Charlie cried so hard. She cried at the wake, she cried at the funeral, she cried during the drive home, she cried herself to sleep, she even cried when she awoke the next morning. She hated herself for how she talked to her father before the heart attack. She spoke to him like he was crazy or delusional. True her father would say and do unorthodox things and he had always been strict with her but he had also be so very loving and kind. Oh why did she speak to him that way?

"I'm the worst daughter who ever lived." She sobbed that morning. "He probably died thinking that I was ashamed or embarrassed by him."

"Charlie don't do that to yourself." Her husband said holding her. "He knew that you loved him so much."

"I just wish I could have had one more day with him. One more day to tell him how much I love him."

"Sweetheart I promise you he knows. He knows how much you love him."

"I wish-"

"Shh, there's no reason to feel guilty. Alright? Tell you what I'm going ask my boss if I can take a week off."

"Alastor that's not necessary."

"Yes it is. You shouldn't be alone. Not now." He started to get up from the bed. "Why don't you just relax and I'll make you your favorite breakfast? Apple pancakes."

"With caramel syrup?"

"Naturally."

"But Alastor you hate to make sweets."

"Right now I am so desperate to wipe away your tears that I will do anything regardless of my distastes." She began to get up to but he gently ushered her to lay back down. "And considering the circumstances I think that you should have it in bed."

Charlie giggled weakly.

"See? Sugar always brings back your smile. Now why that is, I'll never understand but I would do anything to make you happy."

With that said he planted a kiss on her cheek and left the bedroom. Chrlie smiled softly at how considerate her husband was. She knew that no man was perfect but in her eyes he was very close to it. 90 percent if she had to estimate.

"Mommy." She looked over to see Carrie standing at the doorway holding a sheet of paper.

"Good morning sweetie." Charlie said making room for her in the bed. Carrie hurried over and jumped in on the side of the bed that her father typically slept on. "What do you got there?"

"It's a picture I made for you."

Carrie handed the drawing to her mother. It was of two people in the sky with wings on their back. They were holding hands, smiling and they were flying underneath a rainbow.

"It's Grandpa. He's in heaven with Grandma. I know you're sad that he's gone but I thought maybe this could remind you that even though he's not with us, he's still happy because now he gets to be an angel and he gets to be with Grandma again."

Charlie smiled and moved Carrie into her lap.

"Thank you sweetie." She said. "It's beautiful."

"You like it?"

"I love it very much."

"Does it make you feel better?"

"A little."

She kissed Carrie's cheek and her daughter scurried out of the bed, back to her room. A little later she overheard her husband talking on the phone.

"Well sir as you know my father in-law has recently passed and it's left my wife very upset. I don't want her to be alone right now so I was wondering if I could possibly have next week off?...Yes I understand that taxidermy is in high demand but I've worked nonstop for three months...Now I'm not asking to be fired but I-...Yes sir...No sir. Yes...Of course...Bye."

She heard him hang up and afterward he came in carrying a tray with her breakfast all made for her.

"Let me guess you called your boss and he said no." Charlie deduced.

"Not only that but he threatened to fire me if I ever asked for time off again." He sighed with his smile dropping. "I'm sorry Darling."

"It's alright." She assured him. "I know what Mr. Gutenberg is like. You know I can't stand the way he treats you. You're one of his best workers but he always mistreats you."

"That maybe true but he's the employer and I'm the employee. Employers don't have to be nice to their employees."

"They at least have to be reasonable right? I mean some of the stuff he has you do is very unreasonable. Remember when he was so insistent on having you stuff that wild goose even though you're highly allergic to goose feathers?"

"Well he gave me gloves and a mask to wear. And I was very careful not to let the feathers touch my skin."

"But what if you weren't careful enough? What if one feather managed to get through? You would have developed a horrible skin rash and maybe your throat may have closed up. Then there's the house."

"What about the house?"

"When we decided to move here he insisted the we use his realtor because they have a partnership and he earns a third of every sale that realtor makes."

"So what's the big deal? We liked the house."

"Yes but...But I wasn't too sure about moving into a house on this spot at first after learning what was here before. You know cults that worshiped the devil made sacrifices here."

"Mr. Gutenberg and the realtor both said those were just rumors. Something that environmentalists made up because they didn't want any land getting destroyed to build houses."

"Alright but I'm starting to think that maybe you should consider being a little before assertive with him."

"Charlie if I get assertive with him he'll fire me and we need the money."

"You could find work somewhere else. You're great at what you do. I'm sure there are plenty employers who would be glad to hire you. Reasonable employers."

"I can't risk it. Not now. I just need to make a little more money and then maybe I can think about finding work else where. You understand right?"

