which part of wait for me did you not understand?" She yells at me from across the road. I lean down and kiss Holly. Charlie cringes. "I told you not in front of me, gross, wrong in pure, in pure."
"Relax cous it's just a kiss." I kiss Hol again just to annoy her.
"You are a demon!" She makes a cross with her fingers and we all burst out laughing.
"Hey, no demon jokes k?" I poke her side and Charlie nods. We walk the rest of the way to school without saying a word.
I sit looking at the painting I did when the demon was still possessing my cousin, who is actually pretty nice and funny, the blackness and the figure in the middle remind me of Holly's fight. I glance over at her she's leant forward and her hair is dipped into the paint pot next to her. "Urm Hol." She looks up at me and her hair sticks to her face leaving a blue line down her cheek. "Oh crap!" she grabs a paper towel and wipes the paint away. I smile at her. It's hard to believe that my first week here I defeated a demon and met her. I can't believe that we actually defeated the demon, I thought he would be too strong. But that's all in the past and now we can live in peace, well until the next time a demon possesses someone. We know what to do now to stop it. I look back at Holly, her hair is stuck to her face and her t-shirt is wet. She smiles at me. Holly walks over to me. "What are you going to do with it?"
"I don't know maybe throw it away. I don't like it."
"Hey Dork nice streak!" Brandon shouts from the corridor. I look at Holly and we burst out laughing. That guy hates my guts but he is so pathetic. The
one time he was nice to me was when I saved Holly's life at the drain that day. Long story short we try to avoid each other.
Holly and Charlie are waiting for me when I get home. "Where have you been?" Holly has her arms folded. "Boston? The drain? My field?"
"Boston." I hand her a box. She looks at me confused. "Open it then." She looks at Charlie.