Reaper by Emily Goodwin

moon’s light. My heart sped up and I took in a shaky breath. I cautiously entered my room. A shadow was moving in slow circles on the ceiling. I moved closer and screamed.
    Hanging from the fan with his throat slit, was Romeo.

    Chapter 5 - Mind Games

    Hunter was the first one to come bounding into the room. He quickly assessed me; I was fine and he moved on, looking for the source of my scream. Ethan rushed in next, and immediately went into demon hunter mode. My legs gave out.
    “Anora!” Ethan sank down to his knees next to me. “Are you ok?”
    “Romeo.” Tears welled in my eyes. René ran in. Someone turned on the light. But no one else screamed. I forced myself to look at the fan. It was spinning on the lowest speed. And no dead ferret swung from it. I leaped over to Romeo’s cage. I madly felt around his blankets until I found him. Relief flooded my body and I hugged him. “Oh my God. You’re ok.” Trembling, I sank heavily onto the floor, cradling Romeo to my chest.
    Hunter jumped on the bed and whined. I could sense the confusion growing from my friends. Ethan’s warm hand rested against my back.
    “What happened?” Ethan asked carefully.
    I shook my head and blinked back tears. Hunter gracefully jumped off the bed and stood over me, casting a calming aura. I breathed it in. “I came up here and saw,” I closed my eyes, “I saw Romeo hanging by his tail from the fan. His throat had been slit.”
    Ethan sat next to me. “Are you sure?”
    “Yes!” I cried. “There was blood on the floor!” My voice faltered. “I’m not making this up!”
    “Annie,” Ethan said softly. “I believe you.”
    “So do I.” René sat on my other side.
    “Thank you,” I dumbly spat. I held Romeo up just to convince myself he was really ok. I kissed him and wrapped him back in my arms. Ethan sat down and put his arms around me. “Tell me exactly what happened,” he instructed.
    “I came up stairs to get the picture. But as soon as I got in the hall, I felt this weird, bad feeling. Then I saw the blood, and then something moving in here. When I came closer I could see it was Romeo.”
    “And then what?”
    “I screamed and Hunter came in. They you guys, so you know the rest.” I leaned against Ethan. “I really thought he was dead.”
    “He’s not,” Ethan tried to comfort me. “Let’s go back downstairs and think about this, ok?”
    I nodded and let Ethan help me up. We all settled in the family room, Romeo curled up in my lap and fell back asleep.
    “Is there a demon?” René asked, her voice edging on fear and excitement.
    “I’m not sure yet,” Ethan told her. “If something made Annie see that…” he started. I shivered again. “It’s not the first time you’ve seen something that’s not really real,” he directed toward me.
    “No.” I ran a hand over my ferret’s fur. “But this was different.”
    “I’ll figure it out,” Ethan promised.
    Hunter suddenly sprang up, fur on end. He surveyed the room and stood protectively in front of me. A growl escaped.
    “What is it, sweetheart?” I whispered. He could hear something outside. By the road. Something was shuffling through the dead, spring grass. A car door slammed and the sound of tires screeched in the distance. “There was something outside.”
    “How do you know?” René asked, eyeing Hunter’s fangs nervously.
    “Hunter can hear it.” I closed my eyes and tapped into Hunter’s mind. A smell lingered in the air. I opened my eyes. “It’s a human.”
    Ethan leaped up, gun drawn. “Stay here.” And then he was gone.
    René stared at me, wide eyed.
    “Anora,” René began, flabbergasted.
    Hunter growled again. I patted the couch next to me and he silently obeyed, jumping up and resting his head in my lap. Romeo stretched and nuzzled against him.
    “Yeah?” I said nervously.
    “How do you know what Hunter’s thinking?” René’s eyes didn’t move off of Hunter.
    “Long story,” I predictably told