The Calm After A Storm

[30th December]

[Ethel's POV]

"Johnny!" I could make out his fleeing figure from afar in the snow. We were catching up but we were also exhausted. But Ethan's house was still a long way ahead which was a good and bad thing. Running fifteen blocks at two in the morning while cold air burnt your lungs and throat...definitely would not recommend.

We were nearing him but once he realized we were on his tail, this rascal sped up. I aggravated so without a second thought, I pulled up a rather large stick I noticed on the dirt and directed it at his head, not regarding whether it'd injure him or not.

It landed flawlessly at the center of his head and he slipped, tumbling face flat on the snow-filled pavement. Nick wasn't that fond of my actions but was relieved we finally caught on to him.

When we finally came to a halt, I had to lean on a wall for support and catch my breath which was a sore process. My lungs felt like it was on ablaze.

"You little-" Nick wheezed as he rested on Johnny's back, reigning him immovable. He delivered a harsh slap on the younger's back and he winced. "Get off me!!" Johnny huffed and attempted to hoist himself off the snow but Nick raised himself just a little before dropping down on him again, provoking Johnny to collapse back to the ground, his cheek mushed in the snow.

"No, you stay here. You're not going anywhere near Ethan's house. How did the hospital not see you leave??"

"Idiot, I left through the back door! They can't stop me anyway!" I smacked his arm with the stick I had used, catching him off-guard. "Yet a stick can." Johnny glowered at me.

"Shut the fuck up, Ethel before I crack your head open." I frowned. He has returned. I decided to stop playing nice.

"I'm not the Ethel you once knew." I simply stated, crouching before him. "The fuck do you mean by that? Had a glow-up while I was gone?" Johnny raised a challenging brow at me. "You were gone?" I feigned surprise, observing as his expression turned into one of realization. Had he forgotten? "Don't tell me-!" I fake gasped.

"Was your body controlled for like a couple of weeks and you lived in someone's dreams...?" his eyes blown wide. "How do you know that?" I finally smiled mockingly. "Well, I was only taking a wild guess, after all!" his teeth gritted and he continued to fight and struggle in Nick's arms.

"What the fuck!? So, you were possessing me the entire time!?" Bingo!

Nick faced me. "What do you mean? I thought it was an error?" I shrugged. "Long story short, I found out Ethel has changed his name before." Nick softly gasped. To my surprise, Johnny had quit resisting to listen in too.

"His birth name was Ethan." "What?" Nick was precise. Ethel did have a change of name. "Why did he do that?"

"I'll fucking tell you why!" Johnny suddenly roared; his nostrils flared as he turned to face me.

"You killed your entire family, didn't you?"

My brows furrowed. "Who told you that?" "Your fucking cousin, who else. You burnt down the house and watched it turn into ashes. Dylan's family had to take you in against their will since you weren't wanted anywhere else, right?" that stung.

Of course, Dylan. Going around gossiping behind someone's back. Not gonna lie, I felt extremely deceived. It made me wonder what else he had told Johnny. "I wouldn't know. I lost all my memories for the time being." Johnny scoffed rudely.

"You're lying to get away now?" he spat. "Why do I have to lie to you? Or Nick?" he went silent as he proceeded to break free from Nick.

"Was that why you started bullying me?" I asked.

"Shut up." "What makes you think I won't have the guts to kill you too?" I tilted my head dauntingly, eyes locked on him. "Are you gonna do it then?" he asked through gritted teeth. "No," I answered. "Because I'd never murder my family. I didn't do it, Johnny."

"Prove it, then." "Why don't you tell us how Dylan proved it to you first, hm?" Johnny glared at me. "He didn't. He's my best friend so I believed him," he said oh-so-confidently. I scoffed with a laugh.

"You wouldn't know the concept of 'friends' because you never had one," Johnny added needlessly. "Dylan is my cousin. I'd know him better than any of you!" my hand gripped at the snow beneath me, very much tempted to cast it at his smug face. "You mean to tell us that when you've forgotten all your memories?" he emphasized, an eyebrow raised.

"Temporarily," I responded.

"Whatever, when that time comes, you can try your measly luck and convince us that Dylan is wrong. Now, let go of me, Nick." Johnny peered over his shoulder.

"Are you sure?" he rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to do anything? Do you wanna have a snow fight?" Johnny questioned, his free hand moving to gather snow. Nick loosened his arms and hoisted himself from Johnny.

"God," Johnny grimaced as he got onto his feet. "I'm getting a cramp because of your weight," Nick glared at his remark. "Shut up."

Johnny snickered before he turned to me, his smile vanishing in an instant. "This doesn't mean I'm on good terms with you." he pointed, to which I raised my stick and threatened to hit him with it.

"Why would Dylan speak to you about me in the first place, Johnny?" I inquired, especially curious now that I thought of it.

Johnny was caught off guard. He glanced away with a hint of red on his cheeks. I supposed it was from the cold. "It's none of your business." he blurted out. "It was about me, how is it not my business?" I moved to be closer to him. He quickly stepped back. "The fuck? Go away!" he swatted his hands. "Afraid? Are you going to bully me now?" I taunted, not that I recollect any of his bullyings to be traumatized. Yet.

"N-no!? Shut up!" a chuckle rumbled from behind us. "Johnny are you not cold?" now that Nick mentioned it, Johnny started shivering, especially when a light breeze blew over him as if on cue.

