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Raphael looked back at Fatima for a moment and then nodded walking towards the porch slowly.
He rapped on the door lightly and then realized that Fatima's last name has suddenly fled his mind, he had planned to call out for them but that didn't seem like an option. A Couple of moments passed so He knocked on the door again, this time a bit harder. Trying hard to assume the best, hoping and even going so far as to pray that her parents were alright. |
"My last name is Mu'awiya," Fatima offered, her brows creasing. Evidently she feared the worse for her parents, although they could simply be fast asleep with their bedroom door shut. Knocking didn't necessarily work all the time. "Try the doorbell," she suggested after a moment.
Fatima began chewing on her thumbnail again; it was something she did when she was nervous. A bad habit, you might say. What if the creature was inside? What if her parents were in trouble? What if... What if something worse happened. Her knees went weak, wobbling. She hadn't the foggiest idea why she remained standing, except that she still didn't know. She couldn't lose it just yet. |
Raphael nodded and pressed one finger to the doorbell lightly, "Mister and Missus Mu'awiya!?" He called softly, ringing the bell again.
"Hello?" He rested his hand on the door handle lightly, he frowned "Your doors unlocked" He said looking back at her his brow furrowed in worry, "is it normally unlocked?" He couldn't feel the demon's presence but that didn't mean it wasn't masking it like he was his. |
Fatima continued to chew on her fingernails nervously. The door was never unlocked! Their neighbor was occasionally known for break-ins, so it was generally unsafe to leave a door unlocked. She did not voice this, but tried to convince herself that her parents had simply left the door open. Maybe because she had been out and they wanted to make sure she could get in. She took house keys, didn't she...? But still, it sounded plausible. Right?
"Well... No..." Fatima began, stepping up onto the poor with Raphael. "But they did know I was out. Maybe they left the door open for me? I don't know..." She gently pushed him aside and grasped the doorknob, opening the door very slowly. She braced herself for a creak to give away someone was entering, but the door made no sound. She thanked God under her breath. The hall leading to the family room was dark. She couldn't see a thing. |
Raphael walked in looking around, wishing for all the world the demon would expose it's presence just a little before it attacked, that way he'd have a chance to pull something off and protect them.
He shuddered a bit, the tension and anxiety building up in him were so heavy he wasn't sure how much more he could take. Leaning against the door frame a little he leaned in looking into one of the rooms quietly, it was so dark it was difficult to see anything. |
Fatima, whose worry for her parents overcame her worry for her own life, moved past Raphael. She marched deliberately into the darkened room, flipping the switch on the wall beside her. The overhead light flickered and then burnt out. The room was once again plunged into darkness. Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. There was something.... Terribly wrong...
She did not wait for the young man. Instead she took off, through the kitchen and turning into another connecting hall lined with photographs of her as a little girl, and various vacations her family had gone on over the past ten years or so. At the end of the hallway was her parents' bedroom. Fatima stopped, just in front of the door, pausing before grabbing the handle. She swallowed hard, squeezing her eyes shut. Her heart pounded, and she threw the door ajar. Nothing but blackness... And a heavy, heavy silence. Again, she flipped the switch to her left. And gasped. No one was in the bed. No one was there. No demon, no parents. No blood. No signs of struggle... Except for one thing... Three, large claw marks cleaved across the mattress, the fluff from the bed scattered all over the floor. |
Raphael had been a bit startled by he mad dash past him. He stood for a moment in the hall way and then ran after her.
"Fatima" He called softly as he hurried down the hall pausing behind her in the door way. He peered over her shoulder, the sight of the bed sent a shiver up his spine, they had been to late, the demon had already been here. He reached out resting his hand on her shoulder lightly. "I-I'm so sorry.." He managed to say softly as he closed his eyes a little "M-maybe...they weren't home" He offered trying to think of any possible way they could be completely safe. |
Fatima thought that she would lose her mind, although outwardly she felt numb. She stood still and unexpressive, her gaze glued to the bed and the scratches. After about a minute, she sank to the floor, burying her face against her knees. She tangled her hands into her hair, exhaling a shuddering breath.
Now what? "What... should I do...?" she asked no one in particular. Raphael could interpret this as a question directed to him, although Fatima had merely been asking this question to her environment, somehow excepting a sort of divine intervention. Though his evening she had not seen evidence for anything except the existence of hell and evil. Where was God in all of this? |
Raphael knelt down beside her and wrapped his arms around her gently, he didn't have any words, he didn't know what to say.
