Healing

After Leo's mom hung up, he looked over to his younger sister, Weather noticed his and her injuries and walked over.

"Why don't you go get you and her cleaned up? And then I can help patch you up?" Weather offered.

Leo looked up from his phone and gave her a small smile, "If you don't mind, I have two other injured friends..." he said.

"The bathroom is down the hall to the right, why don't you all get yourselves cleaned up and then meet me out here. I'll grab my first aid kit and we'll get you all patched up. I'll cook something, for you all?" Weather said softly.

Everyone nodded and Leo thanked her as he picked up his younger sister and carried her to the bathroom. Weather brought them all a few towels and clean clothes to wear. While everyone took turns showering Weather cooked a warm meal and washed their clothes. After Leo returned, Weather approached him and his sister to carefully stitch and patch up all of their wounds. Doing the same for the other two injured teens, Jake and June. After everyone had finished showering and changing, they all sat down, and Weather gave them something to eat.

"How long were you kids out there?" Weather asked.

"A few days maybe? We honestly have no clue; we were just trying to survive..." Jake explained.

Weather nodded and let them all eat.

"Do you guys know anything about those monsters out there?" Adaline asked.

Weather looked up from her plate before looking over at the older man, who they assumed was her husband. 

"Oswin?" She asked.

"They aren't monsters." her husband, Oswin, said in a deep raspy voice.

"This guy-" Jake started.

"They are lost souls." Oswin said cutting Jake off. Everyone looked at Oswin confused before he spoke again. "They are souls of the dead, misguided and corrupted. Souls that never made it to heaven or hell, or whatever it is you believe in." he said coldly.

"Can you tell us more about these lost souls?" Leo asked.

"They are the souls of the dead, people who were cursed when they were alive." Oswin explained.

"Why didn't those people come near your house?" Megan asked.

"Our house, the lake, and the property it's on is all protected." Weather said softly.

"What do you mean by protected?" Jake asked.

"We built this house on an old Indian burial ground, someway, somehow that keeps the beasts away." Oswin explained.

"So, you're saying as long as we stay here on the property, they can't hurt us?" Marrissa asked.

"During the day yes, they come near the house come nightfall." Weather said.

Leo nodded and pushed his now empty plate to the side; he gave her a small smile and took her empty plate.

"I'll do the dishes." Leo said softly.

"I've got it, young man." Weather said with a smile.

"Please, it's the least I can do for all your troubles." Leo said.

"You're my guests, I could never let a nice young man like you do the housework for me." Weather said.

Leo nodded and smiled as Weather took the empty plates from the group of teens. "I'll make sure your paid properly for all of your help." He spoke.

"You don't have to do that." Oswin said with a small smile.

"No, I insist." Leo insisted.

"Will you show them to the back bedrooms Oswin?" Weather asked her husband.

Oswin nodded and showed the group of teens to a bedroom on the right. They all thanked the older man and walked into the room. As the teens sat down on the floor, Leo looked at his younger sister and sighed.

"She's going to be fine Leo." Christine said as she hugged her boyfriend.

Leo nodded and leaned his head onto her shoulder allowing her to play with his hair. June was laying on the floor looking out the window sadly.

"I'm sure she's still out there somewhere June." Adaline said.

"What if she's not Ada?" June asked sadly.

"She went missing before all this happened." Adaline spoke.

June sighed and looked at her friend, "Half of our group were one of them lost souls Oswin was talking about. And that girl looked just like Lilly...and she said she killed her. What if she wasn't lying?" she said sadly.

Adaline looked around the room at the three other people left from there group in the room with them. She sighed and looked out the window, before speaking again.

"We'll find her..." She said softly.

June looked outside at the setting sun, she sighed and sat up leaning against the wall. Weather walked into the room and gave them all a few blankets.

"Whatever you kids do stay inside, it's not safe outside after dark. Stay awake from the windows and ignore anything unusual." Weather explained.

The group nodded as they all laid down and tried to fall asleep. Leo was unable to sleep, his mind preoccupied with concern for the young girl, injured and lying in the corner. As he laid awake watching his sisters slow breathing, he heard a soft padding sound outside of the window. His eyes landed on a tall humanoid figure outside. It was too tall to be a human, but too skinny to be anything else. His heart raced as he observed the creature walking outside the window. The thing had limbs too long for its body and a torso too small for its limbs. A set of long sharp antlers resting on top of its head, its long fingers paired with long sharp claws, shined in the moonlight. The thing could almost pass as a tree if it stood still for long enough. 

The thing outside let a loud shriek as it turned its head and stared directly at Leo. It's piercing red eyes glowing in the dark. Leo swallowed a lump in his throat as the creature looked at his sister, before walking away. It disappeared into the dark, Leo sighed and tried to fall asleep. June sat up and looked around quickly. Before rolling over and going back to sleep.