The remaining week before leaving for camp was consumed in an almost feverish rush of activity. The days seemed to shorten, filled with preparations and... distractions.
There were, for example, several sunny afternoons when Jennifer showed up at the garage, using the excuse of checking the car before the trip, wearing shorts so minuscule they were almost symbolic and tank tops that left little to the imagination.
On those afternoons, the garage was filled with intermittent engine roars, an occasional stifled curse, and the girl's occasional screams, although what exactly they were "repairing"...
Meanwhile, Leif's domestic life had its own supernatural complications. The main bathroom had, without a doubt, become Airam's private stage.
Almost every night, the routine was the same: Leif would enter the bathroom, turn on the shower, and as soon as the hot steam began to condense on the large mirror, that familiar figure would punctually appear in the reflection.
Her appearances were unpredictable; sometimes, she presented herself wrapped in a complicated Victorian dress, bitterly complaining in the reflection about how tight the corset was. Other nights, she changed into a very modern, tight black leather outfit, critically assessing whether Leif's muscle definition was more pronounced than the day before.
...
Finally, Friday arrived, the day their parents were leaving for New York.
From dawn, the house was a hive of activity. Sarah checked Leif's suitcase for the third time, murmuring a litany of "change of clothes, mosquito repellent, sunscreen," mortally afraid of forgetting some essential item. John, for his part, tried to project absolute calm by pretending to read the newspaper, though his gaze strayed toward the wall clock every thirty seconds.
"Sarah, for heaven's sake," John finally cleared his throat, folding the newspaper. "The boy is eighteen now, not three. If we don't leave now, I assure you we will miss that flight."
!
Just at that instant, as if it had been waiting for the signal, the doorbell rang.
Sarah smoothed her hands and rushed to open the door.
And as soon as she opened the door, a woman who looked straight out of a magazine cover stood on the threshold.
She must have been about twenty-five or twenty-six, she was slender, and the simple summer dress she wore was tight enough to perfectly outline every curve of her body.
Her hair was a brilliant, almost golden blonde, falling in soft waves over her shoulders. Her face was genuinely beautiful, with full lips and penetrating, unforgettable sky-blue eyes.
She smiled at Sarah with impeccable kindness.
"Hello, you must be the Connors. I'm Bee, the temporary babysitter you contacted." Her voice was honeyed, as sweet as honey.
This was Bee.
Leif, who was observing the scene from the hallway, analyzed her carefully. She was, indeed, a spectacular woman; her beauty was undeniable and expressive.
However, as he watched her, he felt a strange, discordant note.
There was something odd....
Deep within those incredible sky-blue eyes, Leif thought he saw a flash of cunning that didn't fit the kind smile. And that smile... that was the most unsettling part.
It was too perfect.
"Bee, hello! So glad you arrived, please, come in," Sarah welcomed her with evident enthusiasm.
Lillith, who until that moment was engrossed in a pitched battle with her teddy bear on the living room rug, became completely still.
She lifted her head, and her gaze completely ignored her parents' movement, fixing directly on the newcomer.
Bee immediately felt the intense gaze of the child upon her. She gracefully knelt to her level, her professional smile becoming, if possible, even sweeter and more personal.
"And you must be Lillith, right? You're adorable," she said. "I'm Bee. I'm going to look after you this week while your parents are away, does that sound good?"
Lillith did not run to hug her, nor did she make any of the adorable child gestures that Leif already knew as part of her façade.
Instead, she stood still. She tilted her head, her big, innocent eyes fixed on Bee's, staring without blinking... Four seconds, five...
Finally, Lillith's face broke into an angelic smile.
"Hello, Bee. You smell... very good."
Bee's smile did not falter an inch. "Oh, do I? Thank you so much. It must be my perfume."
"It's not the perfume," Lillith replied, shaking her head gently, her smile widening. "It's a familiar smell... Very close. Like home."
For an imperceptible fraction of a second, a sharp glint flashed in the depths of Bee's eyes.
It was so quick that Leif almost thought he had imagined it. The babysitter reached out and gently stroked Lillith's head, her voice dropping to a gentle murmur, "Really? Well, in that case, I'm sure you and I are going to get along wonderfully."
Leif watched the whole scene from the hallway, feeling like the only sane spectator of an incredibly bizarre play.
An authentic demon and a high-ranking satanist, face to face.
Fantastic.
He prayed silently for the structural integrity of the property. His parents' "second honeymoon" wasn't a trip; it was clearing the combat zone for a duel of supernatural beings.
"Well, we're off now!" John finally said, breaking the strange tension that only Leif seemed to notice.
He picked up his suitcase and gave Leif a quick, strong hug. "Take care, son."
"Don't worry, Dad. Have fun," Leif replied, patting his back. 'And I'll do my best to make sure the house is still standing when you get back,' he added mentally.
Leif, who was observing the scene from the hallway, analyzed her carefully. She was, indeed, a spectacular woman; her beauty was undeniable and expressive.
However, as he watched her, he felt a strange, discordant note.
There was something odd....
