The sign of the motel was missing a letter to actually spell out the word 'motel.' It didn't matter though. All that it mattered was a roof over their heads to keep them away from the harsh fat droplets of water that began to pour down, creating a drumming pitter patters of sound.

The rumble in the sky was deafening. Anyone would want to go inside once they hear the threatening sound of thunder because it often accompanies a lightning bolt.

Isabella was looking out of her car window as Romeo was out to get them a room that they could stay in. The little girl was alone in the car, listening to the wind that was starting to howl.

She grimaced at the sight of the weather. She never liked storms, she never liked the sound that it emits because it makes her feel scared.

And, she doesn't like feeling scared.

Whenever there were storms happening, her brothers or her father would often accompany her until she's no longer afraid. They would sing their own made-up songs to ease her fears and they would often build some kind of fort with some flashlights and some cookies.

The little girl shrivelled up at the thought of spending the scary storm with a person that she barely knows. Isabella wanted to be in her bed with her family. She doesn't want to be in a motel in the middle of who-knows-where.

However, she won't complain.

Isabella knows that she should be glad that they have a roof over their head for now, that she'll get to sleep in a bed and she'll be sheltered from the rain and that she has an adult with her.

Romeo is Dante's most trusted buddy. Surely, whoever was following them would never beat Romeo because the man is strong and will never put Isabella in harm's way.

Suddenly, a lightning bolt flashed, lighting up the environment for a moment, causing Isabella to shriek and close her eyes in fear. The little girl noticed that she was shaking and that she was closing her ears to protect herself from unwanted loud noise.

The lightning was too close. Isabella doesn't want it. She doesn't want to be alone in the car. Romeo was not in the car and she's scared of being alone.

Isabella hates feeling scared.

But, she's so scared right now.

Suddenly, her door opened and the little girl unwillingly opened her eyes to look at the intruder.

The said intruder was Romeo who was holding a black umbrella. He was looking at her with an awkward worried look plastered on his face. It looked as if worry was never an emotion that he had to face.

Without saying a word, he gently unbuckled her seatbelt and lifted her up from her car seat to protectively have her in his strong arms.

Isabella, quivering from the fear, held onto Romeo tightly, closing her eyes again. The little girl was whimpering and it made Romeo feel sad.

"I borrowed an umbrella from the dude at the counter." He stated mindlessly but Isabella didn't say a word. Romeo sighed. He wasn't really that good with children. He closed the door and locked the car.

"Don't hold onto me so tightly. You'll choke me." He tried to joke but the little girl never lessened the tightness of her hold on him. In fact, she even clutched his shirt right after he said his words.

"M' scared..." Isabella's voice was shaking. "I want papa..."

Romeo, pitying her state, started to walk away from their car to go to their supposed room so that Isabella's safe from the rain.

He was glad that their room wasn't on the second floor because he was awkwardly holding a little kid in his arms.

He never held a kid before so you can't blame him. At least he's trying.

"We all get scared, kid. That's how it is. It's okay to be scared, ya know? It's something that you should not be afraid of saying. If you're scared then you are. Ya don't have to be ashamed of that, ya got it?" Finally! He said some comforting words. "I, for one, won't blame ya if you're scared of a lil' storm."

Isabella was silent for a moment before she nodded slowly. "Is Mister Romeo scared of something?"

He grimaced at the question. He didn't want to be rude and just ignore her question, but for some reason, he also wanted to answer her.

He grumbled at his bothering thoughts. He was getting too emotionally attached towards the kid for such a short amount of time.

"Yeah, kid. Got a lot of things that this old guy's scared of."

How he opened the door with a kid in his arms and an umbrella in his hands was a miracle and he's a wizard for not dropping anything important.

He lowered Isabella safely down to the ground with a grunt. "Welcome to our temporary home, kiddo. Hope ya won't complain about some bed bugs or something."

The room's got an old smell lingering in it. In the middle of the room were two seperate beds with plain blue blankets above it. There was a bedside table in the middle of the two said beds with an outlet plug on the wall above the bedside table.

The room's got a bathroom and has got this old tv that would probably have limited channels.

The room was plain and it was far from the luxury that Isabella have experienced. However, she found out that she didn't care about all of that.

All she cared was getting to bed because the day has been taking its toll on her now and she would prefer to take a little nap. She was tired. No, she was far from tired. She was mentally exhausted and she was scared.

So, Isabella decided to waddle her way towards the bed that's closest to her and just flopped down with face planting on the bed.

Romeo was amused by her action. She looked like a penguin. "Is the bed good, m'lady? You won't complain about it or somethin' like a little brat?"

She shook her head. "As long as the bed's not broken then m' fine." She answered him. "And if it's not cursed. Is it cursed?"

"Well, the dude at the counter didn't say that it was so I think we're all good for now, kid." He answered in amusement as he closed the door behind him. He was soaking wet but that wasn't his main issue for now.

"Then why would I complain about an awesome bed, dummy?" She asked with a grumble, spreading her arms wide to embrace the softness of the said bed. She sighed softly.

He snorted, crossing his arms. He leaned against the closed door. "Don't get all sassy with me, kid. Where did you get an attitude?"

"I got it from you."

"Oh! So that's why you're so cool. Like me." He beamed at her answer. It was as if her reply made sense to his logic. "Ya should be honored, kid. You'll get to know all that sass and jazz from the expert."

Isabella sat up and gave him a look of disgust on her face. She faked gagged while shaking her head. "No, thank you. I don't want any of your sass and jazz 'cause that just sounds... Yucky..."

"Yeah, you need to be cool like me because that sounds yucky— Wait, what?"

"Nooothing!" She said crawling like a worm towards her pillow. The old smell of the bed was making Isabella sleepy. "Said that Mister Romeo is a coolio mister. A one of a kind. A beauty, a rare oldie."