He sighed a bit and rested his chin on top of her head, "Don't give up" was all he said as he tried to provide her with some sort of comfort. It was the only answer he had for her question, it was all he could do for her. If he could have acted in the club he would have prevented this, if he'd only just shot the demon down or trapped it, anything. But he hadn't, he had been to afraid of being found out, to bound by orders. |
Fatima felt a bit more soothed with Raphael's arms around them. He was unusually comforting for a boy. Not that she'd had much experienced with the opposite sex. But the ones at school were often loud, obnoxious, and unconcerned for the feelings of others. Gingerly, she lifted her hands and rested them on his back. Odd...
"We can't stay here," she said. "It might come back. I think that my parents are okay. That's why there isn't blood here. It's just trying to scare me. I don't know where they are, but I can only hope." Fatima lifted her head, gazing up into his face and forcing as much of a smile as she could muster, even though her eyes burned and her throat ached with the need to cry. She fought it down. "I just need to find them, that's all. But for now... I think I need to go someplace safe and sit a while. I need to think." |
He nodded and with his arms under he's a little he lifted her to her feet slowly.
"You'll find them" He said softly "I'm nearly positive you will find them safe and sound" Raphael looked down at her and smiled as best he could "My offer from before is still open, you can come back to my condo." He said softly "It...might be best not to go to a relatives house...or a friends..." He said worriedly, "He might be able to track you there." He wasn't trying to persuade her so much as reason with her, he could only hope she knew he wasn't going to hurt her. |
Fatima nodded, not really having the strength or willpower to argue with him. Besides, after all the help he'd given her, facing demons and whatnought, she highly doubted he was trying to "get into her pants". Fatima brushed herself off, and announced that she was going to pick up some necessary items in her room and for him to wait there.
Upon walking into her room, she winced. Her clothes and drawers were thrown everywhere, almost as if the thing had decided to search her things for some unknown reason. She didn't notice anything missing, so she figured it had simply torn the place apart out of rage since she wasn't there. She rummaged through her stuff in order to find what she'd usually take with her to a sleep over at someone's house. She found a tank top and pajama pants, a shirt dress, some regular shoes, a pair of socks, deodorant, her toothbrush, and toothpaste. She took all these items and shoved them into a mini backpack, and rejoined Raphael in the master bedroom. "All right, I'm ready." |
Raphael nodded and stepped away from the door frame and he stuffed his hands in his pockets "Lets go call a cab" He said softly.
He scratched his head a bit and reached out sliding his arm around her shoulders a bit he rubbed her arm a bit in a comforting way. "Tomorrow....we'll start looking for them, tonight....tonight you need to rest and recover from the club." He said softly as he guided her to the door, the thought of using the house phone not really crossing his mind, he was mentally set on useing a payphone. |
If anything remotely good had come from this situation, Fatima was thankful for spending this much time with such an attractive, nice guy. Particularly when he put his arm around her. It made her want to press herself to him and forget about anything else happening around them. Sadly, she was too shy to something like that.
"Yes," she agreed. "I need to sleep. Um..." Her stomach churned a little. "... But first I think I should eat something," she laughed, flushing with embarrassment. |
Raphael nodded a little and smiled softly "Were is the nearest restaurant to here?" He asked his arms still around her as he walked her out the door.
He let his arm slide away slowly once they were outside, his fingers wrapping around hers slowly. He looked up and down the street a little checking to see if the coast was clear, and trying to see where the nearest payphone was. He really didn't want to ride the bus again. It wasn't that he disliked buses, it was just to much stopping and going for him to deal with tonight. |
"Depends on what you want," Fatima said, trying not to blush as he held her hand. He was certainly touchy-feely, for a guy. She always thought they weren't really into doing romantic things. They only liked to pinch your butt or... Ehhh, she didn't know. "There's a chinese place, a Middle-Eastern place, a sushi place... Any number of things. What would you be willing to eat?"
She cursed under her breath, though, as she'd forgotten to pick up some more money. Without a card, she couldn't even visit the ATM. She didn't want to have to mooch of Raphael anymore. He'd already spent enough money on her with the bus. Chivalry aside, she didn't particularly like being dependent on other people. "Er, Raphael, I forgot to get some money from my room, can I go back in?" |
Raphael's brows lowered a little in worry "I..I suppose so.." He said letting go of her hand a little "We'll go for chinese...at least there I know what I like" He added with a smile.
He followed her back to the house, he wasn't sure if he should run in with her or if he should wait out front, after all the house was empty when they'd gone in the first time. Going with his naturally protective nature he decided he'd just follow her in to be on the safe side. All the chaos from earlier that night was re-running through his head. He was terrified that the moment he left her something horrible would happen. |
Fatima smiled and withdrew into the house. She noticed Raphael following her back in, probably out of concern. She appreciated it, but she wouldn't take long. She stepped lightly to her room, digging through a drawer to a secret location where she kept her savings from her last summer job at the mall, and counted about eighty dollars to take along with her for the tonight and the next day. She hoped she wouldn't need more than that, but she could always return if she needed to.
