"Bella..." Fumiko muttered from the floor where she had been reading.

"Mhm..." 

"Merry Christmas-" she was sitting up now.

"It's midnight already?" That was fast, "Merry Christmas, Miko... now come up here and sleep for a bit, it's too early to be awake."

Fumiko picked up the duvet she had been nestled in and put the book she was reading on the bedside table.

Arabella was already asleep, breathing softly, by the time Fumiko had curled up next to her. She listened to her girlfriend breathing for a bit before closing her eyes and trying to sleep. But there was no point. If she closed her eyes... they could get her. She could see them in the darkness... she could feel them in the shadows... watching. Whispering. They were suffocating. She wanted to scream out.

Then she felt Bella's arms around her and realised she had been holding her breath.

"It's ok, Miko..." she muttered half-asleep, "They can't get you when I'm here..."

And just as both of them were drifting off, there was a bang on the roof... smoke billowed in through the window. Fumiko jumped up and screamed for Mrs. Viggó and Adrienne to wake up, dragging a half asleep Arabella by the wrist out of the house. 

But Adrienne didn't hear her.