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"Billy, get your daughter out of the house," I ordered

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Erin asked, de an explanation Unfortunately, Delbert had lost interest in choking his wife to death and had whirled around to face me

Billy – God bless him – didn’t hesitate He ran for Hannah and scooped her up "Where do I take her?"

Erin stood appalled andon?" she asked hi her voice an octave She rushed to join Billy as he grabbed Hannah’s diaper bag

I honestly had no clue where he should take her, but surely a place with holy ground would keep evil away

"To a church," I said "Or a ceround"

He nodded and bounced Hannah as she began to cry

Her cries caught the undivided attention of The Mayor His eyes glittered with appetite

"Now!" I yelled at him, then to Billy "Get them out!"

Again, he didn’t hesitate He latched onto Erin’s hand and bolted down the stairs with both of theer flared to life around Delbert like electricity when they left I took it Siphoned it off hih And I’d forgotten ht would do

I searched for a light switch and realized Erin had come back "Erin, what the hell? Get out"

She shook her head "No Billy is taking Hannah to safety I need to see the end of this" She knew So her life

I didn’t knohat she could see, but I was pretty certain the earthquake that shook the house would leave an i and stepped back, arms crossed and a satisfied expression on her face I wanted to tell her about the flashlight, but Delbert was growing both angrier and weaker by the y, evil or not, felt wonderful I blinked in surprise He was like a drug Like heroin or extacy or 3 AM coffee I stepped closer, unable to get enough as though suddenly parched I drank hiave y

Novalee placed hopeful hands over her chest Delbert groaned And the house shook to its foundation

Pretty soon, Delbert was holding his arht

"I’ll kill your daughter, too," he said in a desperate atte to him

I curled a hand into the lapel of his dusty jacket and pulled hihter"

"I’ll be sure and tell her that when I steal the breath froh I knew his threats were hollow, the walls shook even harder Pictures fell and crashed to the floor Erin screaround I couldn’t say I would have done the sa His skin cracked and bled darkness His head shot back and his spine bowed

"Down, boy," I said, giving an order I didn’t quite understand

But a shadow appeared beneath hi in all directions under his bodyless soul, until he melted into it, his eyes like saucers, and the darkness took him He wanted to be evil He could do it down there

Thestopped and a silence settled around us Novalee fell to her knees and cried Erin stood in shock

She found her phone and called her husband We heard sirens in the distance She didn’t tell hi Hannah ho to Erin when she hung up "We keep having the strangest earthquakes" Though this one I was pretty sure was caused by Delbert

"You’re bleeding," she said