The night was colder than Evie remembered. She was gritting her teeth, walking with back pain, towards the Gheist residence.
She had parked the blue Camaro across the street, and she barely felt strong enough to continue moving forward.
It had been difficult to find the amulet Zeth had mentioned in his room, among so many treasures and antiques, but when she did, she wasted no time and drove with a blank mind in the middle of the night.
Miley had given her the address over the phone while Evie drove with her mind still scattered, and now she was here, ready to face one of her worst fears... Death.
She never feared her own, but always feared that of someone she cared about.
Paul's life sounded like hell.
"Paul Ter Gheist," she said. There was a tall, muscular boy outside the little purple house with the blue roof, searching his pocket for his keys. He turned to look at her. His purple eyes widened.
"Hey! You're the girl from the alley!" Paul seemed very happy to see her, "Are you okay? Our bodyguard said you'd be fine, that he just put you to sleep but he'd take you to a hospital."
"Yeah, let's say he did that," Evie rolled her eyes.
"He said you and him were old friends... Evie is your name, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is now," she smiled. "I'm here on Zeth's behalf."
"Right," Paul rubbed the back of his neck, "Zeth said you'd have something for my mum. An amulet? He said that would slow down her disease."
"It will, trust me. I've seen it before. Could you give me your phone number first?" Evie asked and Paul nodded.
"Here it is," Paul pulled out his wallet and handed Evie a business card, "Ignore the part where I offer my services."
Evie checked the purple card. She whistled, raising her eyebrows.
"Well, if I ever need a stripper for a birthday, at least I'll have a professional's number," Evie laughed a little, taking a photo of the card, "I'll send Zeth your number if you don't mind."
"I'd be honoured," Paul nodded.
In no time, Paul's phone buzzed in his pocket and he took it out way too excited.
"Oh Wow! Zeth just texted me. He says we'll meet tomorrow night here to cure my mum of her cancer. I can't thank him enough for making time for this, he seems to be always very busy. He was preparing everything for the show and he also took the time to listen to me sing."
"Were you able to see the show?" Evie asked, "Back at the club?"
"No, I left before everything started." Paul replied, "But Finn was very happy. He decided to stay in the band although moments before he offered me to take his place. Your friends showed him that he did have fans and wow! I wish my band was as perfect as Monsters Mash. I can tell that they all care about each other, like a family."
"Yeah, they do in their own chaotic way... Anyway, I think it's time to go. Give this to your mum and tell her to put it on, and not to take it off, got it?" Evie said, "I still have to drive home and I'm tired and sore, like I've been hit by a truck."
The door of the house swung open, and a sick-looking woman, pale and with large dark circles under her eyes and almost no hair, held onto the door frame and smiled.
"Paul! I am so glad..." she coughed, "So glad you are back! I was so worried."
"Hi mum," Paul rushed toward her, hugging her tightly.
Evie had always dreamed of something like that when she was younger: A family, a mother, someone to look after her, someone to fight for. Now she had Monster Mash but still, she had no mother.
"I've always dreamed of Paul bringing a girl as beautiful as you home," the woman said. Paul and Evie looked at each other with wide eyes.
"What? Oh, no," Evie chuckled.
"It is not what you think, mum," Paul blushed, "We're not together."
"Oh! Is she a co-worker? From the band or..." The woman pointed inside the house. "The other thing?"
"No and definitely not, mum!" Paul pursed his lips.
"Oh, well," The woman coughed again, "You should introduce me to your friend then."
"Oh! This is Evie..." Paul cocked his head.
"Just Evie," She nodded, and the woman smiled widely.
"Come in, please. I will make us coffee," the woman said, walking slowly, moaning even, while stepping into the house.
"Your mum is so cute," Evie commented and Paul nodded.
"I know." Paul smiled warmly, "Come in. I hope you have time."
"I always have time for coffee," Evie winked.
The house was small despite being two stories, a little neglected but very clean and tidy with a few pictures on the wall. Paul had apparently been class president, prom king, and winner of several talent shows according to these photographs. There was also a wooden staircase on one side of the room.
On the opposite side was another hallway, this one much shorter, which led to a kitchen, where Paul's mum was carrying a small jug to fill the coffee pot.
"What's that?" Evie asked, pointing to an open door at the end of the room, "I see a streamer chair from here."
"That's my studio," Paul said and she walked right behind him.
"This looks cute," Evie said upon entering the room. There were some neon lights and a bed with a purple plush cover.