"Of course I do." She gently took hold of his hand. "I just can't stand the idea of anyone treating you badly. When we were growing up it always broke my heart when so many people would bully and harass you. I don't want you to go through that again."

"Charlie as long as I have you and the kids there's nothing I can't bear."

They leaned toward each other to kiss on the mouth.

Aside from that phone call with Mr. Gutenberg, nothing else troubling came up. It was a very peaceful day and a very peaceful evening. Nothing out of the ordinary. Except for around midnight when Aaron heard something that woke him up. It was coming from downstairs.

He quietly crept out of his bedroom and went downstairs. He found Carrie wide awake and standing in front of the TV which was on. However there was nothing on the screen except static.

"Hello?...Yes I can hear you better...I'm not supposed to talk to strangers...But you are a stranger because I don't know you...I think I should get my mommy and daddy." She appeared to be talking to the TV.

"Carrie what are you doing?" Aaron asked.

"I'm talking to the TV people."

"TV people? Carrie there are no people on TV. There's nothing on TV."

"Well they're not really TV people. They just said that I would understand them better if they talked to me through the TV."

"How the hell can you talk to someone through the TV?"

"Hey Mommy says no cursing."

"Mom also says no watching TV late."

"But I didn't turn it on They did."

"Who?"

"The people I can't see."

"What are you talking about?"

"There were people calling my name. I couldn't see them but I could hear them. They told me to come into the living room and that's when the TV came on but I'm not sure if should be talking to them. They say they're not strangers but I don't know them. Do you know them?" She turned back to the TV. "Do you know Aaron?"

The boy heard absolutely nothing save for the sound of static.

"Carrie is this a joke?"

"Can't you hear them? They're calling your name."

"I don't hear anything."

"That's weird. I can hear them but you can't. Hey how come Aaron can't hear you?"

"Carrie turn off the TV and go back to bed. You're gonna get us in trouble."

"But I didn't do anything wrong."

"You turned on the TV."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did you liar."

"I am not liar and Mommy and Daddy told you not to call me names."

"Stop lying and I won't call you a liar."

"But I'm not lying."

"Carrie there's no such thing as people you can't see but you can hear and the TV can't turn itself on."

"It didn't turn itself on. The invisible people did."

"Whatever I'm going back to bed."

"Wait can I sleep with you?"

"No. Why?"

"Because I don't want to be alone with strangers."

"There are no strangers Carrie. Stop being such a baby."

He started to go back to his room but Carrie clung to his arm and when he looked back she stared at him with her puppy dog eyes.

"Please big brother. I'm scared."

Aaron blew in frustration. Carrie may have been young but she definitely knew how to win someone over.

"Fine."

They went back to his room and prepared to get into bed. Suddenly Aaron felt a strange and unfamiliar feeling, a feeling that something was here that didn't belong. It's that weird sense you get when you feel like your being watched by something or someone. Now normally Aaron didn't scare very easily but something about this feeling made him unable to sleep easy for the rest of the night. At least not without some protection.

"Dad." He called out to his sleeping parents. "Dad, Mom, wake up."

Alastor and Charlie stirred and saw their children standing in the doorway of their bedroom.

"Aaron? Carrie? What are you doing in our room?" Charlie yawned.

"Do you two know what time it is?" Alastor yawned as well. "It's almost one o'clock."

"Mom, Dad, somebody's watching us." Aaron said.

"What do you mean? Is somebody in the house?" Charlie asked.

"I didn't see anyone but I don't think we're alone."

"We aren't alone." Carrie said. "Someone's here."

"You two probably just had a bad dream." Alastor said. "Go back to sleep. You both have school in the morning and I have work."

"But Daddy I'm scared." Carrie whimpered.

"And I...I...I just want to take precaution." Aaron fibbed. "I'm not afraid it's just...Someone my age shouldn't be without adult supervision if there's possible danger."

"There's nothing to be scared of. The doors and the windows are locked. Nothing and nobody can get in."

"Locks only work 50% of the time."

"Well we can't all just stay up til daylight." Charlie said. "We need our sleep, you need your sleep, what else can we do to make you feel more safe?"

About one hour later all four of them were asleep in the big bed with the children in the middle and the parents hanging off the side. An uncomfortable arrangement for the couple but they were too tired to argue anymore and they were certain that this was a one time thing. That this was all nothing more than a bad dream. It would have been great if it was only a nightmare. But it wasn't. It was real. Very real. A very real and scary thing that would be coming for them soon. It had just been waiting for the right moment and the moment arrived as soon as Gabriel Parris drew his last breath.