The storm had finally calmed for just a bit and Greyson knew that he and Emerald needed to get off the boat and get to his house before the storm regained its momentum. "Come on Emerald. We have to leave the boat and get to my house before this gets worse or before your family takes over the dock." Greyson said as he picked Emerald up from the bed and carried her outside. Emerald did her best to stand for a minute while Greyson got his bike ready and then he put her on his back as they rode away from the docks and towards Greyson's house.
By the time they reached his house, Emerald noticed that the storm was starting to roll back in and that meant her father had realized that she left the boat, at least that's what she believed. Greyson hopped off his bike and carried Emerald inside his house and set her down on the couch before he went to talk to his mother.
He found her upstairs and knocked quietly on her door before he opened it and made his way into her room. His mother was so shocked and ecstatic to see her son back in her house that she hugged him before he could even tell her why he had come back. "I can't believe you spent so much time out in that storm! Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" his mom said in a frantic, rushed voice.
"Mom I'm fine, but that doesn't matter right now. The storm died down just a bit so I brought Emerald here, we couldn't stay out there any longer. No matter how much she wanted to, I don't trust the storm and she's already hurt." Greyson said as he saw the look on his mother's face change from worry to a look of utter annoyance at the fact that her son had brought home the one girl that she didn't trust. She didn't know Emerald, but she knew that she didn't want her son with this girl. The girl who had kept her son with her during this terrible storm. The girl who her son refused to leave alone, was now in her house.
"I know you may not like her, but I do and she's here so please just try and get to know her. I've never felt this way about anyone's mom. Please." Greyson said as he turned and went back downstairs to Emerald.
"Hey Em, you want to get some sleep?" Greyson asked Emerald, as he finished making his way down the stairs into the living room. Emerald was still in a significant amount of pain from being held captive by her psychotic aunt so all she could muster up was a nod as Greyson came and picked her up and carried her upstairs.
Greyson took Emerald to the guest room, which was adjacent to his, and tucked her up in the bed and stayed for just a moment as he watched her slowly drift off to sleep out of sheer exhaustion. After everything they had just gone through, all Greyson wanted was for Emerald to be able to have some normalcy in the human world, even if it was just for a fleeting moment.
By the time Greyson stopped worrying about Emerald and finally got in bed he was asleep within seconds. As the night went on though, darkness started to creep into Emerald's mind and dreams, slowly churning them into nightmares.
