04 / Quite Night

Finally the first day of school was over and Amanda was already at home enjoying her comforts while waiting for her mother to come home from work.

What she did as soon as she got home was to go to her room, take off her military boots that she always wore and put on her pajamas, just to be comfortable. She felt so tired that she let herself lie down on her bed and closed her eyes. She wanted to sleep no matter what, no matter that her mother would soon be home and wouldn't find her conscious, no matter that her stomach was roaring with hunger and no matter that Chris and Beth had sent messages to her phone.

By the time she realized it, she was sound asleep. At peace at last. Everything was silent, her thoughts blank. There was nothing more pleasurable for Amanda than to sleep with the absence of any dreams. For she knew that these dreams were always disturbing, no matter how beautifully they began. It was as if someone did not want to see her in peace and calm, for that someone always entered her head and loved to torment her.

Suddenly she heard a noise that woke her up, she opened her eyes slowly and realized that her stomach was contracting and moving. The noise that must have awakened her could have been caused by her stomach. She smiled good-naturedly as she realized that the sleep had been restful and she was satisfied. She got to her feet and as she left her room, she realized that her mother was home, as the kitchen and living room had the lights on. She went downstairs and a delicious smell entered her nostrils, increasing her appetite even more.

"Hi, Mom," she greeted the brown-haired woman named Helena, who was standing with her back to her, busy in the kitchen preparing something to eat.

"Hi, honey," she said, turning around with a tired smile, "I saw you so sleepy I didn't want to wake you up."

"Pasta?" asked Amanda who had uncovered a pot and saw the contents inside. She was hungry and whatever her mother cooked, she appreciated it very much since her time with her was limited.

"It was the only thing I could think of," her mother confessed. But it was your first day of school and I think you deserve something good to eat.

"Anything," said Amanda, smiling at her mother. "I'm starving."

"I love it when you smile," her mother admitted, taking Amanda by the chin and stroking her cheek with her thumb. Amanda smiled showing her teeth, then hugged her mother tightly. She didn't know how much she needed her mother's love at that moment. "I'll try to make it all up to you, I promise," she said with watery eyes.

Amanda let go of her mother's embrace when she noticed her mother let go of her too.

"It's ready," her mother announced, "We can have dinner now."

They both sat down at the table as they got ready for dinner. Amanda and her mother were relieved to finally be able to sit down to dinner like a normal family. Lately, her mother had been feeling more tired than usual, but she insisted that it was her age and the burden of all those years was taking its toll on her. However, Helena did not want to accept that for some time, she had been feeling that something was not right at home and with Amanda. The house in general in the mornings and evenings when she is present, when she leaves and arrives from work, looks much darker, as if the light bulbs in the house have diminished their brightness and no matter how many times she has replaced them and put new ones, the house continues with a deplorable illumination. And that feeling, a feeling of emptiness and despair. That same feeling makes Helena want to run out of her house every day as soon as she can. However, that night, she didn't feel any of that and the strangest thing was that the light bulbs in her home all had an exquisite glow. That filled her with optimism. Maybe it was all just a rough patch and it was all over.

"How was your first day?", asked Helena, hoping that her daughter's answer would be positive.

"It didn't go as bad as I expected", answered the girl, skipping her food and then taking a big spoonful to her mouth.

"Well, I'm glad about that," her mother rejoiced, "And are you going to sign up for any extracurricular activities this year, like every year?

"Yes, as a matter of fact, Chris and I will be going to Professor Martínez-Solano's class tomorrow after school. I'll bring my guitar tomorrow," said the girl, thinking that she would have to remember to carry her guitar in her case and that it would be an extra weight. However, she wouldn't mind so much, since Chris would be carrying his guitar as well.

Chris was the eternal music lover, just like Amanda, thanks to his motivation, she managed to learn to play the guitar, although a bit barely, due to the fact that she is a bit clumsy. What Amanda loved most was singing, but she couldn't bring herself to do it in front of anyone, not even in front of Chris. Whenever she could, she would play music in her room and sing just for herself.

Actually, the most similar thing she did was to put on her headphones and listen to music on the bus or during breaks, or even while doing her homework. Amanda is what could be considered a complete music connoisseur. She loved all rock and pop music from the seventies, eighties, nineties and even current music. Many judged her to be "emo" at a time when that fad had passed several years ago, but in fact her musical tastes were so varied that she even supplemented her playlists with Disney musicals.

"That's great," her mother congratulated, taking Amanda's hand, "I won't be home before ten o'clock tomorrow because of a meeting, but let me know if anything happens."

"Of course, Mom."

The full moon was at the peak of its phase perched on the bluish horizon. The moonlight was so radiant and crystalline that it illuminated everything as if it were daytime. However, in the forest, the treetops were dimming the moonlight a bit, making it impossible for him to see his surroundings, so he walked to the clearing where the moonlight was strongest and waited.

Not even a minute passed, when a bright light came before his eyes, illuminating the place even more. It was a thick light and so bright that it made his ears pick up a certain sharp vibration in the atmosphere that penetrated his eardrums. It was a little uncomfortable, but it made him confirm that the being in front of him was trustworthy.

After a few moments, the whitish light dispersed, and a young brown-haired man appeared in the middle of the clearing.

He looked up and smiled. He technically looked just like him, only with more mature features.

"Brother."

"I have checked every corner of Amanda's house and the presence of whatever was in it has disappeared."

"Even though it has been a quiet night," said the elder, "you must remain alert. Whoever sent that entity is only regaining strength and when it returns it will be stronger.

"What should I do, Daniel? You know that if I go back to her house at this time, she will probably notice me and it will be uncomfortable…."

"Go while she sleeps, watch her sleep and seal the whole house," said the elder, "make sure the entity can't penetrate the barriers. If it is strong and hungry, it will try to break them down and possibly succeed", he looked with his olive eyes towards the full moon. "The moon grants you its power tonight. Together with your power, it will make the protection more potent."

"Yes," he said thoughtfully. "But I fear that someone has already used the moon's power to grant forbidden permissions."

"For that very reason, go without hesitation," Daniel ordered in an imperious voice. Go and seal the house. This could be Amanda's most dangerous night.