"A bit cozy, isn't it?" Paul rubbed the back of his neck, "You know, I wanted to be a singer, and I sang in a couple of bars and made a few dollars, never more than five hundred. I tried with fitness content to no avail. Live-streams, however... That worked. And sometimes an old friend and I stream together."
"And you both play videogames and stream with that?" Evie asked, checking his equipment. A laptop, an expensive-looking webcam, a light ring. Something was missing. "Wait. Where's the X-Box or whatever you use?"
"X-Box?" Paul asked, "Videogames?"
And that's when Evie understood.
"Oh now... Now I get it. When Miley told me about your streaming business I didn't think it was this. But it's okay, I won't judge. So! You do this for a living?" Evie asked.
"Yes, it wasn't easy at first, no one saw me," he laughed, "And those who saw me insulted me, grey users are always a pain in the arse."
"Grey users?"
"People without accounts, without money, but they ask for a lot." Paul shifted his shoulders, "Freeloaders."
"And how do you know who will pay and who won't?" Evie asked, looking around. This room was actually pretty warm.
"You never know. But light blue users are those who once had tokens to pay but some of them no longer have, dark blue and purple users are the important ones. It took me a while to understand that some bots and apps could help me silence the greys."
"It seems like you already know your business well."
"Something like that. It wasn't always easy, I never really knew how much I should charge on my Tip Menu, and sometimes reaching my goals took more than eleven hours. But when I simplified everything, that's when the money started flowing."
"And this hasn't brought you any problems?"
"Not really," Paul said, "Although, a guy I knew in the past, someone who always hated me in high school, started leaking my content."
"That's cruel."
"I don't really care if people know about this," Paul said, shifting his shoulders, "But when I confronted him, he was shitting his pants."
They both laughed.
"Admirable how hard you've put yourself into this business, Paul."
"Thanks." He blushed, "For a while, that money was enough to keep me and Mum afloat, but when she got sick... Money is never enough, cancer is too expensive." His smile faded, and he sat on the edge of his bed, "I never say this but, sometimes, I fear waking up one day just to find out my mum is..."
"Don't say it," Evie closed her eyes tightly, trying to forget all the people she had seen for the last time without knowing it would be the last. "You just have to hold on, you and your mum, until Zeth comes tomorrow."
"I wish he was here now," Paul sighed sadly.
"Well. Zeth will be here as soon as he can, and your mum will still be here when that happens as long as she doesn't take off this bracelet," she put the briefcase on the bed, opening it. Inside was a beautiful golden bracelet with huge sapphires embedded in it and strange hand-carved symbols on the edges. "This amulet is connected to Zeth's life force, like all of his amulets, but this one works over long distances. I promise your mum will be fine."
"Thank you," Paul said quietly, taking it from the briefcase and holding it close to his heart, "I'm so thankful, I mean... I have done nothing to deserve this."
"Don't worry about it," Evie waved her hand dismissively, "This ordeal is over."
"Paul! You and your pretty friend come here! Coffee is ready! And I prepared the cookies you like just this morning!" They heard Mrs. Gheist shout from the kitchen, and they both nodded and left the studio.
Evie sat in one of the old, somewhat worn blue armchairs while Paul helped his mother walk and sit across her.
He left for the kitchen afterwards, and returned with a plate of transparent cookies and a tray with three cups of coffee on them.
Paul smiled at Evie, pointing at his mother's wrist.
She was already wearing the bracelet.
"I don't know what's going on tonight, but I feel a little better," Mrs. Gheist said, admiring her bracelet, "Where did you get this, Paul? You're not in any bad business, are you?"
"No mum, nothing alike," Paul winked at Evie, "A friend of mine is coming to visit us soon, but I need you to have faith, Mum."
"Faith?" the woman asked, holding her cup in her hands.
"You'll be fine very soon, Mrs. Gheist," Evie assured, elegantly swirling her spoon in her cup, "Do you believe in magic, ma'am?"
"Oh! Call me Portia, please." the woman nodded, "And yes, I do. I have faith that life has great surprises for my son, and I only hope to live long enough to see him succeed with his new friends."
"You'll live to see him become a superstar, I'm sure of that," Evie nodded, looking around the house, "And you've always lived here with your son?"
"Yes, and I am so sorry our home has fallen into disrepair but we do the best we can with what we have." Portia said, taking a sip of her coffee, "I just hope Paul makes his dream come true soon and doesn't end up homeless. We had to mortgage the house and..."
