I know I said I was thinking about skipping ahead a little in this chapter, but once i got started writing, this little skit just came to me. I figured it was another fun little chapter for all of you. Enjoy!
*Christina's POV*
"Hey, guys." I smiled as I walked into the living room. The lightning outside caused the lights to flicker. I caught Amber flinch and wedge herself into my brothers side. My smile grew as I dangled the DVD in front of all of their faces. I shook my wet hair out and everyone complained as water spattered everywhere.
"I wish you would have let me-"
"Shush!" I leaned over Asherah's head, sitting on the floor in front of Edward, and silenced him with my lips. "It's fine, I needed to make sure my parents were really away from the house." I let my lips brush up against his as I spoke. This was our little Halloween party. All the parents promised to stay away.
"Are you going to put the movie on, or are we going to just be grossed out at the two of you all night?" Alexander grumbled, reaching for a pillow on the other side of Amber, and tossing it at me. I caught it and threw it back twice as hard. He still caught it.
"Do we really have to watch it? Can't we watch something a little more… happy?" Asherah asked from the floor in front of me.
"It's Halloween, we have to watch something scary. Stop being a girl." I messed her neatly done hair and she growled at me, trying to slap my hand away.
Ethan laughed beside her. "Baby, you look perfect. Don't worry about your hair."
Her cheeks flushed as she glared up at me.
"Put the movie on!" Seth barked from the floor directly in front of the TV. He reached behind him to one of the bowls of popcorn. Ethan scooted it away from his hand and took a handful for himself.
Seth sat up and snatched the bowl back.
I took in the relaxed stances of my pack. All of us were here, Ethan was on the floor leaning against the couch with Asherah tucked under his arm. Her left shoulder was leaning against Edward's leg. Alexander and Amber had the opposite side of the couch from Edward. Seth was sprawled out in the middle of the living room with Leah's feet propped up on his back, her head resting on a pillow. Quil and Claire were curled up in front of the fireplace with Embry sitting at their feet, he was not finished roasting marshmallows. Everyone else was full.
Brody sat on the floor on the other side of Edward. Beside him was Sarah, her face twisted in fear. I couldn't help but laugh at her. She had begged Brody to let her see the movie. She insists that she's old enough. Natalie, being a year younger than Sarah, decided that she was old enough as well. Their parents didn't seem to mind, I think they seemed to like the fact that an eleven and ten-year-old were here to keep an eye on all of us. Although, Rachel and Paul threatened Brody to keep an eye on Sarah. Natalie was attached to her side. I figured Amber didn't want her sitting up with her and Alexander.
"Are we all settled in?" I asked, looking around the room once more.
"Yes!" They all cheered. All except Sarah, Amber, Natalie, and Asherah. They just stared at the DVD in my hand as if it was going to bite them. I laughed again and put the DVD in and Edward flipped on the TV. The flat screen television came to life and I claimed my spot beside Edward, climbing over the bodies scattered all over the place.
The movie started with the gore and violence. Most of the guys hooted and hollered, and the girls gasped, hiding their eyes. I noticed Natalie crying and Sarah desperately trying to sooth her. I leaned down and touched Natalie's shoulder. She let out a gut wrenching scream and every single person in the room jumped. Edward was the only one who laughed at our reactions.
"Humans." He muttered. I elbowed him in the ribs and he groaned.
"Come here." I smiled, pulling Natalie onto the couch. "You know this is all fake, right? Nothing in this movie is real."
Seth, Leah, Quil, Embry, Alexander, Edward, Ethan, and Brody snorted.
I rolled my eyes.
Natalie hugged my waist as we watched the rest of the movie.
I tried to hide it, but it was too late. Edward noticed me flinch and cringe into his side. I couldn't help it. The movie was more gory than I expected.
High pitched gasps muffled Edward's chuckled. He reached over my shoulder and patted Natalie's head, then his lips were at my ear.
"Christina Black, are you, dare I say it, scared?" He growled the word into my ear. Fire burned through my body the way it always did when his lips were so close to my skin.
"No!" I hissed, but leaned into his side anyway. He hugged my shoulders and chuckled into my hair. I contemplated jabbing him in the ribs again, but I didn't want to jolt Natalie.
As soon as the movie was over no one moved. I figured some had fallen asleep, but then soft murmurs started to spread through the room.
The phone rang, loud and shrilly. Again, most of the girls jumped and screeched.
Alexander was closest to the phone and he was laughing as he answered. "Hello? House of Horror. Oh, hey, Mom. We're fine." Alexander leaned forward to look at Sarah and Natalie. I figured she was asking about them. "Yeah, they survived," he chuckled. "We just got done watching the movie."
Lightening flashed through the house, the TV flickered and the screen went black.
"Mom?" Alexander spoke into the phone. "Hello?"
Another flash of lightning lit the room immediately followed by a clap of thunder, too loud for comfort. A sharp snapping sound came from the front yard and the house shook as the snapping and crashing grew louder.
"The lightning struck the tree!" Alexander yelled, dropping the dead phone as he jumped to his feet.
"It fell through the porch!" Embry said, leaning down to look out the window.
Quil held Claire behind him as he leaned in by Embry. "Right in front of the door." He added.
"We're trapped!" Natalie shrieked, climbing over my lap and climbing over Edward to reach Amber. "Amber, I want to go home! I want daddy!"
"It's the masked man from the movie!" Sarah jumped to her feet and Brody stood with her, hugging her close to him.
"Will you girls relax?" Leah stood up and walked over to the window where Embry and Quil were still peering out. "It's just a storm. This isn't the first time you guys have been in one."
