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in this house. Taking away
your phone is a good place to start. Besides, you need to forget
about the life you had in San Diego. Phoning and texting your
friends there--especially Erica--24/7 will only make breaking away
that much harder. This is where you belong now. Get used to
it."
    I can't believe I'm hearing this. "I
don't belong here!" Peyton argued. "Tell him, Mom. Our home will always be San Diego, where dad's buried, no matter where we
live!"
    "Yes, of course it will be," Melody said
unevenly. "And no one is asking you to abandon your friends
forever. But you're making new friends here now, starting with
Lily, and you have a new place to call home. You need to give
Shadow Bay a chance to work out."
    "I thought I was doing that," Peyton said.
"Besides, I need my phone to communicate with Lily or anyone else I
meet here." Not to mention Bry.
    "No, you only think you do," Vance said
tersely. "Let's give communicating the old fashioned way a try--by
getting out there and speaking face to face with your new
friends."
    Peyton was furious. "This is so unfair."
    "Life isn't always fair," he told her. "It's
all for your own good."
    "None of this is good for me," she
countered. "I shouldn't have to sacrifice any more than I already
have by moving to this stupid town with your stupid new rules!"
    She scowled at her mother and threw her
phone on the floor. Holding back tears, Peyton ran from the
room.
    Lying on her bed, Peyton wept. What was
happening in her life? Things had suddenly gone from bad to worse,
except where it concerned Bryant. She wondered what curves her
mother and stepfather would toss her way next.
    * * *
    Caitlyn watched Peyton cry herself to sleep.
She empathized with her, having done the same thing more times than
Caitlyn cared to count. Unfortunately she knew things would only
get worse before it was over. There was enough evil in this house
to go around and its poison would affect everyone in both the
spirit and human world. The one hope Caitlyn had was that together
she and Peyton could overcome the force of darkness. But it
wouldn't be easy, for one man was just as determined to see history
repeat itself again and again.
    This thought unnerved Caitlyn and she grew
disillusioned. She tried to be brave for the challenges that lay
ahead.
    Caitlyn watched as Peyton stirred
restlessly. She prayed that her father wouldn't come for her. Not
till it was too late.

CHAPTER EIGHT
     
    The rain came down in torrents, drenching
Peyton as she stood outside in her nightgown. With the rumble of
thunder, a bolt of lightning bathed the house, giving it an eerie
whitish glow. Instinctively, she began to move her bare feet toward
the house.
    Inside she could hear the commotion coming
from upstairs. It was obvious to Peyton that a verbal fight was
underway. And just as clear that it was up to her to intervene.
    She climbed the stairs, dreading every step
of the way for fear of what awaited.
    The closer she came to her parents' bedroom,
the more petrified Peyton became, as though having been down this
path before. She heard a strong male voice doing most of the
talking with other voices in the background.
    Pushing the door open, Peyton stepped
in.
    There was a man at the foot of the bed, his
face contorted with fury. He was holding a shotgun that was pointed
at another man who was standing and only half-clothed.
    He pulled the trigger and the man went
flying, landing on the floor with a thud.
    Peyton put a hand to her mouth and gazed
almost hypnotically toward the bed. A woman was lying there,
partially blanketed. Her eyes were filled with consternation.
    Looking back at the man with the shotgun,
Peyton watched as he pointed it at the woman.
    He's going to shoot her, too. I have to try
and stop him.
    As Peyton assessed what she could do to stop
this tragedy from occurring amongst these strangers, she heard
another sound and turned to see a girl run into the room past her.
She was about Peyton's age and looked strangely