Deep within those incredible sky-blue eyes, Leif thought he saw a flash of cunning that didn't fit the kind smile. And that smile... that was the most unsettling part.
It was too perfect.
"Bee, hello! So glad you arrived, please, come in," Sarah welcomed her with evident enthusiasm.
Lillith, who until that moment was engrossed in a pitched battle with her teddy bear on the living room rug, became completely still.
She lifted her head, and her gaze completely ignored her parents' movement, fixing directly on the newcomer.
Bee immediately felt the intense gaze of the child upon her. She gracefully knelt to her level, her professional smile becoming, if possible, even sweeter and more personal.
"And you must be Lillith, right? You're adorable," she said. "I'm Bee. I'm going to look after you this week while your parents are away, does that sound good?"
Lillith did not run to hug her, nor did she make any of the adorable child gestures that Leif already knew as part of her façade.
Instead, she stood still. She tilted her head, her big, innocent eyes fixed on Bee's, staring without blinking... Four seconds, five...
Finally, Lillith's face broke into an angelic smile.
"Hello, Bee. You smell... very good."
Bee's smile did not falter an inch. "Oh, do I? Thank you so much. It must be my perfume."
"It's not the perfume," Lillith replied, shaking her head gently, her smile widening. "It's a familiar smell... Very close. Like home."
For an imperceptible fraction of a second, a sharp glint flashed in the depths of Bee's eyes.
It was so quick that Leif almost thought he had imagined it. The babysitter reached out and gently stroked Lillith's head, her voice dropping to a gentle murmur, "Really? Well, in that case, I'm sure you and I are going to get along wonderfully."
Leif watched the whole scene from the hallway, feeling like the only sane spectator of an incredibly bizarre play.
An authentic demon and a high-ranking satanist, face to face.
Fantastic.
He prayed silently for the structural integrity of the property. His parents' "second honeymoon" wasn't a trip; it was clearing the combat zone for a duel of supernatural beings.
"Well, we're off now!" John finally said, breaking the strange tension that only Leif seemed to notice.
He picked up his suitcase and gave Leif a quick, strong hug. "Take care, son."
"Don't worry, Dad. Have fun," Leif replied, patting his back. 'And I'll do my best to make sure the house is still standing when you get back,' he added mentally.
They said goodbye to their parents, who got into the taxi with a mixture of hurry and nostalgic glances toward the house. As soon as the car rounded the corner, the door closed, plunging the house into a sudden silence.
Now it was just the three of them.
Bee instantly adopted her professional role, turning her back to the door. "Well, Lillith, how about you show me your room while I think about what we can have for dinner?"
She began tidying a couple of magazines in the living room with fluid, competent movements, radiating professionalism in every gesture.
Lillith followed her closely, launching a barrage of nonsensical questions. And Bee, to Leif's surprise, answered each one with infinite patience.
The atmosphere, disturbingly, seemed surprisingly harmonious.
Leif had not the slightest interest in staying to observe the first round of this strange duel between beings from hell, or whatever was going on in his living room.
He threw his backpack over his shoulder and gave them a farewell gesture.
"I'm leaving."
"Goodbye, little brother! Have fun!" Lillith turned around instantly, waving her hand with energy and a smile worthy of a commercial.
Bee also straightened up from the couch and gave him that perfectly calibrated smile. "Take care on the road, Leif. Have a great time."
Leif couldn't help but feel the invisible quotation marks around that "have a great time." He left the house, and the warm morning sunlight hit him full on, dispelling the demonic atmosphere inside.
On the street corner, a familiar figure was already waiting quietly.
It was Carrie.
She had put on a clean, functional athletic outfit, and her long blonde hair was tied back in a neat high ponytail. She wore a somewhat used backpack slung over both shoulders and upon seeing Leif, her hands instinctively tightened the straps with a trace of old nervousness, but she still stepped forward to greet him.
"Good morning."
"Good morning," Leif replied with an easy smile. "Have you been waiting long?"
"Not at all. I just got here."
They started walking side by side toward the school. Leif immediately noticed the change: Carrie no longer walked half a step behind him, as she used to out of pure shyness. Now she walked beside him, looking straight ahead.
Much of that dark, withdrawn aura that usually defined her had evaporated, replaced by a new vitality, an energy that seemed to well up from within.
When they arrived at the school entrance, an old yellow school bus was already parked along the sidewalk, with the engine running. A chaotic group of teenagers milled about the door, pushing, laughing, and shouting, vibrating with the uncontrollable energy that precedes any excursion.
Leif and Carrie positioned themselves at the end of the line that was forming.
"Nervous?" Leif asked quietly, watching the commotion.
Carrie shifted her gaze from the bus that was about to take them to the infamous "Bloody Camp" and fixed it on him, the boy who, somehow, managed to bring her both surprise and absolute calm.
First, she shook her head, but a second later she nodded with sudden conviction.
Then, she smiled. It was a smile that, in the morning light, seemed incredibly bright.
"A little nervous," she admitted, "but, honestly... I'm mostly excited."
Leif watched her for a moment and then returned her smile.
Yes. Excited.
He was too.
________
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