He was only in a flimsy hospital gown and some hastily put-on trousers. "Let's go back before it gets cooler." Nick escorted all of us back to the building we came from.

"I-" Johnny stared ahead; his feet planted on the ground. "I don't wanna go back there..." he muttered. This was probably the first time I've seen him vulnerable, aside from when he was forced down the dirt by Nick.

Nick approached him with a soft sigh. He laid his hands on Johnny's shoulders before rubbing it. "I understand but we need to get you to someplace warmer," Nick spoke gently to the younger.

"Then can I just wait in the park outside? I can check out already, right? Since I'm obviously alive and well! You can get my stuff from my room and I'll be set to go home." Nick smiled. "It's not a hotel, Johnny. They'd have to check your vitals before they can allow us to send you home." Johnny stomped his feet with a pout. I was amused. He was acting like a baby in front of his older peers.

"Tell them to come outside because I'm not going in! Not even if they got onto their knees and begged!" Nick and I blinked at him. "But-"

"I'm paying them! They're not paying me!"

-

That was how we got a doctor and two nurses to carry out the necessary equipment to the hospital park just to examine Johnny. Fortunately, they were understandable. Fear of hospitals was common, after all. To my surprise, the doctor claimed that this was not the first time they had received these types of requests.

"All done. You're clear to check out tonight or tomorrow, whichever suits you best." the doctor discarded the used syringe onto a mini tray. "As soon as possible, please!" Johnny immediately declared, dusting his borrowed winter coat as he left the bench. Nick was temporarily left quivering in the cold next to Johnny.

"I'll go get your belongings. Stay here with Ethel, alright?" I stiffened. "What?!" Johnny exclaimed. "No way! Bring him with you!" Johnny glared at me, nudging his chin to Nick who gave him a stern look.

Johnny sat back down on the bench with a loud huff. Nick exchanged glances with me before hurrying into the main building.

I wasn't going to stand the entire time so I took a seat on the other end of the bench, farthest from him. It was awkward, to say the least. I was fiddling with my fingers while he was trying his best to keep the hospital out of his sight. No words were exchanged for a couple of minutes until...

"Why's Jay hospitalized?" Johnny asked quietly. I was taken by surprise when I turned to him to see that he was already staring at me. I promptly looked away. "Uh..." I scratched my neck. "He went to the park...for some reason, and-" I let out a hesitating sigh. "I saw Rikki standing before him, with a bloody knife in his hand." "Huh?" Johnny's eyes grew. "What do you mean? So, Rikki..." I shifted to him. "I think so." it went quiet.

"...so, where's Rikki now?" "Locked up somewhere." I breathed out, observing the thin fog that escaped through my lips. "You and Nick have to participate in his ordeal on Wednesday as eyewitnesses." he gawked at me, confounded. "But I don't know shit!"

"I'm back. You can sleepover at mine for tonight. I don't wanna wake your family." Nick passed a duffel bag to Johnny who pushed it aside as he stood abruptly. "What do you mean I have to go to court on Wednesday?" Nick glanced at me.

"I-" he cleared his throat. "I'm discussing with the court officials to have Ethel replace you. It's a very complicated process because they're fearful of false information being handed out-" "Just tell them I was possessed or something!" Nick stared at Johnny with furrowed brows. "Would you have believed me if you were a court member? That's a supernatural cause, Johnny!" he rubbed his temples.

"Let's talk about this in a safer place. I have yet to tell the others that you've awakened." Johnny silently nodded and grabbed the bag from Nick. "You have a curfew, right?" Nick faced me. "I wouldn't remember." he rolled his eyes.

"Right. Recalling what Ethan had told us, your curfew is at ten. It's way past that but let's just get you home." he beckoned to his car. "Wouldn't it be better if I slept over too?" Nick shook his head.

"Judging from experience, it's not."

-

"Why are you home so absurdly late?" was the first thing I heard when I cracked open the front door. There sat my aunt on the couch sipping red wine in the dim room. What are we in? A horror movie?

"I got a call that my hospitalized friend woke up. I had to be there." I reasoned. "It's two in the morning. You meant to tell me that the hospital did not kick you out?"

"It had no visiting curfew?" I remembered seeing the huge 24-hours lit-up sign at the entrance of the main building. Or was that for the checking-in? Either way, the hospital didn't kick us out. She cleared her throat, setting her glass down.

"This is my final warning, Ethel. Now, go to bed. You have school tomorrow." I nodded, watching as she made her way to the kitchen. "But why does Dylan not have a curfew and I do?" I remembered seeing Dylan out at midnight.

She halted in her tracks. It was silent for a couple of seconds before she peered at me over her shoulder, her piercing eyes penetrating through me.

"Shouldn't you know that?" was all she said before she disappeared into the kitchen.

I stood by the stairway, very much disturbed by her short remark that seemed so heavy on the shoulders. A wave of exhaustion washed over me and I forgot about it as soon as I yawned. "five hours of sleep should be enough..." I muttered, making my way to my room.

I furrowed my brows when I noticed my door was already opened, swaying and hitting on the door frame lightly. I swore I shut it when I left. I pushed open the door further to a pitch-black room. Switching on the lights, my eyes widened when I realized the beige folder that was supposed to be on my bed...

was now gone.

"What?" I breathed out, racing to the mattress to have a closer look. It was indeed missing. Did my aunt take it back? No way, she would've talked to me about it earlier.

I brought a hand to my mouth. This is bad.