I reached in front of me and touched the top of Asherah's head. She was half hiding behind Ethan's shoulder, his arm reached across her body. She lifted her hand, searching for mine. I took it and she gave my hand a tight squeeze. I looked at Alexander, standing in front of the couch with Amber, trembling at his side. Natalie was squeezed between the two of them.
Another bright flash of light flashed through the house, immediately followed by the ear-splitting clap of thunder. More crumbling of trees sounded, but this time is came from behind the house. The wind picked up then and it whistled against the creaking windows.
"I hate Halloween!" Amber whimpered.
"Me too!" Natalie agreed.
"Yeah!" Asherah's voice shook. The house shook once again as the tree made contact somewhere in the back corner of the house.
This time Alexander's eyes darted to Asherah as she leaped to her feet. He dragged Amber, Natalie following, and gripped Asherah's arm. He looked as if he wanted to run with them, but he had no where to go.
"What the hell is going on out there." Seth mumbled as we all inched closer together in the middle of the living room.
My arms shook as my only way to protect took over. I could feel Quil and Alexander shaking beside me. Their arms were the only ones touching mine.
"No," Edward whispered, wrapping his arm around my waist. "It's ok. Just a storm."
Edward, the lightning is striking all the trees around the house! We have to leave.
"What are you going to do in your wolf form?" He asked me, his lips at my ear, so Natalie and Sarah wouldn't hear him. "You going to fight it off? Chrissy, it'll pass."
He had a point. I couldn't do anything in my wolf form that I was doing right now. I sighed and reached out to touch any of the shaking arms around me. "Relax." I hissed into the darkness. The wind and Rain had blown out the fire.
We all stood frozen as we listened to the trees crackling and screeching as they slit in two around the house. There was no lightning, but a clatter came from down the hall. We all screamed, I admit, my scream was amongst the others. The pack leader, their alpha, clung to her boyfriend like the human girls in the room.
Edward held me close, but his body was relaxed. "It's ok." He spoke loud enough for everyone to hear him. Before he could say anything more we heard someone grunt as they climbed through the shattered window. They were in my parents room.
"It's the masked man!" Natalie yelled it this time.
"No, no." The voice was familiar. It was my dad. I relaxed and fought the urge to run to him. "No masked man here. We're the rescue crew. Anyone hurt?"
Flashlights went on behind my dad and they all shown on the tight group in the middle of the living room.
"Scared?" Paul chuckled.
"Daddy!" Sarah pushed through bodies until she broke through. She was in tears as she ran into his open arms.
"Nat? Amber?" Jared called out behind the other flashlight.
"Here!" They both yelled, running over to him.
I saw my dad's eyes flash across the group as he searched for us. I could see his lips move as he counted us. One, two, three, he mouthed as his eyes fell on my brother, sister, and I. I was relieved when Asherah pulled away from Ethan and went to hug our dad. He seemed to relax when she was in his arms.
"The storm-" My dad was cut off by the flash of lightning and the clap of thunder. His voice wouldn't have been heard over all the screaming.
"You're fine." Paul and Jared calmed the younger girls.
"Where's Mom?" I asked when I noticed it was just the three of them.
"She's back at Sam and Emily's with the others. I don't think we're staying here tonight. It's pretty bad."
"What is?" I gasped. Part of me was expecting something supernatural, but I had to remind myself it was just a storm.
"The trees that are down outside. The yard is covered. The front porch is gone, and the back patio is gone. All the doors are blocked. I couldn't even get in through the window of any of your rooms." My dad informed us. I didn't think it was that bad.
"I'm not leaving." Asherah whimpered. "I'm not going outside."
Another flash of lightning and thunder changed her mind.
"I want to go, now." She whispered into the darkness. We all listened for where the tree was falling this time. The wind was too loud to hear it hit the ground.
"I really hate Halloween." Natalie cried as Jared picked her up and threw a parka over her head.
"Ready?" My dad asked, holding Asherah close to his side. He stood flat against the hallway wall as Jared and Paul led all of us into my parents room.
I stood waiting for my pack to file out before I did. Edward understood why I needed to wait for them. He stood patiently at my side.
My dad handed Asherah off to Ethan and Alexander as they walked past him.
"Dad?" Asherah turned her body as both Alexander and Ethan placed an arm around her waist, forcing her forward.
"I'll be out in a sec, sweetie."
"Chris?" Alexander called over his shoulder.
"Me, too." I assured him.
"That everyone?" My dad asked me. I nodded.
"Just Edward and I left."
"Good girl." He nodded, satisfied that I took the initiative to make sure my pack was safe before my own safety. "Lets go." He spoke quickly when another flash of lightning struck a tree a little further into the back yard. The screams outside let us know they were all out.
Edward and my dad shoved me forward, forcing me to go ahead of them. My dad was first out the window and Edward picked me up.
"I know how to climb out a window." I informed him.
"Shush." It was his turn to silence me with his lips.
My dad cleared his throat and held his arms out for me from the other side of the window.
I let Edward pass me off to my dad and ducked away from the pounding rain… no it wasn't raining. It was hailing.
We quickly caught up to the others as they hurried to the road where cars were waiting. Trees were down all over the place. Our driveway was completely gone.
When we got back to Sam and Emily's, it was the mothers turn to claim their children.
"Well at least this was a nature made rescue." My dad muttered.
"Still just as terrifying." My mom answered him, Asherah and Alexander tucked under each of her arms. My dad had claimed me, so she didn't argue. "How's the house?"
"You don't want to know." He patted my back and stared at her.
"I think it's time to thin out the forest around the house." She sighed.
"Done." Half of us mumbled.
The other half snorted.
Most of the girls shuddered.
"Wonderful." My mom groaned.
All of us crammed into Sam and Emily's living room as we waited out the storm. Lightning still struck all over the place, but no trees were close enough to the house. That we were all thankful for.