"All right, I'm ready," she announced, walking up to Raphael and tilting her head in the direction of the door. "Let's go." |
Raphael nodded and reached out taking her hand lightly. He led her out the door in silence and headed towards where he'd spotted a phone when they'd come out earlier.
Letting go of her hand as he approached the phone, he quickly dipped into the booth and started to dial a few numbers calling a cab to one of the addresses in front of the booth. Not once did he take his eyes off of Fatima as he spoke to the man on the phone. He Hung up and stepped out "I called a cab" He said softly "It shouldn't take to long" In fact it didn't take long for the big yellow Taxi to pull up along side them and beep the horn. Raphael waved to him and ran over grabbing the door and holding it open for Fatima. |
Fatima ducked into the cab, sliding to the far window seat so Raphael wouldn't have to scramble over her or walk over to the other side. She looked at the taxi cab driver with wide eyes. He was an Indian man with a turban, a string of beads and an image of the god Rama hanging from his rear-view mirror. He had a neat- trimmed beard and a heavy accent.
"Hello, m'am and sir. Where can I take you two this evening?" "Oh, I don't know the address," Fatima admitted, and turned to Raphael, who had seated himself next to her and slammed the car door shut. "He needs your address." She let Raphael lean across her to talk to the cab driver. |
Raphael leaned across Fatima and towards the front seat. "Ah um..." He rubbed his head a bit "You know where Compton street is?" He asked.
The man's turban covered head bobbed a bit, "Yes I know" He said looking back. "okay take us to...the little gas station down there, Its close enough to my place" Raphael said, he didn't like giving his address to cab drivers, or anyone. He wasn't sure why he was so secretive about it, but something in him knew that it wasn't a bad thing to be a little paranoid. He leaned back in the seat again and closed his eyes a little as the cab puttered forwards. |
Fatima's vision blurred. She felt overcome with fatigue. At least in the taxi she felt somewhat safe from danger. Next to Raphael... She could almost forget everything that had happened. She closed her eyes as well, her head nodding a little. Finally, she succumbed to the temptation to sleep, leaning back into the chair.
During a turn, her head collapsed against Raphael's shoulder as she snoozed, her face peaceful for the first time that night. During her nap in the car, she did not dream of anything unpleasant. She had fallen into a deep sleep that would help restore the energy that she had lost for obvious reasons. "Zzzz...." |
With the soft thump of Fatima's head against Raphael lifted his arm gently wrapping it around her pulling her in to a more comfortable position. He remained that way through out the entire cab ride, even daring to close his eyes at one point.
Then he felt the cab slow to a stop and heard the man shuffle and turn around "That will be eleven fifty" He said his hand extended palm up through the window between the seats. "Ah...yeah just a moment" Raphael gently shook Fatima "Hey...time to get up" He said softly before reaching in his pocket and pulling out his Wallet. He rummaged through it a little and pulled out the amount the man had asked for. Raphael slipped it into his hand before opening the door and climbing out slowly. |
Fatima moaned, curling herself into the seat. She pressed her face against the cushion. She knew she should get up, but she didn't want to. She was too exhausted. Come on feet, get out, she told herself. Stand! You can stand. After about thirty seconds, she forced herself up. Her knees wobbled, and while the cab drove off, she rested her forehead against Raphael's arm. Her surrounding rippled, still unclear. She barely fought off sleep.
Due to her dazed state, she had trouble discerning reality from invention's of her mind. In her mind, Raphael was flashing a brilliant smile, holding out a hand to her. He was wearing a blazer jacker and dress pants. She had on a red dress. She took his hand and twirled with him. However, in real life, he was simply standing beside her on the street, gazing up toward his apartment. Her vision took another turn. Raphael was holding out his arms to her, beckoning her into a warm embrace. This caused her to press herself against the real Raphael. "Hold me," she murmured, her eyes closed. "I don't want you to disappear, ever... Stay with me. Please..." |
Raphael blushed a little "Ah...Lets get you into bed" He said softly as he gently and carefully guided her towards the apartment.
He led her through the doors and into the lobby, it was moderately decorated lobby with a sleepy door man seated behind a desk on the far side of the room, Raphael waved a little to the man before heading to the elevator. He had a feeling that Fatima was in no condition to walk at this moment. They stepped in, the elevator speakers playing some soft song that was popular at least twenty years ago. Raphael seemed to be enjoying the aged song, his arm remained around Fatima. |
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