Creek... Creek...Creek... The porch swing swung slowly back and forth, back and forth. I could sense something in the air, something dark. I walked up the porch steps and entered the cabins front door. I entered the spotless living room, nothing out of place. Everything perfect and neat.

Walking over to a closed-door on the right side of the living room, I looked in and saw nothing. Once again the place was spotless. Thump! Thump!

I looked up towards the ceiling, towards the second floor of the cabin where the noise had come from. Thump! Thump! Thump! There it was again.

I left the doorway of the bedroom and made my way towards the stairs for the second floor. The stairs Creak slightly as I climbed them. I entered the short hallway in walked a few feet towards the door at the end of the hall when...

CRASH!

"Wat as that?" I managed to say as I jolted awake. I laid there propped up on my elbow rubbing my eyes. A few moments later and there was a knock on my bedroom door.

"Com' in." I managed to mumble out and between a yawn. The door opened and my aunt Demeter stuck her head in.

"Morning Nico, sorry about the noise waking you up, I have old man Dionysus trying to put up a ceiling fan."

I rubbed my eyes some more as I sat up. " okay Auntie Dee, what time is it?" I reached for my phone.

"It's just half past 6." She said. I stood up and went over to my closet. "Is it okay if I get a shower?" I asked.

"Of course it is Nico, I'll have breakfast for you when you get done." She said before leaving and closing the door behind her. I headed towards the shower.

20 minutes later found Nico showered and dressed down in the kitchen.

"I made French toast with strawberries this morning Nico, help yourself, old man Dionysus," she through a look at the man standing on a ladder in the living room. "Already has."

I muttered a quiet thanks and went straight for the coffee pot before sitting down with two pieces of French toast and delicious plump strawberries to enjoy.

I had just popped a strawberry into my mouth when the news caught my attention.

"We have an update on the missing persons case of Drew Tanaka, the Young 16 year old cheerleader from Forks High."

A picture of a girl with Asian features popped up on the screen wearing a cheerleading uniform.

" the body of Miss Tanaka was discovered 400 miles from where she was last scene in the near Forest, the police suspect a bear attack was the cause of Miss Tanaka's injuries that resulted in her passing. A memorial has been scheduled for late Wednesday night." The news anchor said.

"hat a way to start the new school year." Nico turn to see a pot-bellied balding older man in a hideous leopard print shirt standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

The man walked over to the sink and started washing his hands after turning on the water and getting some soap.

" I be Dionysus, but most folks around here call me mr. D." He turned away from the sync drying his hands on a dish towel.

"Ya must be Miss Demeter's nephew then?" I nodded.

"Which 'ne of her many siblings is your parent lad?" He asked. Did Nico pick up a slight hint of a slur in his speech?

Nikko swallowed his bite and answer the man's question.

"My father was her brother, Hades I think his name was." Nico turned back to the TV at that moment so missed the tensing and slight shivering of the man's body.

Nico got up and replaced the dishes in the sink before grabbing his backpack and heading out of the kitchen. "It was nice meeting you mr. D." He went to go find his aunt.

He found Demeter outside tending to her garden. " I'm off Aunt Dee."

The Other Woman sat up on her knees and gave him a smile as she said; " okay Nico see you later, hope your first day at school goes well."

Nico swallowed, he hopes so too.