In the morning, Husk drove to the hospital to hear the update on Angel's condition. He had concussion and would need stitches but it was nothing fatal. Vaggie decided to stay at the hospital until Angel could be released and Husk would stay to look after the Devalcourt family. From the hospital, she sent an email to the expert she spoke of and to her surprise the expert responded with the intention of coming to help them.
"Vaggie says this expert is getting off at the airport upstate." Husk said. "I'm supposed to pick them up because I'm pretty sure if she leaves the hospital before Angel is released, she'll have a panic attack."
"How long will you be gone?" Charlie asked.
"At most, a day and a half. I'll try to be quick."
"Charlie maybe you and Aaron should go with him." Alastor said.
"Oh no I'm not leaving this house." Charlie said. "Not while Carrie is on the other side or wherever."
"We'll I'm not leaving and I don't think Aaron should stay here when we don't have an expert on the supernatural."
"Dad I'll be fine." Aaron said.
"Maybe we could just send Aaron with him-"
"No!" Charlie said holding the boy close to her. "I'm not leaving him alone! What if something follows him and takes him away?! Either you and him go with Husk or you both stay here. Either way, my babies will not be ileft without you or me!"
"Charlie be reasonable."
"I am. Now you can take him and go if you'd like-"
"I'm not leaving you here alone! And I'm not leaving my daughter either!"
"Then how can you expect me to do that?"
"Because I promised to protect you and the family. If something paranormal happens again, I won't know what to do. I can't protect you or Aaron."
"We'll be fine if we have each other. We just need to stay together."
"But Charlie-"
"This conversation is over. We're not separating."
Still Alastor protested but in the end his wife got her way, so the next morning Husk left for the airport alone. The family members spent most of the day in the living room with the TV on and trying to contact Carrie when they could.
"Is everything okay Carrie?" Charlie called to her. "You're not hurt or you?"
"No Mommy." Her daughter's voice replied.
"How are you sweetheart?" Alastor asked. "Are you cold? Tired? Hungry?"
"No. I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" Charlie asked. "You haven't eaten in a long time."
"Yes I'm sure. My friend takes care of me."
"Friend? What friend? Are you alone in there? Who's with you?"
"She's nice to me. She keeps me warm and she gives me snacks when I'm hungry."
"What's her name?"
"She didn't say but she told me to tell you that she won't hurt me and that she'll take care of me until you come get me."
"What does she mean by that?" Charlie asked. "Can I talk to her Carrie?"
"She doesn't want to talk to you."
"Why?"
"She won't say. Mommy now she says that I can't talk to you anymore for the day. She says we're limited. I don't know what the means though."
"Carrie wait! Don't go! Keep talking to us!"
No response.
"Carrie? Carrie! Carrie answer me!"
Nothing.
"Carrie talk to us! Please!" Alastor pleaded.
But they wouldn't hear another word from her til tomorrow. Still the couple stayed in living room and didn't move from that area once. Unless Aaron left the living room.
Wherever he went, his father or his mother was always with him. It may have been excessive but they were terrified that if he was left by himself for even a minute, he would be snatched away from them just like his sister. So of them was watching the boy around the clock. Alastor even followed him into the bathroom but he kept his head turned.
"Dad this is embarrassing." Aaron said turned toward the toilet while his father was faced to the wall.
"Perhaps but your mother and I are taking no chances. Angel was attacked in the bathroom, remember?"
"Can't you just wait outside by the door?"
"Son let me give you the alternative, either I wait with you in here or your mother does."
"Fine just don't ever tell anyone you did this."
"I believe me, Aaron I wouldn't dream of it."
In the evenings, Alastor and Charlie decided to take shifts. One would sleep with Aaron and the other would stay awake to watch for danger or make sure that Carrie was alright.
"Time for my shift." Alastor said to his wife who was sitting by the TV, struggling to keep her eyes open.
"No that's okay." She said trying not to yawn. "I can't sleep anyhow."
"I think you can but you're choosing not to."
"What if Carrie calls? I don't want to be asleep when that happens."
"You won't. I'll wake you up the instant I hear her voice. I promise."
"Alastor I-"
"No arguing. We both agreed to switch off every few hours, didn't we?"
"Yes."
"Well I've gotten plenty of rest while you are exhausted so go to sleep now."
"Alright."
She got up from the floor, crawled next to Aaron on the mattress, and placed her head on the pillow. Sleep took her much easier than she thought, and it took her to a very strange dream.
Much like her husband when he dreamt, she was alone in an empty darkness. She saw nothing and no one, she felt nothing and no one. She didn't know what to do. She was just all by herself. Or so she thought.
"Where am I?" She asked.
"You're within your soul."
"Who's there?" Charlie looked around but she still didn't see anything or anyone.
"Don't be afraid. I'm only here to help you."
"Who are you?"
"That's a little hard to answer. I'm not sure if you would even believe me."
"What do you mean?"
"I can't explain it now. Just know that you can trust me because we want the same thing."
"What's that?"
"You and your family, safe and together. Now listen to me very carefully. Do you love your husband? And your children?"
"Yes. Of course I do."
"Do you love them more than life itself? Would you give them up for anything?"
"No! Never! There's nothing more dear to me than my family! I would do anything, give anything, for them!"
"Then he can't keep you."
"What?"
"The one who's taken your daughter. He wants you too. But he can't have you if you refuse him. He'll try to hold you but if your love for this world, for this life, for Alastor and the children is true then he has to let you go."
"I don't understand."
"I can't let this happen again. Actually you can't let this happen again."
"Let what happen again?"
"We were too scared last time. We didn't stand up to him. We backed down and we...We allowed him to destroy everything."
"You're confusing me. Who is this he? And do I know you?"
"You know me very well and I know you. I know you better than anyone as a matter of fact."
"Your voice is familiar. I think I've heard it many times when I was a girl. In my dreams and...And I never realized it til I became an adult but...You sound just like me. You're...You're hear aren't you? The woman with angel wings? The one I dreamed about as a child?"
"Yes. Long time since we've spoken."
"Who are you? Are you even real? Or did I make you up?"
"I'm as real as you are and technically speaking, if I was never real then you wouldn't be here."
"What does that mean?"
The darkness started to clear and there stood the owner of the voice. A beautiful woman with long blonde hair, dark eyes, inhumanely pale skin, black lips, and upon her back were feathered-wings.
"You say I sound like you." She said. "Notice anything else we have in common?"
Charlie looked at her skeptically and tried to see what she was referring to. It took about a few minutes but it finally hit her. Charlie and this woman were physically identical to each other. True the hair length, skin tone, and eye color differed greatly but the face and body structure couldn't have been more alike. She mirrored Charlie's adult form.
"You look like me." She concluded. "How is that...I mean...Why do you look like me? Or why did I grow up to look like you?"
She looked at Charlie sadly.
"Because there was a time when you were me. A place where you took on this form. A different life you lived, and I'm all that remains of that life."
"What?!"
"And you have to remember that life if you want to protect the ones you love."
"This is crazy! I don't believe this!"
Then Charlie woke up. Woke up feeling more scared and confused than ever before.