Charlie (UNREVISED)

Chapter 36

I stare, my eyes widening. "Your sister...?"

Molly's grin turns sad as she nods her head. "Yep."

"Then... how..."

"I can't explain it right now. It's a long story, that I'm not sure I'm going to get into. Just tell me what the rules are."

I hesitate, eyes glancing around to the other spirits. Molly must have died recently, because the spirits are paying her no mind. She isn't a part of their hive mind yet.

"You're not allowed to hurt or kill anyone. That's it. You must make sure that my friends don't get hurt."

"Why do you care so much?" A spirit asks with his head tilting.

I look over at him without an expression on my face. "Why do you think? How did you end up here?"

Something dark flashes in the spirits eyes, but he doesn't say anything more.

"Don't hurt or kill, but protect the friends? Seems easy enough. In exchange, you'll give us energy," Molly clarifies, and I nod my head once.

"You can't take all of my energy. Only some. As I'm sure you all have found out, I'm quite strong."

The spirit's glance at one another with killer smiles, all of them nodding their heads.

"Just like papa," one spits, making me turn to look at the girl spirit who looks up at me with hunger.

Now, I'm beginning to feel a bit scared.

"Who's papa?" I ask again, before the feeling of something dark and nasty comes over my body. I tense, slowly turning around to the bathroom door, that remains closed.

But I can feel something standing on the other side.

Molly seems to understand something that I don't, her eyes filling with panic as she takes a step closer. "Hurry! Give us your energy! He's here!"

I push my hand out, which glows with my power just underneath the surface. "Who's here?"

Molly stares at me. "Papa."

Hesitance.

"He's been following you."

My face pales as something knocks on the door, three times.

Knowing better than to say "come in" to something so ominous, I ignore it, urging the spirits closer.

"Go, take half, spread it amongst yourselves."

Each spirit comes over to lay their hand on top of mine, taking a small portion of my energy, before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Three knocks are heard again outside the bathroom door.

I turn towards it, glaring. "You are not allowed to come in!" I shout, trying to sound confident as a peel laughter can be heard.

"But don't you want to know what you are?" The voice asks, making me hesitate as more spirits come up to take my energy, before disappearing.

"You're pretty strong. I could practically smell you all the way from the other end of the school."

The hairs on my arms raise, but I don't respond.

"Your dad. How is he training you? I'm surprised. You would think he would lock you away for a longer amount of time."

Molly finally comes up, staring at the door for a moment, before looking up at me. "Papa. He said he knows you personally. If that helps any."