After excusing myself from the table, I went into the living room with Caleb, and we watched TV until we were called upstairs to the second floor.

Once upstairs, Mr. Harmon took Caleb by the hand and told him to look at his new room. Mrs. Harmon and I followed them inside.

Caleb and I gasped at the same time as we looked around.

His room was aquarium- and dinosaur-themed.

He had his own bed, twice the size of his old one. It was covered with dinosaur sheets, neatly folded blankets, and T-Rex-shaped pillows. The walls were painted blue and green with all sorts of wild forest scenes. Beside his bed stood an enormous red lava lamp that nearly touched the ceiling.

Around the room were all kinds of airplanes, race cars, and toys. There were even model cars like the ones Dad used to have.

Caleb was smiling from ear to ear.

I knew he was still heartbroken over losing Mom and Dad, but right now, he was happy. And seeing him happy made me happy too.

Mrs. Harmon called me over.

"Now let's take a look at your room."

My room was painted light pink with purple polka dots of every size scattered across the walls. My bed was covered in pastel blankets and pillows. A few things were spread around the room, including remote-control cars and model airplanes—things I actually liked.

I wasn't sure how the Harmons knew that, but I'd always preferred those kinds of toys. Thrones that moved.

There was also a huge makeup kit on the desk, several notebooks for writing, and a collection of paint supplies.

Like Caleb, I had a lava lamp too.

Mine was orange.

"We hope you like it, dear," Mrs. Harmon said with a smile.

I turned toward her and noticed she had opened her arms for a hug.

I nearly started crying.

She wrapped her arms around me.

Still, it wasn't like Mom's hugs.

"If you ever need anything, just ask me. I'm here," she said, gently stroking my hair.

Caleb and Mr. Harmon stepped into my room, and we thanked the Harmons for everything they had done for us.

They suggested we get ready for bed since it was late and reminded us that we would have all the time in the world tomorrow to enjoy our new rooms.

The nights were the hardest.

Getting over my parents wasn't easy.

I started to cry.

My crying stopped when my bedroom door slowly creaked open and a short silhouette appeared in the doorway.

"Caleb?" I asked, sitting up immediately.

"I'm scared," he said in a flat voice, not stepping into the room. "Can you come sleep with me?"

Before I could answer, Caleb turned and walked away into the darkness.

I quickly got up and followed him.

Looking down the hallway, I saw his silhouette moving in the wrong direction—toward the stairs.

Of course, I rushed after him carefully as I still hadn't adjusted to the lighting. I didn't want him falling down the stairs and breaking his neck.

I had assumed that Caleb was sleepwalking. His room was in the opposite direction.

I struggled to catch up with him in the darkness, and finding a light switch seemed out of the picture. I wasn't used to the place so I didn't know where any switches were.

When I finally reached the stairs, Caleb was standing there waiting.

I still couldn't see him clearly, but I managed to take his hand and carefully guide him back toward his room.

Quietly.

"Your hands are so cold," I said, concerned.

He didn't answer.

"Caleb? Are you awake?"

No response.

I leaned down, trying to see whether his eyes were open.

They didn't seem to be.

"Hey, Caleb? Are you awake?"

"Sure..."

Panic settled into my chest.

I don't think I'll ever forget that sound.

"Sacrifice..."

The voice wasn't Caleb's.

It was slow and raspy, like the voice of an old woman on her deathbed.

No.

Not one woman.

Two.

I was sure I heard more than one voice speaking at the same time.

I slowly backed away.

As I did, his two eyes opened in the darkness.

They stared directly at me. Beaming with an odd glow and small beady eyes.

The eyes began rising higher and higher until they appeared to be floating above me.

My legs nearly gave out.

I screamed.

The moment I did, the eyes vanished.

Just like that.

The lights on the third floor suddenly came on.

The Harmons burst out of their bedroom and ran downstairs toward me.

"What happened?" they asked.

It was difficult to explain everything, but I managed.

Mrs. Harmon sat beside me on my bed and handed me a glass of milk.

She assured me it was probably nothing.

According to her, I was stressed and grieving. Maybe I had imagined it. Maybe I was seeing things. She even offered to sleep in my room with me, but the idea made me feel awkward, so I politely declined.

Eventually, she returned to bed.

I tried to go back to sleep.

It wasn't happening.

At the same time, I didn't want to stay awake either.

It was going to be a very long night.