Daydreams And Nightshade (DaN #1)

Chapter 27: A lack of senses

Lucius squinted through one of the front windows of the house, holding a lantern close to it in hopes of making it easier to see.

"Anything?" Luna asked, standing on the porch awaiting her father's report. The latter shook his head. "So we can go inside now then?"

"I suppose. No one's around to question it anyway."

"Can I pick the lock?"

Lucius tilted his head as he reached the porch and studied the door briefly.

"I don't think it's locked."

"What?" Luna felt the doorknob and realized her father was right. "Who doesn't lock their doors at night?"

"Dead people." Lucius smiled and passed by Luna to walk inside. The latter huffed but followed after him, closing the door behind them.

"Noah?" Lucius called out as they entered the dark entrance hall. "Are you in here?"

"Alexei?" Luna chimed in, a bit louder than Lucius. No reply was heard, but Luna thought she heard a noise above them, probably on the upper floor. Lucius looked upwards as he heard it as well and they moved forward to find the stairs.

"Maybe they're not here anymore," Luna theorized as she walked into the small dining room. It didn't contain much more than a table with chairs, an old fireplace and a cabinet next to the door they'd entered through. A slightly opened door leading to what seemed to be the kitchen was on the other side of the room, and another closed door was located to the right.

"Then what was that noise? And where would they have gone?" Lucius' voice was loud and agitated. Luna looked over in his direction, studying his worried expression and suddenly realizing something.

"You don't actually think Noah's visions are wrong, do you? You think there might actually be a ghost in here like he said."

Lucius looked as though he wanted to say 'not now' but didn't. Instead he looked resigned and possibly a bit annoyed.

"Of course I don't think he's wrong. Why would it give him a fake—" He interrupted himself and looked away. "I don't. I know what he sees is there. We all saw the mara... But lingering on things others can't see isn't good for him." He added the last part as he noticed Luna kept a stern glare on him.

"I still think you owe him a pretty big apology. The townspeople think he's crazy, and you've done nothing to defend him." She cocked an eyebrow and Lucius frowned as he looked at her.

"Wait, you're not moving?"

"No, I'm giving you a judging stare. How—"

"But those footsteps..." Lucius looked around, and Luna followed his example as she heard them as well.

"Noah?" she asked, but saw no trace of him. Then she noticed a movement in the corner of her eye and she turned her head, failing to alert Lucius of the flying chair in time. It hit him right in the face and he stumbled backwards into the kitchen table, a trail of blood soon finding its way out of his right nostril.

"Father, the chair!"

"Yeah, I noticed." Lucius' face was scrunched up in pain and he raised a hand to his nose. "Head for the door and get to safety. I'll look for—" He stopped talking as the chair swung towards him again and he barely managed to duck.

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure, but please do what I told you." Lucius reached back and placed the lantern down on the table before grabbing hold of the chair, refusing to let it strike him again. "It's clearly hostile."

"Do—Do you think Noah—"

"Luna! For once, listen to me!"

Luna reluctantly turned around and headed for the door but was quickly halted as something grabbed her hair. She yelped, and Lucius wasted no time asking. He swung the chair right next to her but Luna still struggled to get loose. Her head hurt as the force tugged at her hair harder and she bit down on her lower lip. Invisible being or not, no one grabbed her hair without permission.