Graveyard, Backyard

Chapter 20 - A Normal Day

"Alright, now tell me everything!"

As soon as my best friend, Aria found out about my return back Rivera, she planned everything. How we were going to pass our summer, what shopping we need to do, which new restaurants and cafes we should go. I mean it has just been 24 hours since I arrived in Rivera but this girl is just crazy.

Dad's new apartment is not far from Aria's. We were sitting on Aria's terrace just like before, talking about completely random things. I was kinda avoiding the serious conversation about Havendell but I knew it was coming.

"Firstly, promise me you won't interrupt." we were sitting on a big swing, facing each other. "Not once."

"OK. And secondly?"

I rolled my eyes. I could see she was excited to know about it because I haven't actually told her much. I just told her bits and pieces on the phone calls.

"Secondly, don't laugh or judge. Or think I'm mad or paranoid or stressed out or cracked."

She 'LOL'ed, literally. "Done." and then she motioned her fingers as if she zipped her lips.

"OK, you remember I told you about a guy I met on the lake who turned out my neighbor?"

"Hm..Hm.." she was considering my warning seriously. Good!

"He told me to leave Havendell. He told me I was in danger." I could see Aria's shocked expression. Her eyes opened wide, eyebrows raised and her mouth was a big 'O'. She wanted to flood with questions already, but she couldn't. Man, she loved drama.

"The house I lived in is haunted."

I told Aria everything that happened in last month. The whole massacre. Scene by scene. My nightmares, the real reason behind my staircase accident, tragic death of Will's sister and her babysitter, Jake's shocking behavior, my mom & Jake's made up story about dad and my dead aunt who was my mom's twin, that 'Save me!' ghost Andreas, and the Ander Booth mystery. Aria was intently reading my face and hearing my words.

"And, so I'm here." my throat dried up after this chat. I grabbed the water bottle we brought with us and gulped down half of it. Then, I looked at Aria and said "Shoot."

She pondered for a few seconds before asking "Is that neighbor- Will hot?"

"Seriously? After all my throat drying speech you asked about my neighbor?"

"No, Just Kiddin." she laughed "Although, I want to know the answer, my question is- Why did he tried to save you?"

"What?"

"Look, you said he hates you, right? He saved you from the staircase incident, the drowning incident and warning you about all the ghost thing!"

"I thought he hated me but.."

"So, he doesn't hate you but why would he risk his life?"

"What?" I swear if Aria tries to pull up the destiny and fate and soulmate stuff her, I'll kill her.

"There's a guy, who is not human, is killing all the girls in that house, but why didn't he killed the other twin? The other sister?"

She was now confusing me.

"I think that the demon is after older girls, maybe."

"So why Will's sis? Why one?"

"Because.." Aria got a point, "Kathy, the girl who was killed, was close to the babysitter than the other one. That demon probably killed Kathy because she knew about Emily's stalker and all.."