"You know what? You're evil. That's what you are. An evil kid." He pouted. A rare oldie. How dare she say that to him?

"Why, thank you." She replied with a cheeky grin. "I live up to that title."

He threw his hands up in the air in defeat. The kid was impossible and was annoying. He had never thought that Isabella would answer him like that. She was usually docile.

Like a trained pet.

Romeo looked outside of the window with a wary look painted on his face. He doesn't like staying in one place where they could possibly be captured by someone who could  feasibly want them dead.

Or, want the little girl dead.

A smart person knows that Isabella is a key to the hearts of monsters. A weakness that cannot be thrown away.  Well, it's not like nobody would want her to be thrown away like some trash because nobody would be able to do that, unless they want their legs and arms to be cut off.

"Okay, kid, ya stay here for a minute while I try to find some phone or something. Maybe grab a few couple of drinks from the vending machine that I saw. Oh, there's some diner a couple of blocks back, maybe they're not closed yet so I'll go check that out. You, little menace of the year, stay right here, 'kay? Don't go anywhere."

"Wouldn't dream of it." She mumbled with her eyes a little droopy. She yawned adorably, showing all her little baby teeth.

Romeo snorted. "Take a little nap, you look a little like a zombie."

"A cute zombie?" She asks with a mischievous tone that caused him to narrow his eyes at the little blob in the middle of the bed.

"No, an evil one."

Isabella giggled softly, turning to the side. "Come back soon, Romeo..."

Romeo nodded, his eyes lingering at the window with a dark expression. Without uttering any goodbyes, he left the room.

Leaving an unguarded little girl alone.

**

A soft knock was like a daunting alarm for a little girl who took a little nap that she didn't know that came. Isabella was too tired and her whole body ached from sitting down for hours in her car seat.

She slowly sat up when the soft knocking didn't stop. For a moment, she thought that she was back in her old room where she was safe and sound.

But, the thunder that rumbled loudly and the lightning that lit up the skies caused her to snap out of her little dream. She wasn't at home. She wasn't even anywhere near home.

Isabella wanted to cry when she realized that she was alone in a room with a lamp that barely lit the room.  It was cold and the little girl was hungry.

Still, the thought of Romeo being the one who's knocking gave Isabella some strength to slide down of her bed. She wants to see Romeo. Just a familiar face will probably make her calm down a little.

Waddling towards the door with her bare feet, ignoring how cold the floor was, her hands hovered over the doorknob while the slow knock didn't fade away.

The knock was slow, as if it was taking its time to echo around the cold room.  Isabella felt a chill run down her spine when she realized something.

Why would Romeo knock if he has the key?

There was no way that Romeo would just knock when he's got a key that he kept in his pocket.  Isabella saw him keep the key in his pocket a little while earlier. There was no way that he would just knock if he could just unlock the door, right?

Isabella's breath hitched as she slowly backed away from the door.

The rain was still pouring pretty heavily and thunder roared loudly. The pitter patters of rain was loud and it drummed against the floors of the ground.

The little girl frowned. Who would even knock in this kind of weather? It can't be her family, right?

Isabella pondered at the possiblity of it being her family.

What if it was her family?

Just the thought of it was making her feel giddy.

But if my family were actually here then they would have said a word to confirm their identity, right?

Isabella then caught a piece of paper lying innocently on the floor. Slowly, she walked towards it with caution. It was as if the piece of paper was a bomb. She was glad that she already knew how to read. Lucius taught her how and he was a good teacher at it.

Gently picking it up, she read it.

It's so cold outside. Please let me in. We can play a little game while you wait.

Wait? Then she realized that she was waiting for Romeo. The person at the other side of the door knows that she was waiting for Romeo. This person knows that she's alone.

Isabella doesn't know what to do. Fear was gripping her heart, chaining it in its place. If Isabella were cold before then she was definitely freezing now. It was as if someone had poured her some bucket of ice.  Isabella was alone and she doesn't have a phone to call for help. She was trapped.

The little girl didn't know why she did such a thing. She didn't know where she got her confidence to do so. Maybe, she thought that if she were to do it then maybe it will be of help for her family. Maybe she wanted to play hero for a change.

Whatever it was, she slowly kneeled down, determined for some reason. She peeked through the crack of the door.

Bloodshot eyes was staring back at her and she was sure that whoever was behind that door, was grinning with its teeth showing.

Isabella saw death in those eyes.

She saw a person who is out to kill. And she knows that whoever this man was would be out to kill her.

It took a lightning strike for her to scramble away from the door as far as she could, legs shaking like her hands were.

Then, she saw another paper slide from the crack of the door. The little girl doesn't know where she got her courage to pick it up, but she did.

Isabella just wants to peek.

She was curious as to what the person at the other side of the door would want to say.

I know you're alone. But you don't have to be. I can be your companion. Your friend. I'll never let you be alone. I promise. :)

Isabella was panicking but she couldn't even let a single scream out. She was too shocked and frightened because she was alone and there was no escape.

The little girl was trembling too much and she couldn't even muster up her voice to scream, to call for help, to say something, anything! She put her hands up to her shaking lips, covering it. She didn't want to make a noise.

She was too scared to make one.

She bit her lip as if it would stop the whimpers that came out of her. It didn't help that an eerie whistle began humming against the deadly silence.

Isabella slowly stood up, not wanting to face the door or to see the scary man behind the door. Isabella's heart was beating achingly against her chest.

She really wished that she asked Romeo to stay.

Ohhh, someone's at the door. Who could it be?

Well, what if Romeo left on purpose? What if he actually doesn't care about little Bella and just left her there? ;)

Oh, well!

🎶Some mister is knocking on the door, smiling as he's gonna make a little show to the innocent little girl that hides behind a little door🎶