"Mum, don't worry. Everything will be okay," Paul said, but he didn't sound very sure. He even eyed Evie, as if begging her not to say a word of what she saw in the alley.
"You know, I'd like to offer you and Paul a new home," Evie said, taking in the broken window, peeling walls, and old furniture, "Nothing fancy, but it's a nice place." Evie couldn't just sit here drinking coffee doing nothing, and it didn't matter if Zeth wasn't here to ask for permission. She knew he would do the same thing she was about to do, "Lyonfort is a castle on the outskirts of Hallow Woods, where I live with many other people. It's elegant and cozy, huge without a doubt, but it has everything. I'm sure there is a place there for you to live."
"Evie, are you offering us a new home?" Paul asked.
"No, I'm not offering," she said, picking up a transparent cookie from the table, "I'm telling you to start packing, I'll cover the moving expenses."
"I can't accept that," Paul whispered.
"I am not asking," Evie replied, taking a bite of the cookie, "Just start packing tomorrow morning. I want you and your mum to get ready, because things will change for the better soon enough."
"I'm scared, Evie." Paul whispered, "What if something goes wrong? Things always go wrong."
"And yet here you are, both of you, still standing," Evie eyed Portia, then Paul, and her expression softened a bit, "Look, I know this must be difficult for you, but you have to trust me on this."
"I do trust you, dear," Portia told Evie, then looked at her son, "Have faith, Paul. Faith in yourself, in this young woman. We can still fight. We will see this through."
"I hit rock bottom. Didn't drown." Evie began to sing while snapping her fingers a little to get a rhythm going, "You'll see me rise now! Shake the ground. I'll rise like a Kraken. I'll rise like a Kraken."
"I love that song. And you are very good at singing by the way but..." Paul sighed, "Sorry for asking this way too late but... Who are you, Evie? Which angel sent you?"
"Zeth Rahman," she winked, taking another bite of her cookie.
"No," Portia said, and Evie turned quickly to look at her, "No. I see something special in you. Maybe someone sent you to help us, but what you just did, offering us a new home and hope, that was you."
"I'm just a bodyguard doing my job," Evie said, but Portia shook her head.
"No. You have a bigger purpose in this life, dear," Portia said, her tone gentle, "I can see in your eyes that there were horrors in your life, you have the same look on your face as my son after he left prison. You are a good soul who was forced to go through hell to become the most beautiful angel that ever existed. There is greatness in you, love and compassion. I am sure your family must be very proud of you."
"Thank you, Portia," Evie said, her eyes watering. She wiped her tear with the sleeve of her battlesuit, then shook her head, "Well. Now we should let your mother rest, Paul. I'm sure she wants to sleep right now."
After thanking Mrs. Gheist and listening to Paul carry her to her bed and tuck her in, insisting that she not take off her bracelet, Paul walked Evie to the door.
Out here in the cold night, they both stood still for a moment.
"Here, I brought you one of Mum's painkillers, it's Naproxen," Paul said, "I'll go get a glass of water."
"Don't bother," Evie took the medicine without complaint, "Thanks, my whole body hurts."
"Evie, I just want you to know..." Paul held her hands in his, looking into her eyes, his purplish gaze sad and confused, "Maybe I'll do something horrible, something that will affect your friends, but after that, if you still want me and Mum to move in with you."
"Paul, I made you a promise and I'm going to keep it. You and your mum are coming with me so start packing."
"But I'll do something terrible."
"And I know Zeth and the boys will understand your motives," Evie said, with a hand on Paul's shoulder, "You don't know it, but I committed an atrocity, the most vile and despicable thing anyone could do to the person they love the most. And yet they gave me a second chance, they gave me love and they gave me a new life. Don't underestimate Monster Mash, Paul. I know they'll understand."
"They're like your family, aren't they?" Paul asked and Evie nodded, "Wow. You're lucky to work for people like them."
"Yeah, I know," Evie nodded, "Go pack your stuff and let's make sure your mother gets better. She deserves it."
"Okay," Paul sighed deeply, staring at Evie for a few moments.
"Anyway," Evie took out her car keys, "I got to run. See you around."
"Yeah, see you," he smiled and watched her walk towards her car, opening the door. "Evie! Before you go!" Paul shouted, "Check the decoration pieces above the stage! I heard Anton say something about it!"
Evie nodded and got into her car.
The engine started.
Evie waved at him as she drove away.