"Angeles!" I almost choked in my midnight snack "Angeles!" someone shouted my name—my full name—I frowned at that. People usually called me Ann or Angie because almost no one knew my full name, "Angeles!" this time the urgent call was followed by desperate knocks on my apartment's door. Who could it be? It was late and I was not expecting anyone that night. 

Dropping my plate in the counter, I walked to the door "Angeles! Hurry up!" my eyes widened in realization when I recognized the voice. Hurriedly, I unlocked the door and opened it. Raven, my older sister, stood there.

My heart hammered inside my chest as I took her image in. She was a mess. Her once straight shining brown hair was knotty and hanging precariously in a ponytail. Her hazel eyes were red and blood shot, as if she'd been crying for hours. Her face was swollen and a prominent dark bruise was invading her left cheek. Her outfit was a mess as well. She was wearing a dark-blue short dress, it was stained everywhere with a dark liquid. Was it blood? My eyes moved down to her feet, she had no shoes on. I was pretty sure she was freezing out there.

 "What the hell, Raven!" I exclaimed totally shocked, "What happened? Are you okay?" Raven did not say a word. She practically ran inside, pushing me backwards as she did. Then, she turned around hastily to close and lock the door, hands shaking in the process.

"Raven? What happened?!" I asked worriedly.

"He's coming," she whispered so low I barely caught it.

"He? Raven, what's going on?" I demanded, my frown enhanced. I'd never been as confused as I was in that moment. She looked incredibly frightened.

"He's coming after me. I have to hide." She muttered shakily.

"Who? What are you talking about? Who did this to you?" She simply ignored my questions and in a flash, she headed to the living room. I could only follow her.

"Do you have holy water, Angeles?" she asked. It still was so strange to be called by my full name. Wait...

"Holy water? No, why would I ha—" I was interrupted before finishing my thought.

"A crucifix?" she asked frantically searching around the room, making it a disaster in just a few seconds.

"Raven!" I shouted, holding her by her shoulders, "Look at me now." I ordered concerned. I didn't know what was wrong with my sister but she wasn't herself. Raven's hazel eyes met my blue ones for an instant, "Raven, what's going on?" I asked in a firm voice.

"I can't tell you," she said, her lower lip quivering. I realized she hadn't stopped crying since the moment she walked inside the apartment "I'm sorry." she said as I held her face tenderly in my hands.

 Raven was all I had. She and I grew up in an orphanage, our mother abandoned us when I was five and Raven was ten. She always looked after me. When she turned 18, she started searching for a job to get some money for the both of us. When we finally left the orphanage, she managed to find enough work to send me through school and high school. Everything I was, I owed it to her. She had been my mother, my father and my sister, all at the same time. No one could ever imagine how much I loved her and what she meant to me.

"You can't help me, Angeles. It's too late. He's coming." her voice was raspy, probably due to all her crying. I needed to do something to try calming her down.

"Raven," I spoke softly caressing her non-bruised cheek, "I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you. You and me against the world remember?" Those had been our war words for years. Raven's eyes filled with more tears. It was breaking my heart to see her so sad, so scared. She'd always been the strong one between the two of us. But I would be the strong one for her if that was what she needed. God, I would do anything for her.

"He won't rest until he finds me," that was her only explanation as she looked down. Then, she pushed me away and continued her frantic search, "we need a crucifix." she breathed out in desperation.

What are you talking about? I scowled at her. Her words made no sense to me "Raven?" I called her, noticing she wasn't hearing me again. I touched her shoulder and she slapped my hand away hard.

"A crucifix! We need one now! Can't you understand?!" she yelled at me. Frustration and despair were plastered on her face. I was frozen for a moment. Raven had never yelled at me before, not even when we had the sister-silly fights when we were kids. There was something really wrong with her.

"Alright. Just calm down, okay?" I said walking to my closet. I bent over to grab a small crucifix that I had placed inside a box. One of my friends had given it to me as a gift. The crucifix was golden with small shining stones of different colors around in it. It was beautiful. Raven took it from me so fast I barely had time to register the action. She smiled and embraced the little thing looking like a crazy person. Even if I didn't willing want to admit it, my older sister, Raven Fairwell, looked like a mad person at that exact moment.

"Raven?" she definitely wasn't listening anymore. She threw herself on my bed, still embracing the crucifix. In a matter of minutes, she fell asleep. I covered her up with my blanket. I was not going to lie, I was utterly confused and a sea of questions was boiling inside my head. But maybe Raven just needed some sleep; there would be plenty of time for her to explain everything in the morning.

