Chapter 9

"Don't praise me like that, you want to make me big-headed, don't you?" I said blushing, Depney is really great at raising someone's self-confidence.

"That's how it is, but if you don't like being praised I won't praise you anymore."

"Okay, you can praise me any time, but the most important thing is that you have to come. If not, I will force you to cut your hair off!"

"Hahaha...okay, my dear Katie, I'll come and I'll also bring someone special for you."

"Someone special? Who?" I asked curiously.

"Secret, you'll see. I'll definitely be surprised to see it," said Depney while laughing loudly.

"You cheat-"

"That's it, your Depney looks like she needs a shower. See you on friday?"

"Yeah, see you later!" I said, Depney immediately hung up the phone.

I'm a little happy, it feels like I haven't felt this way for a long time. I hope there will be many people who come and hopefully their presence can lift my spirits again.

But, one thing I didn't realize. Or maybe because I was looking forward to that moment too much, I was so careless that I didn't realize that Daniel, who had been standing in front of his bedroom door, was looking at me with a cold gaze.

I shuddered, I always felt this way when I was hospitalized. Spy watching. Yes, they are just watching you without doing anything, but that only makes you more afraid.

"Daniel...!" I immediately called him, I didn't like the way he looked at me.

Daniel didn't move from his place, he just stood like a statue with a pale face.

"You know? People like you actually invite these creatures into the house." He said, I didn't understand what he said.

"What do you mean?"

"You shouldn't have gone home and stayed there!" After speaking incoherently he immediately opened the door to his room and slammed it hard.

Braaakkk...

The sound of the slam was even heard up to the first floor. I really don't understand what's going through that idiot Daniel's mind.

"Daniel...! Open the door, what do you mean, huh? What did you say just now? If you're talking that's clear, Daniel...!" I shouted while knocking on his bedroom door. What do you think I am? Doesn't he know who is paying for his life all this time, how dare he say that to me.

"Daniel, open the door...! We have to talk right now...!"

"Psst...psst...it doesn't matter if I take her, she's dying...really dying-"

I was surprised, I could hear the voice of a small child whispering in Daniel's room. Yes, I'm sure it's a child's voice. Who's that ? There was no way it could be Calvin or Chloe's voice, they had never entered Daniel's room before.

I tried to hear them, I'm sure the voices still sounded faint even though their words weren't very clear.

"Hihihi...she's bald, she's wearing doll hair-"

"Yeah, I know. It's funny, isn't it? She looks like Joana, it's a shame Joana isn't here. I'll invite her sometime,"

"Who? Who are they? Since when were they inside?" I thought. My heart was pounding, for some reason I felt scared. Who are they? And who is Joana?

"Hey...psst...don't be loud, she'll hear it later,"

"Hihihi...shall we sleep in her bedroom tonight?"

"Okay, but don't get caught!"

"Mom... !" I shouted as I ran down the stairs and immediately looked for anyone to help me from this fear.

"Katie, what's wrong?" Asked my mother panicked, Jennifer and her husband immediately approached me.

"Mom, Daniel, Daniel, he-" I stuttered, my body was covered in cold sweat.

"What's wrong Katie? Calm yourself!"

"Daniel, he put a small child in his room, you have to see it, he's crazy!"

"Small children? Who? I didn't see Daniel bring any children in," said Jenny.

"I don't know, but I heard their voices. They kept talking about strange things, you have to see for yourself!"

Mother seemed confused by what I meant, maybe it was strange for those who saw it directly when Daniel entered the house alone. But I'm very sure I heard the children's voices.

"Okay, we'd better just ask him directly!" Steven said.

"Okay, come on!" With an unsure look on her face, mother led me towards that scary room. Jenny and Steven also came along to see for themselves.

"Daniel, open the door! I wants to talk!" Said mother while knocking on Daniel's door. I'm not sure he would open the door and let us in and see the contents of his horrible bedroom.

"Daniel...?" Mother called him again, a few seconds later the door opened. Very cold air immediately blew out and it made me shiver even more.

Daniel appeared, he looked at the four of us who were standing frozen in front of his room door with no reaction other than being stunned by the darkness of the room and the cold air that was blowing. I didn't even dare to breathe the air coming out of his room.

"What?" Daniel asked with an innocent look, the look on his face made me even more annoyed.

"You brought a small child into your room?" Asked the mother, she looked at Daniel closely while waiting for an honest answer from her only son.

"What does it mean?"

"Don't act stupid, I heard children's voices in your room. You must have hidden them inside!" I said angrily.

"What are you talking stupid about? How can I bring them in?" Daniel asked. Damn, his reaction was completely different when someone else was here.

"Mom, you should just check it out!" I asked.

"Okay, go ahead. But, if there's nothing, it's best for you to go back to treatment and never go home before you're completely healed!" He said while smiling slyly at me.

"What?"

"Never mind, Katie!" Jenny immediately stopped me so that this argument wouldn't continue.

Mother and Steven entered the dark room, the cold and damp air immediately made Steven's glasses fog up, he immediately cleaned them with a handkerchief in his trouser pocket.

"Daniel, can you turn on the lights? I can't see anything here, you even closed the curtains!"

***