Miss Martha tried to insist Harriet stay over with her for the night, but if she did that then Walter would go home, only to have to come all the way back to town to find her. He told her he would see her tonight and Walter always did what he said he’d do.
So she waved goodbye to Miss Martha and tugged the hood of her borrowed cloak up over her head. The rain was pouring down in sheets. The hood protected her from the worst of it, but every now and then the wind would blow just right for it pelt her face. She was soaked and chilled to the bone by the time she’d climbed the hill to their house.
From there, things were almost instinctual at this point. She checked on Iris and gave her some dinner. The chickens were cozy in their homes. She scattered food for them and checked their water was still full. The garden was watered by the pouring rain.
Dry firewood was stacked and protected beneath the porch awning. It crackled to life in their fireplace quickly, but took some time before sufficient heat was put out. The house was chilly and dark. The wind seeped in through the gaps in the walls. She was running low on her charcoal and didn’t want to waste it when she couldn’t clearly see what she was doing.
There was a flash outside and thunder cracked directly overhead. Harriet shivered, from the chill, from the thunder, from being alone. Her blanket was thin, but she pulled it off her bed and around her shoulders anyway. It felt safer under the blanket.
The fire grew and the house warmed. She kept the blanket around her and huddled on their broken down sofa. Another crack of thunder and she pulled the blanket over her head and stared at the door.
The fire started to die down. She put more wood on and returned to her seat. Walter should be back. The sky was too dark, she had no idea if it was daytime or if night had fallen. The house creaked as the wind buffeted the walls. Walter had done his best to repair the place, but she could feel the air seeping in the cracks, stealing the warmth that she was trying so hard to keep up.
Walter would be drenched and cold by the time he made it home. He would be hungry. Another crack of thunder. She didn’t want to leave the couch. Not when it was the warmest place in the house. Not when the shadows hid unknown creatures from her sight.
Awareness prickled down her spine and she froze in fear. There was something watching her. She was sure of it and as long as she didn’t move then whatever it was wouldn’t be able to get her.
The fire crackled merrily, lightning flashed, thunder broke the sky in half, and Harriet didn’t move. Her breaths came in shallow. Her heart raced along, as fast as it could go. The door stayed shut.
Walter didn’t pray. Didn’t believe in religion or demons or any such stuff. Miss Martha said it was important to believe in something bigger than herself, so she did. She believed in Walter. Walter kept her safe. Walter protected her and made sure she had food and clothes and a good place to sleep. If she needed something, Walter would get it for her. She didn’t need to pray to someone she’d never met, not when she had Walter.
Before the Demon came and changed the rules, Harriet would ride Iris down and Walter would wait by his boat in the morning to walk her all the way to the school building. Then he’d head to town and sell his catch from the night. Those days he would return with small treats for her and have dinner ready when she got home from school. He would be home when she fell asleep. He knew she couldn’t fall asleep if he wasn’t home.
Then things changed. He wasn’t catching many fish in the daytime. The frequent trips to Everwatch dwindled to near nothing. The little treats became nonexistent.
Another crack of thunder and Harriet clutched the blanket tighter. Something thudded against the front door. She stared at it with her heart in her throat, choking her, freezing her. It thudded again. And again.
Walter would open the door. Walter would come in and smile at her and tell her about sailing on rough water. Walter would -
The door swung open. Harriet screamed. Lightning illuminated a hulking figuring, too large to fit in the door. It bent over and Harriet realized the was Walter in it’s arms. Walter unmoving and dwarfed in the arms of a monster, in the arms of a demon.
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