I walked out of the room careful enough not to wake her. I headed to the kitchen, running my fingers through my hair. What was all that? Was this real? It just all seemed so strange. Raven lived in the other side of the city. Why would she come all the way here at midnight? I wondered, trying to figure this puzzle out. Then, I remembered the bruise on her cheek.

Who did that to her? She didn't have a boyfriend or anything like that, not that I knew of anyway. And then there was the fact that she kept speaking non-sense. Holy water? Crucifix? She sounded like an exorcist movie, a very cheap one. She also mentioned someone, as if she was running away from someone. But who? Shaking my head in confusion, I picked up the plate with my unfinished snack and threw it in the sink.

I was about to wash my hands when I heard a soft knock on my door. It was so low I thought I'd imagined it. But then, I heard it again. Ok, I was definitely not imagining that. At first, I stood frozen right there. The knocks became faster and louder. Whoever was knocking was obviously growing impatient.

Slowly, I walked out of the kitchen and faced the door. My heart pounded in fear, my hands began to sweat and my breathing was not regular anymore. I was deeply scared. For some reason, I knew the person on the other side of my door was not a good one.

'He's coming after me' Raven's word echoed in my mind. What if this person was the one after her? The one she seemed to be so afraid of? Then, the knocking suddenly stopped. I sighed in relief.

"I know you're in there," a male's smooth voice said on the other side of my door, "I can sense your fear, human." He said the last word bitterly, sounding disgusted by it. I was too perplexed to say anything back but I was sure as hell I was not going to open my door, "Open the door." he whispered, making his voice sound even smoother as if he was trying to enchant me.

"No." I said firmly.

"Don't make this any harder, Angeles." I swallowed hard. The way he said my name sent a chill through me. How did he know my name? Who was he?

"I'm not opening the door." I took a step backwards, looking at my kitchen. There was a knife on the counter, I needed it. If this man tried to break inside my apartment, I was going to fight back.

He sighed deeply.

"Humans can be so dramatic," his tone softened "Just open the door, little one. I will not hurt you." he promised but I was not falling for his words.

"Go away!" I ordered seriously "If you don't go, I will call the police." I heard him laugh. I frowned at his attitude, was he not taking my words seriously? "I swear I will do it." I menaced.

"Go ahead," he said, surprising me "but I would catch you before you can even reach your living room." I swallowed. 

"You can't lay a finger on me. There's a door protecting me, keeping you out." I said more to myself than to him.

"Do you really believe that, Angeles?" his tone turned cold. I swallowed again, feeling my dry throat; my heart was going to jump out of my chest. I needed to calm down; there was no way he could enter my apartment without going through the door, "Are your windows closed tightly?" his question increased my fear because I'd always left my windows opened, it was an old habit "I'll take that as a no." he sounded amused.

Who was he? Why was he speaking so calmly when he was actually threatening to break into my apartment? I relaxed a little, knowing that even when my windows were opened, we were on the fifth floor. There was no way he could climb to my windows. It was impossible. I turned ready to run to the living room

"Do not move," he ordered "Do not provoke me."

"Go to hell!" I started running towards the living room. I spotted the phone on the table next to the couch. Just a few more steps and I'd be able to reach it. Unfortunately, something got in my way causing me to fall abruptly on my hands and knees. My ankle began hurting and pounding painfully. I looked up at the small table, I extended my hand to grab the phone but before I could reach it, I caught some movement to my left. I glanced at the balcony and froze; a dark figure was standing there. The glassed Victorian doors were between us but I could still see him through it. He waved his hand at me slowly.

Oh my God! How was that possible? He'd been in front of my door just a few seconds ago. I blinked trying to clear my sight. Yes, there was definitely a figure standing on my balcony. I stole a glance at the phone and he shook his head in disapproval.

"This has to be a dream." I whispered to myself as I wrapped my arms around me. How could this be real? This was not real; I refused to believe this was actually happening. I looked at the balcony again to find it empty. What? I got on my feet and confirmed it. The balcony was empty. Had I imagined him? No, I was sure I had seen him there.

I scanned the entire apartment to find it empty; my sister was still sleeping peacefully on my bed. I rubbed my temples confused.

What had happened? Should I call the police? But what would I say? 'Hey, there was a man knocking my door and then suddenly he appeared on my balcony a few seconds later' They would think I was crazy. I got on the bed and snuggled closely to Raven. I wrapped one arm around her, she made me feel safe. I closed my eyes; the image of the dark figure on my balcony came to mind.

This night had been so strange. There was something really wrong happening. I got closer to Raven and her smell relaxed me. It was good to have her around. Since the day she moved I'd always missed the safety I felt with her close to me. I hugged her tightly. I'm glad I made sure I let her know how much I loved her that day.

Why?

Because she disappeared after that.