Picture on the side: Kate

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When we finally arrived at 14 B Saltwater Bridge it was dark outside and the car's clock showed 22.23. I had hastily sat up straighter when the house had come into view and that earned me suspicious looks from both Adam and Alex who were watching my every move. I gave them an irritated look and turned towards Anton.

"Okay I need you to stay in the car while I go inside, understood?" I said making a gesture towards the dark house.

"No, that's not happening Sparky, how stupid do you think we are?" Alex shot me an amused look and I groaned loudly.

"I'm not playing you I just can't bring you inside okay?" I said irritated.

"Why got something to hide?" He kept smiling at me and I gave him a 'shut up- face' and turned towards Anton.

"Anton I need to get in there without you, people are sleeping and I don't need them to wake up." I pleaded, hoping he would be convinced. He narrowed his gaze at me but after a few seconds he nodded and said:

"Fine, but if you're not back in five minutes we're coming for you, you got that?"

I smiled at him, showing I was grateful and then I shot Alex a 'too bad-face'. He bared his teeth slightly at me and I gave him one last teasing look before I climbed over Adam and opened the car door.

I shut the car door silently and quickly made my way towards the house. The light inside was switched off and hopefully everybody was asleep. I tip-toed the last few steps and took out my house key from my back pocket, sliding it silently inside the keyhole. I turned the key with one swift move and stepped into the dark, closing the door as quiet as I could behind me.

I stood still at first, listening for somebody who might have heard me but the house was dead silent. I sighed in relief and felt my way towards the stairs. I just had to find Kate's room without being noticed by anybody else. Her room was on the second floor in the end of the corridor and I successfully made my way to it. I carefully opened the door to her room and stepped inside closing it behind me.

I couldn't see shit but I knew where her bed was supposed to be so I quickly walked towards it with my hands in front of me so I wouldn't crash into something. When I reached the bed I heard small shallow breaths and I could barely make out Kate's face in the dark. I sat down beside her and reached out, carefully placing my hand on her shoulder.

Suddenly she bolted up from the bed, causing me to fall back in surprise and I held in a scream wanting to escape my lips. I could see her looking wildly all around until she saw me. She sighed in relief and threw herself into my arms nearly causing me to fall again.

"Ouch, careful tiger." I chuckled with a low voice and I could feel her tiny arms hugging me closely, not wanting to let go.

"I thought you were gone forever." She sniffed into my shoulder and I carefully patted her back in a comforting way.

"I wouldn't leave you behind, you know that. Come on we have to go." I whispered silently but she still didn't let me go. I sighed when she didn't answer me but I couldn't wait for her to calm down. I pulled myself up with her hanging around my neck like a monkey and with her legs wrapped around my waist. My eyes landed on a small bag at the foot of her bed and I quickly took it and walked up to the closet and started throwing down some of her clothes in it.

When I was done I quickly turned towards the door but before I entered the hallway I whispered to Kate who was still hanging around me:

"Okay tiger I need you to be absolutely quiet until we're out of this house do you understand?"

She nodded against my neck and took a firmer grip around me, holding on to me like her life depended on it. I furrowed my eyebrows together but didn't say anything.

I opened the door and tip-toed back along the corridor towards the stairs. Suddenly I remembered that now when I was alone I could fetch my phone from my bedroom and bring it with me. I turned on my heels and slipped back towards my room.

After I had fumbled around in the dark for a minute, not daring to turn on the lights, I found my phone and put it in my jacket pocket. After that I turned around and headed towards the staircase again.

It wasn't easy to walk down the stairs quietly with a five year old girl hanging around me like a second skin and a bag over my shoulder but somehow I managed to get us down without any misfortune. It was still silent in the house and I thanked my lucky star that "dad" wasn't anywhere near. I took the last few steps in a haste and pushed the front door open, slipping out into the chilly night air.